Podcasts about Second language

Check out the textbook! www.fluentamerican.comDownload a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcastIf you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be moving towards the wrong goal. The destination we set, and how we move towards it, is key for achieving the success we desire. Let's talk about the difference between the goals that hold us back--and the goals that push us forward.*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Our full pitch courses are available for channel members: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnyemJlSjeE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeUhG_gv_IE&t=3sIf you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be using a rhythm that sounds most natural when you speak! Let's find out! Here are some exercises for practicing American English pronunciation!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily Kwong dissects the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University. Together, Emily and former Short Wave host Maddie Sofia explore where the theory comes from, how it applies to second-language acquisition and what it means for Emily's efforts to learn Mandarin Chinese as an adult.Have a linguistics or neuroscience question? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Whether it's a language barrier, a generational gap, cultural misunderstandings, or the invisible walls built by socioeconomic class, communication in today's world can be complex and challenging. More often than not, miscommunication isn't just about words; it's about tone, context power dynamics, and the silent biases we carry.    In a setting with high-stakes such as healthcare, where an interaction could literally affect lives directly, bridging these gaps is very critical. Inspired by her mother - a dedicated doctor who served patients from all walks of life - Shweta Ramkumar learned that true connection in healthcare is more about meeting people where they are, listening deeply, and leading with compassion.   On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Shweta Ramkumar, a Communication Coach in the Healthcare Industry, about how meaningful communication is much more than just speaking the same language - it's about connection, empathy, and understanding people's lived experiences.    Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 

More practice with contrast: https://youtu.be/eIsleNYqLhAIf you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be making consonant sounds too strong, exaggerating final syllables, blocking off breath and cutting off vowels, especially at the ends of words. Let's find out! Here are some exercises for practicing held t/stop t sounds in your American English pronunciation!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, pay attention to your syllables! By lengthening your stressed syllables, or at least making sure the unstressed syllables are faster and weaker, you may be shocked at how much more natural you sound!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, there is one technique that might unlock everything for you--and it has nothing to do with fluency!Let's take a closer look*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Shannon Cunningham shares practical ways to use AI in education, including ChatGPT, STEAM tools, and classroom strategies to support teachers and student engagement.In this exciting episode, Adam Peterson and Deedee Wills chat with Shannon Cunningham, an instructional coach from North Texas, to explore how AI in education is reshaping the way teachers approach primary education.Shannon shares her real-world experiences using tools like ChatGPT and Magic School AI to support teacher collaboration, streamline classroom tasks, and improve student engagement. With a focus on educational innovation and empathy, she highlights the importance of combining tech tools with human insight for powerful teaching results.

Video version: https://youtu.be/PQlqAMQykl0If you want to sound more natural in American English, there is one technique that might unlock everything for you and in some ways it requires no work! Let's practice together*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to listen to natural American English, the truth is that sometimes the language flows really fast--maybe too fast to understand at first! However, there are some techniques to make watching shows or listening to podcasts a little easier--without slowing down the speed. And, they may help you with your own pronunciation too!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZuYr❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#wakeupamerican #americanenglish #fluentamericanSupport the show

Season 4 of the Fritanga Podcast kicks off with a full-circle conversation about hustle, identity, and building a fintech company rooted in community. Richie Serna and Emmanuel Pleitez—both past Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) Youth Awardees—are now leading one of the most exciting startups in tech: Finix.Richie Serna is a first-generation Harvard graduate from Santa Ana, California, raised by Mexican immigrant parents who instilled a powerful work ethic and value system that still guides him today. After a brief stint in consulting, he taught himself to code, moved into a hacker house, joined a Silicon Valley startup that later sold, and co-founded Finix in 2015. He now serves as CEO.Emmanuel Pleitez, raised in East LA by a single mother from El Salvador, is a first-gen Stanford grad whose journey spans Wall Street, the White House, the U.S. Army, and venture capital. He is the founding managing partner of East Los Capital and now serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Finix. Emmanuel also served as Board Chair and is now Chair Emeritus of HHF, where he launched our national Code as a Second Language initiative and helped shape our leadership work—mentoring thousands, including many of us.Together, Richie and Emmanuel are redefining what leadership looks like in Silicon Valley—while staying deeply connected to where they came from.

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may not be saying sentences in a way that gives you the most natural sound due to not focusing on the right aspect: the music, prosody, and sound patterns. See more from a recent study on this aspect of English: https://phys.org/news/2025-04-words-hidden-musical-grammar-natural.htmlGet started with our pitch video courses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeUhG_gv_IE*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZuYr❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7Support the show

If you are interested in speaking with a natural American accent, or have heard Americans talk with linkining, reductions, and connected speech and wondered how to do the same, this video is for you! We're going to talk about strategies for American English linking and reductions to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you talkBut don't forget the key aspects for all sounds in American: placement, breath, pitch, and weak consonants.*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZuYr❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#wakeupamerican #americanenglish #fluentamericanSupport the show

If you are a student of American English pronunciation, you may enjoy hearing this feedback I gave to people who requested accent advice. See if any of this applies to you!❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here:    • How to Improve American English Pronu...  Who am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Support the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be making consonant sounds too strong, blocking off breath and cutting off vowels. Let's find out! Here are some exercises for practicing flap t and fast d sounds in your American English pronunciation!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be making consonant sounds too strong, blocking off breath and cutting off vowels. Let's find out! Here are some exercises for practicing flap t and fast d sounds in your American English pronunciation!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be adding too much mouth movement to your speech, blocking off breath and cutting off vowels. Let's find out! Here are some exercises for practicing linking and adding breath to your American English pronunciation!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that you may be adding too much stress to your sentences. Let's find out! Here are some exercises for identifying what stress patterns you commonly use, and changing them to add to to your American English*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Valerie Dehombreux, an experienced educator and school principal who recently completed her doctorate in leadership and innovation. They discuss her dissertation on the trust-based observation protocol and its application, providing valuable insights for both her work and Jethro's own doctoral process.Started as a 3rd grade teacher on the white mountain apache reservation. Engaging in an intervention that is solving a problem of practice. You can just do stuff! Valerie adopted his book and implemented it. Literature review - showed how his approach was good. Chose 4 research questions because they were all important. Open-ended interview questions. Formative interviews along the way. Mixed-methods approach. Reflective conversations are so powerful. How to be a transformative principal? Start talking and meeting with your teachers. About:Dr. Valerie Dehombreux has been a PreK-12 educator for 27 years including 15 as a school principal and 22 years in providing teacher training and professional development. Valerie holds Arizona superintendent, principal, and teacher certifications with two endorsements: Early Childhood and English as a Second Language. In 2019 as principal of McDowell Mountain Elementary School in the Fountain Hills Unified School District, Valerie led the school community in achieving an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence™ award for the first time in the school's and district's history. In December 2024, Valerie graduated with an EdD in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. It is a unique, 3 ½-year cohort program that follows the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) model where practitioners identify a Problem of Practice (PoP) in their work place settings and conduct cycles of action research to implement innovations/interventions seeking to address the PoP and to build up to the culminating experience of the final dissertation. Valerie's action research explored formative teacher supervision's effects on trusting administrator–teacher relationships and teachers' professional growth.

What do God, Community Impact and Pickle Ball have in common? You'll find out today as I talk to Mike Palombo, Assistant Pastor at Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church. We will discuss how the Church's mission of loving God, loving one another and loving the community is in the forefront of everything they do, including building and offering pickle ball courts to the public! You'll love how the words come to life! You'll hear Mike's interesting story of growing up in a diverse religious family, what brought him to embrace the Christian life and ultimately to enter ministry. We'll also talk about LOPC's community impact, not just with pickle ball, but also with Sheds of Hope, English as a Second Language initiatives and more “coming soon” announcements! The impact they are having is important, and I know you will enjoy hearing their story and how they are loving on the community! Mike Palombo https://www.lopc-pca.org/ Sponsors: Tim Broyles State Farm; ProSouth Electric; IV Wellness Solutions https://mydowntownagency.com/ https://www.prosouthelectric.com/ https://www.ivwellnesssolutions.org/

Lauren Magel was an English as a Second Language teacher when the pandemic inspired her to reimagine her career. A devoted mother of three and a five-time NYC Marathon finisher, she turned to CBD products to alleviate muscle recovery and back pain. The relief she experienced shattered her initial skepticism. Today, Lauren is a passionate hemp wellness educator with Green Compass, offering a full line of USDA-certified organic hemp wellness products. She guides individuals in discovering the right solutions for their lives, helping them find relief from anxiety, muscle tension, back pain, insomnia, inflammation, and depression. In this episode of Bucket List Careers, we dive into Lauren's transformative journey, the power of CBD products and network marketing, and the exhilaration of pursuing a passion-fueled career shift that gives her more time flexibility!

