Adam
Adam: Hello again! This is Episode 14 of Series 4 of LearnEnglish Elementary Podcasts. My name is Adam and, as usual, my colleague Jo will be here later. She'll be talking about some of the language from today's podcast.
Last time we heard Tess and Ravi talking about the BBC or 'The Beeb' as British people sometimes call it. As usual, we asked you to write in and tell us what you think. Can you watch BBC TV or listen to BBC radio where you live? If you can, then what are your favourite programmes? Or maybe you use the BBC website for news or information – or to help you to learn English.
Some of you have problems accessing the BBC in your country, but a lot of you know the programmes well. Wuri Koes from Indonesia used to think the BBC was only for news and documentaries, until he saw a show called Sherlock. I've watched that – it's a very popular modern version of the stories about Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. It's great fun to watch. Wuri loved the programme and now watches and listens to a lot of BBC drama. Wuri, make sure you listen to the next podcast, Episode 15!
Eminemlik from Turkey used to show his little daughter a BBC children's programme called Balamory so that she could learn English. I've seen that, too. And alibeneshaq from Saudi Arabia watches another children's programme – Nina and the Neurons – every morning with his little sisters. Children's TV can be a very good way to find easy examples of English … and some of it is better made than the adult programmes!
Alibeneshaq and Rui Jesus from Portugal both say how much they like Top Gear, the popular BBC programme about cars. Samssira from Algeria listens to BBC radio every day, especially a programme called Outlook, and thinks that it's 'an excellent way to learn English without being bored'. I love the radio too, although I almost always listen to it as podcasts on the train – or waiting at the station when the train's late!
Nada Ghannoum from Syria used to use the BBC website to learn English, but after listening to the podcast is going to start watching more TV programmes. And bittzza from Romania says 'I haven't listened to BBC radio before, but I think it's a good idea to improve my English'. Krig from Ukraine says 'Of course I've heard of the BBC but due to you I've found out that the website is a great source for English learners'.
The last comment is from Lolachannel from Saudi Arabia who says 'Sorry to say I like you more than the BBC, I think. I like Tess and Ravi and Adam and Jo. I like the BBC a little but I don't listen to news very much – I'm like Ravi'. Thanks for such a kind comment, Lolachannel.
We know that a lot of you enjoy using our podcasts – and the LearnEnglish website in general – to help you learn English, and we get lots of questions after every podcast about how to use the site and get the most out of it. The best place to start is the Help page – there's lots of useful advice, including how to improve your speaking. And Kirk and Peter from the LearnEnglish Team try to answer as many of your questions as they can, so try asking in the comments.
And don't forget the Elementary Podcasts app which will make it easier for you to listen to the podcast wherever you are and has lots of useful features. It's available from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, or you can just follow the link from the LearnEnglish website. Happy listening!
And now it's time to find out what's going on with Carolina and her friends Jamie and Emily. It's nearly time for the university's end of year exams and Carolina and Emily are hard at work studying in the library. Or are they?
Carolina – In the library
Emily: Oh, I'm so bored with this.
Carolina: Me too.
Emily: Shall we go and have a coffee?
Carolina: No. We only got here half an hour ago … Another hour and a half. Then we can go for a coffee … Come on, Emily. You know I'm right. Our exams start in two weeks.
Emily: Oh, OK … How's Jamie?
Carolina: He's great. He's really excited about his band. He can't stop talking about the gig last week – how well they played, how everyone loved the band, how cool it was to play with The Electrons.
Emily: I know. I've heard a lot of people say how good they were. My friend Helen said they were nearly as good as The Electrons.
Carolina: Well, I'm not sure about that, but yes, they were good.
Student: Ssssh! People are trying to work here.
Carolina and Emily: Sorry.
Emily: Is it eleven o'clock yet?
Carolina: No.
Emily: So what happens next?
Carolina: Coffee at eleven. Keep studying.
Emily: No, I mean with Jamie's band. Are they gonna do another gig with The Electrons?
Carolina: Well, that's the really exciting thing. The Electrons have asked them to go on tour with them after the summer. In October, I think.
Emily: That's fantastic!
Student: Sssshh!
Emily: Sorry. That's fantastic.
Carolina: I know. And the really fantastic thing is, if his band goes on tour with The Electrons, then Jamie will stay here in England. The band will be a full-time job.
Emily: No Antarctica? No orang-utans? No Borneo?
Carolina: Exactly.
Emily: Poor Jamie.
Carolina: What do you mean poor Jamie?
Student: Look, if you can't be quiet then go outside. This is a library.
Carolina: Sorry.
Emily: Poor Jamie because it will be a really difficult decision for him to make. The environment and conservation is so important for him. I don't think it'll be good for him to give up all his plans and stay in Newcastle.
Carolina: But very good for me. You know I don't want him to go to Antarctica or Borneo while I stay here. I know it seems selfish of me, but you're going away next year, Emily …
Emily: Yeah, but only to do a year in France. That's not the same as Borneo.
