The A to Z English Podcast

In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about three idioms about money 💰to pay an arm and a leg for somethingto be give someone a run for their moneyto break evenWebsite: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/idioms-5/Share your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Directions: Use these three idioms in sentences.to pay an arm and a leg for somethingto be give someone a run for their moneyto break evenFull Transcript: Jack: You are listening to the A-Z English podcast. Kevin: Welcome to A-Z English, and today we're bringing you some more idioms from A-Z. We're going to give you a few idioms today. Breaking down an example and then try and explain how you can use them in your everyday speech. So a quick dialogue,Jack:, go ahead. Jack: So Kevin:, I bought a new car yesterday. Kevin: Oh yeah, how much was it? Jack: It was expensive, it cost me an arm and a leg, but I won the race and with my winnings I almost broke even. Kevin: Wow, nice.Kevin: You know, I've got a pretty nice car too, so the next time we're out there we can try and race each other and maybe you can give me a run for my money. Kevin: All right, so everybody out there listening. We had three idioms as always. Did you catch them? And if so, can you think? Of them really quick. Kevin: Well, the three were first to something costs an arm and a leg. #2 to give something or give someone a run for your money and. Finally, to break even. Kevin: So what do these mean? Kevin: Cost an arm and a leg. Jack:, how much was your hat? Well, it costs $10, right? They something cost but to cost an arm and a leg. Kevin: But what does that mean? Kevin: I've only got. Well, I've got two arms. I've got. Two legs. Jack: Right, you only have for your life your yeah, in your whole life you get 2 arms and two legs. Kevin: I keep them all. Jack: So imagine if you bought something and you had to pay with one arm and one leg. Jack: It would be something. Kevin: That sounds very expensive. Jack: It better be something really nice because you're giving up so much, right? Jack: You're giving up your arm and your leg. Jack: And of course. Jack: I think we mentioned this before, but, you know, idioms are metaphors, right? You know, so obviously we're not talking about chopping off your arm or your leg. Kevin: Right. We have really. Jack: But but that's how it. That's how it feels sometimes when you buy something really, really expensive, you feel like you're giving, you're giving so much money for that thing, yeah? Jack: Paying so much money for. It but it feels like. You're giving them your arm and your leg. And so that's where it comes from. Kevin: I remember actually cars are a good example. Kevin: I remember when I bought my first car when I was a student back many years ago in America. It wasn't a very nice car. It wasn't a very expensive car, you know, it was a cheap student car. But for me it cost an arm and a leg because I was a student. I was very. I didn't have a lot of money at the time and so even buying a cheap. Our cost an arm and a leg, so whatever it is, if it costs a Lot for you. It can cost. An arm and a Leg. like we talked About going to space the other day in our space travel episode. Jack: Or yeah. Kevin: And going to space could will cost an arm and a leg. Kevin: It cost so much money, it's very expensive to. Jack: An arm and a leg and. Jack: And maybe an ear and an eyeball. Kevin: Well, maybe that's quite quite a bit to go to space at this point, so let's play to consider. Jack: Yeah, but the idiom is only an arm and a leg, so yes. Jack: Joking there. Kevin: So then next is run for the money to give someone a run for their money. Kevin: Is that how you run? Does money run? Kevin: Do we run for? Do I run to the money? Do I run for the money? What? What is this one? Jack: Yeah, well, is. You know, in our dialogue we talked about a race, so imagine 2 hours are racing and if one car is a BMW and the other car is a very old broken down terrible car. The BMW is going to win and the broken down old car. My few your first, right, mine too. Kevin: First part in high school. Jack: My first car in high school could not give the BMW a run for its money because it cannot match the speed of the BMW. Jack: But what would be maybe like a Mercedes and BMW in that case, Kevin:, what would that be? Jack: The Mercedes? Kevin: Yeah, the that theyCan give each other a run for their money. Kevin: Right, or or. Exactly. They're almost equal, right? Kevin: And yeah, they're almost. Kevin: Almost equal. Kevin: And like if you give someone a run for them and usually you still win, but the other person like competes. Kevin: So you know Jack: you've been. You played a lot of basketball when you were younger and I didn't play a lot. So, you know, you would expect that I wouldn't be very good. But let's say you and I go out to play some basketball and. You know, we play and I almost beat you. You know, we get really close to score and you're like, wow, you gave me a run for your money or run for my money. Like, even though I didn't beat you, you really didn't think I'd have any? Chance at all, but I still did pretty well. Jack: Yeah, it's it's this is. Jack: Always like in the in the theme of like competition. Jack: So think of like running a race, playing basketball, car race. Jack: A marathon like Kevin almost beat me in basketball. Jack: In that case, I would say, wow, you gave me a run for my. Jack: Money you were a. Jack: Good competitor. Jack: You were not easy to defeat. Jack: And so if someone is not easy to defeat then you can say to them, ah, you gave me a run for my money or. Kevin:Yes, exactly. Jack: My almost be. Jack: You and you're really good at something. Jack: I gave you a run for your money. Jack: It was a good competition. Kevin: Yep, Yep, yeah. Jack: It wasn't. Kevin: And then finally, break Even so we're not actually talking about breaking anything here. Kevin: We'd like to keep all of our things intact. Jack: But to break. Kevin: Even means to come to the same level. Kevin: Right. Kevin: So if I went, you talked about winning a race, right? Kevin: And that can be it, but let's say. Kevin: Yesterday I did. Kevin: A part time job and I earned $100 for doing this part time job. Kevin: But then I took my wife out for a really nice dinner. Kevin: And the dinner. Kevin: Was $120.00. Kevin: So I almost broke even in so past tense into past tense verbs or broke even. Kevin: For that, I almost earned the amount of money that I paid for dinner with my part time. Kevin: Yeah, I had to break even. Jack: There you go. Kevin: I'm almost back to zero again. Kevin: You know, I spent a lot of money. Jack: This happened to me the other day. Kevin: But I almost turned again. Jack: I went to the store. Jack: And I bought. Jack: Some milk and I bought some soda and I bought some tuna fish and it was. Jack: About $10. Jack: And then the next day, I woke up, I went outside and I found $10.00 on the sidewalk. Jack: In front of my house. Jack: And so I broke even. I spent right $10.00, but I found $10 and so I didn't lose anything. Jack: I wasn't in the positive or the negative. Jack: It was just a break. Jack: I broke even. Jack: I got my money back and we used a lot. Kevin: Or have you ever bought a lottery ticket? Jack: Of gambling, right? Jack: Yeah, yeah, sure. Kevin: Yeah, I've never I I never was big into lottery. But sometimes my friends and I, we would just like for $1.00 by the little scratch tickets. Kevin: Yeah, and you know, sometimes you'll scratch it off, and most of the time you win nothing. But sometimes you win $1.00 back and it's like, wow, I broke even. I got my $1.00 back. Kevin: I'm, I'm at. Kevin: I didn't win. Kevin: I didn't lose. Kevin: I'm at 0. Jack: Yeah, we have a, we have a a joke in English we call someone who always breaks even, even Steven, right? Jack: Isn't that kind of like a? Jack: I think it's. Kevin: Yeah, it's it's similar.  Uh, yeah. Kevin: It's connected. Kevin: It's like, let's let's do things together. Kevin: Let's do it even Steven, let's let's make everything fair, right? Jack: Oh, there you go, right? Kevin: Even everything zero. Jack: OK. And so you go to, you know, Las Vegas and you lose $10 or you lose $100 and you win $100, you broke even. Jack: So there you go. Jack: Yeah, cool. Kevin: All right. So everybody. Kevin: There we are. Kevin: So to, to. Cost an arm and. Kevin: A leg to give someone a run for your money and to break even. Kevin: So come to our WhatsApp group on our web page or in the show notes and or Facebook or. Kevin: Even on the website. Kevin: You can comment and tell us a time try and use these idioms. Kevin: What was something that you bought? Kevin: That costs an arm and a leg. Kevin: Has someone given you a run for your money with something that you're good at and they almost beat you, but in a competition? Kevin: And was sometime that you broke even? Kevin: Or maybe almost broke even with with money and it came to about 0. Kevin: So thanks for listening and if you're on Apple Podcasts and you can give us a 5 star review and. Leave a comment that would be super helpful and we'll see you all next time for some more idioms A-Z bye bye.   Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this special episode of The A to Z English Podcast, we talk with Yunita from East Java, a student who was interested in English from a young age, and does her best to just make English a habit every day. Come chat with her in our Whatsapp group. (Link here: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7)It's a great conversation, so you won't want to miss it!Website: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/?p=1829Share your thoughts about today's interview in our Whatsapp group or tell us if you think you have something interesting to talk about. Perhaps you could be our next guest on the podcast!If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Full Transcript: Jack You are listening to the A-Z English podcast. Kevin Welcome to 8 and the English or. Kevin Today we're bringing another listener interview and today we're talking to UNITA from Indonesia, from from East Bali or East Java. Kevin I'm sorry E Java specifically, not too far from Bali as she was telling us before we before we got started here, so. Kevin You need to. Kevin Thanks for joining us. Kevin This evening, is it about dinner time? Yunita Uh, yes, yes. Yunita About to have dinner, but not yet. Yunita I told him to wait. Kevin Yeah, I just finished dinner myself actually, so. Kevin Thanks for joining us. Kevin It's it's great to to have you and to talk to you about about English here tonight. Yunita Pleasure is mine was so small. Jack Absolutely, yeah. Kevin Just to get started, we were talking a little bit before we got started and you were saying that. Kevin You're a teacher and. Kevin You teach a lot. Kevin Of different things, but with English. Yunita When did you? Kevin First, Start learning English when you were an elementary school student, or after or before. Yunita I was eight years Old Town. Yunita I was allowed to do school and at night time there is no English lesson. Kevin 8 so. Yunita At my school was my brother, my oldest brother, who brought this to me into my life. Kevin OK. Yunita So my oldest brother got these English lesson at his junior high school and he was like trying to read some short stacks. Kevin Oh, wow. Yunita And I was curious what is done because the language the way he speak is weird. Yunita It sounds like aliens language. Yunita And I asked him, what is that? Yunita And I decide it's English. Yunita What is English? Yunita English is international language and everybody loses. Yunita Will talk about it and if you want to communicate with people in Eustis. Yunita And at that time I. Yunita Was so curious about that really. Yunita And I was. Kevin So your your older brother and he's he was in a middle school, he said. Kevin So what he's maybe five years older than you about? Yunita Yes, yes. Yunita I I was eight and. Yunita He was 1515 imported. Kevin Oh, a bit more than so long. Yunita More here, more than. Kevin OK, OK, well, he's, he seems quite mature than to even at that young age to be teaching his young elementary sister. Yunita He actually doesn't care if I if I was curious or not. Yunita He just said this is English and that's it. Yunita And what is not English? Kevin This is go always, yeah. Yunita What do you think with and what is English? Yunita English is international language. Yunita That's it. Yunita And he just left me with this curiosity and I was like. Yunita 1 What is there? Please tell. Yunita Me and he doesn't. Yunita He didn't even bother me to explain what is in his own blood. Yunita Well, I always have lost world. Kevin And he OK, I I take it back, then he. Kevin Wasn't very helpful. Jack He never he didn't become your teacher. Jack He just he just planted the seed, kind of right, OK. Yunita No, no at all. Yunita I don't. Kevin So then how? Yunita Yeah, what is that? Kevin Did you actually start to? Yunita That's idiom. Kevin So yeah, how did you actually start to study then? Kevin Where does it just on your? Kevin Own 'cause you're curious. Yunita Yes, yes. Yunita I was actually so, so proud of myself. Kevin Well, how? Yunita And at that time, yeah, even even there is no English lesson at like at night time. Kevin Even in elementary school, that's impressive. Yunita And then a year later my my dad come back from. Yunita Saudi Arabia and he and he brought these little radio and the bottom, all the bottom is in English and I asked my dad what is that and what is that what he said. Kevin OK. Yunita And he explained to me sleep is sleeping you know like sleeping and then if on is something you on and then. Kevin Yeah, sure. Yunita Of something like that. Yunita Is it worth USD symbols or can you explain to me? Yunita Can you teach me? Yunita I can't teach you, but eventually when you are in the middle school you got that. Yunita And then OK, best. Kevin Ah, so then when you were in middle school, did you actually have proper English classes in school? Yunita No, not at all. Kevin Is that when they started? Kevin No, no then. Yunita I just. Yunita I just hate my English teacher because he was mean and mean here. Yunita Whenever there there was a student who can't pronounce some words, he was disputing us, really literally bleeding us with with some new small stick in our lack of this. Jack No, no, no. Yunita Try it