Episodi
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Do you get frustrated with the need to learn three different words to describe the same thing in English? Do we really need all of these varieties? What actually is the point, the benefit, of having 10 ways to describe rain? Or 100 ways to describe how you feel?In this episode I'll read a short excerpt from George Orwell's 1984. This book is a dystopia novel, so darkness is kind of the point! He's trying to show us what the worst case scenario might look like, so we can avoid it. Through this reading you can see one possible idea of what English (or potentially any language) would or could look like if we remove it's variety, if we take out all the antonyms and synonyms, what's left? And would it really matter?In this episode I mention two other episodes you can check out. Episode 180 International Influences On The English Language - Talks about the influences of Viking, Indian and African languages on English.https://youtu.be/YatbgD9YfswEpisode 179 Why Is English Spelling So Hard?😱 - Looks at the historical roots of some of English's weird spelling.https://youtu.be/4MWFHnoVnt8I also mentioned a recent video by linguist creator Rob Words called 'Tracing English back as far as possible'. This video uses maps and work by current and historical linguists to identify the potential mother of English and what similarities we can find between English and other languages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeAx3QZ7eRsI hope you find this episode interesting and it helps you feel a little less frustrated with the diversity and variety in English. It's frustrating to learn, but that diversity is definitely also a strength. Think about how you might use English to express yourself differently to how you might express yourself in your own language.See you next time.
Vocabulary
Purloin - steal something
Linguistic - the study of languages
Sanskrit - an ancient (still used) language in India
Examine - to look at closely
Proto Indo European - The linguistic name of one of the proposed earliest languages
Incidentally - by the way, used to add more information
Dystopian - fictional story genre with end of the world types of stories
Authoritarian - a form of government that has absolute power over the people
Excerpt - a short piece of something, usually reading from a book
Audacity - bold or arrogant disregard for normal behaviour
Infuriating - to make you very angry
Relevant - connected to something or a context related to our conversation or topic
Definitive - complete and final
Cut down to the bone - idiom - something is reduced as far as it can be.
Obsolete - out of date, no longer in use
Wastage - the process of losing or destroying something
Synonym - words with the same meanings
Antonym - words with opposite meanings
Vague - unclear or undefined
Afterthought - something that we add later
Lack of enthusiasm - not having excitement for something
Thought Crime - this and words like 'New Speak' are vocabulary invented in the book. Thought Crime defines the idea that you can be guilty of a crime just for thinking differently to how the government wants you to think
Rigidly - without flexibility
Subsidiary - less important but related to something
Self-Discipline - to have self-control
Revolution - the act of rising up against an organisation or government and changing it
Literature - the poems, books and words that make up the stories we read, often used for 'great' or 'classical' works
Slogan - a group of words used to sell an idea
Abolished - to destroy completely, usually for organisations, ideas and laws
Orthodoxy - authorised theory, doctrine or practise
Far-right - often related to authoritarian ideas, often describes people who are against immigrants, choice and freedom
Mainstream - commonly in use by the general public
Woke - aware of important facts (especially around racism)
Eradicate - to get rid of completely
Radical - asking for complete change
Inflict - to cause pain or discomfort to someone else
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Welcome back to the channel! In this episode I answer a learner question: how do I speak English well at a conference?In this episode we'll dive into why speaking English in stressful environments or situations is so challenging. Why is your English so impossible to use right when you need it? Is there anything to be done about it? If you can't practise your English in these situations, then what should you do?No worries, I have answers for all these questions. Sorry, I was a little excited to be back so I did go pretty fast and my British accent is in full force! Hope it's OK. Any additional questions, pop them in the comments! (We now have comments on Podcasts! Exciting!)See you next time.#emmaseslenglish #englishpodcast #englishspeaking #confidence #publicspeaking
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Episodi mancanti?
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Just a quick update for everyone, I know it's been a while. I haven't disappeared, but I have been busy. There will be new episodes uploaded here, but they will be rather random. If you'd like me to cover anything you're always welcome to let me know via email: [email protected] I'm also opening up all the previous episodes on YouTube so you can access those whenever you want.
https://www.youtube.com/@emmaseslenglishThe website has gone but all the vocabulary has been moved into the descriptions on the videos and I will continue doing that going forward. Hope to see you soon. Hope everything has been OK with you while I was gone.
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In this week's celebration of Pride we have an episode about the history of LGBTQ history in the UK. Unfortunately we do seem to be going backwards in the UK and America at the moment, especially regarding Trans rights, but as we will find out, Trans people have been with us all through time. I mentioned yesterday several Influencers you can follow to increase your understanding on this and other LGBTQIA issues. In particular Alok's Book Reports, which you can find on their Instagram page, are a great way to find out more easily. In this episode I quote Alok from an interview he did on the Man Enough podcast. You can find that episode here: https://manenough.com/alok/
Vocabulary
Swathe - a large amount of something, usually land or history
Heteronormative - The European Institute for Gender Equality defines this as: 'what makes heterosexuality seem coherent, natural and privileged. It involves the assumption that everyone is 'naturally' heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is an ideal, superior to homosexuality or bisexuality.'
