Vision languages Podcast

Hello everyone, welcome to today’s episode.

Today we will be reading a story which you will be able to find in the description below. It is important that you listen to the story and that you follow it reading yourselves at the same time.

But do it following these steps: First only listen, trying to evaluate your understanding of the story. There is a glossary that will help you with some of the important information. When you are finished read the story again on your own, taking all the time you need to understand the expressions and the vocabulary that you just learned.

Then listen again, paying attention to the sound and combinations of the words. This last part focuses on pronunciation. Try to mimic the narrator’s rythm and intonation. Notice that many times the words are put together. There are no spaces in the middle. You need to get accustomed to this type of speed. It isn’t easy but if you put the effort and time, you will improve both listening and speaking in no time.

All right, let’s get started :

GLOSSARY

Amount: Quantity / levels of

Bodyweight: With the weight of the body.

Sand: minuscule particles on the beach.

To settled for: to lower your expectations, to conform.

It was all fun and games until: Everything was ok until…

Weird: Strange

Pay attention: to focuse on some detail.

Busy. With many activities and very little time.

run errants: Do many activities (obligations) out in the city: Buy groceries, go to the bank, pay the rent, take the clothes to the dry cleaner’s. (etc).

In no time: in a very short time

vibes: (vibrations) energy in a place

to approach: to come close to a person or a place.

To avoid: to prevent an action to happen, or to not do something.

-For a healthy diet, please avoid fast-food.

-Responsible people don’t avoid their responsibilities.

-The government didn’t communicate the information to avoid panic in the population.

To be in pain: To have pain.

To pass out: to lose consciousness

To sweat: when the body produces a substance to cool down the temperature of the body.

-When you do exercise, you sweat.

-When you have fever, you sweat.

To Hug: To put your arms around another person.

Tight: with strong pressure

LUCKY DAVE – AT THE DOCTOR

The last time that Dave went to the Doctor was 2 years ago. In general terms, He was a healthy guy :

He tried to eat nutritious food, which included vegetables (He hated vegetables), fruit (he loved fruit) and good amounts of macro-nutrients..

Additionally, he liked to exercise, well...not really. He didn’t enjoy running, he hated the gym, he felt bored with pilates, he didn’t like swimming and bodyweight exercise just felt stupid. He preferred some activity under the sun, some friends, and may be some sand, like beach-volley, unfortunately there were no beaches in his city. So he settled for football. His colleagues at the office loved and were crazy about football.

He had a very busy lifestyle and his job caused him a lot of stress. So any type of activity outside work was necessary, additionally, he wasn’t so bad at football. It was all fun and games until one day he started feeling some pain in his stomach. He thought it was weird but he didn’t pay much attention to it, he was too busy. He had to work and do many other activities. ¨An aspirin will be enough¨ he thought.

The following day he had more pain but he had to pay the rent, go to the bank and run other errants, he was too busy and had no time for pain.

The following day was Friday, he had many plans and could not have any type of pain. So he took three aspirins: “I am very healthy, I am sure that taking three aspirins won’t be a problem if I do it only one time” he said to himself.

After finishing his day at work, he left his office downtown and prepared for a great night out. He took a taxi and in no time he was meeting his friends, He saw Carol, John and Susan, oh yeah Susan was there. He was sure that if he played his cards well, he could have an opportunity with her.

He sat at the table and greeted everyone. There was some good music at the bar, great ambiance, Bruno Mars was playing in the background low enough so that they could have a conversation but loud enough to feel the great vibes in the air. It was all going well until boom, the pain was back, it was like a donkey kick in his stomach.

Susan saw Dave’s face change in a second and approached him slowly to avoid alarming John and Carol.

-Hey Dave, are you ok, you look like you are in Pain.

-I am fine, I just have a little something in my stomach but it will go away.

-Do you need an aspirin?

Then again, the pain came back stronger than ever. He knew that he needed to go to a hospital. It was not ok, but, what about Susan? He could not talk to her and may be invite her on a date. And again, one last time, the pain was so strong that he almost passed out.

Susan asked him:

-Dave, do you need to go to the hospital? You really don’t look good. I can take you in my car!

This was embarrassing. He thought that he looked like an idiot holding his stomach, sweating, and speaking with difficulty but he couldn’t postpone it anymore. So he accepted Susan’s help.

They paid their beers and left. In 15 minutes they were in the E.R.

-Please take him over here - said a Doctor.

-What’s the matter?

-I am feeling a very strong pain in my stomach.

-When did it start?

-About three days ago but it wasn’t so strong. Now it is just too bad.

