Almost daily, short podcasts to help you build a useful and modern vocabulary and improve your ability to communicate at work.

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

On the Breakout Business English podcast we focus on vocabulary, and methods to help you to build CONFIDENCE and FLUENCY in the English skills that you use in your professional life.

Breakout Business English

Neste conto Clarice Lispector conta o sucedido a uma comum galinha doméstica em um dia de domingo. Mas será que a autora quer nós dizer algo mais com sua pequena alegoria?

Se sim, o que você acha que seria?

Adoraria ler e discutir esse conto com você e saber suas opinião.

Brazilian Poems and Literature

Uma Galinha - Clarice Lispector

In this episode of Ctrl+Speak, we break down the concept of ACL (Access Control List). ACLs are a set of rules that manage which users or systems can access resources on a network or system. Learn the difference between standard and extended ACLs, and explore real-world scenarios where ACLs are essential in managing access and ensuring security. Stay tuned for a short quiz at the end to test your knowledge!



CTRL+SPEAK

Episode 2: ACL (Access Control List)

Instead of saying “你好！” or "你好吗？“， we have another more authentic way to greet.

Click the podcast and know how the Chinese say, learn some short sentences and basic grammar here! 

Please check the comment, I will put the words and sentences there for you to practice.
If you like it, don't forget to subscribe and hit the "like" ~

Sylva Mandarin

Say hello in more authentic Mandarin instead of saying "你好!"

📩 Apúntate a mi boletín de noticias para aprender una palabra coloquial al día: https://acortar.link/d8H9at

Español coloquial

Me han dejado tirada

最近、ドイツのスーパーでは小麦粉や油、パスタが売り切れになっています。油については揚げ物に使うひまわり油は売り切れていますが、オリーブオイルはあります。小麦粉や油を置いている棚には「1人２個まで」と書いた紙が貼ってあります。
この状況がなぜ起こっているのか、私には詳しい理由がわかりません。戦争のせいでウクライナやロシアから商品が来ていないからかもしれないし、緊急の場合に備えて買いだめをしている人が多いからかもしれません。
２年前にパンデミックが始まった時にも小麦粉とトイレットペーパーが売り切れになりました。
幸い、私の家には去年イタリアでもらったオリーブオイルとパスタがたくさんあるので困っていません。
みなさんの国ではどうですか？

小麦粉：こむぎこ　flour
油：あぶら　oil
ひまわり：sunflower
売り切れ：うりきれ　sold out
棚：たな　shelf
棚に紙が貼（は）ってあります：a paper is stuck on the shelf, there is a paper on the shelf
状況：じょうきょう　situation
詳しい：くわしい　detailed
理由：りゆう reason
戦争：せんそう　war
商品：しょうひん　product
緊急：きんきゅう　emergency
備（そな）えて：prepare
緊急の場合に備（そな）えて：in case of emergency
買（か）いだめする： hoard , stock up on
幸（さいわ）い：fortunately

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

ドイツでは小麦粉と油が売り切れになっています（Flour and oil are sold out in Germany)

"If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be, and why?"

This may be your idea of a nightmare interview question — and yes, employers really use it.

Your answer won't reveal anything about your ability to, say, use Microsoft Excel or drive a forklift truck. But it may tell your potential boss something about your "soft skills."

It's been said that hard skills will get you an interview, but soft skills will get you a job.

Hard skills are things you might learn at university, like how to write computer code or speak French.

Soft skills are the things you might not be able to prove with a qualification, but that will help you succeed in the workplace.

These could include being good at things like problem-solving, time management, and communicating with others or understanding how they feel — even being a good listener.

Employers say soft skills are more important than ever as the world adapts to remote and hybrid working patterns, because being able to communicate clearly and adapt to new situations is even more vital to success.

Some have called soft skills innate. But can we learn them or at least improve them?

"Yes," says jobs website Indeed.

It says the keys are to communicate regularly with the people on your team, be open to feedback, and pay attention to the way others overcome challenges including how they interact with people to do so.

Indeed also says it's important to simply get to work on time. This will help with time management, and also helps you achieve your goals and stand out from your colleagues.

Amanda Vickers, CEO of training company Speak First, told The Guardian that it's also important to try to understand what other people's needs and motives might be. This will help you adapt and work successfully with different people.

So, which ice cream flavor are you?

Well, the flavor isn't important but your answer could demonstrate soft skills such as creativity, quick thinking and even self-awareness.

Just don't choose vanilla.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Succeed at Work by Developing Your Soft Skills

Although many people can deny it but a good appearance is important. Confidence also comes from a good appearance because it requires discipline to maintain weight and watch what you eat. In this podcast, I will give some tips on how to have a good appearance. Hope it helps.