Saying “no” can be one of the hardest parts of speaking English—especially if you don’t want to sound rude. In this episode, I share natural, polite, and even playful ways to say *no* in different situations.

👉 Listen now: *Say It Like This – Ways to Politely Say No*

How do you usually say *no* in English?

Context Clues

Ways To Say No

In this episode, I share a hilarious true story about how Thai students (including me!) in Nanjing still found a way to shower twice a day — even when hot water was gone and it was snowing outside! 🧊🇹🇭🚿


finn ur thai friend

Why Thai love showering?

Ready to practice? This episode walks through five real-life scenarios showing exactly how to use "Yeah, no," "No, yeah," and "Yeah, no, for sure" in professional, social, and casual contexts. Includes dialogue examples, breakdowns of what's happening, recognition tips for understanding others, and practice strategies for using these phrases naturally.

**Topics covered:** workplace communication, enthusiastic agreement, clarifying misunderstandings, polite rejection, emphatic certainty, conversational rhythm

**Level:** Intermediate to Advanced

How To Use "Yeah, No" Without Sounding Awkward

在你的文化里，有没有龙呢？你知道哪些龙的传说吗？



Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

各国文化中的龙 Dragons in different cultures

Du lernst in dieser Episode meines Channels mehr über die Geschichte Vietnams, außerdem gebe ich ein paar Empfehlungen für Sehenswürdigkeiten und Museen.

Vietnam: Fakten und persönliche Erfahrungen 

Episode 1: Die Geschichte Vietnams

In this episode I talk about how to calculate your approximate death date. Here is Carl's italki teacher profile: https://italki.com/teacher/1947582 Thanks for listening! Visit my website for more of my full-length podcasts . https://www.streetwisenglish.com

Streetwise English

SWE 77 ☠️ Your Death Date

げんき、第3課82ページ、かいわより。 リスニングとリーディングのれんしゅうです。私が言ったあと、リピートしてください。 2かいめは少しはやいです。 
It‘s for your practice of listening and reading. Repeat after me without reading げんき3, even if you have the textbook. I speak a little faster the second time. 
这是为了你的听力和阅读练习。 即使你有课本，也不要读　げんき3、跟着我重复。 我第二次说得快一点。 
もしあなたが中級（ちゅうきゅう）でも、いいれんしゅうになると思います。 
It should still be good practice even if you are an intermidiate-level student. 
即使您是 N4 或以上级别的学生也很有用


3課　82ページ
※ きょうかしょの「メアリーさん、しゅうまつは”たいてい”何をしていますか」はおかしいです。
『メアリーさん、しゅうまつは”いつも”何をしていますか』にしました。
The original sentence　メアリーさん、しゅうまつは”たいてい”何をしていますか。 is unnatural for me.
I fixed as 『メアリーさん、しゅうまつは”いつも”何をしていますか』.


たけし：メアリーさん、しゅうまつは　いつも何をしていますか。

メアリー：そうですね。たいていうちでべんきょうしています。でもときどきえいがを 見ます。

たけし：そうですか。じゃあ、どよう日にえいがを見ませんか。

メアリー：どよう日はちょっと…。

たけし：じゃあにちよう日はどうですか。

メアリー：いいですね。


Takeshi: Mary, what do you usually do on the weekend?

Mary: Let`s see. I usually study at home. But I sometimes see movies. 

Takeshi: I see. Then, would you like to see a movie on Saturday?

Mary: Saturday is not a good day. 

Takeshi: Then, how about Sunday? 

Mary: That`s fine.


ようへい先生　　N4,N5チャンネル

げんき　３か 82ページ 1

Spanish México

LAS BARRANCAS DEL COBRE.

You may have heard the phrase “beating a dead horse”, which refers to continuing an effort that is no longer useful. But how do you know when your study methods, goals, or mindset are the dead horse? And when should you move on?

Let’s explore how to detect when something isn’t working, how to adjust your approach, and most importantly—how to avoid wasting energy on language learning methods that will never work for you.

🐴 The Dead Horse Theory in Language Learning
The Dead Horse Theory suggests that if a strategy no longer works, stop using it. But here’s the catch—most of us don’t realize we’re on a dead horse until it’s too late.
We keep pushing through outdated learning strategies, believing that more effort will eventually yield results. We blame ourselves for not being “smart enough” or “motivated enough,” when in reality, we might just be riding the wrong horse.

Here’s where self-awareness and rational decision-making come into play. How can you tell if you’re stuck beating a dead horse in your language journey?

