Let's have a Conversation

Introduction

This folktale is from Wales, and tells the story of how water lilies came to grow in a lake in the Welsh mountains.

Folktale Friday

HOW WATER LILIES BEGAN

This episode gives students of English some advice about how to answer a common question type from Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test. Students will listen to some structures and phrases that will help them to compare the past and the present (in this case, relating to their hometown).

Please send me your own answers to this question, and I'll give you some advice about how to improve.

IELTS-style speaking questions

IELTS Part 3: "How has your hometown changed in the last 20 years?"

❓Quanti degli stereotipi sugli italiani rispecchiano maggiormente gli abitanti del Nord? 
❓Quanti gli abitanti del Sud? 
❓Quanti entrambi?

 🎧 Ascoltate questo episodio e rispondete al quiz finale!  

👇🏼Stereotipi elencati in questo episodio 👇🏼
 
GLI ITALIANI E IL CIBO
1. Mangiano solo pasta e pizza. 
2. Il caffè è sacro. 
3. Sono ossessionati dalla cucina. 

MODA E APPARENZA
4. Sempre eleganti.
5. Occhiali da sole anche al chiuso. 
6. Parlano con le mani.

LA FAMIGLIA 
7. La mamma è al centro del mondo. 
8. Vivono con i genitori fino a tardi.

VITA LENTA E PIACEVOLE
9. La dolce vita.
10. Sempre in ritardo. 

GLI ITALIANI E IL CALCIO
11. Il calcio è una religione.
12. Tutti allenatori.

GLI ITALIANI AL LAVORO
13. Si prendono troppe pause. 
14. Amanti delle ferie. Città vuote ad agosto.

⬇️ VOCABOLARIO ⬇️
- Sono associati a // legati a = they are associated with // related to // connected to
- Sfida = challenge 
- Buttare l’immondizia = throw the trash
- Comici = comedians
- Punto e basta! = period!
- Pecca = flaw
- Citato = mentioned 

🥳Divertitevi! 🥳
 Fatemi sapere nei commenti che ne pensate e se ci sono altri stereotipi che conoscete! 

Puro Parlare

13. Stereotipi sugli italiani: del Nord o del Sud?

¿Has visitado Perú o Ecuador?

Visítalos conmigo entonces

Hablar por hablar (Listening)

Machupichu

Hey, how are you? I hope you are well. I'm Milo, a Spanish tutor at italki, and today we're going to talk about some Colombian words that you may not find in your regular dictionary. Let's see what they mean!

Vaina: En Colombia, "vaina" se usa de manera muy general para referirse a algo cuando no sabemos o no queremos decir el nombre exacto de lo que estamos mencionando, algo similar a "whatchamacallit" o "thing" en inglés. Es una palabra muy versátil, y su significado depende del contexto. Ejemplo: "¿Pasó algo con esa vaina?" o "No sé cómo se llama esa vaina, pero me gusta."

Yeyo: "Yeyo" describe un malestar o una sensación física fuerte, generalmente después de un desmayo o una caída. Es como el dolor o la incomodidad que alguien siente cuando se desmaya o se siente muy mal. Ejemplo: "Me dio un yeyo cuando vi la noticia."

Perrenque: Aunque en el diccionario de colombianismos "perrenque" se interpreta como un "látigo" o "zurriago", en muchas regiones de Colombia se refiere a algo mucho más positivo. Se usa para describir a alguien con mucha energía, valentía, fuerza o coraje. Es algo como una actitud poderosa o audaz. Ejemplo: "El equipo jugó con perrenque y ganó el partido."

Aguacatado: Esta palabra describe a una persona que se muestra sin gracia, aburrida o con una actitud pretenciosa, a menudo exagerando su estilo o su comportamiento. Es un término que refleja una actitud que no genera simpatía o no tiene mucha energía. Ejemplo: "Ese tipo es muy aguacatado, siempre está presumiendo."

And that's all for today. If you have questions or want to learn more about Colombian Spanish, don't hesitate to book a class with me. You can find more information in my profile. See you next time!

