It’s time once again to ring in (welcome) a new year.

The largest and the most well-publicized (made known to the most people) celebration in the U.S. is the one that takes place in Times Square in New York City. As you probably know, Times Square is a large commercial (with businesses, stores) area where two main streets intersect (cross; meet)–Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Near Times Square is the Theater District, the nationally-famous theaters, which show plays and other performances.  (Since the theaters are located on or near Broadway, we often refer to these theaters collectively (together; combined) as “Broadway,” as in “Only the best actors are in plays on Broadway.”)

I’ve been to New York City many times because I have family there.  I go to Times Square nearly every time I visit, since it is such an exciting place to walk around.  If you like to shop or just people watch (the hobby of going out and watching people), it’s one of the most lively (with a lot of action) places to go — day or night.

However, I’ve never been there during the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration on the evening of December 31st, when about 1 million people gather to celebrate.

This year, no matter where you are, you can join in on the fun in Time Square.  A new “wishing wall” has been added, where people can put their wish on a piece of paper and stick it (attach it, usually with a pin) onto the wall.  If you can’t make it to New York City, you can submit your wish online and it will be printed onto a piece of paper and placed on the wall.  Those pieces of paper will be made into the confetti (small pieces of colored paper) that will fall on the people in Time Square at midnight (12:00 a.m.).

In addition to the ton of (a lot of) falling confetti, people who are gathered there will experience the Time Square ball drop.  The famous ball (see the picture) is made with electric lights and crystals, pieces of what look like glass, which is why the ball is so bright and sparkly (sending out flashes of light, like a diamond).  The Time Ball sits (is located) high up over Times Square and slowly descends (comes down) 77 feet (23 meters) during the last minute of the year.  As the large crowd counts down (counting from the highest number to the lowest), the ball descends and reaches the bottom at 12:00 a.m.  When it does, everyone cheers (shout with joy) and that’s when the confetti falls.  Those who can’t or don’t want to be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve can watch it on TV, and perhaps watch their wish float down (fall slowly) over the happy scene.

That’s what I’ll be doing this New Year’s Eve.  Instead of the festive (cheerful, with many people celebrating) parties that are so popular on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be home, nice and snug (warm and comfortable) to ring in 2011.  What will you be doing?

On behalf of all of us here at ESL Podcast, we wish you a very happy new year!

~ Lucy

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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 646 – War-Related Disabilities

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “vet” and “limb.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Services for Vets.”
“The United States Department of Veterans “Affairs” (issues; things someone is involved in) provides many types of financial support for American vets, and especially for vets who were injured while serving in the military and are now disabled…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 274
Topics:  Famous Authors: Emily Dickinson; the Lindbergh kidnapping; sure versus of course versus certainly; either; Imma be

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Dognapping.”
“Kidnapping is a crime that we are all familiar with, but have you heard of dognapping?  Dognapping is the stealing of dogs from their owners who are then required to pay a ransom to get the dog back…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 647 – Using a Smartphone

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “camera” and “touch.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Consumer Proprietary Network Information.”
“Whenever an American “consumer” (customer) makes a telephone call, “data” (information) about that call is added to the consumer proprietary network information (CPNI). All the “telecommunications companies”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

Since Jeff and many of you have been talking about gift-giving, I thought I’d weigh in (give my opinion) on the subject. It’s only my two cents (my unimportant thoughts), so take it for what it’s worth (don’t give it too much importance or significance).

About 10 years ago, I made a decision.  After running around and stressing out (feeling emotional pressure or tension) to find the perfect gift by Christmas Eve, I decided that I would no longer give Christmas presents.  I told my family the next year not to expect any from me and to not buy any for me in return.

It was a controversial decision among my family members, but I got tired of trying to be thoughtful (showing kindness and consideration to other people) on a deadline.  I found myself starting earlier and earlier each year — first November and then October — making my lists and racking my brain (trying very hard) to think of that perfect gift that would please each member of my family.  Perhaps because I dislike shopping so much, each year I came to dread (having the feeling of not wanting to do something) it more and more.  Not only did I dread the shopping, I started to dread the entire holiday season because of what it represented to me: frantic (feeling panicked) buying and endless commercialism (focus on buying/selling and making money).  In the end, I gave up (didn’t try anymore) and I told my family they should give up on me as well.

The only exception (something that doesn’t follow the rule) I make is to give my niece (my sister’s daughter), who is still young, holiday money each year to buy whatever she wants.  She’s happy and so am I.

