English Podcast - Learn & Listen English Easily

The fox and the hens

2009-05-09T06:58:00.002+01:00

I like hens. When I was a child, my grandmother kept hens. When we visited her, we could help her feed the hens. We thought she had hundreds of hens, but actually I think she had 40 or 50. They lived in hen houses in her garden, and during the day they ran around in hen runs. Every week, a man with a lorry stopped at her house to collect the eggs for sale.

A “hen” is, of course, a female bird. A male bird is called a cock, or a cockerel. His job is to look beautiful and make lots of noise. Just like a man, in fact. Very often, people say “chickens” when they mean hens, though strictly a chicken is a baby bird. Hen meat which you buy in a supermarket is always called “chicken”. It sounds so much better than “hen meat”!

My grandmother, however, did not call her hens “hens”. She talked about her “fowl“. Fowl is an old word meaning birds which are kept or hunted for their meat or their eggs. Another word which you may hear is “poultry“. Poultry just means birds kept for their meat or their eggs. A poultry farm is a farm where they keep large numbers of birds, sometimes in big sheds, or sometimes in tiny cages called “battery cages”.

My wife and I have our very own poultry farm, only a few kilometers from the centre of Birmingham. Last summer, we bought three hens, a hen house and a little hen run. The hens grew big and fat, they wandered round our garden and they laid big, brown eggs. The hens were happy. We were happy. (Full text here)

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A Nation on the Move

2009-05-08T07:55:00.000+01:00

There was a time when the British commute was just a single tide converging from the suburbs into the city. But now we explode in a multitude of directions.

Having Trouble Sleeping

2009-05-07T11:53:00.000+01:00

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Luis: So, how are the newlyweds doing?

Stevie: Oh, we’re great. I’m just a little tired.

Luis: Well, that goes with the territory, right?

Stevie: No, that’s not what I mean. Patrick has been keeping me up with his snoring.

Luis: Oh, that’s a bummer.

Stevie: Yeah, it really is. I’m usually awakened soon after I fall asleep, and then I toss and turn all night. That’s not all. Patrick also talks in his sleep.

Luis: Wow, that’s terrible. I’d make a beeline for some sleeping pills, if I were you.

Stevie: I took some one night last week, but I woke up groggy and disoriented. I’d rather have insomnia than load up on drugs.

Luis: Have you tried waking him up when he snores or talks in his sleep?

Stevie: I tried that one night, but he just ended up sleepwalking!

Luis: Geez, what are you going to do?

Stevie: I wish I knew.

Luis: It’s a little early in your marriage for separate bedrooms, but I wouldn’t rule it out.

Stevie: I’ll keep it in mind. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep soon, separate bedrooms will be the least of our problems!
From: www.eslpod.com

Rooms in a House

2009-03-25T06:03:00.000Z

I don’t like cats. That’s not really true. I like cats, but they don’t like me.

Last week, my friend Sara asked me to babysit her cat for two days while she was out of town. Normally, I would have said no, but she was in a jam, so I said okay.

As I said, cats don’t like me. When I got home from work, I couldn’t find her. I was sure she was hiding from me. I looked all over the house.

I started with the bedrooms, looking in the closets and under the bed. I looked in the bathroom and even behind the shower curtain. I went downstairs and searched the basement. No cat. Next, I looked all over the living room, checking under the couch and behind the TV. I also looked in the pantry and then the laundry room, thinking that the cat must be hiding behind the washer or dryer. Still, no cat.

Finally, I looked in the kitchen. There was the cat. She was sitting on the counter. Somehow she had managed to open a box of cookies and there she sat eating them all. When the cat saw me, she started mewing. I don’t speak the language of cats, but I could have sworn that she was asking me for some milk!

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Motorway Madness

2009-03-24T07:56:00.000Z

There are the traffic jams that suddenly appear out of nowhere, where our motorways grind to a halt for seemingly no reason at all. This frustrating phenomenon is explained at the junction of the M5 and M6 in Birmingham.

