We have celebrated our past two anniversaries by producing a video podcast. We want to do that again this year, but we need your help.

This year, Jeff will be answering listener questions. Do you have a burning question (something you want to know very much) about us or the podcast? If so, post a comment here and we will select a few to answer in the anniversary video podcast.

Thanks, in advance, for your help!

~ Lucy

There are many types of blogs. The ESL Podcast Blog is one for learning. Other kinds of blogs are confessional, where people tell others about something they’ve done, often things that was a secret and/or wrong in some way. Many blogs give new information or breaking news (most recent news, happening right now) about politics, technology, and other topics. Still other blogs are a creative outlet, where people can post their imaginative and original works or ideas for others to see.

For some therapists (people or doctors who help people with mental or psychological issues and problems), blogs have another function. Therapists are telling their patients to blog as part of their treatment (medical care to make a person better).

Psychologists (scientists who study the mind) say that blogs are different from diaries because there is a built-in (inherent; as part of it) audience. As children, we learn that we can get help if we tell others about our problems. And as adults, we associate (connect) communication with getting consolation (comfort received after something bad happens). For this reason, psychologists say, blogging gives people their need for sympathy (others feeling sad for you), especially when there are major problems. Therapists say that blogging gets you closer to a sympathetic audience and that’s therapeutic (have a good effect on your body or mind). According to one psychologist, blogging, which can be anonymous (not identified by name so no one knows who you are), which gives it another therapeutic advantage: People can tell of intimate (private and personal) things without making themselves vulnerable (giving other people an opportunity to attack or harm them).

Would you consider starting a blog? If so, what kind of blog would it be and what would you write about?

~ Lucy

Cartoon: “I had my own blog for a while, but I decided to go back to pointless, incessant barking.”
pointless = without purpose
incessant = with no end; without stopping
to bark = to make the loud sound a dog makes with its mouth when it “speaks”

If you read an American newspaper or listen to an American newscast, you may hear or read a strange word, “staycation.”  Staycation is a new word the American press (newspapers, radio, and television) is using this summer to describe a vacation very close to your own home, or simply staying at home during your vacation.  It is a combination of the words “stay” and “vacation.”

According to many news reports, these staycations are very popular among American families this year.  Why?  The high price of gasoline for cars and airplanes has made it very expensive for Americans to travel compared to past years.  When you combine this with the weak American dollar, it all adds up to (leads to the conclusion that) people deciding to stay close to home during their traditional summer vacations.

Of course, some places are more interesting to “stay home at” than others.  And if you live in a very small town, well, you may just want to skip (not to take, not to do) your vacation and save your time up for next year!

~Jeff

Question:
Brian in the U.S. asked: What are “cooties”? I watch “Arthur,” the cartoon (show with animation (drawings)), every morning, and the characters often say, “You have cooties!” but I do not understand! Please help!

Answer:
Cooties are imaginary (not real) germs. Germs are the very, very small living things that we can’t see, but that can cause disease or illness.  To insult (to treat with disrespect) someone, you could say that they have cooties. Children like to say this to people they don’t like.  Like the word “germs,” we nearly always use “cooties” as a plural noun, almost never as a singular noun. Adults don’t usually use the word “cooties” unless they were trying to be funny.

~ Lucy

It’s summertime and the movie theaters are full of blockbusters (very successful; earning a lot of money) movies. The number 1 movie in the U.S. this week is The Dark Knight, a movie about Batman. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve read good reviews.

This got me thinking about when I was younger and how I wished I had superpowers, or powers and abilities that would allow me to do great things.

Here’s a poll question: If you could any superpower, which superpower would you want? If it’s not listed in the options, submit a comment and tell us what that power would be.

~ Lucy

As some of you probably know already, iTunes has a special section for university lectures and classes.  Different universities, including some of the best in the United States, provide free lectures and demonstrations on a variety of topics from some of their best professors.  You can find the free courses by clicking on iTunes U in the menu of the iTunes Store.

These videos audio lectures are especially good for those of you studying for the TOEFL or IELTS exams, since you will get a lot of native speaker speech on topics similar to those found on the tests.  Of course, you want to start with a subject you know something about, and (with luck) a professor who speaks clearly.

For some useful advice on how to use iTunes U, take a look at Warren Ediger’s Successful English website where he has a special section on the TOEFL.