Lauren Magel was an English as a Second Language teacher when the pandemic inspired her to reimagine her career. A devoted mother of three and a five-time NYC Marathon finisher, she turned to CBD products to alleviate muscle recovery and back pain. The relief she experienced shattered her initial skepticism. Today, Lauren is a passionate hemp wellness educator with Green Compass, offering a full line of USDA-certified organic hemp wellness products. She guides individuals in discovering the right solutions for their lives, helping them find relief from anxiety, muscle tension, back pain, insomnia, inflammation, and depression. In this episode of Bucket List Careers, we dive into Lauren's transformative journey, the power of CBD products and network marketing, and the exhilaration of pursuing a passion-fueled career shift that gives her more time flexibility!

This episode inspires you to keep on moving through your most difficult situations to get to the life that is waiting for you. Miriam Diaz Gilbert is a very proud Puertorriqueña, whose mother taught her how to stand up for herself, after a first grade teacher placed a sandwich board over her with the words 'Chatterbox', in bold red letters, and left her in the school hallway. To this day, Miriam refuses to let anyone silence her.Miriam is an ultra runner, starting her 43rd event, the day after this episode drops, running for 72 hours and as far as her body will take her. The mantra that gets her to the finish line is the same as the one that gets her through devastating illnesses and challenges: "There's life waiting for you at the end of the struggle."Miriam holds multiple graduate degrees in English as a Second Language and Theology. She is a vivacious painter, published author and professor for almost 30 years. Her memoir, 'Come What May, I Want to Run: A Memoir of the Saving Grace of Ultrarunning in Overwhelming Times', is her latest publication, emphasizing her long distances as "healing miles". Miriam is working on a cookbook memoir with recipes that heal the body from contaminants in the American diet. Highlights:Discovering Self Identity in a Bilingual HouseholdBurden of Being the Eldest Latina DaughterUnderstanding Racial Identity and PrivilegeLessons From Childhood: Speaking Up and ResilienceRunning to Overcome Bullying in the WorkplaceThe Power of Faith to EndureRunning as a Pilgrimage of GratitudeHow Miriam Healed Herself After 26 years of Throat ImpactionsTakeaways:Speak up for yourself with confidence Empathize with each person's situation and beliefsGo as far as you can and be proudThere is more life waiting for you beyond the difficultiesLife is invaluable, invest in yourself for longevityReach out to Miriam Diaz Gilbert on her website and on Instagram, Threads and X at UltraMiriamPurchase her book, 'Come What May, I Want to Run' on her website, at your local bookstore, Bookshop, and other big storesConsuelo is a First Gen Peruvian, structural engineer, mother and Scorpio fired Latina out to hold the mic and shine the light for amazing Latinas and advocates who share their journey from ancestry to authenticity in their most genuine voice. Connect with Consuelo on IG @Consuelo_Ends_in_ODiscover Encuentras Your Voice podcast on IG @EncuentrasYourVoice and join the comunidad of amazing Latinas!Listen to every episode on Spotify, Apple Podcast or any of your favorite streaming platforms. Watch the full videos on our YouTube channel @EncuentrasYourVoice

Luisa Viladas, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Southern CT, grew up surrounded by books so it's no accident that she leads a literacy program. With extensive career experience in non-profit development, she has tutored ESL adult learners with as strong focus on grammar. Bringing her experience to a new level, she is overseeing this small but mighty program located in Milford, CT where they serve adult students focused on improving literacy skills and English as a Second Language learners. Their agency is settled among many diverse families living in their communities, with approximately 53 native languages and over 15,000 adults without a high school diploma. They prepare learners with basic literacy, English as a Second Language, voting for the first time, getting a driver's license and other essential credentials that lead to an independent and sustainable life.

About the authorBarbara de la Cuesta has taught English literature and Spanish on the secondary and college levels. She is currently teaching English as a Second Language. She has a Master's Degree in Creative Non Fiction from Lesley College in Massachusetts, 1989.She has published stories in the California Quarterly, the Texas Review, and The New Ohio Review,. Her first novel, The Spanish Teacher, was winner of the Gival Press Fiction Prize in 2007. Rosa, a novel about a Honduran immigrant, was winner of the Driftless Series award from Brain Mill Press, The Mists, set in Central America, and My Name is Henrietta Rose, set in the basements of AA, were published by Finishing Line Press. Her latest works, published this year, are Adams Chair, a novel in verse about the City of Waltham, Massachusetts, site of historic immigration, as well as Life Drawing, a collection of stories about art and artists, published by Austin MacCauly. She has received fiction fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, and, more recently, from The New Jersey Council on the Arts. She has also received a Geraldine Dodge fellowship to the Virginia Center, and to the Millay Colony.For more info on the book click HERE

This Saturday, I'm doing a livestream on the Fluent American youtube channel where I bring on students for ~10 minutes to work on an aspect of pronunciation of your choice! If you'd like to book one of the few seats, visit https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=76356565It's from 8-9:30AM New York, $10 for a seat. I'll take turns going from student to student individually so I can really focus on your need. It'd be great to see you there! Or you can watch for free on the channel.Let me know if you have questions and I hope to see you!*More free examples of our group classes! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7One of the hardest vowels/consonants to pronounce in American English pronunciation is the American English R sound! What's worse is that it's so common in words! Let's take a closer look at this difficult American English sound, with this lesson taken from our group coaching program. You'll hear different pronunciations as well as feedback for achieving a natural sound for American English❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.#fluentamerican #americanenglish #missionenglishSupport the show

