Many of my students choose to practice "small talk" in their conversation classes because, no matter whether they are outgoing or shy, chatting with strangers (especially in English) can make most people feel nervous...But guess what? Small talk doesn’t have to be hard!
Here are five tips and some questions you can ask to prepare for small talk situations in advance! Click the link to see the full script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fYYUBwSvAXm4_x5djUrApUfollycKjftFsnfUeqp1vY/edit?usp=sharing

UK TALKS WITH LIZ

EPISODE 8: SMALL TALK!

Quelle: https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/panorama/nra-waffen-usa-amoklauf-100.html

Erschreckende Zahlen:
USA: Mehr als 50 Schusswaffentote pro Tag

Das Ausmaß an Waffengewalt in den USA ist beispiellos. 2020 wurden im Schnitt mehr als 50 Menschen erschossen - täglich. Auch das Massaker in Texas wird die Situation kaum ändern. In keinem anderen Land auf der Welt gibt es mehr Waffen und mehr Waffengewalt. Amokläufe und Schießereien gehören zum Alltag.

可怕的数字：
美国：每天有超过 50 人死于枪击事件

美国的枪支暴力程度是前所未有的。2020 年，平均每天有 50 多人被枪杀。即使是德克萨斯州的大屠杀也很难改变这种情况。世界上没有其他国家拥有更多的枪支和更多的枪支暴力。暴行和枪击是日常生活的一部分。

German News Reading with Tingting

ep2. USA: Mehr als 50 Schusswaffentote pro Tag 

How to manage group conversations

To show you are not familiar with a topic

What’s (______)? Sorry, I don’t know what that is.
Can I get you to explain (_______) a bit more? I’m afraid I’m a bit confused.

You can link to a topic that is familiar to you

This reminds me of …
On the topic of (______), have you heard of (_______)?
That’s interesting. I’ve also heard that ….

Remember to involve quieter members of the group

Was it the same for you?
What about you?
What do you think? Do you agree?
I really want to hear what (_____) thinks about this. 

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Everyday English with Teacher Alyse

Managing group conversations

For intermediate level learners of Japanese
「むしろ」について勉強しましょう！

簡単（かんたん）にいうと、「むしろ」は「それより」なんですが、簡単すぎてよく分かりませんね。

このレッスンでは「むしろ」を使って、
みんなとちょっとちがう自分の意見（いけん）を言ってみますよ^^



【むしろ】〈副詞(ふくし)〉
意味：それより

こんな風に使います･･･
比較（ひかく）の文、比(くら)べて何かを選ぶときや、あれよりこれがいいと言いたいときに使われる。
例「休みの日は遊びに行くより、むしろ、家で寝ていたい」（意味：それより、家で寝ていたい）


A。むしろ、B。
（冷静(れいせい)に考えた理由がある⇒理由を聞かれたら、答えることができる。）

A＝一般的な意見。当然の意見。普通の意見。みんなの意見。話し相手が言った意見。
B＝自分の意見（Aの反対(はんたい)意見、Aと全然違う意見）



今日は・・・
２　会話の中の「むしろ」・練習・おともだちのことば「～くらいなら、」［7:49］

★会話の中の「よけい」★
①「今更（いまさら）焦（あせ）って勉強するより、むしろ何もしないほうが落ち着いていられる気がして」
②「それなら、むしろ外に食べに行かない？」



★練習★「それなら、むしろ」を使って言ってみましょう。
A：〈Aさんの言うこと・Aさんの提案（ていあん）〉
B：それなら（【Aさんの言うこと・Aさんの提案】）、むしろ、〈自分の考(かんが)え・意見(いけん)〉⇒Bさんにとって、もっと良いこと

①〈道)で〉
A：もう間に合わないから、タクシーで行こうか。
B：【タクシーで行くより】、ちょっと走って電車に乗ったほうが早く着かない？

②〈レストランで〉
A：このカレーライスとスープとサラダのセットにしようかな。ぼく、スープは飲まないからあげるね。
B：え～、わたしもスープいらないし…。【セットを選(えら)ぶより】、カレーを単品(たんぴん)で頼(たの)んだほうが良(よ)くない？ 




★お友だちのことば「～くらいなら、」「～くらいだったら、」★
Aくらいなら、むしろB
ホリタ：今更（いまさら）焦（あせ）って勉強するより、　　　むしろ何もしないほうが　落ち着いていられる気がして。
　　　⇒今更（いまさら）焦（あせ）って勉強するくらいなら、むしろ何もしないほうが　マシ。

・「AもBも良いことじゃないけど…」というニュアンスが「より、むしろ」より、もっと強く感じる。
・Aは絶対(ぜったい)に嫌(いや)だという気持ちも伝わる。


１）試験に落ちるくらいなら、むしろ受けないほうがマシです。

２）新しくてきれいな家に住んで、通勤（つうきん）に１時間もかかるくらいなら、むしろ古くて汚いこの家に住んでいるほうがマシ。



＜説明＆ことば＞
ブログを見ながら聞くのがオススメです☆彡

ブログのフォローも大歓迎です✨
Your following of our blog is also welcome!


