Shows
What You Say in English!Episode 18: Can you use AI to check your exam writing?In this episode, I explore the use of artificial intelligence-powered tools like ChatGPT3 for improving writing skills for Cambridge exams. ChatGPT3 can provide instant feedback on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, sentence structure, and organization, as well as generate prompts and provide suggestions for improvement. It's a valuable supplement to traditional writing instruction and can help students build confidence and motivation. The use of AI-powered tools has made language learning more accessible, effective, and engaging. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative and effective tools to emerge.
Don't forget to download the full transcript here.2023-03-0523 min
What You Say in English!Episode 17: Silent Letters in EnglishEpisode 17 of "What You Say in English" explores the topic of silent letters in English. The episode explains that silent letters in English are a way of preserving the history of the language and are often relics of the pronunciation of words in their original languages. The episode also discusses why silent letters are important for both pronunciation and spelling, and how phonics can be helpful in teaching children and English learners about silent letters. By understanding silent letters, English learners can improve their fluency and accuracy in spoken and written English. We also discuss some words for each...2023-02-2656 min
What You Say in English!Episode 16: Reacting to Rosalia's English [Feedback and commentary]This time I wanted to go back to analyzing other people's English. I've chosen Rosalia, the incredibly popular singer from Spain, to give people another role model they can follow. Despite some limitations, she's quite fluent. She showed great confidence and aplomb during this first interview in an American Late Night talk show. She had fun and let everybody know that she can handle herself just fine. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did when analyzing her English.
Don't forget to download the interview notes and commentary from here.
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Send in a...2023-02-1957 min
What You Say in English!Episode 15: Is Spaced Repetition the Key to Effective Vocabulary Building?In this episode, I delve into the topic of spaced repetition and its impact on vocabulary building. Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals in order to reinforce memory.
I discuss the importance of finding the right frequency of repetition and the fact that this frequency will vary from person to person, depending on factors such as prior knowledge, memory capacity, and available study time.
The episode covers common spaced repetition algorithms (SupeMemo, Anki and Leitner systems) and schedules and provides tips for incorporating spaced repetition into a study...2023-02-1227 min
What You Say in English!Episode 14: Preparing for your English exam on your own?Today's episode is dedicated to everyone who is preparing for the IELTS, Cambridge exam (or any other English proficiency exam) on their own. It's a difficult road to follow, but filled with learning opportunities. I will give you here some pointers on how to start, what to consider, where to look for materials and other important things. I start by telling you what the possibilities are and the types of tests available, the importance of simulating the exam conditions, how to understand your results and how to deal with feedback, to finish with how to find reliable source material...2023-02-051h 14
What You Say in English!Episode 13: Active listening and note-taking for learning successIn today's episode, we're talking about the importance of active listening and note-taking for acing exams. Active listening is key for understanding the meaning behind the words and picking up on key information to take notes on. As for note-taking, it's important to find a technique that works best for you, like the Cornell Method, Outline Method, Mapping Method, Charting Method, Sentence Method, and Mind Map Method. Each one is suited for a different type of information and exam format. Remember to listen actively, take effective notes.
Don't forget follow me on TikTok for more tips and...2023-01-2936 min
What You Say in English!Episode 12: Lander Hawes, English teacher and CEO of Kinjugo, introduces "Preposition Safecracker"In this episode of What You Say in English, I sit down with Lander Hawes, CEO of Kinjugo, an EdTech startup that has developed a game for learners of English who are preparing for IELTS called 'Preposition Safecracker'. This is the first video episode of the podcast and listeners on Spotify will be able to watch it on their devices and desktop app. Lander explains how the game, which is designed to make repetition and learning more engaging and fun, is specifically geared towards preparing for the IELTS exam, and covers 450 sentences across different IELTS topics. The conversation explores...2023-01-221h 00
What You Say in English!Episode 11: Debunking myths about the IELTS speaking testIn this episode, I do the role of an IELTS Speaking Mythbuster. I set to debunk four common misconceptions surrounding the IELTS Speaking exam. I discuss the importance of using language precisely, flexibly, and appropriately, rather than relying on "big words" to get a high band score. I also address the myth that students must have a British or American accent to do well in the exam, emphasizing that accent is not an evaluation criterion and that any accent is acceptable as long as the speaker is intelligible. I also touch on the idea that students must speak the...2023-01-1530 min
What You Say in English!Episode 10: Tips for your language resolutions for 2023As my new wish for 2023, I want to thank all of my listeners for their support. I hope you've enjoyed my episodes and have found them helpful in your language learning journey.
In today's episode, I'm going to be talking about learning English and setting new year's resolutions. Whether you're just starting out on your language-learning journey, or you're looking for ways to boost your progress, this episode is for you.
I'll be discussing the importance of setting specific, achievable, and measurable goals when learning a new language, and sharing some ideas for language-related resolutions...2023-01-0848 min
What You Say in English!Episode 9: An official IELTS speaking test and commentaryFor the last episode of the year, I wanted to retake the IELTS speaking test. Here, I'm using a recording which is available on the official IELTS website. It's not a full recording, but it will serve to understand how the speaking criteria should be applied when preparing for the exam. Make sure you have a copy of the speaking scales with you, as I will quote from them at times. Also, download the accompanying prompts and transcript. You will be able to highlight and write down my comments on each aspect. I hope you will find it useful...2022-12-1854 min
What You Say in English!Episode 8: Big news from Cambridge Assessment English and Cambridge exams set textsThese things rarely happen... That we get big news from Cambridge Assessment English. The organization is undergoing some major rebranding and redesign, not only about their corporate image, but with the way they will handle exams. They'll remove tasks, add other options to take the exams, and 'finally' embrace some new technology to offer new ways of going through the Cambridge experience, among other things. If you're preparing to take the exam any time between what is left of the year or next year, what I have to tell you about in this episode will definitely interest you.
2022-12-1142 min
What You Say in English!Episode 7: C1 Reading and Use of English part 6 - The Cross-text Multiple MatchingWe're approaching the end of the year. And as usual, Anchor published my wrapped for 2022 and it's nothing but good news. This podcast has grown exponentially. If you wish to see it, visit this link. Most of the growth is probably because of the number of new listeners from India. I'm here for you guys! I'll try to cover more about the IELTS exam.