Hana shines and Aya rises.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it.”My equilibrium decided to cut me some slack and not invoke the reflexive vomiting. "It is only me, Hana, Imogen, Deidre, Mom, Buffy, hi Juanita," I hadn't spotted my designated bodyguard standing behind Chaz."Don't talk to me right now," she seethed. "I'm furious with you." Yep, she was the Caribbean Buffy."Perhaps she's pissed about the five extra Illuminati bodyguards added to the regular two around Hana plus the two circling Ghost Tigers having not a fucking clue what those other armed parties are doing in Hana's company," Pamela joked. She could. Everyone else was giving me crap about my social gaff."Hey now. This meeting is important. Imogen and I are going to have a child," I enlightened them. The door chimed open and we piled in with two Amazons whose 'fresh' look indicated a use of the showers within the past ten minutes."You consistently maintain particularly low standards," Chaz dryly remarked."I sent her here for a check-up and that gave Buffy a chance to meet Mom, Deidre and Imogen, plus two unarmed bodyguards," I kept bailing out the Titanic."Chaz, I am happy we aren't going to miss this one (lunch)," Pamela smiled at her two grandsons."Cáel, are you going to tell your fiancée you've impregnated your aunt?" Chaz was back to being mildly sympathetic to my 'totally fucked-up' life."Yes. I figured Buffy shooting death rays at me from her eyes will garner me enough confusion to get the words out of my mouth without her throwing her drink in my face, slapping me, then storming out," I envisioned.I got no more shit until I reached the garage for my vehicle. There an armed FBI Special Agent Virginia Maddox (did you know when a Federal Agent adds 'Special' to their title it means they have a gun?) stood next to my chariot. She'd drawn the short straw, meaning she had been given the chore of driving today.I found myself wondering when Yasmin would finally finish her orientation. Her training involved some serious mental challenges including a crash course from the FBI at Quantico concerning modern judicial theory & practice as well as whatever pre-Iron Age jurisprudence the Host practiced.Javiera promised me (and Katrina) that she would not-so-subtly remind those scholastically-groomed legal minds that a (couldn't use the word 'Amazon') legal code they followed had existed, with minor tweaking, as a successful social instrument for over 3,000 years. If they truly behaved in a respectful manner, the owners of the code might even show those people the Codex on the original horse-skin, written in Hittite cuneiform.Anyway, everyone assumed I had a good reason for heading to my apartment (aka need to retrieve a sleepy Odette.) Had I repeated 'the Bitch stole my fortune cookies', they might have simply taken me to an Asian-inclined grocery store. As we hit the second story landing, Chaz in the lead, we heard a passel of folks come down toward us from the fourth level.I didn't think there were that many people on the entire floor. Chaz and Pamela each went for their holstered pistol, while keeping them hidden in their jackets. Wiesława, who went for her PDW, backed up so she could fire through the stairs from beneath.Juanita, bless her heart, and Virginia had remained in the S U V because sending in more people would have left us piled into one another. If a firefight did break out, Juanita could bring in some serious hardware to back us up while Virginia called the appropriate authorities before rushing in herself.Around the corner on the third floor landing came a number of women, early/mid-twenties, physically fit, foreign clothes and downcast expressions. A few looked like they were about to cry. They were all in shirts and jeans, with no obvious weapons. Not looking lethal didn't ratchet down Chaz's vigilance. Me? I was instantly reminded how much sex I had been missing."Prince Cáel! You are alive!" spilled out of the first one, a fiery red-head with a billowing, thick mane, porcelain skin and adorable freckles. Her Irish brogue was enchanting. I had to wonder if she cried out in Gaelic during orgasm. Wasn't I about to meet my future bride plus numerous other love interests?She was fit, curvy and wearing an aqua shirt which exposed her midriff with a belly ring bearing a pearl drop, the requisite tattered skin-tight jeans and soft leather calf-boots."Why wouldn't I be alive?" I grinned, like a pirate discovering an all-girls school oceanographic classroom in need of plundering."How do total strangers know how unlikely it is that you would still be alive?" was Chaz's spin on things."We talked with your roommate. He said you had moved to Svalbard where you suffered an excruciating painful, yet richly deserved, death in a lemming stampede," she pouted, "and then the UN had your ashes exiled to Pluto because the Sun was too good for you."9, 10, 11 --12 of them looking, 3 with pale blonde hair that eerily reminded me of my fiancée, another red-head, two russet and five with deep, dark brown, or black hair. They were all fit, fit, fit! With an air of 'I graduated college only to discover: 1) no one was hiring Saline Soil Scientists, or 2) I no longer want to do any of the things I wanted to do when I picked this major. I was familiar with both types.Timothy would have been at work and Odette would have invited the troupe in to regale them with all sorts of tales, which would have included a tour of my bedroom. They clearly had missed Odette so, now I recalled; that particular excuse was one of the ten I had given the guy in 4B should anyone suspicious come calling.I imagine twelve hot, English-as-a-Second-Language girls might be considered, a bit odd. See, his was my address of record. I lied about my actual apartment, so random people who came looking for me went to him instead. This arrangement had been made prior to my understanding of the nature of my employment at Havenstone.I'd neglected, telling him to move out and go far, far away? Poor guy. I'd find a way to make it up to him later."Actually it was a southern vole immigration incident that was set off by the Bulgarian consulate offering repatriation for the first 10,000 applicants," I frowned, clearly traumatized by memory of the incident."These poor southern vole, native to the vacationer-friendly Black Sea resorts, were accidently introduced to the coldest inhabited place in the Northern hemisphere and they've been trying to get home ever since, that would be the equivalent of a century and a half in 'vole-years.""Despite the UN trying to quarantine any news of this Cricetidae catastrophe, I decided to evacuate the six most critically injured vole using a Bortolanza Pluto ultralight, which he must have confused with the UN sending my ashes to Pluto," I explained.Mind you, the 'southern' voles are native to, among other places, Norway, the owner of Svalbard. They were also native to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast so, The Pluto ultra-light, once built in Italy, is now called the 'Puma' and made in Canada, has a maximum range of 675 km, which would leave me crash landing into the Barents Sea, 260 km north of the northernmost airport in Norway, rendering me and my voles so much frozen food."You are an animal rights activist too?" several of the girls gasped. Yes. Yes I was. I was an animal and I was all for me having rights."Please, don't tell anyone about this," I grew serious. "I don't want my philanthropic efforts to be publicized. What I do, I do for the Earth's endangered ecosystems because it is what everyone should do, not because we suddenly feel bad about neglecting it.""E haere koe ki te whai kia nui ai," Pamela snorted. I'd ask her why she knew Maori later, right after I figured why Grandpa knew it."Ko toku mahere whānui," I replied. The girls looked confused."I'm also trying to revitalize endangered languages and revive dead ones. It is more of a hobby than life pursuit," I informed them."You really are a modern-day noble warrior-poet," the red-head leader sighed."Nah. I'm just a guy," I shrugged. "Besides, Ba ch ir fear a bheith ar eolas ag a gn omhais, n  a oidhreacht." (A man should be known by his deeds, not his heritage)."Sa ch s go bhfuil misneach, t  s il agam," she replied using my 'family' motto."Jos on jalot on toivoa,", "Ahol van b tors ga, van rem ny," and "cesaret olduğu yerde umut vardır," all followed. 'Where there is Valor, there is Hope' in Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish. I got the sneaking feeling this wasn't a college field trip gone awry. These chicks were coming at me with a purpose that included more than sexual gratification and a kiss good-bye. Ugh."Thank you," I genuflected, paying honor to their reciting of my personal vow. "Anyway, you appear to be looking for me, but I am afraid I don't know any of you. Taking into account that I have a late lunch date with my fiancée in a half-hour and will be taking notes at a feminist convention at 8, what can I do for you?" I was establishing my escape plan."We have come here to join you," an assertive, dusky-skinned one smiled. I had to think about this. I was a bit tired. Taking all twelve of these girls on in one orgy was currently beyond me. I'd do eight tonight and the last four before breakfast tomorrow. Ah, happy thoughts of the Lacrosse Finals."What exactly do you plan to do with Mr. Nyilas?" Chaz interrupted."We are the (Irish) 'Na conairte soith an   S aghdha ar', (Hungarian) 'A szuka kuty kat Herceg Nyilas', (Turkish) 'Prens ok u Kaltak K pekleri' and (Finnish) 'Narttu koirista prinssi jousimies'," they chorused.Pamela snickered. All of those fancy sounding names were variations on 'the Bitch Hounds of Prince Archer/Nyilas (with the Irish going for O'Shea)."You want to be my bodyguards?" I gawked. Lacking lions, the Irish choice of the 'fur-balls of death' were hounds. Being women technically made them 'bitches'. I had to move fast. Any second now Wiesława was going to figure out these over-anxious non-Amazons were trying to replace her."You do realize I've left piles of dead bodies in my wake, right?" I nearly choked. Pamela slapped me on my back."Of course," they sounded so chipper. Fuck you Internet and 'First Person Shooter' games. This wasn't a fucking game! Trained combatants who joined my retinue met grisly ends and this was their freaking profession!"Can I think about it? I mean, do any of you have any combat experience at all? Attacked someone in anger? Send off a blistering instant message?""Some of us have (combat experience I was assuming). We won't let you down.""You do realize Ms. Dubois is going to kill them, don't you Sir?" Chaz sent me a chilling look."Ms. Dubois?", "who is that?" and "kill us?" floated around."Ms. Dubois is my blood-hungry ferret who wears a 'naughty berserker' human suit to trick the masses.""Three of us have military training," one of the Finns spoke up.By that they meant they had volunteered for military service in their native countries, then left after their first term because they found military life to be boring. On the 'plus' side, all but one had martial arts experience and six of the twelve had been a member of a Gun Club of some kind. Yep, Buffy was going to kill them, all twelve at once by herself."I'll make you a deal," I offered. Chaz was giving me his 'I'm a stone yet clearly unhappy with you' face. "At 7:15 tonight, you will show up at Havenstone. I will sign you in, we'll go upstairs to one of the gyms and then warm up for fifteen minutes. When you are ready, or 7:30 rolls around, we are going to the sparing mats. If I lose, you can stay. If you lose, you will write this off as one of a legion of ideas that look good in print yet are foolish in practice. Do you accept?""How many of us do you have to beat for us to join with you and your Crusade?" the lead Irishwoman asked."All of you. I will fight you all at once. The mat space is quite extensive.""You mean all twelve of us against you at the same time?" one of the Turks blinked in disbelief."Yes. I am not disrespecting you, any of you. You've shown initiative, courage and a spirit of adventure. I found all three to be both admirable and worthy of reward (i.e. I will gladly have sex with you). What I am also telling you is of the three people with me, the only one I can most likely defeat in single combat is her," I motioned to Wiesława, "and I'm only saying that because she is 19 and relatively new to the art of killing."Their eyes flickered to Pamela. Chaz was scary without even trying. Pamela could be threatening, or appear harmless, as she wished."Chaz is a professional military man from a long line of diligent warriors and in a branch of service that requires close contact with hostile individuals, teams, tribes, clans and nations.""The woman behind me is much, much worse. I've met precisely three people who could possibly kill her and I killed one of them. Would you agree, Chaz?""Absolutely," he concurred."We know who you two are," a Finn spoke up. She had a dazzling smile and cleavage that had to obscure her toes when she stood."You do?" Pamela played nice. For once, it was technology biting her in the ass, not me. Yay?"You are Rhingyll lliw Siarl Yfory," the Irish lass looked at Chaz. That was Welsh, and meant Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow, I imagined his superiors in the British military weren't going to be happy with any of us, him being a 'secret military operator', emphasis on the 'secret'."And you are Sverkhsekretnykh Shpiona Vsemed Svaya," the Turkish girl pointed at Pamela. Pamela snorted. In Russian that meant 'Super-secret Spy Pamela Pile'. Since Pamela in Russia was pronounced 'Pamela' they had gone back to the origin of the name of Pamela, a fictitious 17th English novelist creation using mangled Hellenic, which translated as 'all-honey'.'All-honey' in Russian was Vsemed. Pamela snickered. Oh yeah, those twelve had combed through millions of articles and pictures to figure out who Chaz was and who Pamela claimed to be. Actually, one of my Hungarian admires back when we were all in Eastern Europe had suggested Pamela was a remorseful ex-SMERSH agent turned Princely-sidekick. Pamela jabbed me, the unspoken 'sidekick' thing.