That’s not to say that I don’t give gifts at all.  My family, especially my mother, has become accustomed to (adjusted to) getting a gift from any time of year.  If I see something I think she’ll like, I’ll buy it and sent it to her, no matter what time of year it is.  For me, that makes the most sense.  I was thinking of her right at that moment and I wanted her to know it.  She doesn’t seem to mind (to dislike it), so that has worked out (been acceptable; been successful).

I’m not saying that I don’t like receiving gifts either, of course!  The strangest gift I’ve ever received, however, was a set of facial cleanser (liquid cleaner for the face) from a student, and a male student at that (in addition)!  Of course I thanked him and appreciated the thought (sentiment; feeling), but it left me wondering if he was trying to tell me something.  It’s true that he had to stare (look directly) at my face for an hour a day, three times a week, so that may not be too surprising!

What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever received?

~ Lucy

What to give Cousin Bette and Uncle Vanya for the holidays? Give them the gift of English!

And have you been a good boy or girl this year, too? Give yourself the gift of English, too.  You deserve it!

You can support us and help your friends and family by giving them ESL Podcast Gift Certificates. Use Gift Certificates for Basic or Premium Memberships, Learning Guides, and Premium Courses!

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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 644 – Giving a Successful Presentation

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “hit” and “hooked.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Popular Presenters on the Speakers Circuit.”
“…People in the professional “speakers circuit” (all the people who travel around the country and the world making presentations to earn money) can attract hundreds or thousands of listeners each time they speak…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 273
Topics: It’s a Wonderful Life; Cape Cod; backward versus backwards; to agree with versus to agree to versus to agree on; howdy

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
“Christmas is a time for “traditions” (things done the same way over time). People put up Christmas trees and watch the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life on television. Another Christmas tradition is for the family to read with their children the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 645 – Shaving Your Face

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “shave” and “nick.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Popular Products for Shaving.”
“Most American men “stick to the basics” (use only the simplest things) when it comes to shaving: a can of shaving cream and a razor. However, there are many other shaving products that men can purchase to help them shave their face or “maintain” (keep in good condition) a beard…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

A recent article in the newspaper began with the question: What makes a good gift? The answer that was given was not about the cost or quality of the gift. It wasn’t even about the intentions (motives; the reasons for something) of the giver (the person giving something).  The answer was one that I think many people would agree with: “A good gift is something that you really want but feel guilty about buying for yourself.”  To feel guilty means to feel like you did something wrong, to feel responsible for a bad action.

Let’s say you really want a new television, but the price seems too high.  You would feel guilty spending that much money on yourself.  Then your wife or boyfriend gives you that exact (same) television for Christmas.  Are you happy?  Of course you are!  You now have the gift you wanted without having to feel guilty about spending the money on it.

This is probably why gift cards have become so popular in the U.S.  A gift card is money in the form of a plastic card (like a credit card) that you must use at a particular (specific) store.  Assuming (if it is true) it is a store you like, you can now buy those things you would not have bought for yourself but really wanted to.

For those who celebrate Christmas, all of us at ESL Podcast want to wish you a very joyful (happy) day, and hope you get that gift you always wanted but felt too guilty about buying for yourself.

~Jeff

Photo of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, New York City from Wikipedia CC

When I was teaching adult ESL students, I would often begin a get-acquainted (getting to know each other) discussion by asking two questions. The first was “how would you describe yourself? Are you a Mexican (or Korean or….) living in the U.S., a Mexican-American, or an American of Mexican descent (nationality; where your family came from).”

The second question was “how do you think you’ll describe yourself five years from now?” As you can imagine, we had some very interesting discussions.

These discussions always reminded me (made me think) of my ancestors (family members who lived many years ago) and the path they took to the U.S. and into American life and culture. I recently saw an interesting description of them that was written at the time they arrived in the U.S. The writer said they were “ethnically Dutch, culturally German, and nationally Russian.” What he meant is that my ancestors were Dutch people who had lived in Prussia, or northern Germany, long enough to pick up German cultural traditions, including the German language. And, at the time they moved to the U.S., they were Russian citizens.

As you can see, my ancestors moved around. In fact, one writer refers to them as wanderers (without a permanent home). Let me see if I can condense (shorten) their story into a few paragraphs.

My ancestors came originally from a region (area) of Holland called Friesland. Most were farmers and some, possibly (maybe), were teachers.

