Marcus faces a tough choice as he decides to stay in Seattle or go home to Mexico City. He explores the exciting tech industry and learns from Kylie’s cousin, but he struggles with telling his family and friends back home about his move. Join us to find out how he deals with this challenge!

Turtle's Pace English Stories

Marcus’s Big Decision: Should He Stay or Should He Go? 

这是我最喜欢的中文歌 
=zhè shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de zhōng wén gē
=This is my favourite Chinese song

Song List：
后会无期 (hòu huì wú qī)=Never meet again
传奇（chun qí）=Legend
中国话-（zhong1 guo2 hua4）=Chinese language


Crystal Gao's Chinese Language Journey

9、这是我最喜欢的中文歌=zhè shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de zhōng wén gē =This is my favourite Chinese song

This Podcast is aimed at teaching students the main thing that they need to focus on when preparing for the speaking component of their IETLS paper

Connectives as the oil to a good speech 

Speaking vs knowledge

¿Te gusta el tequila? ¿Qué sabes sobre esta bebida mexicana?

En este episodio de Español al Oído, hablamos del origen del tequila y la diferencia entre el tequila y otros aguardientes, tambien llamados mezcales.

Después de escuchar, contesta las siguientes preguntas:

1. ¿Qué diferencia hay entre el mezcal y el tequila?
2. ¿Las botellas de tequila tienen un gusado adentro?
3. ¿Qué indica una etiquieta "100% agave" en una botella de tequila?
4. ¿Qué es un caballito?
5. ¿Qué es una margarita?

Español al oído

El tequila

Understanding the “Laziness Factor”
When you’re feeling lazy about learning a language, it usually means you’re lacking motivation or genuine interest. Although research shows that motivation is a critical driver of engagement in learning, you have to be aware that not all motivation is the same. This is because there’s intrinsic motivation (which is interest that comes from inside you) and extrinsic motivation (which are rewards and incentives that come from outside you). To keep moving forward, it helps to know which type of motivation works best for you.

To Overcome Your Laziness, You Have To Find A Personal Connection With The Language You Are Learning.
If you’re struggling with motivation, tapping into internal interest can help. Studies show that people are more likely to engage in activities they find personally meaningful. Here are some ways to cultivate this type of interest when the thought of language learning makes you lazier by the second. 


💃🏻111 Tips for Learning a Language 

Tip 53 – How to Learn a Language When Motivation is Low: Turning Laziness into Productivity

はい、こんにちは。今回は Podcast の12回目です。12回目なんですけれども、今回初めてitalkiで配信することになったので、まずは簡単に説明をしたいと思います。

Hello, This is the podcast episode 12, and since this is the first time I’m going to be broadcasting on italki, I’d like to give a brief explanation first.

私の名前はMayunaです。2018年からitalkiで日本語を教えています。コミュニティに記事も投稿しています。ポッドキャストは去年の11月に始めました。私の日々の出来事を、日本人がよく使う自然な表現を使って、３分程度でお話ししてます。中級者向けぐらいの内容です。すべてのエピソードにトランスクリプトと英訳がついていて、グーグルポッドキャストでも聞くことができます。毎週更新しています。

My name is Mayuna and I’ve been teaching Japanese at italki since 2018. I also contribute articles to the community. I started the podcast last November. I talk about my daily life in about 3 minutes, using natural expressions commonly used by Japanese people. The content is for intermediate level users. All episodes have a transcript and English translation, and you can listen to them on Google Podcast. It is updated weekly.

今日はレッスンが午後からだったので、午前中はスーパーに買い物に行きました。この Podcast を録音するのが火曜日なので、その録音のために、私はいつものど飴を買います。のど飴というのは、世界中に同じようなものがあるかどうか分からないですけど、ハーブなどが入っている飴で、声がよく出るようにするものです。

Today’s lesson was in the afternoon, so I went to the supermarket in the morning to do some shopping. Since I record this podcast on Tuesdays, I always buy throat lozenges for the recording. I don’t know if there are similar products all over the world, but lozenges are candies that contain herbs and other ingredients to help you speak better.

最近いつも買っている飴の味に飽きてきたので、今日は違う飴を買ったんですね。今日買ったのど飴は蜂蜜と生姜が入っていて、添加物が入っていない、すごく美味しいものだったんですけど、美味しすぎて、普通におやつとして食べてしまうので、のど飴としてはあまりいい選択じゃなかったなと、少し後悔しています。そしてそのときになんとなく、ことわざを思い出しました。

I recently got tired of the taste of the lozenges I always buy, so I bought a different one today. The throat lozenges I bought today contained honey and ginger, no additives, and were very tasty, but they were so tasty that I ended up eating them as a regular snack, so I regretted a little that they were not a good choice for the original purpose. And then I somehow remembered a proverb.