Police started cracking down - to crack down is a phrasal verb meaning to stop something, usually to prevent some kind of crime.
Seems short sighted - a common idiom meaning something seems like a stupid idea in the long run, or taking the future into account.
Stuck around - if something sticks around (phrasal verb) then it lasts for some time or doesn't go away. We can use this for laws, ideas and people.
Rhetoric - from the dictionary: language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.
Intersex - describing people who have the sexual organs of both male and female parts.Mental/Physical construct - this means that something is just an idea, a concept created by a person or society, it is not factual or scientific.
Key takeaway - the most important thing
Decriminalised - something that was considered illegal, but the law has been changed and it is no longer considered illegal.
Reassignment Surgery - this is one of the surgeries that Trans people can undergo.
Trans Scene - 'scene' can be used to describe the places where the specific group of people hang out
Trans - Short for Transgender, a term used to describe someone who is born with a body with the wrong physical representation compared to what they feel is true for them.
Nonbinary - someone who identifies as either male or female - There are many terms for nonbinary people and many different pronouns they may choose to use, it's best to ask them what they prefer.
Declassified - similar to decriminalised this is when something was historically decided to fit into a particular category and with later science and social evolution is no longer considered to be in that category.
Repealed - When a law or action is taken back. In most cases this is similar to decriminalisation, except that decriminalisation means the act is no longer criminal, where as repealed means that the law that said it was a criminal act has been taken out of the code of law and is no longer active.
Binary - this refers to something that has two parts
Not standing for - We have two very similar idioms: 'to stand for' something means that you believe strongly in something and you will protect and represent it. 'to not stand for' something means that you won't put up with or allow something to continue.
Persecuted - when someone experiences hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation or their political beliefs.
Compassion - when we have empathy and care for people.
Hit me hard - means something had a big impact on you.
Put people in boxes - the idea of 'putting in a box' describes humanity's need to categories everyone and everything to make it understandable.
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Today we're studying a confusing English word: 'overwhelm'. This is a very over-used word, so the most important thing to understand is that as long as you're using it to describe something that's 'too much', you're probably using it correctly.
First of all, the website I suggested was called YouGlish. It's really handy for seeing how words are used naturally. https://youglish.com/
As I mentioned I had two sets of definitions for 'Overwhelm' in this class the first from Cambridge English (which is a little more thorough) and covers the British and American uses. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/overwhelm And
Dictionary.comhttps://www.dictionary.com/browse/overwhelm
So the definitions I had were:
to bury or drown beneath a huge mass of something (often water) to defeat someone or something by force to have a strong emotional effect on to cause someone to feel a sudden strong emotion to be too much to deal withAs you can see, in general, the definition is 'too much' of something.
Example Sentences
The port was overwhelmed by the tidal wave.
Definition 1, literally drowning.
The rebellion was overwhelmed by the Empire.
Definition 2, too much force and power.
The battle was overwhelming for the troops.
Could be definition 3, could be 5. We need the rest of the context.
The grief was overwhelming.
Definition 3.
He felt overwhelmed by grief/with grief.
Definition 4.
He felt overwhelming grief.
Definition 5
He felt overwhelm.
Definition 5. American.
I hope that's helpful. I doubt it's cleared anything up much, but hopefully you can see how widely 'overwhelm' is used and can now identify some of the definitions in action.
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In today's episode we're looking at the website TED.com. ...well, I'm talking about it, you can go look at it! 😉
I'll teach you:1. How to navigate the website to get to the most useful part for your English2. How to use what we learned in Ep 152 (Learning Plans) together with the TED.Ed class to make the most of their videos3. How to make the most of each of the sections you'll find in TED.Ed videos so you're really practising all the different skills.
There isn't any difficult vocabulary in today's episode so instead I'll just give you the links to the website as discussed in the video.
Go to TED.com
On your phone you can use the search bar to find 'watch', if you're on a computer you can see 'watch' in the top right-hand banner.
Scroll down and click on TED-ED
On your phone just click 'Explore'. On a computer find 'Explore Ted-Ed' on the right-hand side.
Click 'Students Start Here' https://ed.ted.com/
Filter your choices or click the 'all subjects' button to see all the options.
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-meaning-of-life-according-to-simone-de-beauvoir-iseult-gillespie
This was my option.
On your phone the different tabs I discussed (Think, Dig Deeper and Discuss) are underneath the video. On the computer they're on the right.
I hope you find this helpful! There's so many things to listen to and learn on TED, so you'll never run out of ideas. #emmaseslenglish #englishpodcast #english #learnenglish #ted #teded -
A while ago I was talking to a Taiwanese student and he said 'I'll leave it for my future self to handle'. We talked for a while about this, I loved the idea but couldn't think about how to say this in English.
