"Надо" and "нужно", is there a difference? Let's debunk another myth.

All about Russian language 🌟

Надо vs. Нужно

这集主要介绍汉语口语中“1.喝西北风；2.说得比唱得还好听；3.不定”的意思及用法。

A Course in Chinese Colloquial Idioms

How to use“1.喝西北风；2.说得比唱得还好听；3.不定”

Does 露马脚 mean showing the horse's feet and what is the origin of this idiom? Come to find out!

Shay的中文小课堂

Idioms and Slangs Episode7-露马脚lù mǎ jiǎo

In the business world, active listening goes beyond simply hearing information. It's a strategic communication skill that fosters deeper understanding, builds trust, and improves collaboration. It involves giving your full attention to a speaker, both verbally and nonverbally, to grasp the complete message. This includes:

Paying close attention: Minimize distractions, maintain eye contact, and avoid formulating counter-arguments while someone speaks.
Understanding nonverbal cues: Notice body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to glean underlying emotions or unspoken concerns.
Asking clarifying questions: Don't assume you understand everything. Use open-ended questions to encourage elaboration and ensure you're on the same page.
Paraphrasing and summarizing: Reflect back key points in your own words to confirm comprehension and demonstrate attentiveness.
Empathy and emotional intelligence: Acknowledge the speaker's feelings and tailor your responses to create a safe space for open communication.
Active listening benefits businesses in numerous ways:

Stronger client relationships: By truly understanding client needs, businesses can provide more relevant solutions and build lasting partnerships.
Enhanced negotiation and sales: Active listening allows salespeople to tailor pitches and identify client concerns for successful deal-closing.
Improved team dynamics: Active listening fosters collaboration by ensuring everyone feels heard and valued, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making.
Reduced conflict: By giving speakers their due attention and clarifying positions, misunderstandings and conflicts are minimized.
Increased productivity: Active listening avoids wasted time due to miscommunication and ensures everyone is working towards the same goals.
By actively listening, businesses create a communication culture that fosters trust, collaboration, and ultimately, success. 

The Global Professional Podcast

Active Listening Explained - Episode 81

Hi everyone, in this episode I talk about which flavor I prefer, Chocolate or Vanilla. Which do you prefer? Let me know in the comments :)

What's Your Opinion?

What's Your Opinion? Chocolate or Vanilla

There are a number of useful phrases you can use when you want to give your views about controversial subjects. Here are some examples:

I strongly believe that...
As far as I am concerned...
I'm strongly against...
I'm strongly in favor of...
I'm convinced that would work because...
I'm not convinced that would work because...
I'm skeptical of the idea that...
I must admit I think...


Everyday English with Teacher Alyse

Views on controversial subjects

👉 This episode of Stairway to English is a very special conversation edition! This is Part 1. Part 2 will be available very soon! 

👉 Marisa and I talk about her life, her background with language learning, where her family is from, and growing up as an English language learner. Marisa speaks with a Texan accent. I hope you enjoy the episode!

👉 Vocabulary
Commute - Travel some distance between one's home and place of work on a regular basis

Stay put - To stay in one place

Public Relations - A type of employment where you work with companies to help them in the news or stay out of the news

Birth certificate - A certificate received at birth to show where you were born

Immigrant - A person who moves to and lives in a different country

Pull out - Take something out

Drop off - Leave someone or something somewhere

Hand me over - Give someone something or someone

Siblings - Brothers and/or sisters

Pick up - Collect a person or a thing from a place

Accelerates - Move quickly

Y’all - You all. This is used mainly in the southern part of the USA.

Carried on a long distance relationship - Dated while living far apart from one another

No brainer - An easy decision

Ma’am - A polite way to address women

Sir - A polite way to address men

Mannerisms - The way you act and handle yourself

👉 Have questions about the episode? Comment below or send me a message!

👉 If you would like to take a lesson with me, send me a message here on italki! Right now, I can't accept new students because my italki schedule is full, but I will be able to very soon! Get on my waiting list now so you will be first in line for lesson openings!