As promised, this is the first episode in which I experiment with other parts of the Cambridge exams. I've created this task which is slightly higher than C1 (in terms of vocabulary) to...2022-12-041h 00
What You Say in English!Episode 6: Consonant clustersThe previous episode had a great reception. So much so that I decided to extend on how to improve your fluency and intelligibility by working on your consonant clusters. The five sample sentences are:
O n my first trip, I traveled the length and breadth of Sri Lanka.
Scientists say that humans’ sixth sense can be explained.
Last February, meteorologists measured the temperature in the forests in the Arctic circle.
He asks exactly what we need to know about the nuclear program.
She liked two different tasks: washing her clothes and resting in the summer months.
Follow the...2022-11-2737 min
What You Say in English!Episode 5: Reacting to Tenoch Huerta's English on Jimmy Kimmel live.It's been some time since I haven't reacted to a celebrity's English. This time is Black Panther's Prince Namor, Tenoch Huerta. Personally, I don't know how long he's been learning English, but he behaved like a champion in this interview. You can listen to how he used natural fluency to overcome his lack of grammatical and phonological control. You too can deliver a successful interview for live TV without having to master English with the mastery of a C2 speaker. Tenoch is an excellent role model to follow.
The transcript with more comments can be downloaded from...2022-11-1336 min
What You Say in English!Episode 4: C2 Full Mock Speaking with Francisco and MariaThis is yet another C2 Speaking mock with two great students: Francisco and Maria. They'll soon take their exams and wanted to do one last mock speaking with me before their big day. The questions and the visuals can be downloaded from here:
Examiner's questions
Candidate Visuals part 2
Candidate Visuals part 3
I'm sharing the examiner's questions, as I know there are other teachers who would like to do the same exam with other students. I recycled some questions from other sources, but most of it was created by me.
Also, at the beginning I speak...2022-11-061h 01
What You Say in English!Episode 3: How polywords can help you improve your fluency in speaking and moreThis idea of thinking of groups of words as one unit is nothing new, but it might help you think of different word categories (e.g., idioms, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases, binomials, among others) as having more things in common as you might have initially thought. They're Polywords.
I've prepared some activities that can help you understand polywords better:
Matching task
Reading and Use of English part 1 (C1/C2)
Reading and Use of English part 2 (C1/C2)
Answers can be found here.
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What You Say in English!Episode 2: Understanding Part 2: the individual Long Turn at C1 AdvancedThis episode is devoted to explaining how students can ace the second part of the speaking test: The Long Turn. As I mention in the episode, you can prepare the way you wish to organize your discourse, but not what vocabulary or grammar you will use. You will listen to three students speaking about three sets of images. They all had time to prepare and even write down what they wanted to say. So, when preparing, this might be a good idea to get used to the structure of your answer. You'll see how it easy it becomes. That...2022-10-2328 min
What You Say in English!Episode 1: Chat with teacher and ELT author Ethan MansurI met Ethan back when I worked for International House Madrid. He's the sort of person you'd love to work with: knowledgeable, experienced, and, most importantly, quite approachable whenever you had doubts about your teaching. Nowadays, he keeps quite busy writing materials for exam preparation, Teacher Training courses and is also quite active in delivering presentations at many teaching conventions. Macmillan Publishers called him to write the Teachers Books for the newest edition of their successful series for Cambridge exams, Ready For, originally written by Amanda French and Roy Norris. Here, we talked about his work as an author...2022-10-1651 min
What You Say in English!Minicast 05: Wild, Wild WestToday, I'm bringing some American expressions that have been used worldwide. And they come from the time when the United States of America became independent from Great Britain, and the original 13 colonies expanded to the west. As usual, the transcript can be downloaded from here. How do you like these minicasts? Send your opinions to podcast@languageteaching.es
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-07-3104 min
What You Say in English!Minicast 04: The name of the gameToday's minicast is rather musical, because of the references I'm using, but all three idioms actually come from the sports world. As usual, I open with some real-life examples and tell you how you can use them in your everyday life and during speaking exams. The transcript can be downloaded from here.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-07-2404 min
What You Say in English!Minicast 03: France is baconWho doesn't want more knowledge? Today I'm bringing three wonderful expressions with the word knowledge. One of them, knowledge is power, even has a funny story of a guy who misunderstood it until he was an adult. Read more about this by following this link.
As always, this minicast has a transcript that you can download from here.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-07-1704 min
What You Say in English!Minicast 02: The sword in the word.A sword is a fantastic weapon. It can cause admiration and terrible fear in people. Maybe that's why we've coined so many expressions with it. Today, you'll learn three fantastic ways in which you can use it during speaking exams. As in the previous minicast, download the transcript from here.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-07-1004 min
What You Say in English!Minicast 01: Are you a buff?As promised, a series of minicasts with an English expression (or expressions) that you can use in your everyday life or during a speaking test. You can download the transcript here.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-07-0303 min
What You Say in English!Episode 40: C2 Full Speaking Mock and commentaryInga, from Russia and Rebeca, from Spain, took part in this recorded mock exam with interesting things to analyze. They were both living in Oxford by the time they did this recording, and you can tell that they show a wide range of strong features in her speaking skills. Inga as Dphil student and Rebeca as part of the Bodleian libraries at the University of Oxford. Grab a notebook and make your notes as I offer my impressions of their performance. The visuals for this test can be downloaded from here.
I don't want to go without...2022-06-2640 min
What You Say in English!Episode 39: C1 Full Speaking Mock and commentaryThis is a full speaking mock for C1. Luca and Lorenzo did well enough to make a pass and listen to my advice so you can use the tips to ace your speaking exam. The visuals for this exam can be downloaded here.
As I mentioned last week. I finally bring information about the courses I'm planning for August. To save a spot and read all the preliminary information, go to the following websites:
C1 Advanced Intensive course
C2 Proficiency Intensive course
If you still have questions, please send me an email to podcast@languageteaching.e...2022-06-2056 min
What You Say in English!Episode 38: The tense-aspect system in English (part 2)This is the second part (and final) where I explain the remaining tenses of the whole "tense-aspect" system in English. Here you'll find the different uses of the perfect, progressive and perfect-progressive aspects. That would conclude the information about the "12 tenses" in English. These tenses are covered in the course of the different levels of the CEFR. Even at top levels, students need to fine tune their understanding of this system and appropriately use them in speaking and writing tasks.
