This podcast is for all those involved in business who wish to excel in their English skills.

English for Business

Most of my students are IT professionals -- from programmers to product testers, etc. I am making podcasts to help them with their pronunciation and general English level.

English for IT Pros

One surefire way to become fluent in English.

Teacher Stan's musings

Thinking in English

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. A new episode of let’s check out the news is out now!
In this episode I’ll comment on article titled: “Chinese provinces warn of thick fog, dozens of Shanghai flights delayed” published on Reuteurs. Let me know what you think, enjoy.

Useful vocabulary:
An episode of extreme weather
To issue a warning
Heavy rain – heavy snow – high winds – thick fog
A flight delayed – diverted
To cause disturbances
To salt the roads
To deploy snowplows
Wait for the fog to dissipate
One phenomenon / many phenomena
To cover long distances
To wreak havoc
Tornadoes or floods
The whims of nature
The modern era

Let's check out the news

Super thick fog over China

مُوسَى عليه السلام

وُلد موسى عليه السلام في زمنٍ كان فيه فرعون يقتل أبناء بني إسرائيل، خوفًا على ملكه.
فخافت أمّه عليه،
فأوحى الله إليها أن تضعه في صندوق، وتلقيه في النهر.

قال تعالى:
(وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ)

ثم وعدها:
أن الله سيعيده إليها.
حملته، وقلبها ممتلئ بالخوف،
ثم ألقته في الماء… ثقةً بالله.
وصل الصندوق إلى قصر فرعون،
فأخذه، وأحبّته زوجته،
وقالت:
كما قال تعالى في القرآن
(قُرَّةُ عَيْنٍ لِّي وَلَكَ)

فنشأ موسى في بيت عدوه،
لكن بعناية الله.
ورفض أن يرضع من أي امرأة،
حتى عادت إليه أمّه،
فأرضعته،
وعاش قريبًا منها مرة أخرى.


رحلة مع الأنبياء - A journey with prophets 

من النهر إلى القصر - From the river to the castle

Many people don't know what to do with their old clothes. Some give them to charity, others get them repaired — but what about clothes that can't be repaired?

These clothes usually end up in the garbage. A 2017 report estimated that 83 million metric tons of clothes and shoes were thrown away in 2015, and this could increase to over 130 million metric tons by 2030.

Clothes are difficult to recycle because they're often made up of different components. Even a T-shirt that's 100% cotton may still have labels and threads made from other materials like polyester.

Separating those materials isn't easy, making any piece of clothing difficult to recycle.

But researchers at the University of Delaware believe they've found a new way to recycle blended fabrics, and it only takes 15 minutes.

They developed a process using chemicals and microwaves to break down polyester and spandex while leaving cotton and nylon intact. The nylon is then dissolved off the cotton using a simple solvent.

The broken down and dissolved components are then collected, and can be used to make polyester, spandex and nylon again. And while the remaining cotton isn't high quality, the researchers say it could be mixed with new cotton to make stronger recycled yarn, for example.

Erha Andini, who led the study, told The Washington Post that clothes companies aren't always clear about what's in their clothes. But a process like this can be used even if you don't know what your clothing is made from.

However, the researchers say it could be some time before their process is used on a large scale.

And Tasha Lewis from Ohio State University — who wasn't part of the research — told The Washington Post that while processes like this are good, they should be used as a last resort.

She said it's cheaper and simpler to just buy used clothes. She added that companies should also make clothes that last longer, and make them out of one type of fabric so they're easier to recycle.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

US Researchers Find New Way to Recycle Clothes

Today’s episode is about first impressions, it’s not a how-to episode but more a discussion of how first opinions are made.
In psychology, a first impression is an event when one person first encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person. As much as it's natural to want others to like and accept us from the start it's important to remember that first impressions are not always correct.

Matcha & Meditation

First Impressions

Describe a rule you don't like is a recent part 2 topic. Lets have a look at some example answers.

IELTS 85 Speaking

IELTS speaking part 2- Describe a rule you don't like

Phở là món ăn tinh túy của Việt Nam, từ phở dùng để chỉ loại phở được sử dụng trong công thức nấu ăn. Mì gạo cùng với những miếng thịt bò hoặc thịt gà luộc vừa phải trong một món bò kho thịnh soạn. Phổ biến hơn cả trong số hai loại phở được biết đến rộng rãi là phở Hà Nội . Có nguồn gốc từ miền Bắc,  được biết đến bởi nước dùng và chỉ với một miếng chanh và vài lát ớt. phở Nam , có nước dùng thanh hơn và được phục vụ với một vài loại thảo mộc tươi như giá đỗ, húng quế và bạc hà.
Bí quyết để có một bát phở ngon nằm ở nước dùng. Nước dùng thường được ngâm với hoa hồi thơm, đinh hương và quế để tạo vị ngọt tự nhiên cho món ăn. Món ăn này được tìm thấy ở hầu hết các góc phố và thường được bán để ăn sáng mà người nước ngoài không hề hay biết.

phở flat rice noodles.
Phở is the quintessential Vietnamese dish, the word phở referring to the type of noodle used in the recipe. Flat rice noodles with medium-rare slivers of beef or boiled chicken in a hearty beef stock. The more popular of the two widely known varieties is phở Hanoi. Originally from the north, it is distinguished by a clear broth and dressed only with a squeeze of lemon and slices of bird’s eye chili. The southern iteration, phở Nam, has a murkier broth and is served with a few of fresh herbs like bean sprouts, basil and mint.
The secret to a good bowl of phở lies in its stock. The broth is usually infused with fragrant star anise, clove and cinnamon to lend a natural sweetness to the mix. This dish is found on almost every street corner and is actually consumed for breakfast, unbeknownst to foreigners.

up your Vietnamese game

phở

More and more women in the UK are choosing private maternity care because they feel fobbed off by the National Health Service. 
Can the Government Health Service continue to fund this service for everyone?