-The doctor started examining Dave.

He continued asking some questions to try to diagnose his condition and asked Susan to fill out a form with his personal information.

After a while, the doctor sat down on a chair and said:

Dave, I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?

Dave looked at the doctor’s eyes and started fearing the worst.

-Bad….Bad news? Oh my gosh! Why? I am a good guy, I work hard, and I have so many things to do in my life! He looked at Susan. She understood that look and approached him, She hugged him tight. Her perfume was fresh and sweet, her hair was soft and her hug was warm. It was a great feeling, except for the horrible pain and the terrible situation, of course.

He took a deep breath and said:

-Doctor, give me the bad news.

-Dave, you will die.

Dave could not breathe anymore. He looked again at Susan and She looked at him and then She gave him a kiss.

The doctor continued:

-The good news is that you will not die today or in the next months. You will die may be in 60 years. Right now you only have some gas trapped in your intestines. Probably the last time that you used the toilet was two or three days ago. But you will be fine. Don’t you feel great now? You are fine Dave!!!!!

The doctor was laughing so hard. Susan walked to the doctor and punched him in the face and then left the office. The doctor fell down to the floor.

Dave and the doctor looked at each other and both started laughing at the situation.

The night finished all right, Susan kissed him. He couldn’t believe it.

Dave was definitely a lucky guy.

All right guys, thanks so much for listening. I hope this content can help you learn new vocabulary, keep contact with the language and improve your listening skills.

I’ll talk to you next time!

See you around!

Hello everybody,

What is up ?

In today’s session, we will be talking about the top 30 verbs of the english language and how to pronounce their past and past participle forms.

So, the objective of this podcast is to help you guys memorize the correct pronunciation of the most important verbs so that you don’t have to read them on a list but so that you memorize them by listening to them, basically I will read that list for you.

ok?

The thing is that it could be a little boring because there is no explanation here it is only me saying the verbs and that's it. 

SO , well let's hope for the best and let’s do this :

Do did done

have / had / had

go / went / gone

want / wanted / wanted

need / needed / needed

like / liked /liked

take / took / taken

say / said / said

buy / bought / bought

write / wrote / written

read / read / read

see / saw / seen

know / knew / known

make / made / made

drink / drank / drunk

eat / ate / eaten

speak / spoke / spoken

work / worked / worked

study / studied / studied

think / thought / thought

tell / told / told

call / called / called

come / came / come

sleep / slept / slept

drive / drove / driven

give / gave / given

feel / felt / felt

get / got / gotten / got

start / started / started

finish / finish / finished.

Well well that is all for today, please make sure that you study and you get your verbs right. you can not have any  problems with the simple past and the past participe forms of the verbs if you really want to improve your language to a really really good level, so make sure that you study these verbs. 

That's it for today.  I hope you guys have a great day and I will talk to you guys soon. 

Bye bye. 

Podcast 6 – intermediate – Interview Scarlett Johansson.

Hi there everyone, welcome to another podcast,

Today we will be listening to an interview done to Scarlett Johansson about her last movie (which i am sure you’ve heard of even if you are not a fan ) Avengers – End Game. It’s only three questions but there are some useful elements that you can incorporate.

So I want you to please pay attention to the following vocabulary and structures. Just pause the podcast right now and go and check the list of vocabulary that I put down below. You can find explanations and information in there.

Then, just press play again and listen to the interview.

So, here we go …..

Vocabulary and structures: 

-I didn't know if the fans and the audience would accept my interpretation: We use would because she is talking about her idea of the future but in a past situation.

I was not sure if my friends WOULD remember my birthday, but they prepared a surprise party for me .

-WHILE: While can be used to talk about simultaneous actions: While I watch tv, my wife reads a magazine.

But also to contrast situations:

While I understand that the situation is difficult, I think that the company should create a different plan.

MODAL VERBS:

Can: Possibility

Could: Possibility in the past / Hypothetical possibility in the future.

May/Might: Probability.

Have to: Obligation

To Peel: To remove the surface of an object to see what is inside (especially food – to peel a banana).

Depth: Noun of “deep”. Distance between the top and the bottom.

Compass: Element used to guide travelers which operates with earth magnetic forces pointing to the north/south.

To Be willing to: to have the disposition to do something.

I am not willing to come to the office on Sundays if my boss is not willing to pay extra-hours.

To Swallow: To let some substance (food, pills…) go down your throat without chewing.

Metaphorically: To swallow the truth / to swallow your own words.

Alongside: Next to.

To get stuck: When a person or an object is trapped in a situation or in a context from which it is not possible to escape.