Also, I finally bring information about the courses I'm planning for August. To save a spot and...2022-06-1246 min
What You Say in English!Episode 37: The tense-aspect system in English (part 1)I decided to get more technical and explain the tense-aspect system in English starting from its core meaning. It's not very complicated when you see what the present, past and future times have in common. You could say that meanings repeat but with minor modifications that make all the sense in the world if you see them from this perspective. I will cover the remaining points in the last episodes of this season. Also, I'm giving updates about the upcoming intensive courses I'm organizing for August.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show...2022-06-0541 min
What You Say in English!Episode 36: Message from Manuel and Minimal PairsManuel, a listener from Chile, sent me this incredible message. He was expecting me to give him extensive feedback, but his voice note was so good that I honestly had nothing to say. The only thing I could comment on was on the pronunciation of his "b" as opposed to a "v", which prompted me to talk about minimal pairs today. So, enjoy! And once again... Thanks for the message, Manuel.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2022-05-2920 min
What You Say in English!Episode 35: Do you know what's the washback effect in testing?This effect is well known to all of us who prepare for exams. Language exams, more than other types, seemed to be affected the most. That classic "study to pass the exam" attitude that tends to push students to memorize stuff which is usually forgotten once the exam is over. In this brief episode, I talk about its positive effects, its negative effects and what you can do, as a teacher and as a student, to minimize the latter effects.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/message
Support this podcast: https://p...2022-05-2219 min
What You Say in English!Episode 34: Interactive communication tips and intonation of cleft sentencesI always want to emphasize Interactive Communication because it's one of the criteria that gets overlooked by teachers and candidates altogether. Today I'll speak about three ways in which candidates can use language effectively to:
Interrupt politely
Add your opinion to what the other candidate said
Ask for clarification
I'm also including an element that also deserves some attention: intonation. On this occasion, I'll be talking about the way we say cleft sentences. So, enjoy today's episode and send me a message to podcast@languageteaching.es
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com...2022-05-1532 min
What You Say in English!Episode 33: Brief message from Rossana (and feedback) and speaking skill: Making generalizations.Rossana, a listener from Italy, sent me this incredible message you'll hear today. It's very short but it's a good sample to give some well-deserved feedback. When clips are short, I mostly focus on pronunciation and some vocabulary. To give feedback on more aspects, I would need a longer piece of audio. In any case, she did really well.
The main event in today's episode is how to make generalizations effectively. In many parts of the speaking exam, whether it's for B2, C1, or C2, the examiners will pay attention to how you generalize about things. Not...2022-05-0833 min
What You Say in English!Episode 32: Conversation with fellow teacher and language lover, Marcelo.Marcelo was very eager to have my feedback, and I honestly don't have much to say about his amazing speaking skills. Being a teacher has allowed him to share everything he's learned along the way with his students. He has an incredible personality and a very focused mindset when it comes to how communication is essential in the classroom, whether it be face-to-face or online. Enjoy this conversation! Remember that if you want to learn more about Ben Gill's TTP Academy or my future course for C1 and C2, send me a line at podcast@languageteaching.es
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What You Say in English!Episode 31: Cambridge exams Set TextsThis is a short presentation about the set text for B2 First for Schools and the two novels for C2 Proficiency. I answer why they're used in the exams and what candidates are expected to do. Also, I will explain what the benefits are and the possible pitfalls if you decide to prepare for them. The set texts are:
B2 First for Schools (January 2021 - December 2022) Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca. Teachers may choose to prepare candidates for questions on this set text by studying any film version of Rebecca, as well as, or instead of, the book.
C2 P...2022-04-2440 min
What You Say in English!Episode 30: C1 Mock Speaking with Magda and AliciaTwo fantastic girls did the mock speaking for C1 this week and here's my full feedback. Remember that you can download the visuals for this test in this link. Also, I want to remind you (once again) of the special collaboration I'm doing with Ben Gill. Remember to check out Ben Gill's channels and Patreon Website, where you'll be able to join his TTP Academy. I'll collaborate with him delivering workshops on exam preparation and answering all your questions about the Cambridge Exams.
Ben Gill's YouTube channel: To the Point - English with Ben, his Instagram, Facebook...2022-04-171h 00
What You Say in English!Episode 29: What are your plans for Easter? Oscar and Sara tell us what they thinkTwo of my B2 First students, Oscar and Sara wanted to share their plans for these Easter holidays. We had a nice chat in class, speaking about the different things they enjoy most about these holidays in Spain. You'll be surprised to hear how they can speak English. I always enjoy their participations in class, and you'll see how that comes across in this episode. Two young people with a bright future ahead. Thank you very much, guys! Enjoy the holidays.
Also, I want to remind you of the special collaboration I'm doing with Ben Gill. Remember...2022-04-1025 min
What You Say in English!Episode 28: The "Chaos" of English pronunciationToday's episode is shorter than usual, but I'm bringing some fun with pronunciation. If you haven't heard of Gerard Nolst Trenité's poem "The Chaos", then you have no idea how hard English pronunciation can be! The poem illustrates the disparity between spelling and pronunciation. It's so hard, that even native speakers of English find it impossible to recite fully. Not only will I be talking about the poem, but also about its history and the many different versions it has. If you wish to get hold of an electronic copy (free of copyright), you can click here (Wikimedia C...2022-04-0322 min
What You Say in English!Episode 27: C2 Proficiency Success Story. How Maura got a "Pass A"Maura is a hardworking person who took upon her the preparation of the C2 Proficiency exam. It seemed like an impossible task, but she was very serious and organized with her preparation. She tells everything in this episode. Getting a "pass A" is the dream of many test-takers, and quite honestly, with the proper preparation, it isn't difficult. She even got 230 points (the maximum score) in the Use of English paper, the part that most people fear.
