Watching English speaking movies is a great way to learn the language. The nuances of speaking English that you can’t get across in a textbook can be easily exposed simply by having a keen ear and the subtitles on. What’s also interesting is how some of our favourite movies most famous lines as we remember them are actually misquotes, meaning what has become popular memory is not actually the original words that the characters said. Here we take our pick of the top ten and try to uncover why their variants have slipped into popular usage. 1. Casablanca (1942) “Play it again, Sam!” is actually… “You played it for her, you can play it for me.  If she can stand it, I can. Play it!” Perhaps the most famous movie misquote of all-time, this ‘line’ from 1942’s Casablanca cemented its place in cinema history when Woody Allen used it as the title of his 1972 movie.  With the same sentiment as its rather more lengthy original, but condensed into just four, snappy words, it’s no wonder the misquote took on a life of its own after, what is for many, one of the greatest movies ever made. 2. The Wizard of Oz (1939) “I don’t think we’re in Kansas no more, Toto” is actually… “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” The most famous quote of the movie was never actually spoken by the leading character, Dorothy.  The fact that many people misquote it to include a grammatical error (no more, instead of anymore) remains something of a mystery, but it could be an attempt to capture something of the essence of Dorothy’s heavy American-Kansas accent. 3. Apollo 13 (1995) “Houston, we have a problem” is actually… “Ah, Houston, we’ve had a problem” Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon star in this fact-based retelling of the ill-fated NASA Apollo 13 space mission; scheduled to send three men to the moon, it soon turned into a rescue mission to save the lives of the three astronauts after a piece of space debris hit the lunar capsule.  The actual quote, spoken by Tom Hanks, reflected something of his state of panic and surprise and included a pause, which isn’t reflected in the misquote. 4. Dirty Harry (1971) “Do you feel lucky, punk?” is actually… “Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?” This misquote neatly sums up the sentiment of Clint Eastwood’s monologue (we’ve only quoted the very end of it above), whilst remaining true to its original message.  Aside from it being a time-saving edit, it could also have been recited differently in popular culture because the original is somewhat confusing without the context of the full speech; it would make sense for the ya to be an I. 5. The Graduate (1967) “Mrs Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?” is actually… “Mrs Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.  Aren’t you?” A fresh-faced Dustin Hoffman in his debut on-screen lead performance not only gave us a classic soundtrack from Simon and Garfunkel, but also the memorable line “Mrs Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?”, only it was never actually spoken like this!  In one of the rare instances where the misquote actually loses some of the sentiment of the original, with Hoffman’s misremembered line the character appears much surer of himself then is the reality; in the movie there’s a moment when he genuinely doesn’t know whether the older woman is trying to seduce him or not. 6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) “Luke, I am your father” is actually… “No.  I am your father” Wrong by just a single – but evidently vital – word, this line consistently tops polls of the most memorable movie misquotes.  Luke’s reaction to the revelatory twist, an extended scream of “No!” is itself a memorable quote (although it’s not really possible to get that one wrong!) and has been the subject of many a humorous YouTube re-edit. 7. Wall Street (1987) “Greed is good” is actually… “Greed is right.  Greed works” Wall Street’s eminently unlikable, evidently suave Gordon Gekko, played by a dashing Michael Douglas, gave us the popular movie misquote ‘greed is good’, which is a concise way of summing up the perceived attitude of City traders in the 1980s.  The fact that Douglas made a sequel, Money Never Sleeps, in 2011 with Shia La Bouf, hopefully doesn’t mean that we’re going to see a return to this sort of post-financial crisis reckless trading! 8. Star Trek:  The Voyage Home (1987) “Beam me up, Scotty!” is actually “Scotty, beam us up” A long running series misquote that reached fever pitch during the height of the Star Trek movie franchise, “Beam me up, Scotty!” was a line never actually spoken by Captain Kirk, in either this movie or any of the episodes in the original 1960s TV series! 9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” is actually… “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” This misquote is now so standardised that the 2012 update of the Snow White tale actually included the misquoted line rather than the original.  The ‘mirror, mirror’ repetition may have come about to reflect the character of the witch speaking the lines; these type of characters often speak in repetition to further heighten their air of the unnatural. 10. Back To The Future (1985) “Where we’re going you won’t need roads” is actually…. “Roads? Where we’re going we won’t need roads.” The closing line from Robert Zemekicks 1985 sci-fi hit comedy sees the Doc declaring to Marty McFly, played by a young Michael J. Fox, that they won’t need ground space to get up to the 88 miles per hour required for time travel as the DeLorean was now equipped with flying capabilities.  This popular line was quoted by Ronald Reagan in his Presidential inauguration speech – he even managed to get it right!

