What's your view on this topic? Are languages a useful subject for students at school?

Nick discusses both sides of this topic to help you with ideas for the IELTS test. 

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

Should children learn languages at school?

- LOS COLORES CÁLIDOS DE LA CULTURA COLOMBIANA

- ALGO ACOGEDOR EN COLOMBIA, ES PERCIBIDO AL INSTANTE

 Remember that I teach Spanish on italki, you can book a class for more information you can look at it on my profile :)

Colombia

La calidez de la cultura colombiana te hace sentir siempre en casa

Preguntas de comprensión lectora
Lee el texto y determina si los enunciados siguientes son verdaderos o falsos.
1.	Juan y sus amigos van de vacaciones a la montaña para practicar deportes de invierno.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso
2.	Desde el principio, hay mucha nieve en la montaña.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso
3.	Juan y sus amigos están desayunando cuando empieza a nevar.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso
4.	En la calle, niños y adultos disfrutan de la nieve.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso
5.	El muñeco de nieve disfruta de la temporada de invierno.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso
6.	Juan ha soñado con la nieve.

o	Verdadero
o	Falso


Auditive comprehension (Comprensión Auditiva) 

En las vacaciones de invierno (B1)

Amanda: Hi Maria!
Maria: Oh, hi Amanda.
Amanda: You look a bit worried, are you all right?
Maria: I’m exhausted. Yesterday’s homework took me all evening. It’s probably going to double next year, isn’t it?
Amanda: Probably. My older brother has to write long essays for his English literature course. But we’ll have fewer subjects to study. Have you chosen your courses yet?
Maria: No, when’s the deadline?
Amanda: We have another month, but the school emailed us all the list the other day. I have it on my phone.
Maria: Ooh, let’s have a look, then.
Amanda: Here it is. Oh, look, the Spanish and biology timetables clash. I won’t be able to do both.
Maria: Would you do that, though? Languages and science don’t go together, do they?
Amanda: Well, you wouldn't think so, but actually, my aunt is a research scientist, and a lot of European universities work together on projects. She’s working on a project with a university in Rome, one in Germany, and one in Portugal.
Maria: Is it a biology project?
Amanda: No, she’s a chemist. They’re working on a solution to clean up deadly pollution in rivers and lakes.
Maria: That sounds so cool and really fascinating.
Amanda: It really is. She gets to visit colleagues in different cities sometimes, and she gets her work translated into lots of different languages. She wishes she had learned some German, though, so she could communicate better with her German research partners. She understands Portuguese and Italian, but German, not so much.
Maria: When did she learn Portuguese and Italian?
Amanda: I think she did some of her university degree in Lisbon and some in Rome.
Maria: Studying chemistry in different languages?
Amanda: Yes, she loved it!
Maria: So, you’re kind of following in her footsteps, then. Science and languages. You could be a biologist in Spain.
Amanda: Yep, or at least study there, or South America.
Maria: So, what are you going to do about the timetable clash?
Amanda: I think I’ll talk to the dean. 

English Conversation/Dialogue

Science For All

Jenna and Max are at a cozy café when suddenly Max gets an email.

Max (staring at his phone, confused):
Hey, Jenna, this guy I’m working with just said, “Give me a shout.” What does that even mean?

Jenna (stirring her coffee):
It just means to contact him.

Max (frowning):
Wait… but “shout” means to yell. So, does he want me to yell his name?

Jenna (laughs):
No, no! He’s not asking you to actually shout. It just means to message him, call him—basically, let him know when you need something.

Max (nodding slowly):
Okay… so, if I say “I’ll give you a shout,” it means I’ll call you?

Jenna (approving):
Exactly! Or text, or email—whatever works.

Max (thinking hard):
Hmm… but what if I really do shout your name? Like—HEY, JENNA!

[SFX: Café customers turning to stare]

Jenna (covering her face, whispering):
Okay, maybe don’t do that in public…

Max (grinning):
Got it. So, if I’m stuck on my project later, I can just say, “Jenna, I’ll give you a shout?”

Jenna (thumbs up):
Now you’re getting it!

Max (pauses, tilting head):
Wait… I have to ask—how do you know all these phrases so well? It’s like English just clicks for you.

Jenna (shrugging, playfully):
Well, let’s just say I found the cheat code.

Max (leaning in, curious):
Cheat code? What, like a secret trick?

Jenna (grinning):
Kinda! I trained with English Teacher Smith on iTalki. It wasn’t just lessons—it was real conversation, real corrections, and now, boom! English feels natural.

Max (raising an eyebrow, impressed):
That actually sounds pretty smart.

Jenna (pulls out phone, taps screen):
Here, see? Just click the profile, book a speaking lesson, and you’ll be talking like a pro in no time.

Max (smirking, clicking on phone):
Alright… I’ll give Teacher Smith a shout then.
(books lesson)

LEARN BY LISTENING

Here's How To Give Me A Shout Without Shouting

In this episode we are going to listen to a dialogue between an adult and a little girl.What are they takling about?Let's start to listen now!
A：这是你的全家福吗？
B：是的。
A：这是谁？
B：爸爸。
A：他叫什么？
B：Peter。
A：他的工作是什么？
B：总经理。
A：这是谁？
B：妈妈。
A：她叫什么？
B：Linda。
A：她的工作是什么？
B：家庭主妇。
A：这是你吗？
B：是的。
A：这是你几岁拍的？
B：四岁。
A ： zhè shì nǐ de quán jiā fú mɑ ？ 
B ： shì de 。
A  ： zhè shì shuí ？ 
B ： bà bɑ 。 
 A： tā jiào shén me ？  
B：  Peter。  
A： tā de ɡōnɡ zuò shì shén me ？ 
B ： zǒnɡ jīnɡ lǐ 。
A  ： zhè shì shuí ？
 B ： mā mɑ 。 
A ： tā jiào shén me ？  B：Linda  。
A  ： tā de ɡōnɡ zuò shì shén me ？
 B ： jiā tínɡ zhǔ fù 。 
A ： zhè shì nǐ mɑ ？
B  ： shì de 。
A  ： zhè shì nǐ jǐ suì pāi de ？ 
B ： sì suì 。 

Story Chinese

这是你几岁拍的？ How old were you when you took this photo?

El verbo despedirse es el que usamos cuando estamos en un lugar con más personas y queremos irnos. El problema es que no es tan fácil y rápido como piensas... XD

Curiosidades sobre el español y su cultura

Despedirse en España

In this episode of Your Spanish Journey, I'll talk about a topic that not many students pay attention to but it is highly important when it comes to writing a text: ACCENT MARKS.
I'll give you some basic rules and tips so that you start using them correctly. Are you ready?

Your Spanish Journey

¿ÉL O EL? ¿TÉ O TE? ¿Cuál es correcta?- Reglas de acentuación en español.

PSICOLOGÍA PRÁCTICA.

Un hombre de negocios tenia que elegir a un empleado de entre tres candidatos.
A los tres le hizo, por turno, la misma pregunta: "¿Qué haría usted si a la hora de liquidar una cuenta un deudor le entrega mil pesos de más?"
El Primero contestó:
-Le haría ver su error y le devolvería inmediatamente los mil pesos.
-Demasiado cándido, usted no me sirve joven. -Dijo el patrón.

El segundo contestó:
-No le diría nada y depositaría los mil pesos en la caja.
-Demasiado inmoral, usted tampoco me sirve joven.

El tercero dijo:
-¿Para qué nos anticipamos? Primero esperemos a que alguien nos dé mil pesos de más, y entonces ya veremos lo que hacemos.
-Usted tiene sentido práctico joven. Queda contratado.