Streets ahead

2009-03-23T06:59:00.000Z

Join the pie team as they stroll down Mango Street
Listen or download (1.9 MB, 4min 02sec)
Transcript (pdf 60KB)

Managing the Crowds

2009-03-22T19:51:00.001Z

In a helicopter over Ibrox Stadium for the Glasgow derby match between Celtic and Rangers it is revealed how Strathclyde Police monitor football crowds from above.

Going Shopping

2009-03-16T07:18:00.000Z

Believe it or not, I don't own an iPod. I know, I know. I'm really behind the times, but I have an excuse. I've been so busy at my work lately, I haven't had time to take a break. So finally yesterday I went shopping for an iPod down at the mall in Santa Monica.

I walked into the Mac store there and was immediately greeted by a salesperson. He asked, "Can I help you find something?" "No," I said, "just looking." I don't like the feeling of high-pressure salespeople. Anyway, I looked around the store some more, and finally made my way to the iPod section. Then I decided to ask the salesman a question. "Excuse me, can I ask you something?" "Sure," he said. "Go right ahead." "I'm thinking of picking up an iPod, but I'm not sure which one is right for me. What do you recommend?" He replied, "Are you going to be using it for running, jogging, working out, in your car?" "Yes," I said, "all of those, except the running, jogging, and working out." He laughed at my somewhat lame joke. "Okay, well, I recommend you get the iPod Mini to start ." "How much is that?" I asked. "Well, it just went on sale, so I think we can offer you a good price on it." "I'll take one," I said, and we made our way to the cash register. "Will that be credit or debit?" he asked me. "Credit card," I said, as I swiped the card through the reader. I waited, and nothing happened. "Could you swipe that card again? It didn't go through." "Sure," I said, and swiped it again. Finally, the card processed and he handed me the charge slip to sign. "I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase." "Oh," I said. "It's not really for me. It's for my wife! ‚"

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Spring Cleaning

2009-03-15T07:17:00.000Z

Spring cleaning is suppose to take place before summer, not after it. But, as usual, I procrastinated and now I have to finally get rid of all the junk I've accumulated over the year. But now there are no if's, and's, or but's about it--the cleaning must be done!

I start in my bedroom. I have a king bed, with a sheet on the mattress and a top sheet, with pillow cases on the pillows. Atop all that I have a down comforter. Well, they all need to be washed, so into the machine they go. Next I start in on the closet. What a mess! I've got boxes and bins full of stuff that need sorting . Finally, I have to vacuum the carpet and dust. Whew! Quite a job! Good thing I don't have any drapes, just shades on the windows.

But I'm not done yet. It's time to move on to the kitchen. I have a combination stove and oven, both of which I need to clean. I start with the fridge, though, which needs the most work. I take out the shelves and rinse them all off. Then I dump anything that has passed its expiration date. Then its back to the stove, which I need to scrub clean of the grease and stains , and the same for the oven. Finally, I wash all the dirty dishes and put them in a dish rack next to the sink.

Spring cleaning is always a mixed bag for me. It's a lot of work, but I also find things I've been missing for the past year! Maybe next time I'll manage to do my spring cleaning in the spring.

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Up-to-date

2009-03-14T07:13:00.003Z

In today’s podcast, I am going to talk about the English word “up-to-date”. Well, it is really three words – “up”, “to” and “date” – normally we spell it with hyphens in between – but we can think of “up-to-date” as a single word. “Up-to-date” is an adjective. It means “having the latest information or ideas”. We can say that something, or someone, is “up-to-date”.

I will give you some examples in a minute. But first, you need to know that the opposite of “up-to-date” is “out-of-date”. If something is out-of-date, it does not contain the latest information or ideas. Sometimes it means “old fashioned” or “no longer valid”.

Lets look at some examples.

