Aprender ingles with Reza and Craig

If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome! We'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level.Today we are joined by Martin. In this episode: The Order of Adjectives Before a Noun Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ This week’s feedback: Alfredo (audio feedback) Alfredo asks how he can improve his accent. People say that when he speaks English he has a strong Italian accent. How can he improve this? Don't worry about your Italian accent, Alfredo. The most important thing is that people understand you when you speak. It tickles my fancy = it appeals to me, I like it The Order of Adjectives Before a Noun Sometimes we use more than one adjective in front of a noun: He’s a fat old man. (not Xold fatX)She's an attractive, French businesswoman.Martin's got an old, yellow bike. colour blind - daltónico We usually have one or two adjectives before a noun. Three is unusual: This is a boring, expensive, thick English text book. Adjectives usually (but not always) come in this order: 1. Opinion 2. Size 3. Age 4. Shape5. Colour 6. Origin (nationality)7. Material Other Qualities could include, for example, thin (Thickness), light (Weight), warm (Clothes), etc. A warm leather jacket.A beautiful warm day. bulky - voluminoso/a A heavy, bulky Swiss suitcase Numbers come first: One lovely German woman. six large eggs.half a dozen free-range eggs.My second big chance Use commas when there’s more than one adjective: A wonderful, long, relaxing holiday. (but sometimes commas are not used with short, common adjectives: lovely blue eyes, a tall dark stranger.) Occasionally, adjectives come AFTER nouns. for example in fixed expressions like 'president elect', 'secretary general', 'God Almighty!' All things/Everything/Anything/Anywhere etc All things culinary excite me; Anything Greek interests Mike. Some adjectives CAN’T come before a noun. They come after the verb. (Predicative) The boy is asleep/afraid/awake/alone/alike/alright. (NOT “the asleep/alone/etc. boy”) Most begin with letter “a______” Practice house (modern, attractive)dog (black, huge)day (lovely, sunny)nose (red, large)face (round, friendly)phone (expensive, Japanese)car (new, sports, red)boots (leather, black, sexy)table (modern, glass, ugly) Discussion Describe the following (using no more than 2 adjectives): your flatthe clothes you’re wearingone another! Martin/Craig/RezaValenciathe room we're inour favourite possessionyour last holidayyour first girlfriend/boyfriendyour wife/husband/current partner (if different to above!!)Inglespodcast.com… ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to tell us......Send us a voice message and describe something using our examples and the correct order of adjectives. speakpipe.com/inglespodcast. Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: Q & A - Answering the many questions you have sent us by email or speakpipe. The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later' Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ On next week's episode: The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

Past Perfect Simple and Continuous with Mike Hardinge - AIRC91 If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome! I'm Craig. I’m Reza. With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level.Welcome Mike! [44 years, so that totals 84 years of teaching experience between us!] Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ In this episode: The past perfect simple and continuous with special guest Mike Hardinge What is the Past Perfect? Use: The Past Perfect is the past before the past. When we are already talking about the past and we want to talk about an earlier past time.It can be in a Simple or Continuous/Progressive form. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE Something that happened before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.Focus tends to be on the completion of the action/state, not the continuity of it. Form: had/ ’d + past participle (had eaten, had been, had forgotten, had seen etc) Let’s see where the past perfect simple fits in. To do this we have to look at a much more ‘important’ tense ‘the past simple’.The past simple forms the basis of a narrative; it gives us a sequence of events: Maybe last night (1) you stayed up (didn’t go to bed) to watch a film and (2) went to bed too late. In the morning, (3) you didn’t hear your alarm. (4) You woke up late. (5) You got dressed in an awful hurry, (6) didn’t have breakfast and (7) rushed out of the house. Then (8) you realised you HAD FORGOTTEN your keys. The verbs in the story have a ‘fixed’ order, except for ‘had forgotten’, which takes us back to before or during when (5) you got dressed - maybe you put on another jacket or before (7) you rushed out of the house - you didn’t check to see if you had your keys. Past perfect simple usually takes us back to a previous stage of a narrative. It is very useful for giving reasons: You couldn’t get back into your house (why?) because you HAD FORGOTTEN your keys.or obviously it could be a negative action, an action not taken, which is the case here:you couldn’t get back into your house because you HADN'T TAKEN your keys. If you had gone to bed at the right time, none of this would have happened. Examples: When Mike arrived, we had already recorded a podcastI’d never seen such an excellent system for learning phrasal verbs before I saw Mike’s CD.After she’d studied Mike’s phrasal verb CD, she understood the subject much better.We’d had our old printer for 8 years before we bought that new one. (two ‘hads’. “ ’d” = “had”) Question:(different word order) Had you ever won an award before you won in Manchester last year?Negative: (with NOT) I hadn’t/had not studied Spanish, before I came to Spain. Reza arrived late. By the time he arrived, we had already ordered our food from the waiter. As soon as he’d lit/he had lit his cigarette, the bus arrived at the stop. No sooner had he lit (OBLIGATORY INVERSION) his cigarette than the bus arrived at the stop.Reza and Craig spoke about INVERSION in episode 78 ( http://www.inglespodcast.com/2015/11/22/sentence-inversions-airc78/ ) PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS Use: Focus tends to be on the continuity of the activity/process. Something that started in the past and continued up to a particular time in the past.Can be used for more temporary actions/situations or a repeated action or a longer action interrupted by another action. Often there’s evidence that the action had been continuing more or less up to point. I HAD LIVED in Salamanca for two years before I came to Valencia. (use simple to stress the completed action)I HAD BEEN LIVING in Salamanca for two years before I came to Valencia. (use continuous to stress the continuity of an action that may, or may not, be unfinished) Present perfect simple: I HAVE READ fifteen books this year. (focus on the number of books completed)Present perfect continuous: I'VE BEEN READING the last Harry Potter book and I can't understand a word. (focus on the continuous action) Past perfect simple: Valencia HAD BEEN PLAYING very well before the new manager.Past perfect continuous: Valencia HAD WON 15 games before the new manager. Form: had/ ’d been + -ing form of the verb Back to MIke's forgotten keys story. You can’t have a bare narrative with no description and maintain interest, so: Last night....(1) you stayed up (didn’t go to bed) to watch a film. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT FILM ABOUT DRAGONS AND MONSTERS AND HEROES WERE FLYING ABOUT ALL OVER THE PLACE. As a result, (2) you went to bed too late. THE BED WASN’T MADE BUT YOU WERE TOO TIRED TO WORRY. In the morning, (3) you didn’t hear your alarm. THIS WAS HARDLY SURPRISING. (4) You woke up late. (5) You got dressed in an awful hurry, THE ROOM WAS IN A TERRIBLE MESS, THINGS WERE LYING EVERYWHERE. (6) You didn’t have time for any breakfast and you(7) rushed out of the house, like a bat out of hell. It was only after you HAD CLOSED the door that (8) you realised you HAD FORGOTTEN your keys. Description with WAS, WERE, HAD or PAST CONTINUOUS makes the narrative more palatable (rico/a, apetitoso/a). The past perfect continuous can add to this description. YOU HAD BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD AND WANTED TO GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT, so you stayed up to watch a film….you didn’t hear your alarm. You woke up late. ACTUALLY YOU HADN'T BEEN SLEEPING VERY WELL RECENTLY...YOU HADN’T BEEN LIVING IN THE FLAT FOR VERY LONG. The past perfect continuous is very useful for giving background description to a story, in a similar way as the past continuous tense. Compare: When I woke up yesterday it was raining. - The rain was falling when I woke upWhen I woke up yesterday it had been raining. - The rain wasn’t falling when I woke up. It had (recently) stopped. The ground was still wet. Use the past perfect in 3rd conditional 'if' sentences: If I hadn't drunk so much whisky on Saturday night, I wouldn't have felt so bad on Sunday morning. If Craig HAD GOT MARRIED when he was 22, he'd have had a family at a very yound age.If Reza HADN'T STAYED in Valencia, he might have gone to Sardinia.If Mike's parents HAD TAKEN him abroad when he was really young, he would have learnt another language.If Mike HADN'T BROUGHT his daughter to Spain, she wouldn't have learnt Spanish. ITALKI AD READ The past perfect is also used in reported speech: "I HAD never MET Mike before I started working at the school." - Craig said that he HAD never MET Mike before he started working at the school. It's often ok to use the past simple instead of the past perfect, especially when there is a time expression: Bill had been married twice before he met Susan. (past perfect) - Bill was married twice before he met Susan. (past simple) Time expressions Mike's Basque Beret (boina) "I haven't seen Mike's beret before." / "I haven't seen Mike in a beret before." "It's the first time I have seen Mike's beret." / "It's the first time I have seen Mike in a beret." Looking back, and talking about the past, you could say, "It was the first time I had seen Mike's beret." / "It was the first time I had seen Mike in (or wearing) a beret." It's three months since I spoke English / It's three months since I've spoken English. It was three months since he had spoken English. More time expressions often used with the past perfect: by the time, before, after, as soon as, no sooner.....than....., up to then/that moment and 'because' for giving reasons: "He was very dirty BECAUSE he had just been walking in the rain." Craig went to bed early last night because he'd been exercising and he was very tired. Practice Tell a story and use the past perfect. Craig: You are a Zombie.Reza: You woke up naked on a park bench this morning. (to cut a long story short - "en resumen", "resumiendo", "y te la hago corta".....)Mike: You started speaking fluent Chinese for no apparent reason. (the long and the short of it is....."en resumen", "resumiendo", "y te la hago corta".....) Thanks Mike! You can find Mike's website and his CD on how to learn phrasal verbs at: http://mikehardinge.com/ ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to practise the past perfect and record yourself saying 4 or 5 sentences using the past perfect. Mix it up with past perfect simple and past perfect continuous and make sure the sentences are true for you. Or tell us a real or imaginary story similar to ours. Send us a voice message at speakpipe.com/inglespodcast (90 seconds - need an app for mobile) Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. Please show us some iTunes love. Write a review, give us some stars on iTunes.If you do that, we become more visible and more people can find us. Show us some love. Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome!With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level. In this episode: How to avoid personal questions Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Congratulations to Beatriz Asensi Gallardo on passing the FCE exam! You are an FCE girl now! Listener Feedback: RafaelReza, tú lo haces bastante bien lo de pronunciar español, sin embargo a Craig si, que le cuesta un poco más, y no acabo de entenderlo porque a veces he oído los años que lleva Craig en España, ¡y son muchos! Creo que alguna vez habéis dicho que lleváis desde 1998....a veces pienso en ello y me imagino viviendo en Inglaterra tantos años y (creo) que hablaría inglés como un nativo....