In today's podcast I show you how native speakers would answer the new IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions all about 'shoes'.

You will learn some great vocabulary and interesting idioms to really impress your examiner and boost your overall score.

For more IELTS tips and techniques, book a lesson now with ex-examiner Cambridge David

IELTS with Cambridge David

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Question about 'shoes'

I made a song you can learn N5 and N4 Japanese with AI.
N5とN4の日本語が勉強できる歌を、AIで作りました。

歌詞はこちら↓
(verse 1)
今日は朝　早く起きた
お日さまが　きらきらしてる
「ごはんを食べて　学校へ行く」
いつもと同じ　毎日だけど
(Chorus)
行く、来る、見る　何でもできる
明日はもっと　楽しくなるかな
「どこか行きたい」と　君が言った
だから一緒に　歩いてみよう
(verse 2)
友達と　笑いながら
「本を読んで　休む時間」
今日はちょっと　疲れたけど
「元気を出して　もう一度頑張ろう」
(Chorus)
行く、来る、見る　何でもできる
明日はきっと　素敵な日になる
「これをしてみたい」と　君が言う
だから一緒に　挑戦してみよう
(outro)
日常の中で　小さな幸せ
「ありがとう」と　言いたくなる
毎日の中に　幸せがいっぱい
この瞬間を　大切にしよう

日本語聞いてみよう！

【N5～N4】Japanese song　日本語の歌

Advanced Chinese Listening：最健康的国家：西班牙   The World’s Healthiest Country: Spain

HSK 5 & Superior Soundscapes

Master the long /iː/ and short /ɪ/ sounds through focused repetition and listening exercises. This practice session reinforces Lesson 7's key concept: both 'e' and 'i' can represent these two distinct vowel sounds in British English.
You'll practice word lists, minimal pairs (sit/seat, ship/sheep), and challenging tongue twisters designed to sharpen your ear and improve your articulation. Perfect for learners who want to train their pronunciation through hands-on practice rather than theory.
Repeat, listen, and build muscle memory—no matter your starting level, consistent practice will help these sounds become natural.

Transcript: 
Long e with letter E: see, me, be, these, complete, scene, tree, free, three, believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme, delete, extreme
Long e with letter I: machine, police, sardine, prestige, magazine, marine, cuisine, routine, limousine, hygiene, submarine, regime, tambourine
Short i with letter E:  English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started, lended,  helmet, velvet, secret
Short i with letter I:  it, sit, him, big, sister, interesting, milk, sick, pin, picnic, win, fish, list, lift, hint

Minimal Pairs: 
Sit - seat
Fit - feet 
ship - sheep 
dip  — deep 
chip — cheap 
Bin – Bean
Pin – Peen
Lid – Lead
Rich – Reach
Bit – Beat
Sick – Seek
Him – Heap
Fin – Fee
Rip – Reap
Tongue twisters: 
I see the sheep sleep deep in the green field.
Sick fish swim in the deep sea.
Pin the chip on the cheap machine.
The keen teen keeps the scene clean.
Big fish in a deep green sea swim free.
Pretty women with private seats sip tea.


British Pronunciation Tips 

British Vowel Sound Masterclass: Lesson 7 – The Long & Short E/I. Same Sounds, Different Letters - Practice 

Poesia tratta dal libro di Alda Merini (Milano, 1931-2009), "La vita facile", dove la celebre poetessa sviscera le impressioni di un'intera vita: dal manicomio alla passione amorosa, dall'invecchiamento alla solitudine nella sua casa di Milano. Buon ascolto!................................................

"La Vita Facile"

A tutti i giovani raccomando:
aprite i libri con religione,
non guardateli superficialmente,
perché in essi è racchiuso
il coraggio dei nostri padri.
E richiudeteli con dignità
quando dovete occuparvi di altre cose.
Ma soprattutto amate i poeti.
Essi hanno vangato per voi la terra
per tanti anni, non per costruivi tombe,
o simulacri, ma altari.
Pensate che potete camminare su di noi
come su dei grandi tappeti
e volare oltre questa triste realtà quotidiana.

A.M.


Poesie E Libri Sparsi Per Sognare Un Pò 

"La Vita Facile" - Alda Merini

天冷了、跨年了，需要放松一下，你想去哪里？It's cold, New Year's Eve and you need to relax. Where do you want to go?
相信很多广东人的第一反应就是：“泡汤、泡温泉去。” I believe the first reaction of many Cantonese people is: "Soak in hot springs."
找一个安静的地方，让身体泡在温柔的泉水里、洗尽疲惫，这是一段美好的时光。It is a wonderful time to find a secret place where you can soak your body in a gentle warm spring water and wash away your exhaustion.


新鲜事儿（Anecdote）

汤汤水水的生活

Episode Title Translation: Bored at the airport

In this episode you will learn some airport travel vocabulary.

Vocabulary: 
aeropuerto (Airport)
tan (so)
ejemplo (example)
ido (gone)
había (there was)
manejar (to drive)
alrededor (around)
decir (to say)
Japonés (Japanese)
entender (to understand)
puerta (gate)
vuelo (flight) 
descanso (rest)
Estilo (style)
feo (ugly)
usualmente (usually)
ciudad (city) 
visto (seen)
se ve (it looks)
jardín (garden)
cascada (waterfall)
juego (game)
pared (wall)
escalar (to climb)
obra de arte (work of art)
adentro, dentro (inside)
afuera (outside)
estacionamiento (parking lot)
divertido (fun)
avión (plane)
volar (to fly)
azafata (flight attendant) 

Las Aventuras De Miss Jacy

Aburrida En El Aeropuerto

La Casa de los Azulejos es uno de los edificios más emblemáticos del centro de la Ciudad de México.
La Casa de los Azulejos o la Casa del Conde del Valle de Orizaba, es uno de los edificios más emblemáticos del centro de la Ciudad de México. En tiempos pre pandemia recibía a cientos de visitantes cada día, quienes no perdían oportunidad de tomarse una fotografía o de comer en su famoso restaurante.





Spanish México

La Casa de Los Azulejos.

In many parts of the world, summer has kicked in, and people are really feeling the heat.

But people in one city in the Middle East may have more reason to complain about the heat than anywhere else in the world.

This place is so hot that birds fall from the sky, some streets are air-conditioned, and, allegedly, fish boil in the sea.

This is Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, often called the hottest city in the world.

Temperatures often get as hot as 50 degrees Celsius in the summer — and sometimes even higher. In July 2016, the temperature reached 54 degrees Celsius in the north, which is the highest temperature Kuwait has experienced.

People are rarely seen walking outside in the summer, and many residents leave the city while it's this hot.

Kuwait has always been hot, but climate change has made the summers hotter and longer.

According to the Emirates Policy Center, between 1962 and 1999 there were 18 days when the temperature in Kuwait was 50 degrees Celsius or higher. Between 2000 and 2021, the number of days was 80 — and 64 of those were between 2010 and 2021.

The country is also getting less rain than before. As a result, it's experiencing more frequent and intense dust storms.

Living in these high temperatures is not good for humans. A study by the University of Roehampton in London found that the human body has an upper temperature limit of between 40 degrees and 50 degrees before it starts to malfunction.

At higher temperatures, a person may start to experience "heat stress," which can cause things like confusion, nausea, dizziness and fainting — and can be fatal.

Some may say that Kuwait is contributing to its own problems, since it's one of the world's largest emitters per capita of carbon dioxide, and uses only fossil fuels for energy.

But things may be changing. According to the International Energy Agency, the country plans to generate at least 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.