How did an eccentric English scientist who had a talking dog invent the British Bank Holiday? How did this holiday unite the working classes with the wealthier classes? What do British people like to do when they have a Bank Holiday? This podcast uncovers the strange history behind the UK's public holiday system and explains what we love most about them...

Learn British Culture with Pip

Learn more about the British Bank Holiday

For this week's practice let's listen to a story about dreams coming true. You can replay the story as much as you need and answer the questions after.

Comprehension Questions:
- What dream comes true for Mia?
- Where is the program?
- Who has a party for Mia?
- Where does Mia put her papers? Why?
- List two things Mia can do as a citizen.

Wyn's Way to English

Wyn's Way to English - Listening Practice "Citizenship"

The difficult question on two Slavic languages and their co-existence in one country

Russian vs English facts and much more

Should I learn Russian or Ukrainan?

CHISTES MEXICANOS

¿CUÁL ES EL COLMO?

"Nothing can dim the light that shines from within."

A 30-day positive affirmation journey with Rose

Day 10

In this episode, we are going to be discussing the multiple ways of saying, "How are you?", and the ways to use them in a natural English conversation.

The English Chamber

How are you?!

From Two Sales to Bestseller: UK Author Goes Viral
When English author Vicky Ball sold two of her books at an event in December, she was delighted.

She shared the news on X, and said she was pleased because at some previous events she had not sold any books at all.

But she's now sold many more copies than that, after her post went viral and was seen millions of times by people around the world.

Her first novel, called Powerless, quickly climbed up Amazon's bestseller lists in the teen and young adult categories.

Ball, who is 48, told The Guardian that it was "amazing" to hear from people around the world who had bought her books.

Her second novel — Abandoned — has also been doing well on Amazon, and has gotten good reviews from customers.

Like so many authors, Ball had to fit in her writing around her work and family life.

She wrote her first book during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. She was working as a teacher at that time, so she spent weekends writing with her laptop on her knees.

Now Ball works at a university, and she's also studying writing in her free time.

She also said she's gotten lots of support from other writers on social media.

Asked by The Guardian if she had advice for other authors she said: "Just write!"

She said she begins writing before she has planned all of her story. "It's like a journey," she said. "You never know where it's going to go."

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

From Two Sales to Bestseller: UK Author Goes Viral

De acuerdo con Marco Polo, el origen de las piñatas se encuentra en las celebraciones de año nuevo en China y en su forma original representaban animales. De ahí, la tradición viajó a Italia y, por último, llegó a México, en donde los frailes la utilizaron como herramienta de evangelización.

Existen indicios de que en Mesoamérica había tradiciones similares. Los mayas acostumbraban romper recipientes de barro rellenos de cacao y los mexicas llenaban cazuelas de barro con tesoros y alhajas, las decoraban con plumas y listones y las rompían durante las festividades en honor al dios Huitzilopochtli.

La forma actual de las piñatas surgió en el siglo XVI en Acolman de Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México, cuando los frailes comenzaron a celebrar las “misas de aguinaldo” o “posadas” durante los días previos a la Navidad. En ellas se usaba la piñata como alegoría para evangelizar a los pobladores de la región.

Actualmente, las piñatas se elaboran a partir de una olla de barro o cartón moldeado cubierto de papel colorido y se rellenan con dulces, fruta, cacahuates y juguetes. Después se rompen con un palo.

Los siete picos representan los pecados capitales: soberbia, avaricia, lujuria, ira, gula, envidia y pereza.
Sus brillantes colores simbolizan la tentación.
Láminas de oropel o latón: hacen referencia a los engaños del mundo.
Venda en los ojos: nos recuerda que la fe es ciega.
Palo con el que se rompe la piñata: es la fuerza y la virtud que destruyen los engaños y pecados.
Dulces, fruta, cacahuates y juguetes: son las riquezas del reino de los cielos que se otorgan como premio a la fe y la perseverancia.
De esta forma la tradición de la piñata nos recuerda que la fe ciega y la voluntad vencen al pecado y nos hacen merecedores de las recompensas divinas.

De acuerdo con la tradición, se debe vendar los ojos de las personas antes de que pasen a golpear la piñata. También tienen que girar treinta y tres veces sobre su propio eje con la finalidad de que pierdan la orientación

Spanish México

EL ORIGEN DE LA PIÑATA.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-temcs5uZzv9bUneeHlio0d4AMYDDon/view?usp=drivesdk