Many schools and universities focus on teaching only grammar. Students after graduation can't speak English. What is the problem?

How to Learn English

Is learning grammar important?

Use this simple method to improve your pronunciation (for free!). :)

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Learning Strategies for Success with Tyler Teacher

Improve your pronunciation: The Mimicry Method (Episode 3)

他的脸气得发红，然后又接着说道：
His face turned from white to red as he continued:
如果有人爱上了在这亿万颗星星中独一无二的一株花，当他看着这些星星的时候，这就足以使他感到幸福。
If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars.
他可以自言自语地说：“我的那朵花就在其中的一颗星星上”，
He can say to himself, "Somewhere, my flower is there."
但是如果羊吃掉了这朵花，对他来说，好像所有的星星一下子全都熄灭了一样！
But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened.
这难道也不重要吗？！
And you think that is not important!
他无法再说下去了，突然泣不成声。
He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing.
夜幕已经降临。
The night had fallen.
我放下手中的工具。
I had let my tools drop from my hands.
我把锤子、螺钉、饥渴、死亡，全都抛在脑后。

Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst, or death?
在一颗星球上，在一颗行星上，在我的行星上，在地球上有一个小王子需要安慰！
On one star, one planet, my planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted.
我把他抱在怀里。
I took him in my arms, and rocked him.
我摇着他，对他说：“你爱的那朵花没有危险。”
I said to him："The flower that you love is not in danger."
我给你的小羊画一个罩子。
I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep.
我给你的花画一副盔甲…我…
I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will。
我也不太知道该说些什么。
I did not know what to say to him.
我觉得自己太笨拙。
I felt awkward and blundering.
我不知道怎样才能达到他的境界，怎样才能再进入他的境界。
I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.
唉，泪水的世界是多么神秘啊！
It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

小王子-The Little Prince-Read in Chinese

小王子第17章：独一无二的花

Effective virtual communication in business thrives on five key practices:

Clarity and Concision:  Craft messages tailored to the platform. Emails should be well-structured with clear subject lines and concise language.  Video presentations benefit from strong visuals that support, not replace, spoken points. Regardless of the medium, focus on the core message and avoid jargon or unnecessary complexity.

Active Listening and Engagement:  Virtual environments lack nonverbal cues, so active listening is crucial. Pay close attention to what's being said, ask clarifying questions, and paraphrase key points to demonstrate understanding. Encourage participation through polls, breakout rooms, or chat features to keep everyone engaged.

Professionalism and Etiquette:  Maintain a professional online presence. Dress appropriately for video calls, use a clean and distraction-free virtual background, and practice good microphone etiquette (muting when not speaking).  Be mindful of time zones when sending emails and respect colleagues' schedules by avoiding unnecessary interruptions.

Leveraging Technology:  Utilize the tools available to enhance your communication.  Screen sharing allows for visual explanations, online whiteboards facilitate brainstorming, and breakout rooms foster focused discussions.  Mastering these features creates a more dynamic and informative virtual experience.

Building Rapport and Trust:  While physical presence is absent, fostering connection is vital.  Start meetings with icebreakers to create a lighter mood. Use video calls whenever possible to build rapport through facial expressions and body language.  Be transparent in your communication and acknowledge contributions from all participants to create a sense of trust and inclusivity.

The Global Professional Podcast

5 Best Practices of Effective Virtual Communication - EP 36

日本人の結婚式 No2 です。
みんなの国の結婚式となにがちがうかな？



Nihongo Hanaso (Beginners)