In the end I've had to accept that we just don't have anything like this in English. Instead, today I'll share with you lots of different common phrases we do use to talk about the future. I hope you find them useful.
And one bonus phrase is 'Don't your chickens'. The full phrase is 'don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched'. It means don't get excited about a future that hasn't arrived yet. I'm starting to realise that English people are quite pessimistic...perhaps it's all the rain!
Blog entry:
Saving money for the future:
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. - take care of the small things, or don't forget to save small change.
Save for a rainy day - save for the bad times.
When we're resigned to the future, we accept that we have no control over it. We might say:
What will be will be
Tomorrow is another day
Only time will tell
All of these mean 'we just have to wait and see what happens, there's nothing else I can do.'
Americans say, 'I'll have to take a rain check.' We don't have this in the UK. It means 'I need to reschedule.'
One of the commenters on YouTube told me this idiom originally came from a real check, or slip of paper that you would receive if an event was postponed because of rain. It meant your ticket would still be valid in the future.
Sometimes we're predicting or expecting something from the future:
It's a sign of things to come. - an ominous announcement that what is happening now is an indication of what will happen later
I think you're getting ahead of yourself - you're getting too excited about something in the future and it might not happen, so you should calm down and manage your expectations.
I'm counting the days until Christmas - You're looking forward to something
Bonus: I think we're jumping the gun - idiom that means the same as 'getting ahead of yourself'.
Something you do now will have an impact on the future:
You reap what you sow
What goes around comes around
Karma's a bitch!
All of these means that if you do something bad now something bad will come back to you later.
Vocabulary
encompasses - to include or be related to
the first thing that struck me about this - idiom meaning 'that was interesting to me' or 'that I noticed' about this thing
explicitly - in detail and clearly
We're just resigned to the future - to be resigned to something means you don't think you can change it. It's going to happen no matter what.
this one hasn't caught on - phrasal verb meaning something hasn't become popular
ominous - something that suggests bad things are going to happen in the future
manage their expectations - to reduce someone's expectations and make them more realistic
in true Christian fashion - 'in true ___ fashion' is a phrase that can be applied to a person or thing that suggests that is the most normal thing for them or the most likely way we can expect them to behave.
neutrality - something is neither good or bad or you are on nobody's side
cynicism - a negativity or pessimism about everything
project us into the future - project means to push something forward, usually an image
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'Quite' is such a common word in English. As you'll see from my closing statement, it's even possible to put it in almost every sentence! So what do all these 'quite's mean? Don't worry, I've got your back.
Today we're learning all the different ways you can use 'quite' correctly in a sentence. I'll give you some examples and show you some mistakes.
I've tried my hardest to keep it simple, but as always, English is just confusing!
From the blog:
Gradable or not? How to use Quite:
This is the first thing to decide. If something is gradable, then we can use 'quite' before it to mean 'fairly' or 'rather'.
I'm quite busy.
I quite like Chinese food.
It can be quite contradictory.
It's quite a common word.
It can be used in quite different ways.
If something is not gradable then using quite emphasises the extremity and means 'completely' or 'totally'.
She's quite amazing.
It's quite impossible for you to come for dinner.
I think that's quite enough!
We can use 'quite' with a noun, but remember the article. Again if it's gradable it means 'fairly' or 'rather'.
I've had quite a nice day today.
I read quite an interesting book last week.
We can use it before 'the' to get 'exactly' or 'completely'.
You got everything quite the wrong way round.
You're doing quite the opposite to what I told you to do.
It's quite he perfect thing.
We don't often use quite with comparisons. But if we use it with 'similar' it means 'fairly similar:
The twins have quite similar personalities.
And if we use it with 'different' it means very 'different'.
My brother and I have quite different personalities.
'Not quite' or the negative is used to mean 'not completely' or 'not exactly'.
I haven't got quite enough votes.
She's not quite ready.
We can use 'quite' to soften something and make it more polite.
He's quite angry isn't he.
I haven't quite finished the project.
Be careful to use alternative measure or counting words when they make more sense or make your meaning clearer:
It's almost the perfect thing.
It's almost time.
It's nearly the perfect thing.
It's nearly time.
Additional Vocabulary
Today we're going back to our roots - idiom - means we're going back to where things started or back to where our ancestors came from
contradictory - different or opposed to what we think or expect or what someone says
gradable - can be a little, a lot or anything in between
inconsistent - changes often or all the time
opposed to - opposite to
reinforcing - to make something stronger
time is finite - there is a limit to it, it doesn't last forever
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Yesterday I read from Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men, today let's take a look at the vocabulary.
Luckily the vocabulary in this episode is much much easier than last week's Jane Eyre! But we do have some little blue men, who speak in a Glaswegian accent and are very hard to understand and we do have some tricky phrasal verbs.