(For those who don't know, in Russian SMERSH loosely means 'Death to Spies', it really existed from 1943 to 1946 and was resurrected by Ian Fleming as a foil for James Bond.)"Chaz, since Cáel is, without a doubt, already having a stupendously wretched day, we must insist he inform Addison of all three of these developments, in person. I want to see the look on her face," Pamela plotted with the man who had thrown himself between me and an explosive vest, probably out of some psychic impulse that I would suffer far, far worse later, like in today, within less than 24 hours of said act."Why am I here again today?" I lowered my head and groaned."Are you okay?" a dozen innocent voices cried out."We are here to pick up Odette," Wiesława reminded me."Oh yeah, fortune cookies," I mumbled."Is 'Fortune Cookie' a nickname for one of your other operatives? Many of them are real enigmas. We can't find out anything about her," one of the Hungarians said. Yeah, because SD doesn't have a Facebook page, or Twitter account. Odette, she was protected by a completely unremarkable lifestyle, but I had a feeling that was fading fast."Excuse us," I asserted myself. "I need to get something on the third floor. Chaz began pushing forward while Pamela had my back."What are you doing?" to me and "Hey, is that a gun?" to Chaz, then Wiesława. Pamela was too sneaky to get caught."I'm here to pick up Agent Fortune Cookie then head out to a meeting with some really shady characters and my fiancée," I informed them."Agent Fortune Cookie," Chaz mused. "She's going to love that,""And then," Pamela continued."She is going to want a gun," I groaned.Oh goddess! No! Chaz had joined Pamela and my 'group think'."No, I have not," Chaz corrected me, about my mental ruminations."I've been coaching him," Pamela faux-consoled me. As my new prospective bodyguards parted for my current bodyguards,"Do you have psychic powers?" "Where is your android?" and "Is it true you can have sex up to ten times a day?""Yes, but we can't talk about it," then, "Which one? We have six models," and finishing up with, "Yes, I can have sex up to ten times a day with each session lasting at least an hour, though I do need breaks for food, drink, quiet romantic conversations and showers, cause shower-sex is so damn fun."While they mulled that over, I unlocked my door in time to see a nicely-dressed (as if she was about to go out on an expensive lunch date) Odette spring off the sofa. Looking at the crowd behind me, she blessed me with an incredibly happy smile."Oh cool! Do we really have enough time for an orgy?"I wanted to cry.(A Family FUNction, minus the 'fun' part)My fiancée giving me a congenial and contented look. Good.My fuck-buddy/friend Libra giving me a salacious 'you and me are going to hook up soon' smile while dressed in a red, 'business suite/slinky number' combo with a plunging neckline. I put her invite on my mental day-planner. Fellas, if you can't keep it in your mind, forget about it. Print equals pain, believe me.Brooke had joined the lunch group, sharing a smile and wink with Libra with the secret agreement for a three-way. Sweet! I could do this, hmm, lunch break Friday, yum-yum-yum. She was wearing a beige business suit with slacks, minus the shirt. Only her cunningly cut jacket kept her goodies from exposure.Hana was a saint for putting up with those two, and me.Buffy was studying me with the clear desire to put me in a dog cage for the rest of the week. Technically she had to produce my body for work Monday. As for the hot, sweaty, intense Brooke-Libra-Cáel m nage   trois, Buffy was reading the undercurrents and setting up a breakwater. At least her attire suggested well-paid, successful international assassin. I wondered if I had paid for her clothing as well. I'd given Chaz's wardrobe a serious upgrade courtesy of Pamela faking my signature.The gathering was rounded out by Mom, Imogen and Deirdre. Thank God they all had different hair styles and forms of dress. Mom was in 'casual-durable' attire, Imogen was going with the military-chic and Deirdre's get up was in the same style as Hana.I was pleasantly pleased that Hana had reserved two adjacent tables for what she assumed would be my support network, Pamela, Odette, Chaz, Wiesława and Juanita, plus Imogen's five and her (Hana's) two Illuminati minders. That made me squeezing my twelve newest over-eager admirers into the mix doable, if not comfortable. Better yet, none of the new girls was dressed for a restaurant this exclusive.Hana was quietly amused. Buffy was volcanic. Thankfully she was being a volcano on the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge ~ submerged."Chaz, Pamela, explain," Buffy seethed."I don't work for you," Pamela playfully bantered back, "Sweet-Cheeks.""They are part of a clandestine operation to provide cooperation and assistance from the European Union," I offered up in such a sincere manner. I almost had them. Buffy looked to Chaz who opted to channeled his 'inner- Cáel'."I can neither confirm nor deny their status as operators from four European nations," he nodded.Buffy forked a helpless appetizer shrimp then catapulted at one of my Finns, I thought it was Oili. It bounced off her bosom. She couldn't even claim to not have seen it coming."What?" Oili gasped."Operatives?" Buffy sizzled at me."Prince Cáel," Flannery asked, "why did that strange woman throw a, shrimp at Oili?""It was a hand-eye coordination test," Odette informed her. "Had Oili been a real spy, you would have snatched up a nearby napkin, deflect the item with the napkin and all while drawing down on her. It is what they do all the time. It is pretty neat to watch.""Why use a napkin?" Oili asked Odette while eyeing Buffy in case another decapod was coming her way."You use a napkin because the shrimp might have a contact poison on it," Odette rolled her eyes. "Buffy used a fork to flip it at you. She didn't use her hands, so the possibility existed." Pamela gave Odette an 'atta girl' high five."Prince Cáel?" Brooke giggled. "What have you been up to?""Okay. I got this. Ladies, may I introduce Annikki, Belgin, Berit, Flannery, Gizi, Ilkay, Kato, Neve, Nuray, Oili, Pirkko and Zsuzsi. These fine women have decided to put their productive lives on hold so they can be my bodyguards," I made the introductions."They have volunteered to be, basically the 'Hounds of Prince O'Shea/Nyilas/Archer'. My Hounds, please let me introduce Hana, my fiancée, Brooke, my close friend, Libra, a sweet & sincere childhood acquaintance, my Mother, Sibeal, my O'Shea aunts, Deidre & Imogen and Kalmarasērmi Buffy."Despite the absurdity of the situation and my clear irresponsibility, Buffy let a smile crease her frown. 'Kalmarasērmi' was my term for her in the Amazon language = my Mountaintop."I will volunteer my facilities to train them," Aunt Imogen offered me drolly. She was the primary trainer for all O'Shea guardians/Special Forces."Train us?" a half dozen voices murmured."Yes Child. I am Imogen O'Shea, Cáel is the greatest treasure in my life and I have serious doubts any of you can be anything more than distracting bullet-catchers for my favorite (and only) nephew. It annoys me to think you are yet another walking advertisement showing him to be both big-hearted and soft-headed.""I will offer prayers upon the mounds of my ancestors (lie, her only 'ancestor' refused to stay buried) for Cáel's safety. You should invoke whatever supernatural entity you place faith in to keep Cáel safe as well, because if he gets so much as a scratch defending any one of you, I will exercise my nearly endless knowledge of human pain to make you pay.""Is she Ms. Dubois?" Flannery asked Odette."That would be me," Buffy showered fury their way."Do you really want to kill us?" Neve tried to stare Buffy down."Until ten seconds ago, Yes. Now I want to hand you over to these two," she motioned to Deidre and Imogen with her fork."Prince Cáel, why are they all so hostile?" Flannery requested understanding from me. "We have come here to help you. We have skills. All we are asking if for a chance to prove ourselves to you.""To Us," Buffy snapped. "Cáel's vote doesn't count.""Chill, Buffy," I snapped back. "I'm dealing with this, and your lack of trust is pissing me off.""Buffy," Hana intervened. She placed a hand on Buffy's thigh out of sight, yet not outside of my notice. "When was the last time Cáel failed to take your advice on something life-critical? These young ladies appear to be honest and diligent. If not, Pamela and the Color Sergeant wouldn't have let them come here, or near Odette."If I dated dumber women I would have less explaining (lying) to do, but I'd miss the challenge both inside and outside the bedroom. Hana's deft touch and gentle words calmed Buffy more than anything (outside of a righteous cocking) I could have accomplished. I was suddenly seized with the realization there was a goodly number of Katrina's positive attributes in Hana. How had I missed it?"Marrying you is going to be Hana's first step toward mortal beatification," Brooke teased me. Normally only dead people were made saints."A Servant of, probably not Jehovah. I think everyone at the table can agree she has interacted with supernatural forces," Sibeal hid her joking well."Martyring her hopes of monogamy?" Deidre's fey gaze flickered over the women of note (the women at the main table)."Her Heroic Virtue is Prudence?" Buffy added. Buffy had been Catholic?"Ladies, I'm Lutheran. We don't normally venerate saints. Joking aside, I was given a reason to believe this lunch date was important on a social level between myself and my fianc . Food would be nice too."Brooke and Libra's presence regulated Pamela and Chaz to an adjacent table. A waiter slipped in, took my order, I decided to forgo an appetizer because I was late, then the conversation began."Hana, this is my Mother, Sibeal Nyilas. Imogen and Deidre are my family from Ireland," I made the introductions, most definitely unnecessarily. I was buying time to get a better read on the women around me."I know," Hana showered me with mature compassion."Get to it, damn you," Buffy huffed."Wow, I'm thinking of the best way to tell you this," I barely could meet Hana's eyes."I am pregnant with your fianc 's child," Imogen cut to the chase. What she said was delivered on purpose. Imogen wasn't as socially maladjusted as Rachel. The fewer women in my life, the easier the O'Shea would have roping me in. Imogen's words were meant to hurt Hana and drive a wedge between us."You too?" Hana's sad eyes studied Imogen. She hid her anger-disappointment-disgust well. In this crowd her efforts to obfuscate her feeling only worked on Libra and Brooke. Those two ladies were less astute at concealing their surprise."She's your aunt, right?" Libra's look settled on me instead of a blatant Imogen, or a pained Hana."No," Mom answered for me. "My sisters and I were born sterile. It is impossible that our paternal heritage has been passed along. Whatever Imogen's maternal contribution was, it is not from our DNA. My sister does have a child inside her, Havenstone verified it and will have the precise genetic make-up within 24 hours," she persisted (lying)."If Cáel has a failing, it is that he was seduced by my sisters who played upon his very confusing Mother-Son relationship. I faked my death when he was seven. I 'died' in a quite painful manner and he had to watch helplessly as he witnessed me wasting away. I did such a horrible thing to a young boy because the people who were hunting me down, the two O'Shea before you and the nine who aren't here, would have used numerous means of torture to verify my death."(Until they realized 'what' I was. Then my imprisonment would have begun)"My wonderful husband would have died without giving them the truth. It was too much to ask of our son. For fifteen years he believed me dead. He learned the truth at his Father's funeral. I believe every woman at this table knows my son doesn't handle emotional pain well.""Imogen's statement was a thinly-veiled stab at Hana's heart and a kick to my son's sense of responsibility to both Hana and his unborn child. How could this not hurt Hana? How could Cáel possibly respond, torn between the woman who has already sacrificed so much of her happiness for a man barely aware of his own maturity, and the woman bringing his child into the world?""Good one, Imogen. Those two are better than you, or I. By all means, make a mockery of my son, your nephew, who has pledged to fight for your life when he should clearly walk away and let the rest of you die. He asks nothing of you yet you feel no remorse at sullying his happiness.""There are ten good reasons for you getting up and walking out of here intact right now. There are six better reasons for making you pay for your cruelty," she threatened."Ten?" Brooke whispered."The sisters' five bodyguards, the two body guards they gifted me with, Deidre, Imogen and Cáel. You don't think he would let the woman bearing his child take a beating, do you Brooke?" Hana enlightened her."No.""The Six?" Libra scanned the room."My other two bodyguards won't act unless I am directly threatened. They won't be out to hurt anyone. If anyone tries to hurt me, they will jump straight to the making them dead option. The 'Six' are Buffy, Pamela, Chaz, Juanita, Special Agent Maddox and Sibeal.""We'd help," Libra insisted. Brooke was onboard with that proclamation."No," came forth from Hana, Mom and me."Brooke and Libra; you two, Odette, the other twelve and the wait staff will only confuse the issue. My sisters and their soldiers will use you and the rest to distract Cáel. Except for Ms. Maddox, the rest won't give a fuck so your best bet is to hit the deck and let the professionals deal with things," Mom clarified."Brooke, Libra, this is a wacko chicks with guns moment," I put things in perspective."Hana?" Libra put a hand on Hana's shoulder."Don't mind me," she patted Libra's hand. "I'm diving for cover and not getting up until you, Brooke, Cáel, or Buffy tell me to get up. Sorry Sibeal, but I don't know you that well yet.""I understand," Mom agreed.To punctuate the awkwardness of the moment, Aisha (the Arabic swimsuit model) and three other SD ladies waltzed into the place and took a table. When the maytre dee tried to impede them, Aisha threatened to exterminate his entire extended family with a look alone. Been there, done that, and the maytre dee was nowhere close to being in my league.I had to think that through. Had Buffy called them, the SD would have been here before I arrived. Pamela was a possibility, except the SD still hated her over Constanza's maiming. If she told them my life 'was' in danger, they would still show up. My life wasn't in danger and Pamela wouldn't yank their chain.It had to be Juanita. The head of my bodyguard telling Elsa that I was in an exposed position with 9 armed Illuminati would have elicited this level of response. Pamela prodded Odette. Odette had a 'what do you want me to do' non-verbal exchange with Pamela then got up and went over to Aisha.Odette even remembered to navigate the room in such a manner Aisha and her team could keep an