Making Friends Not Always Easy for Foreign Students

This is the VOA Special English Education Report. 
       A recent story in the Chronicle of Higher Education said many foreign students

Living Under a Rock

This is quite a useful phrase in spoken English. If you are “living under a rock” it means

Leadership Qualities

You know, my father used to always to say that 'a good leader is born, not made'.

 I  mean, when  you  think  about  it  you  can  mould a person into many things, but you 

can't teach them  charisma  or  drive  or  the  courage to follow through on their own

 decisions. I mean, take  Linderman  for  example. He's become a very rich man by

 taking responsibility for his own  decisions.  That's how I've always done business.

about Latin

Latin is considered a "dead" language because it has ceased to evolve, but millions of people study it in school. That's because Latin pops up in medicine and law and is the root of many words in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian and English.

In the Same Boat

This is another great phrase which is used a lot in everyday English.

If two or more people are “in the same boat” it means they are in a very similar situation.  They are experiencing the same things and feelings.

Procrastinate

If you procrastinate doing something, it means that you plan on doing it, but keep delaying it for no real good reason.  You keep making stupid excuses to yourself.

If you have an exam tomorrow but you keep watching TV instead of starting to study, you are procrastinating.

Anxious or Eager?

Depending on how you feel, you may be anxious or eager for school to start.

To some people, "anxious" has more of a negative connotation than "eager." You're eager for school to start if you're looking forward to it. You're anxious for school to start if you feel nauseous every time you think about it.

"Anxious" comes from the same root as "anxiety." If you can remember that, you can remember that "anxious" isn't a good thing.

"Anxious" is evolving, though. The distinction between "anxious" and "eager" was much stronger in the seventeenth century. Today, many people use the words interchangeably.

• I'm eager to see my best friend again. (standard)
• I'm anxious to see the school bully. (standard)
• I'm anxious to get our new puppy. (acceptable, but sometimes disputed)