In this heartfelt episode of "English Learners Boost," host Ian shares a personal story about a life-changing motorbike accident. Ian, a licensed professional science teacher and English tutor, reflects on the incident and the profound lessons it taught him about slowing down and appreciating life's moments. He draws parallels between his recovery journey and the process of learning English, emphasizing the importance of taking things one step at a time. Tune in for an inspiring message about resilience, gratitude, and the power of perseverance.

English Learner's Boost

The Accident that Changed my Life

En este episodio especial de No Hay Tos, explicamos las diferentes formas de usar el verbo "to miss" en español.

No Hay Tos

How to Say "To Miss" En Español

Full script with Furigana: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://japanesemayuna.com/

はい、こんにちは　今回はポッドキャストのシーズン3の6回目です。大阪は最近暑いです。夏は気分が明るくなるのでいいですね。先月は二人の生徒さんが旅行で大阪に来たので、一緒に夕食を食べに行きました。とても楽しかったです。

Hello. This is episode 6 of season 3 of my podcast. It's getting quite warm in Osaka. Summer is good because it brightens up my mood. Last month two different students of mine came to Osaka on holiday, so I went out to dinner with each of them. We had a lot of fun.

私は最近よくカフェに行きます。私はいままであまりカフェに行きませんでした。時間やお金の無駄だと思っていたからです。しかし家でずっと仕事をしていると、気分転換が難しい時があります。仕事がある日は、気分転換をしたくても、遠くに出かけられません。そんなときにカフェはちょうどいいです。30分カフェにいるだけで、遠くに出かけた気持ちになれるからです。

I often go to cafes these days. I didn’t use to go to cafes very often because I thought it was a waste of time and money. However, when I am working at home all the time, it is sometimes difficult to take a break. On days when I have to work, even if I want to take a break, I can't go that far. A café is just right for such a situation, because even just 30 minutes in a café makes me feel like I have gone far away from home.

私の家の近くにはたくさんカフェがあります。ほとんどのカフェは、自家焙煎をしています。自家とは、他のサービスを使わずに自分たちだけですることです。焙煎とは、コーヒー豆をローストすることです。なので、コーヒーの味がカフェによって違います。大阪は日本で一番カフェが多い県だそうです。東京よりも多いです。大阪では第二次世界大戦より前からコーヒーが人気で、昔からカフェがたくさんあったそうです。

There are many cafes near my house. Most of these cafes do jikabaisen. Jika (home/own-) means that they do it by themselves without using other services. Baisen (roasting) means roasting coffee beans. Therefore, the taste of the coffee differs from cafe to cafe. It is said that Osaka is the Japanese prefecture with the most cafes. It has even more than Tokyo. Coffee was popular in Osaka before World War II, and there have been many cafes there for a long time.

家でおいしいコーヒーを作るのは大変なので、カフェは便利ですね。はい、じゃあ今日はこんな感じで終わりたいと思います。また次回お会いしましょう。どうもありがとうございました。

Making good coffee at home is a real pain, so cafes are convenient. Well, I think that’s it for today. See you next time and thanks for listening!

Japanese Lessons with Mayuna

S3E6. 近所のカフェ

I’d like to introduce you to the schwa — English’s most common and mysterious vowel sound! In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore what the schwa is, how it appears in unstressed syllables, and why it’s essential for smooth, natural speech. Hear how it can appear as A, E, I, O, or U, with examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Perfect for non-native speakers aiming to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

British Pronunciation Tips 

British Vowel Sound Masterclass: Lesson 4 - The Schwa Sound: The Hidden Vowel of English

みなさんは「できる」の意味を知っていますか？「できる」には英語のcanという意味があります。しかし、「ジブリパークができる」の「できる」は新しく建てられる、またはオープンするという意味です。ちなみにジブリパークは今年の11月1日にできるそうなので、興味がある人はインターネットで調べてみてください。

この「できる」を使って「近くに新しいコンビニができるらしいよ」とか、「高速道路ができてとても便利になった」と言うこともできます。

では、「友達ができた」というのはどういう意味でしょうか。これは新しく友達になった人がいるという意味です。「彼氏ができた」「彼女ができた」と言うフレーズはよく使います。
また、「ニキビができる」「ほくろができる」というのはあまりうれしくないことですね。これはニキビやほくろが新しく出てきたという意味です。