Beginners日本の結婚式 No2

「どうかもういっぺん弾いてください。あなたのはいいようだけれども すこしちがうんです。」
「何だと、おれがきさまに教わってるんではないんだぞ。帰らんか。」
「どうか たったもう一ぺんおねがいです。どうか。」かっこうは頭を何べんもこんこん下げました。
「ではこれっきりだよ。」
　ゴーシュは弓をかまえました。かっこうは「くっ」とひとつ息をして
「ではなるべく 長くおねがいいたします。」といってまた一つおじぎをしました。
「いやになっちまうなあ。」ゴーシュはにが笑いしながら 弾きはじめました。するとかっこうはまたまるで本気になって「かっこうかっこうかっこう」と体を曲げて 実に一生けん命叫びました。ゴーシュは はじめはむしゃくしゃしていましたが いつまでもつづけて弾いているうちに ふっと何だかこれは鳥の方が本当のドレミファに はまっているかなという気がしてきました。どうも弾けば弾くほどかっこうの方がいいような気がするのでした。
「えい こんなばかなことしていたら おれは鳥になってしまうんじゃないか。」とゴーシュはいきなりぴたりとセロをやめました。
　するとかっこうは どしんと頭を叩かれたように ふらふらっとして それからまたさっきのように
「かっこうかっこうかっこうかっかっかっかっかっ」といってやめました。それから うらめしそうにゴーシュを見て
「なぜやめたんですか。ぼくらなら どんな意気地ないやつでも のどから血が出るまでは叫ぶんですよ。」といいました。
「何を生意気な。こんなばかなまねを いつまでしていられるか。もう出て行け。見ろ。夜があけるんじゃないか。」ゴーシュは窓を指さしました。
　東のそらが ぼうっと銀いろになって そこをまっ黒な雲が北の方へどんどん走っています。

朗読クラブ📚Reading to Japanese language learners 

Kenji Miyazawa 宮沢賢治 :Gauche the Cellist 『セロ弾きのゴーシュ』#7

Some people love to brag. They might brag about where they live, the money they make or how great they are at sports.

In fact, some people even brag about how busy or stressed they are.

And it's becoming quite common.

It's called "busy bragging" or "stress bragging" — and people find it just as annoying as any other bragging.

You may have heard it at your workplace, when people tell everyone about how much work they have to do, or say things like: "You have no idea of the stress I'm under."

They might be doing this to show others that they're important or working hard.

However, a study from the US found that the colleagues of stress braggers find those people less likable and less competent because of their bragging.

And colleagues were found to be less likely to help stress braggers.

The study also found that colleagues may even begin to feel stress themselves because of the effect of people stress bragging.

Study author Jessica Rodell said: "People are harming themselves by doing this thing they think is going to make them look better to their colleagues."

However, Rodell said sharing workplace stress with others is not a bad thing to do: it's only when people brag about their stress that it causes negative feelings.

"It's not the being stressed part that's a problem," she said. In fact, the study found that if your colleagues think you're stressed, they do think you're more competent.

You just can't brag about it.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

'Busy Bragging': The Workplace Habit That Annoys Everyone

Gardening and growing your own food are on the rise and for good reason! In this fascinating episode of The Real English Conversations Podcast, Canadian italki English teachers Amy and Curtis share their passion for gardening, discussing the benefits of growing your own food and connecting with nature. From the joy of eating fresh, organic produce to the satisfaction of getting your hands dirty in the soil, you'll discover why gardening is becoming such a popular hobby. Plus, you'll hear about their friend Sebo's organic vegetable farm, gaining valuable insights into sustainable agriculture practices. So why not tune in and learn more about this rewarding pastime? 

And if you're looking to improve your English skills, book a lesson with Curtis on italki today! Follow this link to book your lesson now: https://www.italki.com/teacher/4672521/english

Real English Conversations Podcast

The Benefits of Gardening & Growing Your Own Food and Connecting with Nature: Real English Conversations Podcast On Italki

こんにちは！Atsushiです。
今日の天気は朝から変な天気です。
雨が降ったり、止んだりしています。
晴れてるのに雨が降ったりしています。
気温は17℃です。


さて、今回も慣用句シリーズでいきます。
今日も3つ話します。

① 馬の耳に念仏ーうまのみみにねんぶつ
これは、
馬に念仏を聞かせても意味がないことから、何を言っても全く効き目たないことのたとえ。

例えば、
あの人には何を言っても馬の耳に念仏です。
とか言います。


② 寝耳に水ーねみみにみず
これほ、
不意の出来事やニュースなどに驚くこと。
例えば、
ーあのニュースは本当に寝耳に水だった。
ー寝耳に水だったけど、彼女、結婚するらしいよ。
などと言います。

③ 小耳に挟むーこみみにはさむ
これは、
聞くつもりはなかったけど、ちらっと聞いた。そんな時に使います。

例えば、
ちょっと小耳に挟んだけど、彼と付き合ってるの？とか、
小耳に挟んだけど、株、上がるらしいよ。とかに
使います。

良いことにも、良くないことにも両方使えますね。
ちょっとコソコソ話す時に使います。


はい、ということでいかがだったでしょうか。
耳の慣用句だったので、情報や噂などに関するものもの多いと思います。

今回も最後まで聞いていただき、ありがとうございます！
ではまた！