Teacher Joseph's Podcast

Walking in the Town Square

Talking to yourself isn’t just harmless—it’s scientifically proven to boost cognitive function and language retention. According to research, internal self-talk regulates emotions and improves focus, especially under pressure. Now imagine doing this in your target language—it’s like rewiring your internal operating system to think in new words, sounds, and rhythms.
And here’s something else that’s fascinating—rehearsed monologue, or what we call “self-talk,” activates the same brain regions involved in conversation with others. That means that practicing your thoughts aloud, even in private, preps your brain for real-life social interactions.

When you talk to yourself in a new language, you’re building not just fluency—you’re building trust. Trust in your own voice. Confidence grows when we hear ourselves trying.
And in moments of doubt, this diary becomes your mirror. It shows you how far you’ve come—not just in words, but in courage.




💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 66 - Speak to yourself before you speak to others

人体细胞是有寿命的，每天都在更新，衰老死掉的细胞会被新的代替。
全身的细胞全部替换掉，需要经过七年，也就是在生理上，我们每过七年就拥有一个新的身体。
细胞的更替是循序渐进的，并不会在同一时刻全部换掉，不同的细胞代谢的时间和间隔都不同。
人的大脑细胞是永久不变的，所以，就算身体经过了七年的更新周期，你的脑子依然还是同一个。

你不知道的 有趣知识分享

人体的细胞几年就会更新 一次？

Hi everyone, this is Jesse, your story writer, and you’re listening to the Being a Cloud podcast. 

More teachers are waking up to the power of stories to teach languages, and on this show, I share the stories I’ve made with my italki students for you to enjoy. 

Are you an ESL student? Do you want to make a story? Book a lesson with me and let’s create one together. 

In this story, an orange named Orangutan gets an unexpected text message from his girlfriend. This is part 1 of 3.  

~~~

Orangutan the Orange

Rain is pouring heavily onto a small town somewhere in Russia. It’s 8:15 in the morning on a cold Monday. 

Inside of a small, community-run gym, there is an angry-looking orange lifting some weights. It’s early, so no other members are in the gym. Not all the lights are turned on. The fourteen-year-old orange is alone lifting some dumbbells. 

8 – 9 – 10 – Rest… 

He takes in huge breathes to recover. He seems very driven to push his body to its limits. 

Again… 1 – 2 – 3… 

After completing his 5th set, the orange walks over to the bench press. He lays down on the bench, grabs the steel bar and lifts the 50kg weights. He’s very strong for such a young piece of fruit. 

Then, his mobile phone makes a sound. The orange completes his set, then grabs his phone from his bag. Two new messages have arrived. He opens the first one and scans the text. 

Hi, Orangutan, my dear, it’s me. I’m sorry to say, but our relationship is over. Please don’t visit me or call me anymore. You’re very strong and handsome, but you’re not polite or considerate. While I do care for you, sometimes I don’t feel safe around you…

The message stops there. It continues in the second message. But Orangutan feels so insulted and hurt by the message. He instantly deletes both of the messages, without reading the second. 

~~~

Wanting more? Then create your own story. Book a class with me on italki. 


Being a Cloud

Orangutan the Orange

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 # 17)

In this episode we are going to learn a Real Chinese Conversation【First meeting - informal occasion】. 
--------------------------------------------------
Step 1: Listen and catch the words you know already, have a guess about the content.
Step 2: Check the script to learn one by one. 
Step 3: Listen and repeat after it.
Step 4: Practice until you can perform the dialogue. 
--------------------------------------------------
A: 嗨，我叫阿明，你叫什么呀？
hāi ， wǒ jiào ā míng ， nǐ jiào shén me ya ？
Hi, I'm Aming. What's your name?
B: 我叫小美。
wǒ jiào xiǎo měi 。
I'm Xiaomei.
A: 你是第一次来这里吗？
nǐ shì dì yī cì lái zhè lǐ ma ？
Is this your first time here?
B: 对啊。你以前来过吗？
duì a 。 nǐ yǐ qián lái guò ma ？
Yeah. Have you been here before?
A: 嗯，我经常来。
en ， wǒ jīng cháng lái 。
Yesh, I come often.
B: 那你可以给我介绍介绍吗？
nà nǐ kě yǐ gěi wǒ jiè shào jiè shào ma ？
Can you introduce a bit for me?
A: 可以啊。我们每个星期六晚上都有派对。你可以在这里认识很多新朋友。
kě yǐ a 。 wǒ men měi gè xīng qī liù wǎn shàng dōu yǒu pài duì 。 nǐ kě yǐ zài zhè lǐ rèn shi hěn duō xīn péng yǒu 。
Yeah. We have parties every Saturday night. You can meet a lot of new people here.
太好了。我就是想来认识一些新朋友。
tài hǎo le 。 wǒ jiù shì xiǎng lái rèn shi yì xiē xīn péng yǒu 。
That's great. I did come to meet some new people.
我们加个微信吧。
wǒ men jiā gè wēi xìn ba 。
Could I have your WeChat？
可以啊。我扫你。
kě yǐ a 。 wǒ sǎo nǐ 。
Sure. Let me scan your QR code.
嗯，加上了。以后多联系。
en ， jiā shàng le 。 yǐ hòu duō lián xì 。
Okay, done. Keep in touch in future.
嗯，有时间可以聊一聊。
en ， yǒu shí jiān kě yǐ liáo yì liáo 。
Yeah, we can talk a bit when have time.

Yuli's Chinese Channel

初次见面-非正式场合 First meeting - informal occasion（Beginner）

Dubai has begun work on a new $35 billion airport terminal that will become the world's busiest when it's finished, according to the state's ruler.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the new terminal at Al Maktoum International airport will one day handle up to 260 million passengers per year.

But if that sounds like a travel nightmare, the CEO of Dubai Airports has different ideas. Paul Griffiths said that at the 400-gate airport there will be less walking, less waiting and no queues.

Griffiths said that airports around the world have gotten lazy and this one will change the way airports work.

His plan includes having security and passport checkpoints spread out around the terminal to save people time.

But 260 million is a lot of passengers. It's more than double the number that used the world's busiest airport in 2023. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, handled 105 million passengers last year.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the state's main airport at the moment, was second in that list with 87 million passengers.

However, all of that traffic will move to Al Maktoum over the next few years, according to Sheikh Mohammed.

Al Maktoum, which first opened in 2010, will be five times bigger than DXB when it's finished.

It's not only at the airport that building is taking place. Sheikh Mohammed said that an "entire city" will be built in the area around the airport, with homes for a million people.

"Dubai will be the world's airport," he said on X, and the world's "new global center."

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Dubai Starts Work on 'World's Busiest' Airport

Food Festival (no transcript today)

Weekly Lesson: Why Clubbing Is Dying in the UK – English Listening #BritishCulture