Podcasts This Week (October 17, 2011)

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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 730 – Waiting For Exam Results

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 “toss up” and “to bomb (something).”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Professions Requiring Continuing Education.”
“For many “professions” (jobs; fields of work), graduating college with a degree is all that is necessary to begin work. Some professions, however, require the passing of an exam…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 316

Topics: Ask an American: Libraries Using Ad Campaigns to Improve Image and Funding; making introductions; stack versus stock

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “The Google Books Controversy.”
“In 2004, the Internet search company Google announced that it would do something very “ambitious” (with very high goals for doing something difficult).  It would “scan” (use a machine to copy electronically) and “digitize”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 731 – Hints and Innuendo

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 “coming up” and “clue.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Teenage Milestone Birthdays and the Selective Service System.”
“In a typical American’s “lifetime” (the period of time a person is alive), he or she experiences several “milestone” birthdays.  “Milestones” are significant periods or events “indicating”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

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14 Responses to Podcasts This Week (October 17, 2011)

  1. Myo ko ko says:

    Hi, everyone here,
    Another new week! …huh?
    Well, now I’ve got some spare time to kill, I thought I would kill them here. 🙂
    OK, let me shoot the breeze! (and make sure you behold the voice of tolerance!) 😀

    There was a great physicist, Albert Einstein, who developed “Relativity Theory” and a worldwide-well-known nuclear formula: “E=mc²”.
    I hope you know him well. Anyway, once he wrote:

    A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’, a part limited in time and space.
    He experiences his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical
    delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal
    desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this
    prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

    A beautiful point of view and eloquent writing of him, isn’t it?
    I heard they say: “Practice makes Perfect.”
    Well, if so, let me hone my writing skill by changing its “context”, will you? OK, here I go 🙂

    An ESL podcast listener is an element of a part of the whole, called by us ‘ESLPod Paradise’, a part where we listen to great ESLPod
    audio chops, where we read our English teachers’ posts and share our views. He/she (an ESL podcast listener) embraces every
    “stuff” of learning materials on this spot as something unique, compareless, and second-to-none — a kind of special privilege of
    his/her whole lifetime. This privilege is a kind of “gifted” opportunity for us, setting our commands of English apart from those of
    any other ESL learners out there, enabling us making what we assumed in the past impossible possible when it comes to picking up
    the English language. Our task must be to commit ourselves to contributing ‘supportive actions’ of our owns to this so-called paradise
    by enlarging our scope of understanding and friendship to be able to keep this adorable and lovely place up in its beauty for ever.

    Well, Lucy,
    I said it! This site is sort of paradise for us, well, for me.
    Your podcasts as such are , to me, little “angels.”
    Yeah! They should be, Oh no, must be “angels,” !! ‘Cause I am a lad. 😀
    Just kidding!
    BTW, now I’ve turned to one-year-old ESL podcast listener and I have to say that I’ve got great improvement in my English skills.
    It is thanks to all of you.
    If I hadn’t bumped into your great ESL podcasts on the Web, surely I wouldn’t have been able to write that much and …….
    In any case, many a thanks Lucy for your “angels” and of course for letting me write here. 🙂

  2. emiliano says:

    Really good, Myo Ko Ko.

    You are touched by creativity too.
    Every moment the Blog is going better.

    Nice, very nice way of writing.
    Thanks.

  3. Betty says:

    Hi Myo Ko Ko

    Thanks for reminding us about Albert Einstein. I have been reading so much about Steve Jobs recently that I almost forgot there are many great scientists before Steve Jobs.

    Wow, Myo Ko Ko, did you compose every word in the message above? I am impressed. I always “copy and paste” from various sources because I am not good at composing something so interesting.

    I can see that you enjoy using English a lot because I find many smileys in your messages.

    It is strange how people adopt a second language and love it. Could it be because it is not something imposed on us at birth so we find it more exciting? Could it be because we need to use our brain more when we try to use a second language so we find it challenging and thus more rewarding?

    I have used enough of my brain (if I have one!) today; I will come back tomorrow to write more.

