To mess around, or to mess about means to do something without a particular purpose, or without being able to achieve something. 

If you want to stop messing around and really improve your English communication skills then send me a message and let's get started!

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

I'm just messing around today

I'm still learning how to do this podcasting thing, but I'm trying to share my words anyway. I speak quite quickly in this episode... Sorry! I will try to speak slower next time. 

There's a question for you to answer at the end - in audio or written form - so if you have 10 minutes to listen, and then 5 minutes to answer the question that end -- why not GIVE IT A GO?! (which is another way of saying -  GO FOR IT! DO IT!) You have nothing to lose and lots to gain!

Using your words to speak about things that matter to you - that mean something to you - is a great way to create output and use your English. If you don't want to answer my question - you could try writing freely for 5 minutes. Or you could speak into your phone and talk about how you're doing/feeling today - or what's on your mind. It may feel strange, at first, and that's normal! But over time, speaking or writing - just for yourself - will start to feel good - and it's a WONDERFUL habit to start to build.

Thanks for listening, and see you next time! 

Hear and There

2. What did you (really) want to "be" (or do for work) - when you were a child/kid? 

zì xiānɡ máo dùn  
自相矛盾
cónɡ qián，yǒu ɡè rén zài jiē shɑnɡ mài bīnɡ qì。 
从前，有个人在街上卖兵器。
tā ná zhe máo shuō： 
他拿着矛说：
“zhè zhī máo， 
“这支矛，
shì tiān xià dì yì fēnɡ lì de máo， 
是天下第一锋利的矛，
tā nénɡ jī chuān zuì jiān ɡù de dùn pái。” 
它能击穿最坚固的盾牌。”
tā yòu ná qǐ dùn shuō： 
他又拿起盾说：
“zhè ɡe dùn pái， 
“这个盾牌，
shì tiān xià dì yì jiān ɡù de dùn， 
是天下第一坚固的盾，
shì jiè shànɡ méi yǒu yì zhī máo nénɡ ɡòu cì dé chuān tā。” 
世界上没有一支矛能够刺得穿它。”
yǒu rén wèn： 
有人问：
“yònɡ nǐ de máo cì nǐ de dùn， 
“用你的矛刺你的盾，
huì zěn me yànɡ ne？” 
会怎么样呢？”
mài bīnɡ qì de rén huí dá bù chū lái le。 
卖兵器的人回答不出来了。
hòu lái，rén men jiù yònɡ “zì xiānɡ máo dùn” 
后来，人们就用“自相矛盾”
lái bǐ yù yí ɡè rén de yán xínɡ qián hòu xiānɡ hù dǐ chù。
来比喻一个人的言行前后相互抵触。

词语：
矛(máo) ：spear 
盾(dùn)  ：shield
刺(cì)  ：to stab
锋(fēnɡ) 利(lì)  ：sharp
坚(jiān) 固(ɡù) ：hard,solid

CHINESE STORY中文故事

自相矛盾

Một hôm Thỏ mẹ dặn Thỏ con: 
-" Thỏ con của mẹ, con ở nhà chớ đi chơi xa con nhé"
-" Vâng ạ, con ở nhà, con không đi chơi xa"
Nhưng Bươm bướm bay đến, Bươm bướm gọi:
-" Thỏ con ơi, ra vườn kia chơi đi. Ở đấy có cỏ này, có hoa này, thích lắm"
Thỏ con liền chạy theo Bươm bướm. Thỏ con đi chơi mãi, chơi mãi, xa, thật xa.
Thế rồi Thỏ con quên cả lối về nhà. Thỏ con khóc hu hu và gọi:
-" Mẹ ơi, mẹ ơi"
Bác Gấu đi qua, thấy Thỏ con khóc, Bác dắt Thỏ con về nhà. Thỏ mẹ chạy ra ôm Thỏ con.
Thỏ con nói với mẹ:
-" Mẹ, mẹ dặn con ở nhà, con lại đi chơi xa, con xin lỗi mẹ"

Is this story interesting? Can you understand all of this story?
For more information, please contact me
Hope to see you on my Vietnamese class
Thank you so much

Vietnameseonlineclass.com

Đọc truyện Tiếng Việt - Reading story in Vietnamese: #4 Thỏ con không vâng lời 

En este episodio, Lewis y Yo hablamos sobre la gramática del condicional y futuro, también hablamos un poco del subjuntivo. 

Pa' Que Sepáis Podcast

Futuro, condicional y subjuntivo.

In this podcast, we talk about the following ten words:
Souvenir: Derived from the French word "souvenir," meaning "to remember," this word entered English in the late 18th century. It refers to an object or memento that serves as a reminder of a person, place, or event.

Rendezvous: Originating from the French phrase "rendez-vous," which means "meeting" or "appointment," this word entered English in the 16th century. 

Cuisine: Borrowed directly from French, "cuisine" refers to a style or method of cooking, often associated with a particular culture or region. It encompasses the preparation and presentation of food.

