Alan Palmer's Language Chat podcasts

Hello everybody

This podcast is about the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is the longest canal in Northern England at 127 miles (204km) long. It passes through 91 locks with a summit level of 487 feet (148 metres)

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/ll48.htm

The canals of Great Britain are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, to becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role mainly used by pleasure boaters. Despite a period of abandonment, today the canal system in Great Britain is again in good shape, with many abandoned and derelict canals being reopened, and even the construction of some new routes under way.

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

Along the canal bank is a nice place to walk in summer.

Hello everybody.

Many people I speak with who learn English would like to know how to “improve” their English accent.

It’s always difficult for me to advise on this subject.

Every nationality has a certain accent when they speak English, including the English themselves.

For those of you who are interested in the way we speak in Britain, here is a good website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/

To help answer the question, I’ve made a list of things to think about and I’ll discuss them a little here.

What is an accent?

http://www.buzzin.net/english/accent.htm

This website says:

Accent refers to a speaker's style of pronunciation.

It may signal the regional or social identity of the speaker.

Accent does not refer to the content of what is said

So, this means that most of the time accent is not important for conversation.

Regional Accent

A “Geordie” accent is the regional speech style used by speakers in the North East of England.

A “Cockney” accent is the speech style used by some people in the London area. 'Book' might be pronounced as 'Bewk' in northern England, but 'Back' in southern England.

Similarly, the term 'car' might be pronounced as 'kaar' and 'caw' in these two regions.

Use

Every geographical area has its own characteristic and recognisable accent which is used by a group.

Everybody speaks with an accent. Those people who speak with an accent called received pronunciation [RP] are just using the accent of prestige.

It is quite common for a person to speak Standard English with a regional accent.

Accent is not the same thing as dialect. The term dialect refers to grammar and vocabulary as well as pronunciation. That is, it describes the content of speech.

Fewer than six percent [yes! - 6%] of the UK population speak Received Pronunciation (RP). Perhaps this statistic is surprising when we consider what prestige it has held historically and currently.

RP was once itself a regional accent - that of the East Midlands. It acquired its status because East Midlands speakers converged on London as it became a centre for merchants. In other words, London became the power base and the financial centre, and the East Midlands accent became the spoken standard.

This prestige accent developed alongside the regional accent of the London area. The co-existence of these two accents still exists today. The “ Cockney” accent is spoken in the East End of London by many original Londoners, whilst RP is spoken by many politicians and by upper-class people who live and work in the same area.

The Cockney accent is a regional accent, and RP is class-based.

Many regional speakers feel uncomfortable about their accent. This perpetuates the deference and prestige given to RP.

Recent studies have shown that RP speakers will often be chosen for jobs, despite the superior skills of regional-speaking competitors.

Some presenters on radio and television are employed even though they have strong regional accents. However, they tend to be used on programmes which are not very prestigious, such as weather forecasts, arts programs, and regional news bulletins.

Accent can still be a very powerful indicator of status, and it is often an emotive item in social interaction.

Speech varies subtly between individuals using the same accent. Because of this, a broad description is all that can be achieved. This applies to the classification of other accents too.

(more on the website http://www.buzzin.net/english/accent.htm)

My feeling is that many people from other countries want to have an “RP” accent. My opinion is that the most important thing is clarity of speech. In other words, as long as other speakers understand, then is it so important?

Of course, when a British person speaks English to an American, the American will know it is an English person speaking.

Some nationalities are good at disguising accents. Dutch people often sound a little like an American when they speak English.

How do we “improve” an English accent?

My feelings are that we should try to:

Speak as clearly as we can when we are talking. Clear speaking is always appreciated

Speak a little slower than we would want to – it does make a difference

Speak with clear vowel sounds: A E I O U

Speak with good endings to words: clocK, workinG, gardeN, studiO, floweR

Speak with the correct stress on words (use a dictionary to check the intonation) WELcome, frusTRAtion, LANGuage.

Often English people like to hear different accents. They like the sound of a foreign accent. It often has a charming sound, an appeal. Even small mistakes are forgiven.

So, now you know a little more about accents, you can visit the websites I have given you and make your own mind up. I only write about my own opinions, so you must always form your own opinion. That is why I prefer to call my podcasts “guides”

I am on holiday now for two weeks, but when I am back on the 19th August I will try to make a podcast for you just after then.

In the meantime, have a great August (summer in the northern hemisphere, and for those of you in the southern hemisphere, I hope it is not too cold)

Bye for now

Fluency - setting up a conversation

Hello everybody. Today I want to talk about how to make your spoken English flow better and to help you with making it a little easier to talk to people, particularly native speakers.

