French Stories For All

Viens blablater! Du blabla sur la vie qui vient de la chaîne Youtube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@JustSpeakFrench

Blabla Postcast

French Conjugation For All

ใน episode นี้ก็จะพูดถึงวันแห่งชาติซึ่งถือเป็นวันสำคัญของคนไทย ซึ่งจะตรงกับวันที่ 12 สิงหาคมของทุกปี
ในตอนนี้คุณจะได้เรียนเกี่ยวกับกิจกรรมในวันแม่ ดอกไม้สัญลักษณ์ของวันแม่ และตัวอย่างง่ายสำหรับการอวยพรแด่คุณแม่ในวันแม่นะคะ  หวังว่าคุณจะได้รับความรู้และได้ฝึกทักษะการฟังภาษาไทยเพิ่มขึ้นนะคะ

Thai Advance by Kru Kan

วันแม่แห่งชาติ (Mother's Day in Thailand)

In this episode we'll talk about speaking in general. We'll also look at it in the context of exams. Then you'll have an exciting opportunity to produce your own answer and compare it with mine . 

Vlad's teaching tales

Speaking(IELTS example)

Welcome to Easy Pho Vietnamese podcast! From Phở Novice to Fluent Phở-natic. Short listens for new Vietnamese learners on Italki, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Boost your listening skills!

3 Minute PhởTalk

3 Minute PhởTalk: Tôi nói 5 thứ tiếng! I speak 5 languages

Who says Chinese is hard？ 谁说中文很难

Drills in Chinese Pinyin_  syllables with nasalized finals

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

Around the world, "Kiwi" is a popular nickname for New Zealanders, and people from New Zealand will often call themselves "Kiwis" too. For most New Zealanders, the word Kiwi is a positive and friendly nickname — but where did it come from?

The name actually comes from the kiwi: a fluffy bird that has a round body, a long beak and cannot fly. It is only found in New Zealand.

While the bird was already used on New Zealand's stamps and money by the late 19th century, it was first used to represent New Zealand in 1904 — when it was used in a cartoon to represent the country's rugby team. After that, the bird was often shown in cartoons to represent the country.

During World War I, soldiers from New Zealand who were fighting in Europe wore an image of the bird on their uniforms. "Kiwi" became a popular nickname for these soldiers, and it continued to be used after the war.

So the people and the birds don't get mixed up, "Kiwi" as a nickname for New Zealanders is usually written with a capital K, while the bird's name is usually written with a small k: "kiwi."

The kiwi fruit, which is originally from China, is also named after the bird. In 1959, fruit exporters in New Zealand started calling it "kiwifruit" because its fluffy, brown skin looks similar to the fluffy bird.

However, it is important not to mix up Kiwi people, kiwi birds and the kiwi fruit! Although the fruit is usually just called "kiwi" in other parts of the world, New Zealanders only ever call it "kiwifruit."

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Why Are New Zealanders Called Kiwis?

cónɡ qián，yí wèi lǎo nónɡ mín yǒu sān ɡè ér zi。
从前，一位老农民有三个儿子。
tā men suī rán dōu zhǎnɡ dà le，
他们虽然都长大了，
dàn shì ɡè ɡè dōu bù xǐ huān ɡàn huór，
但是个个都不喜欢干活儿，
wú fǎ yǎnɡ huó zì jǐ。
无法养活自己。
dào le chūn tiān，tiān qì biàn nuǎn le。
到了春天，天气变暖了。
yì tiān wǎn shànɡ，lǎo rén bǎ sān ɡè ér zi jiào dào miàn qián，
一天晚上，老人把三个儿子叫到面前，
duì tā men shuō：“hái zi men，wǒ yǐ jīnɡ lǎo le。
对他们说：“孩子们，我已经老了。
nǐ men yǐ hòu zǒnɡ děi zì jǐ yǎnɡ huó zì jǐ ɑ！ 
你们以后总得自己养活自己啊！
wǒ bǎ sān kuài dì fēn ɡěi nǐ men，
我把三块地分给你们，
měi kuài dì li dōu mái zhe jīn zi。
每块地里都埋着金子。
zhè xiē jīn zi shì wǒ sònɡ ɡěi nǐ men de。
这些金子是我送给你们的。
nǐ men zhǐ yào kěn chū lì qì，xià ɡōnɡ fu wā dì，
你们只要肯出力气，下工夫挖地，
jiù yí dìnɡ huì wā dào jīn zi。” 
就一定会挖到金子。”
dì èr tiān tiān ɡānɡ liànɡ，sān ɡè ér zi jiù qù wā dì le。 
第二天天刚亮，三个儿子就去挖地了。
tā men wā le yì tiān yòu yì tiān，
他们挖了一天又一天，
bǎ fù qīn fēn ɡěi tā men de dì quán wā biàn le， 
把父亲分给他们的地全挖遍了，
dōu méi yǒu zhǎo dào jīn zi。
都没有找到金子。
tā men bù sǐ xīn，wā le yì biàn yòu yì biàn， 
他们不死心，挖了一遍又一遍，
hái shì méi yǒu zhǎo dào jīn zi。 
还是没有找到金子。
tā men rèn wéi fù qīn piàn le tā men，
他们认为父亲骗了他们，
zuì hòu zhǐ hǎo zài dì lǐ zhònɡ shànɡ le zhuānɡ jia。
最后只好在地里种上了庄稼。

qiū tiān dào le。 
秋天到了。
zhè yì nián，yīn wèi wā le dì，zhònɡ shànɡ le zhuānɡ jia，
这一年，因为挖了地，种上了庄稼，
zhè sān kuài dì de chǎn liànɡ bǐ wǎnɡ nián ɡāo dé duō。
这三块地的产量比往年高得多。
tā men sān rén dǎ xià de liánɡ shi， 
他们三人打下的粮食，
liǎnɡ nián dōu chī bù wán，yì jiā rén fēi chánɡ ɡāo xìnɡ。
两年都吃不完，一家人非常高兴。
yì tiān wǎn shànɡ，lǎo rén yòu bǎ sān ɡè ér zi jiào dào miàn qián，
一天晚上，老人又把三个儿子叫到面前，
duì tā men shuō：“ jīn nián dǎ xià de liánɡ shi bǐ qù nián duō dé duō，
对他们说：“今年打下的粮食比去年多得多，
zhè shì nǐ men chū lì qì wā dì huàn lái de。
这是你们出力气挖地换来的。
zhǐ yǒu qín láo，cái nénɡ fù qǐ lái。
只有勤劳，才能富起来。
zhè jiù shì wǒ sònɡ ɡěi nǐ men de jīn zi。”
这就是我送给你们的金子。”