Skip to main content

If elephants could write down their memories, they'd use their trunks. The Trunk is a collection of articles with advice on learning languages, writing, and communicating better in English.

Subscribe to "The Trunk"

Who hasn’t left a medical appointment feeling only half understood?

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning Tips

Describing pain is sometimes hard enough in your own language, but a language barrier makes it even harder to be sure the right message is getting across.

[more]

Category: Healthcare English

What do health professionals say about writing in English when it’s not their first language?

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning TipsWriting in English

Asking questions means you have to deal with answers, but that’s not always easy.

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning Tips

Questions can be tricky as different word order and tenses plus intonation come into play.

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning Tips

Ready to accelerate your English writing skills?

[more]

Category: Language Learning Tips

At the end of the day, before going to bed, I usually read a novel in English or German or French for 30 minutes or more. Normally it’s a physical book.

[more]

Category: Language Learning Tips

What do health professionals say about writing in English when it’s not their first language?

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning TipsWriting in English

Good enough means you can do what you have to do in English.

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning Tips

My mentor passed away three years ago, but six words still resonate.

[more]

Category: Language Learning Tips

When you can’t recall the difference between common confusing pairs, your writing and speaking slow down.

[more]

Category: Common English Confusions

Sometimes writing in English can feel like one step forward and two steps back.

[more]

Category: Common English Confusions

When you’re ready to move from good enough English to mastery, an elephant can guide you.

 

[more]

Category: Language Learning Tips

When someone has a problem or worry, how can you politely give the person some advice?

[more]

Category: Common English ConfusionsHealthcare EnglishLanguage Learning Tips

What do health professionals say about writing in English when it’s not their first language?

[more]

Category: Healthcare EnglishLanguage Learning TipsWriting in English

When you’re sick, all you want is an efficient way to get an effective cure.

[more]

Category: Common English ConfusionsHealthcare English

Did you know there’s a rule in English that’s always true?

[more]

Category: Common English ConfusionsLanguage Learning Tips

Is it Congratulations FOR your new job or Congratulations ON your new job?

[more]

Category: Common English ConfusionsLanguage Learning Tips

Is it possible?

[more]

Category: Writing in English

The different forms of "used to" can be confusing. They can cover the past or now or a change.

[more]

Category: Common English Confusions