Elizabeth's English Lectures (CEO, A-listers Academy/ALA)

  The still image above is from a video I posted for ACERS Online School introduction in 2013.  The word Kaizen is on the wall behind. It was put there by one of my students at that time.  Recently, I searched what Kaizen really means. The closest English translation is “continuous improvement”.  Because of Kaizen principle, the Japanese are always on the cutting edge of technology and other things. I got so inspired by it that I even printed out the word Kaizen and posted it on my bedroom wall. the kaizen word on my bedroom wall (sorry for the phone shadow, haha) This calligraphy reads “ZenRyoKu”. It was given to me by one of my Japanese students, circa 2010. It is written (or painted?) on a piece of very thin, almost transparent piece of paper. The man was the chief electrical engineer of a globally known manufacturer of printers, photocopiers, cameras, and a lot more.  the original calligraphy, written/painted on a piece of very thin, almost transparent piece of paper the lamina

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   Bound to or Bound For? Some ESL (English as a Second Language) students sometimes make mistakes in the preposition. Again, because prepositions are tricky, a change in the preposition can change the meaning. Simply remember it this way: Bound to + Verb, Bound For + Noun. Bound to + Verb simply means “It is certain/It is sure to happen.” Example: With your lack of business sense, your business is bound to fail. This young man is so hardworking. He is bound to succeed in life. Bound for + Noun If the noun is a place, bound for means the destination. Example: This plane is bound for Osaka. If the noun is another   noun, it means destined (destiny). Example: This young child has a lot of acting potentials. She is bound for stardom. Compare: Sentence 1: This young man is so hardworking. He is bound to succeed. Sentence 2: This young man is so hardworking. He is bound for succes

  My HP Printer-Photocopier-Scanner   my printer-photocopier-scanner the cartridge I bought at a computer shop long, long time ago my friend could finally find one This is one of my loyal companions. I bought this in 2011, and I’ve forgotten how much I bought it for. My techie friends laugh at it whenever they see it. In July 2021, a printer technician came here to fix it because it wasn’t printing out anything—it would just make a sound and spew out the blank paper. When the technician saw my printer, he told me to buy the latest printer right away. Anyway, he, the technician, found my four earrings inside the printer, the very earrings that I had been looking for for months! That was the reason why it stopped working. Other than that, there was—and there is—no problem at all. Why do I like it? Because, as we call it in the Philippines, it’s three in one. It’s a printer, a photocopier, and a scanner at the same time. The photocopier is so good that you can’t distinguish a photoc

my scented candles    June 2021 was a very difficult month for me. This went on and on sporadically   until November of this year. In June, things didn’t go right, and to cheer myself up, I scrubbed my place from top to bottom, disinfected everything, surrounded myself with lots of lovely green plants and colorful flowers, and of course, I bought these scented candles. The situation was still the same but definitely, the beauties I surrounded myself with made me feel much better. The scented candles definitely look good here with my Lumanog guitar. They smell good, and each time I see them (along with my guitar and indoor plants), I get reminded of how beautiful the world is.

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   There, It Both of these words are used to start a sentence, but there is, of course, a big difference between them. Again, this quite confuses students of English as a Second Language (ESL).  We use There when we talk about something for the very first time, to establish its existence. Examples: There ’s an insect in the room! It ’s crawling on the wall! There’s an insect in the room= We show that an insect is present in the room. It’s crawling! -The It in the sentence means the insect. There ’s a new restaurant near our house. It ’s really good. The It in the sentence above means the restaurant.  Of course, we can use There and It with plural nouns. Examples: There are many restaurants near my house. They are really good. They= the restaurants   There are many insects in the room. They are crawling on the walls and on the floor. They = the insects Note: Never start