Fiancé/Fiancée: These terms come from the French words "fiancé" (masculine) and "fiancée" (feminine), both meaning "engaged." They are used to describe a person who is engaged to be married.

Déjà vu: This widely recognized phrase comes from French, where it literally means "already seen." It refers to the feeling or sensation that one has experienced the present situation before, even though it is new.

Encore: Borrowed from French, "encore" means "again" or "once more." It is often used in the context of a performance to request an additional or repeated act from the performer.

Lingerie: Derived from the French word "lingerie," this term refers to women's underwear and intimate apparel. It encompasses a range of garments, including bras, panties, nightgowns, and robes.

Décor: Also borrowed from French, "décor" denotes the overall style, arrangement, and aesthetics of a space or setting. It refers to the decorative elements used to enhance the ambiance or atmosphere.

Croissant: This word, of French origin, describes a flaky and crescent-shaped pastry. It has become popular worldwide and is often enjoyed as a breakfast or snack item.

Ballet: Originating from French, "ballet" refers to a highly expressive and intricate form of dance. It combines precise movements, graceful gestures, and storytelling to create a visual spectacle.


English on the Road 

Top Ten English Words with French Origins

Nivel A2. B1.
Tema: Vocabulario y expresiones culturales:  Es muy normal escuchar expresiones como: AHORA REGRESO, AHORITA VUELVO, AHORITICA TE LLAMO..., O AHORITA AHORITA .. lo hago. etc. 

Pero, ¿Cuánto tiempo representa eso?. Bien, ese es el tema de hoy. Una interpretación muy rápida y simple con ejemplos. 

Aprender temas asociados a la interpretación, a la cultura o a las costumbres de cada país, es parte del proceso de EXPERIMENTAR el idioma. Así que en este audio vas a tener algunas pistas o algunas ideas para entender mejor AHORA.. AHORITA etc. 

También, es una pequeña práctica de PASADOS, por eso creo que va a ser interesante como ejercicio.  

Este episodio no tiene PDF, no, no lo tiene, pero puedes comentar o hacer tus preguntas aquí, en un mensaje de voz, en un mensaje escrito o en clase, por supuesto. 
Gracias por compartir este podcast con otros amigos, estudiantes o interesados en hablar español.  
Nos vemos pronto, oh... voy, porque ahorita tengo una llamada, chao chao, :D!

Rocío en Español Podcast

11. ¿AHORA...ahoRITA....ahoritica? ¿Cuánto tiempo es eso :D ?

Walnuts Could Help Students with Stress, Says Study

University isn't all sleeping, parties, and video games — many students find it a stressful time, with exams and the beginning of adult life.

But a recent study has suggested that there's a food that could help with some of that stress — walnuts.

Walnuts are known to be a healthy snack. They contain healthy fats and proteins, which are good for the body and the mind.

They may not be the most exciting food for young adults to snack on in a world of pizza and burgers, but they could have a positive effect both on academic stress and on the health of the body.

That's according to researchers from the University of South Australia, who had 80 students take part in their study.

One group of students was asked to eat about half a cup of walnuts every day for 16 weeks. They could eat them as a snack or add them to meals at any time of the day.

The other participants were told not to eat nuts for those 16 weeks.

The researchers found that academic stress was having a negative effect on student's mental health, on the amount of protein in their bodies, and — in female participants — on the diversity of bacteria in their guts.

But these things all improved among those who had been eating walnuts.

Larisa Bobrovskaya, one of the study's authors, said not only are walnuts good for students, they're an easy thing to add to lots of different meals.

However, she also said just having something extra to eat might have made the students feel better, so more research is needed.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Walnuts Could Help Students with Stress Says Study

こんにちは！
Japanese daily life podcast のAtsushiです。
このPodcastは、日本語を楽しく勉強しているみなさんに向けたPodcastです。

ぼくの日常生活の話を聞くことで、日本語のリスニングをよくしたり、新しい言葉を知ってもらえたらいいなと思います。


みなさんお元気でしょうか。
今日もトルコからPodcastを録っています。


今日は12/26ですね。
12/26をboxing dayということをはじめて知りました。

日本ではそのような日はないです。

Wikipediaで調べたことをもとに日本語で話しますね。

元々は、教会が貧しい人たちのために寄付を募り、箱に入れられたクリスマスプレゼントを贈る日だったことから"Boxing Day"と呼ばれる。

それから、クリスマスも働かないといけなかった使用人などに翌日休みを与えた。その時、主人が箱に贈り物を入れて彼らに配った。

他、クリスマスにはたらいている郵便配達員にも、ねぎらいの意を込めて26日に箱入りのプレゼント（Christmas box）をする。


こんな日があるんですね。
全然知らなかったです。

この話は一般的には、キリスト教にゆかりのある国が行うことが多いみたいです。


みなさんの国ではどうですか？
今日は何か特別なことがありますか？

そんな話をオンラインレッスンでしましょう！
お待ちしています！

ということで、今回も最後まで聞いていただき、ありがとうございます！

ではまた！





