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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 1200 – Learning a Skilled Trade
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 “trade school” and “dying art.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Vocational Education.”
“Vocational education trains people for particular jobs, giving them technical skills and knowledge…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 551
Topics: Movies – Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Famous Americans – Luther George Simjian; to distract versus to detract; in a manner of speaking; thanks a bunch
In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Classic Egg Dishes.”
“Eggs are a common food for Americans, especially for ‘breakfast’ (the first meal of the day, eaten shortly after waking up)…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 1201 – Types of Non-alcoholic Drinks
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 “sugar” and “tap.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “The Sugary Drinks Portion Cap Rule.”
“‘Obesity’ (a condition when people are unhealthy and weigh too much) is a major problem in the United States…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
Hi everyone,
Don’t you guys find this constant looking at another country to be an healthy habit? I do.
We need to compare things, right?
I mean, it’s like when I was a kid in school, and you think you are stupid, but then you realise that there are more stupid kids than you are, and that makes
you feel better.
I also see that on YouTube.
See, I am the first one admitting that I am not particularly smart (technically
being aware of that makes me less stupid) but there are certain people, posting certain videos that makes me feel like a genius.
To give you an example, just yesterday I was looking at a video posted by a black guy from the US.
This dude is extremely stupid and ignorant and racist.
He was saying that there is “only one true race on the planet and those are
the melaneted African race and all the others are the genetic defected offspring of them”
After that he goes on with his crazy rant adding more ignorant thoughts.
Luckily the video has more dislikes than likes.
Well my conclusion would be that “terms of comparison” is a good thing.
Probably on of the first things we learn as a child.
Anyways…just thoughts and to write down something.
Have a good Sunday everyone.
Ps. South America is swimming in sin. Especially Brazil.
Hi me again.
Unknown terms I have learned about this week:
Identity politics
Virtue signaling
Brown bag test.
All absorbed by various sources.
Thanks
Hey Dan
I am not sure to share your views about comparisons.
Technically, the feeling of being minusvalued begins mainly at school socialization. Nevertheless, when going back everyday home, the child is the best for his or her parents (The “comfort zone” may we call it?). Later on, their (his and her) identifications with what parents tell them are not enough, so they identify to their pairs, to some teachers, etc.
That’s not bad, it is good even necessary for their development towards adulthood.
However, some people stick to get always unconditional approval of others. Thus, they avoid the chance (yes, the chance!) of undergoing a personal crisis, so they are able to be themselves by stopping making comparisons to others.
In a nutshell: no conflict, no development. That is how I see it.
Bye, thanks
No, Dan, it is not true. Brazil is the Lordland and because of it Brazilians are innocent people free from sins. There are milk and honey pouring down from the sky in Brazil. If you doubt it come and check it out for yourself. I’m sure you’ll be happy here.
Brazil, green and yellow, no sin.
Aecio
Hi folks ,
Sorry for my tardiness
I barely had a time to myself for the past couple of days. Y know the drill, Crazy busy with balancing out work life with personal life.
Darn !
work life always prevailed.
Well ,
What else is new ,right folks!!
I believe ,the majority of us are familiar with work days and how they suck the life out of us.
Well , no can we do. It the way it is.
And, it has been for like ever.
Refer to the latest post done by our dear professor Lucy.
I must say the idea Lucy is pushing on her latest post applies here too.
If I m not mistaken ,I think Lucy is talking about dialects in a given country.
Well , my understanding is , the phenomenon is not peculiar to U.S.
Every country out there ,across globe ,is familiar with the concept.
Fur example , here in my beloved country, people who raised in East coast get tuned up to a different intonation than people raising up in west coast.
I mean , it is par for the course. A mundane thing , one might say.
However , to me at least , the trickiest dialect to comprehend Belongs to good people in Halifax.
Here , peoples in different region even one city to another take on a slight different dialect.
As Lucy mentioned, they over pronounced some words and glide over the others.
If u ask me , the coolest accent is newYorkers Accent. They sound very nonchalant and cool.
On the phone , Texans give me the hardest time though.
Man , good luck understanding them on the phone. The problem is ,they have this way of talk peculiar to Them.