uninterrupted view of the threat. Pamela and Chaz's lessons were paying off. They weren't training her in the lethal arts. They were showing her how to not be an obstacle, which was better, given our current circumstances."Hana, don't hate Imogen. The only parent she's ever known was Granddad," I returned my attention to the crisis at hand."Oh, I'm sorry," Hana sent sympathetic waves Imogen's way. If there was a hint of 'you bitch' hidden within those words, none of us would admit it."Yes, yes," Imogen smiled back. "Father was a real troll.""That's not true," Hana responded. "I've met him and he has always been very nice to me. It was easy for me to look past the nations of dead he's murdered, his propensity to rape his daughters and his plans to destroy my Cáel.""I don't hold you to blame for not protecting Cáel more than you have. He's a handful and reminds you of your Father, the mass-murdering rapist. And Imogen, don't try to hurt Cáel using me again, you Bitch. I'm not a part of your circus. That doesn't render me powerless. I love more than I hate. I count a person great by the lives they save, not those they take. Where there is Valor, there is Hope and my fianc  has both in spades. Do we understand one another?""Proving you are smarter than Ms. Sievert is not something which equates to being a threat," Deidre countered."Cáel, why aren't you saying something?" Brooke whispered to me."Because he knows better," Mom grinned. "This is a battle Hana has to win, or lose, on her own.""Cáel has plenty of women willing to go behind his back and kill people, Brooke. Now, if Hana asks for such a favor, we know it is not over some petty bullshit," rolled menacingly forth from Buffy as her feral countenance made a few of the Illuminati at the next table nervous."That won't be necessary," I broke up the tension. "We are as dysfunctional a family as they come, but we are family and we will all treat one another as such by the standards of the only one who matters. Clear?""You?" Deidre soothed me."No. Ferko Nyilas', my Father and the best man I've ever known. He taught me to never make excuses for your own behavior. Surrendering our control over our lives is a cop-out. If you want to continue acting like the creepy-ass bitch daughters of Cáel O'Shea, so be it. That is your choice to make. I care for you.""I care enough for you to fight Granddad over your futures. I hope all of you know I mean what I say. Whatever you decide to do, no matter how you act, I will always love you. I've made my choices and I am going to hold you responsible for yours. Let's eat lunch. It has been a rough fucking day and it isn't over yet."If there was ever any doubt, I destroyed those twelve hopeful bodyguards on the mats. They possessed neither the skill nor the savagery necessary in a warrior culture. We Amazons didn't recoil from pain. Our sisters' lives were on the line. That was why you practiced no-holds-barred fighting with, or without, weapons."We can learn," the lead Finn protested. The rest were getting over the physical and spiritual pain of being so easily beaten."My normal bodyguards go through three years of intense 24/7 training. Being a member of that elite body means you train in all forms of weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques.""Once you've mastered the core physical and skill baseline requirements, and this core training never stops, no point is considered 'good enough', you begin learning at least two specialties. Those are disciplines such as close-protection, sniping, small unit tactics, infiltration, battlefield medicine, electronics, computing, communication systems, linguistics and 'training' expertise.""In my current team, the ones who fought at my side in Hungry and Romania, all have three specialties. Discounting their regimen since the age of five, each had been on the job in a professional capacity at least six years. The leader had eleven years in.""Finally, when you are at that level of excellence, you need a specific mindset. What you need to do is think why you shouldn't kill someone, not if you should. If there is any doubt, you strike. If you hesitate, someone close to you might be killed, not just me.""Look around you. If you aren't ready to kill for any of your companions, you will never cut it. Now, I'm going to have you shown out. I will have taxis take you back to your hotel. Think about it. Seriously, think about dedicating yourself to more than some stranger you've met on the internet.""You will be dedicating yourself to the other elven women in your group, to the death. That is the level of spiritual dedication it takes to be at my side. Go, take a rest, talk it over, search your souls. Call me if any of you want to continue and we can have lunch Sunday and make plans. Questions?""Do the other women around you do this, make those choices?" one of the Turkish women frowned while nursing a bruised jaw."No. They have it worse. They have thrown their old lives away, never to return. Each and every one has either murdered a human being, or attempted to, before they are even considered for the task.""Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't be having his conversation. You would never be given the chance. You are woefully unqualified in every way except spirit. Your willingness to cross the Atlantic to make your offers resonates with me, so I am both warning you this is horrible, horrible path you are taking and I am explaining precisely how slender any of your chances are of accomplishing your goals.""I, I don't know," whispered one of the Hungarian lasses."At the Seven Skulls, I led three such women into combat (Rachel, Charlotte and Saku) against a group of warriors who were fighting free of 500 elite Romanian Mountain Troops. Of the Romanians, nearly 200 were either dead, or wounded. The FBI Special Agent we took with us was badly wounded."One of the three was killed, a head shot, and the remainder left her body where she had fallen because the enemy were still out there and they had to protect me. The world will not bend to your sensitivities. Life around me is exceedingly dangerous and unforgiving," I finished.No immediate consensus united them. Fear and disbelief were the major vibes I was picking up. None of them were angry, insulted, or overly terrified."Time for you to go," Buffy concluded our meeting. "Tigger Maeve and Dora Farānak, would you please see Cáel's guests to the lobby." A new pleasure of Buffy's was using the House names of the Full-bloods she interacted with.I have taken a few mystic liberties:Maeve was a Celtic War Goddess ~ the Enslaver of Men.Farānak was a Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress.As for the other new hires:Daphne was, as explained earlier, of House Cotyttia (Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter)Fabiola was of House Minerva (Roman Goddess of War & Strategy)Violet Maza was in House Oshun, the Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits.Paula Wadena was of House Cybele (Phrygian Earth Mother, Guardian of the Lion Throne)}They were dismissed and smart enough to know that was the best possible answer to their current predicament, learning your romantic adventure was actually a gory supernatural battle for survival. A growing number of Isharans had been gathering while I dealt with the wannabes. A few were amused, perhaps even understanding, of my actions.Soon enough, using her position as Record Keeper of House Ishara, Helena cajoled the other Amazons into giving us peace and quiet. Not all left. Watching a jury-rigged House Ishara work through its business in a semi-public setting was an event both unlooked for and possibly enlightening.For this gathering, we had 122 of the 159 members. The missing members were not close enough, or were providing a critical function that wouldn't allow them to be in New York on this night."Sisters, a moment of personal prayer for each of us to seek guidance from our Ancestors as we seek to continue their legacy," I intoned softly, calling the meeting to order.I had barely opened my eyes, failing to get any inspiration from Yakko, when the struggle began."Why are we including them in a House Ishara meeting?" Madori pointed out the three 'new hires' who were sticking around."Memasant (Amazon for to speak true)," I answered her. Since Daphne, Paula and Violet had clearly been sitting among us before the meeting began, I gave Buffy a disappointing frown. "Ishara respects these three for teaching the rest of you the Amazon language so that we can teach it to others, thus all of you becoming able to engage all our sisters in our native tongue.""I doubt any other House would extend this honor to others. Thankfully, we are not like any other House. We know better. We have all been outsiders. We aren't a 'normal' House and I am working toward us never being one. We have to be kind and just when necessary, and forgive when it is what the Host needs.""We will do this because we Isharans alone will decide on the prestige of our sisters. If the other Houses make an issue of it, who cares? None of them have made the sacrifices necessary to be Isharans. I know that you have not all gathered here tonight to hear me pontificate. Who wants to be first?""Will you accept a challenge?" Madori stood up. We had spread out in a ring, two Amazons deep, along the edges of the mats. I had never sat down."Put forth your complaint," I responded."You emphasize duties other than that of a House Head. You don't take the time to show up at initiation ceremonies. In essence, you ignore your sisters to advance your own prestige.""Yes, I am not showing up at the initiation ceremonies.""Yes, I prioritize other activities over running the day-to-day operations of our House.""Yes, you are utterly ignoring the two Amazons sitting at either side of me. I chose Buffy Ishara and Helena Ishara to lead this House because I knew I would have others issues coming up in my life concerning the Host.""Buffy, are you challenging me?""No, Wakko Ishara," she responded angrily. She wasn't angry with me. She had chosen the majority of the assembly and they were turning on me, thus her."Helena, are you challenging me?""No Wakko Ishara. I am intimately familiar with your work and the dangers you constantly confront for the greater Host," she answered in an equally hostile tone."Now that the issue of relevance has been dealt with, I will accept any challenge from any of you selfish, bigoted, power-hungry cunts who wish to put your own self-interest above that of our House. By all means, stumble over one another for the top spot," I mocked them. I'd played nice. No more.It was telling that my classification of any challenger was completely ignored. Madori and five supporters stood. In theory, challenges were the rare 1-on-1 Amazon experience. Another Amazon, Arianne, stood with another supporter."Cool beans," I nodded.I backed up, stepped off the mats and picked up the four axes I had pre-prepared. Back on the mat I went past my handful of supporters, brandished two weapons and advanced a quarter way onto the sparring area. The mass of my opponents muttered in confusion and resentment."Ishara, we have not trained in archaic weapons. Most of our facilities never had then," Madori protested."Amazons don't play fair," I glared. Several migrated to the walls to pick out whatever looked the least daunting. Buffy, Helena, Marsha, Daphne Cotyttia, Violet Oshun and Paula Cybele did likewise."Is this how you want to answer a challenge for leadership?" Madori glowered. "Cheating, utilizing a clear advantage in a farce of equality and justice?""No. Please step back and call every member of JIKIT," my eyes narrowed. "How about this, call the Amazon's contact with the Earth & Sky? Can't do that either? How about convince the 9 Clans to help us pursue a House obligation?""You duties as Chief Diplomat are not that of Isharan House Head and actually make you less of a House Head," she countered. She had chosen a short spear, using it two-handed. And that made Katrina what precisely?"I should fucking kill you," Buffy snarled."Madori Ishara, Dot-Ishara is not the Goddess of Scrabble. She is not the Goddess of," and Madori tried to catch me flat-footed with a spear-thrust. I was appalled at how easy I dealt with her. My right axe diverted her spear enough so when I twisted my stance, she missed. I placed the head of my left axe on her shoulder, blade against her throat."Madori, you lose. Sit back down and contemplate that you were beaten by a 22 year old man," I seethed. There was no 'you didn't give me a chance' bullshit. She had struggled for advancement in the Amazon way. Such people weren't crybabies. "Next."Arianne approached me with a shield and short sword. My read on the situation was she was going to use acrobatics to compensate for my superior reach. I readied myself."I don't suppose you would accept a suggestion we fight unarmed?" she put out there. I took two steps toward her then dropped my axes."I trust you," I looked down at her. I could see the 'oh, fuck me' written all over her face. The unfairness had been tossed in her lap. She put the point of her leaf-shaped blade under the left side of my ribcage, close to my kidney."Yield.""Never.""Yield, or I will kill you."I took a quarter-inch penetration when I clamped down on her right wrist and slammed my elbow into her face. A quick exchange of footwork ended up with both of us on the mat, Arianne on her back, sword pinned to the mat and her shield trapped between us. Head-butt followed head-butt until she was unresponsive.I stood up, blood oozing down my side."Water!" I barked. A bottled water was rolled my way. Three more Amazons were sizing me up. This challenge phase was far from over. I splashed water down on Arianne's face until she sputtered into wakefulness."Pathetic," I sneered at her. "This House is worth any and all of our lives. If you were the best candidate to lead this house and I refused to yield, then why did you spare me? Not only could you not kill me when you clearly could, you failed to do so even when it became an unequal contest of arms."Arianne was shamed and furious. I was treating her like a presumptuous, outsider woman."I'm feeling particularly generous in victory, Arianne, don't you dare stand up," I growled when she tried. "I will not kill you for your disrespect. I will not exile you from our House because doing so would show both of us failing to grasp one of the key principles of our People, learn. Learn and keep learning. A loss is nothing more than a temporary setback. Learn, don't repeat the same mistake twice and never stop striving for success until you take yourself to the cliffs."One of the two newes