(bueno, tampoco estoy muy seguro de ello) os pido perdón, porque la mayoría de las veces os escribo en español, pero, aunque os lo entiendo todo....no soy capaz de "colocar este rollo" (get this out/across) en inglés....Bueno, espero que Craig no se moleste con mi comentario y si fuera así, le pido disculpas por adelantado...Un saludo afectuoso, Rafael Hi Craig and Reza,How are you doing? I'm Pepe Calvo, a 51 years old (51-year-old) self-taught English student. I started to learn English on my own in my mid-forties and thanks to the Internet and the help from podcasts like yours I think I'm getting it. From the beginning I also started to practise with English natives, who are retired and live nearby, and it was tough but now I'm really proud to be able to follow a conversation more or less fluently. I don't spend any time studying, nor do I do exercises and things like that, I think the key is to listen to English - the more you can, the better, and in addition, speak, read, write and watch (documentaries are my favourites) in English as much as you can. I call it "my little linguistic immersion" and I think it works, doesn't it?Nowadays, I am listening to your podcasts but I'm not up to date with them yet and I'm wondering if you’ve already got the ‘dulce de leche’ recipe, have you? If not, it is the least I can do for you to express my gratitude. It is really easy, my mom used to make it when I was a kid, here you are: https://cookpad.com/es/recetas/129294-dulce-de-leche-con-leche-condensada-en-olla-rapida Thank you very, very much for your generosity sharing your work for free, it is a great help for people like me, I really appreciate it! I live in Tortosa, not too far from you, if there is something more I can do for you, you only have to ask. Listen to you soon! Compound adjectives The journey lasts 3 hours - It's a three-hour journeyIt's a 10 kilometre trip - The trip is 10 kilometresHow to avoid personal questions How to avoid personal questions What kind of questions, and in what kind of situations, could be difficult, inappropriate and/or embarrassing? Filling in a formapplying for a service or product (online or face to face)meeting someone for the first time and making small talkjob interviews (to deflect - desviar) Are the following expressions “Asking a personal question”(Q) or “Responding to a personal question”(R)? Why do you ask? (R)That’s got nothing to do with you. (R)I know this is a bit personal, but... (Q)Can I ask you a personal question? (Q)That’s rather a personal question. (R)I hope you don’t mind me asking, but…(Q)I’m afraid that’s none of your business. (R)I’d rather not answer that (if you don’t mind). (R)I know this is a bit nosey, but…(Q) (nosey = entrometido/a, indiscreto/a, 'meter las narices')Mind your own business! (R) SHOWS ANNOYANCEI don’t mean to pry, but….(Q) - (to pry - entrometerse)I’m sorry to say I’m not prepared to answer that. (R)No comment. (R)I don’t want/wish to comment on that. (R) If you don’t mind m, I’d like to ask....(Q) Would it bother you if I asked…(Q) I’ll understand if you don’t want/wish to answer, but…(Q) I’d rather you asked me something else. (R) Forgive me for asking, but…(Q) If it’s not too personal,...(Q) Let’s change the topic, (shall we?) (R) You’ve got some nerve asking that! (R) SHOWS ANNOYANCE That’s for me to know (and you to find out - SHOWS PLAYFULNESS) (R) Practice: I know this is a bit nosey, but how much money do you earn? - Let's change the topic, shall we?Forgive me for asking, but are you married? - I'd rather not answer that if you don't mind.I don't mean to pry, but how much do you weigh? - Why do you ask? Perhaps we should move on to another topic.I hope you don't mind me asking, but how much rent do you pay for your flat? - Why do you ask?I hope you don't mind me asking, but have you ever taken drugs? - No comment!Forgive me for asking, but how much did you pay for that shirt? - Let's change the topic.How old are you? - Let's change the topic, shall we?I know this is a bit nosey, but who did you vote for in the last election? - I'd rather not answer that, if you don't mind.Have you got a boy/girlfriend?Do you fancy anybody? / Do you have a crush on anybody?I know this is a bit personal, but how many people have you slept with? - I'd rather not answer that, if you don't mind.Did you sleep with her/him last night? - Mind your own business!!How do you make your humous so tasty? What's your secret recipe/ingredient? I don't want to pry, but what size trousers do you take? What size are you? (to have a crush on someone - encapricharse con alguien) Thank you to Mamen for sending audio feedback on our sponsor, italki. Discussion: Are there any other questions that you don’t like answering? vague - vago/a, impreciso/a ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to tell us about a time when you were asked a personal question. Send us a voice message and tell us what you think. speakpipe.com/inglespodcast Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: The Past Perfect tense (simple and continuous) with special guest (and published author) Mike Hardinge Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome! With over 40 years of teaching between us, Reza and Craig will help you improve your English and take it to the next level.Grow your grammar, vocalize your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation In this episode: politics and government vocabulary Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Listener Feedback: Gabriela (Peru - living in Australia) Hi, Reza and Craig. I am from Peru, but at the moment I am living in Australia. My native language is Spanish and now I am learning English and it's interesting. Thank you for your help, I listen to your podcasts very often and I like how you explain all of the subjects. Sorry for my mistakes in this message. Can you speak about verb tenses? How do I know if I'm using the correct tenses in my speaking or writing? Thank you so much for your answer. It's very difficult to