第２９課 むしろ
１［6:46］　「大事な予定がある日の前の日」〈会話〉
２［7:49］　会話の中の「むしろ」・練習・おともだちのことば「～くらいなら、」

🎙声：音読さん、吉田（よしだ、Japanese teacher）、ホリタさん

📖scenario：吉田（よしだ、Japanese teacher）


役に立つ日本語のことばを私たちと一緒に勉強しましょう！ 
Come study useful Japanese words with us！

第１課～第２９課まで　配信中です！！
Lessons 1 through 29 are now available!
よろしくお願いします。

毎月１０日２０日３０日更新！　
Updated on the 10th, 20th and 30th of every month!　

NEW PRACTICAL JAPANESE WORDS -intermediate podcast lessons!!

第２９課　むしろ 2/2

🗣️ Awaken Your Voice, Heal Your Language Learning Journey 

Have you ever heard the sound of your own voice and felt... transformed?

Reading aloud isn't just about pronunciation drills or fluency practice. It's about embodiment. When you read aloud, you're not only learning a language — you're tapping into breathwork, emotional clarity, vocal confidence, and body awareness.

🌿 Learn how to:

Strengthen your memory and articulation

Train your intonation and expression

Connect with your inner calm and release stress

Heal through sound resonance in your chest and throat

Boost your confidence with every word spoken aloud

Join me on this unique journey — let your voice be the bridge between language and self-awareness. Book a session with me and let’s read aloud to fluency, power, and peace. 🎙️

💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 70 - Speak, Heal, Learn: Finding Your Voice Through Reading Out Loud

Sobre el sufijo -ова- y sus peculiaridades. 

Más info en davayporusski.com

¿Cómo se dice en ruso?

Sufijo -ова-

林清清十八岁，高三毕业的那个夏天，第一次离开家乡的小镇，来到海边的亲戚家住一个月。

Everyday Chinese

《夏日星河》| 小故事

You know, before you dive into any new structure of learning, it’s super important to ask all the WHYS. Be curious! Find out the reasons behind a grammatical rule, a sentence structure, or even the way a word is pronounced. Trust me, when you know the reasons why something is presented the way it is, it becomes so much easier to remember and use in conversation and writing.

Think of it like building a house. You need a solid foundation of bricks even though you might just see the pretty, colorful windows. Behind every beautiful house is a strong foundation of bricks, which once laid, cannot be removed. It’s the same with language. Once you know the reasons behind the rules, you’re stuck with them in a good way!


Tip 36 - Ask All the WHYS Before Setting Up Any Structure of Learning

Forget the fancy suits and practiced answers.  Job interviews are about why, not what.  Why are you here? Why should we care?  The truth is, the scripted responses you rehearse might not resonate.  But what if you could tap into your authentic self, the one brimming with passion and ideas?  That's the power of mastering impromptu speaking.

Think of an interview not as an interrogation, but a conversation fueled by purpose.  Impromptu speaking allows you to sound natural and convincing.  It lets you ditch the script and dive straight into the wellspring of your "Why."  The interviewer throws a curveball question?  No problem.  You can think on your feet,  demonstrating your ability to adapt and solve problems –  essential skills in today's ever-changing workplace.

Imagine being asked about a weakness.  A scripted response sounds robotic.  But with impromptu fluency, you can talk about a past challenge, how you learned from it, and how that experience fuels your drive to succeed.  It's a story, not a statistic.  Stories connect.  They show your human side, your ability to overcome obstacles – all qualities that make you a compelling candidate. 

Confidence is another perk.  When you can speak confidently and articulately without a script, you project a powerful presence.  It shows you believe in yourself and your ideas –  the kind of person who inspires trust and gets things done.  So, ditch the memorization and embrace the impromptu.  It's not about having all the answers, but about the passion and purpose behind them.  That's the "Why" that will land you the job.

Don't wait for the interview to start honing your impromptu skills.  Start conversations with friends, family, or even strangers.  Challenge yourself to think on your feet and express yourself clearly.  Record yourself and watch it back.  Sign up for a session and we can focus on improving your impromptu speaking ability to make sure you get hired!