Monthly Archives: April 2011

Happy Birthday, Ella!

It’s hard to imagine that a song could have a better friend than Ella Fitzgerald! Ella – who died in 1996 – would have celebrated her 94th birthday on Monday, April 25th. Ella, an American jazz singer, is known as … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 41 Comments

Podcasts This Week (April 25, 2011)

Thank you for supporting us and helping us continue this podcast by being a Basic or Premium Member. Not yet a member?  You can become a member today! ………… ON MONDAY ESL Podcast 680 – Recognizing an Unsung Hero In … Continue reading

Posted in Announcements | 13 Comments

Podcasts This Week (April 18, 2011)

We are able to continue producing ESL Podcast because of generous people like you. If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting ESL Podcast by becoming a Basic or Premium Member! ………… ON MONDAY ESL Podcast 678 – Reporting Damaged … Continue reading

Posted in Announcements | 1 Comment

FYI and LOL in OED? OMG!

This month the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added FYI, LOL, and OMG to their online edition. Previously (before now), OED had added IMHO, TMI, BFF, and others to the online dictionary. These expressions are examples of initialisms, abbreviations that are … Continue reading

Posted in Language & Terms | 16 Comments

612,000

Today is the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the first Battle of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which marked (indicated) the beginning of the American Civil War.  From 1861 to 1865, approximately 612,000 men, women, and children died as a result of … Continue reading

Posted in News and Current Events | 7 Comments

Podcasts This Week (April 11, 2011)

Thank you to all of you who are Premium or Basic Members, or who have donated to ESL Podcast.  You help keep the podcast going! If you enjoy our podcasts and want to support us, please consider becoming a Basic … Continue reading

Posted in Announcements | 4 Comments

Headline English: Going Hungry for the Hungry

Today I’m going to try another “Headline English” post. First I’ll give the background (the overall story or context of the headline), then we’ll talk about the specific words in the headline. Headline: Anti-Hunger Advocates Fast to Protest U.S. Budget … Continue reading

Posted in News and Current Events | 16 Comments

Podcasts This Week (April 4, 2011)

Get the Learning Guide and help ESL Podcast continue producing podcasts by becoming a Basic or Premium Member. Thank you for your support! ………… ON MONDAY ESL Podcast 674 – Threatening Other Countries In the Learning Guide: Get a full … Continue reading

Posted in Announcements | 3 Comments