speak about ALL of the verb tenses in English in one podcast episode, Gabriela. We suggest you go to inglespodcast.com and type in the verb tenses into the search box. Listen to all the past episodes in which we have spoken about verb tenses. False friend: estar constipado - to have a cold / to be constipated - estar estreñido Politics and Government Vocabulary: politics - política (don't forget that the word 'politics' has an 's' in English)politician - político political - político policy - política, plan de accióngovernment - gobierno (coalition - coalición - a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government."a coalition between Liberals and Conservatives")to govern - gobernarparty - partidoConservative Party - partido conservador - right-wing - de derecha(very right-wing = fascist - fascistaLabour Party - partido laborista - left-wing - de izquierdavery left-wing = communistliberal (líberal) - liberalRepublican Party - partido republicanoDemocratic Party - partido demócratato run for president (to run for office) - ser candidato a presidentedemocracy (n) - democraciademocrat - demócratademocratic (adj.) - democráticoto elect - elegirto vote - votar(a general) election - elección (local/regional elections)ballot - votacióncampaign - campañacandidate - candidatoelectorate - electorado(a government) minister - ministroministry - ministerioopposition - oposiciónparliament - parlamentopoll - encuesta, votaciónpoling station - the place where you vote in an electionreferendum - referendumsocialist - socialistacapitalist - capitalistanationalist - nacionalistamonarchist - monárquicoregionalist - regionalista Italki ad reaad: Questions: How old were you when you first voted? - Reza was in his early 20s. Craig has never voted. (to abstain - abstenerse) What characteristics should a good politician have? - Craig: honesty, motivating, idealistic, believe in the common good, serve the publicReza: honesty, to keep their word. Have your political views changed much during your lifetime? Reza: No, but he is more understanding these days. He would never let his political views get in the way of friendship.Craig used to be very left wing. In recent years he's moved a little bit more to the right.to strike - hacer huelga Should voting be compulsory? Reza used to think so, but now he thinks people shouldn't be made to vote. (Voting is compulsory in 22 states worldwide - 12 Latin American countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Congo, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Honduras, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nauru (the smallest state in the South Pacific), Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, Uruguay) Would you vote for an actor or actress who campaigns for a government position? Reza would (if they were politically aware) Do most people really care who runs the country as long as they have a high standard of living? I'm going to lay my cards on the table - voy a mojarme (to lay your cards on the table - poner las cartas sobre la mesa)Reza feels strongly that 65 people should not own half of the world's wealth. He thinks something should be done about that. Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? - Neither Reza nor Craig will be hoping that Donald Trump wins the US election. ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to tell us your opinion on politics and answer some of the questions that we asked in this podcast......Send us a voice message and tell us what you think. inglespodcast.com - speakpipe Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: How to NOT answer personal questions! Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

Hello and welcome to Mansion Interviews, a podcast which gives me an excuse to talk to interesting people while at the same time improving your English. Now today we're going to listen to a chat I had with the wonderfully interesting Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat who is an English teacher based in London, but I met her in Sitges, near Barcelona. Shanthi has a wonderful blog and obviously we speak about that, and many other things besides, so let's not waste any time, let me introduce you to Shanthi from englishwithatwist.com. You can improve your listening with comprehension questions and find some help with difficult words from this interview at inglespodcast.com/shanthi . I suggest you go to the webpage, look at the show notes because this episode with Shanthi is particularly rich in vocabulary. Puedes contestar las preguntas de comprensión y obtener ayuda con el vocabulario difícil en esta entrevista en inglespodcast.com You can answer listening comprehension questions and get help with difficult vocabulary in this interview at inglespodcast.com Vocabulary to backtrack - retroceder, volver atrásawkward - incómodo, torpevivacious - vivaz, animadoto frown upon - no ver con buenos ojos, estar mal vistorusty - oxidado (my Italian is pretty rusty - me falta práctica en italiano, tengo el italiano muy olvidado)to end up - terminar, acabarfrom scratch - desde ceroto be thrown into the deep end - to be made to do something difficult without being prepared for it or being given any helpcarefree - sin preocupacionesto merge - fusionarse, unirseto make redundant - despedir / to be made redundant - ser despedido (por reducción de plantilla), quedar sin trabajohuman resources - recursos humanos handkerchief - pañueloto regurgitate - repetir mecánicamentebuzzword - palabra de modato come across - encontrarse conpatterns - pautasto trigger an idea - desencadenar una ideato come up with - inventarseto embark (on) - embarcarse en, lanzarse boost - levantar, alzar, incrementarI can't stand - No puedo soportarto waffle - decir chorradas, dar vueltas / to waffle on - enrollarsehow on earth...? - como demonios....? Shanthi's blog post on setting language-learning goals: http://englishwithatwist.com/2015/12/29/5-tips-on-how-to-make-and-keep-your-news-year-resolution-to-improve-your-english/ It was so much fun talking with Shanthi. Don't forget you can find her website, her blog and the services she offers at: englishwithatwist.com Thank you to you for listening to this Mansion Interview. You can find more podcasts to improve your English at inglespodcast.com and you can study English free at mansioningles.com If you enjoyed this podcast, please go to iTunes and give us some stars and maybe a short review so that more people can find our podcasts. Puedes contestar las preguntas de comprensión y obtener ayuda con el vocabulario difícil en esta entrevista en inglespodcast.com You can answer listening comprehension questions and get help with difficult vocabulary in this interview at inglespodcast.com

