Week of October 13, 2025

A short 3 chapter book-like weekly newsletter for English learners to uplift and inspire you to start conversations, express yourself, and speak your mind in English about interesting topics, books, and current events.

Author: Adriana Franyuti

from www.englishreadersenglishspeakers.com

Important note: Difficult vocabulary is highlighted in yellow. The meaning, synonym, or explanation of these words is in parenthesis and in a list at the end.

Chuzhou, China. Drivers merge (join or combine) on to expressway (a wide, fast road similar to a highway) lanes after passing through the Wuzhuang toll station (place on a road where drivers pay money to continue driving) at Chuzhou as they make their way back home on the eve (the day or evening before an important event or holiday) of the last day of an eight-day long national holiday.
Photograph: AFP/Getty

Hello friends!

I'm excited to be changing up (trying something new) the design of the Newsletter making it shorter, more practical and applicable for your everyday life. I know you are very busy but you also have a curious mind that wants to learn and practice your English and that's what this newsletter is about. Giving you interesting, practical material and advice to apply in your English language journey so it becomes more natural and fluent for you in your daily conversations with people around you.

Every week you will receive this newsletter with 3 main sections, called "Chapters" (because we love books!) 

Chapter 1 will be focused on current events from around the world happening that week to get you excited to have conversations and discussions with your co-workers, family, and friends about celebrations, events, holidays and give you the English words, phrases and conversation starters to talk about them with clarity. 

Chapter 2 will be focused on what makes a person an English Reader. This section is aimed to give you news, lists, and recommendations about the book world (books, authors, events, book to movies, etc.) to feed your love of books. To get you motivated to read more, apply tools and practices I will share with you to enjoy learning to speak English while you read amazing books. 

And Chapter 3 will be focused on what makes a person an English Speaker. This part will have actionable tips, recommendations and guidelines to help you gain clarity and confidence to speak English. 

And of course the newsletter will also have plenty of fun things also to share and talk about with your family and friends in English like the image of the week, a quote to think about, some amazing and smart cartoons, and much more. 

So I would love to know what you think of this new format! Please write back and tell me if you enjoyed it, found it useful, and also share any feedback or recommendations that you would like to see in future issues.

See you next week in the next issue!

Happy reading and speaking in English,

 Adriana Franyuti

English Readers English Speakers

What's happening in the world this week?

Monday: Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day

In the United States, the second Monday of October is known as Columbus Day, a holiday that commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. However, in recent years, many cities and states have chosen to celebrate Indigenous (people that are native to a particular place) Peoples’ Day instead, a day to honor the history, culture, and resilience of Native American communities.

The change reflects an important point about how history is remembered and whose voices are included. Many people use the day to learn more about indigenous traditions and contributions, rather than focusing only on Columbus’s voyage (long journey).

💬 Conversation Starters:

Do you think holidays should change when people’s perspectives about history evolve?

Why do you think it's important to learn about indigenous people?

Thursday: World Food Day

Every year on October 16, the world celebrates World Food Day, established by the United Nations to raise awareness about global hunger, healthy diets, and sustainable food systems. This year’s theme focuses on the idea that “Water is life, water is food”, reminding us how essential clean water is for growing food and sustaining communities.

Many organizations host events and campaigns to fight food waste, support local farmers, and promote fair access to nutritious food. It’s a great day to reflect on what we eat, where it comes from, and how our choices affect the planet.

💬 Conversation Starters:

Do you think people in your country have fair access to nutritious food?

In your opinion, what’s one small change everyone could make to reduce food waste?

Book news

This month brings exciting news in the book world! Two major book clubs in the U.S. have chosen books that are perfect for your reading + English practice.

⭐ Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club: To the Moon and Back by Eliana

Ramage

Steph Harper dreams of becoming the first Cherokee woman in space, a goal that often feels as unreachable as the moon itself. As her ambition leads her away from the people and community who shaped her, she’s forced to confront what she’s truly seeking. This debut from Eliana Ramage is a thoughtful narrative that reminds us that identity and destiny are not separate, but deeply intertwined (closely connected or linked together).

✨ Oprah's Book Club: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

Yes, the beloved author of Eat, Pray, Love (2008) is back! Oprah’s new pick is Gilbert’s newest novel, a story that blends love, creativity, and the search for meaning. Gilbert’s writing style is emotional yet accessible, which makes it excellent practice for expressing feelings and opinions in English.

🎧Tip for reading in English: follow along with the audiobook and then repeat the sentences out loud. I teach this method in depth in the Grow in English Program and it immerses you in speaking English using your senses as the basis for speaking better English.

English language learning

The person who speaks English is not just trying to say words. They are not robots. Humans use language in order to communicate ideas and experience social conection. The two main factors that will allow you to SPEAK English are:

➕ Clarity

➕ Confidence

If you focus on these two elements, you will start to speak fluently.

Don't start to stress about sounding like a native or making mistakes. People don't expect you to speak English like that.

This week, think about your English from the perspective of the person you are communicating with. Do they expect you to sound like a native? Probably not. But are they understanding what you are trying to say? This is a more important factor to consider. 

It might seem basic, but sometimes when we speak, we get caught up (deeply involved in something) in ourselves and how we are communicating. We judge ourselves and we think other people are judging us only on our ability to speak English. But most of the time, people are not judging you. Most of the time, people are more interested in themselves. And your job is to make sure that they understand what you are trying to say. That is clarity.

Think about the other person, but from the perspective of understanding Here is where conection comes in... are you aware of how they are interpreting your message? Do they have a clear understanding of what your idea is? Focus on that, more than on saying the right words or seeking approval from the other person. 

This week, think about your clarity and your confidence. This has to do with your English, but more about your communication skills. How clearly are you expressing your ideas? How confidently are you communicating them? In the following issues, we'll go deeper into these topics to help you improve on clarity and confidence.  

What's next?

🆓 I want to invite you to a new live free training I will host on Wednesday October 29, called "Think in English, speak naturally: The secret to speaking English without translating". It's a brand new training I'm excited to share where I will show you how to improve your fluency and confidence by understanding the deep connection between speaking and thinking in English. During the training I will share my 3-level Thinking Framework for speaking fluent English that can unlock how you express yourself fully in conversations.

I'll be in your Inbox in the coming days in preparation for this training so you'll be all ready for the day of the event.  

And since you are one of my E.R.E.S insiders...you are the first to get the invitation! 

You can sign up for the training here.

New vocabulary in this issue

merge = join or combine
expressway = a wide, fast road similar to a highway
toll station = place on a road where drivers pay money to continue driving
eve = the day or evening before an important event or holiday
changing up = trying something new
indigenous = people that are native to a particular place
voyage = long journey
intertwined = closely connected or linked together
caught up = deeply involved in something
completely booked = when all spaces are taken; fully reserved

Let's end with a laugh 😂

completely booked (when all spaces are taken; fully reserved)