For iTunes subscribers, here's a script for Podcast 031

Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist. He beat Albert Einstein in a Royal Society poll of who had the greatest impact on the history of science. His treatise Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion, laying the groundwork for classical mechanics. He was the first to show that the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies is governed by the same set of natural laws.

 

You can find out more about Sir Isaac Newton from wikipedia.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_newton

This month: What's 'for' for – the uses of the word 'for'.  Sir Isaac Newton plus news about IELTS in India, new language rules for immigrants to Britain and Taiwan's English village.

 

Intro

 

Hello and welcome to the English in the Real World podcast - the podcast for people learning English for exams or to enhance their career.

 

This is podcast number 31.  This month's podcast is in a new format which is designed to be more interactive and give you more opportunities to develop your English.  To do that I've included a tapescript so you can read what I'm saying as well as listen.  There's also a special practice exercise included on the tapescript.  If you've subscribed with iTunes the tapescript should download along with the podcast.  If you're listening through web feeds in Internet Explorer 7, you'll find a link to the tapescript in your browser.

 

In help with everyday English I'll be looking at the word 'for'. This week’s dictation is about Sir Isaac Newton.  And, of course there’s the English learners’ news – a regular round up of news of interest to people learning English.

 

Don’t forget you’ll need a pen or pencil and some paper for doing the dictation and the listening comprehension activities.

 

Questions for the English learner’s news

 

As always I’m going to start with the listening comprehension questions for the English learners’ news. 

 

Use your pen or pencil and a piece of paper to make a note of the questions like you would in a classroom or lecture hall. You don’t need to write the questions out in full.  All you need are some notes to help you remember what you should be listening out for during the English Learners’ news.

 

1. What percentage of IELTS candidates are Indians?

    

2. Who will be exempt from new rules for skilled non-EU immigrants into the United Kingdom?

    

3. What is the name of Taiwan's newly-opened English Village?

    

 

You should answer the questions with three words or less.

English learners’ news

 

In the English Learners’ new this week:

 

• 30% of IELTS candidates are Indians

   

• Immigrants to Britain must prove language skills

   

• English village opens in Taiwan

   

 

A staggering 30% of all IELTS candidates are Indians, according to a report in the Times of India.  The number of candidates is increasing each year as young Indians view the test as a passport to a lucrative overseas job.  The story goes on to say that 11,000 American institutions now accept IELTS.

 

In a speech to Britain's Trade Union Congress, the country's Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has outlined plans for new regulations concerning non-EU immigrants wanting to join the British labour market.  From next year, all skilled non-EU immigrants will have to be proficient in English up to GCSE level.  That is equivalent to C1 on the Common European Reference Framework of Reference for Languages.  Non-EU professional footballers will be exempt.

 

Taiwan's first English village has opened about an hour's drive from the capital Taipei.  Called 'Happy English Village', it caters to 120 students for 'immersion' classes.  The village is attached to an elementary school.  Classrooms look like an airport departure lounge, a pharmacy and a bank as well as other authentic locations.  The 1 million dollar project is a joint venture between King Car Education Foundation and the local county authority.

 

Answers to English Learners' News listening comprehension questions

 

Time now for the answers to the listening comprehension questions based on the English learners’ news:

 

1.      30% of all IELTS candidates are Indian

2.      Non-EU professional footballers are exempt from new rules covering immigrants to Britain

3.      Taiwan's new English immersion village is called 'Happy English Village'.

 

Vocab Corner

 

In a slight change to the usual running order for the English in the Real World podcast, I'd like to take a look at some of the vocabulary from the English Learners' News.  I suggest that you write these words down so that you can learn and practise them.

 

First of all I'd like to look at some of the vocabulary from the first news item.  That's the story about the popularity of IELTS in India.  The words are:

 

• staggering (adj)

   

• view (v)

   

• passport (n)

   

• lucrative (adj)

   

• institution (n)

   

• accept (v)

   

 

Now that you have the words written down, I suggest that you go back and listen to the story again because I'm going to give you the definitions of three of these words and I'd like you to match the three definitions to three different words from the list.

 

So, are you ready for the definitions?

 

The first definition is:

 

• Think about something in a particular way or have an opinion about it

   

 

Now match this definition to one of the words from the list.

 

The second definition is:

 

• A thing that makes something possible or enables you to do it

   

 

Now match this definition to another word from the list.

