Practical English, taught in English and in Russian.
English Tea teaches English as a second language, mixing English-language lessons on everyday phrasing with Russian-language episodes that explain rules such as the order of adjectives. It gives learners language they can use, from polite request forms to ways of stating an opinion, plus the occasional look at how American schools get children reading.
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English Tea is a podcast for learning English as a second language, and what sets it apart is that it teaches in two languages. Some episodes are in English. Others are explained mostly in Russian. The English-language lessons numbered 47 to 49 focus on functional phrasing, the words a speaker reaches for in ordinary situations. Slava Rudnitsky introduces himself at the start of '47: Language interference' and admits there that he has no formal language education: he studied English at school and spent one summer as a work and travel student. That episode looks at how a first language seeps into a second. If you keep dropping an article, the advice is to stop drilling the single word and relearn a whole phrase instead, putting 'the CEO' inside a full sentence and repeating it until it sticks. It then takes up will versus going to as a second example. '48: English for something' is built around small challenges. Listeners get thirty seconds to give directions to their next destination without repeating an instruction like 'go' or 'turn'. Then they list every way they can think of to ask for a vocabulary list. '49: Fact or Opinion' connects language to critical thinking. It moves from mild markers such as 'to my mind' and 'as for me' to stronger versions built on strongly, truly and really, then asks whether an opinion stated firmly is actually a reasonable one. The examples have a dry humour: tea may be the best drink, the counterpoint runs, but water tastes much better. The Russian-language episodes cover other ground. In '#42 Green great dragons' the speaker says that talking with other non-native speakers can feel easier. The episode then sets out the order English adjectives follow, with opinion and size first and material and purpose last, and suggests pinning the list to the fridge. '#44 All ears reading' answers a listener's request to hear how American schools get children to love reading, and it describes classroom libraries, reading on the carpet and a teacher reading aloud to the class. The speaker in that episode describes most episodes as small lessons on vocabulary or grammar, with occasional episodes on everyday American life. Elsewhere, '#45 Growth mindset' contrasts growth and fixed mindsets and recounts Carol Dweck's research on praising children for intelligence versus effort. Episodes 42, 44 and 45 each close with a short exchange with a child, whether about a green great dragon, a Lego time machine or a nest-building task at school. In both languages, listeners visibly shape the show. They are thanked by name, their ideas are credited, and they are invited to send questions, short texts and stories through sonar.one and YouTube.
Made for: Suits a learner of English who can follow Russian and wants phrasing they can use, from polite requests to ways of stating and backing up an opinion. It also suits someone who likes being set a small speaking exercise partway through an episode.
What sets it apart: English Tea teaches in both English and Russian and makes the learner's first language part of the lesson. It names the habits that carry over into English and fixes them with whole phrases instead of isolated words.
Practical tips and insightful advice to master English as a second language from Viacheslav Rudnytskyi.
A teenager wanted art; the parents picked Spanish. Your English practice just acquired a family argument.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A focused look at how praise may shape a child's willingness to take on difficulty.
The episode turns "growth mindset" from a classroom slogan into a practical question about praise: should a child be told they are smart, or recognized for the effort behind the work?
A warm, close look at how freedom and routine can help children find their way into reading.
English Tea #44 makes a quiet case for reading by staying with the choices children make when adults leave enough room. In its classroom, children read on the carpet, at desks, or on the floor, picking books from home, a small classroom library, or the school library.
Héctor and Beto dissect Mexican grammar, slang, and news in native-speed Spanish conversations.
["English Tea #45, \"Growth mindset,\" centers on Carol Dweck's growth-versus-fixed framework and the way praise changes children's responses to challenge.", "The host says Dweck is a 71-year-old Stanford University professor and notes that she received almost 4 million dollars from the 2017 Yidan Prize for education.", "A study of 400 five-year-old American students found that 92% of effort-praised children chose the harder test, while 67% of intelligence-praised children chose the easier one.", "The episode closes with a Sal Khan anecdote, a list of growth-versus-fixed phrases, and the host saying this is the final episode of English Tea season 2."]
English Tea #44 looks at how California libraries and schools turn children's reading into a daily habit.
Рита после 8 месяцев в Америке замечает, что слова "хайкать" и "трейл" изменили её русскую речь.
The host discusses Halloween traditions in America with his son, aiming to change negative perceptions of the holiday.
English Tea’s episode #20 features thirteen-year-old Anastasia, an American eighth-grader of Ukrainian origin, describing middle school in the United States.
English teachers discuss common mistakes Russian speakers make with past simple and past continuous tenses.
The host discusses the most difficult aspects of English grammar, including tenses, prepositions, phrasal verbs, and punctuation, based on a video and personal experience.
A discussion on whether to prepare systematically or rely on creativity and intuition for an English job interview.
The host and guest discuss differences between Chinese and Ukrainian mentalities based on personal experiences.
This episode introduces English idioms through a dialogue between hosts, explaining their meanings and usage for ESL learners.
Two English teachers discuss common pronunciation and vocabulary pitfalls for ESL learners, using the example of 'bug' vs.
The hosts launch a new podcast called English Tea, promising systematic English language education for IT professionals, with a certified instructor.