Learn English with Amy #englishwithamy

Welcome to Episode 5 of Learn English with Amy, the podcast for intermediate & advanced English learners that helps you listen and learn more.⁣⁣

Full transcript available on Otter:  https://otter.ai/s/f-Hjo-GTQv-LHzS39rxjuw

Available on YouTube with subtitles: https://youtu.be/ssSjD8vxekE

My guest this episode is Patricia Pulido (@patriciapulidophoto), a professional photographer and entrepreneur currently living in Mexico City.⁣ Patricia specializes in documentary-style family photography and, being tri-lingual (!) and very international, works with clients around the globe. ⁣ 

In the first part of our conversation, Patricia will talk about her life, her work, and her latest project. She's just launched a brand-new online photo organizing course, YOUR FAMILY STORIES, YOUR PHOTO LEGACY. It's a step-by-step guide for organizing your family photos and videos in a way that is both practical and meaningful.

⁣And in the second part of our chat, Patricia talks about what she still finds confusing or difficult about English. She also gives listeners her *TOP TIP* for learning a new language! 

⁣This conversation features two related ideas. The first is “MEMORY KEEPING” – that is, the act of preserving or keeping memories. The people who take on this work for their family being what Patricia calls the MEMORY KEEPERS. The second is the idea of “LEAVING A LEGACY”. In simple terms, a legacy is a gift passed from one generation to the next. 

For more info about Patricia’s new online course, visit her website:⁣ www.patriciapulidophoto.com⁣ 

Be sure to subscribe to this podcast you can listen to the next episode as soon as it's released!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣And for *almost*-daily English tips, follow me (@englishwithamy_) and #englishwithamy on Instagram.⁣

Welcome to Episode 4 of Learn English with Amy, the podcast that helps you listen and learn more.⁣⁣

This episode is ideal for *advanced* English learners, especially those of you who are preparing for postgraduate studies. And those of you with school-aged children.⁣

*Also available on YouTube with subtitles (first 10 min only)*:  https://youtu.be/XgxYoPi1nvI

*For the full transcript, visit Otter* : https://otter.ai/s/VivxsuvKTzC5Z2ZdvnckCA

The theme of this episode is “cracking the code”, an idiom meaning: ‘To figure out how to do something – often something very difficult. To solve a difficult problem or mystery.’ The formal term for “cracking the code” is: decoding. Decoding is also a term used by reading specialists, like my guest, Lynn Carpenter. ⁣ 

Lynn is head of instructional support at The Churchill School & Center, a school in New York City for children with language-based learning disabilities, and director of the school’s Center for Professional Development and Parent Engagement. ⁣

I provide background on the something called the ‘Science of Reading’. The main components of which phonics and decoding. Phonics is the ability to identify that there is a relationship between the individual sounds (phonemes) of the spoken language and the letters (graphemes) of the written language. Decoding is being able to use visual, syntactic, or semantic cues to make meaning from words and sentences. This information is informed by the excellent work of the journalist Emily Hanford, of APM Reports. See below for links to the three reports I reference.

How are phonics and decoding taught? How should they be taught? And also: How is it that even privately-educated kids can get all the way to university and still not be proficient readers? Why haven’t they been able to crack the code of reading?⁣ Lynn addresses all these points in our conversation.⁣

Be sure to subscribe to this podcast you can listen to the next episode as soon as it's released!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣And for *almost*-daily English tips, follow me (@englishwithamy_) and #englishwithamy on Instagram.

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VOCABULARY⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

phonics⁣

decoding⁣

dyslexia⁣

tutoring⁣

word attack⁣

professional development⁣

certification⁣

body of knowledge⁣

⁣debunk ⁣

The Matthew Effect ⁣

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⁣ADDITIONAL READING & SOURCE OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION IN THIS EPISODE

All works by EMILY HANFORD:

Hard Words: Why aren't kids being taught to read? (2018)⁣ https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2018/09/10/hard-words-why-american-kids-arent-being-taught-to-read⁣

⁣At a Loss for Words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers (2019)⁣ https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2019/08/22/whats-wrong-how-schools-teach-reading ⁣

⁣What the Words Say: Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need (2020)⁣ https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2020/08/06/what-the-words-say

Hi and welcome to the 3rd episode of Learn English with Amy, the podcast that helps you listen and learn more. ⁣

