Listen as I talk about various topics of Second Language Acquisition. All of which is focused on helping you achieve your Language Learning Goals!

The Grammarian Podcast

In this episode we learn how to say countries and continents in Swahili

Lets Learn Swahili

Countries and Continents

在高速行驶的火车上，有一位老人不小心把刚买的新鞋从窗口掉下去一只，周围的人都觉得很可惜。没想到老人把另一只鞋也从窗口扔了出去。他的行为让周围的人感到很吃惊。

这时候，老人笑着解释说：“剩下的那只鞋无论多么好，多么贵，多么适合我穿，可对我来说已经没有一点儿用处了。我把它扔了出去，就有人可能捡到一双鞋子，说不定他还可以穿呢?

这些词语您明白吗？

高速行驶gāosù xíngshǐ  high speed driving
周围 zhōu wéi  around
可惜 kě xi  unfortunately; It's a pity...; It's too bad...
行为 xíng wéi  behavior
吃惊 chī jīng be amazed
解释 jiě shì  explain
无论 wú lùn  whether
捡   jiǎn    pick up
说不定 shuō bu dìng   maybe,perhaps 


On the high-speed train, an old man accidentally dropped one of his newly bought shoes from the window, which made everyone around feel very sorry. 
Unexpectedly, the old man threw another shoe out of the window. His behavior surprised the people around him. 
At this time, the old man explained with a smile, "the remaining shoe, no matter how good, how expensive, and how suitable for me, is of no use to me. If I throw it out, someone may pick up a pair of shoes, maybe he can still wear it!"

HSK5 Vocab Based - Short Story Podcast

01. 老人的新鞋 Old man's new shoes

In the episode "How to Remember Any English Word," Teacher Smith emphasizes the importance of feeling confident while speaking English. They suggest that confidence is key to remembering words easily and provide a simple way to boost confidence instantly. Teacher Smith illustrates the concept by comparing it to rescuing a little girl from a pool, highlighting the idea that the value you bring to a conversation is more significant than any fear you may have.

The episode advises against focusing too much on fears, such as pronunciation or translating phrases, during conversations, as it can lead to forgetting words. Instead, Teacher Smith encourages listeners to focus on listening actively, as simply being present in a conversation is valuable. Additionally, they reassure listeners that making mistakes is natural, even for native speakers, and emphasize the importance of relaxing and letting speech flow naturally.

Overall, the episode offers two key points for speaking confidently: valuing participation in conversations and embracing imperfection. By prioritizing these principles, listeners can boost their confidence in speaking English.

LEARN BY LISTENING

HOW TO Remember ANY ENGLISH Word

Oi gente, sejam muito bem-vindos ao Portuguese Drops, o seu Podcast de Português favorito. Meu nome é Aneleh e hoje vamos discutir um tema muito importante: dicas para utilizar o sistema de saúde brasileiro. Vamos explorar maneiras de navegar eficazmente por esse sistema. Fiquem comigo para aprender cinco dicas essenciais. E se quiser acompanhar o script do podcast é só clicar nesse link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oYQoA842TqvrvkYYV0NlwWGg68Xneah5R1ZSsgw7ook/edit?usp=sharing
Vamos lá!

Hey guys, welcome to Portuguese Drops, your favorite Portuguese Podcast. My name is Aneleh and today we are going to discuss a very important topic: tips for using the Brazilian healthcare system. Let's explore ways to effectively navigate this system. Stay with me to learn five essential tips. And if you want to follow the podcast script, just click on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oYQoA842TqvrvkYYV0NlwWGg68Xneah5R1ZSsgw7ook/edit?usp=sharing
Let's go!