    Best wishes to you.
    Betty

  4. Sergio says:

    @Myo ko ko @emiliano @betty
    You all go faster than light! Are you neutrinos? Or did you live in the fourth dimension?
    Yesterday morning I woke up telling me something in English. I suppose that, but I’m not sure and I don’t know why.
    Why – sleeping? dreaming? – was I speaking in English? What was I telling myself? That I have no language, that I have no place…
    The same things from the beginning of my life! But the ultimate answer was: so I can write without being a writer, in a language
    which is my no native language and in which I can write with many mistakes – like a child learning his own language,
    without grammar or rules.
    So, I can write never telling me “one day” I’ll become anyone: a poet, a famous novelist!
    This is why I started a few months ago to study English in my 56:
    to watch before dying a whole movie (“Angels in America”) and get it without subtitles, neither in English nor in Italian!
    Sergio

  5. Betty says:

    Hi Sergio

    Thank you so much for joining us to be a neutrino. I love this new name – Neutrino.

    In fact I did not know what a neutrino was until I looked up the dictionary after reading your message. The dictionary said: Neutrino – n. pl. neutrinos “Any of three electrically neutral subatomic particles in the lepton family”. I enjoy learning something new everyday.

    You see Sergio, it is also my dream to watch an English film without any subtitle – no English or Chinese subtitle to help me fully understand the film. It is not easy with my limited vocabulary and my out of touch with slangs.

    I guess I can watch the famous film “The Sound of Music” again to test my English listening skill. But then it is kind of cheating because I have watched this film more than ten times with English and Chinese subtitles.

    Sergio you started learning English at 56, and you are writing English like a native English speaker within a few months of learning English. I have only heard stories about highly talented youth KGB spies learned foreign languages effectively like you.

    I would be happy if the KGB could choose me to be a KGB spy so that I can speak the official dialect of my country – the Putonghua/Mandarin in a short period of time.

    Well, it is impossible. The KGB is no more, and I am a youth no more …………

    Best Regards
    Betty

  6. Elvis Johnny says:

    Myo Ko Ko, it’s got to be all about your brilliant essay arousing me to leave some brief awkward words in this heaven..
    Your paper is pop, sparkle, buzz electric, incomparable, I was very impressed, fonding of this figure of speech and in particular indulging
    “enabling us make what we assumed impossible in the past possible ” this beautiful sentense, I’m loving it right now,
    as a matter of fact ,I didn’t figure it out until after read it the second time.

    To be honest, I’ve actually seen my shares of the identical experience of learning English language as you did out there,
    which was a total torture until when came across ESLPOD then.
    I wanan say our salvation of learning English well through ESLPOD and any people who ever help to bring our language polished,
    we were nothing without their unprecedented offerings of radios,blogs,and learning guides. Alike, we can finally get the hang of it with the help of ESLPOD.

    I’m constantly loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving loving ALL of You for good, specially Lucy and jeff and those supportive behind the scenes.

  7. Peter says:

    The widening gap between poor and rich has interigued a global movement . The income disparity ,and the unfair distribution of wealth have drown thousands of  people on the streets,a ligal protests ,rallies if you will ,in dozens of cities throughout the world against the global financial system.
    The chain-movement has included U.S. and Canada as well.
    The planned protest are being held to fullfil one legitimate purpose which is the equality and well fare for all every one across the glob, a border less movement that is beyond one person,group, or ethnicity.
    Let’s hope the movement meet its purpose.

    Clamor , and clamor at the top of your voice

  8. Peter says:

    Guys,
    Do you think we last enough to see a day when computer and Internet is obsolete . By that I mean ,the day they are a thing of past.
    I really wanna know what happens to the world when men-kind passed the age of technology.
    What is the next milestone ?
    Do you care to guess?
    What would there be , in the days on which computer is just sth for chiden’s frivolous fun ,and nothing else.
    I really wanna live those days.

