It is a short story by Ivan Turgenev, a Russian novelist and story writer. The story of Gerasim, a deaf and mute serf whose life of poverty is brought into sharp relief by his connection with Mumu, a dog he rescued, brought greater national attention to the cruelties of serfdom and received praise for its brutal portrayal of this institution in Russian society.

Learn Russian with Marianna!

Ivan Turgenev "Mumu"

The Dunce

He says no with his head
but he says yes with his heart
he says yes to what be loves
he says no to the teacher
he stands
he is questioned
and all the problems are posed
sudden mad laughter seizes him
and he erases all
the words and figures
names and dates
sentences and snares
and despite the teacher’s threats
to the jeers of infant prodigies
with chalk of every color
on the blackboard of misfortune
he draws the face of happiness

Translation: Lawrence Ferlinghetti

𝗗𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗔𝗜𝗦 ? 😉

🎙️𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒎 " 𝑳𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑹𝑬 " 🥁𝒅𝒆 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒆́𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕 🎶

In dieser Episode spreche ich in Kürze über Small Talk. Viel Spaß beim Zuhören!

Deutsch durchdacht 

Episode 3: Small Talk

The Missing Element in All Types of Interviews

In a job interview, make your case fast and be sure your suit is pressed, too. But it's not what the recording is about :) 

You might laugh, but it takes a few seconds for an experienced HR manager to decide on the outcome of the interview.

One of my students from China working as a general manager for a luxury firm said, "Oh, Anatoly, I watch for the words they use; if they have a victim mentality, the chances of them succeeding with us are low.". 

What are you going to do now after reading this?

I mean, I hear these remarks by my students who are top managers—they don't want to hear any kind of whining or complaining about the past. All they care about is how successfully you are going to assist and support the company's evolution and growth!

The winner's attitude is what they are looking for, and to be honest, it's a rare-case scenario.

If you check with yourself, what do you like? A complainer? A thrilled and excited individual? Are you happy about the changes, or does the future seem dark and gloomy?

Top managers got themselves trained to pick those nuanses, and so do I, as I've had top performers as my students for 8 years, and I did close to 21 thousand meetings with them—it's evident!

Let me know if this text was an eye-opener for you. I would be for me!!! 

If you want  me to listen to your speech and share some recommentations of how to improve your English performance - be my guest, book my classes now!



Job Interview Preparation | Build Strong Communication Under Pressure

The Missing Element In All Types of Interviews

New Dialogue Composed of HSK1-1 Vocabulary

Yo-You 与你同行(HSK)

HSK1

🧠 Confidence & Communication — What’s the real connection?

If you’re a non-native English-speaking manager, you’ve likely felt it:

👉 You know what you want to say…
But in the moment, the words vanish. Doubt creeps in. Confidence slips away.

The truth is — language and confidence are deeply connected.
How you feel when you speak matters just as much as the words you choose.

Try this 1-minute confidence reset before your next meeting:

✨ Close your eyes
✨ Inhale slowly (4 seconds)
✨ Hold (4 seconds)
✨ Exhale gently (6 seconds)
✨ Repeat 3 times

Then say quietly to yourself:
💬 “My voice matters. I speak with clarity.”

🌿 Confidence doesn’t mean speaking perfectly. It means showing up — grounded, clear, and present.

If you’re ready to feel more confident in your communication, I’d love to help.

📩 DM me anytime — let’s build that confidence together.

#BusinessEnglish #ConfidenceAtWork #LeadershipCommunication #MindfulCommunication #NonNativeSpeaker #PublicSpeaking #ExecutivePresence #SoftSkillsMatter #SpeakWithConfidence #CareerGrowth

🧠 Confidence & Communication — What’s the real connection?

En el episodio de esta semana hablo de insultos. Probablemente pienses que no es un tema muy agradable, pero….no hablo de insultos fuertes, sino de insultos que muchas veces usamos de forma cariñosa, y que son bastante divertidos.

Este podcast es un esfuerzo conjunto, porque para elegir los insultos he consultado con amigos y familiares para estar segura que compartía los insultos graciosos más comunes, no solo según mi criterio.

Espero que lo disfrutes. Y…¡No te olvides de decirme qué piensas y tu insulto favorito en los comentarios!


Blanca to go 

22 – Insultos graciosos en español  

MARGARET: Mr. Wilson, I’d like you to meet 
Dr. Edward Smith.
MR. WILSON: It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Smith.
DR. SMITH: Pleasure to meet you, too.
MARGARET: Dr. Smith is an economist. He just finished
writing a book on international trade.
MR. WILSON: Oh? That’s my field, too. I work for the 
United Nations.
DR. SMITH: In the Development Program, by any chance?
MR. WILSON: Yes. How did you guess?
DR. SMITH: I’ve read your articles on technical assistance. 
They’re excellent

LANGUAGE NOTES
• Mr. Wilson, I’d like you … Notice the rising intonation on “Mr. Wilson,” which is used 
to address someone. Listen for the “d” in “I’d like.” This means I would like, which is 
very different from I like. (“I’d like” means the same as “I would like” or “I want.”)
• Dr. Smith is an economist. Notice the stress on “economist.” This content word has 
new information, so it is emphasized. There are four syllables in “economist,” with the 
stress on the second syllable (e-CON-o-mist).
• He just finished writing … “just” means the very recent past. “Just” is usually used 
with a simple past verb because the action is complete. However, it can also be used 
with the present perfect (He’s just finished writing …).
• Development program. Since these two words make a compound noun, the main 
stress falls on “development.”
• By any chance? Means the same as “possibly.” Notice the rising intonation, which is 
used in yes/no questions to confirm that something is true.