In this podcast for adult, independent English learners we look at the use of makeup (noun) and which verbs are often used with it. In addition, we ask when make up (phrasal verb) is used as a verb, and of course, it wouldn’t be English if there were no exceptions to the rules! Listen to the end of the podcast to hear the exception! I hope this is helpful. 

Birdsong English Explains

Ep.2 Makeup or make up? 

Partez aujourd'hui avec nous sur les pas de Claude Monet en Normandie. 


Douce France

Claude Monet et la Normandie

Listening texts about the family
Level A1
نُصُوصُ اِسْتِمَاعٍ عَنِ الأُسْرَةِ

Listening for beginners

الأسرة -7- The family

LECTURA COMPRENSIVA.


ESTE CUENTO NOS HABLA DE UNA PERSONA RELATANDO DE SU PUEBLO.


Antes de comenzar la lectura.


1. ¿Te gusta vivir en un pueblo o en una ciudad grande?

2. ¿Como es el lugar donde vives?


Presta atención a la lectura de tu profesor.


Vivo en un pueblo muy pequeño cercano a la montaña, donde hay un lago precioso en donde es habitual ver patos y cisnes nadando. Es un lugar muy bonito para pasear y disfrutar de la vida en el campo, pero existen pequeñas incomodidades al existir pocos servicios.

En el pueblo solo hay una pequeña tienda de ultramarinos donde venden productos de primera necesidad. Cuando se necesita ir al médico hay que desplazarse a otro pueblo más grande situado a quince kilómetros, donde hay un centro médico.

En invierno es frecuente que nieve y haya dificultades para viajar en el coche, pero los niños se ponen muy contentos porque a veces se libran de ir al colegio y juegan con la nieve en su lugar.

No obstante es un pueblo muy agradable para vivir y disfrutar de una vida tranquila en un entorno precioso.

Spanish Reading Comprehesion

The village

In questa puntata leggiamo e commentiamo alcuni passaggi di Lacci di Domenico Starnone. Tra le parole di Vanda scopriamo il peso del dolore, la forza delle accuse e il linguaggio crudo con cui racconta la frattura del suo matrimonio.

BookClub e Cappuccino: libri italiani contemporanei

BookClub & Cappuccino – Lacci, di Starnone e i legami familiari

It 's very important for professionals to have a clear accent in English. Here, I go over the methodology of accent reduction.

English for IT Pros

Clarifying Your Accent


A well-crafted PMS acts as a guiding principle, outlining an individual's core values, aspirations, and desired impact. It transcends the immediate concerns of a specific job and offers a long-term perspective on career fulfillment. Upskilling becomes most impactful when targeted towards capabilities that directly contribute to the goals and values outlined in the PMS.

Consider an individual with a personal mission statement emphasizing innovation and environmental responsibility. Upskilling in areas like sustainable design thinking or green technology directly aligns with their core values and aspirations. This targeted approach fosters deeper engagement with the learning process, leading to a more effective acquisition of new skills.

Furthermore, a personal mission statement can inform the selection of upskilling opportunities beyond technical skills. Communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence development, for example, can empower individuals to advocate for their ideas, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and build strong collaborative relationships – all crucial aspects of achieving their desired impact.

The synergy between upskilling and a personal mission statement is a two-way street. As individuals acquire new skills and knowledge, their personal mission statement may evolve to reflect their expanding capabilities and redefine their aspirations. This continuous cycle of learning and reflection fosters a sense of purpose and propels individuals towards achieving their full potential.

Organizations can leverage this connection by encouraging employees to articulate their personal mission statements and then curate upskilling opportunities that align with those statements. This not only fosters a more engaged and motivated workforce, but also ensures the skills acquired contribute directly to achieving the organization's strategic goals.



The Global Professional Podcast

Upskilling and Personal Mission Statements Episode 89 

There are many expressions about apples. You might have heard that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," or if you care about someone a lot, you might call them "the apple of my eye." Here are a few more apple expressions!

If you're surprised that something has happened, or have just beaten someone at something and want to gloat, you can say, "How do you like them apples?" This expression, which uses incorrect grammar, was made popular by the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, but it's been used for over 100 years.

So if the best tennis player in your school has been laughing at your tennis skills, but you beat them in a match, you might say, "How do you like them apples?"

If you want a second chance at something, you could ask for a "second bite of the apple," or a "second bite of the cherry."

So if the top tennis player wants another chance to beat you, you can say, "Okay, I'll give you a second bite of the apple. Let's play again tomorrow."

When someone or something destroys a plan, or makes something difficult, you can say they have "upset the apple cart." This expression has been around since the 18th century, and probably comes from an older Roman expression, "upset the cart," which had the same meaning.

So if it rains the next day, you might say, "Oh no! We were going to play tennis today, but this rain has upset the apple cart!"

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Expressions to Give You a 'Second Bite of the Apple'

Phrasal Verbs 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x40egNH4BCi7kDcwo1hoQNnbnKIrFgZI/view?usp=drivesdk