In this episode of English Learners Boost, Teacher Ian explores how humor varies across cultures and why a joke in one country might fall flat—or even offend—in another. With a special look at Filipino humor, practical tips for using jokes appropriately, and an inspiring story of language growth, you'll gain the confidence to connect with others through laughter—without the cultural confusion.

💬 Book a lesson with Teacher Ian on iTalki and experience personalized, practical English learning today!

English Learner's Boost

Laugh or Offend? The Misinterpretation of Humor Across Cultures.

Try it now！ 听播客回答问题，Listen to the podcast and answer the questions below. There will be a text tomorrow after you finish the exercise!
1.为什么家具一两趟搬不完？wèi shén me jiā jù yì liǎng tàng bān bù wán?
2.搬家公司帮忙搬家怎么样？bān jiā gōng sī báng máng bān jiā zěn me yàng?
3.阿里能来吗？ā lǐ néng lái ma ?


他们在聊啥？What are they talking about？

搬家bān jiā：move house 

The story follows Leo, a nervous non-native English speaker from Brazil, as he embarks on a journey to immerse himself in English-speaking countries. At a bustling train station, he meets Emma, a friendly Englishwoman, who helps him find his way and teaches him English phrases. Their chance meeting sparks a unique friendship and a journey filled with language learning and cultural exploration.

Adventures Across Borders 

All Aboard the Heritage Express

Hola, Hola. espero que estés  bien. Mi nombre es Rosy, soy tutora de español y te quiero dar la bienvenida a este podcast, dedicado a los libros. 

En estos primeros episodios te estaré compartiendo capítulos de uno se mis libros favoritos.  


THE CHARM OF BOOKS

Libro: Mujercitas 


Did you know that some words in Spanish have no translation in English? 

This podcast we will talk about these words below: 

- Embolatado

- Lambón

- Morisquetas

 - Tiene grajo. 

Remember that I teach Spanish on italki, you can book a class for more information you can look at it on my profile :)

Colombia

Palabras que no tiene traducción en ingles (parte 5)

I made a song about cats with AI.
It has both Japanese and English lyric so it helps you to learn Japanese!

ねこについての歌をAIで作りました。
ねこは「にゃんこ」と呼ばれることもあります。

（verse1）
しっぽは tail　ふりふり dance
うれしいときに　ゆれるよ chance
ひげは whiskers　ピンとのばして
まわりの空気を　check するよ！

（chorus）
あたまは head　くびは neck
みみは ears　ぴょこっと up
めは eyes　きらきら shine
にゃんこのからだ　おぼえよう！

（verse2）
ては paws　やわらかく
そーっとあるいて　音がしない
つめは claws　ときどき sharp
でもリラックスで　ひっこめる〜

（chorus）
鼻は nose　くちは mouth
こえは voice　にゃーって言う
からだは body　ふわふわ　fur
にゃんこで覚える　にほんご！

日本語聞いてみよう！

【ねこ（にゃんこ）の歌】a song about cats

I’ll introduce Japanese culture in easy Japanese.
Today’s Theme is “七五三の歴史《The history of Shichi-go-san》”.
This episode is JLPT-N3 level.

I created a quiz on this episode.
After listening, please take the quiz!

Please use this audio for listening and shadowing practices.

☆Words☆
七五三（しちごさん）：Shichi-go-san is an annual Japanese festival to celebrate the growth of children. It takes place on or around November 15. The festival is for boys aged three and five, and girls aged three and seven. That’s why it is called shichi-go-san (seven-five-three).
お祝（いわ）い：celebration
成長（せいちょう）：growth
中旬（ちゅうじゅん）：middle of a month
江戸時代（えどじだい）：Edo period (1603-1868 CE)
剃（そ）る：shave
袴（はかま）：man's formal divided skirt
帯（おび）：belt (e.g. of a kimono)
千歳飴（ちとせあめ）：longevity candy, long red-and-white stick candy
On shichi-go-san, children eat long red-and-white stick candy, called chitose ame. Chitose means “one thousand years.” It symbolizes health and longevity.

☆Script for this episode
The scripts (URL) are listed in the overview section of the channel.

☆Quiz for this episode
https://www.italki.com/quiz/set/8878?utm_source=copylink_share&utm_medium=share_content&utm_campaign=share_quiz

Simple Japanese Listening with Meg（めぐ）Smile

#39 Japanese culture / 七五三の歴史《The history of Shichi-go-san》 // N3 Level /Japanese listening

Remember, if you want to score a band 7 in your IELTS speaking test, it’s important to use some less common idiomatic expressions.

The best place to slip these idioms into your speech is in part 2, because you have 1 minute to prepare. If you are a clever clogs, you will be able to sneak your idioms into your speech naturally. 

When preparing for your exam it’s best to always try to go the extra mile, because there is a lot to learn.

Firstly, you have to learn how to use linking phrases. To be honest, I have to admit these are sometimes tricky to remember. On the other hand, once you have learned them, they can be difficult to forget.

Secondly, you have to learn how to paraphrase, and use synonyms. It’s good to spend time in a thesaurus and arm yourself with lots of alternative words. If you do this you will gain ground. 

Thirdly, in order to avoid feeling lost at sea when you take your exam, make sure you have one or two idioms up your sleeve. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach an English student a new idiom. 

Now take the quiz that goes with this podcast, and book your IELTS mock speaking test with me.


IELTS Speaking Practice

IELTS preparation

En el episodio de esta semana hablo de algunos inventos españoles, la mayoría conocidos internacionalmente.
Cuando escuches el episodio dime, 
¿sabías que estos inventos eran españoles?  ¿Cuál es el invento español que más te ha sorprendido?