「できる」という表現は会話の中でとてもよく使います。ここで説明した以外の意味もありますが、それは次回説明したいと思います。



最近家の近くにできたものはありますか？家の近くにできてほしいものはありますか？よかったら、私のレッスンに来て教えてください。

高速道路：こうそくどうろ　highway
彼氏：かれし　boyfriend
彼女：かのじょ　girlfriend
ニキビ：pimple
ほくろ：mole
出てくる：come up
次回：じかい　next time

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

ジブリパークが”できる”-Today’s Word

A toxic workplace is one of the biggest reasons why people leave their jobs.

It might be a place where staff are stressed, managers bully their employees and people don't trust each other.

"Toxic" usually means something that's poisonous, but we can also use it to mean "very unpleasant." The word is often used to describe a workplace that's so bad it's almost poisonous.

If you work in a toxic place, you'll probably know about it. But how can you tell if a workplace is toxic before you even start a new job?

Career coach Beata Staszkow says the way the manager treats you during the interview might give you an idea about how they'll treat you as an employee.

Look out for bosses who don't seem interested in your answers, she adds, or those who make inappropriate jokes.

A manager showing up late for an interview could also be a bad sign, says jobs expert Mita Mallick, writing in Harvard Business Review.

Mallick says to also watch out for things like the interviewer changing the job description after you've started discussing the job, or putting pressure on you to take the job right away.

It's also good to do some research into how many employees are leaving a company and how many new ones are joining. This is known as "employee turnover."

Sometimes there are good reasons for turnover. But it could be a sign of a toxic workplace. You should be able to find out about it by looking on sites like LinkedIn — and you might also be able to contact someone who used to work at the company.

If you're already in a toxic workplace, you'll probably want to get out of it. But you don't want to jump from one toxic workplace into another!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

How to Find Out if a Workplace Is 'Toxic'

七夕（たなばた）

昨日は七夕だった。七夕は７月７日の夜に織姫（おりひめ）と彦星（ひこぼし）が天の川（あまのがわ）で１年に１度会えるという伝説（でんせつ）だ。日本人は中国の「乞巧奠（きこうでん）」という行事（ぎょうじ）をもとに、願い事を書いた「短冊（たんざく）」を笹（ささ）に飾（かざ）り、お祈（いの）りをするという風習（ふうしゅう）がある。本来（ほんらい）、習い事（ならいごと）の上達（じょうたつ）を祈るために行（おこな）われていたそうだ。私はそれを知らずに、大人（おとな）になってからは「物がほしい」や「旅行に行きたい」などと書いた記憶がある。今は短冊にこう書きたい、“中国語がもっと上手（うま）くなりますように！”

izm's room

七夕

Enjoy the fifteenth episode of Culture To Grow, which allows you to travel the world from the comfort of your home, your car, or if you are still half asleep in your bed.

In this episode, you will hear from guests diving into the mouthwatering world of BBQ hearing stories from South Africa, Indonesia, Brazil, & China!

So, whether you're a seasoned grill master or a BBQ enthusiast, get ready for a smoky, sizzling, and saucy journey that will leave you craving more.

South Africa -  Braaing  [2:03:00]
Indonesia - Ayam Bakar  [2:56:00]
Brazil - Brazilian BBQ (Rio de Janerio) [5:05:00]
China - ShaoKao (BBQ on Sticks) [6:39:00]

Culture To Grow

Episode 15: BBQ Around the Globe From America's 4th of July to Global Grills!

PEPITO EN LA ESCUELA.

AUDIO EXCLUSIVO PARA LOS ALUMNOS DE ISAAC GABRIEL MENDOZA CORONA TUTOR DE LA COMUNIDAD DE ITALKI.

EJERCICIO DE COMPRENSIÓN AUDITIVA. 

FAVOR DE CONTESTAR EL CUESTIONARIO QUE SE ENVIÓ POR MENSAJE.

