A very useful podcast on the MANY similarities between fishing and business

The Jerome Meadows Experience

Fishing & Business Metaphors 

今日は、日本昔ばなしの中でも特に有名な「傘地蔵」というお話を紹介したいと思います。

⚪︎笠地蔵とは？

笠＋地蔵

・笠（Hat）
雨・雪・日光などを防ぐため、かぶったり、さしたりするもの。
このお話に登場する「笠」は、昔ながらの「笠」です。三角形の形をした帽子です。もう一つの「傘」（英語のumbrella）とは形が違うことに注意してください。

・地蔵＝お地蔵様 （Jizo-）
仏教の神様の石像です。 お地蔵様を正しくは「地蔵菩薩（じぞうぼさつ）」といいます。お地蔵様は仏教という宗教の神様の一つです。日本では、お地蔵様は神社や、道路のわきに置いてあることが多いです。道路のわきにあるお地蔵様は、その土地、その場所を悪いものから守る土地の神さまとして、信仰を集めています。

...という訳で「傘をかぶった神様の石像」についてのお話です。

それでは、物語をゆっくり話していきます。短い物語なので、ぜひ 最後まで聞いてみてくださいね。物語を話した後にいくつかの単語について解説していきます。

Easy Japanese with Aiko | Slow & Natural Listening

かさじぞう（笠地蔵）- Japanese Falktales①

Hi everyone! How was your Christmas? I hope you received wonderful gifts! In this episode, I introduce how Japanese people spend New Year's Day in N5 Japanese. Have fun and Happy New Year to you all!

たつきのにほんご

Japanese New Year's Day (Beginner)

Every time you're online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. Sometimes they want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times they want to upset people for political reasons. These days it's so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.

There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don't get fooled!

1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? Is the text well written? Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don't have many real stories about other topics. If you aren't sure, click on the 'About' page and look for a clear description of the organisation.

2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.

3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn't fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story. 

4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it's probably designed to make you angry.


The Habits of Professionals Growing Into Strong, Confident English Communicators

Reading Practice & Comprehension. How to spot fake news.


❓ Ti piace cucinare?
❓ Hai mai mangiato qualcosa di strano? Ti è piaciuto?
❓ Che cosa mangi adesso che non mangiavi da piccolo/a?
❓ Ti piace mangiare nuovi cibi?

🙋🏼‍♀️ Queste sono alcune delle domande legate al cibo alle quali risponderò in questo episodio. 

🎧 Buon ascolto!

⬇️ VOCABOLARIO ⬇️

- Orecchiette alle cime di rapa (piatto tipico pugliese) = Orecchiette with turnip tops (typical dish from Puglia)

- Cibo da asporto = Takeaway food

- Questo influisce molto = This has a big impact

- Mercato della frutta e verdura = Fruit and vegetable market

- Bancarelle di frutta e verdura = Fruit and vegetable stalls

- Prezzi intoccabili = Sky-high prices

- Fruttivendolo = Fruit vendor

- Macellaio = Butcher

- Panificio = Bakery

- Cavallo di battaglia = Signature dish 

- Patate riso e cozze (piatto tipico pugliese) = Potatoes, rice, and mussels (typical dish from Puglia)


Domanda scontata = trivial question


Corpo sano, mente sana = Healthy body, healthy mind


Sarebbe impensabile = It would be unthinkable


Furbo = Clever / Sly

Mi piange il cuore = It breaks my heart


Qualcosa che non mi aggrada = Something I don't like






Puro Parlare

24. Il cibo


   a. Level playing field - A fair and equal competition or situation.
      Example: "

The new rules ensure a level playing field for all participants."
   b. Throw in the towel - To give up or surrender.
      Example: "After the continuous setbacks, she finally threw in the towel."
   c. Play ball - To cooperate or participate willingly.
      Example: "If we want to achieve success, we all need to play ball and work together."
   d. Offside - In an unauthorized or disadvantageous position.
      Example: "The goal was disallowed due to the player being offside."
   e. Hit it out of the park - To achieve great success or accomplish something outstanding.
      Example: "Her presentation hit it out of the park and impressed everyone in the room."



IELTS Podcast 雅思博客

Sports-related idioms


The Little Prince visits a planet ruled by a lonely king. 
Listen in Farsi and learn new words about power, respect, and human nature—through a simple, beautiful story.

Once Upon a Time

شازده کوچولو، فصل دهم

This podcast episode will help you with numerous definitions of the phrasal verb 'take up'. Be sure to go to my profile and book your online English lesson! ^^

All About English and How You Learn It!

How to Use 'Take Up' as a Phrasal Verb

不过：连词，用在后一分句的开头，表示转折，对前一分句的意思做补充、修正。
例如：我本来想当医生，不过我发现自己更喜欢教汉语。
不过：也可以做副词，表示“仅仅”，强调比较少、比较小。
“不过”在委婉地提出意见或表示拒绝时常用, 多用于口语；而“但是”表达转折的语气更重一些。
不过 + 数词
虽然/尽管/即使...，但是...。（不过 ×）

我很想跟你在一起，(但是)我爱上了别人。
我很想跟你在一起，(不过)我爱上了别人。