In the western world, people are living longer. This is good news, but an ageing population also creates social and economic problems, and we have to limit how much we spend. Who cares for the elderly, and equally important, who pays for that care? Should the government ask everyone to save more money for their old age, so they can pay for their own care? Should we also ask working people to pay for the elderly through higher taxes? One answer, of course, is to help older people to keep up their strength, and to stay fit for as long as possible.

English Mini Lessons

An ageing population

Have you heard of this verb?

'To exude'

To give off something; whether it's a smell, a vibe, a look, a personality trait... 

Where have you heard or seen this verb before? 

Luke's English Sessions

Ep 5. 'This tropical island exudes a sense of relaxation...' 

What to expect during the job interview? Today I am talking about the most common job interview questions. Be prepared; don't go to your job interview blindly. 

Do you English?

The most common questions at the job interview

¿Quieres aprender a pensar en español sin traducir? 🚀

En este episodio descubrirás cómo transformar los podcasts y audiolibros en tu gimnasio mental: entrenando tu oído, repitiendo con shadowing y conectando ideas para hablar con naturalidad.

👉 Recuerda: “Listen today, speak better tomorrow.”
Cada minuto de escucha consciente te acerca más a tu fluidez.

Español No Excuses: Level-Up Your Mind, Speak Out Loud

Podcasts y audiolibros: entrena tu oído y tu pensamiento en español

呼风唤雨镇水灾
       龙是传说中的神异动物，早在几千年前，中国大地上就出现了“龙”的形象——鹿角、鱼鳞、鹰爪、虎掌......龙具有多种动物的特征。
       在神话传说中，龙能呼风唤雨，各个海域都有龙王, 统领一方水族。以前很多地方都建有龙王庙, 遇到大旱天气，民间还会举行舞龙祈雨活动。所以,很多桥上都会雕龙，寄托了人们希望桥梁拱稳固，水灾消失的美好愿望。
真龙天子我最大
       在人们的想象中，龙善于变化，拥有强大的力量，几乎不可战胜。随着龙的不断神化，人们把龙和与皇权联系了起来。帝王的身体称为“龙体”，帝王登基称为“龙袍加身”，帝王自命“真龙天子”。在故宫里，龙的形象无处不在，光太和殿里就有 1 万多条龙，有“万龙朝圣”之意。
节日氛围组担当
      每逢新春佳节或元宵节，我国不少地方会举行舞龙活动。农历二月二龙抬头，有的地方还会举行祭龙活动。南方一些地区在端午节还喜欢赛龙舟，热闹非凡。
      我们中国人自称龙的传人，还将奋斗不止、自强不息的民族精神称为龙马精神呢！
      水不在深，有龙则灵。——刘禹锡《陋室铭》    大意：水不在于深，有了龙就会有灵气。

传统文化

嘿！神奇的中国龙！

What does confronting death, freedom, and the meaning of life have to do with learning Spanish? 🧠💀

Everything.

Most language advice focuses on the how. But what about the why that lies beneath it all?

In Episode 104 of 111 Tips for Learning a Language, we dive deep into Existential Therapy to explore how facing life's biggest questions can unlock your most powerful learning potential. Discover how to:

• 🗽 Embrace the freedom and responsibility of being the author of your language journey
• 🌉 Use language to bridge our fundamental human isolation and achieve real connection
• 🎨 Create meaning out of arbitrary grammar and vocabulary, making your practice profoundly personal
• ⏳ Harness the awareness of your finite time to fuel a powerful, productive urgency

This isn't just about learning to speak. It's about learning to live more fully through your target language.

We explore how the principles of Existential Therapy can transform language learning from a mere academic task into a profound journey of personal growth. By confronting life's core "givens"—freedom, isolation, meaninglessness, and mortality—this episode reveals how you can harness existential anxiety to fuel your progress. Learn how to take radical responsibility for your learning, find deep connection through communication, create personal meaning, and leverage the urgency of your finite time to become a more authentic and courageous speaker.

💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 104 - How🗽Existential Therapy📷 can help you learn a language

“And if those trespassers make a move for their rifles, get out of there quick fast!” said Tom as a 
final word of caution to his loyal subordinates. 

At that moment, Tom was startled by a loud SLAM. An unknown figure wrapped in multi-coloured plastic had dropped from the sky and landed right in front of him. The figure groaned as it struggled to breathe. The figure unwrapped itself and came face to face with a giant 15ft alligator. 

“ARRGGHHH!” screamed the skydiver. But his scream shifted to a groan. He winced in pain, grabbing his right arm – possibly a broken bone or dislocated joint. The skydiver got to his knees and begun backing away. 

“Please… Please! Don’t eat me!” cried the skydiver. But Tom the giant alligator was disinterested in eating the injured animal. “Name yourself, human,” said Tom. But all the skydiver perceived was a deadly growl. The skydiver couldn’t comprehend that the 
monster was trying to communicate with him. 

Seeing terror in the skydiver’s eyes, Tom tried to de-escalate the situation. “I am the great Tom. I preside over these lowlands. Simply identify yourself, human, and you will leave with your life. But if you are a poacher—” THUD! The skydiver had snatched the nearest rock, a good-sized one, the size of a bowling ball, and hurled it at the monster’s head. It struck like a sledgehammer on the alligator’s snout. With a momentary distraction, the skydiver limped away into the tall grass. Tom felt a flame of anger ignite in his reptilian brain. His instincts kicked in and he charged for the human. It was as easy as catching up to a crawling baby. Tom WHACKED the limping man across the face with the mighty power of his dragon-like tail. 

After the jaw-breaking blow, the last thing the skydiver saw was the horrific sight of dark
yellow eyes staring into his. “That wasn’t very nice…” said Tom to the unconscious body. “Did you think I wanted to eat you? I have no taste for human flesh or blood. I’m a pescetarian, for crying out loud!”

Being a Cloud

Tom the Crocodile

안녕하세요.
오늘은 좋아하는 노래에 대해서 이야기할 거예요.

저는 며칠 전에 우연히 어떤 가수의 노래를 듣게 되었어요. 
처음 들어 보는 노래였는데 듣자마자 완전히 빠져 버렸어요.

가사도 너무 좋고, 멜로디(melody)도 너무 제 스타일이었어요.

그래서 그날 이후로 하루 종일 그 가수의 노래를 듣고 있어요.

좋아하는 것을 말할 때, 그게 너무 좋을 때 ‘빠지다’, ‘빠졌어요’라고 말할 수 있는데 ‘푹’을 같이 말하면 정말 너무 좋아한다는 것을 표현할 수 있어요.

저는 요즘 그 가수에게 푹 빠졌어요.
저는 요즘 그 가수의 노래에 푹 빠졌어요.
저는 요즘 떡볶이에 푹 빠져서 매일 떡볶이만 먹어요.
저는 요즘 외국어 공부에 푹 빠져서 하루에 두 시간씩 열심히 공부하고 있어요.

이렇게 내가 특별히 아주 좋아하는 것이 생겼을 때 ‘푹 빠지다’ 말할 수 있어요.

아, 참고로 제가 푹 빠진 가수는 LUCY라는 한국 가수입니다. 노래의 분위기가 정말 제가 좋아하는 분위기이고, 특히 가사가 정말 예술이에요. 정말 좋아요. 너무 예쁜 가사입니다.

여러분도 좋아하는 가수가 있어요?
요즘 푹 빠져서 자주 듣는 노래가 있어요?
있으면 저에게도 알려 주세요. : )

한국어를 공부하는 여러분 모두,
좋아하는 노래를 들으면서 행복한 시간을 보내고 있기를 바랍니다. 

감사합니다. 


Korean with Rumi

푹 빠진 노래_The song that I’ve been into

In this episode, I bring you a poem by Andon Zako Çajupi "Mëmëdheu" - "Motherland". Let's enjoy together!