There is a trip abroad that I'd like to do when COVID-19 allows us to travel freely again and if I have money to do so. I want to visit the Argentine Northwest. There is a small city called Tolar Grande. From there you can visit Salar de Arizaro, the second largest salt flat in Argentina, where Cono de Arita is located. I also want to visit Iruya and some wineries in Cafayate. <<< Is Iruya and the wineries in Cafayate also in the Argentine Northwest? Who is your audience? I don't know where Cafayate is, but perhaps who you are writing this to does. There are also other interesting places in the Argentine Northwest that I've visited before: Salta City, Quebrada de Humahuaca, Tilcara, Cachi, Quebrada de las Conchas, Purmamarca, Salinas Grandes (the largest salt flat in the country), Iruya, Cafayate, and Los Cardones National Park. Some of these places are located at more than 4,000 meters above sea level, in the Puna Area. Because of its different landscapes, the Argentine Northwest is worth a visit once in your life. It's likely very different from places you have visited before.

Some time ago, I was very surprised to hear that the language we think in (or speak in at a given moment) influences conclusions we come to. It's not clear to me whether this influence is due to the stereotypes we have about native speakers of a given language or the structure of the language itself. But I found it fascinating. #italkiLanguageChallenge

I'm proud of myself for following the latest world news (you might also hear this referred to as "current events") in English. Compared with reading news translated into Japanese, I can know what is happening in the entire world a lot more quickly and directly. I never thought I would be able to read and listen to world news such as CNN, The New York Times and so on, when I just started to learn English two years ago. I think there is no way to run out of things I want to write about in English. This is because [any topics will become a part of my ability in the future.] (Brackets [ ] = I'm not sure what you want to communicate here.) Also, I believe my journal will be the most effective material, because we learn English to express ourselves and to connect with others. Therefore, it's one of the most effective ways to enhance [my ability.] (Brackets [ ] = Again, I'm not sure what you want to communicate here. Unless it is explicitly mentioned before in the text, we generally say something like "my ability to write more about various news topics.")

Ruth: Great work overall. I think you vocabulary knowledge for this topic is pretty good. For instance, you used the idiom "to be in low spirits/feeling blue". You also utilized good, broad descriptors to help English speakers understand what you're trying to communicate ("supernatural ideas" and "auras"). Just a few pointers that would improve your communication here, in my opinion: 1. I have this friend who *believes* in some kind of supernatural ideas...and energies, or something, that he can sense the auras of people. >>> Pronunciation is "bih-LEAVES"; the first few times I played the recording, I thought you were saying "lives", as in "He lives in a house." 2. When I'm in very, very low spirits. >>> The English /v/ here must be distinguished from the English /b/, unlike in Spanish where both are pronounced as /b/. Google "English Club Minimal Pair /b/ and /v/" for a thorough explanation on how to produce and practice these differences. 3. Sometime later that day he ends calling me, but he didn't know about me feeling that way. >>> ...he *ends up* calling me, but he didn't know *I was feeling that way*. The past continuous ("was feeling") is a better choice here because you are narrating the coincidence and how "he wasn't aware that you wanted him to call you" wasn't just one brief moment in time but for a long period of time (i.e. from when you started feeling that way to the moment he discovered you had been wanting him to call you). Good job using the continuous tenses here to talk about this coincidence! I think with more practice of using the continuous and perfect participles, you'll master telling stories or events that happened to you.

Hi Rachel: I'm not quite sure what the context is for this sentence. I don't want to recommend any changes until I better understand what the sentence is communicating. Can you do your best to explain what you would like to communicate here? Or provide some context? Thanks -Stuart Thanks! Stuart

Could you possibly review my grammar, please? Over time, with installing and uninstalling programs and using, gaps form on the hard disk, and after a while, this irregularity leads to the hard drive reading late and as a result slowing computers down. For example, defrag can be likened to tidying up a messy room. As you tidying up a messy room, the room becomes nice. That is, so are computers. If your computer slows down, then contact me and I shall diagnose the reason why it slows down. I will then fix it. --- Good work, overall the concepts you are trying to communicate are understandable. A few recommendations. 1. There are two parts here: explaining defragmentation in your own words to a potential client, and then advertising your defragmentation or other computer services to them. So, think about how to transition from the first to the second. (I have separated these sections for you.) 2. Think about your audience! (Your potential client.) Explicitly define defragmentation in the first sentence. Use the full term "defragmentation" unless your client is a computer expert and knows the abbreviated form already. 3. The simile (comparing defragmentation to tidying a room) is really good and helpful for your audience. 4. Good phrasal verbs to know: to slow down vs. to speed up We can work on the more detailed grammatical points after these more important, broader communicative parts are improved :)