Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
People love TV/streaming series and movies. We talk about series and movies all the time in conversation. In this video, I will teach you key expressions and phrases to talk about movies and shows. These expressions will help you feel more confident during everyday conversations. You will learn terms like “period drama”, “sci-fi”, “plot”, “____ stars in it”, “I give it _____”, and more. Take the quiz after watching to see how much you’ve learned. engvid.com/how-to-talk-about-series-in-english
Check out some of my other lessons on English media!
Improve your English with COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS: youtu.be/8199gpd9AaI
Learn English Vocabulary: FAKE NEWS youtu.be/B1XpZbrSEmM
People love TV/streaming series and movies. We talk about series and movies all the time in conversation. In this video, I will teach you key expressions and phrases to talk about movies and shows. These expressions will help you feel more confident during everyday conversations. You will learn terms like “period drama”, “sci-fi”, “plot”, “____ stars in it”, “I give it _____”, and more. Take the quiz after watching to see how much you’ve learned. engvid.com/how-to-talk-about-series-in-english
Check out some of my other lessons on English media!
Improve your English with COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS: youtu.be/8199gpd9AaI
Learn English Vocabulary: FAKE NEWS youtu.be/B1XpZbrSEmM
![Easy English Conversation: “What do you do?”
Do you know how to answer the very common question “What do you do?” in English? Learn natural, easy ways to talk about your job, your studies, and other situations like being unemployed, retired, or a stay-at-home parent. You’ll learn key expressions and useful grammar. I will show you the difference between phrases such as “I work in”, “I work at”, “I work for”, and “I work as”. We will also look at common mistakes, and go over tips to sound more natural and confident. https://www.engvid.com/easy-english-conversation-what-do-you-do/
More of my Easy English Conversation videos:
https://youtu.be/zM6j8XU7P0I
https://youtu.be/OIqDAF8szq4
Watch the full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaNNx1k0ao1sBSm9fJBbbQXx2JRXIym3H
In this lesson:
0:00 How to answer What do you do? in English
0:48 Im a .
1:44 I work in .
3:00 I work at .
3:31 I work for .
4:33 Ive been working there for/since .
6:20 full-time, part-time, weekends...
7:47 No job?
9:37 Retired?
11:32 Student?
14:27 I studied at .
14:59 I graduated from in .
15:19 Conclusion
Transcript:
Today were going to look at a very common question, What do you do? So What do you do? means what kind of work do you do? Are you a student? Its a very common question during small talk, when were meeting people for the first time. So today were going to look at how to answer this question. Were going to look at how to answer this question if you work. How to answer this question if youre in school. How to answer this question if you are retired. And how to answer this question if you dont work or youre looking for work. So lets get started by looking at what do you say if somebody says, What do you do?
So, the question is What do you do? or What do you do for work? You might hear these questions, they mean the same thing. So how do you answer this question? Well, first you can say your job title. Im a... And then you write the job. Now, a lot of students forget that they need a or an depending on if the job starts with a vowel sound, but lets look at some examples. Im a veterinarian. Im a teacher. Im a doctor. Im a lawyer. So this is very simple English, but something you really need to know because we ask this question all the time. What do you do? Im a teacher.
The next thing you might say about your work is the industry you work in. You might do this if your job is more complicated, or maybe you dont have a specific title. So for example, Im a teacher. I work in education. So, my industry is education. Another industry would be healthcare. So if youre a nurse, you work in healthcare. Maybe youre a physiotherapist, you work in healthcare. Other people work in finance, especially if they work, you know, in some sort of business. Maybe you work... So maybe you work for the government. You can say, I work in government. I work in IT. So these are all different industries. I work in construction. So theres a lot of different industries. The main thing I want to point out here is this preposition. I work in, and then you say the industry.
