So you have an IELTS speaking test. How should you spend that 1 minute you have to prepare for part 2? What kind of notes should you take? This podcast tells you what to do with your 1 minute preparation time. Listen, and don't forget to take the quiz!

IELTS Speaking Practice

IELTS speaking test part 2. How do your prepare?

もうすぐ2022年が終わりますね。
皆さんにとって、この一年はどんな年でしたか。
今回は、二人が一年を振り返って「今年の漢字」を選びます。

Another year is ending.
How would you describe how your year went?
This time, we look back on 2022 and choose a Kanji to represent our events of the year.

♤ キーワード 
・恒例（こうれい：annual）
・和尚（おしょう：the head priest of a Japanese Buddhist temple）
・ちゃぶ台返し（ちゃぶだいがえし：turn the table upside down） 
・三日坊主（みっかぼうず：a easy quitter）  

♧ 理解度チェッククイズ 
1. フミの今年の漢字と、それを選んだ理由は？ 
2. アヤの今年の漢字と、それを選んだ理由は？ 

♢ 前回のクイズの答え 
1. アヤが今年中にやりたいことは？ 
→ ベトナム料理のレストランでブンチャーを食べること
2. それがなかなかできない理由は？ 
→ アヤにとって、電車に乗って２駅移動するのはハードルが高いから

BGM special thanks：MusMus

アヤさんとフミさんの日本語雑談（Aya and Fumi’s Japanese Chit-Chat）

Episode 20：今年の漢字

Which idioms can you hear? Here are the meanings:

1. feeling ill - under the _____________
2a. told a secret  - spill the _________
2b. told a secret - let the cat ____ of the ______
3. to not believe someone - to pull someone's _______
4. to happen rarely - once in a blue _________
5. not take something seriously - take something with a pinch of ________
6. go to bed - hit the ______

Listening Skills

Idioms!

Hello everyone. Today, I would like to talk about one important thing you should know when starting to study Japanese: the difference in the particle "が" (ga).

There are actually two types of "が" that even Japanese people may not notice: "がga" and "がnga." Words that start with "が," such as "がっこう" (school), "ガイド" (guide), "がいこく" (foreign country), and "がん" (cancer), are almost 100% "がga."

However, the particle "が" is basically "がnga."

"わたしが ようへです。" (Watashi ga Youhei desu. I`m Yohei)
"ネコがいます。" (Neko ga imasu. There is a cat )
"それが わたしのペンです。" (Sore ga watashi no pen desu. That is my pen )
If you try to read these as "がga," the pronunciation can be a bit difficult. You don't need to memorize this now, but when emphasizing, you can also pronounce the particle as "がga," as in "あのひと じゃありません、わたしが ようへいです。" (Ano hito janai, watashi ga Youhei desu.　Not that person, I`M Yohei)
Alright. So everyone, please do your best with Japanese. See you again!



ようへい先生　　N4,N5チャンネル

・To the students who are starting Japanese from now on,

Audio Clips less than 1 minute. Just talking about random feelings and  thoughts about life, love , success, failure friendship and spiritual journey. In short, about life

सानो कुराकानी | Sano kurakani | Little talks| リトル・トーク 

Sano Kurakani | Ma pray soch chu | I often think | よくこう考える

Продолжаем чтение сказки о Рыбаке и рыбке. Отвечаем на вопросы. 

Russfriend  (all about russia) 

Сказка о рыбаке и  рыбке  часть 3

In this episode you will hear a story about a greedy old woman, her husband and a small little fish

Short Stories for (our inner) Child(ren)

La vieja avariciosa (The greedy old woman)

A bluefin tuna was sold for 36.04 million yen -- around $273,000 -- at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

The price of the 212-kilogram fish was more than double that of the most expensive fish at last year's New Year's auction: a 211-kilogram fish that sold for 16.88 million yen -- at that time worth $145,000.

Both fish were caught off the coast of the town of Oma in Aomori prefecture.

This year's auction began at 5:10 a.m. on January 5, and around 230 tuna were sold in just 15 minutes.

Seafood wholesaler Yamayuki bought this year's most expensive fish for the sushi restaurant Ginza Onodera. The tuna was served to the restaurant's customers later that same day.

This is the third year in a row that Yamayuki has bought the most expensive tuna. However, prices had fallen in recent years as the restaurant industry suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.

Yamayuki's president Yukitaka Yamaguchi told The Yomiuri Shimbun that the increased price this year "is good news that symbolizes the gradual recovery from the pandemic."

This year's top price was the sixth highest since records began being kept in 1999.

The highest price recorded was at the New Year's auction in 2019 -- just after Tokyo's fish market moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu. At that auction, a 278-kilogram fish was sold for 333.6 million yen -- at that time $3 million -- to Kiyomura Corp., whose owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, runs the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Tuna Sells for ¥36 Million at Tokyo New Year Auction

Job Interview Preparation. Tip 3: Rehearce your answers to common interview questions.

Prepare your answer to the common question: “Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company?” 

The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the role—it’s your elevator pitch

What are some common questions:

Here are few from one of my clients that is based in the UK:

1. What do you do to develop your own knowledge and experience and improve your ability to meet your goals?
2. Do you have the techical skills and knowledge to make a real difference in the role? How have those skills been recognized and valued?

To name a few..

Listen to some ideas share in the podcast to be better equipped for your next interview!

To Your Success!
