"I am not afraid of the storms, for I am learning how to sail a ship"
Little Women is a delightful movie that follows the life of four sisters and their neighbor in New England during the civil war.

Word Wizardry

Little Women

We delve into the intricate and often humorous interplay between these two neighboring cultures – Norway and Sweden. Much like Newton's laws of thermodynamics, the principles of conversation dynamics between Norwegians and Swedes can be observed and understood through a few key laws:

First Law: The Law of Politeness Conservation
In any conversation between a Norwegian and a Swede, politeness is neither created nor destroyed but merely transferred. Each party carefully navigates the exchange, ensuring that respect and civility remain balanced and intact.

Second Law: The Principle of Understatement Equilibrium
Understatements in Norwegian-Swedish dialogue tend to seek equilibrium. When one party downplays an event or achievement, the other instinctively matches this tone, creating a harmonious balance of modesty and humor.

Third Law: The Entropy of Misunderstandings
As the complexity of conversation increases, so does the potential for misunderstandings. These are often caused by the subtle nuances and cultural references unique to each nation. Yet, this entropy is often countered by the shared history and mutual respect between Norwegians and Swedes, leading to resolution and clarity.

Join us as we explore these dynamics and uncover the fascinating, and often understated, art of Norwegian-Swedish communication.

Everything Zenified 

The Dynamics of Scandinavian Communication – Understatements 

听神话故事 - 精卫填海，回答问题。
用简单的故事练习自己的听力

中文故事

听力测试

breve intervista a una giovane donna che ha aperto un banco di prodotti vegani.

la Rubrica di Simona

La vegana a Testaccio

A story written by me. Based on a dream I had.

Calista is surprised when the magician knows her name and asks her to help him with a magic trick in front of the audience.

Vocabulary:
extend: to stretch out
dim: a little dark, not much light
spellbound: fascinated by something
squint: to close your eyes a little because the light is too bright
blush: when your face turns a little red because you like someone
amend: to change something, to improve it

Phrases:
to break the ice: to become comfortable with someone
in my element: to be around something you're completely comfortable with
to seek someone out: to search for a specific person
third wheel: an extra person on a date with the couple
by all means: yes

To read the transcript: https://saracasalino-books.weebly.com/blog/the-magicians-performance

Learn English with Stories

The Magician's Performance (short story)

Oggi parliamo della crema spalmabile più famosa d'Italia, la Nutella!
Chi ha reso famoso questo prodotto nel mondo?

Ascolta l'episodio e prova a rispondere alle domande

🇮🇹 PAUSA CAFFE' con_Marco

Il World Nutella Day!

In this lesson, we'll build on what you already know as well as cover basics about speaking languages.

Learn Basic French Podcast

Episode 2: Parlez-vous français? (Do you speak French?)

つい先日、いちご狩りに行って来ました！色々な種類のいちごを食べることができて大満足しました。　
みなさんは、いちご狩りにいったことがありますか？

日本語でおしゃべり　podcast for Japanese learners

#4 いちご狩りに行った話

A social media ban for children under 16 has passed the Australian Senate and will soon become a world-first law.

The law will make social media platforms — TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram — liable for fines of up to $33 million for failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties come into effect.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban is necessary, having previously argued that there is a "clear, causal link" between social media and the harm done to the mental health of young Australians.

Opposition Senator Maria Kovacic shared similar views.

"The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms," she told the Senate.

"This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit," she added.

But while many support the ban, some argue the legislation could cause more harm than it prevents.

Senator David Shoebridge, from the Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.

"This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off," Shoebridge told the Senate.

Opponents also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of the positive aspects of social media, drive them to the dark web, discourage children too young for social media to report harm and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.

While the law is the first of its kind worldwide, other countries have discussed similar measures.