More free examples of our group classes! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7One of the hardest consonants to pronounce in American English pronunciation is the L sound. Let's take a closer look at this difficult L sound, as well as the dark L, with this lesson taken from our group coaching program. You'll hear different pronunciations as well as feedback for achieving a natural sound for American English❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.#fluentamerican #americanenglish #missionenglishSupport the show

Season 3 is here! Astrid Robitaille is passionate about adult learners and is a strong advocate for adult education programs across the nation. As a former 7th grade teacher, she transitioned into adult education and never looked back. She has taught many subjects including courses preparing students for U.S. citizenship, the GED (high school diploma program) and English as a Second Language. As a trainer and assessment guru for adult education programs across the U.S., she is committed to providing excellent service to education programs and administrators all while keeping the adult learners as her top priority. With adult education and other federally funded programs at risk, listen and learn how impactful this reality could be on our future generations, our workforce, local communities and our nation at large. And learn from Astrid how one student's persistence, patience and sheer motivation finally paid off.

1 - Dig Mr. K. Kay Kay - Doc Basso with the Al "Stomp" Russell Trio – 19462 - Are You Hep to Jive - Cab Calloway and his Orchestra – 19403 - Are You Hep - Aurelia with Ivory Joe Hunter and his Band – 19484 - Jiveformation Please - Cab Calloway and his Orchestra - 19395 - Do You Dig My Jive - Sam Price and His Texas Blues – 19416 - I Don't Dig It - Joe Turner and his Band - 19487 - I Don't Dig You Jack - Blue Lu Barker with Danny Bark – 19398 - Hey Ba-Ba Rebop - Brita Borg med La Visites Solistensemble - 19479 - Get Hep - Anita Boyer with Johnny Fosdick and his Orchestra – 194110 - Dig This Boogie - Wynonie (Mr. Blues) Harris - 194611 - Hep Cat's Ball - Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra – 194012 - Dig These Blues - The Four Clefs - 194013 - The Jumpin Jive Jim Jam Jump - Butch Stone with Van Alexander and his Orchestra – 193914 - Man Dig That Crazy Chick - Louis Prima and his Orchestra - 195315 - Hep Cat's Love Song - Cab Calloway and his Orchestra – 194116 - Hep Cats' Holiday - The Cats and the Fiddle – 1940