If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome! With over 40 years of teaching between us, Reza and Craig will help you improve your English and take it to the next level.Grow your grammar, vocalize your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation. Reza is 'blowing his own trumpet'! In this episode: The Past Continuous Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Listener Feedback: Javier from Burgos This is Javier from Burgos. I am a lecturer of environmental chemistry at the University of Burgos. I would like to congratulate you on your podcasts. I have found them very useful to improve my listening skills. I am quite used to reading and writing in English due to my job (mostly scientific papers writen in an academic and formal style) but my oral and listening skills are not at the same level. The other day, my eldest son got the "Play Station" as a Christmas present. He was playing a game where the characters were speaking in American English. They talked so fast and probably used a lot of slang that I could hardly understand a thing. It was so frustrating!I know that your podcasts have an educational purpose and you make an effort to speak clearly and more or less slowly. I understand you reasonably well when you speak but the event regarding my son's game left me shattered (destrozado, destruido). Well, I guess that it is all a matter of time (spending time listening and listening) and never giving up. Finally, I would like to tell you that your podcasts are a good fun and you are funny too. I have seen your photos on your podcast webpage and you "have a face of good people" (I am afraid that I have not translated properly the Spanish sentence: "tenéis cara de buenas personas" - you look/seem nice). But, who is Reza and who is Craig in the picture?. Who is the one wearing glasses and who is the one holding a cup (of tea, I guess)?(Reza's the one wearing glasses and Craig is drinking tea) If only one of you were eating biscuits, I would know who it is, ja, ja. Sorry for the joke! Kind regards from Burgos, Listen to a wide variety of English accents to improve your listening (BBC, CNN, VOA, TV series, FIlms in original version, video games, songs in English, our podcasts! and TED talks: https://www.ted.com/talks When do we use the past continuous? At the beginning of a story: This morning, when I went out to get some milk, the sun was shining, the birds we singing, people were driving to work and walking to school... To talk about something which happened at a particular moment in the past, often starting before that moment and continuing after it. Example: What were you doing at 10 o'clock this morning? At 10 o'clock this morning Craig was working on his computer.Reza was having a shower. I was making tea when Reza rang the bell. (compare with:”Reza rang the bell, he came in, I made tea, I took out the biscuits.”) Use the present continuous when two actions are happening parallel to one onother in the past: As I was making tea, Reza was telling me about his weekend. While Reza was preparing the dinner, his girlfriend was watching TV. I was dreaming about this beautiful girl when suddenly my alarm clock rang. What were you doing at 9 o’clock last night?Where were you at 11 am yesterday morning? ¡OJO! Not all long actions in the past are expressed with the past continuous tense. ("Reza lived in Salamanca for two years." - Past simple) Italki ad read: Effective, Quality (fastest way to become fluent, great teachers, 1­on­1) Native, International (native speakers) Convenient (learning at home, technology) Affordable (cut out the middlemen, great pricing) Personal, Customized (personalized learning) Human Connection (not apps / software) Italki gives 100 italki credits (ITC) to each paying student that registers. inglespodcast.com/italki/ - click on ‘start speaking – find a teacher’We want to say thank you to italki for sponsoring Aprender Inglés con Reza y Craig We also use the past continuous: for something that was happening again and again: I was practising Spanish every day for at least an hour.He was having an affair with his secretary.They were always eating in expensive restaurants. with verbs which show change or growth: My two daughters were growing up quickly.My Spanish was improving.My hair was going grey. How do you form the past continuous? - Use the past of the verb TO BE (was/were) + ing - Examples: “I was editing a podcast when my mum rang.” / “Reza and I were having a beer when we saw a student walk past.” The question form: "What were you doing yeasterday at 11am?" The negative form: "I was NOT watching TV this morning." - "We were not drinking beer." - Contractions: "I wasn't watching TV, I was working on my computer." - "We weren't drinking beer, we were having a conversation." "I was wondering if you'd like to come out to dinner tonight." ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to give us some personal examples of past continuous and present perfect continuous. Answer the question: "What were you doing when you were listening to this podcast?" Send us a voice message. speakpipe.com/inglespodcast (90 seconds - need an app for mobile) Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: Politics and Government Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