again. Yunita Try it again. Yunita That was. Yunita 1 Yeah, well. Yunita It was odd at that time, but he just. Kevin Sometimes I want to hit my students, but. Kevin It's not very good education. Yunita 1 It's not, not. Jack We we we. Kevin A good way to do it. Jack Frown on that. Yunita Exactly, exactly. Jack That's a bad idea. Yunita No, no, never. Kevin So then, when, so I mean, you learned about English in elementary school, you became curious about it. Yunita How we do that? Kevin Middle school, you had a teacher who would literally beat you, but somehow you still remained interested in it. Yunita I don't have brought their teacher, yeah. Kevin He it's amazing that he did not turn you off. Kevin Of English? Kevin You were still curious so then? Yunita Yep, it because of growing pains. Kevin OK, so you're like, yeah, you just have to go through this? Yunita No, we. Yunita Hello baby or anything? Kevin And then what? Kevin About in high school is is that when you finally started to get like real classes or? Yunita No, I still don't have that. Jack Still no. Yunita Still don't have that and we have like 1 channel here in. Yunita Admission at that time. Yunita And easy. Yunita A movie called Little House in the Prairie and then growing pains and then run and then yeah, TV show all or in English. Jack OK, yeah. Jack Uh, TV shows. Yunita Fish and I don't know and I don't understand and we have like this subscription the bottom yeah subtitles and and and the way they solve problems they the way they communicate between brothers begins to sister is so nice and they are not fighting they just like. Yunita 1 We need subtitles. Yunita Can we discuss about this without fighting things on web? Yunita And those are very nice. Yunita Only if I can be done with my brother. Yunita My brother would teach me more about angles so. Yunita Instead of getting my brother teaching me, I'm watching that television, watching that show again and again, and I'm trying myself to like mimicry. Kevin Oh, nice. Yunita You know, like whenever they say how are you? Yunita And then my mouth seems like. Kevin Right, you would copy after. Kevin Right now, that's great to watch the show again and again. Kevin Actually, I remember when I first started teaching here in Korea. Kevin One of my students at the university his. Kevin English was quite good. Kevin And compared to many of the other students and I was quite surprised at so. Kevin I asked him, did you live in another country or travel or whatever? Kevin And he said no, no, no. Kevin I asked him how did he learn? Kevin And he learned from watching friends the same way. Kevin And the way he did it was it was very interesting. Kevin He said he watched friends three times. Kevin He watched it first with Korean subtitles. Kevin Basically, to learn the story, to learn the characters. Kevin Then he watched it with English subtitles, so he still has something to help him, but you know, not not Korean. Kevin And then he watched it again with nothing. Kevin Just just watching it because it's amazing. Kevin Even just watching TV again and again. Kevin I think that's the trick, watching it more than one time. Kevin If you just watch. Kevin A movie. Kevin One time you'll just watch this up. Kevin Titles and it's done. Kevin You won't learn anything from it. Jack One of the common themes from us doing this, these interviews, is that our students are our our interview. Jack Interviewees often say I they're really passionate about learning English, specifically because there are so many. Jack Language choices that you could have, you know chosen, but for whatever reason in English was the one that you just really latched onto early, and that has. Jack Become an, another person interviewed said. Jack That was it's the passion of my life is to to study and learn English. Jack So what? Jack What did? Jack What was? Jack It about English that was so you, you know, attractive to you, even even as at such a young age. Yunita I want to be a stewardess at that time. Yunita 'cause I I see that stewardess is so beautiful, tall and slim and everything about you. Kevin Ah, nice. Yunita This is so just awesome. Yunita And then I asked my dad. Yunita If I want to be stewardess and my dad said you have to speak English, that's a trigger, trigger when I was a. Jack Go fast. Yunita Kid so, but. Yunita I'm not a stewardess anymore. Jack Yeah, but I mean that's. Kevin Did you try and become a stewardess after you got out of high school? Kevin Did you continue to want to do that or at that? Yunita I apply. Kevin Point you did you drive? Yunita I applied the application here as I did, but my mom didn't allow me. Kevin Just try for it. Kevin Oh, I. Yunita No, no, no, no, no. Kevin Didn't do that. Yunita It's it's just too bad. Yunita But here, it's Indonesian culture and stuff. Yunita But when your parents say no, we say OK. Jack Yeah, but this. Kevin Still, you got the English from from learning it, and you're still using the English even though you weren't flying in in in airplanes. Jack And there's something about about being a stewardess and and traveling all over the world that is I can see is very attractive to young person who you know, wants to go out and see the. Yunita 1 We will. Jack World so yeah. Jack That that makes a lot of sense. Kevin My aunt actually is a flight attendant and I think we should interview her one of these days. Jack Yeah, yeah. Kevin 'cause it's kinda. Yunita Charles, that would be fine, you know, and actually you you got a season and podcasts about traveling in space. Jack No, yeah, she's been. Kevin Doing it for a long time. Kevin Yeah, coming out, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yunita That counts. Kevin By the time this episode will be released, it will have have come out. Yunita 1 No, no. Kevin Already for anyone to listen. Kevin But yeah, it was just what do we think about space travel? Kevin I wonder what the Space Flight attendants will be like in here for those life. Yunita Right, exactly, exactly. Yunita That was that was in my mind. Yunita How how would a stewardess looks like in this space here? Kevin No nice zero gravity flight attendants. Yunita Maybe, yeah. Yunita Oh yeah, you know, like they always are. Kevin That that, that is even more fun job. Yunita Flying things like. Yunita That and I'm sure that Members will got interested in that kind of podcast because. Yunita They they would like thinking out of their mind, like, Oh yeah, there will be awesome. Kevin So before we, uh, just just to move on a little bit, how do you practice, how do you study English these days? Yunita My phone number. Kevin What do you do to continue improving? Yunita Talking with us. Kevin Although then listen to our podcast of course. Yunita The same the same things. Yunita Now every time I listen to podcasts, listen to songs and everything which related to English, I try to translate it. Yunita I like to read. Yunita To meet. Yunita And then I like to read in Kindle because I don't have to bother myself to open the dictionary because I just like. Yunita There is a, uh, a word which I don't understand. Yunita I just click it and there is a dictionary about it and they explain it. Kevin So it's quite nice you didn't know. Yunita Yeah, and then. Yunita But somehow I didn't teach my students to have Kindle because they have to open dictionary and I did that too. Yunita And I still do do this mimicry from movie I really like. So like role-playing and then I, I I'd be a bad day and good girl and then we do water hard things like that. So that's the way I do and maybe people have. Kevin That's great. Yunita Uh, I think that I have this what nature or normal way of talking with people, maybe because of movie and maybe because of the way I listen to people when they're talking. Yunita When you guys talking on podcasts is seem so normal. Yunita It seems like you were just two friends. Yunita And having tea together before Chandra. Kevin Well, we are, we are pretty. Jack Much and what our podcast is. Yunita Yeah, so that's why I told John that I liked your podcast. Jack We did, yeah. Yunita It seems like you you guys are talking in real life, in the porch, sitting together, having tea and cookies, things like that. Jack Right. Yunita So I described that. Yunita It's enjoyable. Relax. Kevin Nice, yeah. Kevin Mimicry really can be helpful, and it's it's something that you can do by yourself. Kevin That's one difficult thing about learning a language is when you're alone. Kevin It's often hard to practice, but even just copying it is a way to help you learn how to be natural, and it puts those. Kevin Language patterns into your. Kevin And then when you finally do speak with someone, those patterns are already in there and then they come out much more naturally, hopefully after after using. Yunita Find out. Yunita Yeah, exactly. Jack Them and it sounds, you know well. Yunita I really like your broadcast as we leave the. Jack Thank you so much. Yunita Sounds horrible. Yunita Some normal sounds natural. Yunita You're not making this. Yunita Up you start talking. Yunita That's all. Kevin Yeah, we we have tried making some scripts and it it we're not very good actors. Kevin We're better at just being friends than the nesting. Jack Improvising, yeah, a lot of people are self-conscious when they when it comes to learning the. Jack Language they they. Jack Be like I don't want to try because I might make a mistake or I don't want to watch and repeat while I watch this television show. Jack 'cause what if somebody sees me? Jack I'll be embarrassed, you know? Jack What's your message to people out there? Jack Who think like that? Jack You know, because I think there are a lot of people to feel that way. Kevin You are shy? Thanks. Jack Like, oh, I don't want to be embarrassed. Jack I don't. Jack Want to say the wrong thing? Jack But then they get stuck, you know, they can't move up anymore, they can't improve. Jack So what? Jack What's your, what's your, what would be your advice to to people who are stuck in that mindset? Yunita I I would rather to tell about my experience if I give them advice. Yunita Sounds like I'm older. Jack Yeah, sure. Yunita So, Oh yeah. Jack Well, just to tell. Jack Them what you do you know, yeah, yeah. Yunita All my experience I. Yunita Well, whenever I make mistakes in grammar, in the way of pronunciation, in the way I ride or whatever, whatever, what kind of mistake is that I I just feel. Yunita I feel that I have the self-confidence because people would correct my my pronunciation the way I the way I write everything. Yunita Everyone will correct me and that is fine because if I make mistake and then people correct me, I will remember that the rest of my life. Yunita Because if I learn from mistake. Yunita I will just recall that over and over again, but if I am not making mistake, I didn't know which one is the error one. Yunita So even I'm talking right now, people might say that you are fluent in talking, but I feel that I make mistake and you guys might know it. Kevin That's true. Yunita I'm sure, but I I still have this confidence. Yunita With this I will. Kevin Yeah, that's a really good point. Kevin Like, you can't, no, you can't fix your mistakes. Kevin Unless you know what they. Kevin Are so making mistakes as important? Jack And even here, as native speakers were we start, I start sentences, and I stop. Jack And then I I restated again. Jack And I I make a lot of like if you wrote down everything I said on paper, it would, it wouldn't. Jack It would look like there were a. Jack Lot of mistakes. Jack Language is messy. Jack I think some people think it's clean, right? Jack They just like, oh, it's so clean and perfect. Jack No, no, no, it's it's always going to be met. Jack See, and I think if people accept that, then maybe they feel a little less shy, a little less embarrassed to do, you know, just try. Kevin Yeah, everyone makes mistakes. Jack Yeah, you you seem like a person who's not afraid to just try. Jack Like, I'm going to go talk to this person. Jack I'm going to do the best I can, and if I make some mistakes, who cares? Jack Like names. Yunita And I will remember that dress on my lap. Yunita I make mistake and the right one is like this. Yunita I will remember that. Yunita That that's the difference when you are good already good at the 1st place and you will know that you are actually making something wrong. Kevin Yeah, that's that's a great lesson, I think, for everyone to learn and just just to wrap up here at the end just because of of time. Kevin I'd love to talk to you longer. Kevin If you could give our listeners and everyone else out there one thing that you think worked best for you, since you said you don't want to give advice, so this doesn't have to be advice but for you. Kevin What do you think? Kevin Was the single one. Kevin Best thing that you do or did that that helped you in English. Kevin Maybe it was something we already talked about or? Kevin Something new, just what do? Kevin You think was the best for you? Yunita Languages habit, so make it your habit. Kevin And how did you make it a habit? Yunita Talking, enlisting, kingless, riding Inglis. Yunita Do everything about English. Yunita If you have like, you know if you have like 5 minutes in your feet. Kevin Just a little bit every day, all the time. Yunita Warm start writing in English, even it's messy. Yunita Start talking with yourself involved, Neil. Yunita Even you don't know whether it is right or wrong. Kevin Right. Yunita 1 Guys, thank you. Yunita Dismember views about habit. Kevin Flash drive. Yunita That's it. Kevin Yeah, I've I've heard similar advice before, so I think that's that sounds like it. Kevin It worked very well for you, and I think it can work well for other. Yunita Come on. Kevin People. So thanks a lot. Kevin You know, this is amazing to hear about your English journey and how you got from your brother just not telling you anything to to where you are today. Jack Yeah. Thank you. Yunita Even though I tell him that I got, uh, this broadcast schedule with a friend of mine and. Kevin So it's because of you. Kevin Thank you. Kevin Thank you. Jack Brother, I'm so glad it it wasn't a French book or you wouldn't be here right now with us, right? Yunita And then and then. Yunita I'm getting set up and then what should I do? Yunita I don't have anything to do with that, right? Yunita So we got. Yunita That's it, that's good. Kevin Awesome, nice. Kevin Well that's great. Kevin You need again, thanks very much for coming. Yunita Sure, sure, sure. Yeah, yeah. Kevin For everyone out there who's listening, remember from our website you can find our WhatsApp links and you can join the same group that United talks to us in every day and and talk to her and ask her questions or leave us some comments in there. Jack That's right. Kevin And tell us about how you make English a habit. Kevin So thanks again for joining us this evening. Yunita Sure. Yeah. Bye. Bye. Kevin Go have a good dinner and we'll talk to you in. Jack The chat, alright, thanks UNITA. Jack Bye bye. YunitaLater, yeah. Bye bye.