Beaches, AI, and Hopping Cities

Aug 03, 2025 8:16 am

This Week: Beach Vibes, AI Learning, and City Hopping

This past week saw us publish a couple more videos from our recent Australia trip. There’s probably two more left after which we have a few made-in-China videos to publish that we think you’ll find interesting. In addition to video editing, we’re launching a series of videos for those taking or preparing for the IELTS exam. More info below. Finally, we did a live stream discussing the different AI tools currently available and what they can be used for.

🎵Listen to the latest podcast episode

Available on Libsyn, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

🎥 This Week's Videos

🏖️ To Bondi Beach! - Exploring Australia's most famous beach south of Sydney—is the hype worth it? 👉 Watch here
🤖 Let's talk about AI and Language Learning - Looking at how artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn languages. 👉 Watch here
🚆 From Sydney to Melbourne! - Wrapping up Sydney with markets, buskers, and Carolina Reaper pepper jerky before heading south (yes, it burned). 👉 Watch here
🏫 BONUS: IELTS Top 10!

🏖️ To Bondi Beach!

Off to the world-famous Bondi Beach, south of Sydney! But what makes Bondi so special? Is it just the Instagram factor, or is there something more to it?

To put it simply: it’s the beach that jump started Australia’s beach culture.

I spoke with one guy who was fishing on the beach (not sure if that’s even allowed), and he said the place was rough in the 1980s. It wasn’t until they re-did the beach that it became the expensive getaway city escape that it is today.

Oh, and since we were visiting during the Australian winter it was quite empty. Apparently during the summer it can get PACKED with people.

But, hey, we saw the ocean.

👉 Watch the full video

🌍 Let's talk about AI and Language Learning

This live stream focused on some of the latest tools and softwares that are available for us to use.

We're seeing AI tools reshape how people approach learning new languages, from conversation practice to personalized feedback. But are these platforms actually making us better language learners, or just giving us new distractions?

There's something to be said for both sides—AI can provide instant feedback and endless practice opportunities, but it can't replace the nuanced human interaction that makes language truly come alive. What's your experience been with AI language learning tools?

Missed the stream? No worries. Here’s the doc that outlines everything:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S8xlAUlwowh6XastBBrR--JFQq-OThDB6aZ8mxC-mRo/edit?usp=sharing

👉 Watch the full video

🚆 From Sydney to Melbourne!

After a week exploring Sydney, it was time to head south to Melbourne. But first, one last walk through The Rocks Street Market, some entertaining buskers, and—because why not—trying out some Carolina Reaper pepper jerky.

Maybe I gotta work on my acting skills, but I can say that although the pepper burned, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the hype. I can’t lie, I felt it and it tingled, but compared to the Sichuan peppercorns that numb your mouth? Iunno, seems a toss up. Bought a bag of them so we’ll try again. ;)

Ever tried Carolina Reaper peppers? Let's just say it's an experience you won't forget anytime soon! Water won’t help.

👉 Watch the full video

🏫 BONUS: IELTS! YEY!

Following on from our recent live stream that focused on the IELTS Band Descriptors, this past week also gave us time to draw up the 10 most common problems that face students and IELTS candidates.

From what it really takes to get a Band 6 in Speaking, to the truth about idiomatic language, to using AI tools to practice, this document is geared towards those who need factual, accurate, and relevant advice on how to best approach their IELTS test.

If you or someone you know is preparing for the IELTS test, send them this link and get them in touch with us. We can help.

👉 Download the document here

We'll leave it there for this week. Thanks for reading. I hope you found this useful. Let me know if there’s anything else we should cover in upcoming issues.