DISCLAIMER: We are not professional historians. We understand that many of the historical "facts" discussed in this episode are debatable. This is a language learning podcast that uses conversation as a learning tool. It's very possible that we got some facts wrong, or didn't deeply explore all sides of each discussion topic.


Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

WHY Putonghua??

Remember, if you want to score a band 7 in your IELTS speaking test, it’s important to use some less common idiomatic expressions.

The best place to slip these idioms into your speech is in part 2, because you have 1 minute to prepare. If you are a clever clogs, you will be able to sneak your idioms into your speech naturally. 

When preparing for your exam it’s best to always try to go the extra mile, because there is a lot to learn.

Firstly, you have to learn how to use linking phrases. To be honest, I have to admit these are sometimes tricky to remember. On the other hand, once you have learned them, they can be difficult to forget.

Secondly, you have to learn how to paraphrase, and use synonyms. It’s good to spend time in a thesaurus and arm yourself with lots of alternative words. If you do this you will gain ground. 

Thirdly, in order to avoid feeling lost at sea when you take your exam, make sure you have one or two idioms up your sleeve. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach an English student a new idiom. 

Now take the quiz that goes with this podcast, and book your IELTS mock speaking test with me.


IELTS Speaking Practice

IELTS preparation

Aprende escuchando una historia de detectives y practica tu comprensión auditiva!! :)

AUDIO LIBROS nivel A1-A2

AUDIO LIBRO nivel A1-A2  "La Chica del Tren"

How you tell a story matters. The way you talk about why you lost your job can cost you a potential one. The way you explain the reason for layoffs can cause panic among employees and stakeholders. And the way journalists report the news can incite violence. Framing, including word choice, is one of the most important areas peace journalists discuss and develop. To find out what business professionals could learn from peace journalists about storytelling, I invited Steven Youngblood, Director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University, for a conversation on The Express to Impress Podcast. Here are some excerpts from our conversation; “The question should never be, do we withhold the information? The question should be, how do we convey the information?” “If you want to be an informed person in 2022, it is going to take an effort. So the first thing I tell my students is not to depend on social media for their news. This, despite the fact that study data shows that's exactly where they get their news from.” Tune in to get more valuable insights from Steven, so you're well prepared to tell stories about challenging events. 
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Episode originally published May 27, 2022 

Original theme music by Lucas Knutter 

Read the transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/word-choice/ 

Join the Express to Impress community on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/express-to-impress/

Express to Impress

Word Choice in Journalism and Business With Steven Youngblood

El episodio de esta semana es un poco diferente, en él vamos a practicar, como siempre, la comprensión auditiva, pero vamos a hacerlo de manera muy activa. Hoy te voy a leer un texto y luego te voy a hacer unas preguntas relacionadas con lo que hemos leído para ver si puedes responderlas correctamente. Así que vamos a practicar tu habilidad para escuchar y retener, recordar información en español. 

Como siempre, espero que disfrutes el episodio. Si es así, no te olvides de dejar a este podcast una valoración, y pásate por mi Instagram para decirme qué te ha parecido.


Blanca to go 

122- Un entrenador en la oficina

Learn English Through Listening – Perfect for Kids & O-Level Students! 🌟🎙️ "Kickstart your English journey with our playful and engaging podcast! Tailored for young learners.

DIALOGS FOR EVERYDAY USE 🎧📚

Dialogue for Beginners 🎉📚 (Day # 5)

Text： 
客人：服务员，买单！
kèrén：fú wù yuán ， mǎidān ！
Guest: Waiter, check please！

服务员：好的，这是您的账单，请看一下。
fúwùyuán：hǎode, zhèshì nín de zhàngdān，qǐng kàn yīxià.
Waiter: Sure, here is your bill. Please take a look.

客人：没问题，多少钱？
kèrén：méi wèntí，duōshǎo qián ？
Guest: No problem, how much is it?

服务员：一共108块。
fúwùyuán： yīgòng 108 kuài.
Waiter: In total it's 108 yuan.

客人：好的，可以微信支付吗？
kèrén：hǎo de，kěyǐ wēixìn zhīfù ma？
Guest：Ok, can I use WeChat Pay?

服务员：当然，请扫描二维码。
fúwùyuán：dāngrán，qǐng sǎomiáo èrwéi mǎ.
Waiter: Of course, please scan the QR code here.

New words：
买单 mǎi dān：pay the bill; check please
账单 zhàng dān：bill
微信支付 wēi xìn zhī fù：Wechat Pay（Use with Wechat app）
当然 dāng rán：of course; certainly; sure;
扫描 sǎo miáo：scan
二维码 èr wéi mǎ：QR code
百 bǎi：hundred（num+～）
块 kuài：yuan, the basic unit of money in China（num+～）



Welcome to visit China ”欢迎来中国!“

L6 Part2 买单[mǎi dān]～Pay the bill

🍝È vero che la pasta fa ingrassare? 

🔤LESSICO UTILE

- ingrassare 
- pasta cruda, cotta, al dente, scotta
- carboidrati
- indice glicemico
- porzioni 
- condimenti
- pasti 

🎧Buon ascolto! 

Fatemi sapere se già conoscevate la risposta!

Puro Parlare

11. Ma la pasta fa ingrassare?

En el episodio de esta semana hablamos de comida. Y aunque los platos que menciono son muy comunes entre los españoles no son los platos típicos que los extranjeros asocian con España. 

¿Tienes curiosidad por saber de qué platos te hablo? Te cuento todo en el episodio.

Después de escucharlo no te olvides de dejar una valoración al podcast desde la plataforma donde lo estés escuchando. Además, me encantaría escuchar tus opiniones, ¿qué te ha parecido el episodio? ¿Conocías estos platos españoles? ¿Cuál es el que más te ha sorprendido?
