Do you find it difficult to learn Portuguese? Do you feel that other people learn Portuguese faster than you?

In this episode, I invited a student from France to tell us a little bit about her journey learning Portuguese.

Portuguese With Caro

Is it difficult to learn Portuguese? | Talking to a Student

En el episodio de hoy, te invito a visitar una ciudad cargada de historia para reflexionar juntos sobre la importancia de conocer el pasado.

Viajando con Facundo

Berlín: pasado y reflexión

Do you remember that Mr. Krupp has a videotape of George and Harold sabotaging the football game? 
Mr. Krupp forces George and Harold to go to his office. He shows them a videotape that proves they pulled all the school pranks. The boys are scared because Mr. Krupp says he will show the tape to everyone. He tells George and Harold that from now on, they must do whatever he says, or he will use the tape against them. George and Harold feel trapped and worried.
What will Mr. Krupp say to George and Harold? Listen and follow along. 

Send me a message for your free copy of this book to follow along.


The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Chapter 7 A Little Blackmail

Aside from being a communications teacher, I'm also an audiobook narrator and producer.... so I hope you 'll enjoy listening to me narrate this classic tale of horror from Edgar Allen Poe, 'The Telltale Heart'!  This also gives students a chance to hear my accent, pronunciation, and delivery, in case they would like me to assist in these areas.  Check out more of my audiobooks and long form audio on Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Google Play audiobooks, and other platforms.

ABOUT the TELLTALE HEART:

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is Edgar Allen Poe’s renowned and chilling tale of murder and terror, told by a nameless homicidal madman, brought to life in this audiobook edition. This short literary masterpiece is often considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre, and is one of Poe's best known short stories.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" influenced later stream-of-consciousness fiction and helped secure the author’s reputation as master of the macabre. Poe’s novel introduction of the narrator’s madness is a classic study in psychopathology; as his victim shakes with fear, the narrator confides: “I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart.”

Although Poe was only paid $10 for the story upon its original publication in 1843, his contribution to classic Gothic literary culture and the has been priceless, as the story continues to provoke and disturb fans to this day.

Teacher JR Public Speaking's Podcast Wonderworld

'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allen Poe - Narrated by Me!

あっという間に年末ですね。
皆さんには、今年やり残したことがありますか？
今回はアヤが今年中にやっておきたいことについて話します。

Time flies!
Another year is almost over!!
Don’t you have anything left to do for this year? 
This time, Aya talks about the thing that she wants to do before the end of 2022.

♤ キーワード 
・師走（しわす：December）
※"Shi" means a priest or monk at temples and "wasu" stands for "running" in Kanji character. Usually, they sit back and move slowly, but in December, at the end of the year, there are so many Buddhist events, so even priests or monks have to run around. That's why we call December «師走».
・年を越す（としをこす：spend the new year） 
・ハードルが高い（ハードルがたかい：tough to clear）
・重い腰が上がらない（おもいこしがあがらない：take time to get motivated）

♧ 理解度チェッククイズ 
1. アヤが今年中にやりたいことは？ 
2. それがなかなかできない理由は？

♢ 前回のクイズの答え 
1. フミが生まれ変わったらなりたい生物は？ 
→ クジラ
2. それになりたい理由は？
→ 他の生物に襲われることもなく、穏やかに生きられそうだから。

BGM special thanks：MusMus

アヤさんとフミさんの日本語雑談（Aya and Fumi’s Japanese Chit-Chat）

Episode 19：今年やり残したこと

English below↓ 今日は、今プレイしているゲーム「Final Fantasy 6」の話をしたいと思います。

「Final Fantasy 」とは、日本のゲーム会社スクウェア・エニックスによって開発・販売されている、RPGのシリーズ作品のことです。

Final Fantasy 6のオリジナルは Nintendo のスーパーファミコンですが、リマスター版では、グラフィックや機能が追加・アップデートされています。

私が初めてFinal Fantasy 6をプレイしたのは、10代の頃でした。ドキドキ、ワクワクしながらやりました。とても思い出がある大好きなゲームです。

ところで、Final Fantasy という言葉は少し長いですね。そこで、日本のゲーマーは、Final Fantasy のことを「FF」と呼びます。Final の F と Fantasy の F を取って「FF（efu efu）」と言います。

「Final Fantasy」ではなく「FF」と言うと、ネイティブのゲーマーっぽく聞こえますよ！


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English
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Today, I would like to talk about the game I am currently playing, Final Fantasy 6.

Final Fantasy is a series of RPGs developed and marketed by the Japanese video game company Square Enix.

The original Final Fantasy 6 was released on SUPER Famicom, but the remastered version has updated graphics and features.

I first played Final Fantasy 6 when I was a teenager. I was sooo thrilled and excited to play it. It is my favorite game that holds a lot of memories for me.

By the way, the term Final Fantasy is a bit long. So, Japanese gamers call Final Fantasy "FF" (efuefu/えふえふ), taking the "F" out of Final and the "F" out of Fantasy.

It sounds more like a native gamer when you say "FF" instead of "Final Fantasy"!

Game & Manga Talk

#003 Fainal Fantasy6をプレイしています（Playing FF6）

Two people discuss their weekend routines.

Beginner 

My Weekend

"If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be, and why?"

This may be your idea of a nightmare interview question — and yes, employers really use it.

Your answer won't reveal anything about your ability to, say, use Microsoft Excel or drive a forklift truck. But it may tell your potential boss something about your "soft skills."

It's been said that hard skills will get you an interview, but soft skills will get you a job.

Hard skills are things you might learn at university, like how to write computer code or speak French.

Soft skills are the things you might not be able to prove with a qualification, but that will help you succeed in the workplace.

These could include being good at things like problem-solving, time management, and communicating with others or understanding how they feel — even being a good listener.

Employers say soft skills are more important than ever as the world adapts to remote and hybrid working patterns, because being able to communicate clearly and adapt to new situations is even more vital to success.

Some have called soft skills innate. But can we learn them or at least improve them?

"Yes," says jobs website Indeed.

It says the keys are to communicate regularly with the people on your team, be open to feedback, and pay attention to the way others overcome challenges including how they interact with people to do so.

Indeed also says it's important to simply get to work on time. This will help with time management, and also helps you achieve your goals and stand out from your colleagues.

Amanda Vickers, CEO of training company Speak First, told The Guardian that it's also important to try to understand what other people's needs and motives might be. This will help you adapt and work successfully with different people.

So, which ice cream flavor are you?

Well, the flavor isn't important but your answer could demonstrate soft skills such as creativity, quick thinking and even self-awareness.

Just don't choose vanilla.