Ten Questions ESL Podcast

LnR 118 (Casual Language) Side Hustle (Replay) Hi, I hope that everyone is doing well. The U.S. is finally getting serious about trying to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the country. We are supposed to stay at home if we can. I'm in a small town, so we aren't very worried about it, though we are being careful. Other places in the country have more cases of the virus and are facing stricter rules about staying inside. I know that my listeners in other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, have already faced many problems because of the virus. I wish all of you the best. This podcast episode is about having a "side hustle". Right now I am working on several side hustles, mainly involving selling online and writing ebooks. A couple years ago I tried selling bookmarks on Amazon. It was an interesting learning experience, but it was also a failure! I learned how to contact a Chinese company to make the kind of bookmark I wanted. That was good. But losing money because no one bought the bookmarks on Amazon was not good. I should have done more research before I chose that product. I liked giving bookmarks as a gift, so I thought other people did, too. Anyhow, I have boxes of unsold bookmarks under the bed in the guest bedroom of my mother's house, where I live. If you are thinking of doing a side hustle or two or three, I encourage you! Be sure to do enough research before you start, though. I learned the hard way! From Nancy at nancy@missbuswell.com.   LnR 118 (Casual Language) Side Hustle A: Hey, do you want to go see a movie tonight? B: Nah, I want to work on my side hustle. A: Your what? What do you mean? B: My side hustle. It means a part-time job, in addition to your full-time job. Usually it means starting an online business. A: Oh, really. I've never heard that expression before. I guess I could say that I have a side hustle, too. I’m writing a short ebook about how to take care of hamsters. I love hamsters and know a lot about them. I’m going to publish the ebook on Amazon Kindle. B: That sounds great. My side hustle is selling things online. I’m actually still doing research on the best way for me to do it. A: I've heard you can make a lot of money as an affiliate seller. B: What's that? A: That's when you sell someone else's product, usually on your own website. You get a percentage of the sales price. You can sell real products, like things on Amazon, or digital products, like computer programs or online courses. B: Wow, I need to do some more research! Thanks for telling me.

LnR 116 (Casual Language) Desert/Dessert  (Replay from 2 1/2 years ago)        A: Teacher, how to pronounce this word? B: This one, with two s's, is pronounced "dessert". It means sweet food after dinner. A: Oh, like ice cream or chocolate cake? B: Exactly. As a matter of fact, that's what we usually had for dessert when I was growing up. Though sometimes Mom made us have fruit instead of cake or ice cream. A: And what about this word? B: It's pronounced "desert". Like the Sahara Desert in northern Africa. Are there any deserts in your country? A: No, but we have lots of hills and mountains. B: That's nice. By the way, please don't call me "Teacher". Use my name, Miss Buswell. But don't call me only "Buswell", because it's not nice to call a lady only by her last name. A: Oh, I didn't know that. In my language, we call our teachers "teacher" or "professor". B: Oh, I see. Also, it's bad grammar to say, "How to pronounce." You should say, "How do you pronounce". A: OK, thanks. I learned a lot with this question!

Hi everyone around the world! I love looking at my statistics each night, seeing all the countries where people who download my podcast episodes live. I get a kick out of it! Thanks for listening. I hope you find the podcast useful. Here's an episode I recorded 2 1/2 years ago. You'll learn some new things in it. LnR 114 (Casual Language) Way to go! (Replay) Parents talking to their child after a soccer game. A: Hi, Mom and Dad! Did you see my goal? B: Yeah, honey, it was great! Way to go! C: It was so exciting. The score was tied for a long time, and I thought the game would end in a draw. Then Tracy kicked the ball to Robin, who kicked it to you and you headed it right into the goal between the arms of the keeper. A: Yeah, we really had good teamwork on that play. We had a few chances earlier, but the ball wouldn't go in the net. B: That's how it goes. You have to keep trying. And you did. C: Yeah. Good job today. Really good job. B: Yeah, way to go, Kelly. Are you hungry? A: Yeah, I'm starvin' like Marvin! Can we have some pizza? B: Sure. We'll go to that place that has the buffet. I like all the choices they have there. A: I like it, too. Especially the pepperoni pizza. 

