Have you ever wondered what different kinds of celebrations are celebrated at the end of the year in different cultures? In honour of our German heritage we celebrate Heilig Abend and new this year, the Rauhnächte. In honour of our North American heritage we celebrate Christmas. And in the tradition of a Celtic past we celebrate the Feast of Lights at Winter Solstice.

Philosophical Friday

Holiday Special. Today I’d like to share with you some end-of-year traditions we celebrate in our home which is a mixture of three cultures.

We call it a PHONE - but let's be honest. We rarely use this COMPUTER in our pocket - to make phone calls. And we often forget all the tools that it contains, built right in. Tools that are amazing for working on our English!

I hope this episode helps you get inspired to use your phone as the language partner it is! 

* Please note - I speak very fast in this episode - so it may be challenging to understand everything I say. But I repeat myself a lot, so you don't have to understand it all. I think you will understand the main point. That is what matters! I hope it inspires you to USE your English to LEARN more English - today!

Hear and There

8. The language partner in your pocket 

Чтобы скачать PDF скрипт подкаста, присоединяйтесь к Телеграм каналу teachme_russian
https://t.me/teachme_russian/210     

Russian podcast 

Новый год. Традиции моей семьи и воспоминания из детства.

How often do you go out with your friends?

Listen to how I answer this particular question, and get some short English explanations about some vocabulary and expressions I use in my answer.  Try to answer the questions in the vocabulary examples using the new vocabulary and expressions.

Speak English With Muki

Episode 3: Meeting Friends

Hi Everyone! 

In this episode, I talk about my recent experience camping and some of the tips and tricks that I learned while out in the Peak District (UK). 

Did you learn anything new? Send me a message about your experiences! 

English with Emily 

Camping - Episode 4 

Have you ever hurt your neck while watching TV and wondered if it's been mounted too high? Well, you're not the only one. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of people who discuss the subject on Reddit every day.

From breaking news to fandoms, and from memes to life's biggest questions, Reddit is a website that encourages people to discuss any subject that interests them.

The platform has over 100,000 communities, or "subreddits," that are created by users. And a subreddit about TV placement is in the top 1% of popular communities.

The community known as "TV Too High" is among the website's largest, with over 200,000 members. Here, photos of TVs in homes, hotels and other spaces are posted and often met with hundreds of comments discussing whether or not the TV has been placed at a good height.

One photo posted to the community in September 2024 showed a TV mounted above a door, with one user commenting, "Spiders on the ceiling fan have a great view."

Another photo showing a TV mounted above a staircase received over 500 comments, with one user saying, "This might be the worst one I've ever seen."

But is there a perfect height for a TV?

One user posted a guide based on advice from the subreddit. It included things like: "If when standing the TV is at eye level, IT IS TOO HIGH," and, "If the TV is angled down, IT IS TOO HIGH."

Another user posted a photo of a guide from a TV manufacturer. It said the best height for a TV when viewing while sitting down is 107 centimeters from the center of the TV screen to the floor — although some users said this was still too high!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Is Your TV Too High? Reddit Weighs In

इस कहानी से हमें यह शिक्षा मिलती है कि यह ज़रूरी नहीं कि एक कमजोर और ताकतवर में से हमेशा ताकतवर ही जीते। अगर कमजोर चाहे तो अपनी अक्ल से बड़े से बड़े ताकतवर को हरा सकता है।


Stories from Panchatantra 

भूत और हाथी

2024年で見てよかったアニメを３つ紹介します!
introducing three anime that I really enjoyed in 2024.


ANIME ・MANGA TALK | アニメ・マンガトーク | Japanese listening practice N4-N3

見てよかったアニメbest3 The best anime in 2024

Easy News📺
I introduce Japanese news in easy Japanese.
Today’s Theme is “Upcycling”.
This episode is N4 level.
Please use this audio for listening and shadowing practices.

◇words◇
アップサイクル (appusaikuru)：upcycling
捨（す）てる (suteru)：throw away
服（ふく）：clothes
皮（かわ）：peel
環境（かんきょう）：environment

☆Script for this episode
The scripts (URL) are listed in the overview section of the channel.