Listen to me reading a news article about the Country & Western superstar's charity that has helped thousands of underprivileged children across the world.

Listen to English with Pip

News article: Dolly Parton reading scheme helps children in care

Victor Hugo - Demain, dès l'aube
 
Our first poem is from the French poet Victor Hugo, one of the best-known French writers. Demain, dès l'aube which means "Tomorrow, at Dawn," is a short and poignant poem about his visit to his daughter’s grave.
The poem was first released in 1856 in Hugo’s collection called Les Contemplations.

Demain, dès l'aube
Demain, dès l’aube, à l’heure où blanchit la campagne,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m’attends.
J’irai par la forêt, j’irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.
Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.
Je ne regarderai ni l’or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Et quand j’arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
Tomorrow, at Dawn
 
Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the countryside whitens,
I will depart. You see, I know you wait for me.
I will go through the forest and over the mountains.
I cannot stay far from you any longer.
 
I will trudge on, my eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Ignoring everything around me, without hearing a sound,
Alone, unknown, back stooped, hands crossed,
Saddened, and the day will be like night for me.
 
I will neither see the golden glow of the falling evening,
Nor the sails going down to Harfleur in the distance,
And when I arrive, I will place on your tomb
A bouquet of green holly and flowering heather.




French Treasures

Victor Hugo - Demain, dès l'aube. the most poignant French poem

In this episode, I explain why your English progress can slow down and stop. I offer 5 key strategies you can follow to overcome "the intermediate plateau" and move on to fluency. 
Follow the link for the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Uv6OsMTb0c7VHmzNe4E8ue8ZsmElqy8uh09d2KLqf4/edit?usp=sharing

UK TALKS WITH LIZ

EPISODE 4: WHY IS MY ENGLISH BLOCKED?

みなさんの国の成人年齢は何歳ですか？

Nihongo Hiyori | Japanese Podcast

[EP085] 成人式 | coming-of-age ceremony

Travelers often fly to New York or Paris just for the shopping experience, but according to a new report, it's Milan that should be called the capital of global shopping.

A real estate company has found that Via Monte Napoleone in Milan is the world's most expensive retail destination.

US firm Cushman & Wakefield ranked shopping areas based on the rent prices per square meter, and Milan has knocked New York's Fifth Avenue off the top of the list.

The average rent on the Milan street has risen to more than $20,800 per square meter compared with about $20,300 per square meter on an 11-block area of upper Fifth Avenue.

Via Monte Napoleone's small size — it's just 350 meters long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the Monte Napoleone District association.

"Not everything can fit, which is a benefit" since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive, said Miani.

The biggest brands on the street make more than $100 million in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany is preparing to open a store on Via Monte Napoleone, and luxury fashion store Fendi is expanding.

The Monte Napoleone District says 11 million people visited the area during the first 11 months of the year, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders and how many were just window shopping.

But according to shopping firm Global Blue, the average shopper on Via Monte Napoleone spent $2,600 per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world.

Officials from Fifth Avenue praised Milan for its efforts in making the street — and the city — a desirable place to shop.

But they added that the Italian city should enjoy its position at the top of the list while it can!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Milan Shopping Street Named World's Most Exclusive

In this episode, we follow Ömer, a Turkish language learner visiting Istanbul, as he explores a cozy bookstore in Kadıköy. From asking for directions in Turkish to picking the perfect book for his language journey, Ömer’s day is filled with authentic interactions and cultural discoveries. Tune in to hear practical dialogues, useful phrases, and language tips to inspire your own Turkish learning experience :)

Merhaba Türkçe 

A Turkish Bookstore Journey: Learning Language Through Stories

This story is about a lion and a mouse. And moral is that how sometime a weak person can be helpful in life.

Hindi Short Stories

Lion and Mouse

This episode introduces three idioms that use the word bat. Listen to the examples to hear how to use them. Please send me a message if you would like a copy of the audio script

Idiom Corner

【北海道Hokkaido生活】
7月4日月曜日　天気/晴れ　気温/27℃ 

旭川市/あさひかわし
旭山動物園/あさひやまどうぶつえん
・去年12月にホッキョクグマの赤ちゃんが生まれた
・名前を募集したところ1547通の応募があった
・「ゆめ」という名前に決まった

［単語］
ホッキョクグマ/ほっきょくぐま…とても寒いところに住んでる白くて大きい動物。「しろくま」ともいう。
募集/ぼしゅう…人や物を集めること
通/つう…手紙の数え方
応募/おうぼ…募集している大学・会社などに申し込むこと

〈美和Miwa〉
日本語の先生
Podcast「どこでも.JAPANESE」も放送中！