TQ 109 Jasmijn from Belgium Finally I am giving you a new podcast episode! I've been using old Listen and Repeat episodes for over a year, but now I have a Ten Questions episode. When I started the podcast, the original idea was to interview people so that my listeners could hear many different types of accents in English. After a few months I realized that there was a need to help people improve their intonation (similar to accent), so I started making Listen and Repeat podcast episodes. Its been almost a year and a half since I posted a new interview, so newer listeners won't realize that I used to post them often. This interview actually was made back in the fall of 2018, when I was still living in China. I have three interviews on my old laptop that I have never edited and used in my podcast. Here is the first one. The others will come later. Jasmijn, 26, is from the town of Hasselt, Belgium. At the time she was staying with me (from couchsurfing.org) she had already been traveling in China for two months and was about to go to Vietnam. Listen as she talks about how she studied to become a silversmith and jewelry designer, and about a festival for an alcoholic drink (Genever or Jenever) in her hometown, and about how she visited the Uyuni Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia. Also listen as I say that I lived in Xi'an, China for two years. That was obviously a slip of the tongue, because I lived in Xi'an for five years. Here are some words and phrases that you may not know: internship, to work on my technique, coal, grottoes, pottery, porcelain, surrealist painter.

Happy 2019 Everyone! I'm still living in the U.S. with my mother . . . and now my brother is living with us while he's between jobs. He quit a terrible job teaching English at a high school in a very small town. His students weren't respectful and the school administration weren't helpful when he asked for help in disciplining his trouble-making students. I'm so fortunate that I spent the last 19 years teaching in China, with wonderful students. I"m still teaching, but only online now. I do mock IELTS exams on the two Chinese apps PalFish and Kouyuxia, And anyone in the world can find me on Cambly. I do Free Talk and IELTS preparation on Cambly. I use the same name on all three teaching platforms: Miss Buswell. Call me! I would be so excited to talk to one of my podcast listeners! By the way, people from 109 different countries listen to this podcast! The top ten countries in terms of downloads of my podcast episodes are: China, U.S., Japan, Brazil, Germany, Iran, Canada, Russia, Korea, and Spain. And then 99 more! LnR 112 (Casual Language) As You Know (Replay from 2 1/2 years ago) Two friends are talking A:  Hey, good to see you again! B: Yeah. Me, too. What have you been doing lately. A: Well, as you know, I went on vacation to Disney World in Florida. B: I didn’t know that. How would I know that? I haven’t seen you for two months! A: I posted pictures on Facebook. Didn’t you see them? B: I haven’t been on Facebook for a long time.  I had to give it up because I was spending too much time on it. Now I spend that time reading for pleasure and watching classic movies. A: That sounds good, but I couldn’t do it. I like seeing what my friends are doing and looking at their pictures. B: Well, I call my closest friends every week. A: Hey, you don’t call me! B: Oh, look what time it is. I’m going to be late! See you later.

Here's another episode from 2 1/2 years ago. LnR 110 (Casual Language) What did I do? (Replay) Ten questions starting with the word "what". What did I do? What did he do? What did she want? What did they say? What are you doing? (Whatcha doin'?) What are you talking about? (Whatcha talkin' about?) What are you looking at? (Whatcha lookin' at?) What happened? What's happening? (as a greeting and as a question) What's the matter?

LnR 106 (Casual Language) Wikipedia (Replay) Listen and Repeat: A: Hi there, what are you doing? (Watcha doin'?) B: Oh, hey. I'm working on my paper for World History class. A: Oh, yeah. I finished mine three days ago. It's due tomorrow, you know. B: Yeah, I know. I should've started it last week, but I just kept putting it off. A: You mean you haven't started it yet?! B: Well, I started it an hour ago. I've already written two pages. A: You know we're supposed to write eight to ten pages and use three sources. B: I've already taken notes from my three sources. I'm using two websites about history and also Wikipedia. A: What? Our teacher told us clearly that we can't use Wikipedia as one of our sources! B: What? That must have been the day I slept late and missed class. Oh, shoot, I'm in a lot of trouble. I'll have to stay up all night working on this. A: Good luck! I'll go get you some coffee.  