Among her recommendations, she says you should subscribe to Ben Gill's YouTube channel: To Ihe Point - English with Ben...2022-03-2744 min
What You Say in English!Episode 26: Full mock IELTS speaking and commentaryJavier is a great candidate for the IELTS exam. He's in his early twenties, doing a Master's in teaching Spanish and wanting to go and live in Australia to teach his native language. To apply for the residence, he doesn't need much in the IELTS exam, just a 4.5 (out of 9), which is roughly equivalent to a B1 (Cambridge Preliminary). However, having studied English as a degree at the University, Javi is more than capable of getting that score. He would even get a seven (7) on the exam! We sat down together as part of a couple of quick sessions...2022-03-2039 min
What You Say in English!Episode 25: Analyzing the English of four Spanish politiciansAfter not being able to upload an episode last week (I apologize for that!), today I'm bringing an analysis that I've been wanting to do for quite a while. Last year, I was amazed by how well the current Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, spoke English in several interviews he did while on tour around the United States. So, I came up with this and see how other Spanish politicians can handle English. Some with very mixed results and others incredibly well. Apart from Sánchez, we'll listen to Pablo Iglesias, former president of the Community of Ma...2022-03-1350 min
What You Say in English!Episode 24: Three highly proficient speakers of English answer two opinion questionsThis, you might say, is a continuation from a previous episode in which two students of mine answered some opinion questions. This time, it's Yolanda, Nat and Marta, who show off their incredible speaking skills. Pay close attention to how they answer the two questions and how they use pronunciation, discourse, and vocabulary to a very high level. In some cases, they're almost indistinguishable from a monolingual native speaker of English. What would your answer be for these two questions? Send your recording to podcast@languageteaching.es
The music of today's episode was produced by Coma-Media at...2022-02-2726 min
What You Say in English!Episode 23: Alberto, from Zaragoza, shares his tips to learn EnglishAlberto is a great guy. Ever since he contacted me, he's shown an incredible attitude (and aptitude) to learning English. He never stops learning and kindly agreed to have a brief conversation with me about how he started learning English, his job, his career as a teacher, and his tips to learn English. He's a great model to follow, as he's been able to develop a very good level of fluency and discourse management that you'd like to imitate. Listen to me giving advice on how he can become an even better speaker of English. Remember that you too...2022-02-2036 min
What You Say in English!Episode 22: Grammar and Lexical Control at B2, C1 and C2 levelsHere's the last part of the 6 candidates doing the collaborative task of the B2, C1 and C2 exams and the corresponding analysis. They all did well, with some ups and downs, but with enough control to make a pass. I sincerely hope you can find these recordings, and my comments, useful. Remember that I'm available to coach students on their writing skills as well. Just contact me at podcast@languageteaching.es and I'll give more information on how to get my feedback on your writing skills as well. If you have plans to sit the C1 or C2 exams...2022-02-1338 min
What You Say in English!Episode 21: Discourse Management and Pronunciation at B2, C1 and C2 levelsFollowing a friend's advice, I'm covering two more criteria, with the same people from last week. Here, you'll hear how they did in terms of discourse and pronunciation. The six candidates gave some good material to work with, and I hope you take your note pad and jot down the ideas you liked the most. As last week, the visuals can be downloaded from https://drive.google.com/file/d/10blaiOno3U3GOPaOpx4exqV6VugnhZM4/view?usp=sharing
This week, I'm also trying to vary the music I use. I've chosen the free service Pixabay, where you...2022-02-0636 min
What You Say in English!Episode 20: Interactive Communication at B2, C1 and C2 levelsInteractive Communication is usually the criterion that is least understood by many candidates. Many know that they have to respond and establish a conversation in many parts of the speaking test, but they sometimes don't know what they're doing that might affect their mark. Today, I've chosen the collaborative sections of the B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency exams to illustrate how this is viewed from an examiner's point of view. The six candidates do a good job and, despite some mishaps, they manage to interact well among themselves. The visuals for the three levels can be downloaded...2022-01-3042 min
What You Say in English!Episode 19: Money Heist's Úrsula Coberó's EnglishOne of the stars from the Netflix hit series "Money Heist", Úrsula Corberó gave me this incredible opportunity to speak about what makes her an incredible English speaker and a wonderful role model to follow. After having a successful career as an actor in Spain, she went on to become Money Heist's Goddess. Here, she was invited to the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (https://youtu.be/yA4I5t2R7yA) and guess what? She did amazingly well. She's pure talent, and this interview just proved it.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/po...2022-01-2335 min
What You Say in English!Episode 18: Opinions about language learning - Part 4This is the last installment of the series of episodes exploring common misconceptions about language learning. Here, I’m trying to demistify the last three questions I posted in the link https://forms.gle/puJMknBoTrKAMFBw5
The questions are:
English should be kept in its pure form. Any contact with other languages only leads to its bastardization.
Any language teacher should be a native speaker of the language they teach.
People learn depending on their learning style. A visual learner, for example, learns faster if the information is presented visually.
I only hope that I have he...2022-01-1647 min
What You Say in English!Episode 17: Opinions about language learning - Part 3This is the first part of a series of episodes in which I explore what the common assumptions are for language teaching. Today, I'm covering three more questions in the survey I opened, which you can also answer here: https://forms.gle/qAnoxepR2Fdgpnbv6
The questions are:
Written language is superior to spoken language. English grammar should be followed strictly. Anything that doesn't conform to grammar rules is incorrect. Using a translation approach to learn English is a mistake.
Thanks for starting a new year with me. Remember that if you wish to...2022-01-0929 min
What You Say in English!Episode 16: My farewell wishes for this year.As you can read in the title of today's episode, I don't have the continuation of the series I've been preparing. Several commitments have kept me busy, and finding a moment to record was almost impossible. However, I didn't want to say goodbye to you and to this year without giving you a present. So, go ahead and press play to open it. If anyone is interested in getting it, you can follow this link:
https://www.bookdepository.com/es/Prophet-Kahlil-Gibran/9780099416937?ref=grid-view&qid=1639849965996&sr=1-1
Thank you all! See you next year!
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Send in a voice message: https...2021-12-1906 min
What You Say in English!Episode 15: Opinions about language learning - Part 2This is the first part of a series of episodes in which I explore what the common assumptions are for language teaching. Today, I'm covering the first three questions in the survey I opened, which you can also answer here: https://forms.gle/qAnoxepR2Fdgpnbv6
The questions are:
Sounding like a native speaker should be the ultimate goal for any language learner.
To learn English, you must start thinking in English. Learners who constantly translate in their heads learn slower.
Children are better language learners than adults.
Thank you very much for sticking up with...2021-12-1240 min
What You Say in English!Episode 14: Opinions about language learning - Part 1This is the first part of a series of episodes in which I explore what the common assumptions are for language teaching. Today, I'm covering the first three questions in the survey I opened, which you can also answer here: https://forms.gle/qAnoxepR2Fdgpnbv6
The questions are:
The basis for teaching is the spoken, not the written language.
Teachers and students should use the target language (English) rather than students' first language in the classroom.
Teachers should avoid explicit discussion of grammar.
