Happy #TravelThursday, everyone! It always feels good to go home. Last weekend, I traveled to my hometown of Kansas City for a few days of fun and relaxation. It takes about three hours by plane to get to Kansas City from Washington, D.C. It’s a common expression here in the U.S. to call states in […]
#TravelThursday
Posted October 9th, 2014 at 10:26 am (UTC-5)
Hello everyone! My name is Ashley, and I’m new here at VOA Learning English. I’ve already met some of you on Talk2Us, but I would like to introduce myself here. I grew up in Kansas, a state in the Midwest region of the United States. Its nickname is ‘Sunflower State,’ because of all of the […]
Getting started with the TOEFL
Posted October 8th, 2014 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
If you’re interested in studying at an American university, you’ve probably heard of the TOEFL. The Test of English as a Foreign Language is the most widely used language assessment test for American universities. The other major test is IELTS, which Dr. Jill will discuss in a future blog. Many foreign students are terrified of […]
Five Ways to Start a College Essay
Posted October 3rd, 2014 at 3:24 pm (UTC-5)
We’ve all been there. It’s midnight and your paper is due in 8 hours. You are staring at a blank Word document. You have no idea what to write. If only you could write SOMETHING. In frustration, you bury your head on your desk. The first paragraph of a college essay, or any […]
The Cask of Amontillado – Is revenge ever justified?
Posted September 24th, 2014 at 5:53 pm (UTC-5)
We are getting a lot of positive comments on our first Level Three offering in American Stories, The Cask of Amontillado. It’s a classic work of horror by an author who lived not too far from our DC offices; Edgar Allan Poe lived in Baltimore, Maryland. What do you think about the story? Is revenge […]
What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?
Posted September 17th, 2014 at 4:23 pm (UTC-5)
Hello, Learning English listeners, readers and writers! I’m Dr. Jill Robbins. I’m new here at VOA, and want to get acquainted with you in my first post on this blog. I’ve taught English in the U.S. and overseas for more than 30 years. I’m very excited to be working with VOA Learning English. My nickname […]
What’s in a Name?
Posted June 9th, 2014 at 3:15 pm (UTC-5)
The South China Sea is in the news a lot these days. We have had several stories about the recent tensions between China and Vietnam over the area. Some of our website visitors have objected to our use of the name “South China Sea.” Some write that the area is called East Sea. So, we […]
Delayed Reaction
Posted May 9th, 2014 at 9:10 pm (UTC-5)
The school girls kidnapped in Nigeria have been held since April 9th. The kidnapping was reported immediately. But public condemnation of the act, and international demands for the girls’ release, grew slowly. A universal horror was not expressed until this week, after Boko Haram released a video of its leader Abubakar Shekau. In the recording, he […]
What’s Your Flavor?
Posted April 29th, 2014 at 7:05 pm (UTC-5)
I went out of town last week to see family in the central northern state of Minnesota. The weather was mixed, the relatives were warm and the food was great. I ate what I would call a “very American” diet during my travels. Seafood, hamburger, lasagne and pizza. But those foods can be found anywhere. […]
Heroes Among Us
Posted April 7th, 2014 at 5:18 pm (UTC-5)
Our most recent American Mosaic program included a report about American heroes. Some were heroes in military battles. But others were just ordinary civilians who had taken extraordinary actions. There are also many “unsung” heroes out there. You might be one of them. I know many of our web visitors put themselves at risk just […]
