Slime Matters

 

Scientists at the Max Plank Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Germany are studying snail slime to understand its various nature, which may lead to medical applications in the future. A short All Things Considered (NPR) story "Sticky or slippery? Snails can change their slime to meet the moment" (3':30") by Ari Daniel gives all the details about this scientific endeavour. The NPR report can be recommended for B2 students with the script or C1 learners without script, who can pick up expressions like: slime, to splatter, tubeworms, hagfish, a bucket, a colloid, an interface, to mesmerize, a brown-lipped snail, to tune, mucus, to seal [a wound], to deliver [a drug], a many hued [wonder], a nuance [of yellow], an array [of mucuses], sticky, slippery, to adhere, to glide, a foam, a pest, a [sticky] glue, a shell, to cling to [everything], the versatility, lichen, to coax, [twin] tweezers, to secrete, to trick, to tickle, stiff, to tweak, a catheter, to synthesize.

If you want to learn more about snail beauty products, you can't miss the Business Insider video report below "Why Snail Slime is a $500 Million Industry" (8':47"), which talks about the industrial expansion of snail farming at the International Institute of Heliciculture in Cherasco, Northern Italy. This video in English and Italian with subtitles, is recommended for C1 students and above. You can also read the article "Top 5 Snail-Inspired Skincare Products" from Character Media Magazine, an English Language Magazine for the Asian American community. This story is recommended for C1 students and above too.

Spain Wins the 2026 World Cup

Spain has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a long, hard-fought match against Argentina, the previous World Champion, Emma Smith reports for BBC Sport in her article "Victory for football? Spain beat Argentina to win World Cup", where B2 students can pick up interesting expressions like: trite, cliche, to slam, extra-time, [to slam in/ to score] a winner, endurance, to derserve [the trophy], a [goals] tally, a goalkeeper, a clean sheet, to concede [one goal], metrics, to stumble, out of the gate, the opener, a squad, a spoiler, [commander] in chief, to be booked, to wilt, [Torres'] strike, a save, to somersault,[involved in] scraps, [to throw] a punch, a [BBC] pundit, to outplay, to get in their face, to wind up, to be wronged. [to be] on your back.

Becky Sullivan writes a less critical report of Argentina's performance for NPR in "Spain is the 2026 World Champion, defeating Argentina for its second title", with contributions by Jasmine Garsd and Russell Lewis, where B2 students can encounter expressions, some of them American, like: to defeat, extra time, a squad, to mark, a run, to concede [a goal], [to be] ecstatic, flabbergasted, [Argentina's magic] to run out, back-to-back, [Spain's penalty] box, to hold firm, [Spain's] crosses, [Spain's] attempts, to break up, a shin, a clean, seemingly, a save, to seal [a victory], stoppage time, a tackle [on a player], a midfielder, to flip [into the air], [to earn] a yellow card, dissent, to break through, to knock [the ball] in, nothing short of [unbelievable], an assist, a heart-stopping [semifinal], sencond only to [Kylian Mbappé], to shrug, [to be] ranked [number 1], to be draped [in Spain flags], a bagel, the get-in [price], five figures, to pile [into] the stands, [to be] treated [to a halftime show], a nod [to American audiences].

Finally, you can watch the BBC News report of the match plus the subsequent celebration of Spain's victory in the streets of Madrid in the video "Spain beat Argentina to win 2026 World Cup" (5':42") which can be recommended for C1 students and above:

Falling in Love with AI

Falling in love with an AI chatbot is no longer science fiction, it is a reality, Brook Silva-Braga reported for CBS Saturday Morning last year, when he told the story of three adults, Chris Smith, Sasha Cagle and Irene, whose lives have been affected by a deep attachment to an AI companion in the TV report AI Users Form Relationships with Technology. This 9':32" clip, whose complex, elliptical structure may cause higher difficulty than its vocabulary, is recommended for C1 students with subtitles and for C2 students without subtitles. Learners can pick up interesting expressions and collocations like: an [emotional] outlet, [to be] on the rise, [to be] set, to envisage, the bass, to engage with [her], to ditch, to embrace, a flirty [personality], shaky [hands], intimate, cariño, to run out of [memory], to cry my eyes out, [to feel] emotional, to propose [to you], to cherish [a memory], connection and affection, [to be] fixated, acceptance, validation, "non-judgement", to date, steamy [chats], a libido, an AI companion, tricky, a truly [mass market product], to open up, tough [times], to monetize, a devastating [future], to suck up [your time], the motherboard, [to grow] deeply [attached], [to have] an issue, to cohabitate, to give it up, to dial [it] back, a flesh-and-blood [wife], elevating, a dealbreaker, to pull back the curtain, to hold [you], to hug [you]. B2 students may want to start by reading first the summary of the story that Rachel Flynn wrote for People magazine: "Man Proposed to his AI Chatbot Girlfriend Named Sol, then 'Cried his Eyes Out', when she Said 'Yes'.

If you want further information about the differences between two popular AI companions, Replika and Character.AI, you can read the report "Replika vs Character.AI: Detailed Comparison (2026)" in the blog "AI Companion Guides", which can suit a variety of levels, from B2 to C2, depending on how much text and detail you try to understand. A balanced discussion about the pros and cons of AI companions can be found in the European Data Protection Supervisor, written by Vitor Bernardo (C2/ C1).  In addition, if you want to read a forum about love stories with AI companions and see some creations with avatars, like the two pictures that illustrate this entry, you can check the reddit thread (B2/ C1): reddit/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI. 

Below, you can find again the CBS Saturday Morning report by Brook Silva-Braga, published on YouTube. 

A Tapas Crawl with Chef José Andrés

 

Chef José Andrés offers a tapas guide & crawl in Spain in the BBC News article Chef José Andrés teaches you how to enjoy tapas like a Spaniard, written by Eva Sandoval after the publication of Mr Andrés' book Spain My Way: Eat, Drink and Cook Like a Spaniard. This is a straight-forward report with some food & drink vocabulary, so it can be easily read by B2 students, who may incorporate new synonyms and collocations like: a Spaniard, a Michelin-starred [chef], tapas, a tip, culinary [customs], a restaurateur, an eatery, to be credited, cuisine, a [snack-sized] plate, a Trojan horse, a commitment, a humanitarian, a lively [bar], a bowl of [olives], fine [dining places], an anchovy, to pour [a bottle of wine], a [tapas] crawl, a bite, a snack, to tell somebody how to live his/her life, to pick, a prawn, a spicy [sauce], a croquette, creamy, a gin-tonic, cider, a toothpick, a skewer, the story goes, to check out, an outsider, a mushroom, to set [your destination to a place], to wander, grilled [bread], a bubble, a razor clam, a clam, an artichoke, cured [pork shoulder], crispy, lacy, a fritter, a shrimp.

C1 learners can try Alison Stewart's radio interview on WNYC, Spanish Cooking, José Andrés' Way, where, the always flamboyant Spanish chef talks about the "tapas way of life" for 14 minutes.  As there is no script available, students can use this list of words (some of them in Spanish) as a listening guide: to revolve around, mojo, paella, gazpacho, a churro, baked [bread], sautéd [mushrooms] parsley, a tavern, a cover, to celebrate [life], [hand] motion, a melting pot, ahead of his time, [money]wise, to belong [here], to paraphrase, jamón, a cured [meat], the goodness, preservation, rotten, to slice, delicate, [to act] funny, semiwild, acorn, an oak tree, unique, a bite, iberico ham, a ripe [tomato], a purist, a controversy, over [the years], astonishing, a fried cutlet, a cachopo, beef, floured, crunchy, creamy, a librito, [pork] loin, a butcher, soggy, a crust, olive oil, a pot [of hot oil], croquetas, the leftovers, béchamel, fritters, a pay check, to stretch, [hot] gazpacho, mind-blowing, a launch [party].