Okay, this is a little bit different from the next sentence I have. I work at... We usually follow at with the name of our company. I work at Sears. I work at Amazon. I work at Air Canada. So, whatever the name of the company is, you can write the company name here. Now, the next sentence is very similar to this sentence. We often use them in the same way. So, after for, you can also put the name of a company. I work for Air Canada. I work for Sears. I work for Amazon. Theres a slight difference between these two words, but its not a big difference. We often use them in the same way. So, you can say, I work at with the company name, or I work for with the company name. So lets look at an example. So imagine you say, What do you do? Oh, Im an engineer. I work in IT. I work at ABC Company, or I work for ABC Company. So, this is very standard. You will probably answer this question a lot. This is a great way to answer this question.
Another thing we often talk about is how long we have been working at a place. People want to know when you started at your job. So, you might say, Im a lawyer. Ive been working at my company for five years. Ive been working at my company for one year. Ive been working at my company for two months. So, this sentence is a little bit difficult in terms of the grammar, because we have the present perfect continuous. So, if you havent studied this, you might see this and say, Ooh, its a long sentence. But its a very important sentence because we use it all the time in conversation. So, if you memorize this sentence, its very useful. […] Easy English Conversation: “What do you do?”](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sf-7js2_kL0/mqdefault.jpg)



![How to learn MORE English with Emma
http://www.TeacherEmma.com Are you looking for more ways to learn English? In this video, I will talk about an exciting new opportunity. You will learn how you can get more English resources made by me. I will talk about my new website, http://www.teacheremma.com, and what I am currently offering to people. After watching the video, check out my website to learn more.
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. My name is Emma, and in todays video I want to tell you about a very exciting opportunity; but before I talk about this really great opportunity, I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and what I do.
So, I hope you see this heart, here. I put this heart here because I want to talk something thats very close, and near and dear to my heart, and that is teaching English. I believe English learning or learning the English language can help people change their lives for the better. Okay? A lot of you are learning English, and I want to ask you: Why are you learning English? Maybe some of you want a promotion at work, maybe some of you are looking for a new job or the love of your life, maybe some of you want to travel and see the world and you know English is going to help that goal; for others it might be about studying at a different university abroad; or maybe for those of you who work in business, maybe English can help you conduct your business better. Whatever the reason, there are many, many reasons why somebody might learn English, and Im here to help you with your goal.
So, my job is to help you meet your goals-whatever they are-by providing free English lessons. I have been doing this for a very long time. Since 2011, I have been creating YouTube videos about all sorts of things related to English; from listening, to grammar, to vocabulary, to test preparation. I create a lot of videos about English-language learning.
But what a lot of people dont realize is that these videos take a lot of time and effort to create, so I wanted to talk a little bit about that. What goes into creating one of our videos? Well, first of all, our videos require a team. You see me in front of the camera, but we have people working behind the camera who Id like to thank; we have people who film, people who edit, who produce, we have people who create the closed captioning at the bottom of the videos to help our learners understand them better. So, we are a team who create these videos.
The second thing I wanted to say is that these videos take a lot of time and effort, and were very happy to create these videos because they are very important to a lot of people; and we believe in free, accessible education. So, let me tell you a little bit more about myself and why I do what I do.
So, I have spent years learning on how to teach and what goes into learning a language. I have gone to different conferences, I have taken many courses and certifications, as well as recently I obtained a masters related to language learning. Another thing that a lot of people might not know about me is I still work full time. So, during the day I work and I teach; and its in the evenings and on weekends when I do my passion. Well, my passion is teaching, but I mean my passion at work of creating these free videos.
So, some of you might wonder: Why do you spend your evenings and weekends creating these videos? Well, to me theyre very important for the following reasons. I like to help to create these free videos because I think they really help people. Ive met a lot of different people who have watched my videos, and Im always glad to help. I think that English can help people reach their goals, and I want to be a part of this and I want to help people reach their goals, so this is one reason why I do this. I also very much believe in accessible education.
To me, I like the idea of a fair world; I like the idea of free education where it doesnt matter how much money you have, and it doesnt matter where you live, or even what... If you have a disability or not. I like the idea of everybody having access to education. So, one reason I create these videos is to make the world more accessible and to provide free education for all. I also think its important that when you know something, you should share it when it comes to new research, or new information, and new knowledge. Ive spent a lot of time learning about the best ways to learn a language, so I like sharing this with others.
