Your 5 minute round-up of topics making global headlines

Pros and Cons

As the big day approaches, I'll share valuable advice to boost confidence and perform at their best during the IELTS test. From managing test anxiety to optimizing time allocation in each section, I'll guide students to success. We'll also discuss post-test strategies, like reviewing answers and learning from mistakes.

Language Power-Up: Business English & IELTS Mastery

IELTS Test Day Tips: Boosting Performance Under Pressure

Swahili singular and plural personal pronouns and particles

Amina

My name is John - Jina langu ni Yohana
I'm 30 years old - Nina umri wa miaka thelatini
I'm from Kenya - Mimi ninatoka Kenya
One of my hobbies is reading - Moja ya kozi yangu ni kusoma
I've been learning Swahili for a year - Nimekuwa nikijifunza kiswahili kwa mwaka mmoja

Austine Sikuku

How to Introduce Yourself in Swahili

TaalPolitie podcast - Zaak 1 - Taalofficier van Luyn

1. Luister eerst naar de podcast 
https://podcastluisteren.nl/ep/Taalpolitie-Zaak-1-Taalofficier-van-Luyn

2. Beantwoord de vragen:

Wie neemt het stokje over van Philip Freriks als nieuwe Taalofficier? 🎙️

Hoe omschrijft de podcast de “frisse wind” die Thomas van Luyn meebrengt? 💨🌹

Welke verkeerde uitspraak van “Ibiza” noemt Thomas een taalmisdrijf? 🏝️😬

Op welk platform kun je de podcast Taalpolitie vanaf volgende week exclusief beluisteren? 📲🎧

Bij welke drie sociale‑media‑loketten kun je taalaangifte doen volgens de aflevering? 📨🔎

Oefeningen met de TaalPolitie podcast!

TaalPolitie podcast - Zaak 1 - Taalofficier van Luyn

En este episodio les cuento sobre una situación muy triste que se está viviendo en la Argentina relacionada con la justicia, en el cual un joven de clase media humilde es brutalmente asesinado a golpes por ocho jugadores de rugby de clase media alta/acomodada. Todavía no se sabe si serán declarados culpables o no...

Argentina en carne propia

Episodio 1: Crimen de Fernando Parte 1

In this episode of English Learners Boost, Teacher Ian explores how humor varies across cultures and why a joke in one country might fall flat—or even offend—in another. With a special look at Filipino humor, practical tips for using jokes appropriately, and an inspiring story of language growth, you'll gain the confidence to connect with others through laughter—without the cultural confusion.

💬 Book a lesson with Teacher Ian on iTalki and experience personalized, practical English learning today!

English Learner's Boost

Laugh or Offend? The Misinterpretation of Humor Across Cultures.

Priče iz Hrvatske

Epizoda 3 : Ajmo na kavu

New Year is the perfect time for people to try new things, like changing their diet or habits. Some people take part in Veganuary, an annual challenge where they avoid eating animal products like meat, dairy, or eggs during January.

Veganuary first started in 2014 as a fun way to explore a vegan lifestyle and see how it feels. Since then, plant-based eating has gained popularity, and it's not uncommon for restaurants to offer at least one vegan option on their menus.

But a study has found that many meat-eaters end up feeling disgusted by meat after trying Veganuary.

Researchers studied 40 meat-eaters before and after Veganuary.

They found that, although most participants went back to eating meat when the month had ended, they felt more disgusted about doing so. And people who ate the least amount of meat during the challenge felt the most disgust afterwards.

A separate 2023 study on 46 Veganuary participants found that they were much less likely to describe themselves as meat-eaters after taking part in the challenge.

Scientists suggest that this change happens because people feel uncomfortable when their actions don't match their beliefs. Many enjoy the taste and convenience of eating meat, but they also feel guilty about the cruelty of factory farming.

So by giving up meat during Veganuary, participants may start to think more about these issues and develop negative feelings toward eating meat.

This research shows that even a short-term change in behavior can change the way you think, says Natalia Lawrence, a scientist from the University of Exeter who worked on the studies.

"Normally, the idea is to educate people first to change their attitudes, and hopefully they end up changing their behaviour," she told The Guardian.

"But if you persuade people to change their behaviour for a month, it seems that these things follow."