We discuss interesting language facts, explore cultural difference, practice 4 language skills and investigate how language develops from the earliest years to adulthood. Welcome!


Language Tales

¡Piyali ihuan mah cualli xihualacan! ¡Xitlahto motechpa! 
Hello and welcome to our first podcast in Nahuatl. Today's topic is a basic presentation in Nahuatl. Enjoy!

Audio Transcription:
¡Piali! Nehuatl notoca Metl, nichanti Coyohuacan, ahmo nitequiti, nimomachtia ica nahuatlahtolli Iztapalapa, nicpia caxtolli xihuitl, ninemi ihuan nochancayo, onitlacat Iztacalco ipan in meztli abril. Nicempaqui in nimitzixmati. 

Text translation:
Hello! My name is Maguey, I live in Coyohuacan, I don't work, I study Nahuatl in Iztapalapa, I am 15 years old, I live with my family, I was born in Iztacalco in April. Nice to meet you!

Traducción del texto:
¡Hola! Me llamo Maguey, vivo en Coyohuacan, no trabajo, estudio en náhuatl en Iztapalapa, tengo 15 años, vivo con mi familia, nací en Iztacalco en el mes de abril. ¡Gusto de conocerte!

Nahuatl with Ixchel

Podcast #1: Introduce yourself in Nahuatl!

*This story contains graphic and explicit material it is not recommended for children, for mature audiences only*
The Cat and The Baboon is a short story about gossip and the service industry involving a cat and a baboon, by David Sedaris.
Send me a message for your free digital copy of this book and if you would like to discuss it. 


Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk and other stories from David Sedaris ( Adult 18+) 

The Cat and The Baboon (Adult 18+)

If a literal translation doesn’t work, find out why. Delve into the cultural and historical aspects that make the phrase unique to your native language. This examination can provide a fascinating insight into both languages.

💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 34 - Find out why Literal Translations Do NOT work, ok? 

La publicidad tiene un gran efecto en nuestras vidas, probablemente más de lo que nos gustaría. En el episodio de hoy hablo de algunos de los eslóganes más populares en España, tan populares que han saltado de la publicidad para ser usados en el día a día.

Blanca to go 

10-Eslóganes españoles 

「形容詞」の練習をしましょう！
Today's Drills are adjectives.
Let's practice declensions of いadjectives and なadjectives.
Repeat and practice both A and B parts:)

A：元気ですか
B：はい 元気です
　   いいえ 元気じゃないです

A：好きですか
B：はい 好きです
　  いいえ 好きじゃないです

A：忙しいですか
B：はい 忙しいです
　   いいえ 忙しくないです

A：おいしいですか
B：はい おいしいです
　   いいえ おいしくないです

A：昨日は大丈夫でしたか
B：はい 大丈夫でした
　  いいえ 大丈夫じゃなかったです

A：昨日は忙しかったですか
B：はい 忙しかったです。
　  いいえ 忙しくなかったです

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
幸せです・なります
→  幸せになります

静かです・なります
→  静かになります

寂しいです・なります
→   寂しくなります

暖かいです・なります
→　暖かくなります

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

大変です・去年の試験
→ 去年の試験は大変でした

有名です・なりました・リーさん
→ リーさんは有名になりました

元気じゃないです・昨日・私
→ 昨日私は元気じゃなかったです

寒いです・昨日の朝
→ 昨日の朝は寒かったです。

忙しくないです・今朝
→ 今朝は忙しくなかったです

悲しいです・なりました・卒業式の後
→ 卒業式の後、悲しくなりました。

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
卒業式（そつぎょうしき）：graduation ceremony
〜の後（あと）：after
幸せ[な]（しあわせ）：happy, fortunate

アヤさんとフミさんの日本語ドリル (Aya and Fumi’s Japanese Drills)

3. 形容詞の基本　/ Adjective practices for beginners

As a communication coach, I witness the transformative power of preparation in business communication.  Winging it might work occasionally, but for consistent success, pre-communication planning is your secret weapon.  Here are my top 6  tips to ensure you dominate your next meeting, presentation, or email exchange:

1. Know Your Audience:  This isn't a cliche; it's the foundation.  Research your audience's background, interests, and pain points.  Tailor your language and message to resonate with them.  Imagine explaining your idea to a friend – that level of clarity and connection is what you're aiming for.

2. Define Your Purpose:  What is the single most important takeaway you want your audience to have?  Is it to inform, persuade, or simply update?  Having a clear purpose keeps your message focused and avoids information overload.

3. Craft a Compelling Message:  Less is more.  Eliminate jargon and redundancy.  Structure your message with a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Practice your delivery beforehand, paying attention to pacing, tone, and body language.

4. Anticipate Roadblocks:  Forewarned is forearmed.  Think of potential objections or questions your audience might have.  Prepare clear, concise responses that address these concerns head-on.  This demonstrates confidence and proactive problem-solving.

5. Choose Your Weapon Wisely:  Not all communication channels are created equal.  Consider the purpose and audience when selecting your method.  A complex proposal might be best delivered as a written document, while a team update could thrive on a video call.

6. Embrace Technology:  Utilize presentation tools effectively.  Visuals can significantly enhance understanding and retention of your message.  However, avoid information overload –  keep slides clean and focused on supporting your core points.


The Global Professional Podcast

TOP 6 Best Practices for Business Communication Preparation - EP 26

The IELTS speaking test is a crucial part of the exam, as it assesses your ability to communicate effectively in English. To prepare for this test, there are several key strategies you can use to improve your performance.

IELTS Speaking Practice

How to prepare for your IELTS speaking test

In this episode we will talk about 【What sports do Chinese people like?】, you will learn how to say 【popularize,Badminton,Camping】 ect. 
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It is recommended that you study in the following ways:
Step 1: Gist listening. Listen to get the main idea. (more times if necessary)
Step 2: Check the script and learn new words. 
Step 3: Listen and imitate as much as you can then retell the story.
Step 4: Write down what you hear if you want to practise writing.
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大家好，我是Yuli。欢迎收听我的播客。
今天想和大家聊一聊【运动】的话题。
在中国，最受欢迎的运动项目包括篮球、乒乓球、羽毛球、足球和跑步等。篮球在中国尤其是年轻人中非常流行，姚明的影响力使得这项运动在中国得到了极大的推广。乒乓球是中国非常突出的运动项目，早在20世纪50年代初，中国领导人毛主席就宣布乒乓球为一项全民运动。这项运动在中国的普及程度非常高，到处可以看到乒乓球桌。羽毛球是中国的另一项全民运动，与乒乓球类似，羽毛球可以随时随地进行，只需要一副球拍。足球在中国也有很大的影响力，但是因为踢足球需要更大的场地，不是每个学校都有足球场。跑步在中国变得越来越流行，越来越多的人选择在城市的街道和乡村小路上跑步。
这几年，户外运动也流行了起来。例如徒步、登山、露营、滑雪、漂流和骑行等，受到了越来越多的人喜爱。这些活动不仅能让人们亲近大自然，还能提供一种健康的生活方式。周末参加一个一天的徒步团，在山里面徒步，呼吸新鲜空气，然后在村里面吃一顿地道的农家菜，对住在城市里的年轻人来说是很新鲜的体验。在徒步的过程中也可以跟其他人聊聊天，认识新朋友，有的年轻人甚至在徒步中遇到自己的另一半。
除此之外，去健身房锻炼身体，去瑜伽馆做瑜伽也是很多年轻人的选择。你可以选择月卡、半年卡和年卡，一般年卡是最划算的。不过经常有年轻人买了年卡以后很少去，坚持运动也是一件不容易的事啊。
没有时间去健身房或者不喜欢社交的人，也可以选择在家里做运动。一边看视频，一边跟着做动作。因此很多运动博主也收获了不少粉丝，一个视频甚至有几千万的播放量。还有一些博主直播带着大家一起运动，运动变成一种新时尚。
你最喜欢什么运动？留言告诉我吧。我们下期见。
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项目/xiàng mù/Programs
乒乓球/pīng pāng qiú/Table Tennis
羽毛球/yǔ máo qiú/Badminton
尤其/yóu qí/Especially
推广/tuī guǎng/Promotion,spread
突出/tū chū/Outstanding
领导人/lǐng dǎo rén/Leaders
毛主席/máo zhǔ xí/Chairman Mao
宣布/xuān bù/Announce
普及/pǔ jí/popularize
与···类似/yǔ ··· lèi sì/Similar to 
徒步/tú bù/Hiking
露营/lù yíng/Camping
漂流/piāo liú/Rafting
农家菜/nóng jiā cài/Farm dishes
瑜伽/yú jiā/Yoga
划算/huá suàn/a good bargin
社交/shè jiāo/Socializing
博主/bó zhǔ/Blogger/youtuber
播放量/bō fàng liàng/amount of play
时尚/shí shàng/Fashion