Well it depends! On so many factors. Native like fluency is a must at least for higher levels but at lower levels, it's incredibly helpful when a teacher speaks your native language.....

British English with Maria

Teachers MUST be native to help you...right?!

Après avoir lu un article sur le Courrier International, nous avons réfléchi avec certains étudiants à ce sujet ! Pourquoi selon les pays faisons - nous ou pas beaucoup de gestes en parlant ? Comment l'expliquer ? 

Le français avec Virginie

Pourquoi selon les origines gesticule -t on beaucoup ou peu lorsqu'on parle ?

Enjoy the seventh episode of Culture To Grow, which allows you to travel the world from the comfort of your home, your car, or if you are still half asleep in your bed. 

This episode focuses on traditions related to the first day of school and a glimpse into what it looks like from different parts of the world.  This is an important time, and each year, millions of students start their educational journey around this time!

August -- National Back To School Month

There will be a new episode every other Monday, so subscribe.

Culture To Grow

Episode 7: First Day of School Traditions from Around the World

In the 1970s, renowned Colombian journalist Gonzalo Guillén reported a peculiar story that has since become a memorable anecdote. The tale revolves around a donkey in the town of Sogamoso, who finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

The donkey, in search of fresh grass to graze, wandered onto someone else’s property. This trespassing did not go unnoticed, and the donkey was promptly arrested. He was taken into preventive custody at the local police station, a rather unusual place for a donkey to end up.

But the story takes an even more bizarre turn. During the night, the hungry donkey, perhaps driven by the unfamiliar surroundings or the lack of his usual diet, turned to the only available source of sustenance - the police station’s paperwork. He devoured not only his own case file but also the documents of other detainees.

This incident, while humorous, also serves as a poignant reminder of the often absurd situations that can arise when the worlds of humans and animals intersect. It’s a story that continues to amuse and intrigue, decades after it first made headlines.

This story was originally written by  Gonzalo Guillén and posted on the @HELIODOPTERO X account. 

"Me haces recordar la noticia que redacté en los 70 sobre el burro que fue arrestado en Sogamoso por entrar a pastar en un predio ajeno. Quedó detenido preventivamente en la comisaría de policía y durante la noche se comió con hambre su propio expediente y los de otros presos."

Gonzalo Guillén is a well-known Colombian journalist and researcher. He has been in journalism since 1975 and has worked with various prestigious organizations such as El Tiempo, Colprensa, TV-HOY, La Prensa, El Universo, El País, The Miami Herald, and El Nuevo Herald.

The Macondo man stories

The evidence eraser Donkey 

Amanda: Hi Maria!
Maria: Oh, hi Amanda.
Amanda: You look a bit worried, are you all right?
Maria: I’m exhausted. Yesterday’s homework took me all evening. It’s probably going to double next year, isn’t it?
Amanda: Probably. My older brother has to write long essays for his English literature course. But we’ll have fewer subjects to study. Have you chosen your courses yet?
Maria: No, when’s the deadline?
Amanda: We have another month, but the school emailed us all the list the other day. I have it on my phone.
Maria: Ooh, let’s have a look, then.
Amanda: Here it is. Oh, look, the Spanish and biology timetables clash. I won’t be able to do both.
Maria: Would you do that, though? Languages and science don’t go together, do they?
Amanda: Well, you wouldn't think so, but actually, my aunt is a research scientist, and a lot of European universities work together on projects. She’s working on a project with a university in Rome, one in Germany, and one in Portugal.
Maria: Is it a biology project?
Amanda: No, she’s a chemist. They’re working on a solution to clean up deadly pollution in rivers and lakes.
Maria: That sounds so cool and really fascinating.
Amanda: It really is. She gets to visit colleagues in different cities sometimes, and she gets her work translated into lots of different languages. She wishes she had learned some German, though, so she could communicate better with her German research partners. She understands Portuguese and Italian, but German, not so much.
Maria: When did she learn Portuguese and Italian?
Amanda: I think she did some of her university degree in Lisbon and some in Rome.
Maria: Studying chemistry in different languages?
Amanda: Yes, she loved it!
Maria: So, you’re kind of following in her footsteps, then. Science and languages. You could be a biologist in Spain.
Amanda: Yep, or at least study there, or South America.
Maria: So, what are you going to do about the timetable clash?
Amanda: I think I’ll talk to the dean. 

English Conversation/Dialogue

Science For All

En este episodio, junto a Martin, profe de español de México (https://www.italki.com/teacher/5211013), les contamos dos anécdotas. Dos experiencias que vivimos tras mirar películas de terror cuando éramos más chicos. Escuchá las anécdotas y entrena el tiempo PASADO/ PRETÉRITO en español.



Dale Play al Español

Anécdotas Parte I

皆さんは、日本のミュージシャンの「松任谷由実」さんを知っていますか？
私が高校生の頃から好きな歌手です。
今流れている曲も松任谷由実さんの曲で私がピアノで弾いています。
彼女は「ユーミン」と呼ばれていて、今年デビュー50周年を迎えたベテランのミュージシャンです。
シンガソングライターで、自分で詩を書き、作曲し、歌っています。
去年50周年記念で出したアルバムは売り上げ1位を獲得し、
１９７０年代、８０年代、９０年代、２０００年代、2010年代、２０２０年代の六つの年代でアルバムの売り上げ１位を記録しました。
これは日本で初めての記録です。
今日はユーミンさん曲の中の一つの詩を紹介します。

海を見ていた午後

あなたを思い出す この店に来るたび
坂を上って きょうもひとり来てしまった
山手のドルフィンは静かなレストラン
晴れた午後には 遠く三浦岬も見える
ソーダ水の中を 貨物船がとおる
小さなアワも恋のように消えていった

The afternoon I saw the sea
When I come to this store, I remember you
Today I came alone going up the hill2
The Yamate dolphin is a quiet restaurant
On the sunny afternoons, the Miura cape is seen in the distance
A cargo ship crosses the soda water
A small bubble faded like love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wbpm2UYTEE

Japanese culture ♪

日本の歌手「松任谷由実」さん

How long does it take to master English? 🕒 Discover the real timeline to achieve fluency in English!
In this podcast, I’ll break down the key factors that determine your speed in mastering English, such as:
Daily practice: 📝 How much time you need to invest.
Immersion strategies: 🌍 How living in an English-speaking environment impacts your learning.
Learning methods: 📚 What techniques speed up or slow down your progress.
Whether you're a beginner or advanced learner, this podcast provides expert tips to help you stay motivated, set realistic goals, and fast-track your English fluency. 🚀

❗Listen now to find out:
✔ How long it takes to become fluent in English. ⏳
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