Inside VOA | Contact us

Thursday, 09 February 2012

Special English

Web Features

Interactive

Web Services

Learning Resources

Wordmaster

Ben Zimmer

'App' an Apt Word for Tech-Crazy Year, but How Do You Even Say 'Culturomics'?

Ben Zimmer of the American Dialect Society discusses its words of the year. For more archives, type Wordmaster in the search box

Full story »

Ralph Keyes

Finding Comfort in Euphemisms When Words Make Us Feel Uneasy

An interview with Ralph Keyes, author of the new book ''Euphemia"

Legal mumbo-jumbo

Writing Laws So Lawyers Are Not the Only Ones Who Can Read Them

A program in New Orleans trains legislative drafters from around the world

Allan Metcalf

Seriously: 'OK' Began as a Joke in a Newspaper in Boston in 1839

Allan Metcalf has written a history of what he calls ''America's greatest word'' | WORDMASTER

David "Slangman" Burke

'Jack and the Beanstalk,' Told With Food-Related Slang

Celebrating Thanksgiving Day with David "Slangman" Burke

Brain

Lost for Words? Here Are Some Tips to Remember About Improving Memory

"We don't forget, we just haven't learned it in the first place," says communications trainer Wendi Eldh

Lida Baker

Taking the Frustration Out of Phrasal Verbs

English teacher Lida Baker has advice for learning phrasal verbs in a context

David "Slangman" Burke

Break In, Break Out, Break Up -- Give Us a Break! (OK, Not Exactly a Breakthrough Headline)

David ''Slangman'' Burke breaks down some of the many uses of ''break"

Business meeting

'Don't Let Somebody Else's Words Dictate the Discussion All the Time'

Second of two parts with Kathleen Reardon, author of "Comebacks at Work"

Kathleen Reardon

Advice for What to Say If Someone Leaves You at a Loss for Words

First of two parts with "Comebacks at Work" author Kathleen Reardon

Twin sisters

Think Age Makes No Difference for Twins? Just Listen to Them Talk

More with Deborah Tannen, author of "You Were Always Mom's Favorite!"

Deborah Tannen

Listening for What Sisters Say About Each Other, What They Really Mean

Linguist Deborah Tannen discusses messages and metamessages; first of two parts

Geoff Nunberg

What Americans Mean When They Make an Appeal to 'Sensitivity'

Linguist Geoff Nunberg says it can be used as a way to avoid reasoned argument

Lida Baker

How to Get the Most From a Complaint Letter

Some writing advice from English teacher Lida Baker

Robert Tsai

Words and Debates Change With Time, but First Amendment Stays the Same

Law professor Robert Tsai discusses the constitutional right to free expression

Do You Want To Learn English? Click on The Classroom Now!

Use VOA's popular articles, now with language exercises! Expand vocabulary, reading and listening skills!

Click on The Classroom to Learn English!

Click Here For English Activities!

The most important vocabulary and listening practice. Practice conversations with a native English speaker! New - Getting a Bus

Click Now & Improve Your English!

We are teaching English on Facebook!

Live English lessons with The English Traveler and the English Doctor on Facebook! Click in to learn English!

Click Now to Improve Your English!

Grammar that's easy and fun!

Grammar that's easy and fun! New on Grammar Bytes -- Word Order of Adjectives!

Take Me to Grammar Bytes Now!

goEnglish.me
Learning tools for Chinese, Persian, Russian and Indonesian speakers

Listen Now
Play a 30-minute broadcast of VOA Special English | VOA News

VOA 60 - Your World in 60 Seconds

To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 9.0.115 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.

Most E-mailed in Last 24 Hours

Blogging

Jessica Stahl -- VOA Student Union

Jessica Stahl, VOA Student Union, stories about studying in US

Ted Landphair's America

Read and listen to Ted Landphair's America

Share With Your Friends

Friends at a laptop

Start your own VOA Learning English Group