Practising speaking is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of learning English. Once you can speak even a little English, there are loads of ways to improve your skills quickly while having tons of fun. Here are ten top tips for improving your spoken English and having a great time while you do it! Speak, speak, speak! Be confident and speak as often as possible to as many people as you possibly can! Do not be shy to make mistakes! The more you practice the better and more confident you will become in your pronunciation and vocabulary. Remember, speaking is a skill like learning a musical instrument or new sport – the only way you can get good is to actually do it! Use technology A smartphone can be a powerful tool for learning languages. Use it to record yourself speaking then listen back to see how your English sounds to other people. Make the most of all your favourite productivity apps to organise your practice time and make a note of all the new words you learn. Listen to news bulletins and songs in English to listen to the pronunciation of words. You can also learn new words and expressions this way. The more you listen, the more you learn! Try copying what you hear to practise your pronunciation and learn which words in a sentence are stressed. Read out loud Read the newspaper or a magazine out to yourself. You could even find a script for your favourite TV show and act it out! This is a great way to practise pronunciation because you only need to concentrate on making sure you English sounds great and don’t need to worry about sentence structure or grammar. Learn a new word every day Choose a word you would like to work on and use practice it in different sentences. Use the word until you have learnt it and keep using it regularly. Watch films Watch movies in English and pay attention to new vocabulary and pronunciation. Imitate the actors and have fun with it. Make friends Make friends with English speakers or others learning to speak English and compare notes. Talk about things that you have learnt and exchange ideas. Do interesting activities in English Take a cooking course in English or join a book club! Anything you enjoy doing, make sure you do it and communicate it in English. Using English to talk about things you enjoy will make practising a positive experience. Have a debate Debate all the topics that interest you with friends in English. Try to use as much vocabulary as you can to get your point across and listen to the other arguments carefully so you can argue against them effectively. Use a dictionary Online dictionaries often have audio examples so you can check your pronunciation and there are lots of great dictionary apps that you can take everywhere with you on your smartphone. Make sure not to become too reliant on these tools, though. Have a go at saying the words first then check afterwards to see if you were right!

Foreign accents are cute in English Although you might feel awkward or uncomfortable when speaking in English, most native-English speakers actually find foreign accents quite endearing, if not downright sexy! You’ll finally be able to understand the lyrics of your favorite English song Tired of filling in the blanks to your favorite English song lyrics with humming noises? If you worked a little bit on your English, you could be singing along to your favorite song, including the correct lyrics, in no time. When you travel abroad, you’ll actually be able to communicate with people (and avoid getting lost) If you go abroad to Paris, for example, and your native language is Japanese, chances are that most people may not be able to speak your language. But chances are pretty good that they may speak a little English. You can watch your favorite Hollywood movies in their original version It’s not the same hearing Sean Connery say “Bond, James Bond” in a dubbed voice over. Improve your English and have more fun watching movies in their original version. You’ll impress all of your friends Imagine how impressed your friends when you’re the only one who can speak to the new foreign exchange student or visitor in town. We bet that they’ll wish they’d learned English as well as you. It’s fun to learn bad words in foreign languages! Come on, admit that it’s fun to say bad words in a foreign language. Learning local expressions and maybe even a few not so politically-correct words will have you sounding like a native English speaker in no time. People, especially native English-speakers, will appreciate your efforts Believe it or not, we understand that it is difficult to learn a foreign language and appreciate the efforts you make to speak in ours. So come and talk to us – you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that we speak a few poorly pronounced words in your language!