Finally, I love sharing my culture. Im a very proud Canadian and a very proud Torontonian, which is somebody from Toronto. So, in these videos I get to talk a lot about my city and my country, and I get to share aspects of my culture, and I also love learning about other peoples cultures, so doing this really helps me to do that. […] How to learn MORE English with Emma](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tswlnt_TcOM/mqdefault.jpg)

![Learn English: How to use ID BETTER & ID BETTER NOT
Its late. Id better go. Have you ever heard this in conversation or a movie? The expressions Id better and Id better not are very, very common in conversation. In this English class, you will learn what these expressions mean, how to use them, and how not to use them. We will look at many examples of the use of these expressions, and Ill explain the grammar too. You will also learn about the meaning of youd better, which we use to express an order or a strong suggestion. At the end of the video, try my quiz at https://www.engvid.com/learn-english-better-better-not/ to practice what you have learned.
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. My name is Emma, and in todays video I am going to teach you a very common and important expression we use in English, and that expression is: Id better; or in the negative form: Id better not. So we use this expression a lot. But before I teach you how to use this expression, Im going to give you an example to help you understand when we use this expression. Okay, so lets get started.
So I have here my friend Jack, and youll notice Jack is a little confused. He has a whole bunch of question marks around his head, because hes thinking. So, what is Jack thinking about? Well, Jack has a test at 8am, and hes nervous about his test, and so hes wondering: What should I do? Thats what Jack is thinking. So I want you to think about: What should Jack do in this situation? He has a test at 8am. Should he go to bed early? Should he party all night? Or should he watch TV all night? What do you think? And he really wants to do well on his test. Well, hopefully, you know, you said the first one: Jack should go to bed early. So this is when we would use the expression: Id better. We would use it in this case.
And what does it mean? We use: Id better when we want to talk about something thats a good idea to do; and if we dont do it, there might be a problem. Okay? So, for example: Id better go to bed early. This is something Jack would say, because going to bed early is a good idea. He has a test to study for... Or, sorry. He has a test the next day, so its very important that he goes to bed early. Okay? So lets make this into an expression Jack can say. Id better, and then we put the verb, which is the action or the good idea. So, in Jacks case, Jack would say: Id better go to bed. Id better go to bed. So, now lets look at more examples of the expression: Id better.
Okay, so you might be wondering: What does Id better stand for? If you actually break up the Id, because Id is a contraction, it stands for: I had better. But usually when we use: Id better, we dont usually use it with the word had; we usually use it in conversation with the contraction. And so, the way we pronounce that is: Id better. So lets look at some examples with this expression.
Okay, so I want you to imagine its going to rain later today. Whats a good idea? If its going to rain, a good idea is to bring an umbrella. So, we can use this expression to talk about this good idea. Id better bring an umbrella today because its going to rain. Okay? If I dont bring an umbrella, Im going to get wet. So this is a good idea; and if I dont do it, something bad is probably going to happen - Ill get wet.
So lets look at another example. Id better leave my house earlier because I dont want to be late. So maybe theres a meeting or a job interview, and youre thinking: Oh, I need to get to work early, or: I need to get to this job interview early. Thats a good idea. A good idea is to leave my house early. So, because were talking about a good idea, we say: Id better leave my house earlier than normal. If I dont leave my house early, maybe there will be problems getting to the interview; maybe Ill be late. Okay? So we often use Id better when were talking about a good idea; and if we dont do this good idea, there can be a problem.
This is a very common thing youll hear people say: Its late, okay? Meaning its late at night. Youre at somebodys house: Its late. Id better go. Okay? So, I think this is actually probably the most common way we use this expression. Youll see it all the time in movies; somebody often says: Its late. Id better go.
And then another example: My friends are coming over. Okay? So, whats the good idea? Your friends are coming over. Its usually good to buy some food, maybe some drinks, so: Id better buy some food. Okay? So thats a good idea. If I dont buy food, my friends will be hungry.