Kevin, as you know, is mad keen about football. Often on Saturday he goes to see his team play. But he also want to know what is happening in the other football matches that are taking place at the same time. So he gets text messages on his mobile phone, to give him the latest scores in the other matches. Kevin likes to be up-to-date. The text messages keep Kevin up-to-date with the other football matches... (Full text here)

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Listen to part of a lecture on the Airbus.

2009-03-13T07:08:00.002Z

Everything about this aeroplane is enormous the numbers are truly mindboggling.
Its overall length is 73 metres. That’s about as long as the Great Sphinx in Egypt. The giant twodeck fuselage will typically have 550 seats, but has the potential to carry up to 800 passengers. The tail, at 21 meters from the ground, is as high as a sevenstorey building. The 845m2 wing area is big enough to park 70 cars.
The A380 can fly a staggering 15,000km without refuelling and in order to do that, it needs to carry 310,000 litres of fuel, making the plane’s take off weight 560 tonnes. Incredibly, though, the A380 will actually be more fuelefficient than other, similarsized jumbojets.
Airbus claim that the plane will burn about 3 litres of fuel per passenger per 100km, making it as
economical to run as a family car.
The building of the A380 is a remarkable example of transnational cooperation. The final assembly line is in Toulouse in France, but this is only the end of an impressively complicated process.
The construction of each aircraft is the result of collaboration between France, Germany, Britain and Spain. The wings, for example, are built in England and Wales. The main sections of the fuselage are constructed in Hamburg, Germany. Parts for the nose and the tail are in fact made in Spain, and only assembled in Germany. Everything is then shipped to France to be
put together.
The A380 jigsaw gets even more complicated, however. Although a European venture, few people realise how much of the plane is actually made or designed outside the EU. The wings, for example, were created by designers in Wichita in the United States. Some wing panels, the wheels, and most of the cockpit electronics are also made in America. In fact, in terms
of actual cost, almost half the aircraft is made in the USA.

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Script (85Kb)

Airport Announcements

2009-03-12T07:36:00.000Z

I was walking through the airport to Gate 11 to catch my flight when I heard this announcement:

“Attention passengers on English Air flight 232 to Boise. The departure gate has been changed. The flight will now be leaving from Gate 26.”

That was my flight! I looked at the flight information monitors, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction. As I was approaching Gate 26, there was another announcement:

“This is an announcement for passengers on flight 232 to Boise. The flight has been delayed due to bad weather conditions. The flight crew has arrived at the gate, but the ground crew is still de-icing the wings of the aircraft. Our new departure time is 10:50 AM.”

I thought the gate agent was done, but she had another announcement to make:

“I’m afraid that flight 232 is overbooked. We’re looking for passengers who are willing to take a later flight in exchange for a travel voucher worth $300. Any passenger who is interested should see an agent at Gate 26.”

Oh, no, I thought. I hope I don’t get bumped from this flight. Fortunately, a few minutes later, I heard this. It was music to my ears.

“We are now ready for boarding.”

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Meetings: Managing the Discussion

2009-03-11T07:31:00.000Z

Today’s Classic is the second in a two-part intermediate podcast series on opening and managing meetings. In this lesson we reviewed the language for keeping the discussion on track, encouraging participation, moving to a new topic and checking agreement. This version includes the additional speaking practice from the meetings e-book.

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Collar vs. Color vs. Cola

2009-03-10T07:49:00.000Z

Taking Pictures

2009-03-09T12:27:00.000Z

My nephew's wedding is coming up this Saturday, and I thought it would be nice to take some candids for the happy couple. My wife, who's the photographer in the family, wasn't around today, so I decided to strike out on my own and head off to the camera shop. I love to shop for new gadgets.

When I got to the store. I was blown away by all the options I had! There were disposable cameras, digital cameras, cameras combined with camcorders - it was making my head spin. I finally asked one of the sales clerks what he would recommend.

"It depends if you want a point-and-shoot type, or are looking for something more fancy," he said.

"I'm looking for something that will take a good shot and not be too complicated to operate," I replied.