Hi! Thanks for downloading my podcast! I hope that you will find it useful. If you are new, my name is Nancy Buswell. When I recorded this podcast episode 2 1/2 years ago I was teaching in Nanning, China. This summer I moved home to the US and am now living with my 83-year old mother. She is still in good health, thank goodness. I work online. I give mock IELTS exams on two Chinese apps, and teach on the website/app Cambly Fridays and Saturdays. Most of my students there are from Saudi Arabie, Turkey and Brazil. If you use Cambly, please look me up! I'm Miss Buswell on Cambly, and I prefer giving mock IELTS exams or having interesting conversations. Call me and let's have an interesting conversation! ====== LnR 104 Extracurricular Activities (Replay) Listen and Repeat: A: We had an interesting discussion topic in English class today. B: Oh, yeah? What was it? A: Our teacher told us to talk to our partner about our first jobs. B: That's easy! My first job was working at a KFC when I was 18. It was the summer before I started university. I only worked there two months. Now I can't stand the smell of fried chicken! A: Funny! As for me, I haven't had any kind of job yet. My parents wouldn't let me do anything except study, study, study. I wanna find a part-time job now, to make some pocket money, but my parents have forbidden it. B: Why? You’re over 18 now and can make your own decisions. A: Yeah, sure. Tell them that. As long as they are paying for my education, I have to do what they say. At least they send me pocket money when I need it. I just hate asking for it. B: Yeah, I get it. I hate asking for money, too. But I don’t want a part-time job now. I’m too busy with my extracurricular activities. I’m in two clubs and play intramural volleyball with people from my dormitory. A: Really? I’m no good at volleyball. I don’t know how to make the ball go the right direction. Which clubs are you in? B: Well, one is a church club. They have a small house just off campus for the meetings. I go every Wednesday night for singing and Bible study. I usually get there early to talk with my friends. The other one is the chess club. I’ve played chess since I was a little kid. We meet in a classroom every other Monday night to talk about chess and then play a couple of games. I’m a pretty good chess player, but there are several others who are a lot better than me. A: I can see now why you don’t have time for a part-time job!

Hello from the U.S. state of Arkansas, where fall weather has finally arrived! Many people like the fall, but I like hot weather, not cold weather. Fortunately, it's only cool now, not cold. Here's another podcast episode from 2 1/2 years ago. I think I talk about my YouTube channel in this. Ignore it. I haven't done anything with my YouTube channel in a couple of years. I started a series called "Ask Miss Buswell", but it only lasted three days! I didn't follow up on it. I tend to procrastinate on some kinds of work. "Procrastinate" means to delay, to do something later. LnR 102 (Casual Language) Fast Food (Replay) Listen and Repeat: A simple dialogue between a customer and a cashier at McDonalds A: Welcome to McDonalds! How may I help you? B: Hi, I'd like a double cheeseburger. A: Would you like the combo or just the burger? B: Pardon? A: The combo includes fries and a drink. B: Oh, OK.  Just the burger. And something to drink. What do you have? A: The drinks are listed right here. We have Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. B: I'd like a Sprite. A medium one. No ice. A: No ice, sure. That'll be $2.75. B: Here you go. A: And 25 cents is your change. Here's your order. Have a nice day! B: Thanks. Say, where is the WC? A: The what? B: Uh, the bathroom. A: Oh, it's around the corner and down the hall. B: OK. Thanks a lot.  

I made this recording 2 1/2 years ago when I was still teaching in a classroom. Now I'm teaching at home, online. What a change! I miss being in front of my students, though it's nice to work at home, too. I hope you enjoy this podcast episode and that you learning something new about learning vocabulary. LnR 100 (Casual Language) Vocab (Replay) I talk about a good way to study vocabulary so that you will remember it.  Dialogue between two students A: Hi, Jack! How did you do on our vocab quiz this morning? B: Oh, man, I bombed it! A: What do you mean? B: I mean I think I failed it. A: How did that happen? Miss Buswell told us what to study. It was an easy quiz. I think I made a perfect score. Jack: I'm really hacked off at myself. I waited until last night to cram for the quiz. But then I forgot most of the words in the morning. Jill: Well, that's too bad. Maybe next time . . . . Jack: Yeah. Next time I'll remember to start studying earlier. Cramming sure isn't the best way to prepare for a test.