Colombia

Spanish Words with No Direct English Translation ( parte 3 )

وُلِدْتُ فِي مِيلاَن وَلَكِنْ لاَ أَتَذَكَّر البَيْت لِأَنَّنا رَحَلْنَا إِلَى كَانَازِي. كُنَّا نَسْكُن فِي بِنَايَة لَهَا سِتَّة طَوَابِق.
كُنَّا نَسْكُن في شَقَّة, الشَّقَّة كَانت فِي الطَّابِق الثَّالِث. الْبِنَايَة كَانَت فِي شارِع خَاصّ فِي قَرْيَة صَغِيرَة فِي الْجِبَال.  
الشَّقَّة كَانَ لَهَا ثَلاَث غُرَف وَحَمَّامَان. وَفِي كُلّ غُرْفَة النَّوم هُنَاك مَكان لِأَرْبَع أَشْخَاص, كُلَّ غُرْفَة النَّوم كَانَ لَها طَابِقَان مِثْلَ دُوبْلِكْس.
الدِيكُور كَان تَقْلِيدِي لِلْمِنْطَقَة الشَّمَالِيَّة الْجِبالِيَّة الإِيطَالِيَّة وَالألْمَانِيَّة. 
أَحْبَبْتُ الْمِنْطَقَة وَالشَّقَّة لِأَنَّهَا مُرِيحَة وَدَافِئَة. 
الْمِنْطَقَة مَشْهُورَة بِالتَّزَلُّج فِي الشِّتَاء وَالمَشْي عَلَى الْجِبال. هِيَ مِنْطَقَة مَلِيئَة بِالطَّبِيعَة مِثْلَ الْجِبَال وَالغَابَات.
ذِكْرَياتِي الْمُفَضَّلَة هِي التَّجَوُّل في الرِّيف خِلاَل الصَّيف مَع وَالِدَيّ.
كُنْتُ أَعْمَل فِي مَزْرَعَة خُيُول, وَكَانَ عُمْرِي إِثْنَا عَشَر سَنَة وَ كُنُتُ أُحِبُّ رُكُوب الْخَيْل.
الْقَرْيَة مَشْهُورَة بِالرِّيَاضَة المَوْسُمِيَّة 
أَظُنُّ أَنَّ أَكْبَر مُشْكِلَة هِيَّ أَنَّ الْجِبَال وَالْغَابَات مُتَأَثِّرَة بِالاِحْتِرَار الْعَالَمِي 
وَليس هناك حَلّ لِهَذِهِ الْمُشْكِلَة



Aprende árabe con Radia 

بيت والديك

Hablo de la celebración del amigo secreto, una celebración que se hace hace varias dècadas en Colombia es parte de las celebraciones del Día del Amor y la Amistad, culturalmente importante para los colombianos. Tiempos verbales: presente, tiempos del pasado: pretèrito indefinido, perfecto e imperfecto; pretèrito imperfecto de subjuntivo.

Viviendo entre dos lenguas 

Celebración del amigo secreto

The Super Bowl, one of the biggest nights in US sports — and the American cultural calendar — ended with victory for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday February 9.

The Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans. The game was played amid heavy security — and with President Donald Trump in attendance — just 41 days after a man drove a truck into New Year's partygoers on the city's Bourbon Street.

There were tributes before the game to the 14 people who were killed in the incident.

On the field, there was plenty for millions of viewers around the world to enjoy — although the game was not so enjoyable for Chiefs fans.

The Kansas franchise had won three out of the last five Super Bowls, but they didn't come close in the 59th edition.

Not even the presence of pop superstar Taylor Swift, who has spent all season supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce, a player with the Chiefs, could make a difference!

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said his players had to work together to win. "This is the ultimate team game. You can't be great without the greatness of others," he said.

The Chiefs' star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was kept quiet by the Eagles defense, denying him a fourth Super Bowl win.

A lot of the pre-game interest in the Super Bowl had centered around the traditional halftime entertainment, with rapper Kendrick Lamar performing just days after winning five Grammy awards.

His show didn't disappoint, with dancers in red, white and blue performing around a car onstage, while the rapper also performed his Grammy-winning song of the year "Not Like Us."

However, one of the many performers was detained on the field after unfurling a combination of the Sudanese and Palestinian flags with "Sudan" and "Gaza" written on it.

An NFL spokesperson told The Associated Press that the performer would be banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events.

Trump, meanwhile, became the first serving US President to attend the Super Bowl.