In this episode I also mentioned the podcast Terry's daughter recently made for the BBC. It's called Mythical Creatures and you can find it on most podcast providers. I'll put the Spotify Link below.
https://open.spotify.com/show/67sXrKUOZSbNi5dN2NrgLE?si=43137db34414456a
I hope you found this week's episodes fun.
From the blog:
This is one of my favourite books and the very first Discworld novel I ever read. It is The Wee Free Men and is the first appearance of young witch Tiffany Aching. You might of heard of Tiffany before, she was appeared in the Wintersmith story I read last year. (Episode 79 & 80)
Episode 79, Part 1: https://youtu.be/CKwwxL8p8hw
Episode 80 Part 2: https://youtu.be/kuwB08Uajbo
Vocabulary
Sticky - when you've eaten too many sweets and your fingers stick together
Tiffany was going to be a hard name to live up to - 'to live up to' is a phrase meaning you should try to reach someone's expectations
Susurrus - a quiet whispering sound that suggests something is about to happen
Crivens, Gang awa oot o here ye daft wee hinny! 'Ware the green heid! - Crivens is a sort of swear word. Then they say 'go away out of here you silly girl! Beware of the green head!'
Nae time for fishin' The green heid's comin' - No time for fishing, the green head's coming.
Let's Offski! -Let's Go!
Gulping - taking big swallows of air or liquid
Dark Delight - when you shouldn't really be happy, but you're secretly very happy
Plunging - disappearing quickly and deeply into water
Absent-mindedly - without thinking
Sloshing - liquid moving around vigorously
Ridiculous - something very stupid or silly
Taken up - when you shorten some clothing
Taken in - when you make some clothing smaller
Taken down - when you lengthen some clothing
Taken out - when you make some clothing bigger
Taken away - when you remove something from someone
Skittering - a jerky jumpy movement
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This week on the podcast we have another reading episode. This is one of my favourite books and the very first Discworld novel I ever read. It is The Wee Free Men and is the first appearance of young witch Tiffany Aching. I chose this excerpt especially because of a delightful collection of phrasal verbs towards the end.
There are some unusual creatures in the story, but don't worry, I will explain all of the vocabulary in Episode 203. I hope you enjoy the story.
From the blog:
You might of heard of Tiffany before, she was appeared in the Wintersmith story I read last year. (Episode 79 & 80)
Episode 79, Part 1: https://youtu.be/CKwwxL8p8hw
Episode 80 Part 2: https://youtu.be/kuwB08Uajbo
Vocabulary
Sticky - when you've eaten too many sweets and your fingers stick together
Tiffany was going to be a hard name to live up to - 'to live up to' is a phrase meaning you should try to reach someone's expectations
Susurrus - a quiet whispering sound that suggests something is about to happen
Crivens, Gang awa oot o here ye daft wee hinny! 'Ware the green heid! - Crivens is a sort of swear word. Then they say 'go away out of here you silly girl! Beware of the green head!'
Nae time for fishin' The green heid's comin' - No time for fishing, the green head's coming.
Let's Offski! -Let's Go!
Gulping - taking big swallows of air or liquid
Dark Delight - when you shouldn't really be happy, but you're secretly very happy
Plunging - disappearing quickly and deeply into water
Absent-mindedly - without thinking
Sloshing - liquid moving around vigorously
Ridiculous - something very stupid or silly
Taken up - when you shorten some clothing
Taken in - when you make some clothing smaller
Taken down - when you lengthen some clothing
Taken out - when you make some clothing bigger
Taken away - when you remove something from someone
Skittering - a jerky jumpy movement
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Thank you so much to all my podcast listeners, I didn't mention you much in the video, but this is where it all started. I know you have been listening long before I started understanding how to work YouTube!
I watched my stats on here go up and was amazed that people found my videos useful. Sadly the platforms don't really give us much opportunity to connect but I can see the numbers behind the scenes and I was paying attention.
As I mentioned in the video, the plan is to finish the podcast at the end of February and to start closing down this channel and the YouTube channel by the second week in March. The website will only be open for the first week in March, due to my subscription there.
If you would like to download episodes or copy and paste blog posts and vocabulary from episodes please do that. Remember you can find everything on the blog at: www.emmaseslenglish.com/blog
It's fully searchable so just search the episode number and you should find what you're looking for.
I won't be using this channel for my new business, simply because there is a limit to how many places I can make content for and keep track of.
Thank you so much for your support and time over the last few years. I really hope my content has been fun, supportive and useful for you. I wish you all the best for the future and hope your studies in English bring you everything you hope for.