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about space and if they think it would be possible to travel there in the future; and if so if they'd want to go. How about you? Share your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7With listener mail from episode 14: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/technology-from-the-80s-and-90s/Website: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/do-you-want-to-travel-to-space/If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/ Discussion Questions: 1.      Are you interested in space, planets, and stars? 2.      Would you travel to space is you had the opportunity? 3.      Do you think people will live on the Moon or on Mars? AtoZ_quickchat018_SpaceTravel.mp3  Full Transcript:  Jack:  You are listening to the A-Z English podcast.   Kevin:  Welcome to an A-Z English quick chat we're going to surprise each other with.   Kevin:  The topic for.   Kevin:  The day and just see where the conversation goes.   Kevin:  Check our website for a study guide with vocabulary notes, discussion questions and more, as well as links to our WhatsApp, Facebook or other social media groups where you can join in the conversation.   Kevin:  And today, Jack, I've been seeing a lot of news about the James Webb Space Telescope these days.   Kevin:  And I'm a big space nerd.   Kevin:  I love space stuff.   Kevin:  We also have talked about travel a bit in the past.   Kevin:  I was thinking what do you think in the future?   Kevin:  Are we going to be able to travel the space?   Kevin:  Do you want to travel to space?   Kevin:  Do you want to be a space tourist?   Jack:  I think not only.   Jack:  Is it the future?   Jack:  But I think it's the present.   Jack:  They already have some space tourism, I believe, for very, very rich people, so.   Kevin:  Yeah, yeah, right now, I guess.   Kevin:  It is kind of.   Kevin:  Possible there are, yeah, some.   Kevin:  Some super rich people have gone up into space.   Jack:  Like Justin Timberlake I think has been up there.   Kevin:  Most of them, I think.   Kevin  Did he?   Jack:  I think so, yeah.   Kevin:  I know.   Kevin:  I think Bill Gates was thing about it.   Kevin:  I know.   Kevin:  There was some like.   Kevin:  Japanese guy that's gone up there, actually.   Kevin:  Even in the past like.   Kevin:  10 years, even before the more recent like SpaceX and Virgin Blue or whatever, they're those companies names are there. There were some crazy rich people that were paying to go up on Russian space crafts.   Jack:  Yeah, that's right.   Jack:  That's right.   Jack:  And that's how our astronauts get there to the space station.   Kevin:  Yeah, or that's how they did.   Kevin:  I think that's going to be changing.   Kevin:  So what do you think?   Jack:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.   Kevin:  So yeah, it is possible for the extreme.   Kevin:  The Ridge right now.   Jack:  Yeah, it's 1,000,000 bucks a pop like one time.   Kevin:  I think it's more than that.   Jack:  Is it more than a million?   Kevin:  I think it's.   Jack:  OK.   Kevin:  I think it's.   Kevin:  Quite a bit more than a million still actually become.   Kevin:  Do you think it'll be possible in?   Kevin:  In our lifetimes, we're starting to get old, starting to get.   Kevin:  The pains in the.   Kevin:  Back do you think we'll be?   Jack:  Yeah, yeah, I think so.   Kevin:  Able to go up.   Jack:  Think in the next 10 or 20 years where.   Jack:  They're going to, we're going to see like a.   Kevin:  That's pretty quick.   Jack:  Yeah, I believe there will be a wait.   Jack:  It's still going to be expensive, you know, 10 or 20 years from now, but I think they'll come up with some sort of.   Jack:  You know, some kind of aircraft that will get right to the edge of the atmosphere where the where our atmosphere in space.   Jack:  So as you look out the window, you will see just darkness and stars and that sort of stuff.   Kevin:  Right.   Jack:  And so it's not, it's not in deep space or it's not even like close to the moon, but it'll be outside.   Speaker 1  Right, right, right.   Jack:  Our, I guess our atmosphere or Earth's atmosphere. And so yeah, so I believe that they'll be able to come up with some.   Kevin:  Right.   Jack:  I mean they have crafts like that, but I believe they'll build some that will be large enough then, you know kind of like you know, like a big airplane, you know, like it, but it will go higher and.   Jack:  And yeah, get people up there so they can see space and say that they were in space.   Kevin:  Yeah, I I think it'll be possible as well.   Kevin:  I mean, just looking at technology and how.   Kevin:  Quickly it's changed and how much the prices change and even airplanes. Airplanes were only 100 years ago when the first airplane flew. Right.   Kevin:  And then, you know, 50 years later we were on the moon, and 50 years later, you know, anyone can fly in an airplane around the world pretty easily.   Kevin:  It's cheaper and cheaper and cheaper.   Kevin:  So yeah, 10 or 20 years?   Kevin:  I don't know, maybe, maybe.   Kevin:  But I'd say in our lifetime it should be cheap enough and.   Kevin:  And possible to go.   Kevin:  So would you go?   Kevin:  Would you?   Kevin:  Do you want to go if you could?   Jack:  Uhm, no, I'm not really interested.   Jack:  I'm saying that I went to.   Jack:  If I went to space, I want to go to, I want to stay at.   Jack:  A hotel on the.   Jack:  Moon that would be that would be something spectacular.   Kevin:  Right.   Jack:  You know, going to see space.   Jack:  I think you can, you know, like the new telescope they were talking about, the Webb telescope, the James Webb Telescope.   Kevin:  At James Webb, yeah.   Kevin:  Uhm, where's?   Jack:  Where is that exactly?   Kevin:  That's at the LaGrange point.   Kevin:  It's out past the moon.   Jack:  Oh, OK, OK, this one is.   Kevin:  It's quite far.   Jack:  This is a like a satellite type.   Jack:  Of thing or is it?   Jack:  Yeah, it's yeah.   Kevin:  Yeah, it it's quite far it's out.   Kevin:  Those basically the Earth and sun interact and there's kind.   Kevin:  Of like a gravity did.   Kevin:  Kind of between them and after the earth.   Kevin:  It's physics.   Kevin:  It's hard to explain, but it's very cool and that's where the James Webb is.   Kevin:  It's at a place so it can, it's far enough from the earth and from the sun, so it's just, it's out in space.   Kevin:  It's past the moon.   Kevin:  It's pretty far away.   Jack:  And so it's just a clear, it's the clearest view we've ever had of the Galaxy essentially, or multiple galaxies I suppose.   Jack:  Yeah, I mean.   Kevin:  At the beginning of time actually is what the James Webb is looking for.   Kevin:  It's pretty amazing.   Jack:  And yeah, it seems like a yeah, I mean, it would be interesting to learn.   Jack:  It is the planet infinite, you know.   Jack:  Is space infinite?   Jack:  Does it go on forever and ever?   Jack:  These are crazy questions.   Jack:  Anyway, I'll get back to our.   Jack:  The theme up to.   Kevin:  I love space, if we could talk about it.   Jack:  That's yeah.   Kevin:  But let's stick with travel.   Jack:  So space travel.   Jack:  So yeah.   Jack:  Would I go up and to just look at space?   Jack:  Probably not.   Jack:  But if I had the opportunity to and I could afford to stay on the moon, that would be incredible.   Jack:  So I hope in my lifetime.   Jack:  That there's a moon.   Jack:  Base that would be, you know, like, that's the thing. And then by the end of my life or like 100 years after that, I would like to, I would expect to see a space elevator. Are you you familiar with the space elevator?   Kevin:  Ah, OK.   Kevin:  Yeah, with the concept is those are really interesting actually as well.   Kevin:  I'll come back to that in a second.   Kevin:  I think as well I kind of agree with you on the whole space tourism thing.   Kevin:  Like I love space travel.   Kevin:  I love Space physics news like I read all about it.   Kevin:  I it's really fun for me and I would love to go to space.   Kevin:  But at the same time, you're right, just going up.   Kevin:  So look, and then coming back down I I'd be interested, but if it's crazy expensive, I wouldn't.   Kevin:  Really do it.   Kevin:  But to go up and actually stay in space for like a night or something.   Kevin:  I think that would be more interesting and pretty cool space elevators to get back to it.   Kevin:  That's a cool concept.   Kevin:  And if that's possible, then.   Kevin:  It'll be very cheap to go.   Kevin:  Into space in in the future.   Jack:  Yeah they're they would be able to yeah there be there be no more rockets to get you know package.   Jack:  And people outside of the of our gravity field, essentially. So Yep, you'll be able to just put it on the elevator and 24 hours later it reaches the satellite.   Jack:  I guess the other end of the elevator the high point dip the top floor and then you're just floating in space at that point.   Jack:  So let's just be like, yeah, yeah.   Kevin:  That would pretty cool.   Kevin:  Yeah, those are still tough to make the main reason that, I mean there's many difficult things about making a space elevator, but the current technology that's holding us back.   Kevin:  They don't have a material strong enough to make the rope effectively.   Jack:  Right.   Jack:  They tried like.   Jack:  Carbon, nano particles and all kinds of.   Kevin:  There's a diamond carbon nano.   Kevin:  Amazing platinum.   Kevin:  Yeah, things.   Kevin:  And it's just it's not possible quite yet.   Jack:  And you're also, you've never been on an elevator that goes up 128,000 floors or whatever, you know. So that's essentially what we would need, you know? Yeah, it would just be.   Kevin:  Right, it would take a long time.    It would take.   Kevin:  A very long time, yeah.   Jack:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.   Jack:  You know, I really find it interesting.   Jack:  I love space and stuff, but I like watching these.   Jack:  You know, I follow the news when rich people like Jeff Bezos took William Shatner up into space in a couple months ago, and that was really interesting because William Shatner.   Kevin:  No, right.   Jack:  Is a famous American actor a famous for Star Trek and so.   Kevin:  Yeah, I know.   Kevin:  He's like the space captain.   Jack:  Yeah, he's kind of an icon.   Jack:  Of like space exploration fictional, but a fictional character not.   Kevin:  Right.   Jack:  It's William Shatner, but the character he played Kirk, right?   Jack:  Yeah, so it's, you know, it's really cool that, you know, rich people get to do it right now, but everything rich people did 100 years ago.   Jack:  Normal people get to do, you know, 50 or 100 years later, so I can't imagine probably at the end of my life people will be going to space more regularly so.   Jack:  So maybe it won't be that impressive at a party if somebody says, oh, what did you do last weekend?   Jack:  Oh, I went to space.   Jack:  You know, and then Jan, you know, again.   Jack:  Yeah, maybe it'll be impressive.   Speaker 1  Right.   Jack:  To go to the.   Jack:  Moon or I'm hoping in my lifetime, maybe even people go to Mars.   Jack:  That would be really cool.   Jack:  That's something that I would love, yeah.   Kevin:  Yeah, love I would love to, even if I don't get to go.   Kevin:  Just to know that the astronauts are getting there would be would be pretty amazing.   Kevin:  Thing so, but yeah, hopefully space travel someday will be something that that we can get to.   Kevin:  And what about?   Kevin:  What about everybody out?   Kevin:  There, listening, you know, maybe you've traveled around in your country or maybe to other countries.   Kevin:  If you could go to space, would you?   Kevin:  Do you think it's going to be possible in your in your lifetime?   Kevin:  I know we have some much younger.   Kevin:  Listeners as well, and so their lifetimes will be a bit longer.   Kevin:  So what do you think before?   Kevin:  Before they get old, before their grandparents?   Kevin:  Do you think that you'll be able to travel to space?   Kevin:  And if so, do you want to go?   Kevin:  And if you do, what do you want to do up there?   Kevin:  Do you want to look around, go to Mars, or even something more crazy?   Kevin:  Something more science fiction.   Kevin:  What do you think would be cool?   Kevin:  So join us in our WhatsApp group and.   Kevin:  Tell us what you think.   Kevin:  So thanks everybody for joining.   Kevin:  Remember, on our web page, you can join our WhatsApp group or social media to join the discussion, as well as if you can leave us a comment and a review on Apple Podcasts that would really help us to get to other people.   Kevin:  So thanks for listening and see you in space.   Kevin:  Bye bye. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Kevin and Jack discuss talk about three idioms about money 💰to look like a million dollars/bucksto be born with a silver spoon in your mouthto go from rags to richesShare your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Website Link: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/?p=1748If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Directions: Write sentences by using the idioms from the podcast.look like a million bucksborn with a silver spoon in one's mouthgo from rags to richesFull Transcript:Jack: You're listening to the A. to Z. English podcast.Kevin: Welcome to another idioms from A to Z. We're gonna give you three more idioms today that you can use and practice in your daily conversations and remember to check out our website for study guide with vocabulary notes and discussion as well as whats app and Facebook page links so you can use the Indians there with other people.Kevin: So for today we're gonna start with the money ATMs in you know Jackie you're looking pretty good is that a is that a new suit you know you look like a million Bucks but actually Jack if if I didn't know better I would say that you had been born with a silver spoon in your mouth.Jack: Oh no Kevin this is a very expensive suits but I went from rags to riches.Kevin: Well good for you.Jack: Thank you.Kevin: All right everybody so that we had three idioms in that I know that was kind of fast but did you catch them all.Jack: Yeah.Kevin: The first one let's just quickly tell you and then we'll explain them the first is to look like a million dollars or to look like a million bucks I think this one's kinda easy to understand.Jack: If you know what a what a buck is but again if you yeah and then.Kevin: To be born with a silver spoon in your mouth.Kevin: And finally to go from rags to riches, so let's start with that first one though the million dollars a million Bucks to look like a million bucks, Jack have you ever seen a million dollars?Jack: Have I ever seen a million dollars I have I only maybe on TV or something else I’ve seen like a pile of cash yeah I was never.Kevin: Goes movie yeah.Jack: Not in my bank account that's for sure.Kevin: But now I have seen a million maybe.Kevin: Other monies but a million dollars no so.Jack: Yeah.Kevin: I think I mean if you saw a million dollars of cash right in front of you what would you be thinking.Jack: I would be I would be nervous so I would be.Jack: Scared you know I've what's happening right now.Kevin: The confused why is there so much money but why that money how would it look it would look really good you know you want that.Kevin: Ours is a lot of money.Jack: Yes.Kevin: And that's what it means to look like a million dollars or to look like a million bucks and as you mentioned you know a buck is just a slang for a dollar right got five bucks in my wallet.Jack: Five dollars yeah.Kevin: Well it so if someone looks like a million bucks they look really good.Jack: Yeah we did look expensive you know that their clothes look expensive. Their hats look expensive. They're glad new hairstyle yeah they're hair is cut you perfectly it's you know very expensive.Jack: Hair salon or something so.Kevin: When you see famous actors and actresses when they are like at the awards ceremony.Jack: Yeah the red carpet.Kevin: Yeah exactly they try to look like a million bucks you know. They've got a great suit and makeup and hair style and fast fancy accessories and all of those things to look like a million bucks.Jack: And maybe have I don't know if our listeners would.Jack: I agree with this or not but I think.Kevin: Everybody has.Jack: A friend who is you know always dressed well and always looks like a million bucks you know right is that gonna very some more handsome or beautiful and also has a good fashion sense and you just say to them every time I see you just look like a million bucks you know they also yeah.Kevin: Yeah I'd like Jack I mean most of the time when I see you were dressed in just normal clothes.Jack: I look like I look like a buck maybe ten.Kevin: Because they.Jack: Yeah.Kevin: I know you showed me your wedding pictures a few years ago and there you and your wife looked like a million bucks and you were dressed perfectly. It was your special day. You looked like a million bucks on that one.Jack: Well thank you.Kevin: Yeah.Kevin: So our second one then is to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth and can you imagine a baby being born with anything in their mouth.Jack: This is a you know a lot of these idioms are old you know expressions so then why don't we don't we don't necessarily understand these idioms ourselves because they're.Kevin: They're so old.Jack:But yeah I can't imagine a baby being born with any spoon in its mouth yeah.Kevin: Right.Jack: That would just be so bizarre.Kevin: No mention any baby maybe not being born with but at that a very young age of baby using a silver spoon or a golden spoon.Jack: To.Kevin: Eat their food with right. When you were a baby, what or when your daughter was a baby what spoon did she use?Jack: Well I'm a plastic in maybe a Hello Kitty on the end of it or something like that.Kevin: Right right so if you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth what does that mean?Jack: Yes being born with a silver spoon means your family is.Kevin: Rich basically.Jack: And so right when you when you feed the baby, you don't use a plastic spoon. You don't use a metal spoon. You use a silver spoon like a very up the most expensive spoon that you could buy and that's the that's the spoon that you were fed with when you were a baby by your parents or by your mother and so.Kevin: That's where the actually had all the best things when you're a kid so you're in Europe come from a very rich family you know like.Kevin: Steve was born with a silver spoon in his mouth so he always went to the best schools and had the best food and he had everything is wanted he wanted. His parents bought him a car right when he was old enough. You had everything everything that you needed.Jack: Yeah it's kind of a.Jack: It's it's kind of an expression it's not it's not necessarily negative but it's I mean it's it's got a little bit of a of a negative connotation, a little bit to say to someone you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth means you didn't accomplish anything. Everything is just given to you.Jack: You know you.Kevin: Got a free yeah parents gave it to them they didn't have to do anything for themselves.Jack: Yeah.Kevin: And then there is the exact opposite of our last idiom that me actually Jack what's the last one.Jack: Our last one is from rags to riches from rags to riches.Kevin: Really quick let's define what a rag first just so everyone knows a rag.Jack: A rag is like is not even a cloth. It's a piece of cloth you know yeah and it's dirty. It’s ripped. It’s torn. It’s stained.Kevin: It's just.Jack: Like if I was.Kevin: A towel many years ago your dad used it to clean the car and yeah and clean everything else and it's just an old dirty piece of fabric yeah so if you go from rags to riches I think this one's.Kevin: What easy to understand actually if someone goes from rags to riches. We can kind of guess what that means you know. You go from rags, you've got nothing, you know your clothes are made with these dirty old rags yeah with a rag or you.Jack: Look like rags because they're gotten so dirty and torn, it looks like you're wearing rags you know old rags yeah.Kevin: Exactly but you've gone from rags to riches.Kevin: So now you're quite well off. Now you've got a lot of money, and so for this one, this is the opposite. You were born with a silver spoon is you just get everything. Rick rags to riches means you work hard and you really earned whatever it is that you have today.Jack: Yeah and it means you went from poor to rich in your lifetime you know, so it's not it's not a generational thing where you know like slowly over time. It's just you started with nothing and now you are rich and it's not born with a silver spoon. A silver spoon is your grandfather was rich, your father was rich, and your children will be rich. It's not like that. This is the opposite of that. It's like you said, that you work hard and you make a lot of money and you become rich but you started with nothing.Kevin: Yep and that's kind of like a lot of people's dreams are to go from rags to riches and when you hear those stories in the news, they are always a really good feeling story. He went from rags to riches. Wow good job. I knew we really admired him and look up to those people.Jack: Absolutely yeah.Kevin: Nice.Kevin: Well there's three more just to review for everyone we've got looking like a million dollars, like a million Bucks you look fantastic today or they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths or they went from rags to riches.Jack: There you go everybody now.Kevin: After you listen to our podcast see if your friends tell you that you look like a million bucks.Jack: There you go yeah right.Kevin: Well thanks everybody for listening. Remember you can go to our Whats app group or other social media from the show notes or our web page and join in the discussion group.Kevin: These idioms in our in our chats or replying to a web page you know give us an example of where a time that you could use from rags to riches or to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth do you know anyone or any famous actors or actresses or other famous people who fit any of these.Jack: That's right hand.Kevin: If you if you can of course leave us a comment on Apple podcasts that would really help. Thanks everybody for listening and we'll see you next time.Jack: Bye bye.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Every Friday at 10:30pm (Korea Standard Time), Kevin and Jack will discuss the past week's episodes live with our listeners. The guys will read comments from the listeners and do their best to respond. If you have something you want to ask Kevin or Jack, Fridays at 10:30pm (Korea Standard Time) is your opportunity. This week, the guys will discuss these three episodes of the podcast:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/interv...https://atozenglishpodcast.com/what-a...https://atozenglishpodcast.com/idioms-3/Website: https://atozenglishpodcast.comIf you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about three idioms using prepositions:to be up in the airto be on the ballto get over somethingShare your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Website: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/idioms-3/If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/A to Z Idioms 3   Full Transcript Kevin: You're listening to the A. to Z. English podcast.Kevin: Welcome to eight is the English and today we're going to be doing and idioms eight is the episode where we're gonna talk about a couple idioms in context and explain how you can use them as well remember to check our website for study guide vocabulary discussion questions and some practice with the idioms as well as links to our website Facebook page where you can join in the conversation and practice along with us.Kevin: So Jack before we get into the idioms we did a couple of listener interviews recently who are we gonna talk to next.Jack: Well actually Kevin I'm not really sure our next interview is kind of up in the air.Kevin: Oh really you know Jack you really need to be on the ball for this if we don't talk to people we won't have anything planned.Jack: Well you know Kevin you need to just like get over it okay.Kevin: All right Jack alright we'll figure it out.Jack: There you go.Kevin: For everyone listening did you catch the idioms we had three different idioms in there let's go ahead and talk about them together so in the first one I asked Jack who were going to talk to and Jack what did you say.Jack: I said the next interview was up in the air all up in the air yeah.Kevin: So.Jack: Up in the air engine and.Kevin: That is I mean this is what's fun about idioms is it's hard to guess what they mean up in the air so does that mean it's like a balloon like it's up in the air something looking to pull out of the year that the cloud.Jack: Yeah I mean it literally up in the air would mean in the in the sky or in the air right but that's not the meaning of this the stadium.Kevin: Right.Jack: Yes so how what would you say the actual meaning is up if something is up in the air what is it.Kevin: If it's up in the air it means you're not really sure about it yeah that we don't really know like we've got some ideas but it's not a full plan yet it's still up in the air.Jack: And it's usually when we're talking about making plans yeah I know that's true.Kevin: Yeah so usually about plans is where we're most commonly using it.Jack: Yeah what are you doing on Friday well it's up in the air I'm not sure it could be I could go to a movie I could go to dinner I could stay home I haven't decided yet I haven't made any what we're gonna do yeah well we're gonna thing yeah.Kevin: Yeah our we talked recently in the a quick chat about you know summer camps and things and maybe if you're making plans for your summer camps like what are we gonna do on day two for the kids that's still up in the air you know maybe we'll do a movie or maybe we'll go for a hike and still up in the air.Jack: Yeah nothing here usually I don't know if I'm if you would agree with this but usually there's two or three choices that you have you know and so you.Kevin: Kind of.Jack: You see it's not just it's not that you don't know it all it's right you know that did you know that you're going to do something but you haven't really decided which of the three or four or five activities that you want to do and so you said you would use this in that context you say oh well it's still up in the air.Kevin: That's true it's not usually used when you have no idea of what you're gonna do you've got some ideas and you're starting to get some ideas maybe some good ideas maybe not but you've got some ideas like maybe this maybe this maybe this got some ideas of what you wanna do but it's up in the air and I think that makes sense when you think about it it's up in the air there's a few choices around your head and you just have to pick one right he's got a real job and decide which one you want to go with.Jack: Three young here yeah.Kevin: And so then the second Jack I told you know you said it's still up in the air but we have a podcast to run so I told you need to get on the ball.Kevin: We got to get on the ball on that so are we talking about the exercise ball right you're gonna do some yoga here Jack.Jack: You are not talking about a yoga ball or an extra at all no we're yet again.Kevin: The.Jack: Idioms are not literal if you know the other fun that's where the fun yeah the literal meaning it would be very strange to you know be on a ball but in this case to get a if Kevin tells me to get on the ball he's actually ordering me to do something you're telling ME to get do you know of focus and do some kind of job like do your job get it done I gotta finish planning yeah.Kevin: Yeah exactly get to what you're supposed to be doing you've been wasting too much time and we're not focused here all of those ideas are in the air I think what we can't have them in the air we got to get on the ball we have to decide we need to choose what we wanna do so Jack can get on the ball.Jack: Yeah in eight years of example a teacher