~Jeff

We’re in the middle of summer and it has brought to mind (made me remember) the song “Summertime.” This is a song that was part of a well-known musical (show or movies with singing) called Porgy and Bess, and was written in 1935 by the famous composer (someone who writes music) George Gershwin. This song is now a standard, which is song that most people recognize and is played and performed a lot.

George Gershwin wrote this song to sound like a spiritual. A spiritual is a style of song that was originally developed by African American slaves (people owned by other people and forced to work without pay) to express religious feelings and later, as a part of their protest (expressing disagreement) against slavery. Today, you’ll hear spirituals in churches and other places of religious worship.

This version of “Summertime” is performed by two jazz legends (extremely famous people): Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

~ Lucy

“Summertime”
written by George Gershwin
performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Summertime,
And the living is easy
Fish are jumping
And the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy’s rich
And your ma’s good looking
So hush (be quiet) little baby
Don’t you cry

One of these mornings
You’re going to rise up (to wake up in the morning) singing
Yes, you’ll spread (open to its fullest) your wings
And you’ll take to (go to) the sky

But (un)til that morning
There’s nothing can harm (hurt) you
Yes, with daddy and mommy standing by (nearby and watching or waiting)

Summertime,
And the living is easy
Fish are jumping
And the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy’s rich
And your ma is good looking
So hush little baby
Baby, don’t you cry

The expression home away from home means that the place you are describing is as comfortable as your own house, somewhere you can feel “at home,” and it is usually where you spend a lot of your time.

You could say, “I spend so much time in this hotel for my work, it’s my home away from home.”

Do you have a home away from home?  If so, where is it?

~Jeff

A font is the size and style of printed letters and words, like these:

The latest trend (fashion; something new that many people are doing) for important people or celebrities is to commission (hire someone to make or create something) someone to create your own custom (specially made; not standard) font.

* Did you know that Barack Obama, who is running for (wanting to be elected to the job of) U.S. president, has his own font?

* Did you know that singers/celebrities, like Beyonce and Bjork, do too?

An article I read reported (gave information) that last year, a movie called Helvetica (the name of a font) became very popular. Helvetica is a documentary (movie based on true events) about the history of this font–yes, an entire movie about one font! In the cities where it played (was shown), there were sold out (all the tickets sold; every seat was filled) audiences.

Typographers, people who arrange or design letters/words for printing, say that fonts can send important and subtle (not bold; not very easy to see or understand) ways, communicating or changing a mood (emotion; how you feel) or a tone (quality; character; feeling). Business and advertisers know this. They use thick fonts to convey (communicate) boldness (having courage and confidence) for products like cigarettes, and they use thiner and lighter fonts for fashion (clothes and other things people wear).

The two fonts I see the most in daily correspondence such as letters and emails in the U.S., both personal and professional (in business), are Arial and Times Roman (see above).

Do you select a special font for your correspondence? What do you think it says about you?

I usually use Arial. It’s simple, so I guess I’m simple*, too.

~ Lucy

* simple = 1) plain, not fancy, 2) easy to understand, or 3) dumb, stupid, not intelligent, when describing a person

We often get questions about slang words listeners see in the newspaper or (more likely) hear in movies, TV programs, and songs. The problem with slang is that it keeps changing. Words that were slang five years ago may no longer be used. Slang tends to be very short-term, although some expressions do have a longer life.

In general, I don’t recommend second language speakers use slang words, especially “new” slang, unless they really understand how it should be used and in what contexts. This is often difficult for a non-native to figure out. It is best, in most cases, just to speak in “normal” English, and avoid using slang that you don’t completely understand.

One place to look for definitions of slang is the Urban Dictionary. This is a Wikipedia-type of website, where readers submit definitions and sample sentences. This is a good place for slang that comes from recent songs or movies.

Note: There is also a lot of vulgar or “bad words” on the website, so use it carefully. Also, remember that because this is a site where anyone can submit definitions, not all of the definitions are correct. Look for words/phrases that have at least five or ten definitions to make sure you are getting the right idea. And don’t think that because it appears in Urban Dictionary, it is a common phrase. Most of these words are not common - again, look for words that have lots of definitions to get an idea of just how common it is (or Google the word or phrase and see how many websites have it).

~Jeff