Recently a marketing company carried out a survey to find out which city people perceived as being the best in the world..... and Sydney came out on top ! While on holiday there Sue caught up with Laura, who's been living there for the past three and a half years, to see if the city really does live up to the hype. Listen as they talk about the glorious weather, the job opportunities, the people, the food and the cost of living.   Sue also mentions a popular Australian TV show called...

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings, a book and a luxury item that they would take if they were to be cast away on a desert island, whilst discussing their life and the reasons for their choices. Here, it's Chris' turn to talk about his eight favourite tracks and what they mean to him, so...

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings, a book and a luxury item that they would take if they were to be cast away on a desert island, whilst discussing their life and the reasons for their choices. Here, Susan talks about her eight favourite tracks and what they mean to her, so there is a lot...

Daylight saving time (DST), also daylight savings time or daylight time (the United States and Canada) and British summer time (United Kingdom), is the practice of advancing clocks (typically by one hour) during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time. The typical implementation of DST is to set clocks forward by one hour in the spring ("spring forward") and set clocks back by one hour in autumn ("fall back") to return to standard time. As a result, there is one 23-hour...

Bucket Lists Sue and Chris talk about a Bucket lists. Before listening, do you know what bucket lists are? While listening. 1. Does Sue want to swim with dolphins? 2. Where does Chris want to go for his bucket list? 3. Where does Sue say she thinks the Northern Lights are? Listen to the podcast and try the following : * First relax, sit down, close your eyes then listen to the podcast all the way through. * Note down some ideas of what you expect the Podcast...

Who invented the umbrella? Why is the Mona Lisa so famous and why was Pol Pot in Cambodia? Why do people love quizzes? How many flies does it take to fall off a horse and what does Albert Einstein have in common with Justin Bieber? These questions and many more are probed as to how they were invented, why they became so popular or why they can be thought provoking. Why do people love quizzes? It's a tough question but one that we'll take on in this podcast. If you've spent any...

Whatever your view of guns, this podcast will fascinate you. Sue, as a European, listens in amazement to Cindy as she describes her everyday life living with guns in the USA.  Cindy recounts why she needs to own a gun, how she practices and how the constitution allows American citizens to carry an arm (and shoot) for their own protection. As a language learner, listen out for Cindy's southern American accent and American English vocabulary such as "purse", "pants" and...

You must have noticed it..... Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her 70 year reign this week, yes her Platinum Jubilee! The celebrations are taking place all over the globe from New Zealand to Canada, from South Africa to India. And don't forget Australia ! We have a very good quiz with lots of fun facts for you to enjoy which is also designed to help you build great vocabulary, but in this podcast Sue puts Chris on the spot with some more unusual questions. Before listening, take a...

As a langage learner do you try to read books? Sure you do. They are a very good way to build vocabulary and review sentence structure.  But which ones are the best?  Good question ! Take a listen to this podcast to get some tips.

What's the worst thing you've ever eaten ? Snails ? Eels ? Sheep's brains ? Listen as we discus the worst things we've eaten eaten. Do you agree with our choice? Do you think our choices are cultural or universal tastes?   Why do you detest these foods? Is it the texture, the smell, the taste or just the idea? To get in the mood here are the foods we discuss. Build your vocabulary by associating tastes, and adjectives to each choice.  Snails Frogs legs Foie gras Sheep's...

Are you spending more time in remote working these days? Are you using digital platforms to have meetings and language training? It's pretty sure in 2022 that the answer to these questions is yes !  Have you heard of "non-verbal communication"?  This is what we refer to in every language as body language, eye contact, nodding, moving your body to say you agree or disagree with the speaker. Have you found that these digital meetings have changed the dynamics of the "traditional" face...

Listen to Bastien talk about his bucket list with Chris. Listen to more bucket list podcasts by searching the term 'bucket list' in the search bar.

You've surely found the way English people speak a bit confusing, haven't you ? :) Welcome to a brush up exercise on short answers. This style of speaking is typical of natural English and it can be a bit mind boggling for learners.  Also it's a great way to revise  auxiliary verbs, which will help you formulate tag questions too. Take a listen and see if you can answer as quickly as Chris.  LEARNING TIP:  * Listen several times. * Write down the conversation, underline...