"Well, this one here has a built-in flash and takes good pictures. When you've finished shooting the roll, just bring it in and we'll develop them for you.‚"

"Do you make enlargements of the prints if I'm interested in doing that?‚"

"Sure," he said, "we can do 4 x 6 or 8 x 10 glossies, if you'd like.‚"

I decided to go with the camera he recommended. Now all I have to do is justify the new camera to my wife.

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I dont care

2009-03-08T07:47:00.001Z

In the last podcast, about Socks and Cookie, I said I do not care what the cat is called.

What do we mean when we say “I do not care”?

We mean, “That is not important to me.”

So, if I say, “I do not care what the cat is called”, I mean, “It is not important to me what the cat is called.”

OK? Everybody clear? Then let’s go and find Kevin and Joanne.

Many months ago, a friend of Joanne’s invited Kevin and Joanne to come to her weding. And Kevin and Joanne said, yes they would be very pleased to come. But, as I say, that was months ago, and Kevin has forgotten all about it, until Joanne reminds him that the wedding is on Saturday.

“But Joanne, there is a football match on TV on Saturday. If I go to the wedding I will miss the match.”

“I don’t care about the football”, says Joanne. “We are going to the wedding”.

“But, Joanne, its a really important game”.

“I don’t care how important the game is. We’re going to the wedding.”

“But, Joanne, if United win on Saturday, they will go through to the next round.”

“I dont care whether they win or lose, we’re going to the wedding.”

“Look, Joanne, it’s Joe’s birthday on Saturday. Me and some of his friends, we have planned a surprise party for him.”

“Nice try, Kevin, but I don’t care about Joe’s birthday. We’re going to the wedding.”

“But, Joanne, how can I explain to Joe that I can’t come to his party?”

“I don’t care what you say to him. We said that we would go to the wedding and that is what we are going to do.”

“So, Joanne, you don’t care that Joe will be upset that I can’t go to his party?”

“Quite right, Kevin. I don’t care. And Joe won’t be upset”

Full text here

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Asking for a Date

2009-03-07T07:45:00.000Z

I admit it. I’m a player. I work in an office where there are a lot of attractive women. Take Debra, for example. I heard that she just broke up with her boyfriend last week so I decided to ask her out.

Liam: Hi, Debra. How’s it going?

Debra: Okay, I guess. How about you?

Liam: I’m doing okay. You know, I’m going to an art show this Saturday. Would you like to come with me?

Debra: Geez, I’m pretty busy this weekend.

Liam: That’s too bad. How about going for a drink after work today?

Debra: Well, I don’t know...

Liam: Come on. It’ll be fun and we can try that new place down the street.

Debra: I guess that’ll be okay, but just a drink, right?

Liam: That’s all and I promise I won’t even try to buy you dinner.

Debra: [laughs] Okay, then. I’ll see you after work.

I ask women out wherever I see them, even ones I’ve never met before. At a restaurant, if I see a woman eating by herself, I usually say: “I just hate eating alone. Do you mind if I join you?” The other day, I saw a woman at the grocery store and tried my luck.

Liam: Hi.

Monica: Hi.

Liam: I’ve just moved to this area and was wondering if you could recommend a good restaurant around here.

Monica: That depends on what kind of food you like. There’s a good Italian restaurant on Elm Street, or there’s a good Thai place on Lyndon Avenue.

Liam: Which one do you prefer?

Monica: I like them both, but I’d probably go for the Italian place.

Liam: In that case, would you like to join me for dinner sometime?

Monica: I’m not sure. I don’t even know you.

Liam: You’re right, but you seem really nice and I’d like to get to know you better. What do you say?

Monica: Well, maybe. Here’s my number. Call me and we’ll talk about it.

Liam: I’ll do that. I’m looking forward to talking with you again.

It’s as easy as that. I don’t try to be a player. All it takes is a little charm and a little flattery, and the women will find you irresistible.

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Getting a Traffic Ticket

2009-03-06T07:54:00.000Z

I was driving down the street when I saw a police car behind me. Suddenly, it turned on its siren. I realized that I was being pulled over.