I am also sharing great news from my Spotify for Podcasters Wrapped f...2021-12-0549 min
What You Say in English!Episode 13: Answering opinion questions at C2 levelThis time, I had a student of mine from a C2 Proficiency group answer some questions that would be appropriate for the discussion section of the speaking exam. C1 students would also benefit from listening to her answers, as she uses a wide range of structures and vocabulary. She also used intonation effectively to enhance the message she was trying to convey. The questions were:
Do you have much opportunity to travel? Where would you go if you had the choice?
How would you feel about a round-the-world trip?
What are your expectations of a job and salary?
...2021-11-2837 min
What You Say in English!Episode 12: A conversation with teacher and exam trainer, Ben GillFirst of all, I'd like to apologize for the audio quality. I didn't have the right audio equipment (the one I usually use) and I was at another location and I had to amplify Ben's voice so you could hear it. Despite that, I hope you can get to hear him share his knowledge and expertise as a teacher and exam trainer. We talked about our shows, our students and our impressions on what matters most when preparing for exams. Ben's channels are To The Point, English with Ben (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzxHbqh9Pxk9sV4W66jIbjA...2021-11-2125 min
What You Say in English!Episode 11: Giving feedback on accent reduction.Something that sounds very enticing to English learners is that they wish to speak English with a native accent. Apart from being a difficult goal to reach, in today's world, it's probably becoming less and less important. There's also the problem of selecting a native accent to imitate... native from where? Today I'm giving feedback to Elaph, an English learner from Iraq. Although she's a very fluent speaker, she feels she would like to "reduce her accent", because she feels that it would boost her confidence. Indeed, it is a major boost when a non-specialist native speaker compliments your...2021-11-1444 min
What You Say in English!Episode 10: Mock speaking for IELTS and feedbackIt's been a long time since I've done anything IELTS related. Well, here I am, doing a mock speaking with a great candidate who wishes to get a 6.0 in his exam. Mohd Farook is from India. He contacted me through Facebook and we recorded this a few days back. He received the video version of this mock. I hope you enjoy it.
The card he used for part 2 goes as follows:
Talk about a polluted place you have seen.
What is this place and where is it?
Why is it polluted?
How does this...2021-11-0753 min
What You Say in English!Episode 9: Full mock speaking for C1 Advanced with Sindo and Suzy.You may not know this, but today is my birthday! And as a special treat, I bring this full mock speaking for C1 Advanced with two incredible candidates: Sindo and Suzy. We recorded this a while back and I was planning never to post it, but Sindo contacted me to let me know that he'd passed the exam (now he can say he's got the advanced level, officially), which makes me very happy. All success stories call for a celebration. The visuals for this exam:
Part 2, candidate A: shorturl.at/vMSU3
Part 2, candidate B: shorturl.at/qGLU4
Part 3: sh...2021-10-311h 06
What You Say in English!Episode 8: Grammar control when speaking about the future.Believe it or not, English only has, strictly speaking, two tenses: present and past. Of course, if we only consider the changes in the verb. But that doesn't mean we can't express different concepts to talk about the future. For such purpose, we can use different "tenses" (or verb forms) that can do the job as well as in your first language. I will try to dispel any confusions regarding the future in English and I hope my explanations come across as easy as possible for you. Remember that speaking about the future is important in parts 1 and 3 of...2021-10-2449 min
What You Say in English!Episode 7: How we can improve our pronunciation with word stressDue to all the downloads the previous episode got, I decided to cover an aspect of pronunciation that usually leads to confusion: word stress. Take out your notebooks because this will be a very eye-opening class that you may wish to revisit in the future. I speak about different aspects of word stress, how confusing it may be, and how we can better predict how words are said just by looking at how they're written. Remember to support the channel by sharing the episodes on your favorite social sites. Also, share my code for TakeIELTS.net with anyone you...2021-10-174h 05
What You Say in English!Episode 6: Introduction to connected speech (Pronunciation)One aspect that complicates things whenever a non-native speaker of English and a native speaker of English communicate with each other is how the latter joins words together. This could be a problem for English learners, especially at the beginning of their learning journey. Today, I'm covering some of those problems, trying to explain what makes them difficult at times. It's not my intention that you produce these sounds, but if you want to, I promise you that people will start complimenting your English. Secondly, I want to thank Cesar from Zaragoza, who sent me an incredible voice message...2021-10-1025 min
What You Say in English!Episode 5: Analyzing a celebrity's English: Vanessa ParadisAfter analyzing Penelope Cruz's incredible English, thus time, as suggested by a listener, I'm talking about what I think of Vanessa Paradis' English. She's a French singer and actor who started her career at 14/15 years old, and since then, she's done a lot of interesting things. I selected 4 clips that illustrate how much she has learned over the years. It is interesting to hear how she sounded at 15 and what she's like now. You have to remember that she was married to Johnny Depp and had a daughter, Lily Rose, with him. Vanessa as a perfect example of what...2021-10-0331 min
What You Say in English!Episode 4: Understanding minimal differences in vocabularyThis time, I'm offering the tools to understand words that may be confusing because of their meaning. Some people may use them interchangeably but not all the time. Something you need to bear in mind is that complete synonymy is almost impossible. For example, 'big' and 'large' are not really synonyms. You can speak of 'a big laugh' but not of 'a large laugh'; likewise with 'high' and 'tall'. 'A tall lady' is possible, but not 'a high lady'.
The list of words I'm analyzing in today's episode are divided in these groups:
need, require, want...2021-09-2648 min
What You Say in English!Episode 3: Answering personal questions with Cristian.Cristian is a young man from Mexico City. He contacted me through the C1 Advanced - CAE (Certificate in advanced English) Facebook group. We had a nice conversation in which he answered personal questions that can help those who are preparing for part 1 of the Cambridge speaking exam. He demonstrated great skills to communicate complex ideas and use vocabulary that any advanced learner should be using. Take your notebook and write down all the expressions and fixed phrases he used, and you'll surely be ready for success.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod...2021-09-1950 min
What You Say in English!Episode 2: Full Mock C1 Advanced Speaking with Mónica and DanielaThis time I'm bringing another mock speaking for the C1 Advanced. Mónica and Daniela did very well, and I'm sure they'd make a pass in a real exam. Listen carefully, as these two girls produce some great language that you can recycle and make it your own.
