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Improve your Speaking online Episode 4, Introduction:

This week we bring new current topics in Episode 4 so you can improve your online speaking from home.

 

Topic 1: Series and Films 🎬

<<Harry Potter ‘Return to Hogwarts’ Special to Reunite Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint for HBO Max>>

The original Hogwarts wizarding trio are reuniting to recount their adventures from two decades ago.

Episode 4
Article

The original Hogwarts wizarding trio are reuniting to recount their adventures from two decades ago.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will join filmmaker Chris Columbus and other cast members from all eight “Harry Potter” films for the first time in an HBO Max retrospective special to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which premiered 20 years ago today.

“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” will premiere on HBO Max on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2022. The feature will “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new, in-depth interviews and cast conversations,” according to HBO Max. All eight of Warner Bros.’s original “Harry Potter” films are streaming on HBO Max.
The special also will air on WarnerMedia’s TBS and Cartoon Network in spring 2022 ahead of the Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical debut of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
Other alumni of the film franchise joining the tribute are set to include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Ian Hart.

Currently, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who has been criticized for her anti-trans comments, is not scheduled to appear in the special. “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” will, however, include archival footage of Rowling speaking about the film series.

“It has been an incredible journey since the debut of the ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ film, and witnessing how it has evolved into this remarkable interconnected universe has been magical to say the least,” Tom Ascheim, president of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, said in a statement. “This retrospective is a tribute to everyone whose lives were touched by this cultural phenomenon — from the talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into this extraordinary film franchise to the passionate fans who continue to keep the Wizarding World spirit alive 20 years later.”

“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. The special is executive produced by Casey Patterson of Casey Patterson Entertainment (“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote”) and Pulse Films (“Beastie Boys Story”).

“There’s magic in the air here with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago,” Patterson commented. “The excitement is palpable as they prepare to take their fans on a very special and personal journey, through the making of these incredible films.”

An exclusive first look at the special will debut during the premiere of bracket-style quiz competition “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses” on Nov. 28 (8 p.m. ET/PT) on TBS and Cartoon Network. Hosted by Helen Mirren, the four-part event will feature fans competing to take home the Tournament of Houses championship trophy and will feature cameos by “Harry Potter” film alumni Tom Felton, Simon Fisher-Becker, Shirley Henderson and Luke Youngblood, as well as superfans Pete Davidson and Jay Leno. “Hogwarts Tournament of Houses” also will begin streaming on HBO Max on Jan. 1.

 

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1.  Have you watched all the Harry Potter films? Which one is your favourite? Why?
  2. Who is your favourite character? Why?
  3. In your opinion, what makes Harry Potter so magical? Why people is fascinated by this wizard’s world?
  4. What do you think about J.K. Rowling? Do you like her latest books?
  5. What is the scene that you most remember from the films?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Enchanting: delightfully charming or attractive.
  • Footage: part of a cinema or television film recording a particular event.
  • Sorcerer: a person who claims or is believed to have magic powers; a wizard.
  • Wand: a long, thin stick or rod.
  • Basilisk: a mythical serpent-like creature, said to kill by its breath or look.
  • Expecto patronum: “I await a patron”; a patron is defined as a protector.
  • Boarding school: a school which provides accommodation and meals for the pupils during term time.
  • Magic away: make something disappear quickly.

Topic 2: Music 🎵

Freddie Mercury’s 30th death anniversary.

“Don’t stop me now. Cause I’m having a good time. I don’t wanna stop at all!”.

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1.  Do you like the band Queen? What is your favourite song?
  2. Why is Freddie Mercury iconic?
  3. Have you watched the Bohemian Rhapsody film?
  4. What are the top Queen songs?
  5. In your opinion, which music bands are the most popular?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Songwriter: a person who composes words or music or both especially for popular songs.
  • Lead guitarist: the lead guitarist must specialize in playing the melody of the song.
  • Flamboyant: (of a person or their behaviour) tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.
  • Bohemian Rhapsody: it depicts the life of a ‘bohemian’ as a fantasy or a vision.
  • Jam session: playing improvised music in an informal setting.
  • Like a broken record: someone who repeats the same thing again and again.
  • Music to my ears: good news; something that is very pleasant or gratifying to hear or discover.
  • Blow your own trumpet: proudly boasting about your own achievements, talents, or successes.

Topic 3: Electricity 💡

«Spain and the blackout that Austria is warning Europe about»

Almost two weeks ago, the Government of Austria announced the risk of a possible major blackout across Europe.