I just wanted to point out one thing. Youll notice after: Id better, its the same in each sentence: Id better, Id better, Id better, Id better... What comes right after the word Id better...? Or, sorry. The expression is the verb. So, in this case, we have the verb buy; in this case, we have the verb go; we have the verb leave; and we have the verb bring. […] Learn English: How to use ID BETTER & ID BETTER NOT](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uJ4yvTzW_Xw/mqdefault.jpg)


![Do You Struggle with English in Meetings? Watch this.
Do you work in an English-speaking workplace? Follow my tips to feel more confident and comfortable using English at work — especially in meetings. Meetings in English can be stressful it’s not your first language. In this class, I’ll teach you key English vocabulary for meetings and give you strategies to understand more and feel confident at work. https://www.engvid.com/english-for-work-meetings-vocabulary-tips-you-need/
All EngVid business English lessons: https://www.engvid.com/topic/business-english/
Keep improving your workplace English with these lessons!
https://youtu.be/8KMZeaPnj84
https://youtu.be/VcQ62U0GyGE
In this lesson:
0:00 English in the Workplace: My top tips
1:22 Problem: I dont understand during meetings
4:11 Learn key meeting words
4:43 housekeeping
6:12 takeaways & take-homes
6:59 action items
7:51 Review the minutes
9:48 Find a meeting buddy
10:28 Confirm what you heard
11:41 Problem: Im in the hot seat!
12:37 Stay calm!
13:23 Buying time
14:06 Offer a follow-up
14:56 Toastmasters
16:27 Problem: Too many new words!
17:04 Words can have specialized meanings
19:35 Learn frequently repeated words
20:06 Watch workplace shows
21:37 Watch EngVid Business English lessons
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello.
My name is Emma, and today we are going to talk about English in the workplace.
So many of you might work in an English environment.
Maybe you have a job where everybody speaks English.
So in todays video, Im going to talk about how to improve your listening and your speaking
if youre working in a place that is an English environment.
Were going to, first of all, talk about some of the common problems English language
learners have when they work in an English workplace.
And then Im going to give you some tips and strategies to solve these problems, or to
make you more confident and comfortable during meetings, when making small talk with co-workers,
or when doing other activities that involve listening and speaking.
I also, before we begin, wanted to thank my colleagues, Tatiana, Fabiola, Hanada, as well
as Gabriela.
My colleagues really helped me to come up with these lesson ideas because they are all
people who are using English in a workplace environment when its not their first language,
so thank you so much for your help with this video.
So one of the biggest problems people who are learning English have when they work in
an English environment is they have a difficult time understanding and listening during meetings.
So I want to first talk about this problem, and then give some tips on how to deal with
this problem.
So, the reason its difficult when youre in a meeting and English is not your first
language is there are usually a lot of people talking during meetings.
You have to listen to different accents, different people have different words they might use,
so this can be very challenging.
Another issue is there can be a lot of other information in meetings, so youre concentrating
on the English, but youre also trying to understand, you know, what the meetings about,
maybe things about the company, so your brain is concentrating and working very hard during
meetings.
So what can you do to help yourself understand better during meetings?
Well, my first tip is that if you can, you should prepare for the meeting in advance.
One way to do this is by using the agenda.
So an agenda is when youre sent the plan for the meeting.
The agenda is the plan for the meeting.
It will tell you what will be discussed.
What is the point of the meeting?
Who is going to say things at the meeting?
That sort of information is in the agenda.
So if somebody emails you an agenda, look at the agenda.
Think about the agenda and think about what might be discussed.
By thinking about these things in advance, youre preparing your brain to accept the
information during the meeting.
Another thing you can do is sometimes you might have readings or slides sent in advance
of a meeting.
Its always good to read whatever is sent to you about a meeting to prepare for it.
Again, this is really important if English is not your first language because it gives
you more time to think about the information.
So that is one key strategy, prepare for the meeting in advance.