To have a good conversation you need to start well, enjoy the conversation and make it a two way thing and to find a good way to finish. This is useful and has nothing to do with the length of time you speak for.

To start off a conversation, try to remember some good opening sentences:

If you know somebody already… (informal)

“How are you today?”

“Nice to see you, how’s it going?”

“What’s new? How are things?”

“It’s good to see you”

If you are meeting someone for the first time (formal)

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is…..”

“Nice to meet you, my name is, how are you?”

“Let me introduce myself, I’m……(name)”

The next part is to let the other person do something similar and then you have names. If they use first names, then you can also use first names.

The next stage is to give yourself time to think. The small pauses seem to be a long time, but they will only be a few seconds.

“I’m learning English and…………. I’m finding it so interesting”

“It’s great to be able to speak with you in English………………, I’m enjoying learning it”

“I would like to improve my English…..I do have a few problems now and then, so forgive me if I am a little slow at times….”

“What a pleasure it is to be able to speak some English…… I like learning it and I’m hoping to improve it”

Then you can follow my advice about keeping the conversation going by letting the other person speak more, asking questions, saying phrases like:

“ah really?”

“that’s interesting”

“I see”

“hmmm, well you make a good point there”

“I agree with you…” (if you do agree)

“That’s right!”

If you are uncertain, or you don’t understand so well

“Oh, I’m not sure what you mean there…”

“Could you repeat that please?”

“That’s interesting, but I’m not sure what you meant by……”

“Really? Well, it’s certainly something to think about”

Many of these sorts of sentences can be used to keep conversations going and also give you time to relax and enjoy the conversation because most of the work will be on the other person.

The more time you can give yourself in a conversation, the more time you have to think of the right words you want to say .

If they ask you what you think about something and you are not sure what to say, then you can use these sorts of phrases:

“Oh, I’m not sure about that, tell me what you think again please?”

“Well, I would think it is something to consider yes,”

“I think it’s not easy to answer that, what’s your opinion?”

All the time, these sentences and pauses give you more time without the other person realising that you are doing this because they are also answering your questions.

Enjoy your conversations….

Bye for now

Hello,

Today I am playing a Beatles song for you - which I like very much. Here are the songwords:

You know, if you break

my heart I'll go

But I'll be back again

'cause I told you once before goodbye

But I came back again

I love you so, oh

I'm the one who wants you

Yes I'm the one who wants you

oh, ho, oh, ho, oh

You could find better things to do

Than to break my heart again

This time I will try to show that I'm

Not trying to pretend

I thought that you would realize

That if I run away from you

that you would want me to

But I got a big surprise

Oh, ho, oh, ho, oh

You could find better things to do

Than to break my heart again

This time I will try to show that I'm

Not trying to pretend

I want to go

But I hate to leave you

You know I hate to leave you

Oh, ho, Oh, ho

You, if you break my heart I'll go

But I'll be back again

Bye for now

Alan

More on conversations with native speakers

Today I’d like to tell you more on starting conversations with native speakers when you are travelling to England, or another English speaking country. Also how to make the conversation more friendly.

Places you can safely start conversations in the country where English is spoken:

Hotel reception areas

Train station platforms

Bus stops

Tourist information offices

In shops

Museums/Art Galleries

Taxis

Airport lounges

Hairdressers

Ice cream kiosks

Newspaper stands

Restaurants/cafes

Car boot sales

On the beach

I don’t recommend talking to people in the street, unless it’s just to ask for the time or directions.

Of course, speaking with people you don’t know isn’t the ideal way to practice English, but it is often these places where people who are learning English can have the opportunity to speak it , as they maybe don’t know any native speakers.

So, be careful where you speak and to whom. This is just common sense. If you are a woman alone, then speak to people in public places. It will be surprising that maybe you can start an interesting conversation and get chance to practice.

1. Decide the reason for speaking to somebody. Maybe to find something about a place or just get to know more about what the place is like.

2. Ask a small question to start with “Could you tell me?” or “Do you know where/what time/how etc…?”

3. One the conversation has started, slow down your speech more that you want to, this will give you some time to think more about what you want to say and also give the person you are speaking with the chance to get used to your particular accent.

4. Don’t forget to add “please” or “Thank you” where you need to and also nod your head a bit to show that you understand what the other person is saying.

