Илона Ма́ска зна́ют все. Кто-то говори́т о нём хорошо́, кто-то – пло́хо, но о нём говоря́т все. А вы зна́ете что-нибу́дь о его́ де́тстве?

Russian Library

Elon Musk's secret

If you can read this and want to start studying for the Sproochentest, the language exam for Luxembourg citizenship, you can do that right now. You already know a lot of what you need. Listen to this to hear why.

Sproochentest: Start Here

0. Luxembourgish is Like English

In this episode, we break down one of English’s most confusing vowel quirks — why the letter A sounds completely different in what and water. You’ll learn how to hear and pronounce the short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/ vowels, understand what actually changes inside the mouth, and practise with clear word pairs to sharpen your accent. Perfect for learners who want a more natural, confident British pronunciation.

British Pronunciation Tips 

British Vowel Sound Masterclass – Lesson 3: The Curious ‘A’ in What and Water

"The software team at my client's company was struggling to complete their new product on time. As the project manager, my client knew he needed to improve communication across functions. He started weekly check-ins where engineering, design, product and marketing all presented updates and issues. This exposed dependencies between teams. For example, when engineering outlined a complex new feature, product argued it didn't align with goals and design flagged UI challenges. Rather than pushing back, each team offered suggestions to solve the other's problems.

This collaborative approach helped teams understand different perspectives. When later design presented mockups, engineering asked thoughtful questions about underlying assumptions. They found ways to simplify the feature while still meeting user needs. Similarly, when marketing had concerns about the launch date, product and engineering worked together to identify what could be cut or delayed without compromising the vision.

By the next check-in, dependencies were untangled and teams made better decisions together. Managers saw improved morale as people felt heard and helped each other. The transparent discussions gave confidence that the product was on track when minor issues did arise. In the end, my client's company launched their new software ahead of schedule with rave reviews. Regular cross-functional check-ins had fostered collaboration that eliminated silos and ensured project success."

The Global Professional Podcast

A Cross Functional Collaboration Story - Episode 45

                    xué Zhōng wén
                           学  中  文
Bǎoluó shì wǒ de xué shēng 。
保  罗 是  我 的 学 生。

Tā shì Yīng guó rén ，jīn nián 28 suì ， tā zhù zài màn chè sī tè 。
他  是    英     国    人，   今  年   2 8  岁，   他  住  在  曼   彻  斯  特。

Tā shuō tā xué Zhōng wén  yǐ jīng yì nián le ，
他  说     他   学     中       文    已  经 一  年 了，

tā shì zài shǒu jī shàng xué xí de 。
他 是  在   手     机  上       学  习 的。

Bǎoluó hěn xǐ huan yīn yuè 。 Tā huì tán jí tā ，bèi sī hé gāng qín 。
保 罗      很    喜 欢     音  乐。      他 会  弹  吉 他， 贝 斯 和     钢  琴。

Xiàn zài ，Bǎoluó gēn wǒ yìqǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén jiǔ gè yuè le 。
现   在，      保罗     跟    我  一起  学习    中 文        九  个  月  了。

Tā xué huì le liǎng bǎi duō gè hànzì ，hái kāishǐ yòng hànzì xiě rìjì ne 。
他   学 会  了    两    百     多   个  汉字，    还  开始   用     汉字     写  日记 呢。

Wǒmen yìqǐ liáo yīnyuè ，měi shí děng yǒuqù de huàtí 。
   我们    一起  聊     音 乐，   美   食   等       有趣   的  话题。


                    Learning Chinese
           
Paul is my student.

He's English. He's 28 years old. He lives in Manchester.

He said he had been studying Chinese for a year,

He learned it on his phone.

Paul likes music very much. He plays the guitar, bass and piano.

Paul and I have been learning Chinese together for nine months now.

He learned more than two hundred Chinese characters and began to 
write a diary in Chinese characters.

We talked about music, food and other interesting topics.













Listening & Speaking (Mandarin)

学中文 xué Zhōngwén



1) Dare una mano
significato: aiutare
esempio: mi puoi dare una mano a fare gli esercizi di matematica?
n.b. dare una mano (che vuol dire “aiutare”) ha un significato molto diverso dall’espressione “darsi la mano” che vuol dire letteralmente “stringere la mano di un’altra persona” e in senso figurato “darsi la mano” vuol dire “fare la pace”. 

2) Dare i numeri (“To go crazy” in inglese, “volverse loco” in spagnolo”)
Significato: 1) fare o dire cose senza senso 
2) arrabbiarsi
Esempio: 1) Mi sembra che stai dando i numeri! Non riesco a capire cosa vuoi dire! 
2) non so come fare a calmarla! Sta dando i numeri!



3) Dare ragione
Significato: riconoscere per vero o per giusto ciò che dice qualcuno. 
Esempio: Il professore ha ascoltato a fondo lo studente e infine gli ha dato ragione.


4) Dare fastidio
Significato: causare irritazione, disagio o nervosismo.
(in uso anche l’espressione “Dare noia”).
Esempi: 1)La musica alta mi da fastidio, potresti abbassare il volume?
2) Non mi dai fastidio: chiedimi pure ciò che vuoi.


5) Darsi delle arie
Significato: vantarsi di qualcosa
Esempio: Non sopporto quando Luca si da delle arie davanti agli altri: è così presuntuoso!

6) Dare a intendere ( o “darla a bere”)
Significato: far credere qualcosa a qualcuno
Esempi: 1) Non voglio darti a intendere che no ti voglio qui, ma puoi fare più silenzio per favore?
2) Non voglio darti a bere che sono ricco però posso dirti che non ho problemi economici.


7) Dare carta bianca a qualcuno
Significato: concedere la massima libertà di agire senza imporre alcun limite. 
Esempi: 1) Il mio capo mi ha dato carta bianca per sviluppare il mio nuovo progetto. 




8) Dare per scontato
Significato: pensare che qualcosa sia vero senza controllare.
Esempi: 1) Non dare per scontato che ti aiuterò, devo ancora decidere!




Italiano espresso

27 espressioni col verbo "dare"

This movie is about a girl who goes to Rome after her mother dies, and learns more about her mother's life.

Vocabulary:
for short: indicates a nickname
to stay put: to stay in the same place
influential: having lots of influence
to spout out: to say things
to storm into: to angrily walk into
a pick-me-up: something that makes someone feel better (example: ice cream)
gelato: Italian ice cream
to take something the wrong way: to feel upset by something that wasn't intended to upset you
audition: having your skills tested in order to be accepted into a school
exceptional: amazing
to pluck up the courage: to do something brave
reject: to say no to someone or something
approval: permission

Learn English with Stories

Movie: Love & Gelato

In today's podcast for ESL learners we look at:

1. Our weekly lesson and daily affirmation
2. The letter of the law
3. Two news reports about our schools.


