Today we're talking about a noun that we can use to talk about the first few lines in an email, or maybe the first couple of minutes of a conversation, where we say things like, "how are you doing?" or "I hope you had a great new year?" This is the word pleasantries. I hope you find it useful!

Don't forget that I'm a full time business English coach and tutor right here on iTalki, so if you have a strong work ethic around improving your English then feel free to book some of my time and let's get to work. I look forward to meeting you soon!


DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

I hope you had a great week!

In this Introductory Episode to my all new Podcast, I invite you to join me in this journey of Learning the Pronunciation Features of English. 

Together, we will practice Shadowing and listen to some clips from Native and Non-native Speakers and decode their Pronunciation. 

What will we learn? 
- Word Stress
- Sentence Stress and Weak Forms
- Thought Chunking
- Connected Speech
- Elision and Assimilation

And much more! 

I encourage you to Post any comments or doubts you have in the comments section. You can always reach out to me in my DMs. 

I hope to see you again in the next episode. 😄😊

P.S. No judgements please on my dorky editing 🤪😅

All Things Pronunciation

Hello and Welcome to All Things Pronunciation

let's learn Quechua

Quechua dialects

Many leaders struggle to strike the balance between friendliness and firmness. One client, let's call her Sarah, excelled in collaboration but found her team didn't take her directives seriously. Her challenge? Assertive communication.

Over 12 weeks, we embarked on a journey to transform Sarah's communication style. Our bi-weekly coaching sessions (Mondays for planning, Fridays for review) provided structure and accountability. Here's how we achieved results:

Unveiling the Power of "I" Statements:  Instead of accusatory "you" statements ("You always miss deadlines!"), we practiced "I" statements ("I feel frustrated when deadlines are missed"). This shifted the focus to the impact on Sarah and the team, fostering collaboration.

Body Language Bootcamp:  Nonverbal cues speak volumes. We practiced confident posture, strong eye contact, and clear gestures. Standing tall while giving instructions and mirroring team members' positive body language fostered a sense of mutual respect.

The Art of the Pause:  Sarah often rushed through instructions, leaving room for confusion. We mastered the power of the pause. Strategic pauses after key points allowed information to sink in and empowered team members to ask clarifying questions.

Innovation in Role-Playing:  Traditional role-playing can feel awkward. We gamified the process, creating scenarios based on Sarah's real-life situations. This playful approach allowed Sarah to experiment with assertive language in a safe space, boosting her confidence.

Celebrating Small Wins:  Progress wasn't always linear. We celebrated even minor victories, like delivering a firm but respectful instruction. Acknowledging her achievements fueled Sarah's motivation and helped her stay on track.

The Result? Measurable Change: Within three months, Sarah's communication transformed. Team meetings became more focused, deadlines were met consistently, and her leadership presence flourished.



The Global Professional Podcast

How I Coached a Leader to Master Assertive Communication - Episode 65 

Stories in Azerbaijani

Bostançı və Şah Abbas

过山车（刘育贤）
上天了，入地了，滕云了，驾雾了，过山车，下山了，我变成，流星了。

Read Rhymes With Shirley

过山车

The legend of Mid-Autumn Festival.  You can also watch the video about this story here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFrAiLuxQsI&t=2s

Learn Mandarin with Mandy

E03 嫦娥奔月【Chang E Flying to the Moon】

¡Buen día a todos! Mi nombre es Alba Naranjo, tengo 31 años y nací en Cádiz, una ciudad con más de 3.000 años de historia situada al sur de España.
Hoy comenzamos con el tercer capítulo para hablar sobre aquellos dulces típicos Navidad.
Todos sabemos que esta época está llena de regalos, fiestas, pero, sobre todo, ¡comida! Por eso, los dulces navideños son imprescindibles.
Los mantecados y polvorones podemos considerarlos uno de los dulces de Navidad más consumidos. Son unas pequeñas tortas de manteca de cerdo, harina de trigo y azúcar. (Aunque algunos tienen ingredientes como limón, almendra, chocolate…que hacen variar mucho el sabor final)
Los polvorones suelen incluir almendras y una capa de azúcar a modo de adorno que se podría parecer al polvo, de ahí su nombre. 
Los polvorones y mantecados más conocidos de España son los de Estepa, un pueblo en la provincia de Sevilla. 
El turrón es el dulce típico de Navidad por excelencia, uno de los primeros que nos vienen a la mente al pensar en esta época del año.
El más común se elabora con miel pura, azúcar, almendras y clara de huevo, aunque pueden tener muchos más ingredientes si son turrones menos convencionales. Hay muchísimas variedades de turrón, desde los que tienen pistachos hasta los que llevan coco, aunque los más conocidos y demandados siguen siendo el turrón duro y el blando, los de toda la vida.
El turrón más popular de España es el de Alicante, también conocido como turrón de Jijona.

El mazapán es un postre con origen en Toledo que se obtiene a través del amasado de almendras crudas peladas con azúcar y suele presentarse en distintas formas. Una vez amasado, a la pasta resultante le daremos la forma que queramos y ¡listo!
Otro dulce típico es el Roscón de Reyes, pero este contiene una tradición tan divertida que haré un episodio entero para contároslo.

CALENDARIO DE ADVIENTO DE ALBA NARANJO

EPISODIO 3. DULCES DE NAVIDAD

My Rich dad, on the other hand, recommended that I think like a Texan. "I like Texas and Texans, "he used to say. "In Texas, everything is bigger. When Texas win, they win big. And when they lose, it's spectacular."

-Rich Dad Poor dad