English Podcasts |

A bucket list is a list of activities or things that people really want to do before they die, as depicted by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in the 2007 film of the same name, where two people realise their wildest dreams.

In this podcast 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 will be about. If needed have a look on the Internet for the keyword, 'Bucket Lists' to prepare yourself for the listening. 

Listen to JUST Sue, ignoring Chris and try to work out globally what her questions and comments are. (you won't understand everything, so there is no point trying at this point.)

Listen to just Chris as above.

Now go back and listen to Sue - take a sheet of paper, draw a line down the middle, on the left of the paper, write any ideas that you have of what Sue was talking about.

Now do the same for Chris.

Now listen to the podcast all the way through THEN write down any more ideas that you have about the podcast.

Leave the podcast for a day or two, then come back and listen.

Do you understand any more than from the first session of listening you did?

How do you rate the difficulty level for you? (Too difficult at the moment / A challenge / I understand enough).

When will you return to this podcast to check your listening progress?

Remember :

You won't understand everything you hear.

There is a lot of regular work to do to tune your ear into Real English - you need to work on listening regularly.

NEVER write notes at the same time that you are listening.

ALWAYS - try to set yourself realistic objectives.

REMEMBER - this is just a part of your learning and you need to be able to connect this work with your other work.

This is REAL English - we don't believe that slow, over-articulated speech prepares learners for the real world - you may be able to understand an audio extract that is spoken slowly, but what good is that if you don't understand real people in real situations.

At english-podcasts.com we want to help you to be ready for the real world - it will be difficult at first, but later you will feel the benefit - it is just pure, common sense.

 

Why not try this quiz to give you ideas as to what to put on your Bucket list.

Listen to Jean-François talk about his bucket list for travel - places he has been, where he wants to go and why he wants to so there.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

If you would like to be featured for your bucket list or your travel bucket list, get in contact we would love to talk to you.

The symbols of Australia

The symbols of Australia include the flag, national colours, the coat of arms and the national anthem, but there are many other things that make up the symbols of Australia - listen to Sue interview an Australian about the symbols of Australia.

The Australian Flag

The stars of the Southern Cross represent Australia's geographic position in the Southern Hemisphere. The large Commonwealth star symbolises the federation of the states and territories, and the Union Jack reflects Australia's early ties to Great Britain.

The National Colours

Australia's national colours are green and gold, the colours of its national floral emblem, the Golden Wattle.

The Coat of Arms

The Australian coat of arms consists of a shield containing the badges of the six Australian states symbolising federation, and the national symbols of the Golden Wattle, the kangaroo and the emu. By popular tradition, the kangaroo is accepted as the national animal emblem. The Golden Wattle was proclaimed the national floral emblem in August 1988.

National Anthem

Advance Australia Fair has been Australia's official national anthem since 19 April 1984.

National Day

Australia Day is celebrated each year on 26 January. The date is the anniversary of the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney Cove in 1788.

National Holidays

Australia has 12 public holidays a year, including New Year's Day, Australia Day and Anzac Day.

An Australian soldier carries a wounded comrade near North Beach, Gallipoli (AWM H10363)

DID YOU KNOW?

Anzac Day, 25 April, is a national day of commemoration for all Australians who have fought in wars. It is the day the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915 during World War I. To mark Anzac Day, Australians and New Zealanders attend ceremonies at home and around the world, including in Gallipoli. In 2015, Australia marked the centenary of the Anzac landing with a ceremony at Gallipoli.

Drawn from the collection of the National Museum of Australia, the Symbols of Australia exhibition explored some of the symbols Australians have chosen to represent themselves and their nation.

Australia — both ancient continent and recent nation — is represented by many symbols. National symbols are often used to represent a distinctive national identity. Some symbols endure, others fade away and new symbols develop as attitudes and values change. Often a source of unity and pride, symbols can also divide and exclude.

The Australian flag is legislated as an official symbol. Others, like the kangaroo and wattle, have changed from popular to official symbols over time. The boomerang was a symbol of the continent long before the nation came into being. In the 20th century, the Sydney Harbour Bridge came to symbolise Australia’s spectacular attractions, while the Holden car became an emblem of the everyday.

Text courtesy of Australian Government department of foreign affairs & Trade

Canada - The second largest country in the world

Did you know that Canada - is the second largest country in the world?

Did you know that the name 'Canada' comes from the Huron-Iroquois word 'Kanata', meaning 'village' or 'settlement'?

Did you know that there are 6 different time zones across Canada?

The Canadian Royal Mint created a coin with the face value of $1 Million. The coin itself is made of 99.99% gold and weighs over 220 lbs (100 kgs).

About 30% of Canada's total landmass is occupied by forest.

Canada's flag became official on February 15, 1965, almost 100 years after it became a country in 1867. Canada has used approximately 13 different flag designs since 1497 before the Maple Leaf.

The Canada / USA border is the longest international border in the world without any military defences.

After Paris, Montreal is the largest French speaking city in the world.

Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891.

Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world.

60% of the world's polar bear population live in Canada.

Canadians use British English spelling and not American spelling.

Queen Elizabeth II is the Canadian Head of State.

For more facts about Canada, have a listen to this podcast where Sue interviews Judy and Barbara, two proud Canadian ladies, over for a stay in France.

Sébastien asks Meyer about her job and life in South Africa

Sébastien, a French doctor from Paris interviews a South African about her life and work in South Africa, where she teaches English in a Zulu school.

Sébastien met Meyer, whilst on holiday and he clearly had EFL PodBlog foremost in his mind when he interviewed her - well done Sébastien.

We are grateful  for this Guest Podcast - Sébastien asks Meyer about her job and life in South Africa and welcome others to do something like this.