See you next week
Emma
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Yesterday I read a famous scene from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Today let's review the vocabulary and meaning of some of the conversation. I'm particularly interested in the part about 'You think I am an automaton, a machine without feelings.' Let me give you a little historical timeline:British Industrial revolution 1760-1830Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was released 1818Jane Eyre was released 1847So the industrial revolution had been going on for almost a hundred years at this point. Certainly there were machines and Charlotte Bronte would have seen them. She did live in the countryside, but she also had some experience travelling, she travelled and lived in Brussels and she travelled to London to stay with her writer friend Elizabeth Gaskell, so she would have seen machines. However, this idea of an 'automaton' is much more likely to have come from Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein. This book is widely recognised as the invention of Science Fiction. Charlotte and her sisters would definitely have read it. Although Mary originally published the book anonymously, sometime after 1821 the Bronte's would have found out the writer was a woman and they were probably very excited and inspired by Mary Shelley, who lived quite an unusual and exciting live and whose mother is widely recognised as one of the founders of modern feminism. So, it's very likely that this word 'automaton' and this idea of a machine without a heart comes from Frankenstein.I think it's very cool to think about these historical writers, who would have inspired them and who were their friends. How did they connect their stories to the cultural stories of the time?#englishpodcast #englishlisteningpractice #janeeyre #charlottebrontë
Vocabulary continued from Episode 200
'Trampled on' - To be stepped on or treated badly
'Glimpse of Communion' - Remember 'communion' means having a deep conversation so she's seen a little bit of having good conversations.
'What I reverence' - something we deeply respect
'Automaton' - Something that doesn't think or have a heart
'Morsel' - A small amount
'Snatched' - taken forcefully
'Dashed' - knocked from your hand
'through the medium of custom, conventionalities or even mortal flesh' - She recognises that what she's saying goes against what's normal in their positions, in society and even as man and woman.
'Passed through the grave and stood at God's feet' - At this point British people were still very religious so she's talking here of them dying and going to heaven, and there she believes they are equal.
I would scorn such a union - Scorn means to hate and
don't struggle so, like a wild, frantic bird that is rending its own plumage in desperation - this means to pull out the birds feathers
I am no bird and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will - ensnare means to catch in a trap and 'independent will', means she has her own mind and makes her own decisions.
which I will now exert to leave you - she's now going to use her own will to leave him
farce - a play or a joke
little sceptic - someone who is always suspicious and doesn't believe what they're told
'What me? I ejaculated, beginning in his earnestness and especially in his incivility, to credit his sincerity' - I said, starting to believe he was telling the truth (sincerity) because he seemed so honest (earnest) and he was starting to get annoyed (incivility).
Countenance - just means facial expression.
'I do. And if an oath is necessary to satisfy you, I swear it.' - oath is a promise
God pardon me. He subjoined ere long and man meddle not with me. I have her, and I will hold her.
'Subjoined' - to say at the end of something else, so this is an extra thing he's saying, not so much to her, but to the world or universe.
'ere long' - before long
'meddle not' - don't interfere, don't get in my way
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This week, the day before Valentine's day, I'm reading from the grand romantic story, Jane Eyre.
This little bit is from the moment Mr Rochester proposes to Jane. She doesn't believe him at first. Not surprising, he's been flirting with another woman openly in front of Jane for months! But eventually he convinces her that he is telling the truth. He does want to marry her.
This story, and many of the Bronte Sister's stories are some of the first and best examples of published books, famous and successful during the author's lifetime, that were written by women (although readers didn't know that at the time - all the Bronte books were published under pseudonyms).
The Bronte's stories were shocking and exciting to people 176 years ago and are still selling today. Jane Eyre is perhaps the most famous of all. It showed the inequality of the time; Jane is lower than Mr Rochester in social standing, money, birth, she has no family, no power, no influence, even worse, she is of the servant class. But they love each other.
It is the ultimate 'love conquers all' story.
Jane Eyre Vocabulary
Struck cold to my heart - fills me with fear and makes me sad
And the thought of all the brine and foam destined, it seemed, to rush between me and the master - the thought of the sea between them
the wider ocean of wealth, caste, custom. - they are separated by society, he is richer than her, he is higher in society and she is a single woman from a bad background
On the eve of separation - eve is short for evening, so this means the night before
Shining life up in heaven yonder - yonder is old fashioned English, it means 'over there' but we don't use it anymore.
Are you anything akin to me, do you think, Jane? - akin means family, in this case are we thinking the same way, are we both upset to be separated?
I have this queer feeling with regard to you, especially when you are near to me, as now. It is if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and extricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel and 200 miles of land or so came broad between us, I'm a afraid that cord of communion will be snapped. And then I have a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly.
Extricably - comes from 'extricated' meaning to free something. This is not a word we would use in this form now. You are much more liked to hear 'extricated' or 'inextricably' which means something that is impossible to disentangle. So, in fact, in modern English we could be more likely to say 'inextricably knotted'.
'Quarter of your little frame' - part of your bodyBoisterous - full of energy
'Came broad between us' - this is a shipping term, it just means that the sea would be between them.
'Cord of communion' - These days most native English speakers associate 'communion' with a Christian ritual, however it does also mean 'exchanging deep thoughts and feelings'. In this case he is saying that the connection they have built with their deep conversations will break.
