Each week I read an interesting news article from the BBC. Listen along to the words and pronunciation and I will also share with you the link to the story so that you can read along as well.

The Breaking News Podcast

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Welcome to the Just Chatting podcast where Paul & Rachel just chat about everyday events using natural British English.

Just Chatting

"不行" (bù xíng) is a more casual and colloquial expression, and it is often used to indicate that something is not feasible or practical. It can be translated as "can't" or "won't work."
"不可以" (bù kě yǐ) is a more formal and polite expression, and it is often used to indicate that something is not allowed according to rules or regulations. It can be translated as "cannot" or "not allowed."
Here are some examples that illustrate the difference between "不行" (bù xíng) and "不可以" (bù kě yǐ):
Example 1:
A: 你能给我五块钱吗？ (nǐ néng gěi wǒ wǔ kuài qián ma?) (Can you give me five dollars?)
B: 不行，我没有五块钱。 (bù xíng, wǒ méi yǒu wǔ kuài qián) (No, I don't have five dollars.)
B: 不可以，这是违反公司规定的。 (bù kě yǐ, zhè shì wéi fǎn gōng sī guī dìng de) (No, it is against company rules.)
In the first example, "不行" (bù xíng) is used to indicate that the person does not have the requested amount of money. In the second example, "不可以" (bù kě yǐ) is used to indicate that giving the money is against company rules.
"不行" (bù xíng) might be more appropriate if the person simply does not have the requested amount of money, while "不可以" (bù kě yǐ) might be more appropriate if there is a rule or regulation that prevents the person from giving the money.

Example 2:
A: 你能把这个盒子放在桌子上吗？ (nǐ néng bǎ zhè gè hé zǐ fàng zài zhuō zi shàng ma?) (Can you put this box on the table?)
B: 不行，它太大了。 (bù xíng, tā tài dà le) (No, it is too big.)
B: 不可以，桌子上没有足够的空间。 (bù kě yǐ, zhuō zi shàng méi yǒu zú gòu de kōng jiān) (No, there is not enough space on the table.)
In the first example, "不行" (bù xíng) is used to indicate that the box is too large to fit on the table. In the second example, "不可以" (bù kě yǐ) is used to indicate that there is not enough space on the table.
"不行" (bù xíng) might be more appropriate if the box is too large to fit on the table, while "不可以" (bù kě yǐ) might be more appropriate if there is not enough space on the table.



Difference between A and B in Chinese with Shanmei

Difference between "不行" (bù xíng) and "不可以" (bù kě yǐ)

Listen and repeat then sing along.
hot, pot, cot
The hot pot is under the cot.

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Phonics Short Vowels

Short O words

Die kleine Geschichte von dem deutschen Schriftsteller Leonardo Thoma über das Zusammenleben ohne Konflikte.

Deutsch unterwegs / German on the go

L. Thoma "Das Idealpaar"

Visual aids can be incredibly powerful tools in learning a new language. Our brains are wired to process visual information more efficiently than text alone. By using charts and infographics, you can break down complex language concepts into more digestible and memorable pieces.

💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 29 – Making Creative Charts and Infographics to Learn a Language

In this episode, I offer some advice on what many of my students ask about. How to move from B1/2 Intermediate, to C1 Advanced. My advice is basically, do what natives do, read, listen, and talk about the things they talk about...listen and find out more...

The CEFR inventory file I mention can be accessed at the link below..

https://www.eaquals.org/wp-content/uploads/EAQUALS_British_Council_Core_Curriculum_April2011.pdf

Kev's English Podcast

Kev's English Podcast: Episode 4: How to move from B1/2 Intermediate to C1 Advanced

Hey guys, this is Aneleh, your favorite Portuguese tutor. In today’s podcast we’ll talk about the difference between MAS with and without “i”. 
You can check up the podcast description at this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Gab0rifYIpLbMAiMzkWAw4MMLr1bwBRihRn-G90KJE/edit?usp=sharing
Let's go?


Portuguese Drops 

Mas or Mais 

One of the common goals for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s is to "get on the property ladder."

The idea is that when you buy your first home you're taking your first step on that ladder. In time, you may be able to climb higher by selling your property and buying a bigger or better one.

But taking that first step can be difficult — and scary. So what do you need to know before you go from renting or living with family to becoming a homeowner?

Writing for CNBC, real estate reporter Celia Fernandez shared a number of things she wished she'd done before buying her first home.

One thing she mentioned was making sure she had all the necessary paperwork in one place so she could easily show it to banks or lenders. This is good advice for anyone buying a property — you'll probably need to share things like your payslips, bank records and tax returns several times!

Fernandez also advises people to look for "free money." Your country or region may have grants or other programs to help home buyers. Look out for things like tax breaks for first-time home buyers, or grants for refurbishing older homes.

She also suggests asking for financial help from family members. "My biggest regret is not talking to our loved ones right at the beginning of our search," she said.

Of course, not everyone will have this option. But some parents may want to give money to their children during their lives rather than waiting to pass it on as an inheritance, for example.

Finally, Fernandez says it's important to take into account the costs of closing a sale. That might include taxes, legal fees, inspection fees or fees for a real estate agent — and don't forget that you may also have initial refurbishment costs.

You don't want an expensive surprise just as you get your first home!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Tips for Preparing for Your First Property Purchase

En el episodio de esta semana te hablo de algunas expresiones muy comunes que usamos para comparar en español. Las expresiones de las que vamos a hablar son comparativas de igualdad y usan el verbo estar, por lo tanto todas tienen la estructura “estar como”. Y aunque en español hay muchas cosas que no tienen sentido, estas expresiones no son unas de ellas. En cuanto te explique el significado de cada una de ellas, vas a ver lo acertadas que son.

Espero que, como siempre, disfrutes el episodio. Si lo haces, no te olvides de dejar una pequeña valoración en la plataforma desde la que lo estás escuchando.

Además, no te olvides que me encanta escuchar tus opiniones, después de escucharlo pásate por mi instagram y dime qué piensas del tema de hoy, ¿habías escuchado alguna de estas compraciones antes?