Articulo

Almost two weeks ago, the Government of Austria announced the risk of a possible major blackout across Europe. They even went so far as to appeal to the entire population of the country to prepare themselves for a possible failure in the European energy supply. Such a failure would leave the entire country without electricity, internet, or heating the people were warned.

However, in Spain, it is assured that this would not be possible. Spain does not have a blackout risk, neither by capacity, by generation, nor by distribution. Our country’s capacity to generate electricity is 107 gigawatts (GW) per day.

In fact, the highest consumption in the history of Spain, before the 2008 stock market crash, was on December 17, 2007. On this date, consumers used 45 gigawatts, which is less than half of the available capacity that could be generated.
Not even during storm Filomena, when 42 gigawatts were consumed, was there any risk of shortages. The power plants generate twice what we are capable of consuming on any given day. This means there is no risk of a generation collapse, nor is there a risk of nuclear collapse, and if it does, 10 different energy sources are available to back it up every day.

Some electricity companies have threatened to close down the nuclear power plants. Even if they were to be turned off tomorrow – regardless of the fact that those responsible would go to jail, and then to ruin – we will still have hydropower, wind, photovoltaic, other renewables, combined turbines, and gas.

The diversification of energy that Spain has prevents the great blackout and differentiates us from Austria. They are a country that depends on the gas that Russia sells, and this country is trying to promote a gas pipeline that does not pass through Ukraine so as not to pay the toll it costs.
Spain is not in this situation, but Algeria injects gas into our country that enters seven regasification plants, and there are tankers that supply us. In addition, Spain has a legal obligation to keep 40 days of strategic gas reserve to generate electricity, as reported by cadenaser.com.

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1. How do you feel about the Great Blackout?
  2. Do you think this situation is possible in Spain?
  3. In your opinion, what would be a solution for Spain if a blackout happens?
  4. How is power generated in Spain?
  5. Should we invest more in renewable energy?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Blackout: a period of time when electric power has failed, causing a loss of lights.
  • Consumption: the action of using up a resource.
  • Shortage: a situation in which there is not enough of something.
  • To back up: one that serves as a substitute or support.
  • Turn off: stop the operation.
  • Gas pipeline: a long pipe, typically underground, for conveying gas over long distances.
  • Toll: a charge payable to use a bridge or road.
  • Power behind the throne: someone who does not have an official position in a government or organization but who secretly controls it.

Topic 4: Languages 💬

«The Importance of Learning Languages»

Learning another language has been a goal for many people.

Episode 4
Articulo

Learning another language has been a goal for many people, and the best time to immerse yourself in this experience tends to be when you are a young person. Children tend to pick up languages at a much faster rate than adults, and they also retain their new skill for many years after. As the world becomes more globalized, more and more parents are looking to hire private tutors and nannies to teach their children to converse in another language.

Exposing kids to a new language at a young age tends to be the most popular way that parents help their children acquire a new language. While recent studies have shown that adults might be able to learn new verbal skills just as easily as young children, the amount of time and practice those at a young age have can have a greater effect on the quality of the skills they have learned.
“Children listen intently, practice incessantly, and are not afraid to make grammatical mistakes. And remember it still takes children years. Two-year-old children constantly exposed to a single native language still speak relatively poorly,” writes Dave Featherstone for Forbes.

This intense curiosity and lack of fear for making mistakes can be one of the best ways to develop the tools necessary to become fluent in another language, and adults see that as an advantage for children who could be dealing with a future that requires them to utilize multiple languages in their careers or personal lives.
“At the park recently my son met a little girl from Malawi and they started to play in Italian. He then heard her speak to her father in her native language. Immediately he was curious to know what language she was speaking. He didn’t laugh or get embarrassed as some other children did,” notes Chontelle Bonfiglio for the Huffington Post.

Learning a new language can increase cultural understanding while also encouraging kids to seek out new friends. Most children are happy to engage with a new topic or language even if it is not what they are used to. Because they often have a case of incessant curiosity, they are more willing to open their minds and use their new skills.
Much of this comes from the fact that children use real-life incidents to support their language-learning. As the company Gritty Spanish comments, learners can improve listening and reading comprehension with audio stories. Kids have a much easier time relating to these narratives than simply reading out of a textbook or learning solely in a classroom. There has to be context for children to feel as though they should use their new skills while retaining the important information needed to form new sentences.

