Soccer, how to roll your Rs, and the sentence toolbar
February 25, 2024
Hello friend, In this week's edition, we travel to Peru for a story about fathers and sons, teach you how to roll your 'Rrrrs,' and round up some interesting articles from across the web. Just like the new Jiveworld features you'll read about, we craft this newsletter based on feedback from you. If you have questions about Stories or Soundbites, have an article to share, or need an answer to a burning question about Spanish, send it our way. |
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Listen on Jiveworld |
New in Jiveworld
Sentence toolbar and smarter pause
Last week we sent an email about some new features in Jiveworld, and we have been blown away by the response. We eagerly read every email, app review, and message — thank you!
If you missed the update, open a Jiveworld story and check out these new features:
- The sentence toolbar - Pause while listening and a new action toolbar will appear underneath the sentence. It provides quick access to key features like vocab, translation, and replay.
- Copy and paste - Tap the three dots in the bottom right of the new toolbar (or use keyboard shortcuts) to open the option to copy the sentence and paste it elsewhere.
- Smart(er) Pause - Now all our players — including the Soundbite player — use Smart Pause. And there is much clearer visual feedback when you're in the delayed pause state, before the end of the sentence. Prefer a more traditional pause behavior? You can turn Smart Pause off in the new Settings panel, accessible at the top right of the player screen.
ICYMI: Pronouncing the Spanish 'R'
Struggling with the tricky Spanish 'R'? This video gives you a practical lesson on how to prep your mouth to roll those Rrrrs.
If you've already mastered that rhythmic, rolling 'R,' then try this tongue twister for fun:
R con R cigarro, R con R barril, rápido corren los carros cargados de azúcar del ferrocarril.
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What we're reading
Untranslatable – the multilingual 'Urban Dictionary'
If you love idioms and slang, this crowd-sourced website will delight you with expressions from around the world that non-native speakers rarely see. Given its contribution model, take everything with a grain of salt though in regards to accuracy.
How being bilingual helps your brain
“Learning a new language is an exercise of the mind,” says Li Wei of the Institute of Education at University College London. “It’s the mental equivalent of going to a gym every day.”
How TikTok created a new accent – and why it might be the future of English
People on TikTok, notably young women, have developed a specific accent that includes “uptalk,” a rising intonation on declarative sentences, and “vocal fry,” a soft creak as you speak.
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Team Jiveworld