When you’re down on motivation, it’s a great idea to get some advice from an expert. We don’t always have experts on hand, though. If that’s the case and you need some advice to help you get motivated to learn English, turn to some of the greatest thinkers of the past with these 5 quotes to help you get motivated to learn English. 1. The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Abraham Lincoln If you want to be a fluent speaker of English in the future, you need to make it happen. 2. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S.Lewis Many people say it’s easier to learn a language when you are young but there are advantages to learning a language when you are older. 3. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Gandhi Enjoy living in the moment but remember that learning English will prepare you for the future. 4. Learning is not a spectator sport. – D. Blocher If you want to master English, get involved and practise as much as possible. 5. There is no substitute for hard work. – Thomas Edison Learning any language is hard work so prepare well, put in the hours and you will achieve your goals.

Lyric writing is a tricky business. Finding words that convey exactly what the songwriter feels, while fitting into a certain melody and tempo, the sound of the words has to be pleasing to the ear too. Lyrics can be the starting block of a song – the words coming first, suggesting a certain feel or mood, and inspiring a melody. This is the power of words. Great song lyrics have the power to move you – whether it’s a tear of happiness or sadness, this is the songwriter’s gift. Others are simply catchy – sing-a-long lyrics they stick in your head, even if they’re completely meaningless – naaa na na na-na-na-naaaaaa aren’t exactly the most inspiring lyrics ever, but thanks to The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ they’re among some of the most-sung in the world! Bob Dylan – Masters of War “I think you will find/When your death takes its toll/All the money you made/Will never buy back your soul…” The protest song to end all protest songs, Dylan voiced the concerns of a generation when he penned this anti-war lyric. With Vietnam raging, and conscription forcing young Americans to fight in a war they didn’t understand, the lyrics captured all of their rage, fear and disgust perfectly. Sung in the first person, from the point of view of a young man who doesn’t want to be forced to join the army, makes the song all the more personal. The melody here is so simple, and yet this song has been covered by more artists than you can count – it’s all thanks to those incredibly powerful lyrics. The Beatles – Hey Jude “Take a sad song, and make it better…” While John Lennon initially believed that this song was written for him, at the start of his relationship with Yoko Ono, in fact Paul McCartney penned this Beatles classic for Lennon’s son Julian. Originally titled ‘Hey Jules’, the song was written to comfort a young Julian as his parents divorced – and its lyrics have since brought comfort to countless others. Also written around the time of McCartney’s new relationship with Linda Eastman, it’s a song that offers encouragement, advice, and a strong belief in love – yet another famous lyric about love – it seems we can’t escape it! But Hey Jude is almost as well known for its ending – over four minutes of those famous ‘na na na’s stretch the song out to over seven minutes long, at the time making it the longest single ever to top the UK charts, giving the Beatles their biggest hit in America too. Johnny Cash – I Still Miss Someone “There’s someone for me somewhere/And I still miss someone…” Another simple melody that’s transformed by its painfully heartfelt lyrics, this is one of Johnny Cash’s most famous songs, and one of his most-covered. There have surely been more lyrics written about love than anything else, and the ones that stay with us are often about lost love. Here, the lyrics hit home because they are so honest and truthful – every one who’s ever lost someone can relate. One of Bob Dylan’s own favourites, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Gram Parson and Stevie Nicks are just some of the artists who have covered this country classic. Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi   “They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot… One of Neil’s fellow Canadian musicians, and a good friend of his from the folk scene, Joni Mitchell has written her fair share of famous lyrics. Perhaps the best know are the ones she penned for Big Yellow Taxi. Written about her concerns with pollution and the environment, Joni explains: ““I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise.”   The lines “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone” apply to a whole range of circumstances besides the destruction of the earth – helping the song become a universal favourite. The Smiths – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out “Take me out, tonight…” It’s rare to find a band that are as critically acclaimed for their lyrics as much as their music – but thanks to Morrissey the magical wordsmith, The Smiths have managed just that. An avid reader, a big poetry fan, and a romantic at heart, Morrissey has written some of the most famous lyrics to emerge from the British music scene in the past 30 years. Their song titles alone contain more poetry than most lyric sheets – Shoplifters of the World Unite, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – they’ve even inspired countless tattoos. There Is a Light is one of their most-covered songs, with lyrics that were apparently inspired by one of Morrissey’s heroes, James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. Appealing to teenagers everywhere, the lyrics talk about teenage alienation – a need to run away, experience the first excesses and excitements of life, when you no longer feel at home in the family home.  