Gritty Spanish uses a number of accents in its program, including voice actors from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, and several others. Spanish is one of the most-commonly spoken languages, and the most-taught in American public school systems. States like Utah have already incorporated an approach that includes immersion, teaching 50% of classes in English and 50% in a secondary language. With a variety of voices and regional accents, children can learn that a language belongs to many people.
Kids who are being taught a new language also need to be constantly engaged, which is not always easy in the environment of stuffy classroom. In fact, Gritty Spanish claims that the more exciting the curricula, the more likely it is that an individual, whether a child or an adult, will retain important information. Many of the language-learning materials available can be dry, but companies are taking a greater initiative toward making acquiring another language fun.

There are multiple other reasons why parents should consider another language for their children. Studies have shown that bilingual kids tend to have an easier time concentrating on difficult topics, and they are more flexible to change. Not only can this be seen on an academic level, but it can also help in a future career. In fact, learning a new language has even been shown to delay signs of mental deterioration, especially in studies centered around dementia and memory.
“For truly to see the full potential multi-lingualism has on learning, exposure to non-native languages should actually begin long before Kindergarten. However, even children who learn their first Spanish words at the age of five can benefit from dual language curriculum. Learning is learning,”writes Matthew Lynch for the Huffington Post.

While learning a second language has multiple benefits, the most important for children might be fostering a life-long love of developing new skills and increasing knowledge. Since this tends to follow them into their adult lives, the increase of bilingualism in children is likely to make for more curious, culturally-conscious adults.

 

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1. If you could learn any language, which one would you learn? why?
  2. What impresses you the most about languages?
  3. Do you know any other language besides English?
  4. What’s your least favorite language? Why?
  5. Would you like to raise multilingual children?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Rate: the speed at which something happens or changes.
  • Mother tongue: the language which a person has grown up speaking from early childhood.
  • Jargon: special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.
  • Approach: an initial proposal or request made to someone.
  • Stuffy: boring, dull.
  • Second language: a language other than the mother tongue that a person or community uses for public communication.
  • To foster: encourage the development of (something, especially something desirable).
  • Under one’s belt: have a lot of experience.

Topic 5: Youtube 🎦

Why are YouTubers flocking to Andorra?

Why are YouTubers moving to Andorra, a small principality between France and Spain?

Article

It’s no secret that the tax rates in Andorra, the small principality between France and Spain, are lower than those of their neighboring EU countries. For this reason, numerous content creators, specifically YouTubers, are living in Andorra in order to avoid paying steeper taxes on their income. Recently, Spanish content creator Ibai Llanos published a video in which he makes the claim, “it’s normal to take a lot of money from people who make a lot of money.” He asserts his own fiscal solidarity with other Spanish workers, saying that making the move to Andorra has nothing to do with a love of one’s country but more to do with a sense of justice.

A few days after these statements, news came out that influencer El Rubius had also decided to move to Andorra. He argued that it was not mainly for tax purposes, but because many of his friends and professional colleagues reside there. Personal reasons aside, one thing is certain: a national debate is underway, and it seems to have divided Spain into two.

While it’s a delicate subject with emphatic arguments on both sides, Ibai Llanos, despite having decided to remain in Spain, defended those who do the opposite. “I know that many people who criticize those who go to Andorra, probably 90 or 95 percent of them, would also leave if they were in our shoes,” he stated, “because it’s a country that’s two hours away and the financial difference is huge.”

If the debate on moving to Andorra has piqued your interest, we’ve broken down exactly how that decision would affect you financially. Keep reading to learn more.

What is the real difference between paying taxes in Spain and in Andorra?
In order to understand the situation, you have to start with the fact that in Spain, people who earn more than €300,000 per year are obligated to pay the maximum tax rate, which is 46.5% of your annual income. In Andorra, the maximum rate does not exceed 10%. Here’s a simple example: let’s assume that a person earns exactly €1,000,000 in a year.. If they reside in Spain, they would pay €465,000 in taxes to the government. If they are under the Andorran tax system, they would only pay €100,000. It’s easy to see why high-earners are tempted to switch their residencies.

Can any legal action be taken to control YouTubers who live in Andorra?
Since 2015, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been aiming to develop a global tax reporting framework for the new digital economy. One of the methods that the OECD can use to limit this kind of tax avoidance is determining the actual address of the activity or business, and not the specific physical address where the company (or content creator) is located. In other words, it is necessary to find and determine where the income is generated and where these content creators are economically present, rather than simply where they live.

In the case of content creators, this works this tends to work out in the same way. If you are a YouTuber who lives in Andorra but the audience for your work is in Spain, and so the different social media platforms direct your content to this country, then your substantial economic presence is not in Andorra but in Spain. Furthermore, if we add the fact that the collaborations with brands are Spanish and that remuneration for these campaigns comes from this country, then tax should be paid in Spain.