'Nervous notion' - just means he has a worrying idea or thought
She sobbed convulsively - moving our body
I was obliged to yield and I was shaken from head to foot with acute distress. When I did speak, it was only to impress an impetuous wish that I had never been born or never come to Thornfield.
'Acute' - specific and focused
'Impetuous' - to say something without thinking
The vehemence of emotions - strength of emotions
'I have not been trampled on. I have not been petrified. I have not been buried with inferior minds, and excluded from every glimpse of communion with what is bright and energetic and high. I've talked face to face with what I reverence. with what I delight in, with an original and vigorous and expanded mind. I have known you, Mr. Rochester'.
Vocabulary continued on Episode 201 Description
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This week we are talking about the Beatles very first trip to America. This tour was short but soon followed by one of the most famous and groundbreaking tours of the time in music. At this point the Beatles were new to America, only known for a matter of months, and yet already they had a number one hit. In this episode we'll learn about how they got so famous so fast and what technological and historical things impacted their rise to fame.This week was a great opportunity to explore some common vocabulary for discussing music icons and extremely famous people and situations.#englishpodcast #englishlisteningpractice #thebeatles #america #beatlesmania
From the blog:
Vocabulary
synonymous - something that we think of as going together
meteoric rise to fame - a swift and fast rise to fame
arduous - uncomfortable and difficult
phenomenon - something we can't explain and don't know how it happened
Fab Four - A common nickname for the band
made the Beatles household names - 'household names' is an idiom that means someone or something becomes so famous that everyone knows their name.
Beatles mania - this is another common phrase used to describe the uncommon fame that accompanied the Beatles.
taken America by storm - idiom - if somewhere is 'taken by storm' then it means is very successful and everyone likes it
setting teenage hearts aflutter - we can also use 'fluttering'. 'Aflutter' and 'fluttering' describe the excitement of a new crush.
banned - not allowed to go somewhere
indecent - not accepted by society - at this time it was especially the religious society that were against Elvis and Rock and Roll generally.
crushes and stampedes - Stampede is when a herd of animals runs somewhere all together, it describes a mass movement without thought.
the music was drowned out - this phrasal verb means that one thing, the screams, is too loud to hear the other thing, the music.
reverberates - to echo around somewhere
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This week we are finally completing our series on Interview English. You can find all of these episodes in the Business English Playlist.
This time we're talking about the etiquette and cultural expectations at interview. The most important thing I want you to understand is that having English as a second language is a strength and something you should be proud of.
Many native English speakers never learn a second language to the level you have already acquired if you're listening to this. So be proud of your achievement. If you can understand this video then you should DEFINITELY apply for that job! You have the added bonus of a wider cultural knowledge and being multi-lingual, these are very useful skills to your new bosses. So celebrate it!
I wish you all the best in your job search.
#emmaseslenglish #englishpodcast #englishtips #interviewenglish #interviewtips
From the blog:
Vocabulary
Attire - the clothes you wear
Dress code - the expected clothing for a situation or event, for example a wedding may have a dress code.
Dress conservatively - this means you're not wearing anything too revealing, like you might wear for a party or to go clubbing, or on holiday.
Flashy - something that is expensive and obviously so
you will stick out - idiom - meaning you are very obvious and noticeable
punctuality - being on time
Slouching - sitting with your back bent, not sitting up straight
fidgeting - moving around constantly, sometimes moving in your seat, often moving your hands.
Nuance - the small differences that can be hard to notice or understand but can change the meaning
Reiterate - to say again.
multilingualism - speaking more than one language
Competence - being good at something or knowing something well.
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This week we are learning about the famous explorer and travel writer Freya Stark. She wrote many travel books and focused her books on the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. She travelled all over this part of the world, talking to the people, learning their languages and describing their culture and landscapes to readers back in the UK.
An essential part of Freya's process was that she often travelled alone and she tried to learn the languages of the places she travelled to so that she could effectively and correctly capture their stories, experiences and cultures.
Freya is quite the role model for any woman, but I think for anyone who is learning languages she is a great demonstration of the amazing things that can be achieved when you put the effort in. Freya was able to develop personal and long lasting connections with the people she met because of her motivation and passion for learning their languages. She shows us that we are wrong to be afraid of people and places we don't know, and instead we should take the time to get to know them, and we might find amazing things, and perhaps that they are just like us, after all.
Freya had a long and exciting life, including working herself for the British Diplomatic service and traveling far and wide. She was quite famous in her time. You can find out more about her life here: https://www.civilservant.org.uk/women-freya_stark.html
From the blog:
Vocabulary
Diplomatic Service - the part of government that meets and connects with other countries to negotiate trade deals and travel
He was being posted all over the world - 'posted' in this sense means that he was told where he would work and he had to go and live in that country. This is still the way most diplomatic jobs work today.
She was on a roll - idiom - means she was able to keep going easily.