More free examples of our group classes! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7Expressing emotion can be difficult to do in our first language, let alone our second! However, not being able to express the emotions we feel in English can not only make us sound less natural in American English, but also give us a heavier accent. Let's practice expressing emotions in our speech in American English*Want to practice your American English vowel sounds? Let's take a look at the most confusing sounds for English learners!❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.#fluentamerican #americanenglish #missionenglishSupport the show

I was introduced to Ksenia Luki by a mutual artist friend when I was looking for a Russian-speaking musician and singer to collaborate on a song adaptation for the October Project who you might remember from previous episodes. Not only did I enjoy collaborating with Ksenia, but I also discovered an absolutely unique approach to exploring, creating, and performing music. We talk about the challenges of being a bilingual artist, creating most work not in your native language. We also talk about the healing power of music and Ksenia's sound healing practice.Ksenia Luki | Medicine MusicKsenia LukiKsenia LukiKsenia Luki on Apple MusicInstagram (@ksenia_luki)Healing Practice: Reiki Training & Certification | Moon Yogi Holistic Healing, Los AngelesKsenia Luki Music

If you want to sound more natural in American English, the truth is that the tactics you are using to speak clearly are the same tactics that are giving you an accent.*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, I have the weekly class for YOU, every Wednesdays, 11AM-12PM New YorkYou'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to sound more natural in American English, there is one technique that might unlock everything for you! Let's practice together*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, I have the weekly class for YOU, every Wednesdays, 11AM-12PM New YorkYou'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Download a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcastAmerican English pronunciation can feel overwhelming, but here is a key tactic that, if your goal is to sound more natural when you speak in English, is really going to help!*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Today Angela Lin from Real You Mandarin joins us to explore our relationship with our mother tongue and dissect how language can play a role in expressing our personal identities. We also talk about how language abilities can impact family dynamics and learnings we've had in recent years to bridge that gap in our relationship with our parents.Find Angela on Instagram @RealYouMandarin, Tiktok @RealYouMandarin, and her podcast But Where Are You Really From? Pod anywhere you get your podcasts!Check out realyoumandarin.com and use eatyourcrust10 for a discount! Expires on April 10.Support the showFollow us on social media @eatyourcrustpod