When we’re sending emails, it’s easy to be too direct. This can upset the reader or cause offence. Saying “thank you” is a great way to make your email more polite and personal. What’s the best way to do it, though? Find out with our top five ways to say “thank you” in an English email. 5. Thank you for your kind cooperation If you need the reader to cooperate by assisting you with something, then thank them in advance for their cooperation. You can add the expression “in advance” to this sentence and say “Thank you in advance for your cooperation.” 4. Thank you for your attention to this matter Similar to above, this sentence implies that you would appreciate the readers’ further assistance. This expression also shows that the request you have made is important and that the reader should pay special attention to it. 3. Thank you for your understanding This sentence isn’t to congratulate the reader on understanding the words you have written. We use this sentence to say “Thank you” in advance if we have done something or requested something that may cause inconvenience to the reader. 2. Thank you for your consideration If you are requesting a benefit or an opportunity, such as when you apply for a new job, end your email with this sentence. 1. Thank you again for everything you’ve done This sentence, which is used at the end, is a bit different from those above. Use this if you have already thanked the reader at the beginning of the email, but due to their great efforts, you wish to thank them again for their past actions. Now you know how to say “thank you” in an English email, the only question left is who you want to thank.  

One conflict that has been produced by the surge in mobile phone use is a rift between people who like to talk and people who prefer to text. Sending text messages has become a medium of choice for mobile phone users. Young people are increasingly prone to texting and shy away from making calls, which are more direct – but also less permanent forms of communication. Ironically, the speed at which instant messaging or texting takes place means that mistakes and shorthands are common: but we often let each other get away with them because we know what they mean. Many teachers in primary and secondary schools have expressed concern at the number of children whose literacy levels are dropping; and who are not even able to write by hand, so accustomed are they to computers, tablets and mobiles. Some texting terms have even made it into common parlance: ‘lol’ (laugh out loud), ‘omg’ (oh my god), pls (please). The craze for shortening words, absorbed from texting, is also changing how we speak – ‘amaze’ for ‘amazing’, ‘totes’ for totally, ‘blates’ for blatantly: these are all largely teenage usages that are becoming mainstream. Text messaging is alienating English speakers from their native tongue and confusing non-natives who wish to learn the language. It promotes mis-spelling. English is a beautiful tongue with a rich literary history which does not deserve to be overshadowed by phrases like ‘c u l8r’ and ‘megalolz’. As any linguist knows, language is not a static thing. Change and development is the one constant in life, and the changing sounds and phrases of a language are merely reflections of the changes in a particular society. You cannot expect the English language to remain the same while the world around us – and particularly the way we communicate – is subject to so much variation.