Below, C1 students can find a longer video interview (49') and see José Andrés' hand motion when he describes his crush on "ibérico ham" (acorn-fed ham) at 9':34", on "tortilla española" at 16':38", on "fabada asturiana" at 27':53", his views on traditional Spanish cuisine and Ferran Adriá's innovative cooking techniques at El Bulli (36':22") or his description of "gazpacho" at 46':45", among many other interesting explanations. The interview, Spain My Way with Chef José Andrés, by Francis Lan, was released yesterday and is the latest episode of the Minnesota Public Radio show The Splendid Table.

Guernica: a Masterpiece against War

Witness History from the BBC World Service has recently dedicated its latest episode to Guernica, the iconic painting by Picasso in the podcast Spain Welcomes Picasso's Guernica. In this documentary, Picasso's masterpiece is shown as the symbol for Spanish democracy and a permanent call against the madness of war. The podcast is around 11 minutes long, and there are no subtitles, but the speakers use very clear English and their pace is not fast, so, it can be recommended for C1 students -with this list of words as a listening guide, and for C2 students without this kind of support: a witness, [to give] a try, a [news] archive, to hand to [Spain], to stress, care, a masterpiece, to freeze [the blood in our veins], troops, to overturn, an aerial [attack], a mural, to commission, nightmarish, to stare on, [to go] on show, an artwork, on loan, to rule, dictator, to claim [the painting], to restore [democratic freedoms], to reclaim [the Spanish throne], a handover, a golden rule, to bear in mind, an inheritance, proof [of the ownership of the painting], the [paper] trail, [to end] the loan, stalemate, to bluff, to skate on thin ice, a widow, a sum [of money], a civil guard, an [attempted] coup, to fail, the canvas, the utmost [secrecy], to arrange [protection], to roll up, to stand in line, the bloody [fascist bombing of Guernica], to set foot [on Spanish soil], bulletproof, on display.

If you want to find out more about the symbology of Guernica, you can check out the Wikipedia entry on Guernica (C2 level), or read Dominic Witek's short and sharp interpretation of the art piece in Artsper Magazine, which is entitled Artwork Analysis, Guernica by Picasso. This text can also be accessible to C1 students and above. 

As for a visual alternative, you can watch Picasso's Guernica: Great Art Explained, a thorough 13:40 video with subtitles for C1 students and above, which delves into the iconographic structure of the painting and compares Guernica to other works or art:

The Best Tech in the Mobile World Congress, 2026

The Mobile World Congress 2026 has been held in Barcelona from March 2nd to 5th. In the picture you can see the Home Assistant Robot by Grup Saltó which provides robotic care to more than 600 elderly people in Barcelona.  

Next, you can read a short corporate press note about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which has won the "Best in Show" at the Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards). This short text has plenty of technical terms, colourful marketing adjectives and adverbs, so it is recommended for C1 students and above who can find interesting words and collocations like: groundbreaking, impactful, consumer-focused [products], [to set] a benchmark [for technology], the gold-standard, across the [digital] landscape, a seamless [blend] [of hardware and software], a built-in [Privacy Display], a breakthrough, vibrant [viewing], a [customized] chipset, to power, effortless [mobile experiences], compelling [technology], [to push] the boundaries, a meaningful [impact], to address [the needs], a [judging] panel, an agentic AI phone, ongoing [commitment].

Finally, you can watch the video the Best Tech of MWC 2026! (14:19, without subtitles) by Android Authority, which shows the coolest smartphone prototypes in the fair.  The speech is fast, dense and packed with technical jargon and brand names, so it is recommended for C2 students and Experts, who might pick up expressions like: weird, a concept, modularity, a ton of, accessories, a power bank, bulky, modules, to fancy, cool, at first glance, a tagline, a [hidden] display, to prop it up, pixels, textures, [so much] hype, amulet display, glare, coatings, a refresh [rate], a prototype, a [camera] gimbal, footage, gimmicky, a lens, [200] frame [a second], a [camera] rig, to stick with [phones], a foldable [smartphone], flagship [style phones], coating, bizarrely, specs, a grid, gamers, a built-in [cooling fan], by-pass charging, a pop-up [fire starter], wireless, an upgrade, an update, a bargain, to make up for [the not massive battery], a headphone, affordable, a [battery] to run out, padding.

