The new year has begun.  Have you decided already what this year will mean to you? I have. I want to continue helping people improve their communication skills. 

Find out about my Body Language workshop if you're in Heidelberg!

I've developed a workshop on body language on January 24th in Heidelberg.  You can read all about it under my picture.  Please let others know about it if they are interested in learning how to read western body language!

How to learn American humor
 
To make predictions about why something is funny is still not an exact science.    Laughter is psychological and physiological release. In my new Udemy workshop, as a communication trainer I try to help English language learners understand some of the styles of humor used by Americans.  Please, sample my course or pass this on to ESL and EFL learners who may not feel sure of how to use humor in English or would like to learn more about how to tell jokes, how to play with word, how to handle inappropriate jokes, but mostly how to connect with people using humor.
How to learn American humor
https://www.udemy.com/course/understanding-humor-for-esl-learners/

Answers: a. The whole nine-yards, b. I'm on cloud nine, c. I feel like a million bucks, d. I'm of two minds, e. A catch 22, f. Fifteen minutes of fame, g. That the million dollar question, h. It takes two to tango, i. I will choose the lesser of two evils.
If you have questions or comments please leave them below.

The underground is based on the prefix: under.  I'd like to draw your attention to some phrases that use the word, under.  On the second page, you will find a sentence exercise with the verb next to the phrase, and you can use one or the other to complete the sentence.

The Answers: verbs- undercut, undersign, undermine, underwrite, undervalue,  underscore.  
Adjectives- underdeveloped, underweight, underpriveleged, underrated, underpaid.  Nouns- understatement, underclothes, underarm.

Under pressure text answers: The day ended like any other.  I was six feet deep (1) in work.  My supervisor likes to get under my skin (2) by asking me to do overtime at 5:00.  I like to curse him out under my breath (3).  I'd like to tell him what to do for a day to have him under my thumb (4).  I've started working for myself, under the table (5).  I'm going to be a millionaire.  It adds up.  I pretend to be a Yes man.  I gree to do everything under the sun (6).  He will be leaning on me, the way I lean on my paycheck.  Until the day I pull the rug from under his feet.

​I hope you've enjoyed this issue!  See you next time.  

Let's talk about what you are doing as a leader or what the person who is leading you is doing. I've hopefully, provided you with some vocabulary to talk about leadership styles within the context of different leadership articles that I have looked at.  This lesson can get easier or harder depending on how in-depth you wish to go on the topic of leadership.  If you'd like to read the article I read, go to https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/mintzberg-model-10-different-roles-of-a-successful-manager-77f9d87b773c to read the article on management roles, which I have shortened and included in this week's lesson. The managerial grid is a visual to think about management style and how it applies to you.  There is vocabulary and questions about leadership as well as humorous jokes and cartoons.  Please let me know if it is interesting.

Answers to the exercises: I believe the true or false is something to discuss it is your personal opinion, if you want to know what I think I said, TTTTF.  The words are 1. motivate, 2. followers, 3. develop (extra o)  4. learning, 5. bragging.  
Business vocabulary sentences; 1. maintain, 2. efficient, 3. subordinate, 4. team players, 5. self-stater, 6. measure, 7. allocated, 8. function, 9. leadership, 10. supervise.