Afleveringen
-
Do you make New Yearâs Resolutions? Today we discuss the kinds of resolutions we make, and discuss tips on how to keep them. Learn what a SMART goal is, and learn the idioms and interesting vocabulary words we use when speaking: âto be on to somethingâ, âflip on its headâ, âjust in the nick of timeâ, âdown to the wireâ, âwent by the waysideâ, and more!
-
Today we talk about the best present weâve ever gotten, and define interesting words, terms, and phrases that come up in natural conversation. Learn the phrases âfreaking outâ, âbig dealâ, âto be up to itâ, ânailed itâ, âstand outâ, âadd upâ, the difference between âimplodeâ and âexplodeâ, and more!
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
David and I ask each other questions to get the conversation going â then we stop when we use an idiom, phrasal verb, or challenging vocabulary word and explain it. Youâll learn and these words and phrases because you heard them in context! Some of the phrases we discuss this week: to roll with something, under your belt, to be caught off guard, amped, back pedal.
-
When we were in Italy recently, we often struggled with knowing the polite way to phrase a request or ask for something. We could get the point across, but we lacked nuance with the language. Today we discuss phrases you can use to be polite in American English, like, âwould you be able to tell me if you have ___â, or âweâre ready for the check, when you get the chance.â
-
Today we listen to a conversation that we recorded in Italy with my sister- and brother-in-law as we discuss what it means to be in another country, trying to speak a new language. We talk about leaving your whole self behind to try to embody the new language, not just 'learn an accent'. We also talk about how your personality might be affecting how well you're absorbing English as you study among native speakers.
-
Today we study casual English conversation as David and I ask each other questions like: Think back 10 years. What's something that has changed about your personality? As we speak, we pick out the phrasal verbs, idioms, and interesting vocabulary words that come up naturally in conversation. This includes: the phrasal verb 'tuck away', the term 'byob', the phrase 'guilty pleasure', 'come along for the ride', and more.
-
Today David and I ask each other a series of questions to get the conversation going. Then we stop ourselves as idioms, phrasal verbs, or interesting vocabulary words come up in conversation. A sample of what is covered: meaning of âeconomically depressedâ, what preposition to use with âproudâ, the phrase âhaving said thatâ, the terms âintrovertâ and âextrovertâ, the idiom âgreen thumbâ, and much more.
-
Today we do a deep-dive into the American English diphthongs. How many are there, and why doesnât everyone agree with the number? We discuss the different spellings of the diphthongs, as well as the benefits of studying mouth positions. Rachel talks about the EW as in FEW diphthong, and how sometimes itâs not a diphthong.
-
Today David and I ask each other a series of questions to get the conversation going, then we stop ourselves as idioms, phrasal verbs, or interesting vocabulary words come up in conversation. A sample of what is covered: idiom âstuck between a rock and a hard placeâ, phrasal verb âto draw outâ, and what is Teflon? We ask each other these questions: Name an embarrassing moment youâve had as an adult, whatâs one thing youâd like to change about yourself, whatâs one thing you love about yourself, and whatâs the best job youâve ever had?
-
David and I sit down with Butler University professor Brooke Kandel-Cisco to discuss teaching English as a Second Language. We talk about the standards for teaching non-native students in the US and how to dig beneath the surface on the culture of other countries, as well as what makes an excellent ESL teacher.
-
This weekâs episode is a companion to the vocabulary builder video published on YouTube and the website. We discuss more complicated family relationships as well as lots of idioms that use family relationship words like âmotherâ. Do you know what the phrase âmother lodeâ means? What about âgrandfather clauseâ? Listen here and learn!
-
In Part 2 of the Vowels series, we discuss the remaining vowels in English: EH [É], UR [É], OO [u], UH [Ê], another UH [Ê], and the Schwa [É]. We discuss one of the main differences between British and American English (the [É] sound), and Rachel's love of Christmas music.
-
David and I discuss five of the 11 vowels of American English, and go over the various ways each sound can be spelled. This leads to discussions of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and spelling bees (David won his school spelling bee!). The idioms 'rule of thumb' and 'off the top of my head' come up in conversation. Vowels covered: AH [É], AW [É], AA [ĂŠ], EE [i], IH [ÉȘ].
-
In this episode, I interview stroke survivor Dave Valiulis. There's a lot to learn about mastering an accent from someone who had to relearn a language as an adult. Dave gives great tips for retraining the muscle memory and discusses important issues for non-native speakers, like how to remember vocabulary words and how to participate in a group conversation.
- Laat meer zien