You can read a written article about the Best of  MWC Awards 2026 by Bogdan Petrovan. Or else, you can just relax, watch the images, forget the technical jargon and enjoy the video:

Russia Tricks Africans to Die in Ukraine

African young men are being recruited with lies to end up fighting in the frontline in the Ukranian war, Larry Madawo reports for CNN. They are promised high salaries and Russian citizenship for civilian jobs, but they are sent to the most dangerous spots of the Ukrainian war instead, and they are even forced to carry out suicidal missions at gunpoint (Warning: some of the images in the video can be disturbing!).

This harrowing story of human trafficking is suitable for C2 students in the video version and for C1 students in the written version. In the video, students will encounter expressions like: to entice, to lure, to recruit, a land mine, to strap, to storm [positions], a can opener, to trace, traumatising, a [Kenyan] number (person), a growing [number of men], to glamorise, to brag, [to feel] trapped, shrapnel, an ambush, an armour [vest], buttocks, a grenade, to flee, (fled), aimed at [foreign fighters], a sign on [bonus], wounded, [to have] an issue, [to go] underground, a crackdown, to sign up.

In the longer, written story, C1 students will find interesting expressions like: to fight back tears, to reach [somebody], to end up, to serve [in the military], the frontline, a [Kenyan] number (person), a [racist] slur, a can opener, to breach, distraught, his plight, a last-ditch effort, to jolt, to hurl [racist slurs], to be deployed, to uncover [new details], a rosy [promise], a first-hand [account], to entice, to bolster [its ranks], to dupe [into becoming mercenaries], to follow suit, to be coerced, to flee, at gunpoint, a binding [picture of service], to lock [the serviceman into broad obligations], to reimburse, to trigger, to surrender [a passport], to disclose [sensitive information], a screenshot, the enrollment [procedure], to allege [racism], to admonish, pidgin [English], in the target [country], [forced] conscription, [countless] casualties, to rot, a limb, to spotlight, a send-off, committed, a [military] tag, to desert, to handle [firearms], a grenade, to chase [me away], to issue [him with a travel document], buttocks, a pipeline, a windfall, [plans] [to go] awry, to miscarry, a limp [hand], bait [for Ukrainian drones], an assault, a recruiter.

CGTN Africa, the division of the Chinese Global Television Network based in Nairobi, also covered this story last month, as you can see in this 6':37" video whose images are less explicit. This video can be recommended for C1 students:

Sirat: a Gripping Road Movie to Hell

Sirat is a Spanish film that is competing for the Oscars (Best International Feature Film & Best Sound), after having won the Jury Prize of the Cannes Film Festival. Here you can listen to an 8-minute review of the film by NPR & The New Yorker critic Justin Chang.

Film reviews often feature a dense, florid prose, which can prove really tough for EFL students, and indeed, Justin Chang's review is rich in synonyms and precise with collocations, yet, it does not go over the top with cinema or literary references, so the text can be recommended for B2 students, who can expand their lexical base, whereas the audio version is more suitable for C1 students, who can pick up interesting words and collocations like: a gripping [film], a raver, a fitting [title], exhilarating, devastating, an unlikely [traveling companion], to make your way [through a godforsaken stretch of the Sahara Desert], the setting, derivative, a reveler, a dystopian [thriller], to sweep [you up], the propulsive [beat], an unruly [desert], a bacchanal, to vanish, to show up, to break up [the party], the ensuing [chaos], to drive off, bound [for another rave further south], to chronicle, a perilous [journey], the cast, mesmerizing [ability], to feel for [somebody], an off-the-grid [daredevil], a [dangerous] trek, a camper van, treacherous [terrain], reluctantly, to tag along, to help [each other] out, to ford [a small river], a steep [mountain road], an overwhelming [experience], propelled [by that thrillingly percussive score], to strike, a nail-biter, wary, mistrustful, at his bleakest [moments], [his driving skills] to come in handy, tenderness, unrelenting [in its ferocity], [apocalypse] to loom, a pitiless [world]. 