To Dwell: To inhabit, to live.

Metaphorically: To dwell on the past / To dwell on your regrets.

To Haunt: To scare, to appear in the form of a ghost to torment.

Metaphorically: My past haunts me. My regrets haunt me.

Your character, Black Widow, has had enormous success, did you ever expect such a huge reception from the audience ?

When I did ironman 2 I didn't know if the fans and the audience would accept my interpretation, my casting of this character and so while I knew there were many different kind of dramatic directions that we could go and parts of the character that we could reveal or peel away or not, it was very you know, it was an introduction to this character, it’s like an idea and It wasn’t until avengers 2, or sorry the first avengers, that I got to work with Joss Whedon and really work on this characterization and develop the depth of this character’s backstory and what we wanted to be her truth

ok, I understand, and I would like to know, in your opinion, How is Natasha different from the rest of the characters of the movie? What makes her special?

I think Natasha is a little bit different than your kind of average hero or superhero in a sense because she has, I think she operates on a different kind, she has a different sort of moral compass than some of the other characters like say even cap I think she understands that there’s a balance between dark and light in the world and that you kind of have to, I think she understand the sacrifice you have to make on either end in order to have a kind of balance and that might not be a reality that some of the other characters are really willing to swallow but you know I don’t think she has to have that same mindset as say cap in order to work alongside him you know she just looks at the world in a different way but they can have a shared goal.

Ok, last question … Who is your favorite character?

I really love Natasha I think she is constantly evolving, she doesn't get stuck on things she is just continuously moving forward and I think you know she doesn't dwell on regrets or the past even though those things may haunt her ……

All right, all right guys that’s all for today, thank you so much for listening. And I will talk to you guys soon.

Be great!!.

LUCKY DAVE

Boom, his eyes opened, the light of the day came through the curtains showing the most beautiful day in the outside.

After a second of reflection, a bit disoriented, Dave jumped out of bed cursing his phone for not waking him up.

-Oh gosh, The alarm didn’t go off.

What a catastrophe! He had been working on a very important presentation for his boss. This could be his best opportunity to get that promotion that he had been waiting for so long. It was 8:30, if he could jump into a taxi and if there was no traffic, and if the taxi driver took him to the office ASAP, perhaps he would arrive on time for the meeting.

He ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower but there was no water. He had to go to the fridge and take a bottle of water to wash his hair and to brush his teeth. He got dressed as fast as he could, he didn’t put on a tie, only the same trousers he had worn the day before and a new shirt which was completely creased. What a horrible morning, but there was no time to iron anything. He took his briefcase and rushed through the door. As soon as he shut the door, he noticed that he didn’t have his keys with him.

-What an idiot! - He said.

There was no time to lose, he went downstairs at the speed of light and went onto the street to stop the first taxi that he saw.

Fortunately there was a taxi coming up, he was lucky. He stopped the taxi and gave the driver his office address. In the meantime, he fired up his laptop for a last minute check on his presentation. Everything was on point, a couple of minutes later the taxi arrived to his office but to his surprise he couldn’t find his wallet.

-Please give me a second – He said to the taxi driver- I can’t….where the hell….I just….

He was 5 minutes late, he was at the limit so there was no time to lose.

- I am sorry Sr, I can’t find my wallet

- What? Are you serious?

- I am very sorry, can I give you my number so that we can fix this later? I have a very important meeting to attend.

-You had better pay me those 15 dollars or I will kick your ass right now. What do you want to do boy?

The man was not joking around, he was ready to give Dave a bad time. He had no choice but to give the man his new watch, there was no time to lose.

He jumped out of the car, really sad because it was such a beautiful watch and now it was gone.

He went straight to the elevator but there were no numbers at the top of the them. They didn’t work.

-Goddamn it! Are you kidding me?

He took the stairs, he had to go to the 12th floor of the building. At that point he knew that he was going to get fired.

8 minutes later, all sweaty and tired he got to the office, He ran to the meeting room to set up his presentation. He was lucky, nobody had arrived. He calmed down, straightened his clothes and dried the sweat off his forehead. Thanks god, he would keep his job. But there was something weird, He checked his emails but his inbox was empty and he had no meetings for the day, he took a look at his calendar…

Oh god, it was Sunday.

Intermediate Level 

The Wright Brothers - Listening - reading - Pronunciation exercise. 

Over 100 years ago, people only dreamed

about flying. The Wright brothers, Wilbur and

Orville, were dreamers who changed the world.

Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 and

Orville was born in 1871. In 1878, they

received a paper flying toy from their father.

