AEE 2323: How to Talk About Holiday Magic in English

Are you thinking about testing in English? Today, Lindsay introduces Jessica, the Examiner of Excellence, who’s here to help you excel at your English tests!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now   Test preparation doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it should be interesting. When you’re studying for an English test, it isn’t the same as studying for a math test. You need to activate your emotions so you can remember more. Reading or watching movies in English can help, but you can also practice writing essays on subjects that are interesting to you, or go out and speak English with native speakers. Think of it as test preparation.   As for taking the actual test, Jessica has four essential tips to give you an advantage: Be proactive. Take an active approach that involves your brain. Try to think about and predict answers. Trust yourself. Don’t start doubting yourself when answering questions. Often, your first answer is the correct one. Follow directions. Tests are written by smart people. Don’t start looking ahead and trying to race the clock. If you do, you might miss an important instruction. Don’t rush. Don’t worry about timing. Instead, focus on your English and do what the test asks you to do.   Have you done any testing in English? How did it go? Tell us about it in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Joulu 201419min

Are you sometimes unsure what to do next in life and with your English learning? Today Lindsay and Michelle talk about how to proceed when life feels overwhelming!   Come back to our site for more tips   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Joulu 201413min

Do you have an information addiction? Today, Lindsay and Michelle will have a natural English conversation about how information addiction can affect your life, and what you can do to unplug!   Come back to our website for more tips       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Joulu 201416min

Are you nervous about speaking English? Are you looking for a way around it? Today, Lindsay and Michelle share a story about one student who overcame his fear of speaking English by being an expert at something else!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now   An English student in an American business course had little confidence in his English abilities. But when the other students in his course discovered that he understood their subject better than any of them, he was asked to be their tutor. Of course, they wanted him to tutor them in English. This turned out much better than expected. As a tutor, he had to be in the moment and focused. He couldn’t worry about his inhibitions or nervousness, or making mistakes. And because of this, he was able to take control.   A classroom is a safe place to learn English, but you are expected not to make mistakes, and so you must focus on your own perfection rather than connection. Connecting with others is more natural. Try to get out of the classroom and overcome your inhibitions.   How do you practice English outside the classroom? Does it help make you less self-conscious about speaking English? Let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Joulu 201413min

Need some help talking about your plans in English? On today’s Tear Up Your Textbook Tuesday, Lindsay and Michelle tell you how to talk about the future the way native speakers do!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training now   Usually English textbooks tell you to talk about the future using ‘will’ and ‘going to’. These work, but native English speakers also do it by using the progressive tense. To native ears, this is a more natural and conversational way to talk.   Here are some examples of conversation about the future using the progressive tense: “What are you having for dinner?” “Tonight I’m having chicken.”   “Are you bringing anything?” “I’m bringing wine.”   “What are you doing tomorrow?” “I’m going to see a movie.”   Note that all of these conversations are talking about the future, not the immediate moment.   What are you doing tomorrow? What are you doing next week? Let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Joulu 201418min

Do you want to get a job in the US? Today, Lindsay and Michelle discuss what you need to know to excel at an American job interview!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training now   Job interviews everywhere focus on skills and training. But in the US, employers are usually interested in character as well. They want to know whether you’re a team player, what your potential is to be a leader, and how you will grow in your job. As such, they might ask some questions focused more on your behaviors than your skills. It would help to think about these questions ahead of time, so you can be prepared.   Some American job interview questions might include: “Tell us about the most difficult/frustrating individual you ever had to work with, and how you managed to work with them.” By asking this, they’re seeing whether you can rise above a problem and keep it from affecting the company. “Give an example of how you’ve broken out of a routine or when you’ve successfully developed a new approach.” Here they’re asking you to show flexibility. “How do you schedule your time/prioritize time when you have a tight turnaround?” With this, you might want to explain how you ask others for help or delegate your work.   In answering all of these questions, try to tell a story from conflict to resolution, and keep it under three minutes if possible.   Do employers ask questions like these during job interviews in your country? Tell us about it in the comments section below!     Brad received his undergraduate degree at New York University in 1984, and spent the next 15 years in the business world focused on sales and marketing. After spending a year testing the English teaching waters in Korea, he returned to the USA and got a Masters degree in TESOL from Seattle University in March 2001. Since then Brad has worked in London for a summer, spent a few years in Ireland writing TEFL materials for the Wall Street Institute and other companies, and has worked in Germany and Austria as an in-house Business English trainer for companies like Siemens, Deutsche Post/DHL and EADS. He has also taught many seminars and workshops for various companies on skills like presentations and business correspondence, as well as a business course for two years at the University of Ulm, Germany.   How to Work with Brad on italki: Step 1- Go to italki to get $10 off your second lesson. You must use this link to get the special deal. Step 2- Search for “Brad C” in the teacher search bar after you have registered with the above link for our special promotion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Joulu 201418min

Do you ever take a risk when learning English? Or would you rather be ordinary and routine? Today, Lindsay and Michelle discuss how not being a play-it-safer can help your English grow!   Come back to our site for more tips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Joulu 201417min

Do you want some help with the local English in San Francisco? Today, San Francisco native Sarah Honour talks about how you can go local with your English in the City by the Bay!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course   San Francisco is one of the most unique and amazing cities in the United States. It’s residents are technology-centric due to their proximity to Silicon Valley, as well as health-centric and nature-centric due to the progressive philosophy that has long been part of the spirit of the city. Sarah believes that these traits are found in some of the language that San Franciscans use, and that knowing this terminology can help you fit in just a little better. Here are Sarah’s three top terms for your visit to San Francisco: “Is there an app for that?”: App is short for application, as in for your phone. Because the Bay Area is near the center of a major technological development region, there are apps for almost everything in the city — from calling a taxi to getting your groceries delivered. Organic, Local, Sustainable and Seasonal: Food quality is really important to San Franciscans. Organic means that no pesticides have been used, local means the food was grown nearby, and sustainable means the environment was not harmed to produce it. Seasonal simply means that it is the natural time of year for the food to grow. “Where’s the wiggle?”: San Francisco is a great city for biking, but it is also a city with lots of hills. The ‘wiggle’ is the route for biking with the least amount of hills to go up.   Have you ever been to San Francisco? Would you like to go? Tell us why in the comments section below!   Sarah is a 31 year old American who was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, studied Communications in Seattle, Washington, and worked for almost 10 years as a nanny (or babysitter) in San Francisco, California.  She now splits her time between San Francisco and Sardinia, Italy where her boyfriend lives. She is an English teacher on italki, and is learning Italian and sampling as much of the amazing food and wine from Italy as she can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Joulu 201416min