 

The third and final definition is:

 

• Producing a lot of money

   

 

Now match this definition to one of the words from the list.

 

Time now for me to give you the answers to the definition matching exercise:

 

1. If you think about something in a particular way you view it in a certain way.  So the first definition is of the word view

    

2. A thing that makes something possible is a passport.  The second definition is of the word passport

    

3. Something that produces a lot of money is lucrative.  So the third definition is of the word lucrative.

    

 

Now you should look up the remaining three words in a dictionary and note down their definitions.

 

Now I'm going to look at some vocabulary from the second news story.  This is the one about skilled non-EU immigrants into the UK.  Once again, you should write these words down as you'll need the list for the matching exercise that follows.

 

Are you ready?  The words are:

 

• outline (v)

   

• regulation (n)

   

• proficient (adj)

   

• equivalent (adj)

   

• exempt (adj)

   

 

Once again, I will give you three definitions and you should match these definitions to three of the words from the list.  The definitions are:

 

• The same

   

• Rule

   

• Describe the main facts

   

 

Have you matched those definitions to words from the list?  Good.  Now I'll give you the answers.

 

• Equivalent means the same

   

• A rule is another word for regulation.  Regulation is more formal and tends to be used when talking about something that governments or organisations think is necessary.

   

• Outline means describe the main facts in an idea or plan

   

 

Once again, I recommend that you use a good dictionary to record the definition of the other words if you don't know them already.

 

Now I'm going to look at the final group of words.  These come from the story about the English village in Taiwan.  I suggest that you rewind the podcast and listen to this item again.

 

The words are:

 

• cater (v)

   

• immersion (n)

   

• attach (v)

   

• authentic (adj)

   

• project (n)

   

• joint venture (n)

   

 

So, like before, I'm going to give you three definitions and I'd like you to match them to three words from the list.

 

• Join

   

• Provide a service

   

• A business with two or more companies or organisations involved

   

 

So have you done that?  I hope so, because now I'm going to give you the answers:

 

• Attach means join

   

• Cater means provide a service

   

• A joint venture is a business with two or more companies or organisations involved

   

 

As before, you should look up the remaining three words in a dictionary and record them.

 

Finally in Vocab corner, I'd like to give you some ideas about recording and learning new vocabulary.  My suggestion is that you keep a vocabulary book and write new words in it.  Alongside the word you can make a note of all sorts of useful information to help you learn the word.  You should include things like an English definition and/or words with similar meanings.  You should also include what word class it is – noun, verb, etc. – and an example sentence.  Pictures and translations into your own language will also help.  The more computer-minded among you may wish to record new vocabulary in a database with fields for the word, word class, definitions, etc.

 

Dictation

 

I hope you’ve still got a pen or pencil and some writing paper with you because it’s time for this week’s dictation.  The title of the dictation is

 

Sir Isaac Newton

 

Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist. He beat Albert Einstein in a Royal Society poll of who had the greatest impact on the history of science. His treatise Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion, laying the groundwork for classical mechanics. He was the first to show that the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies is governed by the same set of natural laws.

 

You can find out more about Sir Isaac Newton from wikipedia.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_newton

 

For a transcript of this dictation, to check your work, visit eintherw.libsyn.com and click on dictations or download a copy of the tapescript of this podcast.  If you have subscribed with iTunes the tapescript will be downloaded along with the podcast

 

Help with everyday English

Finally, some help with everyday English.  I'd like to look at the preposition for.  For has many uses in English.  It can mean any or more of the following:

 

 

• The special use of something

   

 

An iPod is for listening to podcasts, music, storing photos and watching videos.

 

• A length or period of time

   

 

I have known him for ten years

 

• To offer or ask for help

   

 

What can I do for you?  Can you translate this for me?

 

• To identify where something is going

   

 

This is the bus for London

 

If you download the tapescript for this podcast, there is a practice exercise with answers for you to complete and help you practise use of the word for.

 

Practice Exercise 'for'

 

Match the sentences / phrases on the left with the sentences / phrases on the right:

 

What are you doing here?	for two years.
I'm visiting my family	for listening to podcasts.
I like using my iPod	for me to lift.
I have been a student	for the holidays.
I asked my teacher	I'm waiting for my friend.
The box is too heavy	for some advice.

 

Now check your answers:

 

What are you doing here? I'm waiting for my friend.