The visuals I've used for this test were:
Part 2 (Cadidate 1): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1orusiw1EJ82L1bOieXuEuxkDKaUSBOeT/view?usp=sharing
Part 2 (Cadidate 2): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1owmOnNFrByZ4D0UpfD9GScuXX8GA5mlk/view?usp=sharing
Part 3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1otK477p...2021-09-1249 min
What You Say in English!Episode 1: Cambridge Exams... Frequently Asked Questions for the exam dayIt's good to be back! In this first episode, I am answering all your questions regarding the Cambridge exams. What to do and not to do during the exam day. I decided to do it as a response to my collaboration with English teacher and YouTuber Ben Gill. You can visit his channel, To The Point - English with Ben, and get lots of incredible advice on how to prepare for your Cambridge exams. If you're interested in watching the interview he did with me, it's divided into two parts:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/3CFliOVfLvY
Part 2: https://youtu...2021-09-0546 min
What You Say in English!Episode 36: A mock speaking from takeIELTS.netAfter a 2-week pause due to problems with my voice, I'm back again with great news from takeIELTS.net. Also, while you listen to this mock, take note of the questions and answers provided because the report provided by takeIELTS.net will tell which answers were problematic or needed a bit of help. So, take this episode as a learning class and exercise your listening skills by taking notes.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2021-05-3044 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 35: Analyzing a Celebrity's English!As an English teacher, I always like to choose positive role models for my students to feel inspired. This week, I have chosen an A-list Hollywood celebrity whose first language is not English. Not only is she an incredible professional, devoted to her craft, but she's also a charming person who's worked hard to gain the level of confidence that she's got in English. Listen to this episode to discover who she is. Also, take note of all the wonderful expressions I have analyzed and explained.
To me, she represents the realistic ideal of what a proficient...2021-05-0934 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 34: Grammar control: Talking about past habitsOne area that is particularly difficult for many English learners is how to keep constant control of the tenses they use when speaking. They sure know how to form questions in the past, and how to answer written questions in controlled exercises. However, when they have to speak, it can be quite difficult to use the structures correctly. In this episode, I'll give you some tips on which 3 structures we use in English to talk about past habits: past simple, used to and would. Also, I will tell you the most common mistakes about them.
The study notes c...2021-05-0226 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 33: Improving discourse by using conjunctions and linking adverbsOne problem that I encounter with candidates and students is the way they link ideas. Using linking expressions not only helps you with how you control grammatical structures, but also adds to how you organize your thought coherently. In this episode, I focus on some of the most common expressions and how they're used. Sometimes distinguishing between American English and British English. It is essential that you download the accompanying study notes I have prepared for this episode. The link is https://rb.gy/awu2fo.
I'd also love to hear from you. Let me know if...2021-04-2535 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 32: IELTS speaking feedback for Angrej's IELTS InstituteThis episode was done in collaboration with Angrej's IELTS Institute, a Language School in Ghanaur, Patiala. Please, if you're in India and need counseling and training in the IELTS exam, visit their website at https://angrejsieltsinstitute.com/. If you're not in the region, rest assured that you can also get online classes from any part of India. Today, we have three students who got feedback on their speaking skills as they were going to take their IELTS exam that week. In this episode, only snippets are shown to demonstrate how performance can be compared to the band scores. Remember...2021-04-1928 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 31: Cambridge speaking exams. Part 4: Further discussionThis is the last installment in the series of 4 episodes on the Cambridge Speaking exams for B2 and C1. I hope you've enjoyed them and found them useful. Remember, I'm always here for any consultation you may have. My goal is that everyone who has a genuine desire to improve on their English can find in this podcast the motivation to continue improving.
Next week, we'll go back to the IELTS speaking with some mock exams I'll be doing in partnership with Angrej's IELTS Institute, a Language School in Ghanaur, India. Stay tuned!
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Send in a...2021-04-1129 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 30: Cambridge speaking exams. Part 3: The Collaborative taskIn part 3 of the speaking for Cambridge B2 and C1, candidates have to collaborate to answer a question. The most important element to consider is how well you interact with each other and what structures you use to encourage participation and how you can expand on what you partner says. You can download the visuals from here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UaN2qfjN3fg_NdyVNyxpePMUwj-P6XHC/view?usp=sharing) and follow the conversation and the analysis I make on these candidates performance.
Remember you can take part in a simulation like this one. Just contact...2021-04-0532 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 29: Cambridge speaking exams. Part 2: The Long TurnNow it's the turn of part 2. As the one before, I'll concentrate in the B2 First and C1 Advanced exams. Listen carefully to my advice as these two levels, although similar in execution, differ in what specific language you're required to produce. Also, listen to what I say about the common pitfalls in which many candidates usually fall into. The visual material used can be found here:
B2 First and C1 advanced: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OYlZlEW8bNHRCm70lMcdfWKJ2hhM-ejF/view?usp=sharing
Also, my warmest thanks to Josean Bengoetxea, who sent me an incredible...2021-03-2849 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 28: Cambridge speaking exams. Part 1: The InterviewSince many people liked the previous episode with a full speaking speaking for C1 Advanced, I've decided to explain, part by part, what you should do, and shouldn't do, in the speaking for Cambridge exams. I'll be focussing on B2 and C1 levels because they're the more demanded levels.
In this episode, part (The Interview) is explained with 2 candidates for each level. So, take paper and pencil and take note of all the tips I offer. Also, if you feel up to the challenge, you can write down the questions in the recordings and send me a...2021-03-2134 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 27: A full C1 Advanced speaking mockThis time, I'm bringing a full speaking mock exam I did with two of my students. If you wish to see the visuals I used for this episode, visit the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NA0EK08cHgW7Pi5-S6QLLm2LiKr5dcrb/view?usp=drivesdk Also, if you wish to see the video reaction, visit this other link: https://youtu.be/6r25KAye6xo Remember that you can also be part of this project and get feedback on your speaking skills. My contact email is podcast@languageteaching.es.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters...2021-03-1549 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 26: An advanced speaker from North AfricaThis female speaker from North Africa is a very good example of an advanced level. She speaks naturally and confidently with only minor slips that even native speakers can have. Despite having a marked accent heavily influenced by her first language (Arabic), it is clear that she's a fluent speaker. I was very happy to have her on the show despite her reluctance. She was charming and very open to share what she does as a teacher. Remember that you too can be part of this show, just drop me a line at podcast@languageteaching.es.