Officer: Can I see your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance?

Ray: Sure. Here you are, officer.

Officer: Did you know that you were speeding? You were going 70 in a 55 mile an hour zone.

Ray: I was? No, I didn’t know.

Officer: You also ran a red light and your brake light is out. I see that your tags have also expired. I’m going to have to cite you for all of that.

Ray: I’m sure I didn’t run a red light, and I didn’t know my brake light wasn’t working. I just renewed my registration and I’m still waiting for my new tags to arrive in the mail. Is there any way I can get away with just a warning?

Officer: I’m afraid not.

Ray: What’s the fine for all of those violations?

Officer: That information is on the back of the citation. Here you are. Have a nice day.

Ray: Thanks. Thanks a lot!

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Time Management

2009-03-05T07:42:00.000Z

Ruby: I’m snowed under with work! I can’t seem to keep up with everything I have to do. You’re always so organized and efficient. How do you do it?

Ian: I’m not always organized and efficient, but I’ve gotten better since I read a book about time management. I use a few tools that the book recommends, which help me to plan and to keep track of deadlines.

Ruby: Do you think it would help me?

Ian: Definitely. This is what I do. I keep a to-do list of all of the things I need to do. Then, I decide which tasks are high-priority and which have low- priority. I write down the deadline I’m given for the task or I assign a deadline of my own, and I make a note of the most urgent tasks.

Ruby: That seems pretty simple, but how do I keep track of the progress I make on a task? Sometimes things just slip through the cracks for me.

Ian: I do a couple of things. First, I keep my list updated. I check off or cross off those that I’ve done. I also put reminders for myself on my computer to help me with scheduling. It helps me to remember my appointments and to allocate my time better.

Ruby: That sounds like a great system. All I need now is some extra time so I can start doing some time management!

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Charity Shops

2009-03-04T09:37:00.001Z

In many towns in England, the main shopping street is called “High Street”. We often use the expression “high street” to mean the main shopping street of any town or suburb, no matter what its real name is. Or we talk about “the high street” to mean shopping facilities generally, particularly shops that people use every day like food shops. So, when a newspaper writes about “high street prices”, for example, they just mean the prices of everyday things that people might buy in high street shops.

And we often complain that high street shops are the same boring shops everywhere in England. Many high street shops are branches of big national chains. For example, there is Next, and Marks and Spencer, which sell clothes; and WH Smith, which sells stationery, books and magazines; and Boots, the chemists; and Woolworths, where you can buy almost anything, provided that it is cheap and made of plastic. You can find these shops in most high streets in England. In most high streets, too, you will find one or more charity shops.

Full text here

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Describing People's Moods

2009-03-01T07:39:00.000Z

Brett: Do you know what kind of mood Mom is in?

Molly: Not really. Why?

Brett: I really need a raise in my allowance and I’m waiting for the right time to ask. She’ll be more likely to say “yes” if she’s not feeling too grouchy.

Molly: I wouldn’t count on this being a good time. She looked a little upset after getting off the phone with Aunt Teri.

Brett: Why?

Molly: Aunt Teri has been down in the dumps since Cousin Frank decided to take a job in Cambodia. He’s on cloud nine about this new job, but Aunt Teri is anxious about him moving so far away.

Brett: I see. Well, I’ve got to think of some way to cheer her up. It’s a lost cause if I ask her while she’s angry, on edge, or depressed.

Molly: You know that Mom is always happy to hear good news about school. Do you have anything new to report?

Brett: I hadn’t thought of that. I need to come up with something.

Molly: Be patient. Wait for the right moment and then strike. I speak from years of experience.

Brett: Right. Thanks.

(From www.eslpod.com)

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Report writing

2009-02-28T18:46:00.000Z

Listen to an IELTS examiner give some tips on writing reports.

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Talking About Books

2009-02-27T09:18:00.000Z

Maggie: What did you think of the book you started last week?

Kurt: Oh, I liked it well enough.