Vivid descriptions - well explained and clear, creating great pictures in your head
Keen observations - keen means smart and intellectual and again, very clear
Cartography - the profession of drawing maps
Natural aptitude - natural ability
Diligently - care and attention and doing a good job
Hands on approach - idiom - to do something by hand or personally, rather than just reading about it or watching a video.
Linguistic - the study and use of languages
Pioneering - One of the first people to go somewhere
Perilous - dangerous
Trailblazer - someone who is the first to go somewhere
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This week we're continuing our series on Interview English and we're focusing on Presentations. There are videos about this in the Business English and Dream Job playlists on YouTube so instead I'm focusing here on the challenges as an international speaker of English when giving presentations in English.
From the blog:
As I mentioned on the podcast, in the context of presentations during interviews, there are specific terms and phrases that might be commonly used:
Presentation Structure:
Introduction Section:
"Today, I'll be discussing..."
"Let's begin by..."
Main Points:
"Firstly, I'd like to talk about..."
"Moving on to the next point..."
Transition Phrases:
"Now, let's delve into..."
"This leads us to..."
Summarizing:
"To sum up..."
"In conclusion..."
Describing Visuals (if using slides):
Charts and Graphs:
"As you can see from this graph..."
"The chart illustrates..."
Bullet Points:
"I'd like to highlight..."
"One key point to note is..."
Fielding Questions:
Inviting Questions:
"I welcome any questions or comments."
"Please feel free to ask if you have any queries."
Responding to Questions:
"That's an interesting question. Let me explain..."
"I'm glad you asked that. From my perspective..."
Expressing Confidence:
Confident Statements:
"I'm confident that..."
"Based on my experience..."
Assurance Phrases:
"I'm well-versed in..."
"I have a solid understanding of..."
Closing Remarks:
Thanking the Audience:
"Thank you for your attention."
"I appreciate your time and consideration."
Reiterating Interest:
"I'm enthusiastic about the opportunity to..."
"I'm looking forward to contributing to..."
Episode Vocabulary
Enormously - adverb of 'enormous' meaning very big, the adverb is usually used to emphasise that something had a big impact.
Don't get hung up on/don't get too hung up on it - getting hung up on something is when we focus and worry about it.
Get rid of the bits you don't like. - get rid of, means to throw something out or discard it.
speech impediment - a physical disability of the mouth or vocal chords that makes speech or some particular sounds difficult. Can also occur out of anxiety.
leave it - Forget about it, don't use it.
don't try and force the issue - 'force the issue' usually used in the negative like this is a phrase meaning don't insist on something when it's not necessary.
Incorporate - bring together certain things
comprehend - understand
You're on the right track - idiom, you're doing something correctly, you're going the right way.
controversial - not commonly accepted, perhaps because of the society, cultural norms or current political situations.
steer clear - idiom - avoid
lighten the mood - idiom - make a serious situation less serious.
not dissimilar stuff - dissimilar means not the same. This is a double negative, which is rare in English but I used it to emphasise that the topics I were teaching were similar and sometimes identical.
Disconcerting - makes you feel uncomfortable and unsettled
Baffling - very confusing
My jokes did not land. - 'didn't land' means were not received as I expected them to be.
It's really easy for us to get tied down/bogged down - In this case I used the phrasal verb 'tied down' which usually means difficult to change. In fact, correctly, I should have used the phrasal verb 'bogged down' which means not able to move on and preventing us from progress.
boastful - to speak confidently (or over confidently) about your skills and abilities.
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This week we have a short listening episode to celebrate Emperor Hadrian's birthday. This Roman emperor is probably one of the most famous in the UK. Many British children first learn about the Romans through Hadrian's wall.
This wall, built in 122CE is one of the few pieces of Roman architecture still standing today. You can visit the wall, the museum and even some remains of forts. You can even walk the length of the wall from one side of England to the other!
In this episode we'll learn a little bit about Emperor Hadrian, who didn't really focus on growing the Roman Empire, but rather on making it more efficient and a better place for people to live.
From the blog:
Vocabulary
fortify - to make something (usually a building) stronger and more able to withstand war
frontier - the edge of something, usually a country or possibly an Empire. However this is also used in Star Trek to describe the furthest known edge of the universe.
thrust into the international arena - pushed forcefully into international awareness
reign - the time that a king or queen rules their kingdom (same pronunciation as 'rain')
administrative reform - to change the laws and systems of a land, this could include healthcare, legal things, tax and politics.
implemented - to start using, to take action to put something into effect
equitable - to make fair, this doesn't necessarily mean equal, which means everyone has the same, but rather fair. Some people might need more help than others, this word can be used to explain systems that understand and allow for that.
artifacts - things left over from history
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Continuing our Interview series, today I want to talk about how, in an interview situation, certain aspects of vocabulary, etiquette, and tone of voice often differ from everyday interactions because of the formal setting.
These can also be heavily influenced by culture, not only the culture of a profession (which might be different from finance to law, for example) but also the culture of a country.