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Send...2021-03-0728 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 25: Understanding the IELTS speaking marking criteria: PronunciationThis is the final installment of the series of 4 episodes in which I try to explain what matters most in the speaking test of the IELTS exam. This time, I'm using recordings from test takers that have done my online version of the exam. They all represent different band scores and different features such as rhythm, intonation, individual sounds, stress and accent. For that, you'll need a copy of the public version of the speaking band descriptors that is available here. Remember that the can make use of my discount code wyse with any of the mock exams from...2021-02-2832 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 24: Understanding the IELTS speaking marking criteria: Grammatical Range and AccuracyThis is part 3 of a series of 4 episodes in which I'll try to explain the marking criteria in the IELTS speaking exam. If you've been using the mock exams from TakeIELTS.net, you may have received some feedback from IELTS examiners that can catch off guard. So, to help you all understand what matters in each set of criteria, I'll give you very specific examples from real people that exemplify what is expected at different bands. Today, I'll walk you through Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and for that, you'll need a copy of the public version of the speaking...2021-02-2130 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 23: Understanding the IELTS speaking marking criteria: Lexical ResourceThis is part 2 of a series of 4 episodes in which I'll try to explain the marking criteria in the IELTS speaking exam. If you've been using the mock exams from TakeIELTS.net, you may have received some feedback from IELTS examiners that can catch off guard. So, to help you all understand what matters in each set of criteria, I'll give you very specific examples from real people that exemplify what is expected at different bands. Today, I'll walk you through Lexical Resource, and for that, you'll need a copy of the public version of the speaking band descriptors...2021-02-1428 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 22: Understanding the IELTS speaking marking criteria: Fluency and CoherenceThis is part 1 of a series of 4 episodes in which I'll try to explain the marking criteria in the IELTS speaking exam. If you've been using the mock exams from TakeIELTS.net, you may have received some feedback from IELTS examiners that can catch off guard. So, to help you all understand what matters in each set of criteria, I'll give you very specific examples from real people that exemplify what is expected at different bands. Today, I'll walk you through Fluency and Coherence, and for that, you'll need a copy of the public version of the speaking band...2021-02-0730 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 21: Nouari Hadj Amine, from Algeria, wants to help the world.Another learner who tries a part 2 question from the IELTS speaking test. Hadj Amine contacted me because he wanted to take part and get his speaking analyzed. The question was:
Describe your favorite TV program. You should say:
the name of the program and where it is set
what kind of program it is
what it is about
and explain why you enjoy it.
Overall, he did very well. His strongest points include the use of complex sentences, including conditionals. He can also handle some phrasal verbs and collocations and is able to...2021-01-3142 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 20: Charmchuree Ooppatong, from Thailand, answers a part 2 question from the IELTS speaking test.Remember that part 2 of the IELTS speaking test is a long turn in which a candidate must speak at length on a given topic. Preparation time is given to organize ideas and students must show control of a wide range of features. Here, I'm giving feedback on the main four aspects: grammar, vocabulary, discourse, and pronunciation.
The question was:
Describe an interesting story that you heard or read about in the news.
You should say:
when you heard or read about the story
what the story was about
why the story was...2021-01-2532 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 19: Valerio Sferrazza, from Sicily, teaches us how he uses the "rule of three".In this episode, I close 2020 on a high note. Valerio is an English learner with a passion for languages. I've seen how he strives for perfection in everything he shares with the MAOFEN Facebook group. Despite having some hesitation, he manages to communicate his ideas quite clearly. He still needs to brush up his grammatical control and use the correct tenses, but he compensates marvelously with his vocabulary use, and the natural intonation he imprints in his speech. The most interesting thing about him, however, is how he uses the rule of three. This is a technique that many...2020-12-0627 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 18: Good language learner strategiesWhat is it that some people do to learn a language effectively that others don't? In this episode, I talk about what research says about the strategies that Good Language Learners (GLL) do that you may wish to incorporate into your own learning journey. Neil Naiman and other researchers give us 6 strategies that you can start including in your own learning: 1) Finding a learning style that suits you, 2) Involving yourself in the language learning process, 3) Developing an awareness of language both as system and as communication, 4) Paying constant attention to expanding your language knowledge, 5) Developing the second language as...2020-11-2927 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 17: External factors influencing your language learning skillsIn today's episode, I take some time to look at factors that people don't usually consider when learning English. I covered aspects like social distance, following Schumann's acculturation model, or the idea that proximity to the culture of the second language will benefit your learning process. Also, I talk about age differences and try to debunk some myths about how younger and older learn a second language. And finally, I cover an area you probably consider very important: aptitude. Why is it that learning English seems to be easy for some people? What is their secret? Are they doing...2020-11-2226 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 16: Pasquale's secret to learning English.For this week, I am reacting to Pasquale Cangiano, one of the administrators of the Facebook group Canguro English. He's a 47-year-old Italian man who has many things to say about learning English. The best part is that he's not an English teacher, but he has come to the same conclusion as many English teachers: learning a language is about how much you enjoy the process. The whole conversation between Pasquale and Christian Saunders, the founder of Canguro English, is almost 40 minutes long, but I've chosen this short extract, not only to raise awareness on what English learners should...2020-11-1530 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 15: What is Fluency? really...In today's episode, I try to take a deeper look into what people think fluency is, and I question what our conception is for that term. From the get-go, I can say that it's a very tricky term to define and I also believe that it shouldn't be considered as a goal in language proficiency. I open the debate as to what other aspects of English language learning are truly important, in my opinion, and what really counts when it comes to communication.