Have you ever heard of the term, "Vanlife?" or rather the hashtag #Vanlife ? It is a growing trend where people convert vans to a fully contained living area that enables them to travel and work virtually anywhere in the world whilst pursuing their dream of travel, discovery and adventure. Listen to Chris telling Sue about a project that he has to buy and convert a van for a future tour that will include every European capital city, whilst working at distance, making cinematic travel...

Have you ever sold anything online? In recent years it has become part of our everyday life. The internet is full of sites specializing in selling second-hand items from houses, to cars, to handbags, to children's toys. Listen as Sue asks Chris about his experience. Listen out for these key words and expressions. This podcast is bursting with everyday useful vocabulary. Time wasters Secure payment Stuff Conmen You need your wits about you. Do the benefits outweigh he...

Ahead of the Climate crisis meeting with world leaders, COP26 in Glasgow in October 2021, Chris talks to Renu, who lives in India, about how India is going green. Air pollution in India is a serious health issue, of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019, but are things getting better? The Indian government has pledged to eliminate all single use plastics by 2022 - they have one year to go - but just how are they doing? India generates 25,940 tonnes of...

In this podcast you can hear our enthusiasm for bikes ! We look briefly at some milestones in the evolution of bicycles  from the first wooden bike in 1790 and then we focus on the new trend of electric bikes. Listen out for these expressions and words: Sue says she is "blown away" by the new technology Chris and Sue talk about the Penny Farthing, The Bone Shaker bike and the Rover Safety Bike. Chris talks about the "incline". Are electric bikes considered as cheating ? Do...

Listen to Chris and Renu talking about Renu's project, empowering women in India. Renu was born in UK and practiced as a UK Lawyer for 10 years. She qualified with an MSc in Ayurveda in 2006 from London and has been an Ayurveda Practitioner and Teacher since then. Renu offers Ayurveda wellness consultations and classes online. Renu is a writer, blogger and podcaster covering both Ayurveda, Yoga, Wellness and other areas of social interest. She is the founder and visionary of a...

Did you know that Shakespeare coined* over 1000 words, many of which we still use today and some of them we use everyday! But WHY did he invent so many words ? This is a good question. He didn't it simply to fit in with the rhythm of his text, he needed words with the right number of syllables to fit in with the meter rhythm of the line. Indeed many of the words that Shakespeare coined came from adding suffixes and prefixes such as -ful, -able - fied. For example, laugh and able,  un...

Ayurveda the science of life is an medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it. Ayurveda therapies have varied and evolved over more than two millennia. Therapies include medicines, special diets, meditation, yoga, massage, laxatives, enemas, and medical oils. Medicines are typically based on complex herbal compounds, minerals, and metal substances (perhaps...

Did you watch the Euros 2020? Are you a football fan? What did you think about the backlash against the losing finalists, England, and in particular the 3 players who missed the crucial penalties? In this podcast Sue caught up with Dave, a West Ham supporter, who gives his opinion about the football and the harsh criticism that the players received, and also Victoria who runs an equality blog, Feminists of Reading. As a langage learner tune your ear to Dave's London accent. Also listen...

Listen to this interview of Renu, an Indian living in North India about North Indian Food. Do you like spicy food or is it too hot for you? Do you know what millet is? What do you think an Indian person living in India would eat as their ideal food?

Chocolate is one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world, and many foodstuffs involving chocolate exist, particularly desserts, including cakes, pudding, mousse, chocolate brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate bars, either made of solid chocolate or other ingredients coated in chocolate, are eaten as snacks all over the world. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes (such as eggs, hearts, coins) are traditional on certain Western holidays, including...

Living in a country as an expat is always an interesting experience.  Listen to Chris and his guest Renu talk about their life living in France and India. As a language learner listen out for what they say about these aspects: Having dual nationality Visa requirements to visit the UK as a British nationality   Buying property as a non national. Listen out for the term "Overseas Citizen of India". Healthcare rights. Listen out for the expression "you''re on your...

A few days in New York. Have you ever been to New York ? Is it on your list of things to do ? Do you like big cites ? Do you live in the USA? What do you think of tourists to your country? Listen to this podcast in which Laura, a French-British young women talks to Sue about her holiday, or vacation as they say in American English. If you are learning English listen very carefully to how Laura talks about her trip. She is half way through her holiday so notice how she describes...