Meyer comes from Piet Retief, in South Africa, near Swaziland - here is what Wiki has to say about it :

Piet Retief is a town situated in a timber growing region in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

It is the seat of the Mkhondo Local Municipality, located not far from the Swaziland border.

The town was founded by the Voortrekkers in 1883 and named it after the Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief, who was killed by the Zulus under their King Dingane's orders after he tried to settle on their land.

In 1886, the inhabitants of the town declared the Klein Vrystaat (Little Free State), which contained a population of only 72. This republic existed until 1891, when it was incorporated into the South African Republic.

The town became a municipality in 1932, with its main tourist attraction is the Dutch Reformed Church that was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk and built in 1921.

Some more information on Piet Retief.

If, you would like to make a podcast and have it published here on EFL PodBlog and on iTunes, then go here.

We will edit, add an intro and end to the podcast - you don't have to worry about that.

If you would like us to add music or sound effects, we can do that too.

Very Bad Trip - Stephen

Ever had one of those trips where everything seems to be going wrong?

When even as you get into the airport, you just know that it's not going to be your day?

If you think about for a moment, it's probably quite a common thing.

I mean, we are herded through corridors, security and passport checks, set off our luggage, trusting that we will ever see it again, without a care in the world.

Then we join a shuffling queue, before being ushered up a shaky metal staircase or along something that resembles a metal caterpillar, and willing enter a metal tube that propels us at many hundreds of kilometers an hour through the sky at alarming heights.

Sometimes we are closer to snoring strangers than we would care to be, as well as microbes and bacteria that are sneezed and coughed into the confined airspace that would challenge even the mightiest antibiotics.

We then suck sweets to reduce the pressure in our ears, drink something and maybe eat something that we aren't always sure of, before bumping along a specially-made tarmac road and then making our way along endless corridors, up and down steps to a carousel, where our luggage (if we are lucky) has amazingly arrived before us.

And we generally love all of this - all in the name of travel or holidays...

Listen to Susan talking to Stephen, whom she caught up with at the airport as he was preparing to take another flight.

Stephen talks about one particularly bad trip that he went on to a Greek island.

Before listening:

Think about the possible problems that could occur on a flight.

On this very bad trip - Stephen mentions some of the problems that he encountered.

After listening:

What was the main cause of the ordeals that they went though?

If you have had a very bad trip, why not tell others about it in the comments or send us a podcast and we'll share it with our listeners.

Travelling in Burma - Nicola

Listen to the podcast - Travelling in Burma - Nicola - where she talks about the time that she entered, Myanmar, when it was closed off to the outside world and her meeting with a tribe, the Kachin, in the middle of the jungle.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, was long considered a pariah state, isolated from the rest of the world with an appalling human rights record.

From 1962 to 2011, the country was ruled by a military junta that suppressed almost all dissent and wielded absolute power in the face of international condemnation and sanctions.

The generals who ran the country stood accused of gross human rights abuses, including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labour, including children.

The first general election in 20 years was held in 2010. This was hailed by the junta as an important step in the transition from military rule to a civilian democracy, though opposition groups alleged widespread fraud and condemned the election as a sham.

The largest ethnic group is the Burman or Bamar people, distantly related to the Tibetans and Chinese. Burman dominance over Karen, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Rohingya, Chin, Kachin and other minorities has been the source of considerable ethnic tension and has fuelled intermittent protests and separatist rebellions.

Military offensives against insurgents have uprooted many thousands of civilians. Ceasefire deals signed in late 2011 and early 2012 with rebels of the Karen and Shan ethnic groups suggested a new determination to end the long-running conflicts, as did a draft ceasefire agreement signed between the government and all 16 rebel groups in March 2015.

Myanmar's wealth of Buddhist temples has boosted the increasingly important tourism industry, which is the most obvious area for any future foreign investment.

Source : BBC News

Living Abroad - Phoebe

Listen to Phoebe, who has travelled and lived abroad for a number of years, as she talks about some of her experiences of living in different countries and getting to know the cultures.

After listening, try and answer the following questions :

Where was the second country Phoebe lived in?

What job did she do in Moscow?

Has she returned to live back in England?

Did she live in a low-rise apartment in Dubai?

A Columbian Living in France

Listen to Mauricio, a Columbian, who has been living in France for the last 8 years, where he talks about adapting to a new culture and language, plus all what he misses from back home.

Some of the things that he misses is the food from Columbia, such as; Bandeja Paisa, Ajiaco and Empanadas.

Here is a link to some Columbian Food for those who are curious to see what it is all about.

Photo AP

Running The New York Marathon

The New York City Marathon (branded TCS New York City Marathon and formerly branded ING New York City Marathon for sponsorshipreasons) is an annual marathon (42.195 km or 26.219 miles) that courses through the five boroughs of New York City.

It is the largest marathon in the world, with 50,304 finishers in 2013.

Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States and is one of the World Marathon Majors.

The race is organized by New York Road Runners Club and has been run every year since 1970, with the exception of 2012, due to landfall of Hurricane Sandy.

In past years, it has been sponsored by the financial group ING.

In 2014, Tata Consultancy Services, a multinationalinformation technology (IT) service, consulting, and business solutions company headquartered in India, began an eight-year term as the title sponsor.

It is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world.

Because of the popularity of the race, participation is chosen largely by a lottery system.

Runners who are members of NYRR can gain entry by meeting the qualifications for guaranteed entry or via nomination from an official running club.

Olivier ran the NY Marathon with his running mate Pierre - listen to him speak to Susan about his experiences in Running The New York Marathon.

For more on the NYC Marathon have a look here.