The Lighthouse Newsletter
Navigating your Way to English Fluency
Not getting our weekly updates yet? To receive newsletter posts of "The Lighthouse Newsletter" in your e-mail inbox each Monday, sign up below. As an added bonus, we'll send a free copy of my new e-book, "Top 10 Most Common Phrasal Verbs", straight to your e-mail inbox right away so you can get started on your journey. ~Teacher Nathaly
Understanding Idioms Through Context
This past week was cold and icy… I think winter can be over now! Anyway, my husband also had some really busy days at work. In one of his text messages, he mentioned that he had "hit the ground running." My first reaction? Wait… did you fall on the ice? He laughed and said, No, it’s just an idio...
Feb 24, 2025
context
curiosity
discovery
idioms
Speak Without Getting Stuck
This is another newsletter post inspired by your questions! The other day a dear Instagram follower asked for tips on how to speak without getting stuck. To answer this question, I decided to rewatch a video I posted on my YouTube channel almost 6 years ago! It's an old video, but it's still sup...
Feb 17, 2025
confidence
language chunks
practice
preparation
speaking
Learning to Talk about Difficult Moments in English
Sickness swept through our home over the last couple of weeks—first, some kind of respiratory bug and then, to top it all off, a nasty stomach bug. Let me tell you, life with two young kids and sickness is not fun. There were sleepless nights, piles of laundry… you know what’s like, right?!
All ...
Feb 10, 2025
illness
phrasal verbs
real life
Native Speakers Create New Phrasal Verbs
The other day, I was working at the library—our favorite spot for me to work on our upcoming phrasal verbs course while Jonathan (a.k.a. my husband) watches the kids—when I saw something that immediately made me smile: a sign that said "Read your heart out."
A few years ago, I probably would ha...
Feb 03, 2025
context
core meaning
create
phrasal verbs
A New Way of Seeing the Present Perfect
Phrasal verbs might be one of the most confusing parts of the English language for many students, but do you know what really takes the cake? The present perfect tense (e.g., I’ve just started working on a new course on phrasal verbs). Wait… let’s pause for a second and clarify something. There’...
Jan 27, 2025
past simple
present perfect
verb aspect
verb tense
Confessions of a Phrasal Verbs Lover
They’re everywhere! I open the fridge to pick up a glass jar of olives, and there it is—I spot "to round out."
I go outside for a walk and see a sign that says, “Clean up after your dog.” I grab a package of cookies that says, “Peel off the seal.” Another day begins, and my husband shaves his b...
Jan 20, 2025
always learning
phrasal verbs
Real-Life English: Learn Phrasal Verbs by Reading about My Week
This week was a bit chaotic. Having two very young kids—a two-year-old and a two-month-old—catches up to you (this means to reach a point where you feel the effects of something, like exhaustion). One day, I had tried all sorts of activities to help my bored two-year-old find something to do, an...
Jan 13, 2025
learning
phrasal verbs
real life
simplicity
New Year, New Phrasal Verb
Happy New Year! 🎉
In this first post of The Lighthouse for 2025, I wanted to share how I’ve been keeping up with my goal to become a better listener and take notes on how people use phrasal verbs in everyday conversations.Â
We had a funny start to the year—our car broke down! While my husband wa...
Jan 06, 2025
core meaning
phrasal verbs
read up
My Upcoming English Goals
It’s that time of the year again… when we reflect on what we’ve accomplished and what we haven’t, and we start making plans for the next year. It’s the perfect opportunity to start fresh—the perfect time to begin something new. That’s exactly what I’m thinking about as I write this newsletter po...
Dec 30, 2024
authentic english
goals
listening
notes
phrasal verbs
Feeling Like you Don't Measure Up
First of all, season's greetings from our family to yours.
This week, a dear Instagram follower asked me if I’ve ever suffered from imposter syndrome—that nagging feeling of being a fraud, not good enough, and fearing that someday someone will find out we’re not as capable as we seem. As you mi...
Dec 23, 2024
confidence
imposter syndrome
learning
The Goal I Failed to Reach this Year
This year, I decided to join the 1,000 Hours Outside challenge—a challenge where the goal is for parents and kids to spend 1,000 hours outside, preferably in nature... Pretty wild, huh? Initially, I thought it would be very difficult for me to complete the challenge because I live in a place whe...
Dec 16, 2024
goals
intentional
progress
transformation
The Logic Behind Phrasal Verbs
I believe most of our The Lighthouse readers found their way here through my e-book on the top 10 most commonly used phrasal verbs. If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, you may have noticed that I talk about phrasal verbs a lot… but why? Couldn’t I focus on something more fun or...
Dec 08, 2024
core meaning
metaphors
phrasal verbs
The Lighthouse Newsletter
Navigating your Way to English Fluency
Not getting our weekly updates yet? To receive newsletter posts of "The Lighthouse Newsletter" in your e-mail inbox each Monday, sign up below. As an added bonus, we'll send a free copy of my new e-book, "Top 10 Most Common Phrasal Verbs", straight to your e-mail inbox right away so you can get started on your journey. ~Teacher Nathaly