Episode 1 of The Malta Podcast provides a very basic overview of Malta. In future episodes, I will tackle certain aspects of Maltese culture and society in more detail.

The Malta Podcast

An Overview of Malta - Episode 1

Här berättar jag om en dag i mitt liv. Lyssna och lär. 

Just Started Learning Swedish/A1 Svenskan  

En Dag i Mitt Liv

Full transcript: https://japanesemayuna.com/

はい、こんにちは。今回はポッドキャストの25回目です。今日は3回目のワクチンを受けました。2回目と違って予約は必要なく、場所も近所だったので簡単でした。午後、私はワクチンを打ったことを忘れていて、筋トレをしてしまいました。ワクチンを打った後は、激しい運動は禁止なので、ちょっと不安です。具合が悪くならないといいです。

Hello. This is episode 25 of my podcast. Today I had my third vaccine - unlike the second one, I didn't need an appointment and the location was in my neighbourhood, so it was easy. In the afternoon I forgot that I had had the vaccine and did some muscle training. I'm a bit worried because after the vaccine, I'm not allowed to do any strenuous exercise. I hope I won't get sick.

今日の朝レッスンで、質問がありました。カタカナの単語についてです。一般的に、日本語では、外国語の単語をカタカナで表現します。ところが、カタカナと日本語の2種類の言い方ができる単語もあります。例えば、「ティッシュペーパー」は「ちり紙」とも言われます。いつ、どっちを使うのか？という質問でした。今日はこのことについてお話ししたいと思います。

In today's morning lesson, a question was asked. It is about katakana words. Generally, in Japanese, foreign words are written in Katakana. However, some things can be expressed using 2 different words: an imported foreign word which is written in katakana, and a native Japanese word which is written in Hiragana or Kanji. For example, 'Tisshupe-pa- (tissue paper)' is a foreign word. You can also use the native Japanese word: ‘Chirigami (tissue paper)’. When do we use which one? This was the question. Today I would like to talk about this.

商品のマーケティングや広告には、カタカナがよく使われます。例えば、日本のファッションのウェブサイトでは「ニット」「キャップ」「マフラー」などの単語が使われています。これらを日本語で「編み物」「帽子」「襟巻き」と言うこともできますが、カタカナを使うことで、現代的なイメージにしています。とくに「襟巻き」は古いイメージのある言葉で、お年寄りの人以外が使っているのを聞いたことがありません。

Katakana is often used in product marketing and advertising. For example, Japanese fashion websites use words such as 'Nitto (knit)', 'Kyappu (cap)' and 'Mafura- (A scarf. From the old-fashioned English word "muffler")'. These could be called 'Amimono (knit)', 'Boushi (cap)' or 'Erimaki (scarf)' in Japanese, but the use of Katakana gives them a modern image. In particular, 'Erimaki (scarf)' has an old-fashioned image and I have never heard it used except by elderly people.

Japanese Lessons with Mayuna

25. カタカナはいつ使う？

Falsos Amigos que son palabras en español que suenan o se escriben como palabras en inglés pero con significados totalmente distintos y que hacen que pasemos momentos incomodos.
Suburbio---------slum
     barrio---------suburb
bomba------------pump/ tank/ bomb
     explosivo-----bomb
constipado------congested
     estreñido-----constipated
embarazada-----pregnant
     avergonzada----embarrassed
injuria--------------insult
      herida---------injury
parientes---------relatives
      padres--------parents
largo----------------long
     grande---------large
actual--------------now, current
     verdadero-----actual
asistir--------------to attend
     ayudar---------to assist
sopa----------------soup
     jabón-----------soap
ropa----------------clothing
    cuerda----------rope

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Música: Yucatan Peninsula @bizbazstudio3936

Yuca-talk

Falsos amigos

There are only six vowels in stressed position: [а], [о], [у], [э], [и], [ы]. 

The Russian hard consonants correspond to the English consonants.
However, the Russian consonant /п / resembles the English /р / but it is never aspirated. The consonant [t ] is also never aspirated.

Don’t forget that in the articulation of the Russian /т /, /д /, /н / the tip of the tongue is pressed against the teeth ridge but against the back of the upper incisors!

ма - мэ - мо - му - мы 
ба - бэ - бо - бу - бы
па - пэ - по - пу - пы 
ва - вэ - во - ву - вы 
фа - фэ - фо - фу - фы
та - тэ - то - ту - ты 
да - дэ - до - ду - ды
на - нэ - но - ну - ны 

Russian Pronunciation wilth Lubov

Vowels А, О, У, Э, И, Ы With Some Hard Consonants. Listen and repeat.

INside you'll find 3 simple tips you can do that will help you to feel at ease.

Which one you'd choose and why?

The Habits of Highly Effective English Communicators

I don't feel relaxed when speaking in English

Chinese story:
《漂亮的学校大门》
“我说不来，又叫我来，这个大门又旧又烂，我不想在这里念书！”一位女学生在大学门口大声地说。

在中国，学生很多，但是大学却不多，所以要考上一所大学不是一件容易的事。这位年轻的女学生非常努力地考上大学，难道只是希望学校有一个漂亮的大门？

大部分的学生都喜欢学校有一个漂亮的大门，当自己的爸爸、妈妈，或者朋友来参观的时候，他才会觉得有面子。

大部分中国的大学都希望有一个漂亮的大门，因为这是一个学校的形象。大学是这样，一般的中学、小学也是这样的。

有漂亮的校门是很好的事，但是如果学生只是因为学校没有漂亮的大门，就不想读大学，这就变成了一件奇怪的事。


English translation:
The beautiful school main gate

I said I don’t want to come. Why you asked me to come here? The main gate of this school is old yet rotten. I don’t want to study here.” A female student shouted in front of a university’s main entrance.
In China, students are too many. But universities are few. Getting an admission to a university is a tough work. This young female student must’ve studied very hard to gain approval for a place. Is it only for a beautiful school main gate?
Many students want their school to have a beautiful main gate. So that when their parents or friends come to visit them, they would feel proud of themselves.
In fact, most universities in mainland China definitely want to have a beautiful main gate which stands for the image of a school. Universities want that, and general high schools and elementary schools want that as well.
It is certainly a good thing to have a great-looking main gate. But if a student doesn’t want to go to a university simply depends on the outward appearance of main gate, this is really a weird thing.