How to start a business or formal letter, if you know their name, and what to put if you don't.

The Social Evolutionary

Dear Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms...?

No episódio de hoje, vamos falar sobre a expressão idiomática "Estar com a cabeça nas nuvens", uma expressão usada em língua portuguesa no Brasil em diferentes contextos para descrever pessoas que estão mentalmente ausentes ou distraídas devido aos seus pensamentos ou sonhos. Acompanhe o podcast "Colorindo o Diálogo" na voz da professora Camila Ramos.

Colorindo o Diálogo -  Português do Brasil

Estar com a cabeça nas nuvens

「あやしい」とは本当かどうか疑わしいという意味です。
「聞いているだけで英語が話せるようになる」とか「これを食べるだけでやせる」という商品を見るたびに私は「あやしいな」と思います。

オンラインショップやレストランのレビューもあやしいなと感じることがあります。私はアマゾンで商品を買うときはなるべくレビューやコメントが多い商品を選びます。レビューがとてもいい商品でも、レビューの数が少ないものはあまり選ばないようにしています。

２週間前の雪が降るという天気予報を私はあやしいなと思っていました。「もう4月なのに今さら雪が降るわけがない」と思っていました。でも、たくさん雪が積もりました。

みなさんは、最近なにか「あやしいな」と感じたことはありますか？


あやしい：doubtful, suspect, fishy
疑わしい：うたがわしい　doughtful
やせる：lose weight
商品：しょうひん　product
レビュー：rating, review, 評価（ひょうか）
数：かず　number
評価をつける／残す（のこす）： to rate, review
天気予報：てんきよほう　weather forecast

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

あやしい-Today’s Word

Language lovers, tune in!

I hear this question, “How can I sound more like a native English speaker?” all the time, and I always give the same response. Use the shadowing technique!

Shadowing involves repeating someone's speech immediately after they say it. It's like you're following them as your shadow follows you. The beauty of this technique is that anyone can do it alone. Since most people learning a second language don't have the opportunity to speak with native speakers often, speaking it on your own is the next best thing. This method isn't only for English learning; it will work for all languages!

Tune in to the latest Express to Impress podcast episode to learn how to implement the shadowing technique. Learn about its origins and get tips to implement it effectively.  You’ll be inspired by the stories I share of people who have attained near-native English fluency and pronunciation by using this technique. By the end, you’ll be convinced the shadowing technique is an incredibly powerful English learning tool!

Episode originally published on September 11, 2020.
Transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/english-learning/.

Express to Impress

Introducing the Shadowing Technique for English Learning

Escúchanos a Milo y a mí hablar sobre el clima en México y Colombia y pon en práctica el nuevo vocabulario.

Visit us: 
https://www.italki.com/teacher/6844238/spanish
https://www.italki.com/teacher/11526291/spanish 

No Manches Que Bacano

The Weather in Spanish

This is a short conversation between  a student and a teacher.
 The script is as follows:
M: Hello, teacher, how are you? sà-wàt-dee kráp kroo bpen yang ngai bâang kráp
T: Hello, fine and you Meng? sà-wàt-dee kâ · sà-baai dee · láew Meng lá kâ
M: Life is fine. I have been to Thailand for 2 days. (ago)
      chee-wít sà-baai · sà-baai kráp · maa bprà-têt tai sŏng wan láew 
T: Are you coming for a visit, right?  maa tîieow châi măi?
 M: Not at all. I moved to work  here. mâi châi loiie kráp  pŏm yáai maa tam ngaan têe nêe
T: Very good. Tomorrow Thailand will have an important festival.
     Dee mâak · prûng-née bprà-têt tai jà mee têt-sà-gaan săm-kan
M: What is the festival? I've never been to Thailand in this period.
      têt-sà-gaan à-rai kráp · pŏm mâi koiie maa bprà-têt tai  chûuang née
T:   Songkran, do you know ?  sŏng-graan · róo jàk măi
M:  I've never heard,  what is it?  mâi koiie dâai yin · keu à-rai kráp
T: Thai New Year's Day Tourists know that Songkran is a water play day for Thai people.
       wan bpee mài tai · nák tông tîieow róo jàk sŏng-graan keu wan lên náam kŏng kon tai
M: Very interesting, I'm glad to be able to visit Songkran Festival.
      nâa sŏn jai mâak · pŏm dee jai têe jà dâai tîieow têt-sà-gaan sŏng-graan
T: not just play with water. We have many activities such as going to the temple to make merit. release the bird, release the fish,  visit family , pay respect to parents and elders and carry sand into the temple
   mâi châi kâe lên náam · rao mee gìt-jà-gam lăai yàang · chên · bpai tam bun têe wát · bplòi nók bplòi bplaa · bpai yîiam krôp kruua · wâai pôr mâe láe pôo sŏong aa-yú láe kŏn saai kâo wát
M: Really excited! Tomorrow I will go to the city and temple to see the Songkran atmosphere.
     róo sèuk dtèun dtên jing jing · prûng-née pŏm jà bpai nai meuuang láe wát · pêuua doo ban-
     yaa-gàat
     Sorry, I have to go. I have an appointment with my boss.
     kŏr tôht kráp · pŏm dtông bpai láew · pŏm mee nát gàp jâo naai kráp

Learning Thai with Kru Tarntawan

Conversation about Songkran Festival

If you never heard of this festival, let me fill you in today! If you like my podcast , subscribe to it!
01:00 What are the origins of the Chinese New Year? 中国春节的由来
02:49 When is Chinese New Year? 什么时候过春节
03:42 How we Preparing for the New Year?
04:19 What do we do in New Year's Eve? 除夕夜
05:10 the Lantern Festival 元宵节

New Year’s Eve events 除夕夜的习俗
the Spring Festival 春节 [chūn jié]
set off Fireworks 放烟花 fàng yān huā
set off Firecrackers放鞭炮 fàng biān pào
New Year ’ s Eve dinner年夜饭 nián yè fàn
Hang red scrolls 贴春联 tiē chūn lián
Hang the Lantern 挂灯笼 guà dēng lóng
Dumpling 饺子 jiǎo zǐ
a glutinous rice balls 汤圆 tāng yuán
Lantern Festival 元宵节 yuán xiāo jiē
the lion dance 舞狮 wǔ shī（舞is short for跳舞，狮=狮子）
新年快乐 xīn nián kuài lè
恭喜发财 gōng xǐ fā cái

Talk to Cara in Chinese

11.中国节日系列：春节 Chinese New Year

Silver and Ravine hate their hotel room and decide to try the science room and the sweet room. A witch shows up to scare them.

Vocabulary:
gurney: a table or stretcher with wheels, used to transport patients
cadaver: a dead body used for science
specimen: a part of a plant or animal used for scientific study
resurrect: to come alive again
racket: the tool used to hit the ball in tennis, it also means a lot of noise
picking a lock: opening a lock without a key