And if you dont know whats going to be talked about, if theres no agenda, no slides, you
can also try to predict what might be discussed.
So think about why are they calling this meeting, what might be discussed.
Even by just thinking about it, youre starting to prepare your brain for the meeting in advance.
[…] Do You Struggle with English in Meetings? Watch this.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uzAjQqQupiQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Find a NEW JOB in North America: Cover Letter & Resume Advice
Looking for a job? You will need to create a resume and a cover letter. But the rules on what to include and what NOT to include are different from country to country. To get you started, Ive put together this lesson on writing cover letters and resumes, where I will give you all of my key tips. I will also talk about the reasons why we write cover letters and resumes and give you some important points on formatting. Watch my other job skill videos to learn about job interviews and for specific vocabulary you should use on your resume.
Take the quiz: https://www.engvid.com/north-america-jobs-cover-letter-resume-advice/
Download a sample resume here: https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/resume-sample-tips/
TRANSCRIPT
Hello. My name is Emma, and in todays video I am going to talk to you about cover letters and resumes. So, if you are going to be looking for a job soon... Maybe youre new to Canada, or England, or the USA, or new to an English-speaking country and youre looking for a job or you will be looking for a job soon, this video can really help you with that. Cover letters and resumes really are different in different parts of the world. Okay? So theres a lot of different cultural parts that you need to know when youre writing a cover letter or resume, and in this video Im going to talk about the cultural aspects of both. So, this video youre going to learn more of an overview about cover letters and resumes, what their purpose is, and the type of information we include on them. Okay, so lets get started.
Okay, so a cover letter and a resume are two different documents that have very different formats. They look very differently from one another. A cover letter is a letter format, whereas a resume has its own special format, but there are certain things that are common or the same for both. One of the things thats common for both a cover letter and a resume is their purpose. The purpose of a cover letter and resume is to help you get an interview for a job, or help you get the job. Okay? So, when you think about a cover letter or a resume, imagine a company is asking you: Why should we hire you? What makes you special? What makes you right for this job? Your cover letter and your resume are the answer to this. They tell employers about your amazing skills. Okay? Maybe you know CPR, maybe youre great when it comes to computers, maybe you speak four languages. Okay? So they tell your employer... Your future employers this. They talk about your abilities, they talk about your experience, your education experience, your work experience, you know, maybe some other organizations youre a part of and the experiences you had there, and they also talk about your accomplishments, your successes. Okay? Maybe at this company you increased sales, maybe you won a customer service award because youre so great when it comes to talking to customers. Okay? So your resume and cover letter show all these great things about you, and they answer the question: Why should we hire you? Okay?
So, a lot of people want to know: Do I need both a cover letter and a resume? Can I just give my resume or just my cover letter? For most jobs you will need at the very least a resume. Okay? This is one of the most important things you give when youre applying for a job, and then for a lot of jobs they also will want a cover letter. So, how do you know if you need both? Well, when you apply to the job, look at the job advertisement. Usually in the advertisement they say if they want just a resume, or if they want a cover letter and a resume. If you dont know and you cant find the information, its a good idea to send both.
A lot of people want to know: Can I reuse my resume and cover letter for each job I apply for? Writing cover letters and resumes are a lot of work, so can I just give the same cover letter and resume to everybody, and every job I apply for? In general, thats not a good idea, and the reason is usually companies can tell that theyre getting the same resume and cover letter as other companies, because youre not saying specific things about how your skills match this companys skills or this companys... What this company wants. So as a result, its always the best idea to write a different cover letter for each job you apply for. Okay? I know thats a lot of work, but you will be more likely... Youre more likely to get the job if you do a good job on your cover letter instead of just sending everyone the same ones, and its the same with resumes. You know, different jobs you might want to highlight or talk about different things on your resume. If youre applying to this company, maybe youll talk about a certain work experience, whereas this company maybe youll talk about a different work experience. Okay? So very important to write your cover letter and your resume for each job. […] Find a NEW JOB in North America: Cover Letter & Resume Advice](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vDMJVrVY3ME/mqdefault.jpg)