Join me in a reading of the classic 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore first written in 1823.  This story was the inspiration for the modern-day image of Santa Claus.  Some of the words are outdated, but it remains a charming tale enjoyed by children during the Christmas season.  

Play, Learn, Speak

Episode 1:  Twas the night before Christmas

Il corso di serbo-croata

I verbi modali + le frasi utili

Story = '2000 most common words in English'. 

It was 10am on a cloudy Friday when Bobby was struck by inspiration.  It was a day like any other. Bobby was sitting on his bed, curled up in a ball and Afsane was nearby reading a new book.

Bobby was deep in thought. His eyes were closed but his mind was active. His little tail was wagging softly. Occasionally he got up, turned around and sat back down again. This was part of his creative process. 

Then Bobby’s eyes shot open. “Yes! That’s it! I’ll… I’ll…” Then he rested his head again on his paws.  “No… it’s gone.” 

Asfane turned her attention back to her book and turned the page. The book was called, How to Live with An Extraordinary Dog. She wanted to better understand Bobby’s gift.

“You’ve done so many projects,” said Afsane. “Why don’t you revisit an old idea and explore it from a different viewpoint?” 

All over Bobby’s room were his photographs. They were all in special frames. He had taken photos of almost everything: parks, sports, markets, transportation, roads—whatever Bobby saw, he snapped a photo. But he didn’t know what to do for his next photography project. 

Bobby needed to refresh his mind. He jumped off the bed and walked over to his food area. On the wall in front of his red drinking bowl was a picture of his previous drinking bowl, a blue one. 

“I’m looking for a special subject, Afsane,” said Bobby after drinking some water. “Something which speaks to my soul. Something which lifts my spirits.” 

Afsane shrugged her shoulders and put down her book. “That sounds very serious, Bobby. Why don’t you just take a photo of… oh, I don’t know, that.” 

Afsane pointed to the open window. 

Bobby felt curious, so he jumped up and looked out the window. He didn’t see much. He watched the traffic and the dark clouds. But then, something caught his eye. 

Bobby barked and howled! “That’s it! That’s it!”

“See, I told you. There’s nothing boring about windows,” said Afsane.

“No. There! Children!”

Being a Cloud

Bobby the Dog

Today we’re talking about a big question: Is university still worth it?
A lot of people today are questioning if going to college is really necessary… especially with rising costs, online learning, and new career paths.
So in this episode, we’ll explore different perspectives and help you talk about this topic naturally in Spanish.

Spanish You’ll Actually Use

Is University Still Worth It?

Escucha estas frases con el verbo estar. 

¿Comprendes el vocabulario sobre estados y localización?

A1.1. Español básico para principantes. 

Clase 6. Frases con el verbo estar 1.

In this episode, Karen and Baiwei chatted about the new tier-one cities in China. Why more young people in China are leaving the traditional metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and where they are moving to.

Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

Chinese People are LEAVING Big Cities? The New Tier-One Cities in China 中国的新一线城市

 When you forget someone’s name, but still need to keep the moment smooth.


Situational Chinese with Yancy Grey 

When you forget someone’s name  | Ep01

It describes the link between teenagers addiction to short videos (such as those on TikTok, Instagram and Youtube) and issues with sleep and social anxiety.