If you are a new listener to this award-winning podcast, welcome! I'm Craig. I’m Reza. With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level.(Grow your grammar, vocalize your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation) In this episode: Academic English Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Thank you to JUAN LEYVA GALERA who has become a Patron of this show. If you would like to support us and help us to our goal of $100 per month to give you transcriptionsof Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig, go to patreon.com/inglespodcast Elisa from Finland sent us a message for the Christmas episode inglespodcast/82. ( http://www.inglespodcast.com/2015/12/20/reza-and-craigs-christmas-special-airc82/ ) She said "you guys sang surprisingly well" - She also gave some inside information on Santa's sleigh and recommends people visit the website santapark.com. Elisa said, "Santa Claus lives here in the Santa Park with Mrs Claus and Elves!"(I thought it was "Elvis"!) We also have a voice message from our good friend Mamen from Biescas. She listened to episode 81 about British and American English pronunciation differences : inglespodcast.com/81 ( http://www.inglespodcast.com/2015/12/13/british-and-american-english-pronunciation-differences-airc81/ ). Here is Mamen practising the different pronunciation of US and UK English…… There are reasons why Mamen is improving her English:-She’s engaging with the language.-She’s taking the time to practise speaking, record her voice, coming on Blab. (inglespodcast.com/blab)-She’s enthusiastic about learning. Listener Feedback: Jesús VélezHi Craig and Reza! Thanks for your podcast, I think it's fantastic. It's a huge help for "travelers" (commuters): my journey from my home to job (work) is about 120 km (1 hour...). I use your podcast to take my English to the next level. Currently, I'm preparing my C1. Would you mind to speak (speaking) about academic English? For example keywords I must use in the university with some colleagues, research concepts (paper, article, stay, fellowship...) I think there's a lot of material on the internet, but it's a disaster... There's no order at all. Thanks in advance (excuse me for my poor English) and continue with the programs!Kind regards, Jesús Vélez ACADEMIC ENGLISH Academic English style is generally evident in a:Journal (like a technical/academic magazine); Text book; Essay; Academic article; Report; Dissertation; Thesis; etc. WRITTENLecture; Talk; Workshop; Presentation; Tutorial; Seminar; Conference; etc. SPOKEN Different style of language compared to General English. Key features include: More abstract, more impersonal, more structured, more organised, usually formal (written), often more technical, often more complex, avoids ambiguity, may include references to other sources. -Avoid personal pronouns, eg. I, me, you, us, etc. -Use the Passive (to be impersonal): eg. the liquid was heated to 20 degrees C; it can be seen that the species evolved. -Avoid contractions in written academic Eng., but usually OK spoken:eg. It will not be resolved (not “won’t”); the conclusions are not definitive (not “aren’t”) -Nominalisation = using nouns rather than verbs. This sounds more academic:eg. “...the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066, provoking a huge linguistic change.” is better than “...when the Normans invaded Britain in 1066 and it provoked a huge change.” -Use plenty of linking words or signpost your discourse: eg. Firstly; Secondly; Next; A further point; Finally; Lastly - LISTING Moreover; In addition (to); Additionally; Furthermore; What is more - ADDING INFO. However; Nevertheless; Nonetheless; Despite; In spite of; Whereas; Whilst; Although; Albeit; Notwithstanding; Be that as it may; On the other hand - CONTRAST/CONCESSION For example/instance; As an/one example; As exemplified by___; To illustrate - EXAMPLE According to Smith (1987); As Smith (1987) said; Smith (1987) wrote/stated - REFERENCE In conclusion; To conclude; To sum up; In brief; All in all; In short - CONCLUSION Italki ad - Reza’s experience with a French teacher, Justine. Common university campus terms: There are usually several departments in one faculty eg. the Department of Physics in the Science Faculty bachelor’s degree; master’s degree - comes after or is longer than a bachelor’s degree eg. She has a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in History; He’s doing an MSc in Mathematics (Master of Science) at Oxford. a doctorate or PhD - the highest post-graduate uni. qualification, requiring a few years of study, research and a doctoral thesis an undergraduate - a student studying on a bachelor’s (first) degree course a graduate - a person who has completed a bachelor’s degree course a post-graduate - a person who is studying on a higher course after passing their first degree a fellow - someone who (temporarily) teaches/researches (and perhaps still studies on a post-graduate course) at a university, but not a full lecturer a fellowship - the job given to a fellow a lecturer - a person who gives lectures at a university a professor - an experienced, distinguished, more senior lecturer (NOT the same as teacher) a grant - money given by the govt. to help support students throughout the year, depending on their financial situation a scholarship - money given by a university/college/school/company to a student because they won it or are poor but talented. halls of residence - official university accommodation on campus, usually a large block vice-chancellor (VC)- the top person in charge of a university (the dean in a North American college) pro-vice-chancellor (PVC)/deputy-vice-chancellor (DVC) - second in command, under the vice-chancellor higher education (HE) - tertiary-level education, ie. higher than primary and secondary education eg. university, college, medical school, etc. For the most common vocabulary used to study at HE level, the Academic Word List:http://ksngo.org/images/download/LDOCE_AWL.pdf Reza has taught Academic English at Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Ulster. Here are a few well known books he has used:http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Academic-English-Edition-Longman/dp/0131523597 http://www.amazon.com/Presenting-English-Successful-Presentations-Updated/dp/1111832277 http://www.cambridge.org/us/cambridgeenglish/catalog/english-academic-purposes/academic-vocabulary-use/academic-vocabulary-use-answersAn example unit from the