N26 Bank accounts for freelancers
At N26 we have three types of interest-bearing business accounts—from the free N26 Business, to our range of premium business accounts. Visit our plans page to find the business account that best fits your needs. All of these include cashback between 0.1% and 0.5% on all purchases made with your N26 Mastercard. For the moment, you can’t use this account to pay your taxes, or to receive your tax return from the government. However, we’re working to make this possible in the future and offer the most comprehensive service possible for freelancers and entrepreneurs.

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1. Do you know any YouTuber who has moved to Andorra?
  2. How much do you think YouTubers earn?
  3. In your opinion, what would be the best solution for this matter?
  4. How do you feel about the Spanish tax system?
  5. What is your opinion on content creators?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Flocking: to move or come together in large numbers.
  • Steeper: not reasonable; excessive.
  • Making the move: set off; leave somewhere.
  • Underway: in progress; happening now.
  • To pique [somebody]’s interest: generate interest
  • Break down: analyze.
  • Break the bank: something costs too much money.
  • Fast buck: easily and quickly earned money.

Topic 6: Black Friday 💲

What’s the Real History of Black Friday?

The retail bonanza known as Black Friday is now an integral part of many Thanksgiving celebrations, but this holiday tradition has darker roots than you might imagine.

Episode 4
Article
The first recorded use of the term “Black Friday” was applied not to post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping but to financial crisis: specifically, the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.

The most commonly repeated story behind the Thanksgiving shopping-related Black Friday tradition links it to retailers. As the story goes, after an entire year of operating at a loss (“in the red”) stores would supposedly earn a profit (“went into the black”) on the day after Thanksgiving, because holiday shoppers blew so much money on discounted merchandise. Though it’s true that retail companies used to record losses in red and profits in black when doing their accounting, this version of Black Friday’s origin is the officially sanctioned—but inaccurate—story behind the tradition.
In recent years, another myth has surfaced that gives a particularly ugly twist to the tradition, claiming that back in the 1800s Southern plantation owners could buy enslaved workers at a discount on the day after Thanksgiving. Though this version of Black Friday’s roots has understandably led some to call for a boycott of the retail holiday, it has no basis in fact.
The real history behind Black Friday, however, is not as sunny as retailers might have you believe. Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only would Philly cops not be able to take the day off, but they would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the bedlam in stores to make off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.

By 1961, “Black Friday” had caught on in Philadelphia, to the extent that the city’s merchants and boosters tried unsuccessfully to change it to “Big Friday” in order to remove the negative connotations. The term didn’t spread to the rest of the country until much later, however, and as recently as 1985 it wasn’t in common use nationwide. Sometime in the late 1980s, however, retailers found a way to reinvent Black Friday and turn it into something that reflected positively, rather than negatively, on them and their customers. The result was the “red to black” concept of the holiday mentioned earlier, and the notion that the day after Thanksgiving marked the occasion when America’s stores finally turned a profit.
The Black Friday story stuck, and pretty soon the term’s darker roots in Philadelphia were largely forgotten. Since then, the one-day sales bonanza has morphed into a four-day event, and spawned other “retail holidays” such as Small Business Saturday/Sunday and Cyber Monday. Stores started opening earlier and earlier on that Friday, and now the most dedicated shoppers can head out right after their Thanksgiving meal.

We will focus the conversation on the following questions:

  1. Are you a shopaholic? Do you enjoy Black Friday?
  2. Do you think that Black Friday is helpful for the economy?
  3. In your opinion, what is the best item(s) to buy during Black Friday?
  4. Is Black Friday shopping worth waiting for? Are the Black Friday deals really that good?
  5. What do you think about the real history of Black Friday?

 

Here we leave you some vocabulary you can use during the talk:

  • Bonanza: a situation which creates a sudden increase in wealth, good fortune, or profits.
  • Sky-high: at a very high level or in very large amounts.
  • Unravel: If something such as a plan or system unravels, it breaks up or begins to fail.
  • Retailer: a person, shop, or business that sells goods to the public.
  • Shift: the time period during which you are at work.
  • Shoplifter: a person who steals goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer.
  • Bedlam: a noisy situation with no order.
  • Window shopping: to look at items without buying them.

Topic 7: Free topic

Do you find these topics boring or uninteresting? Don’t worry. Dilo gives you the opportunity to choose your own topic for a conversation class.

Think of some vocabulary you would like to learn related to your topic and send us some information about it with the subject «Free topic». We are sure your ideas will be very good 😁