5. Ask small questions and if they give you a long answer that you can’t remember (for instance, with directions) say “Oh, thanks, let me just write that down please”

6. If they ask about you, be glad to tell them (but not very personal information)

7. Don’t talk about: money, politics, religion unless you get to know the person quite well (say if you are staying in the same hotel for some days)

8. Enjoy the conversation – never worry about mistakes – keep the conversation light-hearted and not too detailed.

9. When the conversations stops, don’t forget to say something like “it was nice talking with you”

10. If you want to take a photo for any reason, don’t forget to ask first if the other person minds.

Hello everybody,

Some languages use tones or stress sounds (like Chinese) which shows meaning. Today’s Weekend words is more about how in English we use tones on different words when we speak. This is used for emphasis on meaning and also it makes language more interesting. I have found a nice text for you and I will read this out loud.

1. The first reading will be without stress on any word (this is a false way of speaking which we do not do in English, but it will show you what unstressed English would sound like.

2. The second reading will show you where I place the stress on words:

 At the end of each sentence there is also a little down sound to complete the idea.

 Listen to the words which have a little more stress to show that these words are important (breed, much-lamented, Christmas time)

 Listen to the words in a list: (cheap tat, reality shows, makeover shows and news) We can read this with a steady sound

However, please don’t worry if you can’t decide how to say the right stress on words. It isn’t so important for people learning English as a second language – you will still be understood. The reason I discuss this today is to show you some of the way native speakers speak.

This text is about two comedians called “Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise” who were very popular in England. They became part of British entertainment culture in the 1960s and particularly in the 1970s.

Be good, be happy

Bye for now

http://www.ericandern.co.uk/

Welcome to Eric & Ern, the Morecambe & Wise website, a tribute to Britains best loved and most popular comedy double act.

Double acts have come and gone, and are somewhat of a dying breed now. No longer is there the thriving club circuit to learn the trade or indeed the much-lamented entertainment shows that gave many comics their early break.

Even our beloved television has been swamped with hundreds of useless channels showing nothing but cheap tat, reality shows, makeover shows and news. The bright spots used to be the yesteryear channels such as UK Gold which often showed classic Morecambe & Wise shows from the golden days. Sadly Eric and Ernie are not on as commonly as they were in the early years of satellite TV.

Morecambe & Wise are, of course, usually with us at Christmas time. For fans around the globe, they will always be with us - in our hearts. Eric once said that he wanted people to remember and to keep watching the shows, or it would have all been for nothing. . Well - it wasn't all for nothing, and if this site goes some way to keeping them in our minds, then we have achieved something.

History of the English Castle

Many English castles were built of stone during the Medieval era. But the history of the English castle goes back much further! Exploring the History of the English Castle takes us as far back to the Neolithic Period - to Stone Age History!

Understanding the History of the word 'castle'

The word 'castle' is derived from the Latin words castellum, meaning fortress, and castrum meaning a ortified place. The castle can be defined as the following:

"A safe place against intrusion or invasion"

Another definition is:

"A large fortified (strengthened)building "

The history of the English Castle can date back to the time when people started to live in settled communities – which was the Stone Age over 7000 years ago!

The History of the English Castle becomes clearer!

When looking at the History of the English Castle we need to look for people who worked together to create, or build, a safe place to live against invasion!

This would apply to the people living in England during the Neolithic Period, the Stone Age (7000 years ago) then on to the people of the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Romans and finally on to the Medieval era.

By the time we reach the history of the Renaissance period (14th to 17th century)the castle was used as a symbol of wealth and power rather than a necessary safe place against invasion! At this point in time and history the castle was replaced with the 'Palace', a large or splendid residence.

The History of the English Castle - The Stone Age ( 3000 - 1800 BC )

We can travel back in the History of the English Castle to discover very old buildings like Stonehenge.

The History of the English Castle - The Bronze Age ( 1800 - 600 BC )

We look to Bronze Age period of history to discover the Hillforts of England, the biggest being Maiden Castle

The History of the English Castle - The Iron Age and the Romans ( 600 BC - 400 AD )

The Hillforts were developed even further during the history of the Iron Age and then the Romans invaded England and made structures such as the massive Hadrian's Wall and the Roman Forts

The History of the English Castle

The Dark Ages, also know as Anglo-Saxon England ( 400 AD - 1066 AD )

The Fall of the Roman Empire led to a time in the history of England when the Celts of England were invaded by the Scots, the Welsh, the Saxons and the Vikings. A new National Defence system was established by Alfred the Great by the formation of fortified towns called 'Burhs' (later changed to Burghs then Boroughs) The Dark Ages - Alfred the Great - the Burhs.

