English In 10 Minutes

In the last episode of English in 10 Minutes, Nick and Wendy give their top tips for language learning, including how to enjoy the process, how to practice speaking, and which smartphone apps to use.

Our guest Jovanka tells us how she arrived in Rome from New Zealand, why she stayed there, what her favourite Roman places are, and what changes she noticed after recently returning to Rome.

Nick and Wendy talk about visiting two favelas, the famous slums of Rio de Janeiro. In particular, they discuss the security situation and the level of development in the favelas.

Nick and Wendy return to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the last major destination on their trip in South America. They talk about Rio’s staggering natural beauty, from the beaches to the mountains.

Our guest Jovanka talks about her home country of New Zealand. In particular, she discusses the differences between the north and south islands, the indigenous Māori culture, the All Blacks, and New Zealand’s rivalry with Australia.

While in Salvador, Nick and Wendy attended a ceremony of the Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé. In this episode, they talk about the experience and the religion in general.

Nick and Wendy visit the Brazilian city of Salvador de Bahia. They talk about the Afro-Brazilian culture of Salvador, including music and capoeira.

Nick and Wendy continue their trip in Brazil and visit three colonial cities in the northeast of the country: São Luís, Recife and Olinda. They talk about their experiences in each city.

Nick and Wendy visit the Brazilian capital Brasília. They talk about their impressions of Brasília and about other planned cities such as Washington, D.C. and Canberra.

Back in Brazil, Nick and Wendy discuss their visit to the world’s largest wetlands area: the Pantanal. In particular, they talk about the various animals they saw while they were there.

Nick and Wendy visit a working silver mine in Bolivia. They talk about the extremely difficult conditions they saw and the impactful experience they had in the mines.

In our fourth Roman Stories episode, our guest Jill talks about why she moved to Rome 13 years ago. She chooses her favourite place in Rome and explains why life in Italy is different from life in the United States.

Nick and Wendy talk about returning to Bolivia 13 years after their last visit. In particular, they discuss the country’s amazing natural beauty, including the world-famous Salar de Uyuni salt flats.

Nick and Wendy talk about spending a few days in Paraguay. They discuss Paraguay’s attractions such as the Jesuit missions in the south and the capital Asunción.

Our guest Tyson tells his story of moving from the United States to Rome in 2000, starting by working in a bar and eventually becoming a city tour guide and then a tour director throughout Europe.

Nick and Wendy visit Iguaçu Falls for the second time and have a much better experience than on their disappointing first visit. They talk about the wonders of both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the falls.

Nick and Wendy begin their South American trip in the mega-city of São Paulo, Brazil. They talk about their expectations before they arrived and how São Paulo turned out to be a big surprise for them.

In our first ever three-person conversation, Nick, Wendy and Nick’s brother Tim talk about the German city of Munich. In particular, they talk about Munich’s parks, its traditional beer culture and its untraditional urban surfing culture.

As Nick and Wendy prepare to go to Brazil, Wendy reminisces about the time she went to Rio de Janeiro to study Portuguese as a university student in 1995.

In the second episode of Roman Stories, Wendy talks about how she found herself living in Rome many years ago and why she keeps going back, as well as nominating her favourite neighbourhood in Rome.