  9. Sergio says:

    Hi, Betty!
    Thank you so much for your really funny answer, I’m still laughing about your idea to be engaged by the KGB!!!
    But I think it would be less dangerous to read something like “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” by Le Carré
    or watching the same movie… without subtitles. What do you think about? You know, I’m elder and just some snow it’s enough
    to kill me! I don’t know “The sound of music” (perhaps in Italian the title is different… I’ll search for it.)
    Take care.
    Sergio
    P.S. If you want to know something else about neutrinos you can ask me: I’m a boring physics teacher! I don’t charge too much…

  10. Myo ko ko says:

    Thanks all ESLPod friends for your good words.
    Why did I write that here in this way?
    Well, when I first ran across Albert Einstein’s beautiful writings, I totally got carried away by it.
    As you know, the writings is so beautiful in terms of “its absolute meaning” as well as grammar structure it used.
    So, I kept that beautiful quote in my mind in hope of if I have free time someday, I would compose something like that.
    This sort of writings (and trying to write like that) helps a lot second language learners, like us, with their language acquisition.
    So I tried it.

    The answer to why I inserted so-called “smileys” in my comments is…. Well,
    As I am using second language, sometimes what I tried to be funny in my comments might result in something “unexpected” for native speakers: Jeff, Lucy and Warren.
    To avoid that I usually add these symbols to let them know: “I’m kidding.” That is all.

    Again, thanks friends.
    We do have these world’s best English teachers; don’t we? 🙂

  11. Peter says:

    Look how Eslpod go!
    Even eslpod’s weekly schedule announcements get 10 plus hits 🙂
    Go Eslpod go!!!
    Eslpod rules!

  12. Peter says:

    Guys,
    How about moving to the next level, phase of you will, and get out of this web
    Anybody out there from Tronto?

  13. emiliano says:

    The Sound of Music?…….let me see……

    Here in Spain Julie Andrews´s voice disappeared and another singer took her place
    singing in Spanish just the same of all other boys and girls singers who were also
    replaced by little spaniards girls and boys that sings in Spanish.

    The original sound and lyrics were absolutely changed as it was the rule here
    in this country.
    The title?
    Instead of “The Sound of Music” we saw “Sonrisas y Lagrimas” (Smiles and Tears)
    and like Betty, Cuca have watched the movie ten or eleven times.
    Every one of them I prefer to be out in order of not being furious with so many
    changes.
    It is absolutely incredible that Julie Andrews voice were delated the same as
    other voices in musical movies like: Wet Side Story. My Fair Lady, The half of Six Pence, Seven
    Brides for Seven Brothers, Mary Poppin, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, The Fiddled on the Roof,…..and so forth.

    Now you may understand why I like to know English and could re-watch again so many
    musical movies.

    By the way, Salzburg was absolutely beautiful in The Sound of Music and it was impossible
    of being replaced.
    Afterward Cuca and me were in Salzburg and the following time the movie was at the TV.
    i saw it again only in the way of watching the city again.

    Sergio, a clue: It is the story of The Trap´s family who lives in Austria, Salzburg while the
    nazis got the power in Germany and Austria.
    All the family have to run off their country to be in safe in the EE.UU. as the father disagree
    with the nazis and hitler.
    The poor man was a widower with six or seven boys and girls who needs a new mother, so
    first he employed a nun, not sure about her will of saying her votes.
    After knowing a blonde the man wast to marry the blonder but his sons and daughters
    disagree with the future new stepmother.
    The nun who has return to her convert fall in account that she is in love with the widower
    and return to look after the girls and boys again who has fled the blonde out their father
    side.
    and bla, bla, bla, at the end the Trap Family was in EE.UU. the nun had married the
    widower and all the family sings together being out from nazis and hitler.
    ——–

    The movie directed by Robert Wise won an Oscar as best movie
    and I think it is one of the most represented musicals in all
    USA schools and so on.
    Even our dear teacher Jeff, sung a little in one of his Cafes talking
    about musicals at the USA schools.
    I could remember he was not an actor, he was the one who manage
    the lights.
    What a pity, a great actor and singer lost but a great insuperable
    teacher won to us.

    THE END.

  14. Sergio says:

    Thank you very much for the clue about “The sound of music”, Emiliano, but…
    I needed to seek on the internet for the Italian title: it’s completely different
    and I write it here now only because I would like hearing Jeff to pronounce it:
    TUTTI INSIEME APPASSIONATAMENTE!!!
    So… sorry, Cuca & Betty, I don’t like very much musical movies even though
    this summer in London I watched “Billy Elliot – The Musical” at the theatre
    and I must admit it has been really exciting and impressive also for an… rock
    old fan as I am!
    Sergio

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