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Ihre 10 Minuten Englisch pro Woche |
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Dear email,
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When does a little light clutter become a real mess? I think of myself as quite a tidy person – some friends would disagree – but like almost everyone I know, keeping a modicum of order is an ongoing struggle. How long should I wait before the pile of unread books on my coffee table becomes a mountain and then begins to slide like an avalanche onto the floor? I’ll definitely be reading the advice from clutter consultant Rebecca Crayford, below. When people find out that I’m more or less bilingual, they often assume that I’ll be good at other languages, too. Sorry, folks: I struggle as hard as anyone else to pick up a language. I’m planning to start learning Greek over the summer in preparation for a holiday, and when I do, I’ll boost my confidence by re-reading the excellent tips in our language feature Get Talking. Let’s see if I’m brave enough to order a salad or ask for directions on my holiday.
Next week, my co-host Judith Gilbert will have more interesting stories to share from around the English-speaking world.
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Inez Sharp
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Editor-in-chief, Spotlight
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clutter: Durcheinander, Unordnung | modicum: Mindestmaß, Quäntchen | pile: Stapel | avalanche: Lawine | bilingual: zweisprachig | assume: annehmen | folks: Leute | pick up sth.: hier: sich etw. aneignen | boost: stärken | co-host: Co-Moderator(in)
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Word of the Week
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banana
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Did you know...? You might have heard the term nimby. If, for example, new wind turbines are planned, there’ll be protests from nimbys – people who say, yes, we need more wind turbines, but “not in my back yard”. Even more extreme protestors are “bananas”. Their standpoint is basically: “Build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone.”
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© Illustration: Georg Lechner
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Anzeige
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Profit from the offer of the year! Deadline: 30 June 2025
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Nur für kurze Zeit: Profitiere von unserem besonderen TOEFL iBT-Angebot im Frühjahr 2025! Jetzt informieren und anmelden!
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Language
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Get talking!
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Your heart is racing, your mouth is dry and your brain is suddenly empty – all because you’re sitting in a group and everyone has to introduce themselves. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone – and we can reassure you that it’s never as bad as you fear. Here are some worries that many language learners share.
I make so many grammatical mistakes! So what?! Do you expect perfection when learners speak your language? As long as your meaning is clear, it really doesn’t matter. Tip: Don’t be too ambitious. Don’t think of complex sentences in your own language and then try to translate them into English. Instead, begin with the words and structures you know in English. If you’re feeling anxious, keep your sentences short and you won’t lose your way.
I understand everything, but when I speak, it all falls apart! This is totally normal. Everyone can read or listen and understand more than they can produce themselves. The opposite phenomenon doesn’t exist – nobody can say more than they understand. So, you’re already in a majority of 100 per cent. Tip: If you feel your speaking is really much weaker than other skills, you might benefit from booking a few one-to-one sessions with a private teacher to become more confident. Or try a conversation class at a language school.
What if people don’t understand me? Have you ever lost concentration when someone is talking? Or perhaps wondered whether you’ve misunderstood something fundamental? It happens. Tip: Questions like “Does that make sense?” or “Am I explaining myself clearly?” give your listeners the opportunity to ask for clarification.
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reassure sb.: jmdm. etw. versichern | So what?!: Na und? | ambitious: ehrgeizig | one-to-one: Einzel- | clarification: Klärung, Klarstellung
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© Image: Georg Lechner
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Podcast
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Adolescence and the manosphere
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If you haven’t seen it yet, the groundbreaking mini-series Adolescence (Netflix) tells the story of how a seemingly normal young boy can become radicalized online without anyone knowing. In this week’s episode of our podcast English, please!, the Spotlight team discusses the issue at the heart of the story: the manosphere.
Join Inez Sharp and Nadia Lawrence, from the UK, Mae McCreary, from the US, and Owen Connors, from Ireland, as they discuss where the manosphere comes from and how it plays out in the series.
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groundbreaking: bahnbrechend | manosphere: Mannosphäre (loses, vorwiegend antifeministisches Netzwerk im Internet)
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© Image: Courtesy of Netflix
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Movie Industry
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“I think that AI is the least of it”
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How is the film and TV industry changing? Business Spotlight spoke to writer, director and producer Michael Sucsy and producer Marie Dunaway about some of the developments they’ve witnessed in the industry.
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AI (artificial intelligence): KI (künstliche Intelligenz | director: hier: Regisseur(in)
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© Image: Shutterstock.com
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Ihr Gutschein für Spotlight
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Sie erhalten die erste Ausgabe unseres Abonnements gratis
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Odd Jobs
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How to deal with clutter
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Rebecca Crayford is a clutter consultant, based in Oxfordshire, in the UK.
As a clutter consultant, I help people declutter their homes and workspaces. When people call me, I can either put a sticking plaster over the problem or help them understand why the clutter has built up in the first place. It may just be a lack of time that leads to overflowing wardrobes and boxes of papers. But how can we stop it from happening again?
So much time would be saved if people understood the importance of a good filing system – for both digital files and paperwork. There’s always a panic around the time when everyone does their tax returns. People ask for help because they know they won’t make the deadline without proper filing.
Instead of leaving the post on your desk or kitchen table, create an action pile, a pending pile and a recycling pile. Take 20 minutes a week to file your paperwork and digital files. And to stop unread emails from building up in your inbox, create folders, deal with those things and file them somewhere else.
Living in a clutter-free space helps your mental focus and well-being. It reduces stress and saves time from a business perspective. I’ve had people almost in tears when they see their home office organized for them.
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clutter consultant: Aufräum-Berater(in), Ordnungsberater(in) (clutter: Gerümpel, Unordnung, Krimskrams) | declutter sth.: etw. entrümpeln, ausmisten | sticking plaster: put a ~ over sth. (UK): ein Heftpflaster auf etw. kleben; hier: etw. notdürftig richten | in the first place: hier: überhaupt erst | wardrobe: (Kleider-)Schrank | filing system: Ablagesystem | tax return: Steuererklärung | pile: Stapel, Haufen | pending: ausstehend, noch nicht erledigt | file sth.: etw. ablegen | inbox: Posteingang | folder: Ordner | well-being: Wohlbefinden
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© Image: privat
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Im aktuellen Magazin
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New York highlights
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Highlights and downtime: 10 amazing places in New York | New Yorkers under Trump | How to conquer your fears of speaking | Crafting a culture: artisans in Great Britain | The life and work of David Attenborough
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Quiz
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Countries, cities and their inhabitants
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Which US state has more inhabitants than any other? Which is the second-most populous British city after London (tip: you can see it above)? Test your geography knowledge with these – and more – questions in our quiz.
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inhabitant: Einwohner(in) | populous: bevölkerungsreich
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© Image: Shutterstock.com
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From the ZEIT SPRACHEN App
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Festival vocabulary
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Summer is just around the corner, as is the festival season! Are you all set? Whether you like to potter along or make new friends, our word list has you covered.
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all set: be ⁓: bereit sein | potter along: herumschlendern | have so. covered: für jemanden alles bereitstellen
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© Image: Pia Spieler
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Teilen Sie diesen Newsletter ...
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