The History of the English Castle

The Medieval Period also known as the Middle Ages ( 1066 - 1500 )

The Norman Invasion heralded the Medieval period, or the Middle Ages. The Normans introduced the wooden Motte and Bailey castles which were immediately followed by the construction of stone castles and Keeps such as the Tower of London in the History of the English Castle - . The Medieval Kings of England went on to build the magnificent Windsor Castle and Warwick Castle. The English King Edward I conquered Wales where he constructed massive fortifications called Concentric castles such as Conwy Castle, Harlech Castle and Caernarvon Castle.

Here is a website where you can see photos of castles in England

http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/list-eng.php

http://www.ecastles.co.uk/sitecastle.html

Hello everybody

Today I want to talk about a new idea I have had to do some language practice on our own with no more than a piece of paper and a pen. I call this idea “mind word essays”. With this idea, you can practice:

Thinking in a language

Writing

Reading and grammar

Speaking/Listening

You can do this anywhere, whilst travelling, at home, with friends. I had the idea when I was flying to Germany and I wanted to practice German but I had nothing with me except a pen and paper.

The idea is simple and you can do this in any language. I will demonstrate it here using English.

You start with a simple sentence:

“My friend has a car” – you write it down

Next, you quickly think of extra words to make the sentence bigger

For example:

“My good friend has bought a new car” – you write this down under the first sentence

Now, you make another sentence from your head – don’t worry about making mistakes

“My good friend from London has bought himself a new red car which he likes very much.”

You write this down also

Then you make a bigger sentence

“My very good friend from London, who I spoke with last week, told me he has bought himself a new red car which he likes very much”

4 sentence are probably enough although you could write more.

You can then check the sentences as well as you can for grammar and spelling and then read each sentence out loud and listen to how you say it.

So, from four sentences, you have a lot of chance to practice many different language skills.

I believe that this will help also improve fluency

The important thing is to think of it like a game and enjoy it, getting the words from your head as youy can. This will make you think more clearly in the language and help you to think of the words you need when you have conversations with people.

Enjoy your mind essays, you can keep them and look at them again a few weeks later and try the same sentences again to see if you can think of words more quickly than before.

Be good, be happy

Bye for now

Hello everyone, good evening.

Alan here from England, and this time I’m speaking without a text again. It’s always interesting for me to just speak without a text, because this is how we speak normally when we speak with friends or with, mm, people we know or work with, and sometimes with my podcast I like to do this because it makes it more natural.

When you’re speaking with a text, it’s not quite the same as when you’re speaking just from your head, if you like, speaking aloud, as you would when you’re speaking with friends and family. And of course it means that you can hear when I pause, when I think about things a little more, and then when I decide to say something. And for those of you who are learning English, I think this makes it more interesting - maybe more difficult to understand, but also mmm, you can hear when I stop a bit, then start again. And that is how conversations go.

When someone reads from a text we just follow the words on the paper, or on the computer screen of course. But when you’re speaking normally, you’re thinking of the words in your head and then you say them. And of course this cannot be continuous, it has to have some small stops and starts, and this I think demonstrates that it’s useful when, mmm, people are learning English and they can hear that a native speaker would also sometimes stop and think about what they are saying before they say something more.

And I have people asking me quite often, how can they understand native speakers better? For instance, they may watch the news to TV or listen to the radio and the speakers are very fast when they speak and they don’t always things, …, the words are sometimes complicated. And I say to myself, well, you know, when we watch TV, watch the news, all the words are prepared before, They need to get as much information in as short a time possible and so they choose the words carefully and they say them rather fast.

And I think this isn’t a very good way for people learning English to improve their English.

Of course the can hear new words and things, but it may be a little off-putting to hear someone speaking very fast on TV.

Other people has said to me that I don’t speak as fast (here) as I do normally because they are used to hearing teachers, maybe, speaking very fast. But I say, not all English speakers, native speakers, speak quickly. Some people speak a little slower. And I don’t think that my “normal” speed is very slow but do not think it is very fast either.

So my advice to those of you who are listening to me speaking and wanting to improve your comprehension, your understanding, I say listen to this podcast a few times and listen to when I make my small pauses and when I start speaking again .

And you can see very easily when I think about what I am saying and when I decide to say something that I’ve thought about.

So I hope this podcast has been interesting for you – it’s just me speaking, talking, chatting without a text. See you next time, excuse-me, bye for now

I hope you like my guitar piece which I played this evening and a nice sunny evening in England