There are a couple different common R combinations you'll encoutner in American English; let's look at 5 of them!Download a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcastIf you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*When it comes to creating change in your pronunciation, you have to be careful of consonant sounds in American English! You could be pronouncing your vowels perfectly, but if the consonant itself is not kept in check, it can completely change how your word sounds--and not for the better. Let's look at some examples that involve L linking*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Anna Rita is the Regional Managing Director of Green Ivy International School and Interim Head of School at Pine Street School. As an expert in multilingual education, we explore the incredible power of learning languages in childhood. Anna Rita shares why the ages of 0-6 are a critical window for language acquisition, how bilingualism enhances executive function and cultural understanding, and the long-term cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages.   Whether you're considering language immersion school, learning a heritage language at home, or simply want to give your child's brain a boost, this episode will open your eyes to the world of possibilities in multilingual learning. Get ready to be inspired to help your child become a global citizen!   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/95

Download a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcastIf you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*When it comes to creating change in your pronunciation, you have to be careful of consonant sounds in American English! You could be pronouncing your vowels perfectly, but if the consonant itself is not kept in check, it can completely change how your word sounds--and not for the better. Let's look at some examples*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mssion: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get some free premium access too for extra practice) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Download a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcast*When it comes to the /ou/ vowel sound in American English, like "go" or "slow", sometimes learners confuse it with the dark L sound. Here are some things to watch out for!*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get 7 days premium access to get some practice in too) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Sentence stress is done by raising the pitch of the stressed word. However, there is an issue a lot of English learners encounter with this! *Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Download a free podcast/audio/mp3 at www.fluentamerican.com/podcastWhen it comes to phrases like "sort of" and "order up", the T and D sounds can be a bit confusing! The reason: they aren't really pronounced like the T and D in most languages, largely because the vowels will get the focus, not the consonants. So, let's look at fast d/flap t situations! Here are some tips to getting these words sounding more natural in American English pronunciation*If you want to know what sounds you are mispronouncing in English, there is a FREE pronunciation test you can take (and get 7 days premium access to get some practice in too) with ELSA: https://bit.ly/ELSAxFLUENTAMERICANTo be clear: I've found ELSA to be great at specific, individual sounds (e.g., "lock" vs "luck", or "sit" vs "seat"); it struggles a bit more with sentence level reductions and stress. However, for a quick few minutes of practice on sounds you find difficult, I think you'll find ELSA helpful. Take advantage of the discount they've made for you above!*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7Support the show

Teaching your homeschooler a second language (or a foreign language) is about communication and learning how to speak the way OTHERS understand.On today's episode of the Assured podcast, I will show you how to teach your homeschooler a second language, even if you're not fluent yourself!Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?assuredpodcast.com/quizConnect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

See the video here: https://youtube.com/live/yjQ-Y0LTtZMIf you are looking to completely change how you sound when you talk to become better at communicating in any language, here is a quick exercise you can do before the next time you talk!*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7#fluentamerican #americanenglish #wakeupamericanSupport the show

Placement is a key concept to a natural sound in any language. However, though it is important, we have to understand what it actually implies and involves*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7Support the show

If you are an English learner, be careful about linking vowels to consonants!*Wednesdays, 11AM-12:15PM New York, we hold a weekly small group class, practicing using a text to practice all aspects of pronunciation.And you're invited!If you're interested in American English, sounding natural, and finding ways to express yourself like native speakers, this is the weekly class for YOU!You'll practice saying phrases, get feedback to learn which sounds/parts of pronunciation to target, and hear native and nonnative examples to know what to do/what to avoidAnd if that interests you, register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21550696&appointmentType=736978675 seats maximum every Wednesday. Sections of class may be posted to socials.See an example of what it is like here: https://youtu.be/9Neg_uHJYmw*Welcome to Wake Up American, where Monday through Friday, we spend a couple minutes on a challenging aspect of American English pronunciation and walk through examples to help you achieve a more natural sound the next time you speak in American English at work, at home, or out and about town.See all the episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA83m7lXmjQ&list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhtU6hvocUB69VuvfWZkgZu❗❗❗❗❗❗JOIN our channel to get access to our Pronunciation Group on Telegram, where you receive feedback and suggestions for YOUR pronunciation every day. See what it is like here: https://youtu.be/FDwPuwstUEoWho am I? My name is Geoff Anderson. I got my MA in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2012, and have been teaching since 2010. I've studied Italian to around level C1-C2. I was also an IELTS examiner for the speaking/writing tests for 3 years.Want to know what classes with me are like? Check out our Mission: English program, where we do livestreams that YOU can join Monday through Friday! It'd be great to do pronunciation exercises with you, answer your American English accent questions, and improve together in our supportive community; see what a Mission: English class is like here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlZ0dlSbrSXhxuga9nOujvx6FL9LU22h7Support the show

In this episode, I was honored to interview Linda Ugelow, a speaking confidence and vocal coach and author of 'Delight in the Limelight.' Linda shares her journey from being terrified of public speaking to mastering it and helping others do the same. She discusses the underlying causes of speaking anxiety, often rooted in past experience,s and offers practical advice to address these fears. Linda also talks about making friends with the lens for online video and stages both, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and practice in overcoming speaking anxieties. I also shared the big announcement: The rebranding of the podcast. Don't miss the start of the episode to hear the new name. Next week, in the anniversary episode of 100, I will share the full behind-the-scenes of how the new name come to ligh, and what to expect from this podcast moving forward. Hint, only better things ;)

To kick off our first episode of 2025, This month's host, Kara takes us through the different components of the library's citizenship program. In 2024, Harris County Public Library was awarded a grant to expand our citizenship program to meet the community needs. We'll be hearing from some citizenship students about why they started their citizenship journey at the library and our Adult Services Program Coordinator, Sarah O. who oversees the program to learn about the different components and what the program can and can not help with creating new citizens.If you're interested in learning more about the Citizenship, English as a Second Language or Basic Education classes at the library , please visit www.hcpl.net/Citizenship  Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library.www.hcpl.netPodcast Team Members include: Beth Krippel, John Harbaugh, Mary Mink, Dylan Smith, Sadina Shawver, Gisela Parker, Kara Ludwig, John Schaffer, Jennifer Finch, Katelyn Helberg, Darcy Casavant, Darla Pruitt and Nancy Hu

In episode 623, Dalit Vaknin shares her journey of overcoming the challenges of building a successful blog in her second language, English, and how other non-native English speakers can do the same. Dalit, a former dietician, is a passionate food blogger and culinary enthusiast. After relocating to the US, she turned her love for food into a thriving blog specializing in artisanal ice cream. Dalit's mission is to inspire others, especially those whose first language is not English, to pursue their passions through writing and blogging. She believes language should never be a barrier to sharing your unique voice and stories with the world. In this episode, you'll learn how to keep motivated when blogging in English as your second language, how to overcome self-doubt and use visual aids and other useful tools. Key points discussed include: - Embrace the journey: Blogging in a second language may be challenging, but approach it with an open mindset and celebrate your progress along the way. - Leverage visual aids: Use process shots, arrows, and visual cues to make your content more accessible and engaging, especially when language skills are still developing. - Start simple: Begin with straightforward recipes and gradually increase complexity as you build confidence in your writing. - Immerse yourself: Read cookbooks and other blogs to familiarize yourself with the specific vocabulary and formatting used in the food blogging niche. - Utilize helpful tools: Take advantage of resources like Grammarly, ChatGPT, and capitalization checkers to improve your writing and catch errors. - Seek feedback: Ask a trusted friend or family member to review your blog posts and provide constructive feedback to help you improve. - Practice speaking: Participate in blogger groups or conferences to practice your English speaking skills and gain confidence in communicating your ideas. - Celebrate small wins: Recognize and appreciate the progress you make, even if it feels slow at times. Each blog post is an opportunity to grow. - Embrace mistakes: Understand that perfection is not the goal. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, so be kind to yourself. - Leverage your strengths: If English is not your native language, remember that you have the unique advantage of bringing a fresh perspective and diverse experiences to your blog. Connect with Dalit Vaknin Website | Instagram