Have you ever listened to an English conversation, and a pounding storm of unfamiliar words have swirled around your head and left you with a big headache and an even bigger question: 'Will I ever understand and speak English like a native '

As a Korean migrant to Australia at the age of 35, I regularly experienced this headache; at times it turned to heartbreak. I asked myself this question many, many times. When I arrived in Australia in 1991 I could barely speak a word of English. Now, that big question, once filled with doubt and fear, has been answered: YES! I CAN understand and speak English like a native! And if I can, you can too!

Sook Hee (Susan) Lee was born in South Korea and migrated to Australia in 1991. She spent 20 years learning English yet she came to realize that despite having a deep knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar, she didn't know real colloquial English. She observed that native English speakers love to use 'Y' ending expressions in everyday life situations, and came to suspect that there is a widespread deficiency in the way that English is taught. After completing a Master's course in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University of Wollongong, and a PhD in TESOL at the University of Sydney, her suspicion was confirmed when she conducted a survey targeting adult ESL students. The results indicated that the vast majority of the international students surveyed barely knew the expressions that end in 'Y'.

In this book Sook Hee shares with you all that she has learnt on her journey to speaking English like a native. You will be exposed to one of the most innovative and yet simple approaches to learning casual conversation as well as discovering exceptionally useful learning materials. ESL/EFL learners will learn the 'secret' of real expressions that native English speakers use in everyday life situations.

This is the only book that outlines the evaluative expressions that end in 'Y' (e.g. fussy, cranky, quirky, bossy, etc.). To aid learning the book contains speech grammar exercises which are associated with these expressions. Sook Hee has been compiling these evaluative expressions for over 20 years. Now you can grasp them quickly by reading this book.

"This book embodies a unique approach to describing aspects of the English language which learners often do not get taught but which are essential to function effectively in an English-speaking environment. The application of the appraisal model of evaluative language in resources for language learners is novel, and the focus on words ending in -y allows a surprisingly wide range of commonly-used evaluative terms to be introduced and exemplified."

Geoff Thompson

Honorary Senior Fellow, School of English, University of Liverpool, UK

Visiting Professor, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou

Guest Professor, University of Science and Technology, Beijing

"This book will be very useful for teachers and learners alike. The author has identified a very interesting area of language that will make users sound more natural and takes their vocabulary to places most course books have previously ignored."

Richard Pincus

Head of teaching at the Embassy Language Centre, Sydney, Australia