Series 02 Episode 01

Listen to the whole podcast

This is an exercise to help you when you listen to the podcast for the first time. To get ready to listen to the podcast on your computer:

• Read through the questions in the exercise in the practice materials below. This will give you an idea of the programme you are going to listen to.
• Read the questions and instructions carefully. Sometimes you must listen for the 'right' answers. But in some of these questions, you must choose the one answer that is not possible, or wrong.

Practice materials

Listen to the whole podcast and try to answer the questions while you listen.

Exercise

Check your answers when you have finished. How many did you get right? Remember this, because if you listen to the podcast again later (say next month), you can do the exercise again, and see if you have improved!

Section 1 - Conversations in English

“Happy Birthday!” – speaking about birthdays

Part 1 is based on the Introduction. This section looks at how to ask someone about their birthday and what to say if someone asks you about your birthday.

Suggestion: One way to use this is to read the transcript, and then look at Tom's tip in this section. You can then do some exercises to help you to learn the common phrases. A good idea is to practise these with a friend who speaks English or is also learning English.

Tom’s tip
Speaking about birthdays:

In social terms, when a child becomes an adult, they stop wanting to have presents on their birthdays.
This, of course, is not true. But it does mean that we have to pretend that we don't want presents, and when we give them, we have to make them look not very important.

Practice materials: exercise 1

Put the sentences in a conversation in the correct order.

Exercise

Practice materials: exercise 2

Can you match the lines of dialogue with their functions?

Exercise

Section 2 - I'd like to talk about

Section 2 is based on someone talking about something that they’re interested in – it could be anything – a hobby, a person, a place, a thing – something that they know a bit about and would like to share. It helps you to practise speaking for a little bit longer – for example, when you're explaining something, or telling people something about yourself.

Suggestion: The best way to practise is with a friend who speaks English or is also learning English. However, if you can't find someone, you can send us a paragraph in English.

You listened to Ester who lives in London and is studying a Masters degree in chemistry. Esther told us all about knitting, and promised to send us some photos and links. Well, she sent us some photos and a short text about each one, as well as three links.

The Cambridge Learner's Dictionary (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/) says:

The verb "to knit" means "to make clothes using wool and two long needles to join the wool into rows". The noun "knitting" is defined as "when something is being knitted or the thing that is being knitted".

Esther recommends these two articles about knitting from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knitting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting

She sent in these two photos, with the descriptions under them:

 

This is a picture of my niece, Scarlett, wearing the hat that I knitted her for Christmas last year.

 

This Mexican-style knitted jacket is the most difficult thing I've ever made.

Have you got a hobby that you can write about? If so, make some notes to answer the questions that you can find in the support pack (see link above).

Now put your notes together to write a paragraph about your hobby and add it as a comment at the bottom of this page.

Section 3 - Quiz

Section 3 is based on the Quiz. This helps you to learn the meaning of new words and how to remember them.

Suggestion: You can write your answers in our Support Pack.
You might want to use a notebook or part of your folder to make your own word lists and maps.

You heard Mark playing 'Hot Seat'. All of the questions were connected with people in your life.

Practice materials: Exercise 1

Look at a family tree and complete sentences about it.

Exercise

Practice materials: Exercise 2

For further practice activities please download and print the support pack (above). 

Section 4 - Your turn

Section 4 is based on 'Your Turn'. It helps you to listen and understand people giving their opinions.

Suggestion: Download the support pack (above) and look at the phrases that the people use. Sometimes they don't use complete sentences. Write down notes and then say what you think.

In Your Turn you heard 6 people answer this question: ‘Which country’s food is your favourite and why?’

What about you? Do you agree with what any of the people said in the podcast? Is your favourite food Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Indian, Chinese, Mexican? Or maybe even British! Or is it the food from your own country?

So, write down what you think, explain why, and leave this as a comment at the bottom of the page.

Section 5 - Carolina

Section 5 follows Carolina – a girl who has come to the United Kingdom (UK) to live, study, and to have fun exploring a different country and culture. Listening to this can help you if you find yourself in a similar situation. You will see that there is often more than one way of saying the same thing in English.

Suggestion: listen to Carolina's conversations in the shoe shops and then do exercises 1 and 2.

Practice materials - Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the correct phrases.

Exercise

Practice materials - Exercise 2

Choose the phrases that can correctly complete each sentence.

Exercise

Practice materials - Exercise 3

For further practice activities please download and print the support pack (above).

Section 6 - Tom the Teacher

Section 6 is Tom the Teacher. These are more traditional exercises. They look at being accurate in English, and often use the type of exercises you may find in English tests and exams.

Practice materials - Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the correct pronouns.

Exercise

Practice materials - Exercise 2

Complete the mini-dialogues with phrases from the podcast.

Exercise