Listen to English - learn English!

You will see that I have made some changes to the Listen to English website.

The flash player is now at the top of each posting instead of the bottom. This should make it easier for you to read the text of the podcast while listening to the mp3. The colours of the player are random and change every hour. This will help to keep you awake!

You can download the text of each podcast as a pdf file. Click on the pdf icon at the bottom of the posting. The pdf application is still experimental. If you find problems with it (particularly strange letters appearing in the pdf) please let me know.

Finally, there are some nice new buttons below each posting for sharing the podcast with your friends and sending it to social and bookmarking services.

Happy listening!

Peter

From time to time, I like to tell you about other English Language sites which I have found. The English language website contains a lot of material about English grammar and pronunciation, as well as material for English teachers and even some “typically English” recipes.

Let me tell you a secret – the most popular dish in England is chicken tikka masala! There is a recipe for chicken tikka masala here, though most English people just buy a jar of sauce from the supermarket and pour it over some cooked chicken!

But, sorry, we were talking about learning English, not about how to make an English version of a classic Indian dish. I think that you will find that the English language website is worth bookmarking, as somewhere to go when you need help on grammar, or to find links to other resources.

The Bitesized languages Blog has an interesting post about the top ten words and phrases which you need when you begin to learn another language.

Why not compile your own “top ten” words and phrases, and post them as a comment either here, or on the Bitesize Languages Blog.

Diana, who runs the Helping You Learn English website, now produces a monthly e-mail newsletter. She says, “Each newsletter contains interesting and REAL information regarding using English in common situations. The main focus is NOT grammar, but how grammar works in the real world. Everything from visiting the doctor to ordering a bowl of soup at a restuarant.”

There are many other interesting learning English resources on her website, so why not take a minute to explore it. You can sign up for the monthly newsletter here.

This is a photograph of Britain, taken from a satellite a few days ago. It is an unusual photograph because it shows that every part of the country from the south coast of England to the north coast of Scotland is covered in snow. In recent years, many places in England have had no snow at all. But this year, the snow stretches from Lands End (in the far south west of England) to John O’Groats (in the far north east of Scotland).

People who want to raise money for a charity sometimes walk, or cycle, from Lands End to John O’Groats. They get their friends to sponsor them, that is to pay them a certain amount for each kilometer they walk. Long-time followers of Listen to English will remember Stephen Gough and Melanie Roberts, who walked naked from Lands End to John O’Groats. This winter they could ski from Lands End to John O’Groats, but it is so cold that I strongly advise them to wear clothes this time.