Well , the reason I m familiar with ,how would I put it , various dialects is that part of my job specification dictates it. I mean ,in the want add the adjective ” tactful ” highlighted as a must have knack ,rather flair to handle the job
Well , I told them in the interview :
” i m ur guy ” ” i m told that I am a smooth talker”
guys
Me , tactful :)))
I should have put Jeff and Lucy as my reference :)))))
Well , in my defence , all my friends lie in their resume.
All I m saying is , I have had more than my fair share of talking things out on the phone with regional people all across North America and beyond.
The thing is , when people call in, both sides on both ends of the phone conversations rather debates want to get the last word in.
So it is like cross-words match.
And , I m proud to say I win , well ,in
Most cases.
Well , if I didn’t , I would have be sitting on my a.s by now looking for a new job.
For a good two ,three hours everyday, I take clients’ calls and let me tell you they just keep calling up to wazoo!
I try to work things out with them. U know , smooth things out. Let me tell u guys , it is not always as easy as it sounds. Sometimes , things spin out of control.
The problem here is not just the dialects but the accents.
Well , we do record messages for quality purposes as well
It us the first thing I tell clients. It is required from me. I must informed them. Even though, they hear the automated vice, announcing it before an actual person answer their phones.
Well , the survey done in U.S. Is practical !!!
Having said that , the conducted survey in US almost impossible here though ,because u have to go through recorded phone calls for hours to finally come across an English speaker.
I m telling u ,
Sometime it takes patience to solve problems Or debating on the phone around here.
Well , Canada is even more divided than U.S.
Well ,no complain, as it is a main part of my job and I m getting a pretty penny for it.
Guys , I know u never saw that side of me around the blog
But trust me when push comes to shove , I m a smooth talker son of the gun.:)))
Lucy
You are the man
Thanks for the delights which are ur posts.
A learning guide member
🙂
Pete
P.S. Sorry for the typos guys
I just jet it down as I m late for work
What else is new 🙂
Hello guys.
Since Jeff mentioned his cousins back in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I thought why not checking up on their website!
They really exist and have an interesting history on the ‘About Us’ section.
They even worked for Al Capone!
I am not sure the two guys in one of the photos are Jeff’s cousins.
Their jaw line resembles Jeff’s one.
Thanks.
I knew English Cafe 551 would be nice. I have just listened to it and I enjoyed it a lot. Don’t miss to listen to. It’s great with no comparison.
From Brazil, no sin, green and yellow, I am Aecio.
Hi,
Listening to the English Cafe 551…
Interesting to me the verbs distract and detract as we use the same words with the same meanings,
“distrage” and ” detracta’ and “detractor”.
I think a detractor is a disruptive person.
I learn and my language at the same time.
New to me and the phrase “in a manner of speaking”.
Thanks a bunch.
Hi,
Very interesting and the Luther George Simjian’s patents/ inventions, especially his flight simulator and ATM.
I have had no idea about him. We use the same words “simulator” and “ATM”.
In the essay from WSJ, last issue of the Learn English Magazine,…
it is about innovation, patent, copyright law…
We use the same word “patent” but and the synonym “brevet”.
Instead of letters patent we say “brevet of invention”.
And according to the dictionary, copyright is the sole legal right to print , publish, perform, film or record
a literary or artistic or musical work.
Hi,
New to me and the phrase digital goods (audio files, ebooks, PDFs, photos, designs).
Hi,
Dear Jeff, I now understand your joke when you tell us that you are Chewbacca.
I have seen at Supermarket a toy for children, a Chewbacca’ watch with the War Stars trademark.
Hi, Tania, glad to read your words always isntructive.
Aecio
What surprise do Jeff and Lucy have for tomorrow on the dialog? I hope it will be really outstanding.
Aecio
As I said yesterday, I was expecting a surprise from Jeff and Lucy and it happened with ESL Podcast 1201 – Types of Non-alcoholic Drinks. Very interesting and instructive. Thanks a lot my teachers.
From Brazil, Aecio
Tomorrow we’ll have a new podcast from Jeff and Lucy, with a wonderful dialogue. I hope the subject be attractive as usual. The lesson fits like hand and glove.
From Brazil
Today, April 23rd is the 400 aniversary of two great writer´s death
William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Both lived at the same time, first in England and the second in Spain
and what is even extrange or may be casual the biggest writers of
the world died the same day of same year 1616.
Thanks to both of them.
The eyes are the window of the soul.
From Brazil