You can watch the official trailer below:

For futher information, you can read the Wikipedia entry for Sirat, which includes its locations in La Rambla de Barrachina (Teruel), in Er-Rachidia and in Erfoud (Morocco). Below, you can also watch director Oliver Laxe talking to Dennis Lim at the 63rd New York Film Festival and actor Sergi López struggling with English to explain his trade with the help of an interpreter. This conversation is recommended for C2 students:

Trump vs the BBC: Litigation and Freedom of Speech in the US

Donald Trump has sued the BBC over the Panorama edit of his speech to the mob that assaulted the Capitol on January 6th, 2021. 

This follows a string of lawsuits to intimidate media outlets that have published critical articles of President Trump, like the "meritless" lawsuit against ABC News, and CBS that ended with out-of-court settlements to fund Donald Trump Library. The Conversation described these lawsuits as "a Corleone-style approach toward media relations" that "will produce a chilling effect in investigative reporters" and could "install a form of internal self-censorship" to appease the would-be editor in chief, Donald Trump: "ABC's and CBS's settlement with Trump are a dangerous step towards the commander in chief becoming the editor in chief"

In addition, Mr. Trump favours the sale of CNN to Skydance, as part of the Warner Bros. merger, Politico informs.  CNN has been critical of Mr. Trump's policies, whereas Skydance is owned by Trump's loyal ally David Ellison, the son of Oracle's boss Larry Ellison, who have played a key role in Trump's media policy since the Skydance acquisition of CBS's parent company, Paramount, as the BBC reported in "Move over Murdoch's -a new family dynasty is shaking up US media".

For futher information about freedom of expression under the Trump administration, you can read the book "Murder the Truth", by the New York Times investigative deputy editor, David Enrich, or listen to this NPR's interview where Mr. Enrich talked about his investigation into the current threats to freedom of speech in the US.

The BBC report on Trump's defamation lawsuit on the Capitol assault is recommended for C1 students who will find legal vocabulary like: defamation, to file a lawsuit, a claim, deceptively, ongoing [legal proceedings], to sue, to cheat, a riot, to leak, malice, to allege, libel, to stand up for [the BBC], shadow [culture secretary], a fee [payer], the Bar, litigation, to cough up [the money]. 

The Conversation story is also suitable for C1 students, who can learn interesting expressions like: a settlement, commander in chief, a surrender, to foresee, seemingly, meritless, a shareholder, liable, the pursuit, to seek [to apply editorial pressure], unrelenting, biased [TV coverage], a newscast, to air, to trade [away the trust], [to break] a scoop, to hold [power] to account. 

The BBC article on the Ellison family's media interests (C2) includes words like: to shake up, to take on [a new dimension], to pursue [deals], to pave the way, to bless [the dealings], to rank, to skew, a [Republican] megadonor, a fundraiser, to broker [a deal], to be poised [to become], a foray, a flop, a takeover, a [significant] leap, a sprawling [operation], a sign-off, anti-bribery [laws], in compliance with, to duck [questions], to sway [news coverage], the kernel, to get your head around [that], a tie-up, a would-be [media] mogul, to go in flames. 

And finally, the long and complex NPR's (Fresh Air) interview to David Enrich, which is recommended for C2 students and Experts, contains words like: a gathering, to overturn [a court decision], a landmark [case], a [media] outlet, the campaign trail, libel, a stump speech, high-power [lawyers], to linger, reckless [disregard for the accuracy], malice, to set out, a rocky [start], to bash [the media], nuanced [understanding of the issue], shoddy, oblivion, to pop up, saber-rattling, the wherewithal, to flinch, to dig into, to chip away [around the edges], kooky [stuff], to mastermind [this campaign], hand-wringing.

You can watch a YouTube interview to David Enrich on Democracy Now! This video with subtitles is also recommended for C2 students and Experts: