'belief' help is needed

Such a question to English specialists/linguists:

Why    leaf (sing) - leaves (pl)     is correct but        belief - believes        is not?   Is  a  "beliefs"  some exception?

'talk without little garden'

Those who know what does it mean, are welcome to join the discussion :)

Ugh....why, why, why ?!?! (pronunciation rules)

Hi smart guys, here is a task for you. Let anybody wise tries to explain me below pronunciation fact (I don't even call it a principle because there is obviously no principle):

wild - /waɪld/  

wilder - /waɪldəɻ /

wilderness - /ˈwɪl.dəɻ.nəs/

Stop doing that ! vs. I appreciate.

When you are speaking with your language partner to learn the same language, do you correct him/her all the time?  Some people are grateful for that but some consider it rude. How about you? <o:p></o:p>

What have you achieved being the member of iTalki community?

After a year, two … of learning with iTalki do you feel you:<o:p></o:p>

-have done some  improvement, <o:p></o:p>

- got stuck on the same level, <o:p></o:p>

- have wasted your time here…..<o:p></o:p>

Is handwriting dead?

I saw such an article when learning and I thought that barely anybody writes the letters, notes…. at hand now. Nowadays we spend hours texting and writing online . Tell me honestly when was the last time you felt a pen on paper? <o:p></o:p>

What a shame!

How silly of me! I scheduled an English lesson with a teacher from States, being myself in PL. And what did I forget about ??? 

Time difference of course!. He was  UTC-4, me UTC+1.  My question to you is: have you ever been in similar situation  and,

what did you say then to apologise your teacher? 

....vanishing passion.....

You are sitting on the couch with a laptop on your knees, earphones on your head probably... You log italki or skype on, check your lessons' list and think; "Oh no, not again, do I have to do that again, what for?"

It looks like you got stuck at some firm language-point and nothing moves forward. 

How do you cope with that? Go ahead people! Good, old italki is waiting for your brainstorm .

tongue twisters - we love them!

<em>Un chasseur sachant chasser peut chasser sans son chien (FR).<o:p></o:p></em>

<em>Szedł Sasza suchą szosą (PL).<o:p></o:p></em>

<em>Sally sells sea shells on the shore (ENG).<o:p></o:p></em>

Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку (RU).<em><o:p></o:p></em>

<em><o:p></o:p></em>

<em>Oh yes, we all know them very well and we love our spitted screens . <o:p></o:p></em>

<em>What is your favourite one? Can you give an example in you native language (plus its translation) ?</em><o:p></o:p>