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?

Ahora practicamos la pronunciación.

Escucha y repite las vocales.

Escucha y repite la combinación de vocales.

A1.1. Español básico para principantes. 

Clase 1. Pronunciación de vocales.

听众朋友你们好，欢迎来到茶时话中文，我是Penny。这是一个纯中文话题节目，我来和你用中文聊聊生活中有意思的话题，同时学习一些汉语词汇。让我们一边喝茶一边聊起来吧。

今天我们来聊聊社交媒体。这两年，不论是脸书facebook，推特Twitter 还是Instagram，或者是中国热门软件微信、微博，我们好像在上面花的时间越来越长了。社交软件的确是新颖又好玩，拓展了人际关系，能带给你大量的信息和层出不穷的体验，可是，它们也是有很多的弊端。

首先，它们减少了人们对于现实生活中交际的渴望。中国有一个新词叫“社恐”，也就是社交恐惧症，这个网络热词很好地描述了人们过度地依赖微信等软件，导致有些人逐渐失去了现实中人际交往的能力。有趣的是，很多公司也依赖这种聊天软件进行内部和外部的沟通，导致很多雇员宁愿发个消息，也不愿意站起来和现实中近在咫尺的同事沟通。这非常严重地让许多人减少了现实中的社交。

其次，社交软件的设计就是要抓取用户的注意力，当你的注意力成为了社交软件的消费品，你会发现，你很容易对它们上瘾。任何人都很难抗拒手机上跳出的通知和消息，因为它们通常来自于你的朋友。有一个方法是关闭通知提示，但是这也很难做到，因为你有可能漏掉重要的那一条消息。这种不想要又不能拒绝的感觉非常令人不适。甚至会有人排斥现实中的关系，每天沉浸在网络的社交中，因为真实的人际关系往往很难处理，更需要智慧和思考。

今天浅谈了一下社交媒体，或者社交软件的弊端。感谢收听。
希望你喜欢今天的播客，我们下次见。

拓展tuò zhǎn （expand）
层出不穷céng chū bú qióng （emerge in endlessly）
弊端bì duān （disadvantage，dark side）
社交恐惧症shè jiāo kǒng jù zhèng （social phobia）
过度地guò dù dì  (excessively)
依赖yī lài  (rely on)
宁愿níng yuàn (would rather; prefer)
近在咫尺jìn zài zhǐ chǐ （near at hand; around the corner; at one's fingertips;）
抓取zhuā qǔ  (grasp)
注意力zhù yì lì (attention)
消费品xiāo fèi pǐn （consumer goods）
上瘾shàng yǐn （be addicted to）
抗拒kàng jù （resist）
漏掉lòu diào （omitted）
令人不适lìng rén bú shì （make sb. Feel uncomfortable）
排斥pái chì (repel; reject; exclude)
沉浸chén jìn (immerse, immersion)

茶时话中文 Tea Time Chinese

茶时话中文 - 社交软件的弊端

南辕北辙 [nán yuán běi zhé]：outh/shafts of a cart or carriage/north/trail；to try to go south by driving the chariot north,The idom means to act in a way that defeats one's purpose.
邯郸 hán dān：a city in Hebei Province
熨烫 yùn tàng：ironing
拜见 bài jiàn：pay a formal visit
精良 jīng liáng：excellent; superior; of the best quality
依仗 yī zhàng：count on;rely on
殊不知 shū bù zhī：little imagined;hardly realize

乐读中文 (Lè Dú Zhōngwén) - "Joyful Chinese Stories"

南辕北辙[nán yuán běi zhé]

Vamos a escuchar los ejemplos del verbo ESTAR y sus usos más importantes.

Natural Spanish Fluency

8/100 ESTAR 🏃 Los 100 verbos más importantes en español

In this Chillchat episode, Karen and Baiwei discussed different ‘ask’ in Mandarin.

Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

"Ask" in Chinese - Don't Make This MISTAKE!

As a communication coach, I witness the transformative power of preparation in business communication.  Winging it might work occasionally, but for consistent success, pre-communication planning is your secret weapon.  Here are my top 6  tips to ensure you dominate your next meeting, presentation, or email exchange:

1. Know Your Audience:  This isn't a cliche; it's the foundation.  Research your audience's background, interests, and pain points.  Tailor your language and message to resonate with them.  Imagine explaining your idea to a friend – that level of clarity and connection is what you're aiming for.

2. Define Your Purpose:  What is the single most important takeaway you want your audience to have?  Is it to inform, persuade, or simply update?  Having a clear purpose keeps your message focused and avoids information overload.

3. Craft a Compelling Message:  Less is more.  Eliminate jargon and redundancy.  Structure your message with a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Practice your delivery beforehand, paying attention to pacing, tone, and body language.

4. Anticipate Roadblocks:  Forewarned is forearmed.  Think of potential objections or questions your audience might have.  Prepare clear, concise responses that address these concerns head-on.  This demonstrates confidence and proactive problem-solving.

5. Choose Your Weapon Wisely:  Not all communication channels are created equal.  Consider the purpose and audience when selecting your method.  A complex proposal might be best delivered as a written document, while a team update could thrive on a video call.

6. Embrace Technology:  Utilize presentation tools effectively.  Visuals can significantly enhance understanding and retention of your message.  However, avoid information overload –  keep slides clean and focused on supporting your core points.


The Global Professional Podcast

TOP 6 Best Practices for Business Communication Preparation - EP 26

An exploration into the cruel and sadistic world of catch 22s 

Are your children safe?

The Jerome Meadows Experience

CATCH 22!

In this episode Karen and Baiwei discussed the various ways of using “再(zài)” to express the meaning of “again”, “more”, and so much more! Let’s start listening!