Sometime near the end of the 1500s, the Prussian government invited them to move to an area west of Danzig, which is now Gdansk, Poland. They were given religious freedom and some very bad farmland – most of it was wilderness (never been developed) and marshes (ground that is always wet). In a few years, however, they turned the land into productive farms.

Later, around 1800, the Russian government invited these hard-working farmers to move to the southern Ukraine , near the Molotschna River, to help develop farming (agriculture) there. They were offered (told they could have) religious freedom and freedom from serving (working) in the Russian army. In addition, the government helped pay for the cost of moving. Today, if you visit southern Ukraine, you’ll find large wheat farms that they started. And you can still find many of the villages they lived in.

By the late 1800s, it was obvious (everyone knew) that the life these people enjoyed in Russia would soon end, so they began to look for a new home. They looked at locations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and South America. Most of them came to the U.S. around 1875 and settled (started living) in Kansas, in the center of the U.S. Kansas was on the American frontier (where no one had lived before) at that time, so these farmers did what they did best – make something grow where nothing had grown before. If you travel through this part of the U.S. today, especially in the summer, you’ll see miles and miles of wheat farms, the same as in the Ukraine.

Christmas also reminds me of my ancestors and our traditions. I have fond (like very much) memories of gathering (getting together) at my grandparents’ homes at Christmas with uncles, aunts, and cousins. Two of my fondest memories are the food and the music. We’d always eat a large Christmas dinner together and then gather around the Christmas tree in the living room to sing Christmas carols. What wonderful music!

Next week my family will repeat part of the tradition. Even though my children are very American, they love the traditional food and insist on having it every Christmas.

Three foods are always at the top of our list of favorites. First, there are zweibach, a kind of bread or dinner roll usually eaten with jam. Then there is pluma mos, a fruit soup made of raisins and prunes cooked slowly in a sweet cream sauce flavored with cinnamon and other spices. And finally, there are peppernuts, small hard cookies flavored with ginger, cinnamon and, yes, a little pepper. Any day now, I expect the UPS (United Parcel Service) man to ring our doorbell ring so he can deliver the box of peppernuts my mother sends every year.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, merry Christmas from me and my family. For those of you who don’t, I wish you a very happy holiday season. And to all of you – in advance – Happy New Year!

~ Warren Ediger, creator of Successful English where you can find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

photo from Molotschna colony, Ukraine, from GAMEO

You: “I want to improve my English.”
Santa: “No problem. I’ll give you ESL Podcast Gift Certificates!”

Give yourself the gift of English with an ESL Podcast Basic or Premium Memberships!  Give your friends ESL Podcast Gift Certificates, which can be used for Basic or Premium Memberships, Learning Guides, and Premium Courses!

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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 642 – Installing Windows and Doors

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “slide” and “stuck.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Government Programs to Encourage Use of Energy-Efficient Appliances.”
“In recent years, the U.S. government has tried to encourage Americans to install “energy-efficient” (using the smallest amount of energy possible) “appliances” (electrical equipment in a home) in their home to reduce the country’s “dependence”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 272
Topics:  Famous Songs:  God Bless America and Kate Smith; The American Girl Dolls; provided that versus as long as; “g” as in “gansta”; to suck

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Bobblehead Dolls.”
“Many sports “franchises” (organizations that include many teams) want to attract sports fans and to get them to buy tickets to the games.  One way to do this is to offer special “promotions”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 643 – Liberal and Conservative News

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “rag” and “press.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Biases of TV Cable News Channels.”
…”In the United States, many “cable news channels” (TV channels that cover the news all the time) are accused of being unfairly liberal or conservative. These channels present only one “side” (way of viewing or thinking about things) of the story…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

This is the time of year when the media takes a retrospective look (look back in time) at the past year. News outlets (places where we can find news), such as Time magazine, like to name (identify) a “Person of the Year,” someone who has made significant or important impact (influence; effect) on the world, good or bad, during the past year.

Since a decade (10-year period, beginning with a year ending in ’0′) is ending, many people are taking a look back at the past 10 years: 2000 to 2010. My question to you is:  Which person do you think has made the most significant impact — good or bad — on the world in the past decade?   This person does not need to be politician (person who works in an elected job in the government), of course, and may be an entertainer, sports star, businessperson, or anyone who you think fits the bill (satisfies the requirements; meets the criteria).

Here are a few of the names that have bandied about (discussed in a casual way) in the American media that I’ve seen in the past few weeks. This is not an exhaustive (complete) list and most are Americans, but it’s a place to start.  Remember that we’re talking about a person who has had the biggest impact, positive or negative.

