In this weeks episode we learn about the importance of pronunciation. 

If you're ready to take your Spanish to the next level do get in touch to book a trial lesson here: https://teach.italki.com/teacher/2112111

Spanish in the Workplace

#4: Spanish Pronunciation Part 1 (Spanish)

Listen and repeat then sing along.
hut, cut, nut

Follow me for more phonics.
https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/13365914

Phonics Short Vowels

Phonics short U

Have you ever wondered what different kinds of celebrations are celebrated at the end of the year in different cultures? In honour of our German heritage we celebrate Heilig Abend and new this year, the Rauhnächte. In honour of our North American heritage we celebrate Christmas. And in the tradition of a Celtic past we celebrate the Feast of Lights at Winter Solstice.

Philosophical Friday

Holiday Special. Today I’d like to share with you some end-of-year traditions we celebrate in our home which is a mixture of three cultures.

If you are job hunting, a must nowadays is a profile on the world’s most popular professional networking site LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is not like any other social media, it is not a place to share photos of your latest holiday, your pets or your frolics with your friends about town. LinkedIn is about demonstrating your professionalism to your work colleagues, your boss and even your potential new employers.

Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date with all of your achievements from your work experience, update your certificates and education when you take a new training course, create connections and most importantly get endorsed.

Since you are reading this, I presume you re a student of the English language and that learning and improving your English language skills is probably important to you in your career and promotional prospects.

So, ask your teacher to give you an endorsement on LinkedIn to add to your profile

BizPod - The Business English Podcast

BizPod Episode 5 - Are You LinkedIn?

Have you ever accidentally gotten on a bus that was going out of service?

What do you expect would happen next? The driver would probably open the door and tell you to get off, and they wouldn't start driving until the bus was empty.

But that's not what happened to two tourists in Kyoto.

When they accidentally got on a bus that was going out of service in early June, the driver just closed the doors and drove away with them still on board.

And yes, he knew they were there.

But he was afraid to talk to them because they were foreigners, and he didn't know how to communicate with them.

As The Asahi Shimbun reported, the tourists — a man and a woman — got on the bus through the back door after all the other passengers exited at Kyoto station.

When they realized what had happened, the tourists asked the driver to stop, but he didn't understand them and just kept driving.

He later said he thought it would be best to deal with them at the bus terminal office.

When the driver wouldn't stop, the tourists called the police. An officer spoke to the driver over the phone, and the driver finally stopped.

They had been driving for around 20 minutes, traveling a distance of about 4 kilometers.

The West Japan JR Bus Company said: "We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused. Our employee training was insufficient, and our employee did not handle the situation correctly. We will thoroughly train our employees in the future."

Kyoto has a number of train and subway lines, but some of its most famous sites are most conveniently visited by bus — including Kiyomizudera temple in the east, and the gold-covered Kinkakuji temple in the northwest.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Kyoto Bus Driver Keeps Tourists On Board Out-of-Service Bus

Netflixドラマ【First Love 初恋】は見ましたか？
【First Love 初恋】の撮影の場所は北海道です。
北海道に住んでいる私が、撮影の場所を紹介したいと思います。
北海道のこと、文化についても話します。

【話にでてくる言葉】
ライラック/らいらっく
札幌市/さっぽろし
ファイターズ/ふぁいたーず
宇多田ヒカル/うただひかる
姪っこ/めいっこ
大丸/だいまる
告白/こくはく
ロータリー/ろーたりー
旭川市/あさひかわし


北海道へようこそ【First Love 初恋】from Netflix

1.リラの花咲く頃【First Love 初恋】from Netflix

Knowing Everything About Chinese Cultrue

7 qin,  chess, calligraphy,  and painting

建议同学们先听，如果有听不懂的地方再看文本。

1）那个游戏告诉我们：
      A.要平等待人
      B.交际是一种艺术
      C.朋友应该相互帮助
      D.不同的朋友决定不同的你

2）“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”的意思主要是：
      A.做事情要专心
      B.朋友会让你变得更好
      C.人们易受周围人的影响
      D.要虚心学习别人的长处

3）根据上文，可以知道什么？
      A.要信任朋友
      B.交友须谨慎
      C.不要自寻烦恼
      D.要有怀疑精神

听力内容：
       几年前，我参加了一个主题为“创造财富”的论坛。在讨论会上，一位发言人在演说过程中请听众做个游戏。他说：“请大家拿出一页纸，然后在纸上写下和你相处时间最多的6个朋友，也可以说是与你关系最亲密的6个朋友，记下他们每个人的月收入。然后，算出他们月收入的平均数。这个平均值便能反映出你个人月收入的多少。”
　　后来，我认识到了这个游戏的本质意义，那就是交际的力量，即结交朋友的重要性。中国有句老话：“近朱者赤，近墨者黑。” 它所讲的道理是一样的，即择友的重要性。朋友的影响力非常大，可以潜移默化地影响一个人的一生。
　　在这里，我并不想告诉大家如何去选择朋友。我想强调的是，如果你想在人生和事业上取得成功，必须小心谨慎地结交朋友。
　　如果你最亲密的朋友是公司的高级主管，那么你们在一起时所谈论的主要内容一定是关于如何管理和经营的；如果你最亲密的朋友是公司的职员，那么你们在一起时谈论的主要话题一定是关于如何工作的；如果你最亲密的朋友是房地产商，那么你们谈论的话题一定会是关于房地产的……
　　如果下一次你和朋友一起聊天儿，请记下你们谈论的主要话题，到时你就会明白这句话的重要意义。如果你想展翅高飞，那么请你多和雄鹰为伍，并成为其中的一员。


Merry's voice (HSK六）

HSK 六  《朋友的影响力》

Easy Steps to Chinese Grammar⭐

Do you know how to express age with "岁 (suì)" and how to know someone's age by asking about the zodiac sign? You can find out the answer in this episode.