might say this to students that are not doing their work in the classroom maybe they're talking and they're not focused on doing their math problems or something like that and the teacher can say to the students Hey get on the ball.Kevin: Don't.Jack: Talk about other things don't play games do your math problems right now so get on the ball and I'm feeling lines says it to you then it means you're not doing your work you know you might be checking email you might be you know chatting with a friend or coworker and your bosses says do you get on the ball means get back to work get focused youngster.Kevin: So don't listen to the a to Z. podcast at work yeah enter.Jack: Your ride home or do it.Kevin: You know.Jack: Secretly very secretly.Kevin: Yup we'll have to get on the ball and I think you can kind of understand this I mean if you're if you're standing on a ball right it's very hard to balance out a ball and so you really need to focus you got to be ready for it so in an easy way to remember if you're standing for balanced on the ball you're ready you're doing your job you're ready to go for the next one but then.Jack: Again.Kevin: You told me that I was too fat too stressed out on this and what did you tell me.Jack: I said you gotta get over it get over it.Jack: And had to get.Kevin: Over it so.Jack: You know.Kevin: I mean like.Jack: What is this.Kevin: What is it.Jack: First all right.Kevin: That's a good question.Jack: It could be could be a lot of things but in this case it would be some kind of.Jack: Some kind of like a bad experience or some kind of negative answer so yeah you're oftentimes.Kevin: A negative experience some difficult time or some difficult thing that you've had some kind of.Jack: Some kind of conflict that we had you know like there's like we had a.Kevin: We had a fight.Jack: Or a conflict or something and if the one person says to the other person you need to get over it means you need to forget about this conflict and let it go it's another expression to let it go.Kevin: Get over it and it's nuts and that's when you're getting over its you're not actually getting up on top of and going over something but most of these times these experiences like breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend right.Jack: It's kind of like a mall.Kevin: That you that you.Kevin: A good example.Jack: Yeah.Kevin: Yeah it's like a mental wall it's a problem that I have just in my head and some like you know you gotta get over that mental wall you gotta get over him get over her get over that ex boyfriend you know there it's get over that problem so get over it so Kevin you.Jack: If five for example your friend breaks up with his girlfriend broke up with his girlfriend yesterday is it appropriate for me today to say get over it.Kevin: Probably a bit too soon and obviously a bit too soon to say yeah it right something's do take some time bonus if your friend broke up with his girlfriend and it's been a year yeah they only dated for six months.Jack: Yes that's why I come on my new friend is still depressed and won't come out yeah.Kevin: Yeah like I I understand your side but you gotta get over it you gotta you gotta get out there and meet someone new get over it to get over this problem.Jack: There you go yeah.Kevin: We can also use it for actually illnesses as well right like you get over cove it.Jack: For example.Kevin: But yeah it's any kind of difficult situation that we've got.Jack: To get a cold or the flu or something like that and just I haven't gotten over it yet or I'm just getting over you know being out sick we can use as I'd always want that now.Kevin: Okay so there's R. three Indians in all of these if anyone was paying attention you might notice that all of these positions today are all of these idioms sorry we're using prepositions right.Jack: Up.Kevin: In the air on the ball or over something and so there's ways that you can organize our idioms and these are all about prepositions connecting to your location in space.Jack: Yes so just.Kevin: As a really quick review you're up in the air about something more work on the ball we're getting to work or we need to get over whatever that problem is.Jack: There you go.Jack: Excellent yeah.Kevin: All right well there is a great episode of a dizzy English with our idioms from eight Izzy in the show notes you can find links to our whats app group or social media we can come and try and use these idioms for yourself tell us something that you're up in the air about or what do you need to be on the ball about and if you could leave us a review and a comment on apple podcasts that would really help us out to get other people to find us we'll see you next time here with the more idioms eight Izzy.Jack: Get on the ball everyone see you next time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this special episode of The A to Z English Podcast, we talk with Layla from Saudi Arabia, a self-taught English student and one of the most active members of our Whatsapp group. (Link here: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7)Find the transcript here:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/interview-with-layla/It's a great conversation, so you won't want to miss it!Share your thoughts about today's interview in our Whatsapp group or tell us if you think you have something interesting to talk about. Perhaps you could be our next guest on the podcast!If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Full Transcript: Kevin: You're listening to the A. to Z. English podcast.Kevin: Welcome to A to Z English where today we've got another listener interview. Today we're joined by another one of our very active members from our chats. Maybe you've talked to her in the past. We're talking with Layla from Saudi Arabia. So, good morning!Layla: And good afternoon Kevin and Jack.Kevin: Yes, it is. So it's great to talk to you and today I mean you're always so active in our group chats. You're such a helpful member to everyone and I guess we wanted to start with really simple things like…Kevin: When did you start learning? How long have you been studying?Layla: And to be honest with you at the beginning and the first time I studied English when I was in middle school.Layla: But I can I can consider that not learning English seriously because you know the system is not good enough so I focus not on grammar.Kevin: Yeah.Layla: I think I only learned at that time the basic English letters and things like how are you, your name, like this yeah so.Kevin: I’m fine and you?Layla: I studied in high school and university but in university only the first two years and then they stopped teaching English.Layla: So exactly I can say when I decided to learn English seriously. I think it was about 2014.Kevin: Okay six years ago.Layla: Yes.Kevin: Cool.Layla: My brother and I decided to study together.Kevin: A partner.Layla: Yes exactly. I have a partner.Kevin: That helps.Layla: So at the beginning we started by buying books. We don't we didn't have any teacher to ask questions, to know if something is right are wrong so we only studied by ourselves.Layla: We continue studying.Layla: To 2018. Layla: At.Kevin: Just the two of you studying on the internet?Layla: When I find Robin’s group...Kevin: Right.Layla: After joining there I really started to learn English seriously. I can say I didn't miss studying for even a single day.Kevin: Day.Layla: I will do my best for me in the group. I started reading extensively.Layla: Also I tried to meet in the group byLayla: practicing with others because this is the first time for me to practice and talk to foreigners.Layla: Okay it's difficult for women to engage with others so that was the first experience for me.Layla: I continue studying. I think it was the best chance for me to study English and practice my English and that's the right place.Kevin: And do you still talk with your brother. Does he still study these days yeah?Layla: A few months ago, he got married so he moved to another house.Kevin: Okay.Layla: Now I study alone with my own online friends.Layla: Many.Kevin: Many people in the chat for you to work with.Layla: Yeah exactly so I really enjoy talking with them I think.Layla: You know it's a great because in that case you have to use English because you can’t explain what you want in your language so.Layla: When you try to use English, I try to go ahead to search about some new words that I don't know. So that is a great place and chance for me to be there.Kevin: Yeah those chats are great because exactly like you said, you have to use English. There's people from all over the world. There's no choice. You can't use your language because other people don't speak it so.Layla: Yes exactly, I have no choice and no choice to excuse my language and they really don't understand me so I have to use English. I have to speak English as much as I can.Jack: It sounds like you enjoy speaking in English. Is it something that makes you happy.Layla: Yes, yes, I am really. I think learning English is my passion now and my hobby so…Layla: Well maybe you don't believe me if…Layla: So yeah exactly I really like English and then I think learning English,Layla: is the best way to change my life and to make my life better and in many cases, so if I want to get a great job, I have to and I have to know English so.Layla: I only tried to develop my English. I know I make mistakes and my English is not perfect…Jack:Who’s better: you or your brother? You’re better than your brother right?Layla:         I don’t know. Jack: You're being modest, I think. That's good yeah. You're good, you're a good sister though. Yeah you didn't throw him under the bus there.Kevin: Yeah I was gonna ask you did you also watch Shaw Online? Do you, did you use the videos, YouTube as well as the what's app group?Layla: Yes I.Layla: I started watching them before joining Robin’s Whatsapp group.Layla: You know Teacher Esther, and there are a lot of videos, so at the beginning I started there watching her lessons.Layla: So I tried to watch the end at any length any lesson that RobinLayla: posted on his channel. So, I…Layla: I tried to do any homework that he posted.Jack: There are a lot of them there.Kevin: So.Layla: I can say I watched most of the videos there.Jack: There are hundreds of videos now, right? I mean hundreds. Yeah yeah, do you always do your podcast homework too?Kevin: You do the discussion questions and vocabulary yeah?Layla: Yeah, I would like to do better as well and then to discuss more with you, but you know what? Sometimes…Layla: I feel lost when there are many people in the group and then.Kevin: Sure.Layla: And let's see I try my best and…Jack: That's the best part about podcasts as you can do other things while you're listening to them, so it's great for cleaning or driving or taking a walk yeah. It's just a very convenient way to study, so that's great.Layla: Yes.Kevin: They can help you.Layla: If we’re listening to the podcast, we can listen to them whenever we want, whenever we are anytime in any cases, while driving, while doing chores while maybe sitting on the sofa.Kevin: And I'm when I'm on the subway that's good yeah. I do my podcast listening on the subway. It’s very boring but when I'm on the way, you can just listen in and learn something. It's better than just surfing the web for other meaningless things yeah.Layla: Yes please so I really enjoy and I really.Layla: Yes, the time of the episode is not too long so I listen to the podcast and then after listening, I can go and search about the words that I don’t know and learn new words. Kevin: Can you say that we’re easy to understand because I know that sometimes I speak very quickly.Layla:         Yes. Kevin: Something that we need to we need to keep working on I guess that even my English is not perfect I need to make it better as well a lot.Kevin: Everyone has things to work on.Kevin: Sure.Layla: Jack, I can understand all the words that you say.Kevin:Yeah I think one thing that helped me a lot when I was younger, even though I speak very quickly, I think that I speak rather clearly and when I was a kid, I did a lot of tongue twisters with my mom and my brother when we were driving, like Sally sells seashells by the seashore, things like that. When we were driving just for fun, we would just do tongue twisters with each other and just trying to go faster and faster and faster and faster and so I think that's why I'm able to speak quickly but hopefully clearly as well.Jack: Very clearly yeah. I I'll give yah that. Kevin: Well Leila, thanks a lot for all of the compliments and we'll keep working. Just to wrap up here, is there any tip that you would like to give to everyone else listening? Is there anything that you could tell people that you found were best for you?Jack: Yeah what's your secret?Layla: For English.Layla: To be honest with you and I can say the secret is reading.Layla: I try to read every day as much as I can because learning…Layla: We look at the letters and words, and then you will discover the meanings of them.Layla: And that will help you. While you are speaking, you will remember them and the words. So keep reading a lot. Layla: Try to listen to native speakers such as podcasts.Kevin: True even for natives, even reading in your language is just helpful. I mean I read English books and that helps me learn more words in English as well. Jack: Yeah it's good for your brain, but yeah so I agree totally with that. Reading is the best way to learn new vocabulary. Absolutely!Kevin: Yeah thanks for that and everybody out there go and find a book that you want to read and read even just five minutes today. Just do a little bit of reading every day.Kevin: Well thank you very much for joining us today.Layla: It's my pleasure to be with you in this podcast. I am so happy and thank you for having me and this episode.Kevin: ,Thank you for coming and for everybody else listening, remember on our web page you can join our Whats app group and maybe you can talk to Layla as well, so we'll see you all there and everybody have a great day. See you next time.Jack: Bye bye!