book:http://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/89397/excerpt/9780521689397_excerpt.pdf A great place to listen to talks and lectures on just about any (academic) topic:https://www.ted.com/talks ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. We want you to tell us if you have had experience of academic English. Have you been to university? Do you have a degree? Send us a voice message and tell us what you think. speakpipe.com/inglespodcast (90 seconds - need an app for mobile) Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com.Please show us some iTunes love. Write a review, give us some stars on iTunes.If you do that, we become more visible and more people can find us. Show us some love. On next week's episode: The Past Continuous The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later' Please show us some iTunes love. Write a review, give us some stars on iTunes.If you do that, we become more visible and more people can find us. Show us some love. Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ On next week's episode: The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

Hello and welcome to Mansion Interviews, a podcast which gives me an excuse to talk to interesting people while at the same time improving your English. Today I'm speaking to a good friend of mine, Danny. I've known Danny for many years and he happens to be North American which is good news for you because many listeners have been asking me about the differences between American and British English. So Danny jumped on Skype and we compared vocabulary differences between US and UK English. Acually, I tested him to see how much British English vocabulary he knows. So what do you think? Did he pass the test? More importantly, do you know these vocabulary differences? Let's see. There are no comprehension questions becuase this isn't an interview listening practice, but you will find a complete list of the vocabulary we talk about at http://www.inglespodcast.com/danny/ Where do you live and where is your accent from? Danny has a mid-western accent from Detroit, Michegan. He now lives in Ann Arbor, Michegan. Test your British-American English vocabulary. Do you know the American word for the following common British English vocabulary? We'll start off easy to warm you up. I say the British English word, you say the American English word lift - elevator (asensor)flat - apartment (piso, apartamento)holiday - vacation (vacaciones)autumn - fall (otoño)a queue / to queue up - a line / to stand in line (cola / hacer cola) - to stand/wait 'on line' on the East Coast of the USA.bill - check (cuenta)quid - buck (50 quid - 50 bucks / a 50-pound note - a 50 dollar bill - billete) shopping centre - shopping mall (centro comercial) CLOTHEStrainers - gym shoes/sneakers (zapatillas de deporte)tights - panty hose (medias)knickers - panties (bragas)vest - undershirt/T-shirt (chaleco) ALCOHOLbarman / barmaid - bartender (barman)stag night / hen night - bachelor/bachelorette party (despedida de soltero/a)pub crawl - bar hop (ir de chateo, ir de copas, recorrido por bares)beer mat - coaster (posavasos) BABIESnappy - diaper (pañales)dummy - pacifier (chupete)pram - baby buggy / baby carriage (cochecito de niño) FOODcrisps - (potato) chips (papas)take-away (food) - carry-out (food) (comida para llevar) IN THE HOUSEcooker - range, stove (cocina (los fuegos)tap - faucet (grifo)rubbish bin / dustbin - garbage can / trash can (cubo / contenedor de basura)estate agent - real estate agent / realtor (inmobilario/a)post code - zip code (codigo postal)torch - flashlight (linterna) IN THE STREETpavement - sidewalk (acera)zebra crossing - pedestrian crossing / pedestrian crosswalk (paso de cebra)roundabout - roundabout / traffic circle (rotonda)car park - parking lot (parking)petrol station - gas station (gasolinera)motorway - highway, freeway, expressway (autopista)flyover - overpass (paso elevado)busker - street performer (músico callejero)skip - dumpster (contenedor)lorry - truck (camión)cash point (machine) - ATM (cajero automático) WORKCV - resumé (curriculum)to sack - to fire (despedir)redundancy - layoff (desempleo / to make (s.o.) redundant - to lay (s.o.) offpublic limited company (plc) - LLC / incorporated company (inc.) (sociedad anónima (s.a.) Feeling confident? Now they get harder! anorak - raincoat / windbreaker (anorak)rubber - condom or eraser (goma)wellies (wellingtons) - rubber boots (botas de goma)wally - jerk, idiot (tonto)off licence - liquor store (bodega)fish slice - spatula (paleta) SLANGbrolly - umbrella (paraguas)loo, bog - john (lavabo, water)toilet - restroomknackered - tired, whipped, exhausted (agotado)mate - friend, buddy, pal (amigo) Many thanks to to my good friend, my old mate, my long-time pal, buddy and all round good guy Danny from Detroit, Michegan. Thanks, man! And thank you for listening. If you have any comments or questions, or if you just want to say 'hi' you can send an email to craig@inglespodcast.com or send me a voice message at speakpipe.com/inglespodcast . There's a detailed list of American and British English Vocabulary with Spànish translations at mansioningles.com and there is a link to this on the website at inglespodcast.com/danny http://www.mansioningles.com/vocabulario63.htm

If you are a new listener, welcome! With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English and take it to the next level.Grow your grammar, vocalize your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation. Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ In this episode: Pronunciation | Silent Letters Feedback: Thanks to all of you who have left us reviews and stars on iTunes. It's a huge help for us because we become more visible and more people find us.If you want to show us some iTunes love I'll put a link in the shownotes (inglespodcast/86 or just put ingles in the search box and you will see us (La Mansión del Inglés) We practised the pronunciation of some words that have silent letters in episode 38( http://www.inglespodcast.com/2014/12/21/must-ought-to-and-should-vocabulary-in-the-home-the-kitchen-and-pronunciation-of-difficult-words-airc38/ ) Today we're going to give you a longer list and focus on groups of words that have the same silent letter. Silent letters (I say the Spanish word, you say the English word before you hear it) /t/ listen - escucharsoften - ablandarse, suaveizarsewhistle - silbar (chiflar in Mexico)fasten - atar, abrocharChristmas - Navidadcastle - castillo /k/ knife - cuchilloknee - rodillaknowledge - knowledgeknit - tejer, hacer puntoknob - pomo, picaporte (a knob of butter)know - conocer, saberknot - nudo Italki are offering a special deal to listeners of Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig – 100 free italki credits (ITCs) when you sign up for their paid service. Buy 1 get 1 free! Find a teacher and improve your speaking with italki Reza and I want to thank italki for sponsoring Aprender Inglés con Reza y Craig /p/ receipt - recibopseudonym - seudónimopsychic - psíquico/a psychology - psicologíapsychiatry - psiquiatríapneumatic - neumático /b/ climb - subir, ascender, escalardebt - deudasubtle - sutilcomb - peinilla, peine, peinetanumb - entumecido/a, adormecido, insensibledumb - tonto/a, estúpido/adoubt - dudar, duda womb - úterolamb - corderotomb - tumba, sepulcro /h/ hour - horahourly - una vez por horahonest - honesto/a heir / heiress - heredero / heredera honour - honorhonourable - honorable (dishonourable) /e/sitelanguageridenotecarecurve /t/gourmetdebut /ed/stoppedkissedhelpedtravelled ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. If you have a comment or question, please record a voice message and send it to us. www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast We'll be happy to speak about your message and answer your questions in future episodes. Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ On next week's episode: Academic English The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'

If you are a new listener to this, welcome! I'm Craig. This is Reza. With over 40 years of teaching between us, we'll help you improve your English (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation) and take it to the next level. Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ In this episode: News and current affairs Vocabulary The News (news is an uncountable noun - some news, a piece of news, I have good/bad news) a newspaper (a paper): National/local paper, Daily paperWhat's the difference between a tabloid and a broadsheet?the gutter press - gutter = alcantarilla, canaleta - newspapers that focus on sensational journalism, usually about the lives of famous people.phone tapping - pinchazo telefónicoreporter - periodistaheadlines - titular, cabeceraforeign correspondent - corresponsal extranjero, corresponsal en el extranjeroanchorman - presentadorforeign, international news / home, national newseditor / editorialto write a column / to write a piece (blog post) researcher - investigador, investigadorajournalism - journalist, photo-journalistarticles - artículosupplementscirculation (readership) - tiradaproof reader - a person who checks for errorsfact checker - a person who makes sure the facts are correctdeadline - fecha límite, fecha topeto bury the lead - to cover a story - to report on an event or developmentin-depth coverage of something - a thorough analysis of somethingto verify - to check that something is correcteyewitness reports - descriptions of what happened by people who actually saw an event take placebreaking news - news which is just coming in - noticia de última horalink-bait (wordreference.com: Enlace de Internet "cebo", "anzuelo", destinado a atraer la atención del internauta)hot off the press - very recent news. It's just happened or it's happening now! · newsagent (UK) = vendedor/a de periódicos / newsagent's, news-stand = quiosco de prensa· newsreader (UK) / newscaster (USA) = presentador de noticias· news item = noticia· news report / newscast (USA) = programa informativonewsflash Recommended resources: Vocabulary from Lessons 17 and 18 of the Mansion Ingles Intermediate course:( http://www.mansioningles.com/cursointer/cursointer17_1.htm )( http://www.mansioningles.com/cursointer/cursointer18_6.htm ) YouTube: bbclearningenglish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOz6GCqXtt0 (striving, offset, revolutionary advances, ambassadors) The vocabulary seems difficult at first, but Words repeat frequently in news stories. VOA Learning English: ( https://www.youtube.com/user/VOALearningEnglish ) Listen to the BBC news: ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio ) The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service. (On iPlayer)How many separate news stories do you hear? What are they about? COuntry? City? Problem? Names of people? The news is a good subject for small talk: Isn't it terrible what's happening in Syria?Have you heard how bad the weather is in the UK?What about Valencia last week? Did you see the game?Who do you think will win the election? Where do you tend to get your news from? Blogs? Twitter? TV? Radio? Newspapers? Other people? Mobile phone apps? (BBC, Reuters)Do you read magazines? Time? Newsweek? The Economist? What's your opinion on citizen journalism?citizen journalism - a new expression describing the kind of journalism based on images, audio and reports sent in to news groups by ordinary members of the public who witnessed events. Italki are offering a special deal to listeners of Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig – 100 free italki credits (ITCs) when you sign up for their paid service. Buy 1 get 1 free! Find a teacher and improve your speaking with italki Reza and I want to thank italki for sponsoring Aprender Inglés con Reza y Craig ...and now it's your turn to practise your English. How do you get your news? Have you heard any good news lately? We want you to tell us......Send us a voice message and tell us what you think. www.speakpipe/inglespodcast Send us an email with a comment or question to craig@inglespodcast.com or belfastreza@gmail.com. On next week's episode: Pronunciation | Silent Letters Más podcasts para mejorar tu ingles en: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ More podcasts to improve your English at: http://www.inglespodcast.com/ The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called 'See You Later'