Colleagues talking around an office table, illustrating everyday communication idioms

English Idioms: Communication & Conversation — 10 Expressions You Need to Know

English is full of figurative language for the simple act of talking. We warn people not to beat around the bush, praise someone who hits the nail on the head, and wince when a friend accidentally spills the beans about a surprise party. Communication idioms describe not just what we say, but how carefully —…

teacher correcting a Mandarin speaker's English mistakes in class

Common English Mistakes Mandarin Speakers Make (And How to Fix Them)

Mandarin speakers’ English mistakes follow a short, predictable list: dropped plural -s, missing or misused articles, pronoun mix-ups between “he” and “she,” verb tense that never changes, and consonant sounds Mandarin simply doesn’t have (like “th”). Every one of these traces back to a specific gap between Mandarin grammar and English grammar, which means every…