Carolina: I know. But I'm going to miss you so much. And if Jamie goes away too …
Emily: You can come and visit me in France.
Carolina: I know. Thanks. Now stop talking, Emily. Revision! Revision! One more hour before coffee.
Student: For heaven’s sake!
Jo and Adam
Adam: And now Jo's here with us again. Hi Jo.
Jo: Hello. Well, that's good news about Jamie's band – maybe a tour with The Electrons.
Adam: Yes, but what a difficult decision for him to make – his band or his conservation projects.
Jo: Hmmm. Carolina and Emily aren't studying very much, are they? Maybe the library isn't the best place!
Adam: I get distracted very easily when I’m studying at home, so a library is quite a good place for me. What works for you?
Jo: Well, when I was at university I shared a house with six other girls, so I had to study in the library. But these days, with laptops and tablets, I think you can study anywhere if you can find a quiet place.
Adam: I suppose everyone studies in different ways. What about you, listeners? How do you like to study? At home? In a café?
Jo: With music? At night or in the morning?
Adam: Why don't you write and tell us? The address is www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish. Now it's time to look at some of the language from the podcast.
Jo: And this time we're talking about the future. Emily and Carolina are talking about Jamie. Listen to what Carolina says.
Carolina: And the really fantastic thing is, if his band goes on tour with The Electrons, then Jamie will stay here in England.
Jo: 'If Jamie's band goes on tour with The Electrons, Jamie will stay in England.'
Adam: He won't go to Antarctica or Borneo.
Jo: This is a sentence about the future, using 'if'. It's a conditional sentence. Some people call it the 'future conditional'.
Adam: And some people call it the 'first conditional'.
Jo: Notice the forms of the verb. We use a present tense after 'if' – 'If Jamie's band goes on tour' – and 'will' or 'won't' ...
Adam: or 'might' ...
Jo: ... in the other part of the sentence – 'Jamie will stay in England'. 'If' can be at the beginning of the sentence – 'If the weather's good, I'll go to the beach'.
Adam: Or in the middle – 'I'll go to the beach if the weather's good.
Jo: And don't forget 'might', when you aren't sure – 'I might go to the beach tomorrow if the weather's good'.
Adam: There are exercises on the website to help you with this, and other language from the podcast. And that's all we've got time for today. See you next time.
Adam/Jo: Bye!
Comments
Oh, you talked about Sherlock Holmes, I read almost all of his series, of course in Japanese since I was so young and had not studied English yet. Now that I'm so fluent in English, I might as well read again in English this time. Perhaps after reading Jo Nesbo, which is the material of my translation work...
I like study in a quiet place like my room or in the living room when i am alone. Usually i prefer study in the morning because my mind is empty. Sometimes i listen soft music, it helps me out to be more concentrated .
When I wast at university I used to study at night-early morning in my home, when there was no noise or anything that could distract me because I always get distracted in a second. I didn't use to listen to music or watch the tv for the same reason. I didn't like to study at school (I mean the library) because my classmates (and friends) always led me to the dark side, they said,.. let's go for a beer, we can study later.. haha.. a bad decision. XD
When I was a student at high school I was always studding in a café, it’s easier than at home, I can meet my classmates to studding in group but at university my studding was at home or in library.
I ‘have never studied with music, I find that’s not helpful and it can make me unfocused on my study, I prefer the silent area.
I like to study at home where i can concentrate and find the calm
I prefer studying at the library because it is quite for me to concentrate on my study. It is quite large and it also contains a lot of books.
Good afternoon everyone, I happy that I have to writing again here, something about me. Before I start to write just finished I talk with my wife in English about what I will write, sometimes I do this to improve my English.
So my best way to study for me is at home alone without noise and music, because it's easy for me to get distracted even when I'm alone if I study in front of the pc,
But when I learn from my notebook then is different, because I'm really focused at what I have to learn and I don't have any possibility ( to open a new web page in my notebook) .
For me it doesn't matter what time it is when I start to study, but of course I try to study during the day when I'm fresh and learning it could be easy than if you study at night.
Beside that I think when you have to do an important exam and you are a person who are get distracted easily, than the best place to work is in the library, quiet location with quiet people who are aim to do the same thing like you.
Which is correct, I saw a crescent moon as if it WAS talking to me or I saw a crescent moon as if it WERE talking to me? Thanks.
Hello lingskie,
Both are correct. People who adhere to traditional grammars prefer 'were' to 'was', so if you're writing or speaking to people like that, then I'd recommend 'were'. But many people just say 'was' in this case and nowadays it is considered correct by most.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello everyone,
In my case I prefer to study in the library, Most of the times I have to study in my room with my laptop, but, when I am studying with my laptop, sometimes I begin opening other pages such as facebook, youtube and pages like that, so, I realized that I get distracted very easily. Nothing compares with the most suitable place for students, THE LIBRARY.
Regards to all.
Thank you very much for the Episode 14, it was amazing. I am going to have a test on Monday about conditionals, so, it was very helpful for me.
Bye
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