I'm visiting my family for the holidays.

I like using my iPod for listening to podcasts

I have been a student for two years

I asked my teacher for some advice

The box is too heavy for me to lift

 

For books to help you with learning English, visit http://eintherw.libsyn.com and click on the link to the http://astore.amazon.co.uk/english4profe-21 .

 

The end

 

That’s all for this month.  Don’t forget you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or by using any of the links on eintherw.libsyn.com.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please tell you friends and get them to visit the website and subscribe.

 

Please send your comments or suggestions to eintherw@gmail.com or by using the skype name eintherw. 

 

The next podcast is in a month's time.  Until then, take care and goodbye.

This is podcast number 30.  This month I’m going to continue with advice for students going to study in the UK.  I’m going to tell you about some of the different television services available. The section on negotiations continues with some advice about communicating your negotiation strategy.

 

This week’s dictation is about time management.  And, of course we have the English learners’ news – a regular round up of news of interest to people learning English.

 

Of course, you’ll need a pen or pencil and piece of paper for doing the dictation.

This is the Progress Coaching podcast.  This is the podcast that lets the sun shine into your life.  The Progress Coaching podcast brings you an array of motivational features, stories and ideas to encourage you to achieve your goals and live a happier, fuller and more contented like.

 

You can find out more about Progress coaching by visiting progresscoaching.blogspot.com.  

 

I am a trained Life Coach with a 15 years experience in counselling, teaching and training.

 

On this podcast I’ll be talking about how to get honest feedback on your work.  There’s a personal story about why you should live every day to the maximum.  Plus, a reason why you should act on your ideas today, and not tomorrow.  Finally I will tell you why I’ve stopped reading horoscopes.

Neuro-linguistic programming is a set of techniques and beliefs that followers use as an approach to personal development. It is based on the idea that mind, body and language interact to create an individual's perception of the world and that perceptions, and hence behaviours, can be changed by the application of a variety of techniques. The main technique is “modeling" which involves the careful reproduction of the behaviours and beliefs of those who have achieved 'excellence'. The early focus of NLP was the study of the underlying patterns in the language and techniques of noted and successful therapists. The patterns discovered were adapted for general communication and effecting change.

 

You can find out more about NLP from wikipedia.

 

For books about NLP, visit my bookstore.  Just follow the link at eintherw.libsyn.com

This is podcast number 29.  It comes to you about five weeks after the last podcast.  The reason for the delay is that I took my summer holiday and had a lovely time sailing on the Solent from Cowes on the UK’s Isle of Wight and went camping in South Devon, also in the UK.  I had hoped to record at least one podcast during my holiday, but sadly I was so busy having such a good time that I didn’t get round to it.  Now it’s back to reality.  All this time away has led to think about making some changes to the podcast and I’ve decided to change the frequency to once a month.  This will give me more time to develop the content and make it more useful to you the user.  So after this podcast, the next one will be in about a month.

 

This week I’m going to give some more advice to students going to study in the UK.  Today I’m going to talk about paying for gas and electricity in private rented accommodation.  Continuing the series on negotiation, I’m going to talk about planning a negotiation strategy.

 

This week’s dictation is about NLP.  And, of course I have the English learners’ news – a regular round up of news of interest to people learning English.  Don’t forget your pencil and paper for doing the dictation exercise and taking part in the listening comprehension activities.

Big mind brings together western psychology and Zen Buddhism.  It is usually taught in 2 – 3 hour sessions in groups or individually.  The creator of Big Mind, Denis Merzel, claims it can lead to an altered mind state far quicker than most other forms of meditation.  Merzel claims this experience can range from a glimpse into the absolute to a profound and life-altering experience.  The main idea of Big Mind is to release all the competing voices of anger, fear, etc, trapped inside one’s head.  Proponents say this leads to our own voice being expressed in a calm manner.

This is podcast number 28.  This week I’m going to give you some advice about looking for accommodation while studying in the UK.  There’s also more help with negotiations – I’m going to talk about making concessions.

 

This week’s dictation is about Big Mind.  And, of course I have the English learners’ news – a regular round up of news of interest to people learning English.  Don’t forget, you’ll need a pencil and paper for the dictation and the listening comprehension activity.

Search engine optimisation is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it ranks, the more searchers will visit that site. It can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical engines. As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's relevancy, search engine optimisation considers how search algorithms work and for what people search.