The audience for this article consists of the thousands or millions of us who have studied a foreign language but who still cannot speak with confidence or listen with ease. The author outlines five tricks for honing language skills in the course of enjoying everyday activities.

Even the best writers sometimes stall when faced with writing yet another introduction. Writing a hook is one thing, but what about writing your 500th hook? This article teaches five techniques to put in your go-to bag of writing tricks, ensuring that you´ll no longer have to write the first paragraph last. Filled with fun examples, both good and bad, the 2,000 word piece will be read and bookmarked by anyone who wants to improve their freelance skills.

You know it's coming: the dreaded pink slip. So, what are you going to do about it? Panic? Worry? Yes, pink slips are alarming, but don't let fear paralyze you. Now is the time to take action. Learn what to expect and how to prepare for the transition from employment to unemployment.

The ability to write SEO content to a high standard is something of an unrecognised talent. As a writing discipline it is fairly new but getting to grips with it is well worth doing if you’re an able writer looking for a steady stream of freelance work. This 1,800-word article gives detailed information about how to maintain style while recognising the importance of keyword density.

Cheese is delicious - but also intimidating. With so many types of cheese available at the supermarket, choosing the right one for your pizza or lasagna can seem impossible. But finding the right cheese is easy - if you know your Gouda from your Brie. This article gives an insightful overview into the world of cheese.

Do you ever allow yourself to drift into a dream of flowing along on a boat, with water tinkling along the hull, as you sit at your desk with your eyes blurring over the work you have to do? When the kids start howling, do you sometimes hear the roar of the wind instead? The dream of cruising is what has kept me going for many years in sailing. Being boatless, and a non-millionaire, of course, I don’t get many chances. Outside of paying sums of money to take a cruising course now and then, I did what I could and within a few years I felt almost ready to charter a boat and be my own extended cruising skipper. Are you? Do you own your own boat, but hesitate to venture out on more than a day cruise? Have you obtained your certification and have the on-the-water experience to charter or borrow a boat? Cruising can quickly turn from pleasure to peril. An illness on board, a rush of bad weather, equipment failure, short tempered shipmates, unhappy spouses or bored kids can quickly shatter the dream that floated you away so many times during those tough days. There are some key things we can do to minimize the impact of such events during a cruise”. This is not an exhaustive list, just some food for thought.