Monthly Review
January
January functioned as a threshold month, bringing together fiction, analysis, and language study to explore how meaning is shaped through attention, context, and form. Short stories in English and Spanish used brevity to evoke memory, identity, and transition, while the reading sections examined language in motion—from emerging vocabulary and the role of sound through the IPA to the cognitive impact of multilingualism. Grammar and vocabulary posts grounded these reflections in practical use, addressing professional, social, environmental, and abstract language, as well as common structural challenges. Across all sections and levels, January emphasized that learning a language is not about accumulating words, but about developing precision, awareness, and a deeper relationship with how language shapes thought and experience.
Short Stories in English and Cuentos Cortos en Español
English Short Stories — January
Brevity, Thresholds, and Resonance
Throughout January, the narrative space turned toward short fiction as a site of concentrated meaning. The English-language stories—The Dark Moon’s Shine, Salt for the Mirror, The Fairy Who Forgot the Dawn, and Rooms That Do Not Answer—explore liminal states: light within darkness, memory as reflection, forgotten beginnings, and spaces that resist response.
In these pieces, language shapes atmosphere more than action. Meaning emerges through suggestion, silence, and emotional residue, inviting the reader to linger rather than resolve.
Cuentos Cortos en Español — Enero
Brevedad, Umbral y Resonancia
Durante enero, los cuentos en español se centraron en experiencias fragmentadas y estados de transición. Cuando el Cuerpo Volvió, pero la Mente No explora la fisura entre presencia física y conciencia; Leónidas, o el Serio Inconveniente de Haber Nacido Gato combina ironía y reflexión identitaria; y Aroma a Memoria convierte el olfato en detonante narrativo y emocional.
En estos relatos, la brevedad intensifica el sentido. Cada texto propone una lectura atenta, donde lo no dicho pesa tanto como las palabras, y donde la experiencia permanece más allá del cierre.
- Cuando el Cuerpo Volvió, pero la Mente No
- Leónidas, o el Serio Inconveniente de Haber Nacido Gato
- Aroma a Memoria
ENGLISH READINGS
All posts for more advanced English learners and everyone interested!
January unfolded as a month of linguistic recalibration—a quiet crossing between what we already know and the words still forming ahead. The year opened with reflections on how new beginnings are not only temporal but lexical: each January invites us to rewrite ourselves through language, one word at a time.
Throughout the month, attention turned to language in motion. Unusual words and emerging phrases of 2025 were not treated as curiosities, but as signals—evidence of cultural shifts, technological pressure, and evolving ways of thinking. Language appeared less as a fixed system and more as a living map, constantly redrawn.
Sound itself took center stage through a renewed focus on the International Phonetic Alphabet. Beyond symbols on a page, the IPA was framed as a tool for deeper listening, sharper perception, and greater respect for how language is actually spoken, not merely written.
Finally, January closed by zooming inward—into the polyglot mind. Exploring how speaking multiple languages reshapes cognition, memory, and attention, the month highlighted language learning as a neurological experience, not just an academic one.
Together, these themes positioned January as a threshold month: attentive, exploratory, and grounded in the belief that language is not only something we use—but something that continuously reshapes how we think, hear, and become.
Head to the ‘English Readings‘ section to explore previous related topics.
CASTELLANO (Español)
Spanish language learners!
Este texto, dirigido a estudiantes avanzados de español, examina cómo la cercanía entre lenguas puede actuar como una ventaja inicial en el aprendizaje, facilitando la comprensión y el acceso al vocabulario. Al mismo tiempo, analiza los riesgos que esta proximidad implica, como los falsos amigos, la transferencia negativa y la falsa sensación de dominio.
La lectura invita a reflexionar sobre la importancia de la conciencia metalingüística y propone entender la proximidad lingüística no solo como un atajo, sino como un fenómeno que debe gestionarse con atención para alcanzar un uso más preciso y natural del idioma.
Head to the ‘Castellano‘ section to explore previous related topics.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
All posts for basic and intermediate learners – Grammar and Vocabulary posts!
“Remember, these posts are in Spanish (for English learners) and are designed for basic to intermediate learners. To ensure clarity, the vocabulary is also tailored to their level, so expanding ‘vocabulary’ might be a bit more challenging for Spanish learners.”
Enero se dedicó a afinar la relación entre forma, significado y contexto. El recorrido comenzó con uno de los desafíos más comunes del inglés: palabras que suenan igual pero cumplen funciones distintas. To, too y two sirvieron como ejemplo de cómo la comprensión real del idioma exige atención a la estructura, no solo al oído.
El enfoque luego se desplazó al lenguaje profesional. El vocabulario de entrevistas de trabajo, en su segunda parte, exploró cómo ciertas palabras organizan la experiencia laboral, permiten hablar de competencias con claridad y sostienen intercambios donde el lenguaje cumple un rol decisivo.
La dimensión social del idioma ocupó un lugar central con el vocabulario vinculado a protestas y movimientos sociales. Aquí, las palabras aparecieron como vehículos de acción colectiva, capaces de expresar conflicto, demanda y transformación histórica.
El mes también amplió su mirada hacia el mundo natural. A través del vocabulario de paisajes, el lenguaje se presentó como una herramienta para observar y clasificar el planeta, conectando geografía, experiencia sensorial y cultura.
Finalmente, enero cerró con una incursión en el lenguaje de la filosofía y los conceptos abstractos. Este último eje destacó cómo el idioma permite pensar lo intangible, formular preguntas fundamentales y construir significado más allá de lo visible.
En conjunto, los contenidos de enero mostraron que aprender vocabulario no es acumular palabras, sino aprender a nombrar con precisión para pensar con mayor profundidad.
Head to the ‘English Grammar’ section to explore previous related topics.
December gave us clarity; January gives us direction—let’s step into the year attentive, curious, and ready to grow through language.
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Word of the Day
What Happened on This Day
Quote of the Month
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
— Plutarch
February deepens the rhythm—building on January’s clarity, we move forward with focus, consistency, and sharper intention.
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