Let's learn a new Italian expression: "mettere il bastone fra le ruote".

Do you already know the meaning?
Do you have a similar expression in Italian?Let me know!

3 minutes Italian

Mettere il bastone fra le ruote

This episode introduces listeners to Walt Whitman, "America's World Poet." Listen to Whitman's poem, "Beginning My Studies," along with a short description of his life and a discussion of the language he uses.

Beginning my studies, the first step pleas’d me so much, 
The mere fact, consciousness — these forms — the power of motion,
 The least insect or animal — the senses — eyesight — love;
 The first step, I say, aw’d me and pleas’d me so much,
 I have hardly gone, and hardly wish'd to go, any farther,
 But stop and loiter all the time, to sing it in ecstatic songs.

Enchanted English

Episode 1: Beginning My Studies

Modern Chinese(時代華語)B1- Reading(短文)

En el episodio de hoy estoy con Cinthia de myspanishonthego.com . Cinthia es una argentina que lleva viviendo en España más de 15 años. En el episodio de hoy hablamos de cómo es la vida en España para una argentina, semejanzas y diferencias de argentinos y españoles y de la vida en general. 

Espero que disfrutes mi conversación con Cinthia. Después de escucharla no te olvides de dejar una valoración a este podcast y de visitarnos en redes sociales para decirnos qué piensas de este episodio. ¡Te esperamos!


Blanca to go 

99- España a través de los ojos de una argentina con Cinthia de myspanishonthego 

A brief history of Venezuelan food called: Hallaca. It is very common to eat it at Christmas in the Caribbean country. The hallaca is very similar to the tamale, so many times people confuse them, but their preparation and origins may be somewhat different.

Narrated with a Venezuelan accent.*

Spanish Audio bites

Hallaca o tamal

What do you do on Saturday？ Shopping？Sleeping？Watching movie？Let's learn some words through the story. -
我的星期六
昨天是星期六，上午我和爸爸、妈妈去商店买东西，我们买了衣服、菜、水果、也买了八个杯子，杯子很小很漂亮。我很喜欢。商店前面有一个宠物医院，很多人带着小狗去看医生。我的同学也在那儿，我问他，这是你的小狗吗？我的同学说“是的，它叫钱钱，它昨天和今天不吃也不喝，我希望钱钱好起来。”
下午下雨了，我和爸爸、妈妈在家里。爸爸看书，妈妈看电视，我学习汉语。我喜欢学汉语，你呢？

Wǒ de Xīngqī liù 
Zuótiān shì Xīngqī liù ， Shàngwǔ wǒ hé Bàba 、 Māma qù Shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi。 Wǒmen mǎi le Yīfu 、 cài 、 shuǐguǒ 、 yě mǎi le bā gè bēizi ， bēi zi hěn xiǎo hěn piàoliang 。 Wǒ hěn xǐhuan 。 Shāngdiàn qiánmian yǒu yí gè Chǒngwù Yīyuàn ， hěnduō rén dàizhe xiǎogǒu qù kànYīsheng 。 Wǒ de Tóngxué yě zài nàér ， wǒ wèn tā ， zhè shì nǐ de xiǎogǒu ma ？ Wǒ de Tóngxué shuō " Shìde ， tā Zuótiān hé Jīntiān bù chī yě bù hē ， wǒ xīwàng tā hǎoqǐlái 。 " 
Xiàwǔ xiàyǔ le ， wǒ hé Bàba 、 Māma zài jiā lǐ 。 Bàba kànshū ， Māma kàndiànShì ， wǒ xuéxí Hànyǔ 。 Wǒ xǐhuan xué Hànyǔ ， nǐ ne ？


Learn Chinese through stories - HSK1  （more podcast：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_Q-vfEdpBJCRJviEEY0KQ）

My Saturday

As it's already May, a lot of the part 1 and part 2 topics are changing in the IELTS speaking exam. Let's start with the topic "Describe a positive change you made in your life" with some good idioms which are explained below.

Remember this is just an example answer, and you should never learn example answers off by heart. It's very important to speak naturally in the speaking exam.


Idioms used in the example answer:

Out of shape

If someone is unhealthy or not able to do a lot of physical activity, we can say they are out of shape.

“He drinks and smokes too much, and has become very out of shape.”



In good shape

If you’re in good shape, you are fit and healthy. This  especially refers to the physical condition of your body ( being at a healthy weight, not overweight, getting plenty of exercise)


Run down

If you’re feeling run down, you are tired and lacking energy, usually after a sustained period without enough rest.

“After working late in the office every night for the last 2 weeks, he started to feel very run down.”


Full of beans

Someone who has a lot of energy might be described as full of beans.

“Young children are always full of beans, and love to run around, and play.”


Fit as a fiddle

Fit as a fiddle means ‘in very good health’ and may more often be used to refer to older people.

“My grandfather is 86, but is still as fit as a fiddle, and goes to exercise in the park every morning.”


Picture of good health

To look the picture of health simply means to look very healthy and well.

“Wow! Have you been going to the gym recently? You look the picture of health.


IELTS 85 Speaking

Describe a positive change you made in your life - IELTS speaking part 2

Clear usage try and + (verb)
Andrew says:
'we try and meet up when we can'
'we try and make excuses to meet up'
Putting try and before a verb means you want to do something, and you make an effort to do it - Andrew and his family make an effort to meet up.
 You may also hear try to + (verb), which means exactly the same thing.  