Stairway to English: Short easy to understand episodes to improve your English grammar and fluency

Part 1: Conversation Edition: Language Learning, Families, and Immigration with Marisa Vallbona

En un pequeño pueblo llamado Villa Verde vivía una niña llamada Ana. Ana tenía ocho años y le encantaban los animales. Su mascota favorita era un gato negro llamado Noche. Noche era un gato muy curioso y siempre estaba explorando el jardín de Ana. Un día, Ana se despertó y no encontró a Noche en su cama. Se preocupó mucho porque Noche nunca se iba muy lejos. Ana buscó por toda la casa, pero Noche no estaba en ninguna parte. Entonces decidió salir a buscarlo por el pueblo. Primero, Ana fue a la panadería de don Pedro. Don Pedro era un señor amable que siempre le daba a Ana un panecillo cuando lo visitaba.
Ana: Buenos días, don Pedro. ¿Ha visto a mi gato Noche?
Don Pedro: Hola, Ana. No lo he visto hoy. Pero puedes preguntar en la tienda de la señora Rosa. Tal vez ella lo haya visto.
Ana agradeció a don Pedro y corrió hacia la tienda de la señora Rosa. La tienda estaba llena de cosas interesantes, desde dulces hasta juguetes.
Ana: Buenos días, señora Rosa. ¿Ha visto a mi gato Noche?
Señora Rosa: Hola, Ana. No, no lo he visto, pero puedes preguntar en la plaza. A veces los gatos van allí a jugar.
Ana salió de la tienda y se dirigió a la plaza del pueblo. Allí vio a muchos niños jugando y también a su amigo Luis.
Ana: Hola, Luis. ¿Has visto a mi gato Noche?
Luis: ¡Hola, Ana! No, no lo he visto. Pero podemos buscarlo juntos. ¡Vamos!
Ana y Luis buscaron por toda la plaza, pero no encontraron a Noche. De repente, escucharon un maullido suave que venía de un arbusto grande.
Ana: ¡Escucha, Luis! ¡Creo que es Noche!
Los dos amigos se acercaron al arbusto y, efectivamente, allí estaba Noche. El gato estaba atrapado entre unas ramas. Luis y Ana lo ayudaron a salir y Noche se veía muy contento de ver a su dueña.
Ana: ¡Gracias, Luis! Estoy muy feliz de haber encontrado a Noche. Vamos a casa.
Ana y Luis caminaron de regreso a casa de Ana con Noche en los brazos. Ana estaba muy agradecida por la ayuda de su amigo y prometió ser más cuidadosa para que Noche no volviera a perderse.

Podcast en español para principiantes - Vocabulary (Podcast in Spanish for beginners)

El Misterio del Gato Perdido

Narrator: Queen Elizabeth the First was born in 1533. Her father, King Henry the Eighth, was disappointed that his second wife Anne Boleyn had not produced a son and he had Anne’s head cut off when Elizabeth was only two years old. Elizabeth received the same education that a son would have and studied classical and modern languages, history and religion.

Narrator: When Henry died in 1547, Elizabeth’s younger brother Edward briefly became king, but on his death in 1553, her older sister Mary took over. Mary was a Catholic and wanted to bring England back into the Catholic faith after her father had broken with the Catholic Church and the Pope in Rome. She tried to achieve this by force and had 300 Protestants burnt at the stake. When “Bloody Mary” died childless in 1558, Elizabeth became queen.

Narrator: The first challenge Elizabeth faced was to bring the country together after the religious conflicts it had experienced during Mary’s rule. The Church of England that she set up occupied a middle ground between the Catholic and Protestant faiths and allowed some freedom in people’s personal beliefs as long as they attended church regularly. This saved England from further violence, although there were constant threats from both sides.

Narrator: Elizabeth was very skilled at presenting an image. She had many pictures of herself painted wearing expensive clothes and jewelry as well as makeup to make her face look pale, sometimes showing herself as a goddess or other figure from classical myths. She traveled around the country regularly on horseback so she could see and be seen by her people, who were very loyal to her.

Narrator: Elizabeth never married. Many men both at home and abroad wanted to marry her, but she played them off against each other. This meant she could avoid taking sides in various domestic and foreign political and religious conflicts, but it also meant that when she died, there would be no clear heir. She saw herself as married to the country...