The two articles I mention in this episode are:
What does it mean...2020-11-0923 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 14: This is some great advice on the IELTS speaking testLast week, I did a mock speaking with a girl from Oman, Aisha, in which she demonstrated some good skills but still needed some help to extend her responses. This week, I'm coming with some great advice from TakeIELTS.net to make the most of the time you have to show what you do in English. I will guide you through the speaking component and tell you what you should and shouldn't do to get the band score you need. Preparation is key, and knowing what you're expected to do is essential. Control of your grammatical resource is also...2020-11-0131 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 13: Aisha from Oman shows her skills on the IELTS speakingHave you heard about the IELTS test? As takeIELTS.net is a sponsor of this podcast, I decided to do a mock speaking with Aisha, from Oman, and give her feedback on her performance. If you still don't know anything about the test and how important it is internationally, I suggest you should head over to ielts.org to find out more about it. The speaking component of the IELTS is quite simple in its structure, but you do have to show how much English you know if you wish to break the barrier of the 7 points, which is...2020-10-2535 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 12: Aysha from Saudi Arabia and Ignacio from SpainIn today’s episode, we’re going to listen to three incredible people. First, a message from Ahmad (Senegal), who sent his support and encouraging words. If it wasn’t for this kind of feedback, I wouldn’t be able to continue doing this podcast. Also, we have someone a girl from Saudi Arabia: Aysha. She shows good speaking skills but gives an opportunity to see what a missed opportunity is when other more complex structures could be used to improve your conversational skills. She has great pronunciation but may need to step up her grammar if she wants to impro...2020-10-1830 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 11: English teacher, Jenny Nadia from Madagascar, shows her conversational skillsIn today's episode, an English teacher originally from Madagascar but living in South Africa, Jenny Nadia, gives us excellent examples of great conversational skills. You can tell by the natural way in which she uses English that she's constantly surrounded by English speakers. Her variety of English is quite interesting to analyze because of all the features that are common in many regions of Africa, in terms of grammar and pronunciation choices. She has excellent command of conversational vocabulary and complex structures despite some slips I mention in this episode. Also, she's a great example of how many English...2020-10-1128 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 10: Francesco Burgio: "In life, they will tell you 'you won't make it', then you turn around and answer 'watch how it's done'."The phrase I used from this episode comes from a quote that Francesco has on his Facebook page: "Nella vita ti diranno 'non ce la farai', allora tu girati e rispondi 'guarda come si fa'." This comes in encouragement for everyone out there who still think that speaking English is not for them. He's a police officer from Sicily who enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Francesco showed enough fluency to manage our conversation and used some great words in his interview. Although he did well, he still needs to gain more control over his grammatical resource and...2020-10-0423 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 9: Juan Aguilar and Mike Pinargote show their speaking skillsThis time, I'm using two recordings from the fantastic Facebook group Canguro English. Just like in Masters of English, learners from around the world connect and help each other, and most of the time with the guidance of the administrators of the group, to improve their English. The two people I have today are Juan Aguilar, who expressed his desire to be more fluent and Mike Pinargote, a 24-real-old man from Ecuador, who showed great courage to upload his first video speaking in English.
Both learners showed good control of basic grammatical structures, although Mike needed some...2020-09-2733 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 8: Improve your discourse... tell me an anecdote!Telling stories is usually considered a great skill in your own language. When you know how to captivate your audience with anecdotes, people will probably say that you have a great talent: you have a way with words! In this episode, I'm using an anecdote told by the famous Hollywood actor, Will Smith, when he visited the British talk show "The Graham Norton Show". I will explain the different parts that make up an anecdote (Abstract, Orientation, Complicating event, Resolution, Coda, and Reaction) by dissecting how Will Smith uses them. To see a video version and learn more about t...2020-09-2020 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 7: Daniel Goodson shows us how good an English learner can get.In today’s episode, Daniel Goodson joins us to talk about how much he loves learning languages. We discussed what he loves about learning English, what he finds difficult, and, most of all, what he does to improve. I believe he’s a great example of self-determination and motivation to learn English. We spoke about a lot of things, from accents, receptive and productive skills, code-switching and many more things.
Daniel manages the website My Fluent Podcast and from there, you can subscribe to his two podcasts: My Fluent Podcast and My Fluent Podcast (Vocabulary). Hosting the podc...2020-09-1337 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 6: Full interview with Ivonne and pronunciation tips "silent letters"Today I had a full interview with Ivonne, a vibrant instructional designer from Mexico City who loves learning English. She talks about her life, her job, her family, and her dreams for the future. Overall, she performed very well, very naturally, even using intonation to emphasize her emotions. In her feedback, I tried to focus on things she definitely needs help with to achieve good intelligibility. Once again thanks for sharing this time with me!
Remember that this podcast offers a 10% discount for any mock exam you take at www.takeIELTS.net if you want to get the most comprehensive...2020-09-0642 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 5: Ny Haingo, Abhishek and HarikaGiving feedback requires time and dedication. Also, as a teacher, one must focus on things that people need to improve, which would cause problems in communication. Today, we have the sweet greetings from Ny Haingo (Madagascar), as well as Abhishek (India) performing two of the tasks from the questions of the month, and finally, Harika (India), giving us a summary of the video activity also posted in the website (https://whatyousayinenglish.wordpress.com/). Remember that if you want to be showcased in the podcast, go to the website and follow the instructions. What's more, if you wish to be "interviewed"...2020-08-3035 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 4: PronunciationIn this episode, I discuss some important aspects of pronunciation that teachers should consider when giving feedback on pronunciation. I explain why intelligibility is more important than accent, as well as what specific phonological elements are crucial to sound clear and understandable to other speakers and trust me, it's not precisely to sound like a native speaker.
I used two segments to illustrate the concept of intelligibility: Tory MP fails to understand the Scottish accent and The Two Ronnies skit: The Grocery Shop.
And remember, go to my website https://whatyousayinenglish.wordpress.com/ to do...2020-08-2322 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 3: DiscourseIn this episode, I'll introduce you to the concept of Discourse and how it can help you keep your speech coherent and unified. It's something very extensive, as it touches other areas such as grammar, vocabulary, and even pronunciation. I've tried to keep it as simple as possible but retaining the necessary terminology that will help you identify the elements you need to improve on your speaking.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2020-08-1623 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 2: Now it's vocabulary!In this episode, I take a closer look at what makes vocabulary in speaking, also called "lexis". The different levels and the things I pay attention to when I have to give my opinion about how English learners use vocabulary.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatyousayinenglish/support2020-08-0914 minWhat You Say in English!Episode 1: The Basics: The CEFR and GrammarIn the first episode, I wanted to cover some of the basic concepts to understand the type of feedback I give to my students. I will cover other ideas as what we look at when we analyze grammar in speaking in the broader concept of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)
Useful resources:
The CEFR (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
The ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and its levels.
Intro music: Natural duality (Theme) by Joseph McDade
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Send in a voice message: https...2020-08-0215 minWhat You Say in English!Podcast TrailerOk, so here's the situation...
You've been trying to improve your speaking for so long. The problem is, that you can't always find someone who can help you with it, especially when feel you need to work harder to make yourself understood.
Or like when you go into a store and ask for something, and the salesperson comes back with something completely different, and then you realized that it was because they didn't get what you meant to say. While it may be true that that person's understanding of English isn't up to a good...2020-07-2902 min