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about their favorite holidays, and what makes them so special. Share your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Download a study guide here: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/what-are-your-favorite-holidays/With listener mail from episode 14: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/technology-from-the-80s-and-90s/If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/JackYou are listening to the A-Z English podcast. KevinWelcome to an A-Z English quick chat. We're going to surprise each other with the topic for the day and see where the conversation goes. KevinRemember to check our website for steady guy with vocabulary notes and discussion questions as well as linked to our WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media pages so you can join in the conversation as well. KevinBut Jack what? KevinDo you want to talk about today? KevinWhat's this topic? JackToday I want to talk about favorite holidays so well. KevinAnd cool. JackI know that you're a big fan of of the holidays, the holiday season, and I am 2, but everybody got their like favorite. JackOne you know. JackAnd so I've kind of. JackI would like to use it to share with our listeners what your favorite. JackAmerican Holiday is and why? KevinYeah for holidays, that's interesting. KevinI'm it depends on the holiday for me because actually some holidays like Christmas. KevinI don't really like very much, but that's the and that was not I I Grinch or as screwed. JackAre you a Grinch or Scrooge? KevinIt's just when I was in university, I worked a couple of retail jobs at just like big stores. KevinAnd they just always played Christmas music all day, every day for two months the same the same CD repeated. JackRight, the same 7 songs. JackOver and over again, right. KevinAgain and again and again. KevinAnd I just got really sick of it. KevinIt's just like no more Christmas, but around that same time of year is the American Thanksgiving. KevinAnd that holiday is probably the holiday that I probably the holiday that I miss the most not living in America these days. KevinI'll talk about it a. KevinLittle bit, but what's? KevinWhat's yours first? JackSo mine is a little bit strange because it I don't know if it's technically a holiday, but I'm getting. KevinThings well, that's what you got. JackI'll tell you what it is. JackOK, so I when I was a kid, I loved Halloween. KevinOK, right. JackAnd I still do. JackI I, I still love Halloween. JackI love all the. JackThe icons, you know, like the Jack O Lantern and the witch and the ghosts and Dracula and vampires and zombies and all that sort of stuff. KevinRight. JackI love zombie movies and vampire movies. KevinRight. We talked about that. JackMovies, so I love horror. JackUhm, so for me, I just always loved Halloween. JackNow, in America, Halloween is not a day off from work. JackSo you still have to go to work on Halloween. KevinRight. JackSo it's not technically a holiday, but. KevinThe best. JackIt's something that we celebrate. KevinI think account. JackAnd it kind of, it is kind of like the first holiday of the holiday season which would be Thanksgiving, is in November and Christmas is in December and Halloween starts on. JackOctober 31st. KevinRight. KevinThat is pretty much where, yeah that that holiday season because, it's the three holidays basically in two months, you know end of October. KevinEnd of November. Kevinend of December. KevinJust bumping film all altogether. KevinThat's a a cool one, because it's so different from here in Korea too. KevinIn America, right? KevinLike in America? KevinI mean, people go crazy decorating their homes with so much holiday decorations my dad loves to decorate. KevinLike they would set up this, their whole yard would have, you know, skeletons and witches and light shows and things there's. JackAh, I love when families really get into it like that. JackLike, uh. JackWhat when we were young, what was really exciting for my brother and me was to go to a pumpkin patch, and so we would. KevinOh, OK, cool. JackWe would each pick out a pumpkin, and then we would bring it home. JackAnd then you take all the insides of the pumping out, and then you carve what's called a Jackal Lantern, and that's. JackYou know, you put you, you cut out the eyes and you cut out a nose and a mouth. JackAnd you put a candle inside of it, and at night it looks really cool because it glows with that fandom inside. KevinYeah, I I remember doing that. KevinWhat did you guys do with the pumpkin seeds? JackWe just threw it all in the garbage. JackIt was just like, the smell is not so good.Oh, Oh no. JackAnd I know that. JackI know pumpkin seeds are really quite healthy and you can you can bake them or, yeah, that's smart. KevinThat's what we would do. KevinIt's really simple, like there's. KevinAll the pumpkin guts and I don't remember I. KevinI'm sure my mom just threw that away. KevinShe would like pick all the seeds out. KevinOf it, but she would. KevinJust line, uh, Trey, just with seeds. KevinAnd throw it in the oven and just sprinkle salt over it. KevinSo just salted pumpkin seeds. KevinReally simple. KevinAnd yeah, every year we would we would have just a big tray of pumpkin seeds after making our jack-o'-lanterns. JackI think we were just too lazy to kind of pull the guts apart from the seeds. JackLike it's kind of hard to separate the seeds. KevinYeah, they all stuck together. JackIt's all stuck together, but yeah. KevinI don't remember how my mom did it, but I know she was she. KevinWas the one in charge of Elsa. JackThis is a hard worker, yeah? KevinYes, wait. JackThe yeah and the other thing I like, I like the season. JackMy favorite season is fall and so Halloween comes kind of at the end of fall or right in the middle of fall, I guess. JackAnd the air is kind of in English we say brisk. JackSo it's kind of, that's my favorite temperature. KevinI do love the fall as well. JackI love it. JackYeah, just the. KevinAnd Thanksgiving then is just a couple weeks later, and so it's starting to get a little bit cold. KevinBut it depends on where you live. KevinOf course for me. KevinThanksgiving and Thanksgiving is a holiday. KevinA day off of work, of course. KevinAnd I always loved Thanksgiving because it's just a gathering of friends and family. KevinAnd for us, I have a pretty small family, especially growing up, like my family is spread all over America. KevinSo Thanksgiving, we would actually go over to a family friends house and we would join in their big Thanksgiving. KevinInstead of my family, which is just three people. KevinWe would go and join this big group where there was like 20 people there and we would, you know, there was a ton of food. KevinOf course it's Thanksgiving food, but then also it was really fun because there were all the other kids to play with all the other families, and so we'd all eat and eat and eat a lot. KevinAnd then after, of course. KevinIt was, you know, the parents and the adults would all go and either watch TV or talk or whatever and all the kids we would go up to. KevinOne of the kids rooms at whatever house we were at and we played a lot of video games. KevinI know we talked about that a couple episodes ago. KevinAnd so it was just a really fun day to to gather all together with friends and family. KevinAnd then I did the same when I was in university. KevinActually, because again, Thanksgiving has always been really big for me. KevinAnd when you're in university, you know, some people live or some people, parents, homes. KevinAre quite far from the university town. KevinAnd so sometimes my friends would go home for Thanksgiving, and they'd go back. KevinBut before Thanksgiving, every year, we would do a friendsgiving. KevinAnd so it was all the friends would get together because Thanksgiving Day is for family and so some people would go home. KevinBut before that, like one week before, we have all the friends to come together and everyone would, you know, we're just college students. KevinWe don't have a lot of money. KevinWe don't have a lot of. KevinThey don't have a lot of space, but everyone would do. KevinWe do a potluck. KevinAnd so, you know, I would bring some food and my other friend would bring some food and everyone would bring something and we would all come together and do like a friend Thanksgiving, where we'd all just get together. JackDid you, did you cook? JackA bird like like make for our listeners out there like the most traditional of Thanksgiving. JackFood is the Turkey we yeah, I made a Turkey and did you guys do a Turkey for friendsgiving? KevinSometimes everyone would do something different. KevinThere was almost always someone would do our Turkey, would actually bake the whole Turkey. KevinWhat I I always like to have fun with my friends giving. KevinSo Turkey is still the traditional food for it. KevinBut what I did for my friends giving for two years. KevinIn a row I remember I did different things, though I still did Turkey, but not like the big, you know, full birds cooked in an oven. JackYeah, that's too much for just a few friends, yeah. KevinUhm, yeah. KevinSo what I did though is I would go and just buy some Turkey meat and one year I did Turkey tacos. JackTurkey tacos, OK, yeah. KevinSo it was still Turkey. KevinYou still get that traditional Turkey, but I was like, I'm going to do something different with it. KevinAnd we did Turkey tacos or another year. KevinI did Turkey sandwiches, and so we'd still do like, the cranberry spread, but instead of, you know, just on the plate of Turkey meat and cranberries and things. KevinIt was a Turkey sandwich, basically, so I played with the theme a little bit. JackThat's fun that the Turkey Taco thing is definitely a good representation of where you're from. The SW yeah, you're close to Mexico. So yeah, of course. KevinThat too, yeah. JackMexican food. JackThat kind of fusion with Thanksgiving is a great idea. JackI the thing I remember is the week after Thanksgiving. JackHow many Turkey sandwiches my brother and I would eat because my mom had all of this meat leftover from Thanksgiving? KevinLots of blood fingers. JackYeah, it was just Turkey sandwiches for, like, a week after Thanksgiving. JackYeah, every day. JackYeah, but I loved it. KevinThat was the best part. JackI love Turkey. KevinWhen, yeah, I loved when I a couple years I went to my friend because I was living away from my parents in university, but one of my good friends, he was still living with his. KevinFamily. And so they would invite me to their house for Thanksgiving as again, just big important holiday. And I would love that because as a college student going to my friend's mom house, that mom would make tons of food and always would give me bags and bags of food to take home after I had tons of leftovers. JackAnd then when you're a poor college student, that there's nothing better than free food. KevinOh yeah. KevinThere's nothing better than free food, and I think this is kind of an interesting place to end, and that's something I'd love to talk to or hear from our audience about our listeners. KevinLike one what holiday is important for you and what's your favorite holiday? KevinBut what does your family do on those holidays? KevinAnd is it the same or is it different? KevinFrom other holidays and every family has her own trip. JackThat's right. In every country got its own you know cultural holidays that might not align with the with the US so share, share those two because. Yeah. KevinAnd that. JackVery interested in in lots of different you know stories and lots of different conditions. KevinI think Thanksgiving would be what I'd love to hear because a lot of countries don't have Thanksgiving in the same way, but they have some harvest festival, and that's really what Thanksgiving is. JackDad, right. Yeah, yeah. KevinYou know, here in Korea we've got chalk, and in America we've got Thanksgiving. KevinAnd it's the same idea, but it's so different. KevinBut still, it's getting friends, it's getting family together and food. JackYeah, it's all there's all of its family and food. KevinSo she. JackThose are the two common denominators. KevinThose are the big ones. JackI think they, yeah. JackCut across all the holidays. KevinYeah, yeah. KevinThat's so I'd love to hear what different holidays you have, but also how do you do your holidays?Because, maybe it's different and holidays are fun to talk about. KevinAlways a happy time of year, hopefully. KevinAnd so that's where it's a good topic to to discuss. KevinBut we can go ahead. KevinAnd wrap up with that for today. KevinSo what about listener mail Jack who has who sent in today? JackYes, so we. JackHave, yeah, so we have some listener messages from our listener mail from. JackNikki and I'm I apologize if I. KevinAnd this was actually on our website of course, so you can comment on there. JackYeah, yeah. JackNikki wrote right into the yeah, you can just leave a comment right on our website. JackAnd so she said hi, Kevin and Jack. JackAnd the question was how did you learn to type? JackAnd so that was one of the discussion questions that we had in a recent episode, I believe. KevinThat was from, yeah, quick Chat 14 about our technology discussion, our old technology one. JackThat's right, that's right, Nikki said. JackI learned to type when I studied for two years at university and I started a part time job at that time. JackIn the interview, the first question was, can I use a computer? JackHere, unfortunately, we didn't have a computer in our house. KevinYou don't. JackIt was very difficult to find an Internet cafe in our city. JackFortunately, my father friend worked at the university at the Computer Center, and so Nikki says I asked permission from him to use the computer. KevinOK, nice. JackYeah, he showed me how to turn up, turn on and turn off the computer and then said the best way to learn is just. JackDo it by yourself. JackSo he didn't really help her help Nikki. JackAnd so, uh, but Nikki figured it out and even though it was hard, eventually learned how to type. JackSo there you go. JackThat's a very interesting story. JackAnd yeah, I mean, that's the way you learn things anyway, right? JackIt's just talking about doing it. KevinIt really is. KevinJust start. KevinJust do it. KevinJust get in there and start clicking around. KevinThat's great. KevinWell, thanks for writing it on the website, Nikki. KevinThat's very cool information to have. KevinAnd for everybody, of course, you can please check out our website where we have all of our information. KevinThen of course you can comment right on there, but also remember to check the show notes where you can get links to the website and links to our WhatsApp group where you can come and join the conversation. KevinTell us more. KevinAlso, if you've got the time, it would be great if on Apple Podcast you could go and give us a 5 star review. KevinAnd write a comment about how we're helping you with your English here. KevinSo everybody, thanks for joining in and see you in our chat. JackAlright, bye. Bye.