Being able to talk on a wide variety of topics is really helpful for getting a higher mark on the IELTS test. 

In this podcast I will help you to form opinions and ideas for Speaking Part 3 and Writing Part 2.

You can also book a private lesson with me on my profile. Hope to see you in a lesson soon!

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

Do you think family relationships are stronger or weaker than in the past?

       我家有五口人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥、妹妹和我。我十二岁，是中学生。我养了一只宠物，它是一只白色的小狗，叫皮皮。我爱我的家人，也爱我的宠物，有时候我觉得皮皮就是我的弟弟，因为它喜欢和我一起玩。爸爸也喜欢皮皮，他每天下班以后都和皮皮一起玩。皮皮也喜欢爸爸，可是不太喜欢妹妹。你们知道为什么吗？

Chinese Learning with Lily

你养宠物吗？

Robert, a talented but interview-anxious software developer, landed his dream job interview. He had the technical skills, but his past experiences with open-ended questions left him feeling unprepared.  To help, I, his career coach, introduced him to the power of behavioral interviewing.

We started by dissecting the job description. We identified key skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.  Then, I crafted mock behavioral questions targeting those skills. For example, "Tell me about a time you debugged a complex coding error while collaborating with a team."

Next, I introduced Robert to the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).  We practiced crafting compelling responses using his past projects.  For the example question, Robert described a project with a critical bug impacting user experience. He highlighted how he collaborated with his team, broke down the issue logically, and ultimately identified the root cause, leading to a successful fix.

The coaching didn't stop there.  We role-played the interview, focusing on clear communication and confident delivery.  I encouraged Robert to use action verbs and quantify his achievements where possible.  Instead of simply saying "fixed the bug," he could say "identified and resolved a critical bug, improving application performance by 20%."

The interview day arrived, and Robert aced it!  He later told me the behavioral questions felt familiar thanks to our preparation.  By showcasing his past experiences using the STAR method, he convinced the interviewer of his skills and fit for the role.  Robert's success story is a testament to the power of behavioral interview preparation. 

The Global Professional Podcast

How I coached a software developer to get the job - Episode 70

If there is a direct train, it is usually the fastest way to travel from A to B in Britain.
A stopping train stops at a lot of smaller stations between main stations. An express (train) provides a faster service to your destination, and avoids the problem of traffic jams on the bus services.
For rail travel, you might need a single or a return ticket. Many people buy a travel card, which allows them to travel on any bus or train in a specific area for a period of time for less money. A bus pass lets you do the same for bus routes. You can buy rail tickets online, from a ticket machine or at the ticket office I booking office in the station.
If you get a train or bus In time, you catch it. If you are late, you may miss it. You may need to change trains or buses.

English Mini Lessons

Trains and bus journeys

私はいくつかのソーシャルネットワークサービスを使っています。私のそれぞれのSNSの使い方について紹介します。
まずは、インスタグラム。
インスタグラムは基本的に見るだけです。私は日本語学習者を何人かフォローしています。学習者がどんな教材を使って勉強しているのかを見て、レッスンの参考にしています。あとは、ファッションブランドや料理家のインスタグラムもフォローしています。料理家のインスタグラムは写真がとてもきれいで、おいしい料理を作りたいなという気分になります。
Twitterも見るだけです。自分が信頼できると思う専門家やいつもおもしろい内容を発信している人をフォローしています。Twitterはいろいろな専門家の意見をメディアを通さずに直接聞けるのでとても面白いです。たまに自分がフォローしている専門家同士がTwitter上で言い争いをしていることがあって、少し悲しくなります。
ちなみに私のパートナーはTwitterの情報を全く信じていません。私はTwitterはフォローする人を間違えなければ、ニュースよりも早く、正確な情報を簡単に得られると思っています。
そしてFacebook。私は最近スマホにあったFacebookのショートカットを消しました。Facebookを見た後に、自分の周りの人と自分の生活や人生を比べて落ち込むことがあるので、できる限り見ないことにしました。
皆さんはSNSをどんな目的で使っていますか？
他人の投稿を見て落ち込むことはありますか？また、逆に励まされたことはありますか？
私はSNSは使い方を間違えなければ、生活を楽しくしてくれるものだと思います。みなさんはどう思いますか？


日本語学習者：Japanese learner
参考（さんこう）にする：take their idea into consideration
信頼できる：you can trust, trustworthy
内容：ないよう　content
発信する：はっしんする
専門家：せんもんか　expert
言い争い：いいあらそい　argue
正確な：せいかくな　accurate
落ち込む：feel down
生活：daily life
人生：life
できる限り：できるかぎり　as much as possible
他人：others
投稿：とうこう　post
励まされる：はげまされる  make me feel better,  be encouraged

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

SNSの使い方について（ How to Use  SNS）

A：帮我看一下这件衣服怎么样。
B：颜色还可以，就是有点儿大。
A：这件小的怎么样？
B：这件不错，就买这件吧。


日常对话 daily conversation

在商店

Two ways to ask about price.
1.	Noun + 多少钱duō shǎo qián + 一yī + measure word
e.g. 苹果多少钱一斤？
píng guǒ duō shǎo qián yì jīn？
How much is half a kilo of apples?
苹果五块一斤（Five yuan for half a kilo.）
píng guǒ wǔ kuài yì jīn .
 
菠萝多少钱一个？
bō luó duō shǎo qián yí gè ?
How much is for one pineapple?
菠萝十块一个。（Ten yuan each ）
bō luó shí kuài yí gè 。

2.	Noun+ 怎么卖zěn me mài？
e.g. 苹果怎么卖？（How much for the apple?）
     píng guǒ zěn me mài ?


Daily Conversation（日常对话）

9.	买东西（shopping）

Oi gente, aqui é Aneleh, sua tutora de português favorita. No podcast de hoje falaremos sobre a diferença entre os verbos “saber” e “conhecer”. Se você é iniciante e está se sentindo perdido, pode pular direto para a parte em que explico tudo isso em inglês em um minuto e quarenta segundos.
Se quiser acompanhar o script do podcast é só clicar nesse link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sb3f4OiI6qgwqprPslZOlvPsedEoUgrhDHoBTvyEzzM/edit?usp=sharing
Vamos lá?
Hi everyone, this is Aneleh, your favorite Portuguese tutor. In today's podcast we will talk about the difference between the verbs "saber" and "conhecer". If you're a beginner and you're feeling lost, you can skip straight to the part where I explain all this in English in one minute and forty seconds.
If you want to follow the podcast script, just click on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sb3f4OiI6qgwqprPslZOlvPsedEoUgrhDHoBTvyEzzM/edit?usp=sharing
Let's go?