- Barack Obama, American President
- Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple
- Sarah Palin, former Alaskan governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate
- Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks
- Lady Gaga, American pop singer

So, what do you think?  Would you pick one of these people or someone else entirely?  Who would be your “Person of the Decade”?

~ Lucy

P.S. At the risk of sounding presumptuous (seeming arrogant, or thinking too highly of ourselves), some of you may want to be kind to us here at ESL Podcast and pick our own Dr. Jeff McQuillan, but he would be the first person to tell you to leave him off the list, of course!

Romeo just before texting Juliet that things were over between the two of them.

One of my favorite Christmas carols (songs sung normally at Christmas time) contains (has) the words, “‘Tis the season to be jolly.” The word “‘Tis” is an old-fashioned (no longer used) way of abbreviating “it is.” To be jolly means to be happy, to be in a good mood. But according to a recent study of what people write on their Facebook pages, the holidays (the December celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Day) are more likely to be a time for ending relationships rather than starting happy, new ones.

After looking at more than 3,000 Facebook pages over the period of one year, two journalists (news reporters) from the Wall Street Journal concluded that the most common times for breaking up (ending a romantic relationship) with your boyfriend or girlfriend are (1) the two weeks before Christmas, and (2) during early March, a time when many schools have a vacation period called Spring Break.

Why do so many people end their relationships during the two weeks before Christmas?  One reason may be that they don’t want to buy their ex-loved one (former boy/girlfriend) a present (gift). Of course, if someone breaks up with you because they don’t want to buy you a Christmas present, it was probably not a relationship that was going to last very long anyway. It may also be that people want to clear their consciences; that is, they may feel as though they’re not really committed to (serious about) the relationship and that continuing it would not be honest.  Fortunately for humankind (humanity; all men, women, and children), the least likely day for a romantic breakup is on Christmas Day itself. That, I suppose, would be considered too cruel (unkind; mean) – and besides (in addition), you’ve probably already spent the money on a present for him/her anyway.

The reasons for breaking up before Spring Break seem a little easier to guess. High school and college students typically go on “group vacations” to a beach or another popular vacation spot during this time, providing them with an excellent opportunity to meet a new, perhaps more exciting and better-looking romantic partner.

Here’s one more interesting fact from this informal study: for those born before 1975 (that is, those currently 35 or older), the overwhelming (large; significant) majority (74%) preferred to tell their boyfriend or girlfriend the bad news about the breakup in person (face-to-face). For those born after 1984 (currently 26 or younger), only 47% preferred to break up in person. For the new generation, 30% said they would break up by phone, and more than 20% said they would use email, Facebook, or instant messaging.

Now, I understand that young adults and teenagers (those 13-19 years old) use electronic media much more than my (older) generation.  But, come on, you under-26-year-olds!  Breaking up by email or during a chat session? Really?  Let’s have a little old-fashioned guts (courage; bravery), even if technology now allows you to hide behind your keyboard.

~Jeff

“Romeo and Juliet” by Frank Bernard Dicksee (1884), public domain image provided by Wikipedia

You are a public school principal (director) and school funding (money) is down. You have a difficult choice: Eliminate (cut) the school’s music, art, or sports program or allow advertisements to be place in the school. What would you do?

That’s the dilemma (difficult problem or decision) facing many schools in the U.S. today. With a poor economy comes less governmental funding, and advertisers are offering schools an alternative (another choice) to eliminating educational programs. Advertisers want to put advertising in schools, placing them on school lockers (metal boxes where students keep books and supplies) and on the side of school buses.

More and more schools are feeling desperate (hopeless; without other options) and opting for (choosing) advertising.  For example, in a school district (organization of many schools in one area) in St. Francis, Minnesota, the superintendent (director responsible for a district) agreed to cover 10% to 15% of the school’s lockers with ads. Parents don’t like it, but have not been too vocal (expressing an opinion aloud or loudly) because they know of the poor condition of school funding.

Advertisers, of course, love this form of advertising. School advertising reaches children and teenagers, an important demographic (specific group or part of the population) and the students are a captive audience (cannot leave or avoid what they see or experience).

What do you think of this form of advertising? What if the choice was between eliminating upper-level (advanced) math or science courses and school advertising?  Would your opinion be different?

Is there school advertising where you live? Are there other types of funding for schools?

~ Lucy