Portuguese Drops 

5 dicas para utilizar o Sistema de Saúde Brasileiro

In this episode we are going to learn a Real Chinese Conversation【Buy fruits 】. 
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Step 1: Listen and catch the words you know already, have a guess about the content.
Step 2: Check the script to learn one by one. 
Step 3: Listen and repeat after it.
Step 4: Practice until you can perform the dialogue. 
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顾客（gùkè, customer）: 老板，苹果怎么卖？
lǎo bǎn ， píng guǒ zěn me mài ？
Boss (of the shop), how do you sell the apples/how much are the apples?
老板(lǎo bǎn, shop owner): 左边的一斤8块钱，右边的一斤9块半。
zuǒ bian de yì jīn 8 kuài qián ， yòu bian de yì jīn 9 kuài bàn 。
The one on the left is 8 yuan per Jin(=0.5kg), and the one on the right is 9.5 yuan per Jin.
顾客: 哪个更甜？
nǎ ge gèng tián ？
Which one is sweeter?
老板: 右边的更甜。
yòu bian de gèng tián 。
The one on the right is sweeter.
顾客: 那来八个吧，大点儿的。
nà lái bā gè ba ， dà diǎn er de 。
Then give me eight, the bigger ones.
老板: 好的，四斤半，收你四十就好。还要别的吗？
hǎo de ， sì jīn bàn ， shōu nǐ sì shí jiù hǎo 。 hái yào bié de ma ？
Okay, 4.5 Jin, I'll just charge you 40 yuan. Do you want anything else?
顾客: 有什么推荐的吗？
yǒu shén me tuī jiàn de ma ？
Any recommendations?
老板: 草莓现在当季，又红又甜。
cǎo méi xiàn zài dāng jì ， yòu hóng yòu tián 。
Strawberries are in season now, red and sweet.
顾客: 一斤多少钱？
yì jīn duō shǎo qián ？
How much is one Jin?
老板: 一斤九块。你试试看。
yì jīn jiǔ kuài 。 nǐ shì shì kàn 。
9 yuan per Jin. Have a try.
顾客: 真的很甜！来两斤吧。
zhēn de hěn tián ！ lái liǎng jīn ba 。
It's really sweet! Give me two Jin.
老板: 一共六十块。
yí gòng liù shí kuài 。
A total of 60 yuan.
顾客: 可以微信付吗？
kě yǐ wēi xìn fù ma ？
Can I pay with WeChat?
老板: 可以，扫这里。
kě yǐ ， sǎo zhè lǐ 。
Yes, scan here.
顾客: 付了。
fù le 。
Paid.
老板: 谢谢。好吃再来啊。
xiè xie 。 hǎo chī zài lái a 。
Thank you. Come again (if) they are delicious.

Fruit vocabulary: https://www.italki.com/zh-cn/vocabulary/476767 

Yuli's Chinese Channel

买水果 Buy fruits （Beginner）

My student wanted to know the meaning of ‘depleted’.

For example, when people talk about their energy levels being ‘depleted’, what do they mean?

Usually after a busy day at work, or for introverts, maybe after a big social gathering, 
and we’ve given all our energy to other people all day, we get home and our energy levels have been ‘drained’, ‘emptied’ or ‘depleted’. 

Another ( more literal ) example is when we’re talking about physical resources:

eg; ’My fridge contents have been depleted (usually by me)…’ 
       ‘The car’s fuel tank is depleted.’ 

Luke's English Sessions

Ep 8. 'Depleted'

Lets listen to Cloe and Lya's story. They are twins. They are not on the same color and have some different favorites.

Enjoy our journey and Speaking English

Twins 

Master the long /iː/ and short /ɪ/ sounds through focused repetition and listening exercises. This practice session reinforces Lesson 7's key concept: both 'e' and 'i' can represent these two distinct vowel sounds in British English.
You'll practice word lists, minimal pairs (sit/seat, ship/sheep), and challenging tongue twisters designed to sharpen your ear and improve your articulation. Perfect for learners who want to train their pronunciation through hands-on practice rather than theory.
Repeat, listen, and build muscle memory—no matter your starting level, consistent practice will help these sounds become natural.

Transcript: 
Long e with letter E: see, me, be, these, complete, scene, tree, free, three, believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme, delete, extreme
Long e with letter I: machine, police, sardine, prestige, magazine, marine, cuisine, routine, limousine, hygiene, submarine, regime, tambourine
Short i with letter E:  English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started, lended,  helmet, velvet, secret
Short i with letter I:  it, sit, him, big, sister, interesting, milk, sick, pin, picnic, win, fish, list, lift, hint

Minimal Pairs: 
Sit - seat
Fit - feet 
ship - sheep 
dip  — deep 
chip — cheap 
Bin – Bean
Pin – Peen
Lid – Lead
Rich – Reach
Bit – Beat
Sick – Seek
Him – Heap
Fin – Fee
Rip – Reap
Tongue twisters: 
I see the sheep sleep deep in the green field.
Sick fish swim in the deep sea.
Pin the chip on the cheap machine.
The keen teen keeps the scene clean.
Big fish in a deep green sea swim free.
Pretty women with private seats sip tea.