Hand gestures are an integral part of communication, particularly if we are speaking in a foreign language. They are a great way of making sure we’re getting our point across and underpin what we’re trying to say. Many travelers will also use hand gestures as a means of non-verbal communication when traveling in countries where they do not speak the local language. Be aware though – not all hand gestures have the same meaning in all countries! It is worth looking into different hand gestures when you learn English online, so you are one step ahead of the game. Not understanding the meaning of gestures in different cultures can lead to misunderstandings, insults and even violence. However, since hand gestures are such a regular part of our daily communication habits, it is easy to make a mistake. US Presidents George W Bush and Richard Nixon both unintentionally insulted their audiences in Australia and Brazil by flashing commonly used American hand gestures, not knowing that the meanings were drastically different. Check out our handy guide to hand gestures and make sure you don’t accidentally insult anyone on your next holiday or business trip. Thumbs up Thumbs up is perhaps the most common of hand gestures and one that has been used for thousands of years. The signal for approval or agreement is commonly found a European and American cultures as a sign of approval or that things are going according to plan. The gesture is so prevalent that it is a common emoji and is commonly used in social media and customer service ratings to indicate satisfaction. However, in many Islamic and Asian countries it is considered a major insult. In Australia, the gesture also means all is fine, unless the user moves it up and down which transfers the gesture to an insult. The thumbs down gesture is also commonly used in America, but less so in many other countries. The gesture obviously means the opposite of “thumbs up”, however in many cultures it is considered to be very rude and arrogant. The “V for Victory” or Peace sign This hand gesture is another one which is fairly universal. Prior to the 1960s it was primarily used to indicate “victory”. During the Vietnam war and hippy era the sign began to mean peace and is now typically referred to as the “peace sign.” However in many countries outside of the US the direction the palm is facing makes a major difference in the meaning. The peace sign is the one that caused George W. Bush some problems when he flashed it to an Australian crowd with the palm facing inward, which is a major insult. The V sign with an inward facing palm is also considered and insult in the UK and South Africa. The OK The OK sign, which is made by curling the index finger over the thumb and extending the other fingers above them, is another fairly common hand gesture in America and most of the English-speaking world meaning that everything is going well and according to plan. It is also regularly used by divers to indicate that all is well to their dive partners. However, in Latin America, the gesture is considered to be extremely rude as Richard Nixon discovered after flashing it to a large crowd of Brazilians awaiting his arrival in Rio de Janeiro who responded to his greeting with a chorus of “boos”. In France the gesture is also considered an insult; in Australia it means “zero”, in New Zealand the user is basically considered to be lazy. The Come Here gesture In the US and some other English speaking countries curling the index finger toward the palm of the hand is used to summon someone towards you. In movies the gesture is frequently used by a female character as a way of tempting a man. However, in other countries this gesture is also called the dog call and as the name implies should not be used to summon humans. Using the gesture in the Philippines it is one of the most offensive gestures that can result in the user’s arrest of even having his finger broken as a punishment. The Japanese also consider the gesture to be rude. In Singapore the gestures is used to mean “death”. The Corona Hand Gesture This gesture which consists of the index and little finger pointing upwards and the two middle fingers curled toward the palm has a wide variety of meanings. During the last few decades it has been used by hard rock bands and their fans as a symbol of approval or enjoyment. In many European countries it is the sign of the devil; whereas it is a positive sign in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The sign is used to indicate that one’s spouse is cheating on them in Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Spain and Portugal. Interestingly it is also the sign of the University of Texas in Austin who are known as The Longhorns. The symbol is flashed at sporting events meaning “Hook’em Horns.” In many ways the world is becoming “smaller”. People are far more mobile than at any time in our history. Both business and personal travel are increasing. Additionally, virtual conferences and meetings using platforms such as Skype or GoToMeeting are increasingly a part of daily business life. This means that more and more people are communicating with those in other cultures. It is important to avoid offending others when traveling. Whenever you travel for business or pleasure to another country spending a bit of time to research the culture and especially customs such as non-verbal communication is a wise use of your time. It could mean the difference between a fun, productive trip and one that is possibly far less pleasant.