View a full transcript: https://japanesemayuna.com/

Japanese Lessons with Mayuna

12. 良薬口に苦し

How Well Are You Prepared For A Job Interview? Quiz time!


There are few questions with further explanation as to why it's a good idea to do it. 

Here is a little quiz for you:

The best way to dress for success is to

A.
Dress comfortably
B.
Wear a formal suit
C.
Bring a sport coat, in case you need it
D.
Be trendy

2. What is the one thing you don't want to do during the first interview?

A.
Negotiate pay
B.
Connect with the interviewer.
C.
Communicate why you are a good fit.
D.
Close by arranging the next interview

3. How long does it normally take for the interviewer to determine whether you are a good match for the company?

A.
5 minutes
B.
20 minutes
C.
30 minutes
D.
At the conclusion of the interview

How many of them did you get and what were your thoughts anyway? 

Most of the time its people's interpretation of the job interview process & themselves is what they need to work on, not just the language, it's the psychology - it comes first.

If you want me to help you with your confidence, self perception & job interview preparation skills in English - book my limited success activation classes now.

Job Interview Preparation | CEO Interview Strategies From Diverse Business Sectors!

How Well Are You Prepared For A Job Interview? Quiz time!

The word “vacation” in Thai is พักร้อน (pák-rón)
พัก (pák) = to rest
ร้อน (rón) = ฤดูร้อน (réu-doo-rón) = summer
พักร้อน (pák-rón) = to go on vacation or to take a vacation/annual leave 

You can ask someone:
คุณจะไปพักร้อนที่ไหน (kun jà bpai pák-rón têe-nai) = Where are you going on vacation?
จะ (jà) = will
ไป (bpai) = to go
พักร้อน (pák-rón) = vacation/ annual leave 
ที่ไหน (têe-nai) = where

Now, let’s learn more phrases 

1. ไปเที่ยว (bpai-tîiao) = to go visit somewhere or go on vacation.
ไป (bpai) = to go
เที่ยว (tîiao) = to travel/ visit somewhere 

ผมจะไปเที่ยวเชียงใหม่ (pǒm jà bpai tîiao chiiang-mài) = I’m going to visit Chiang Mai.

ฉันอยากไปเที่ยวทะเลแล้วก็ดำน้ำ (chan yàak bpai-tîiao tá-lay láew-gôr dam-náam) = I want to go to the sea and snorkel.
อยาก (yàak) = to want to do sth
ทะเล (tá-lay) = sea
แล้วก็ (láew-gôr) = and, and then
ดำน้ำ (dam-náam) = to snorkel/ dive 

2. เที่ยวให้สนุกนะ (tîiao hâi sà-nùk ná) = Have fun. Have a great trip.
สนุก (sà-nùk) = fun

3. เดินทางปลอดภัย (dern-taang bplòt-pai) = Have a safe trip.
เดินทาง (dern-taang) = to travel
ปลอดภัย (bplòt-pai) = safe

4. กลับบ้าน (glàp-bâan) = to go back home
กลับ (glàp) = to go back
บ้าน (bâan) = home

This can also mean to go back to hometown to visit their family as well.

All right. We have seven phrases today. Let’s repeat again.

1. พักร้อน (pák-rón) = to go on vacation or to take a vacation/annual leave 

2. คุณจะไปพักร้อนที่ไหน (kun jà bpai pák-rón têe-nai) = Where are you going on vacation?

3. ผมจะไปเที่ยวเชียงใหม่ (pǒm jà bpai tîiao chiiang-mài) = I’m going to visit Chiang Mai.

4. ฉันอยากไปเที่ยวทะเล แล้วก็ดำน้ำ (chan yàak bpai-tîiao tá-lay láew-gôr dam-náam) = I want to go to the sea and snorkel.

5. เที่ยวให้สนุกนะ (tîiao hâi sà-nùk ná) = Have fun. Have a great trip.

6. เดินทางปลอดภัย (dern-taang bplòt-pai) = Have a safe trip.

7. กลับบ้าน (glàp-bâan) = to go back home

How was it? Hope these words and phrases are useful for you. See you after my vacation. แล้วเจอกันคะ Bye-Bye!

Thai - Tea La Nid (ไทยทีละนิด) Podcast

Thai - Tea La Nid (ไทยทีละนิด) - EP.8 - พักร้อน On Vacation! (with transcript for study)

Discover the secrets to effortless connections with 'The Art of Small Talk.' Enhance your social skills and learn to engage in captivating conversations that leave a lasting impression. Unlock the power of small talk and elevate your communication prowess today.