This week, you’ll hear the rest of my conversation with Allyson Plumberg, Founder of Rooted Accents: Solutions for Accent Modification. This episode is part two of, “Want an American English Accent?  Allyson Plumberg Debunks Accent Myths.” So, if you haven’t listened to the previous episode, I recommend you check it out before listening to this one. 

While accent modification may seem elusive for many English language learners, it is possible! In this episode, Allyson shares some inspiring stories about clients who made major improvements to their accents. 

She also provides a lesson on how to make the voiced and voiceless "th" sounds and shares a wordlist with listeners to drill. 

Stay tuned until the end, where you’ll learn about three fantastic and free online resources to help with your accent modification efforts. 

Episode originally published March 5, 2021.

Original theme music by Lucas Knutter 

Read the transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/accent-modification/. 

Join the Express to Impress community on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/express-to-impress/.

See infographics for this episode on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/ExpresstoImpress/_created/.

Express to Impress

What Did You Say? Accent Modification Tips From a Speech-Language Pathologist

Un viaje transformador por Japón entre tradición, modernidad y autodescubrimiento.

Viajando con Facundo

Japón: Silencios, Sabores y Ciudades del Alma

In this episode we will learn how to ask weather 天气！

HSK2

Learn how to ask weather

speaker: 
            莫言 Mò Yán 中国当代作家，首位中国籍诺贝尔文学奖获得者
          Chinese novelist and short story writer, Mo was the first Chinese who awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

代表作： 《红高粱家族》《生死疲劳》《丰乳肥臀》《檀香刑》《蛙》
Notable works: 	Red Sorghum Clan,Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, Big Breasts & Wide Hips, Sandalwood Death, Frog
 
script:
      我刚刚有了微信，我会用了。我在微信里面也看到了很多莫言创作的，但不是我写的，非常好的作品。在北京有一次吃晚饭，有一个非常漂亮的优雅的一个女士就说“莫言老师，我要朗读一首你的诗歌献给你，《你若懂我该有多好》”她朗读得声情并茂，是吧。目光里边就是闪闪的含着泪光。我听了也很感动，是吧。后来他读完了，我就说如果是我写的该有多好。

translation: I only just downloaded Wechat, and I can use it now. I've seen a lot of nice works on Wechat credited to Moyan, but actually a lot of them weren't written by me. Once, I was at a dinner party in Beijing, during the dinner a very beautiful and elegant woman said to me ‘Moyan laoshi*,I will read one of your masterpieces for you—'It would be wonderful if you really understood me’ She reads with the full force of her emotions. I can see her eyes begin to well up with tears, and I was touched. When she finished reading, I said to her 'It would be wonderful if it was me that had written that'.

*here ‘laoshi’is not teacher,refers to respectful title for masters of their field*


One Minute Chinese—— Celebrity speeches & interviews with Chinese & English script

01.莫言：网上很多莫言的文章，如果是我写的该多好Moyan :a lot of articles  online credited to Moyan, but actually a lot of them weren't written by me.

南辕北辙 [nán yuán běi zhé]：outh/shafts of a cart or carriage/north/trail；to try to go south by driving the chariot north,The idom means to act in a way that defeats one's purpose.
邯郸 hán dān：a city in Hebei Province
熨烫 yùn tàng：ironing
拜见 bài jiàn：pay a formal visit
精良 jīng liáng：excellent; superior; of the best quality
依仗 yī zhàng：count on;rely on
殊不知 shū bù zhī：little imagined;hardly realize

乐读中文 (Lè Dú Zhōngwén) - "Joyful Chinese Stories"

南辕北辙[nán yuán běi zhé]

در باره ی تعارف ایرانی چه میدانید؟

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tAGHAyGwMBW8403NBfYuGWtLsjATm2TkMymg8aUCQBU/edit?usp=sharing

Farsi with Ali

تعارف

Man 1: Several years ago, I was in a car accident that left me with a back injury. As a computer programmer, I am still able to do my job, but I often have to take painkillers. When the pain gets particularly bad, I sometimes have to lie down on my back for a while until it goes away because sitting up really hurts. When we were in the office, I would worry that my colleagues would see me taking pills. Since we’ve been working from home, it has been much better. I can go and see my physical therapist more often too. I don’t have to worry as much and if I need to lie down for a little while to help my back, I can. When we were in the office, I’d sometimes be in a lot of pain but didn’t feel like I could say anything.

Woman: I have suffered from depression for a long time. Most of the time I manage it, but I often feel very nervous. Working in an office was really hard as I was always scared that I might panic and my colleagues would wonder why I was acting strangely. Working at home has been so much better for me as I don’t have to talk to so many people and I can have a relaxed environment and play peaceful music. Management is talking about going back to the office soon and I can already feel a lot of anxiety about it. I’m worried that I will not be able to hide that I’m depressed and people will judge me.

Man 2: I’m quite deaf in one ear. I don’t like to mention it when I’m at work because I feel as though there is often a stigma around disabilities. I worry that people will treat me differently. The problem is, sometimes I don’t hear when people are talking to me and then they think I’m ignoring them or I’m not listening. Working at home has been great for me because all of our communication has been online or video calls and I can wear headphones like everyone else. I’m not looking forward to going back to the office and I don’t see the point as I can do my job perfectly well from home.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Living With Disabilities 

El Barrio Chino de Ciudad de México es un pequeño barrio dentro de San Juan Moyotlan, a su vez un barrio del Centro Histórico. Algunas de sus calles son el escenario de las celebraciones del Año Nuevo Chino. Pero durante todo el año se puede sentir la esencia y el sabor de China, su gente y sus tradiciones.

El pueblo chino tiene una larga historia de inmigración a México. Algunos vinieron con el famoso comercio del Galeón de Manila, que conectó Acapulco con las Islas Filipinas durante unos 250 años. Posteriormente se dieron importantes oleadas de inmigración china que trajeron trabajadores y mano de obra tanto de Estados Unidos como de la China continental.

Parte de la población china de Ciudad de México llegó como resultado de los disturbios en los estados del norte, como Sonora y Sinaloa, donde se les había permitido vivir y trabajar. En la década de 1930, las calles de Dolores y Luis Moya, en el centro de la ciudad, estaban repletas de lavanderías atendidas por familias chinas a las que, debido al racismo, no se les permitía mezclarse con los locales.

Sin embargo, los chinos prosperaron regentando “cafés chinos”, todavía conocidos por su “café con leche”, galletas de la suerte y bollos choux. Todavía hoy podemos verlos casi en cualquier lugar de la ciudad, pero la mayoría de estos cafés no son atendidos por personal de ascendencia china en la actualidad.

El café con leche chino, tradicionalmente se sirve sin intercambiar muchas palabras. Se vierte de una jarra de aluminio a un vaso octogonal, a menudo desde una altura considerable. El camarero espera a que el cliente indique cuánto café desea y el resto del vaso se llena con leche entera caliente. Todo el proceso es como un ritual.



Spanish México

EL BARRIO CHINO EN LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO.

What you believe about yourself ultimately shapes your learning: 

Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tLHFCyBlP2SkUGgZNGSAvWN4mpblBxHy/view?usp=drivesdk