You know the words, but your mind goes blank when you speak.
This episode explains why this happens — and why it’s completely normal.

French Speaking Confidence

Why You Freeze When You Speak

Turkish listening

after the age of thirty 

En este episodio te cuento de que trata este podcast

Español en Acción

Temporada 1 Episodio 1 Introducción a Español en Acción

I remember seeing an exhibition of photographs a few years ago about the way war has affected my city, Bath. It was very powerful and made me more aware of the reality of war - the images of destruction were of places I know well. One of the photographs moved me to tears.

A painting that cheers me up is Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. The flower is a symbol of
happiness, and it was painted at a time when Van Gogh was feeling optimistic about the future. He painted the flowers many times, but one of the original paintings is in the National Gallery in London where I often go and look at it.

English Mini Lessons

Art and artist

你怎么样？
nǐ zěn me yàng ？

你今天怎么样？
nǐ jīn tiān zěn me yàng ？

你最近怎么样？
nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？

日常中文（Daily Chinese）

How are you doing ?  你怎么样？

En este episodio hablamos acerca de la Coca-Cola: ¿Por qué culturalmente en México se consume mucho?, ¿Por qué nos gusta?, las consecuencias de consumirla en exceso, remedios caseros y una reflexión final.

Apapachando en Español

Episodio #5. La Coca-Cola en México

An annual event involving dirt, beer and cash once again drew dozens of competitors to a ski resort in Maine on October 12.

More than 30 couples competed in the North American Wife Carrying Championship, a 254-meter race during which competitors splash through water, jump over logs and trudge through mud — all while carrying their partner on their backs or shoulders.

The event began in Finland, with the first official event taking place in 1992. It has grown in popularity since then — the World Championship is held annually in the region of Sonkajärvi, and the North American Championship has taken place in Maine every year since 1999.

Traditionally, the Finnish event involved male competitors carrying a woman. At the competition in Maine, couples didn't have to be married to compete, nor did they have to be a man and a woman.

One participant — the carrier — was dressed as Mr Incredible, while his "wife" was dressed in pink. They and others were cheered on by crowds on both sides of the course at Sunday River ski resort.

Most of the participants use a technique in which the "wife" is carried like a backpack — upside down — to keep their arms free as they run. Wearing smiles and grimaces, competitors end up wet and muddy.

The champion leaves with the weight of the "wife" in beer and five times their weight in cash. To estimate the amount they win, the winning partner is put on one side of a see-saw-like scale that organizers balance out on the other side with cases of beer.

"We come each year for the fun," said Wade Porterfield of Cuba, New York, who competed with his wife, Sara Porterfield. "There is really a low chance of us winning. Pretty much everybody cheers everybody on and it's a blast."