How do children learn to read? Why should we show words to the children? How do we know if a child is ready to start learning phonics? Why is the British curriculum introducing the phonics so early, as opposed to other languages and countries? How important is proprioception for good pronunciation? Why do we as Early years teachers giving so much importance to rhyme and alliteration?

Language Tales

Phonetical awareness in Early years

Escucha el diálogo y responde a las preguntas:
a) ¿En qué estación del año se encuentran? 
b) ¿Qué opciones tienen para las vacaciones?
c) ¿Qué destino prefiere Joan? 
d) ¿Qué destino prefiere Santi? 
e) ¿Qué deciden finalmente?

Un bocado de español

¿Montaña o playa?

Reading a book in Japanese
''Buying Mittens'' #5　(Written by Nankichi Niimi)
『手袋を買いに』(てぶくろを かいに）
新美南吉・著　第五話

You can practice shadowing, repeating with 
this reading and the text below.
Besides, it's helpful to study Kanji. 😊
📚My lessons: https://www.italki.com/ja/teacher/6185061

その町の灯を見た時、母さん狐は、
ある時 町へ お友達と出かけていって、
とんだめに あったことを 思い出しました。
およしなさいって いうのもきかないで、
お友達の狐が ある家の あひるを盗もうとしたので、
お百姓に見つかって、さんざ追いまくられて、
命からがら逃げたことでした。
「母ちゃん何してんの、早く行こうよ」
と子供の狐がお腹の下から言うのでしたが、
母さん狐はどうしても足がすすまないのでした。
そこで、しかたがないので、ぼうや だけを
一人で町まで行かせることになりました。
「ぼうや お手々を片方お出し」
と母さん狐がいいました。
その手を、母さん狐は しばらく握っている間に、
可愛いい人間の子供の手にしてしまいました。

【Kanji】

町　・・・まち
灯　・・・ひ
見た・・・みた
時　・・・とき
母さん・・かあさん
狐　・・・きつね
お友達・・おともだち
出かけて・・でかけて
思い出して・・おもいだして
家　・・・いえ
盗もうと・・・ぬすもうと
お百姓・・・おひゃくしょう
追い・・・おい
命　・・・いのち
逃げた・・にげた
何　・・・なに
早く・・・はやく
行こうよ・・いこうよ
お腹・・・おなか
下　・・・した
言う・・・いう
足　・・・あし
一人・・・ひとり
お手々・・おてて
片方・・・かたほう
お出し・・おだし
握っている・・にぎっている
間　・・・あいだ
可愛い・・かわいい
人間・・・にんげん


朗読クラブ📚Reading to Japanese language learners 

朗読 『手袋を買いに』その5 Buying Mittens #5

If learning English really worked, why do you still panic?

This short episode explores a question many adult learners quietly struggle with:
why English feels “there” in class, but disappears in interviews, meetings, or conversations with native speakers.

Based on patterns observed in years of working with adult learners in professional contexts, the episode looks at why vocabulary, grammar, apps, and repeated courses often don’t lead to confidence when pressure appears.

Instead of focusing on “learning more,” this episode invites listeners to reflect on what happens inside them in high-stakes moments — and why the problem may not be language knowledge at all.

The goal is not to offer quick fixes, but to help learners recognize a hidden gap that keeps English feeling endless, frustrating, and unreliable, even after years of study.

Written and recorded to encourage clarity, self-observation, and a new way of thinking about progress.

Written by Anatoly Glazkov

⭐ The Voice Unlock Method™ –  The Inner Game of Speaking English with Calm, Clarity & Presence 

If English feels endless, it’s not your fault. It’s the system.

¡Hola querido aprendiz extranjero, hoy te traigo un episodio que te ayudará a desarrollar tu compresión auditiva y expresión escrita. Si escuchas este audio hasta el final, encontrarás un ejercicio en el cual responderás unas preguntas usando tu cuaderno de apuntes, según la historia de María.

Aprendiendo a lo Smart 

LA SEMANA MÁS SIGNIFICATIVA 

✨🔮 Perché crediamo all’oroscopo? | In italiano 🇮🇹🎧📚

This is In italiano 🇮🇹🎧📚, a podcast for learners who want to improve their Italian listening and vocabulary with short, real stories.
In this episode, we explore perché l’oroscopo è ancora così popolare: dalla sua storia antica alle ragioni psicologiche che ci portano a leggerlo… anche quando diciamo di non crederci.

Scopri perché i segni zodiacali ci affascinano ancora oggi! ✨

🎯 How to practice:

1️⃣ Listen to the track two times.
2️⃣ Do the quizes.

✨ 🔤 Vocabolario & Espressioni dal testo

🔮 Prevedere il futuro
immaginare cosa accadrà.

💫 Dare speranza
far sentire qualcuno più positivo.

🧭 Avere controllo
sentire di poter gestire una situazione.

📜 Tradizione antica
qualcosa che esiste da molti secoli.

💖 Segni zodiacali e personalità
👉 Cancro = sensibile, emotivo
👉 Leone = sicuro di sé, energico
👉 Bilancia = equilibrata, calma
👉 Scorpione = intenso, profondo

E tu? DI CHE SEGNO SEI?

💬 Write your answers in the comments!
Do you have any questions or want to suggest a topic for the next episode? I’d love to hear from you!

🇮🇹​🎧​📝​ In Italiano: Short listening practice & exercises 

✨🔮 Perché crediamo all’oroscopo? - Italian Listening Practice (A2+)

Read the chilly podacst here brrrrr: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-muTacrzGY5ZQY0G_mHmyQl_bsNnMPIB/view?usp=sharing

Lisa's Podcast

Is a White Snowy Christmas in Your Dreams? Here's What the Weather Says

Today we're talking about a professional piece of vocabulary that we can use to talk about ourselves in a critical way, especially in the form of a jokes. This is "self-deprecating". Take a listen to today's episode of the podcast for a full explanation and I hope you find it useful!

Don't forget that if you're an international professional who want's to improve the way they use English at work then I help people like you every day, right here on iTalki. Feel free to book some of my time and let's get to work!

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

I'm really bad at making podcasts!

Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GBDUiN-Qdmhwnk5Q_a8749LvLBzuvPQ9/view?usp=drivesdk