In this episode about a weekend in the Carpathians, we’ll learn some new vocabulary, practice the past tense, and explore the local culture.


Keep Talking Ukrainian

На вихідних у Карпатах

今天是2024年3月11日星期一,农历二月二，是民间俗称“龙抬头”的日子。这天，万物复苏，春天真的来了。
今年是甲辰龙年，龙抬头60年一遇，龙头一抬，好运自来。
龙抬头这天要做的三件事：
一是早上7点出门，面朝东方，大口呼吸新鲜空气，这是踩龙气；
二是吃龙福，可以吃水饺、面条、龙眼等沾沾龙王爷的福气
三是剃龙头，这一天理发的话会福星高照，鸿运当头。
龙抬头 lóng tái tóu：Loong Head Up，It is a traditional Chinese folk festival.
民间 mín jiān：folk;popular;among the people
俗称 sú chēng：be commonly called；proverb
甲辰 jiǎ chén：The Chinese sexagenary cycle, also known as Stems-and-Branches, is a cyclic numeral system of60 combinations of the two basic cycles, the ten Heavenly Stemsand the twelve Earthly Branches.
万物复苏 wàn wù fù sū：everything rouses up from sleeping
龙眼 lóng yǎn：ongan; euphoria longan
剃头\理发 tì tóu\ lǐ fà：Shaving and haircutting




“龙”年中国话（“ lóng ” nián zhōng guó huà）

 Longtaitou Festival 龙抬头

Crítica de la película de horror "Inmaculada" (2024), dirigida por Michael Mohan y protagonizada por Sydney Sweeney y Álvaro Morte.

El kinetoscopio

Episodio 7: Inmaculada

Consistency is key; make learning a daily habit. Set small goals, avoid random efforts, and gradually increase your efforts. Keep it enjoyable to stay motivated. Techniques like learning phrases, embracing writing, and talking to yourself help.

Writing is a powerful tool for conversations. If you dislike writing, use technology like typing. Talk to yourself in simple terms; it improves pronunciation and confidence. If you enjoy reading, read familiar content aloud for better pronunciation and facial muscles.

The internet is a great resource for language learners. Explore podcasts and videos; incorporate them into your daily routine for dynamic and enjoyable learning. Consider subscribing for more insightful episodes.



 On The Go English

Episode 2 - Techniques for Improving Spoken English

Dans cet épisode, nous clarifions une confusion fréquente entre stores en anglais et stores en français.

Le français sans confusion

Store VS Store

Hoy te comparto una de mis palabras favoritas en español: sobremesa. Hablamos de su significado cultural en México y de por qué representa algo más profundo que simplemente quedarse sentado después de comer.

Español con Sentido – Conversaciones reales y cercanas

Episodio 1 – La palabra "sobremesa"

One way to improve our language skills is by expressing our thoughts in the target language. For that reason, I have prepared an English conversation class “Express Yourself through A Conversation”. Please feel free to check that lesson here: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/24647106/english
I have a lot of interesting topics to talk about. But of course, you are welcome to bring up your own topic.

In this episode, I want to show you one example of the discussion topic. It’s about my imaginary city, Subara City 素晴市 （スバラしsu ba ra shi）.   The name is derived from 素晴らしい（すばらしい）and 都市（とし）.   素晴らしい means “wonderful”, “magnificent”.    市 means “city” and when placed at the end of a word can be pronounced as “shi”し.   So here I name my imaginary city 素晴市（スバラしsu ba ra shi）or “Subara City”.  In this episode, I’m introducing English lessons, not Japanese. I just want to let you know how I made up the name.

The theme of the story is that you have just been elected to the council for Subara City. You have 6 billion Yen in your budget. What can you do? Listen through. Below here is a simple worksheet to give you more ideas.

Total budget: 6 billion Yen.

(1) Carbon Footprint
Main cause of pollution is old factories on the edge of the city. They have to be relocated.
Budget: ………………….. Yen

(2) Deprivation and Inequality
You need to establish projects to reduce the percentage of people living below the poverty line.
Budget: ………………….. Yen

(3) Congestion and Mobility
Although the ground in Subara City is considered not suitable for subway infrastructure, recent research has been investigating solutions to tackle the ground issue. This research needs funding.
Budget: ………………….. Yen

(4) Education and Qualifications
The number of grants for teachers to study abroad should be increased.
Budget: ………………….. Yen

(5) Language and Cultural Integration
More investment is needed to ensure that migrants coming to work in your city adapt and integrate into the society.
Budget: ………………….. Yen

Midori no Heya

Make a Difference in Subara City

Hoy en día, es difícil pensar en el Día de Muertos sin que nos venga a la mente la imagen de las calaveras. Este motivo se ha convertido en un elemento esencial de esta celebración y, si bien el culto a la muerte en México existe desde la época prehispánica, su popularidad puede ser atribuida a una persona: el grabador y caricaturista José Guadalupe Posada.

Posada es conocido por ser el hombre detrás de La Catrina; sin embargo, sus contribuciones al arte popular mexicano van mucho más allá de esta ilustración, sirviendo como inspiración a grandes artistas del siglo XX como Diego Rivera y José Clemente Orozco. A través de sus caricaturas y grabados humorísticos, las calacas de Posada sirvieron como un instrumento de crítica social y política, ayudando a establecer la imagen de la calavera en el imaginario colectivo mexicano.



Spanish México

José Guadalupe Posada

                                                        Константин Паустовский 
                                                                   (1892 – 1968)
Писатель, публицист, журналист.
Писал повести, рассказы, очерки, статьи, биографии. 
В центре его произведений – неразрывная связь времён, отношения людей разных поколений. 

Прочитайте слова, необходимые для понимания текста. 
Ослепнуть – потерять зрение.
Грешить – нарушать религиозные правила.
Исповедать (кого?) – выслушать признания в грехах.
Табурет – стул без спинки