They played with kites and started to think

about the possibility of flight.

When they were older, they started a bicycle

business. They used the bicycle shop to design their airplanes. They studied

three aspects of flying: lift, control, and power. In 1899, they constructed

their first flying machine—a kite made of wood, wire, and cloth. It had no

pilot. Because of wind, it was difficult to control. They continued to study

aerodynamics.1 Finally Wilbur designed a small machine with a gasoline

engine. Wilbur tried to fly the machine, but it crashed. They fixed it and

flew it for the first time on December 17, 1903, with Orville as the pilot. The

airplane remained in the air for twelve seconds. It traveled a distance of 120

feet. This historic flight changed the world. However, only four newspapers

in the U.S. reported this historic moment.

The Wright brothers offered their invention to the U.S. government,

but the government rejected2 their offer at first. The government didn’t

believe that these men invented a flying machine. Finally, President

Theodore Roosevelt investigated their claims and offered the inventors a

contract to build airplanes for the U.S. Army.

December 17, 2003, marked 100 years of flight. There was a six-day

cele bration at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the location of the first flight.

A crowd of 35,000 people gathered to see a replica3 of the first plane fly.

The cost to re-create the plane was $1.2 million. However, it rained hard

that day and the plane failed to get off the ground.

You can now see the Wright brothers’ original airplane in the Air and

Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Hello Everyone !

It’s Andy here, it’s good to be back. .

In today’s podcast we will talk about simple present.

This is the first step you need to take if you want to start communicating in English.

The simple present is used for habit, routines, actions that we normally do.

Today we will talk about affirmative sentences. I will give you an example of a routine and also I will give you one tip that you can use if you have difficulties when you construct, when you build your sentences.

Let’s get started !

The most important part of the sentence, the sentence’s heart is the verb. So we need to pay close attention to it.

Listen to this example of routine and pay attention to the verbs :

I wake up at 7 am from monday to friday. Immediately after, I take a long shower and then I have some breakfast. I get dressed and prepare my documents to go to the office.

I leave home at 8 am and walk to the subway station. I normally arrive to the office at 9am. I read my emails and prepare the meetings of the day.

At midday I go to a restaurant and have lunch. I often eat chicken or meat with vegetables. At 1:30 I return to the office and finish the activities of the day. At 5pm I leave work and go directly to the gym. I need to do exercise to manage my stress.

At 8pm I come back home and have dinner. While the dinner is ready I sit on my couch to read the news or a book

Then at around 11pm I go to bed.

Well, this is only a very simple and short example of a routine.

The sentences have a subject, a verb and a complement. Many students start their sentences with a verb or with a complement because they arer thinking a lot about how to say all the information they want to communicate. That is a big problem because normally they translate word by word from their native langage.

The best option is to follow the structure : Sub +v+complement.

If you have difficulties constructing your sentences, please do this :

Relax, think simple, focus on the verb and the in the subject (many students forget to use the subject) and at the end say the complement in a very simple form.

In the simple present the complement contains information about frequency : once a week, twice a month, three times a year, At 5 pm,

About a place : at the office, in the park, at the supermarket

about People or company :

With my family, with my friends, with my co-workers.

So, if you have difficulties constructing or building your sentences :

1) think simple (don’t make it so hard)

2) Think about the verb and use a subject

3) use a complement of frequency, location or company.

Please study your verbs and it’s not important if you make mistakes, the principal objective is to follow the structure, little by little you will understand the complete process.

Thank you so much for listening, that’s my time for today.

I hope you have a wonderful day and talk to you guys around.

Topic : Simple present 1. Adjectives / locations / Occupations.

Level : Beginners

Hello, Welcome to the Podcast.

This episode is for beginners, level 1.

Today we will talk about the verb to be. People are very confused with "to be".

What is to be ? Well...it’s a very important part of the english language.

We use the verb to be for 3 principal objectives 1) descriptions and for descriptions we use adjectives. Examples of adjectives are: ::::::::

attractive

beautiful

happy 

intelligent

to be in present transforms in am, is or are.

Am – I - I am happy

is – he / she/it – she is happy

are - you/we/they – – you are happy / we are happy / they are happy.

Am / Is / Are.

I am Elegant

Barcelona is a beautiful city.

English is easy

My sister is very energetic

My boss is very formal

The writer is very intelligent

Use number two: Locations

Locations :

Where are you?

I am at the university

My sister is at school

The Eiffel Tower is in Paris

I am not at home

Where are you ?

Use number 3 - Occupations :

I am a Doctor

We are teachers

She is a lawyer

He is a Bus driver