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this special episode of The A to Z English Podcast, we talk with Jonathan from Costa Rica, a dedicated English student and an active member of our Whatsapp group. (Link here: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7)Website Link: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/?p=1739It's a great conversation, so you won't want to miss it!Share your thoughts about today's interview in our Whatsapp group or tell us if you think you have something interesting to talk about. Perhaps you could be our next guest on the podcast!If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Full Transcript: Jonathan from Costa RicaKevin: Welcome to an A to Z English listener interview. Today we're talking with Jonathan Gutierrez who is in Costa Rica and is one of our listeners. And he's going to tell us today about his English learning experience using A to Z English and all of the other sources that he did. So Jonathan, nice to see you. it's night time there right?Jonathan: Okay, it's nice to see you guys. So um thank you for having me here.Kevin: Oh you're welcome. it's great to have you on the show. Jack: Yeah thanks for coming and I appreciate it. Kevin: Yeah it's already evening there. Did you have your dinner tonight?Jonathan: Uh not yet. I just arrived at home a few minutes ago.Kevin: Yeah?Jonathan: I was working today, so I just arrived at home maybe 10 or 15 minutes ago. But it’s okay.Kevin: Well thank you for finding time to join us then for us it's Monday daytime of course time zones are funny, so Jonathan you're in Costa Rica.I’ve never been to Costa Rica though I have had a couple of friends that went there. Actually one of my good friends from university, he and his uh girlfriend at the time, now wife, they went to Costa Rica many years ago, maybe almost 20 years ago and they were teaching English for six months or a year, so I know English education is quite big in Costa Rica. How, where or when did you first start learning English? Was it in schools or did you have a tutor or just the internet or where did you start? Jonathan: Yeah I started when I in high school. Okay so I'm learning a few things in high school. Maybe I don't uh that I feel for example um I love the idiom or stuff like that. Sure maybe a couple years ago that I started to return again to learning English and I joined what's the room with Robin Shaw? So I started my new challenge. I changed my mind because I want um to get a bilingual job and I think I start to practice a little bit more. I forgot all the rules and English grammars. I love vocabulary so it was a little bit insane you know. Maybe not because I forgot so a lot of things um so it was something new for me. Let's start again. They start with uh maybe kids stuff um and it was pretty good. Robin helped me a lot. Kevin: I'm curious. if you said you started again because you forgot everything, I actually I know Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country and I used to speak a little bit of Spanish. I studied Spanish in university. But like you I stopped using it and I totally forgot everything once you started to study again. Was it easier than the first time? Did you start to remember things?Jonathan: Yeah it’s quite something funny because when I’m trying to learn again um I remember oh I remember this but how can we use everything. So I forgot for example um singular verbs, plural, past tense and stuff like that. Yeah so it started again. I practiced a lot um every day and yeah I found a bunch of friends and I tried to do my best every day to learn English and my one of my goals was get bilingual because I am native speaker Spanish speaker all right good yeah. it was a big challenge you know. it was pretty awesome. I was excited to learn again English, so I decided to start again and practice and practice every day. Jack: That's great! Yeah do you use English in your job right now? Jonathan: Yes I’ve been working in a call center for around five months oh nice and is for um I am customer service agent for us company so it's something new for me and I'm taking calls every day for…Jack: So are the people that calling you are they they're Americans then?Jonathan: Yes.Kevin: And I know speaking another language over the phone can sometimes be more difficult than speaking together with a person because you can't see them. You don't know what their facial expressions or what their body is doing. What things have been the hardest for you doing a phone job where you're only listening to people speaking English and Americans have many different styles of English. Some are very fast. Some are very slow. What was what's the hardest thing for you in in your job?Jonathan: All right um I guess that's the listening stuff because when the customer speaks.Kevin: They start to speak and start to speak uh faster right?Jonathan: Faster and you need to get all the information in a few seconds and trying to avoid. Kevin: Do you mean trying umJonathan: Yeah trying I need to improve a lot my listening skills to avoid this kind of situation because it's a customer service job I mean right we need to focus on listening and try to get the best message with the customer and assist the customer and sometimes we can hear um maybe i'll set customers and we need to okay slow down, take it easy and assist the customer.Kevin: Well that sounds like our podcast would be helpful for listening skills. Then so I’m hopeful that we are helping you. There that's great yeah what was the…Jack: Uh could you could you give us an example of maybe like a very challenging phone call or a uh experience that you've had at the call center? Is there one memorable experience? Jonathan: Yeah we got a lot of accents from us so maybe for example when I try to speak uh when a customer uh he got access from example for Texas or um it's so hard to understand but I try to do my best and when decide to speak it faster and faster, it's hard to understand. But I always do my best every day.Jack: Yeah so like a southern Texas accent would be hard to understand but like in eastern in the east uh people speak quite quickly in New York and yeah Massachusetts in that area yeah people speak very fast, very quickly. Jonathan: You got it uh by the way um well our customers are from the east coast uh Massachusetts, Boston, New York and New Jersey yeah and Philadelphia um and I find that listening also can sometimes be more difficult than speaking because there's so many ways to say the same thing and one person says it this way, another person says it a different way and you know one way to say it and so you're correct you know how to do it but they use a different or a different way and so it can be very confusing. It's like oh I know what that means I know what you're saying but I don't know that way of saying it. Yeah all this comes with more and more practice. Kevin: Yeah exactly in the second part is the most important trying to explain the situation with the customer because it's a technical vocabulary so you need to explain some things from to someone that never uses uh technical vocabulary. That's really interesting. You need me to focus uh in something easy right to say to another person that's really interesting because then you are listening to an american a native speaker and you're speaking back to them and you're using words that they don't know so you know more English in some ways than they do. It's just that technical language. What a unique experience to know more English than a native speaker but having to change it for them to understand.Jonathan: Yeah it's a challenge because every day you need to focus on trying to explain yourself something easy about technical vocabulary so maybe it's easy, maybe sometimes it's uh difficult because you need to guess what the customer needs and sometimes it's hard because the customer is trying to explain something and you need to all right. Did you need uh this? You need this all right. I got it and this is the result.Jack: So uh you so you need to practice um your English and you use uh Shaw English and you listen to the A to Z English Podcast but um at your work do you also speak English to your co-workers, your colleagues. Do you practice even though you can both of you speak Spanish as a first language? Do you ever communicate in English with your colleagues just for practice?Jonathan: Yes a few things we need to uh speak English with another uh co-workers or maybe when you need to target another department, it's always speaking English and we always needs to be focused in speaking English together and it's more easy to end of the day for the end of the day. Yeah so when you go to work you basically switch your mind to English. You just say when I’m at work I'm using English and then when I get home I use Spanish.Jack: Is that right?Jonathan: Yeah but it's funny because for me I try to get involved um always in English environment so when I arrive at home I turn on my tv and find um series on Netflix and in English and or are you going to when i'm going to work i'm going to listen to music or listen to your podcast on my cell phone so I trying to always um thinking English, do something in English.Kevin: Cool! That's awesome! Yeah that's more and more practice. So of all of those things that you do the last question I like to ask people that we talk to is if you could give a tip to other listeners, what one thing do you think would be the most useful to practice English? Or what do you do that you think is the most useful? Jonathan: All right for me um I guess um you need to practice every day. It's not my magical poison you know or something like that but the first thing you need to change your mind, uh you need to start to focus in English uh think in English. Uh do exercise practice speak with friends uh maybe international friends is the best way because you never need to speak in another language, just holding in English because if I have a friend here, I can speak Spanish. But for example, if I got a friend on in Malaysia and another person doesn't know anything about the Spanish so you need to focus almost in English.Jack: That’s a nice tip! Kevin: Nice! Well Malaysia is good. We talked to Mei Fong last week, so maybe if you talk to her, then you can practice as well. Yeah but that's a great tip getting your mind around English that's yeah a great thing. Just practice, practice, practice. Jonathan: Yeah a lot of practice and uh one thing, it's helped me a lot, is this shadowing technique.Kevin: Uh shadowing uh yeah watching videos on YouTube and practice is a bit aloud and yeah if you can't practice with a friend, you can still do something alone. Just listen and repeat and listen, repeat it does help. It helps you sound more natural in the language that's really fantastic.Kevin: You sound like you work really hard at your English and we're talking to you here, so it's having good results. Jack: Good job! Absolutely. Yeah thanks a lot Jonathan. We really appreciate it.Kevin: Yeah Jonathan. Thanks for sharing your story with us. It's very cool and now you've got to get some dinner. It's late there. You must be very hungry. Jonathan: Yeah a little bit. Kevin: Nice well thank you for coming and talking to us.Jonathan: Thanks to you guys. I really appreciate it. Jack: It's our pleasure. Kevin: Yyeah have a great evening.Jonathan: Same to you and take care and I hope I'll see you soon again. Kevin: All right thank you.Jack: Thanks Jonathan bye bye. Jonathan: See ya. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Kevin and Jack talk about going to camp as a kid. They share some stories and fun memories of things they did there. Share your answers to the discussion questions in our WhatsApp group chat! https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Website link: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/did-you-go-to-camp/With listener mail from episode 6: https://atozenglishpodcast.com/do-you-have-any-pets/If you could take a minute and complete a short survey about the podcast, we would be very appreciative. You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/HHNnnqU6U8W3DodK8We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.Intro/Outro Music by Eaters:https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/the-astronomers-office/agents-in-coffee-shops/Key Words: Write the definitions of the key words. Dribble:Scrimmage:Camp Counsellor:Certificate:Skull:Discussion Questions:Did you go to summer camp when you were young?What did you do at camp?Describe your favorite activity at camp.Describe your least favorite activity at camp?Full Transcript: Kevin: Welcome to an A to Z English quick chat we're gonna surprise each other with a topic for the day and then see where the conversation goes. Check our website for a study guide with vocabulary notes, discussion questions and more as well as links to our Whatsapp, Facebook pages and other social media where you can join in the conversation. Our topic for today, Jack, I just yesterday I, I finished teaching a kids camp of an English kids camp and it got me thinking about camps that I did when I was a kid and you must have done some camps in school or in summer vacation or winter vacation.Jack: I did a lot of uh, I did summer camps when I was a kid, especially in elementary school. Yeah like a week or two weeks, something like that.Kevin: Oh two weeks. That's quite, that's quite a long one. I don't remember well I guess it depends on the camp. I can think of two that I did when I was young. One was a field trip camp. My school went to an island in California and that was probably pretty short, maybe three nights, three or four nights, yeah that's a pretty short one.Jack: Exactly.Kevin: Yeah, but then I did another. I did a basketball camp when I was in elementary school and that was probably longer. That was probably two or three weeks but that was not sleeping at the camp, you know, I'd go from my home to the school and play basketball and go home every day.Jack: Yeah, I did the same thing in elementary school and middle school. We had a uh, our high school basketball coach would run in a summer basketball camp, but yeah it was only…Kevin: You said you were a basketball player.Jack: Yeah, I played