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   On time, In time The difference in the preposition makes the meaning super different. This should not confuse students of English as a Second Language (ESL). On time simply means not late. Examples: We have an appointment at 12:00. You arrive at 12:00. You are on time. You are not late. The bus was scheduled to leave at 10:00. It left at 10:15. The bus did not leave on time. It left late.   In time means soon enough , usually, before something unfavorable happens. Examples: While I was driving, a child suddenly ran into the road in front of my car. I managed to stop the car in time. (This means, I stopped the car before the child was hit; my car did not hit the child because I stopped the car just in time.) There was much traffic, and I thought I would be late for the conference. When I arrived at the office,   the conference was about to start. I arrived there just in time.   Ja

  my indoor plants on my study table  I have been taking care of this beauty since April 2015.  I've had this beauty for 3 years (since October 2018).  Long before Covid 19 came into existence, long before the words plantitos and plantitas were coined,  long before people started buying and cultivating plants out of the lockdown-caused boredom, I had been planting, cultivating indoor plants. I was born and raised in a remote farming village, so I grew up cultivating vegetables and ornamental plants. I feel an inexplicable sense of fulfillment each time I see new leaves sprouting, each time I see little buds grow and turn into lovely flowers. I am a countryside girl, and I will always be. They give me joy.  Love, love, love. 

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   Good day friends, here is another short and simple lecture in English as a Second Language (ESL).  And of course, as usual, this short lesson is presented in the easiest way possible. Enjoy reading!  By the time + Situation/Something happens   Let’s take a look at these examples: It’s too late to go to the cinema now. By the time we arrive there, the movie theater will be closed. By the time we arrive there= between now and at the time that we get there. We can also use By the time + Past time expression. Take a look at the following example: SITUATION: The conference would start at   8:00 a.m. Jane woke up at 7:30 a.m. She got stuck in traffic; she arrived at the office: 8:15 The conference had started. (..because it was scheduled to start at 8:00) SENTENCE: By the time Jane arrived at her client’s office, the conference had started. We can use by then instead of by the time.

  spa milk salt foot scrub  This product is great. It leaves the feet feeling soft; it exfoliates the skin. It's a mixture of fine salt and milk. I don't know what salt it is; it definitely is not the same salt that we use for cooking, but... it's salt. A special kind.  I can’t read the instructions because they are written in another system of writing, but when I use it, I just follow the standard procedure---soak my feet in hot water (not scalding, just hot..haha), and start exfoliating, rubbing, and massaging my tired feet. It feels great because it’s really soft, and it looks even greater because it’s pink. It’s worth trying it, it’s worth having it.  

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   By and Until- What’s the Difference?  Again, here are two English Grammar points that many ESL students get confused with. As usual, we are going to use simple explanations and clear examples to show the difference between the two By + time= not later than I sent the package to my friend yesterday. He should receive it by tomorrow. This means, my friend should receive the package either today or tomorrow; not later than tomorrow.   I have to be home by 5:55. My favorite TV program starts at 6:00. Until - states how long a situation or an event continues. I cleaned my room until midnight . I always watch YouTube videos until 4:00 in the morning. I don’t think I will ever forget him. I’m sure I’ll remember him until I die. (OMG) My cousin is in my house now. She will stay with me until the pandemic is over.   Now, let’s compare the two. David is in Italy now. He will be a

  me, at the monitoring center  December 02, 2021--I got my first dose of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. At first, I did not want to be vaccinated—not because I did not believe in the power of vaccines, but because I’ve always believed in my body’s ability to recover by itself. I would like to first establish that I stopped taking medicine when I was 15 years old. During those rare moments that I’d get sick, I would just drink a lot of water, calamansi juice (green lemon of the Philippines) , eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, and sleep a lot. I would recover in 24 hours. In 2008, I had a 39.5 fever but there I was, singing at a wedding.                                                                                 2008- wedding singer with a 39.5-degree fever So there. It is now understandable why I did not want to get vaccinated—at first. But protocols in my country have become so strict that until now, unvaccinated people are not allowed entry in restaurants and other estab

  To inquire about my classes, or for a trial lesson, email me at acewld@gmail.com   For, During, While These three expressions that indicate time and event often confuses many students of English as a Second Language (ESL). Let’s discuss the differences briefly. FOR We use FOR + a period of time to say how long an activity or an event has been going on. Examples: For two nights For two hours For two days For a week I watched YouTube for two hours last night. I always watch YouTube for two hours every day. I have been waiting for Jake for two hours . He is always late for appointments. DURING We use DURING + NOUN to say when something happens. Usually, something (Verb) happens DURING an event, or when a situation is currently going on. (The event is of course a noun , the situation is of course a noun. ) Examples: I fell asleep during the class. I got so bored during the professor’s lecture . For periods of time, we can also use During. Examples