⁣This episode features one of two conversations with my dear friend Lynn.⁣ Lynn and I met as teenagers, in our first year at George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. She was, and is, super smart and extremely funny. ⁣ In this conversation, I ask Lynn about her first career, working for an *incredibly famous* Hollywood actor and producer, and being *paid to read* screenplays and manuscripts.⁣ ⁣

⁣At the end of the episode, I talk more about the some of the words featured in our conversation, including two uncommon but funny words that you can listen out for: galoshes and yahoos!⁣ ⁣

⁣And in the next episode (Ep. 4),  I will talk with Lynn about her current career, as an educator in New York City, where now she is paid to *teach* reading. Be sure to subscribe so you can listen to the next episode as soon as it's released!⁣

⁣For a full transcript of this episode and a guide to key vocabulary, get in touch! My email is decilliabrasilia [at] gmail [dot]com. ⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣For *almost*-daily English tips, follow me (@englishwithamy_) and #englishwithamy on Instagram.⁣⁣⁣

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VOCABULARY⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣galoshes⁣⁣

moist⁣⁣⁣

bookworm⁣⁣⁣

intern (noun and verb)⁣⁣⁣

screenplay⁣⁣⁣

synopsis⁣⁣⁣

manuscript⁣⁣

yahoo

Here's a 'top tip' - a quick piece of advice - on learning English from my recent guest, Daragh Everett, aka @amateuraltitude.  

Hi and welcome to the 2nd episode of Learn English with Amy. In this episode, I speak with a very funny guy with a very interesting name: Daragh.⁣

⁣[Available on YouTube with subtitles - first 10 minutes only: https://youtu.be/xlYjYMWLX38]

“Never look a gift horse in the mouth" is one of his favorite sayings, and he explains its meaning and origin. In addition, Daragh reminisces about his backpacker days and learning new phrases in different languages; explains how video calling in 2020 has improved his relationships with family, friends and clients; and, hysterically, tells me how he's no longer allowed to use certain phrases in English.⁣

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I've also included a mini bonus episode with Daragh's *top tip* on how you can improve your English.⁣

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For a full transcript of this episode and a guide to key vocabulary, get in touch! My email is decilliabrasilia [at] gmail [dot]com. ⁣

⁣

For *almost*-daily English tips, follow me (@englishwithamy_) and #englishwithamy on Instagram.⁣

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VOCABULARY⁣

handy⁣

bits and bobs⁣

many moons ago⁣

mullet⁣

for crying out loud!⁣

done in⁣

grates (on one’s nerves)⁣

tell off⁣

(go down) like a lead balloon 

Hi and welcome to the first episode of Learn English with Amy, featuring a mini English lesson and a brief interview with my inaugural guest, who initially claims to be called "Jeff"!  :) This episode is also available on YouTube with subtitles: https://youtu.be/wOyAMlG7KOg

When we say we're LEARNING THE ROPES, it means we're learning how to do a job or activity. For example, I'm learning how to record and edit this podcast, and you'll even hear me testing the sound towards the start of the episode.

So where does this expression come from? Well, as with most idioms, it's true origin cannot be confirmed. However, it's very likely that it has a nautical origin -- and refers to sailors and sailing. As the website knowyourphrase.com explains: 

"When it comes to wind-powered ships, ropes (or lines), are important for navigating them through...the ocean. Many of these lines are attached to the sails of the ship and are used to control the shape of the sail. This, in turn, impacts how the vessel [or ship] moves around the water." 

So ropes are an essential part of a ship, and sailors must learn how to use them, move them and tie them into various knots.

When someone teaches you how to do a job or activity, they are SHOWING YOU THE ROPES. As for learning how to record a podcast, fortunately there are many people on YouTube who can help SHOW ME THE ROPES.

When you have successfully learned how to do a job or activity, you can say that you KNOW THE ROPES. ...With time and lots of podcasting practice, I'm sure I, too,  will be able to say that I *KNOW* THE ROPES.

Follow/subscribe to Learn English with Amy to listen and learn more, and follow me on Instagram for *almost*-daily English tips! 

@englishwithamy_   /   #englishwithamy 

Link to full transcript: https://otter.ai/s/2hLjZ9h8TSi4UlUxwIBKgg

Greetings from Amy