basketball in high school and in college, so um yeah, we would uh, we'd go learn the techniques and then play and then go home, eat dinner, sleep, and then go back again the next day. Basketball all day every day, yeah at that time, basketball all day every day was heaven for me you know. That's all we wanted to do. I mean, we, that's what we did when we couldn't get into the gym. We went to the park and we played basketball. I mean that's all we, that's all we wanted to do.Kevin: Yeah, and how, what did the coaches do to keep it fun for the kids all day. It's not just play basketball, it's not just go go go go go. Like they organized things. I'm sure they you have to organize things.Jack: It's more difficult, the younger, so for the younger kids, um, I think it's more, they can't do as much, so they, it's a lot of like technique and just dribble down, go between the cones, you know just zig zag and then come back and pass the ball to your friend and then that person runs a drill and they zig zag through the cones and then they come back and so it's just a lot of that kind of stuff, very simple games. But when we got older, um, the, all we wanted to do was to uh, I'll use a maybe a new word here for our listeners is scrimmage and scrimmage is a word that means to play a game. But it's not an official game. It's just a practice game so that's all we wanted to do was basically we do all the technique and the practice but what we really want to do is play basketball and play yeah yeah and so that would always come at the end of the day, so in the beginning, you do the annoying hard work stuff and then later as a reward, then you then you get to play, scrimmage, you get to or you get to scrimmage. You get to play games, okay yeah, with each other so that makes sense.Kevin: I mean the camp that I just did was an English camp of course and so they did the kind of similar things. We did the boring class in the morning for the kids you know. Let's learn English and let's listen to the story and blah blah blah but then the afternoon was the fun stuff with the teachers. It was go play a sport or make some pizzas or something you do. Some games, still English, for the kids to practice it's an English camp, but you know, do the boring stuff in the morning and have the fun stuff in in the afternoon before dinner. Did you ever go to any just like fun camps?Jack: I went to a couple summer camps that were just all about fun activities. There was no English. There was no basketball, um, you know. We could play basketball if we wanted to, but they weren't teaching us how to play basketball, and I remember going to one of those camps and that was really fun because we were yeah…Kevin: I want you to tell me a story from one because I can think of one like I said I went to an island in in California with my school when I was it was maybe fifth or sixth grade so like upper elementary school, I don't remember. This was a long time ago of course, but we went to this island with the class and that was just yeah, just a fun camp, and I remember, what do I remember, it was so long ago…I remember we went kayaking which was really cool because we were on an island, and then I remember also doing like a night hike like walking with all of your friends in the night time through the forest and that was really funny because it was kind of scary, and it was very dark, like some people had flashlights. But not everyone, and so I remember we were walking and we would hold hands of the person in front and behind you so that we wouldn't get lost of course because losing a kid in the forest in the dark is bad. Yeah, but we would um, when you're walking, you would have to be careful because there's many things in the forest to fall over, to trip over, yeah and so we would spend…we would send like a message back in the line saying like step up or step down or go right or things to tell the person behind you. Like what's about to happen, but because I was you know a little troublemaker kid sometimes I would just tell the person behind me, step up or step down, even though there was nothing, there's no rock or anything, and so they would almost fall over and then I would laugh and keep walking so that was their teamwork. Uh it was a teamwork exercise, but yeah.Jack You weren't being a very good teammate huh?Kevin: I was breaking the team. Um where did you go? What was your fun camp?Jack: My fun camp was called uh camp Shamineau, and there's a good Native American name because it's named after a lake, yeah.Kevin: Where was this?Jack: Um this is in northern Minnesota, so lots of forests and as I mentioned in one of our earlier podcasts uh Minnesota is famous for its number of lakes. It's called ‘the land of 10000 lakes’ right? There's a lot up there. There are so many lakes, and there's a lot of camps uh that are on you know kind of built on lakes so that you can go, yeah, you could go swimming, and I remember uh there was a there was a uh a challenge. It's called the I swam sham challenge and so okay uh the um… what do you… I'm blanking on the word right now, counselors, the camp counselors, camp counselors yeah.Kevin: Like, high school kids right?Jack: Yeah like high school kids or college kids and we were in elementary school and they would uh, they'd take you on one side of the lake and then they're in a boat and then you swim across the lake and if you make it all the way across the lake without getting into the boat or asking for help or anything, then you get a certificate that says I swam sham and uh so a few of us that were…Kevin: Did you make it?Jack: I made it absolutely. Yes, I was, I'm a strong swimmer. Uh not a, I'm not a particularly fast swimmer, but I very, I'm very familiar with the water, so and comfortable in the water, so for me it was you know, it was pretty easy, but I just remember feeling you know quite proud to have swam or swum across a lake that was pretty cool. So yeah, definitely, and it's something that especially when not all the kids can do it, when some of the kids are going up into the boat and you're like I did it, yeah, they managed to finish. They didn't make it or they're too afraid to try or something, so right, yeah it was kind of a point. It's a good feeling.Kevin: Yeah? Nice. That's very cool. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah. These kids camps are really fun. Swimming across lakes actually reminds me a little bit off topic, one day, I really want to swim across the Han River here in Seoul.Jack: Oh really? Is that something that you can do?Kevin: There's actually, there actually, are people who've done it. I've looked it up before, but you have to choose like when to go because before the rainy season, before it gets crazy, yeah, and under some people say things like that quite dirty and stuff, so, but I think that would be really fun because I love being in the water as well yeahJack: And you're a strong swimmer. That's something that you do as a hobby.Kevin: Yeah, swimming is my exercise, so that's what I would love to get into.Jack: Yeah, um, there's you know, another uh aspect of that camp that I remember was uh the night games.Kevin: Like you did a night hike?Jack: We would play a game called capture the flag. You have two teams and one team has a flag and the other team has a flag and they hide it somewhere in the forest or on the campgrounds and then at night, you have to go and catch the other team's flag. And I remember uh how exciting and scary and fun that was because it kind of kind of feels like you're part of a battle or in kind of a war zone or something like that. So it's a very fun.Kevin: Uh night time that would be really cool to do. Yeah I remember one of our things, I don't remember how it works, but with our night hike, what we did, the reason we did it so dark was because then at the end, we turned off our lights. And you know, um, lifesavers candy? Lkke it's a little like just chewable candy. It's like shaped like a circle. Something that the camp counselors gave us was like mint flavored candies, mint flavored lifesavers and there was something in the mint flavored lifesavers that when you would bite into it, crunch down into it, if your mouth was open it would actually flash like a light.Jack: Yeah?Kevin: And I don't remember how but I just remember this this this activity when I was a kid because all of us, all of our friends got in a big circle and they gave us each a candy and we would all just crunch down on this candy and all of our mouths were just going likeJack: So there's some kind of light or fluorescence like coming?Kevin: There's something in that candy at least there was maybe it was some crazy chemical that was okay in the 1990s and they took it out now but there was there was something in the candy that that made it light up and that was the really exciting part of the trip.Jack: Wow that's a fascinating…I did not expect you to tell that story.Kevin: So I yeah it's something I just remembered, candy, that just remembered.Jack: Yeah that's fascinating.Kevin: Other things those camps are always really fun because you do like science experiments or random things. Another thing actually I that I just remembered we opened up um what are they called owl drop not just owl droppings but like there's a specific word for it where when an owl you know would like eat a mouse or whatever and then they poop it out and it falls to the ground. It's not like normal bird poo where it's just you know like white splattering on your shirt. It's like a small, like it looks like a small piece of dirt but then you can open it up with some tools and inside it there's like a mouse skull and some other bones and things like that so you can see what the owl ate because when owls eat mice, they just basically gulp it whole down and then they digest itJack: But they can't digest the bones.Kevin: So right so then the bones just getting pooped out.Jack: Wow that's yeah those are the things that I really enjoyed about uh you know being in elementary school and going to camps and doing science experiments and you know just uh and playing those games. I don't think I as an adult I don't think I've ever had as much fun and joy as I'd had when I was just a kid you know, and that's what camps do I think is that they just they really bring a lot of joy and happiness to children and I think it's something that you have to that you can you can't really hold on to as you get older and…Kevin: So yeah, and there's definitely a lot of memories that the kids make, especially if it's one where you're staying there for two, three, four nights or longer. And I think you know like a good place to wrap up for here when I was just finishing these camps with these kids. At the last day of camp, some of the kids are really emotional. I got kind of emotional. Like you've been spending you know a week just with these same group of kids all day and then these kids also are with me, the teacher, but more so with our camp counselors. And some of the kids were really sad to go home they were like I'm gonna miss you teacher and especially to those who like, I'm the teacher you know, so I'm happy, I'm having fun of course but the counselors, they're like teacher slash friend and so some of the kids were really sad to go home because they really made strong memories and some good friends and hopefully, they had a lot of fun at our camp and hopefully they'll come back.Jack: Yeah, when I went to camp Shamineau, I just, I'll this would be my last statement here, but I cried twice: I cried the first day because I was going to miss my parents and I was feeling homesick, and I cried on the last day of camp because I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to…Kevin: Yeah, that's so, that sounds like a pretty perfect camp experience where you're nervous to go but then you have so much fun that you don't want to leave, that you just want to stay there to last forever. Yeah, nice that's, great yeah, camps are fun and I would love to hear what kind of camps our listeners are doing out there in other parts of the world, you know, what are they learning? What are they doing? What kind of activities do you do in camps or what memories do you have?Jack: Yeah, tell us about those.Kevin: for sure, yeah, it's a fun a fun thing to relive that that happy part of your life when you were a kid or it was just all fun and games. But nice! So, for today though to wrap up I know we've got some listener mail from a couple of our previous episodes so what have, we got for today, Jack, yeah so we have uh some discussion question answers from Anna Maria and Anna Maria is from Colombia and this one was about pets. And the question was, “Do you have a pet?” And Anna Maria says yes. She has a dog named Tomate which, help me out Kevin, is that uh tomato and…Kevin: I think that is. I think that is tomato.Jack: Yeah, okay, so her dog is Tomato.Kevin: That is a cute name for a dog.Jack: I agree. And the second question was, “Is uh is your dog a good watchdog?” And a watchdog is like a protector, and she says uh yes, he barks a lot when a stranger is close to my house and he's always alert with strangers, so she actually feels safer uh having Tomate you know in her life in uh in her apartment or in her house so I think that's uh that's pretty cool. So, we'll give a shout out to uh Anna Maria and Tomate.Kevin: Nice, and the pets episode, that was our Quick Chat number six for anyone else who wants to go back and check that one out, so yeah, pets are pets are great. Tomate I love I love the name yeah.Jack: I love different dog and pets. It's fun to hear the different names that people give their dogs around, especially in other parts of the world. It's really interesting.Kevin: Yeah yeah yeah, definitely some names here in Korea are like normal people names and some names are just totally random.Jack: If you name your dog Frank, uh it's not, it doesn't really uh you know doesn't capture that.Kevin: I don't know any Frank dogs. That's a bit funny, but anyway, that was a great one, so thanks Anna Maria and everybody, well thanks for tuning in. Please remember to leave us a review if you can on Apple Podcasts and a five-star rating. That would be, that would be super helpful and also you can check our Whatsapp group. It's linked on the webpage or down in the show notes where you can come and join us in the conversation, so we'll talk to you there have a good one all right.Jack: Bye bye!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy