Do you ever feel like English is a giant puzzle you just can’t solve? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Learning a new language takes time and practice, but it can be a lot of fun.

Today, we’re going to talk about a website called “News in Levels.”

This website has news stories about all sorts of topics, but the cool part is they come in three different levels.

• Level 1 is like having bike stabilisers you need when learning to cycle. It uses simple words and short sentences, making it perfect for beginners.
• Level 2 is a little bit harder, and
• Level 3 is for those who are almost ready to ride their bike without stabilisers.

But wait, there’s more. News in Levels doesn’t just have boring news stories. They also have audio and video clips.

Interested in The EU after the election? Check it out here.

Or how about ice cream made from maggots? Yes, you heard that right. Find it here.

Or maybe beer made of wastewater? If you’re brave enough, it’s here.

News in Levels has something for everyone. So, if you’re looking for a fun and easy way to improve your English, check it out.

You might even learn something new (and hopefully not too gross) along the way.

German is mostly written the way it is spoken. Unlike English.

English has these sneaky letters we call silent letters. You see them, but you don’t say them.

Let’s play a game. Read these words out loud, but don’t say the letters in bold. See if you can hear the difference:

• B: doubt (dout), debt (det), thumb (thum)
• C: muscle (musel), scissors (sissors)
• E: like (lik – long i sound), cake (cak – long a sound)
• GH: ghost (gost), night (nite – long i sound)
• H: hour (our)
• K: knife (nife), know (now), knee (nee)
• P: psychology (sychology)
• W: write (rite), wrong (rong), two (to), answer (anser), sword (sord)

Well done!

There are many more of these silent letters hiding in English words. Need help pronouncing a word? Head over to YouGlish.com and listen to a native speaker say it.

Can you think of any other words with silent letters? Share them in the comments. We can all learn from each other.

Gestern war es wieder mega lustig mit Christine und Franz. Wir haben über alles Mögliche gequatscht.

Ich habe Christine von meiner Begegnung mit einer englischen Kollegin erzählt. Wir wollten zusammen wandern. Ich sagte zu ihr: “I’m not going to carry a lot. I’ll just take a bite to eat in my ‘Umhängetasche’ – er, what’s it called? My ‘bodybag‘.“

Meine Kollegin sah mich entgeistert an—und lachte so laut, dass ich mich schämte und mich entschuldigte. Ich hatte tatsächlich ein englisches Wort verwendet, das in England etwas völlig anderes bedeutet als bei uns in Deutschland.

Klar, kenne ich das Phänomen “English made in Germany” – diese englischen Wörter, die wir Deutschen so gerne falsch verwenden. Aber dass “Bodybag” in England eine ganz andere Bedeutung hat, hätte ich nie gedacht!

Halt dich fest, liebes Tagebuch: Für die Engländer sind Bodybags nämlich das, was wir im Deutschen Leichensäcke nennen. Stell dir das mal vor! Ist das nicht krass? Was wir mit “Bodybags” meinen, sind eigentlich “messenger bags” oder “cross body bags“. Ist das nicht total verwirrend? Kein Wunder, dass meine Kollegin so lachen musste!

Den Fehler mache ich NIE wieder. 

Christine mußte aber auch schmunzeln, als ich ihr die Geschichte erzählte. Na ja, so haben wir immer wieder Spaß miteinander.

Bis zum nächsten Mal, deine Greta

We’ve all been there—standing in front of someone whose name we’ve embarrassingly forgotten.

Here’s a quick hack to gracefully navigate these awkward moments:

The First-Name Scenario

With a big smile, look the other person in the eye and say, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t remember your name.” 

Response: “John.” 
You: “I know it’s John. It’s your last name I can’t quite recall…” 
Response: “Smith.” 
You: “Smith. Yes, of course. Sorry, John, just had a complete mental block for a moment.”

The Last-Name Scenario

Smile and say, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t remember your name.” 

Response: “Smith.” 
You: “I know it’s Smith. It’s your first name I can’t quite recall…” 
Response: “John.” 
You: “John. Of course. Sorry, John, just had a complete mental block for a moment.”

The Whole-Name Scenario

Apologetically say, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t remember your name.” 

Response: “John Smith.” 
You: “I know it’s John. It was just your last name I couldn’t quite recall. Sorry, just had a complete mental block for a moment.”

 

This simple technique works wonders according to Peter Mukherjee, author of “A Few Wise Words.” It’s far less embarrassing than admitting you don’t remember a person’s name at all.

Is it a little white lie? Maybe, but it’s a perfectly reasonable one, don’t you think?

Well, I’m going to try it out next time I’ve forgotten someone’s name. Are you?

Over Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam), I took a whole week off to stay with our son, his wife and their adorable 4-year-old just outside Hamburg. My goal? To disconnect from the digital world.

Now, I’ll be honest with you. Disconnecting completely wasn’t easy. I did have an hour’s group call with my Chilipeppers and peeked at emails once in a while.

But guess what? Even with some limited online interaction, the week was fantastic. 

The weather wasn’t perfect, but we managed to spend the whole of Saturday outside. We took a trip to the bustling market, did a bit of work in the garden, and then had our very first barbecue of the year.

Instead of sitting in front of my computer and working with clients or planning my regular posts in English, I was busy making birthday party invitations with monster teeth and googly eyes—and I

• discovered the new surroundings by bike and on foot (my eldest son moved house last year),
• built elaborate structures with Lego and Duplo bricks (that mysteriously kept collapsing under “unknown” circumstances),
• read those long-forgotten children’s books out loud (complete with voices that I’m sure would earn me an Oscar in the “Grandparent’s Performance” category),
• watched “Feuerwehrmann Sam” every evening, and even
• snatched moments in-between to read the book on the top of my TBR pile*: “The Bloody British: A Well-Meaning Guide to an Awkward Nation.” (Spoiler: it’s hilariously accurate.)

Lessons learned

This week reminded me just how important it is to take a break from technology and enjoy life’s uncomplicated pleasures.

One of the best ways for me to reset and recharge? Spending time with family and embracing the joy of everyday activities. Plus, who knew that monster-themed birthday invitations could be so therapeutic?

What is the best way for you to unwind?

*to-be-read pile