Maggie: Wow, that’s a glowing recommendation.

Kurt: Well, it started off with a bang and the suspense in the first half was great. I couldn’t put it down. Then, the pace changed in the second half and it was an effort to finish it.

Maggie: Really? I read it a few months ago and I loved it. I thought the characterization was really good. I could really relate to the two main characters.

Kurt: Yeah, that’s true enough, but the plot dragged, don’t you think? The author just couldn’t pull it off and the ending was laughable.

Maggie: I really liked the ending! I can’t wait for the sequel.

Kurt: Well, that makes one of us.

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Diplomatic pass

2009-02-26T07:34:00.000Z

Stefano assures us it's not all cocktail parties at the Italian Embassy

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(from podcastsinenglish.com)

What leads to success?

2009-02-26T06:41:00.002Z

Lori: I have a lot of business English students when I teach in the classroom and a lot of times we end up talking about things like success and what leads to success, and it’s interesting that many of them mention the element of luck.
Michael: Right, OK.
L: That luck is important to success but as you know, since you’ve seen that fantastic video on the TED Talks web site by Richard St John…
M: Sure.
L: He doesn’t mention luck at all.
M: Right, I’m a firm believer that people can make their own luck. I mean what people regard as being luck, you know, you can actually create to a degree.
L: Right, right. I think a lot of what people consider luck is…is really…it’s down to how you respond to the opportunities that come your way.
M: Yes, very good point, yeah.
L: Seizing the opportunities. But was there any point in the video that you thought was particularly interesting?
M: Umm…yes, actually there was. Something very close to my heart is a lot of people think in the same way that you say that these folks are saying they think that luck is important, that people think that innate talent is something that you have to have to be successful. And in the video that we saw, the point about getting good at something, and it’s not about…umm…having some innate talent, it’s all about practise, practise, practise.
L: Mmm, definitely yeah.
M: You know, and creating your own, you know, if you want to be good at something then you practise you…and you make yourself skillful at doing something; it’s not that, you know, people are all…err…you know, born that way it’s just...

(Full transcript are here)

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Using the Telephone

2009-02-25T14:30:00.001Z

Charles: I don’t know how long this power outage is going to last. Do you think we should call Elizabeth to tell her we’ll be late for dinner?

Jane: That’s a good idea. Do you know her phone number offhand?

Charles: No, I don’t, and I can’t look it up in my address book or in the phone book without any lights. Oh, wait. I have it programmed into my cell phone. I should be able to use speed dial to call her. Oh, no.

Jane: What’s the matter?

Charles: My cell phone battery is dead.

Jane: Maybe we can use the landline to call directory assistance. The operator should be able to give us her number.

Charles: I doubt it. There must be more than one Elizabeth Bennett in our area code.

Jane: You’re probably right, but I’ll try anyway. Where’s the phone? Oh, here it is. Why aren’t I getting a dial tone?

Charles: Try listening through the earpiece instead of the mouthpiece.

Jane: Oh, right. How do I dial 411 if I can’t see the keypad?

Charles: Hey, the power is back on!

Jane: Not a moment too soon!

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(from eslpod.com)

Strange vs. strength

2009-02-25T14:24:00.002Z

(from speakingenglishpodcast.com)

How to keep track of the kids?

2009-02-25T14:06:00.000Z

Do you know the English expression “to keep track of” something? If you “keep track of “ something, you always have a good, up-to-date knowledge of it. Here are some examples to help you understand the way we use the expression.

Molly is an air-traffic controller. She works at a busy airport, and her job is to guide planes into the airport safely. She needs to keep track of all the planes which arrive at the airport.

(You can find full post here)

Download MP3 Podcast (5:16min, 2MB)

Welcome to English Podcast Blog

2009-02-25T14:00:00.000Z

This podcast blog for people learning English.
I collect the english podcast from all over the world.
I hope this blog will very usefull for You.
You can download the podcasts and put them onto your iPod or MP3 player, and listen to them on Your way to school or work.
Enjoy and learn English...