These things might also change depending on your individual circumstances, which could include:<
Moving to a new country to work
Working for an international company in your home country Occasionally using English for certain colleagues or clients.From the blog:
Vocabulary
Slang - very informal words and phrases that might be specific to an area
Jargon - language specific to a company, profession or industry
Acronyms - words or phrases made out of the first letter of key words. Famous Acronyms include: CIA, UNESCO, NASA.
Etiquette - the behaviour expected in a particular place
Convey professionalism - to suggest or come across as professional
Tangents - random lines of thought that are not related to the topic or question
Active Listening - a kind of listening where you demonstrate to the speaker that you are listening and understanding them through body language and gestures, could include: nodding, saying 'uh hu' or 'yes, I understand' and asking questions to clarify.
Self-promotion - talking about yourself and your skills and abilities
Toot your own horn - idiom - used to mean self-promotion. 'She's always tooting her own horn!' -She's always boasting.
Boasting - To talk positively about yourself or be over-confident in self-promoting your skills and abilities or achievements.
Non-verbal cues - body language and gestures to help people understand you. Can include: eye contact, crossing your arms and fidgeting.
Gestures - things you do with your hands. Try to make these meaningful, especially in public speaking. For example, using your hands to show size or shape.
Hierarchy - the complex structure of a company or society
Assurance - confidence, being sure in yourself
Competence - being good at something, being able to do something correctly, well and efficiently.
Proficiency - Similar to competence, having a certain level of skill or ability to do something.
Stereotypes - descriptions of people that are limited on certain characteristics. Often lumping all of one culture or skin colour together when describing something.
Bias - An inclination or prejudice towards a certain group or person.
Showcase your skills - Boast! Find ways to talk about and demonstrate your skills and abilities as effectively and eloquently as possible.
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Today we are talking about some English terms that are related to interviews, you might read them during the application process, hear them during an interview or need to use them if you're offered the job (Yay!🥳). These terms are not common elsewhere in English so don't worry if you haven't heard them before.
From the blog:
Behavioral Interview Questions are a specific kind of interview question and they are designed ask you for examples from your past experiences so the interviewer can assess how you've handled various situations.
One method to help you answer these questions better is the STAR method. STAR stands for: Situation, Task, Action, Result. By structuring your answers to these question you can organise your responses more effectively.
For instance, if an interviewer asks a question like, "Can you describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict within a team?", understanding the STAR method can guide your response:
Situation: Describe the context or situation where the conflict arose.
Task: Explain your role or what was expected of you in that situation.
Action: Detail the steps you took to address and resolve the conflict.
Result: Share the outcome of your actions and what you learned from the experience.
These sorts of questions are commonly used by many employers during interviews, so being familiar with this structure can significantly enhance your performance.
Tell me about yourself
Response: "I studied Business Administration, and I've worked in marketing for three years. I manage social media campaigns and work with different teams."
Key English:
"I have experience in..."
"I'm good at..."
"I've been involved with..."
What are your weaknesses?
Response: "Sometimes, I spend too much time making things perfect. I'm learning to manage my time better."
Key English:
"One thing I'm working on is..."
"I'm trying to get better at..."
"I've noticed I need to improve on..."
Why do you want to work here?
Response: "I like how your company cares about the environment. I want to use my skills to help."
Key English:
"I'm interested in your company because of..."
"I admire how your company..."
"I think my values match yours because..."
Can you describe a challenging situation you faced at work and how you handled it?
Response: "Once, we had a tight deadline. I talked with my team and we made a plan. We worked extra hours and finished on time."
Key English:
"I had a difficult situation when..."
"I talked with my team to..."
"We made a plan and..."
How do you handle working under pressure?
Response: "I stay calm and focus on what needs to be done. I prioritize tasks and ask for help if I need it. It helps me manage pressure."
Key English:
"When I'm under pressure..."
"I try to stay calm by..."
"I handle pressure by..."
Tell me about a time when you worked in a team.
Response: "I worked on a project with my colleagues. We shared ideas and divided tasks. We met regularly to update each other."
Key English:
"I collaborated with my team on..."
"We shared our ideas and..."
"We kept each other updated by..."
Do you have any questions for us?
Response: "Could you tell me more about the team I'd work with? Also, what opportunities are there for growth within the company?"
Key English:
"I'd like to know more about..."
"Can you tell me about...?"
"What are the chances for...?"
Additional Vocabulary
Terminology - the words and vocabulary used for something in specific
Narrowing down - phrasal verb 'narrow down' to reduce the number of options or choices
Integrating - to bring together two things, in this case to bring you into the company effectively
Comprehensive - complete or wide ranging
Negotiation - a conversation to decide the costs and benefits for each person or group
Elicit - to get out of
Bounce back - phrasal verb - to recover from
Arose - past tense of 'arise' - to come out of or come from
Enhance - to improve or make better
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