Are you looking for a new and fun way to learn American English? Come hang out with Lindsay and Michelle from Boston and New York City and have fun while you improve your English listening skills! All Ears English is an English as a Second Language (ESL) podcast for intermediate to advanced learners around the world. We will show you how to use everyday vocabulary and natural idioms, expressions, and phrasal verbs and how to make small talk in American English. We will also give you special tips on American culture, customs, etiquette, and how to speak with Americans as well as conversation and commentary on study tips, life in America and Boston, how to apply to university in the US, dating, travel, food and more. You'll get TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC help also from our IELTS and test expert Jessica Beck. This podcast is for adult students who are professionals and university students as well as ESL teachers. Join our community to learn to speak American English like a native! Connection NOT Perfection!
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AEE 300: Behind the Scenes of All Ears English
Get our FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Come back to allearsenglish.com/300 and let us know what you are working on. This is our 300th episode! We are happy to be able to continue All Ears English for our amazing listeners! Today let’s talk about how All Ears English got started, what we do to publish each episode, and what it means for you if you want to put your creative vision out into the world! Today we’ll talk about: The idea: Lindsay was feeling frustrated with what she had seen in the ESL field. English learning didn’t seem to be working for many students. She was also listening to podcasts at the time and she felt an intuitive voice saying that maybe it was time to start a podcast so she found a partner to work with and got started. If you aren’t hearing any voices in your heart of mind about your creative project, look at what’s needed in the world and go out and investigate that idea. The background research: We tried our best to avoid “analysis paralysis.” We did a little bit of research to see that other people were doing this and that people were downloading these types of podcasts. When you get started on your creative vision, don’t let “research” hold you back because it may be a form of procrastination. Research is a way of staying safe and not taking the risk of launching. Production/recording: We kept in mind Seth Godin’s philosophy of “the dip.” We hit a dip in our first three months of producing this project. All Ears English almost failed. We couldn’t get the audio right. There was a learning curve, especially with the technology. We had to throw out an entire day of work because it wasn’t good enough. If you are creating something, you are going to hit a dip. You need to keep pushing beyond the dip because in the long run you will be happy that you did. Editing: Quality is king. This may sound contradictory to “Connection NOT Perfection” but it’s not because we consider our work to be art. We don’t seek perfection but we do seek the highest possible quality that we can reach. Remember, people want to see that you are human. You make mistakes and it’s fine but quality also matters. Find a balance. When you put out your vision keep this in mind. Publishing: This is the crucial moment. You have finished your project and now it’s time to show your “art” to the world. In this moment a lot of people don’t publish or they don’t “ship” because they get scared. Why is it scary? It’s scary because you are vulnerable at this time and anyone can come and criticize what you have done. Reid Hoffman says, “If you aren’t embarrassed by the first version of your product then you have launched too late.” Rinse and repeat: Four times per week we publish episodes. You need to put your work out into the world on a regular basis, not just once. This builds up a sense of resilience and self confidence. No matter what you’re working on, there is always going to be someone who doesn’t like your work but that doesn’t matter. ** Get a chance to meet with Lindsay on Skype for 15 minutes! If we get 300 comments we will choose one person to meet with Lindsay on Skype and practice English. What are YOU working on? What is your creative art or vision that you are putting out into the world? Answer these questions: 1) What are you working on? 2) What challenges have you had? 3) What have you learned?
AEE 299: 4 Topics that You Should NEVER Discuss in a First English Conversation
Come back to our blog and leave a comment. Did you bring up one of these topics on a first date? What happened? Tell us your story: http://www.allearsenglish.com/299 Get our free IELTS Chat Sheet at http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Jessica is the author of Hopeful Disasters where she explores dating in New York City. She is also an ESL teacher in New York City. Check out her blog here! When you meet someone for the first time in English, whether it’s a date or just a first-time meeting with a friend or colleague, there are certain topics that you should NEVER discuss. Today you’ll find out what they are with our favorite AEE dating consultant, Jessica Coyle. A few weeks ago we talked about what four things you SHOULD talk about on a first date in English or at a first meeting but today we’ll show you what you should avoid. 4 Topics to AVOID on a first date or first meeting in English: Politics: You can casually mention your political interests but don’t get drawn into a political debate or discussion. Jessica calls this “quicksand” because you can start to sink and you’ll get stuck and you won’t be able to get out of it. It’s better to bring up this topic once you already know someone well and after you know their triggers well. Age: You should definitely avoid asking the person their exact age. Also, this means that you should not ask people about their timeline in terms of when they want to get married or have kids. It’s too direct and too intense for a first date or first conversation. You might terrify the person if start asking these questions too early. Religion: You probably have a rough idea of your date’s religion and it will be important later but it’s too personal to get into during a first date. It’s ok to share your own religion if you want to but don’t ask the person directly what their religion is. Education: This is tricky. Jessica says that the goal in not asking this question is to avoid coming off as arrogant or judgmental. If you ask the person where they went to school or how many degrees they have, it will be clear that you are fishing for information regarding their intelligence or social status. You might make the other person feel bad if you ask this question. Try to figure out if there is an intellectual connection instead.
AEE 298: Are You Coming or Are You Going? How to Get It Straight in English
Come back to allearsenglish.com/298 and leave us your comments! Get your free IELTS Cheat Sheet at: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation What is the difference between “come” and “go” in English? This is a big mistake that a lot of English learners make! Are you making this mistake? Let’s stop it today. Today you’ll get a simple strategy to use when you choose between “come” and “go.” Here is the trick to remember “come” versus “go”: Where is the speaker? If the speaker is in the place that he is talking about, he says “why don’t you come to New York?” In this case, the speaker is in New York. If he says, “I plan to go to Boston” then he is not in Boston. Keep it simple! Stick to this rule and it will clear up your confusion every time. Phrasal verbs with “come” and “go”: To come around: To visit (at someone’s home) or to get better, to return to normal. Here is an example, “You are in an argument with a friend now but I hope your friend comes around.” To come to: To regain awareness and consciousness after fainting or after passing out. “In hot yoga, if you faint and then you come to, everyone will be standing over you and staring.” To go through: To deal with something, to struggle with something that is hard, maybe a break up, a divorce, a hard time financially. “Are you going through anything difficult these days?” To go into: To enter something, to start to talk about something, an idea, a topic. “Today we went into a lot of great topics.” Write a sample sentence below to show us that you understood today’s episode! We hope to read your example soon!
AEE 297: Is There a Formula for Originality? Find Out Today!
Come back and tell us how you want to apply this quote in your life: http://www.allearsenglish.com/297 What is the difference between being original and imitating? What will get you further in life? Today is a Deep Thoughts Thursday so we have a quote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” -Herman Melville What does this mean for English learners? Don’t follow a formula. Be creative with your words. Don’t focus too much on being perfect. Get creative with your tone of voice. Learn different ways to say different things. Check out this episode about the Zone of Genius. Where does this quote resonate with you? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear from you!
AEE 296: Never Get to Speak English? How to Solve Your Problem Now
Get $10 USD off your second lesson with Jason at http://www.allearsenglish.com/italki Come back to http://www.allearsenglish.com/296 and tell us if/when you plan to try Jason's class called "Student Speaks, Teacher Listens" Do you feel like you never get a chance to speak English? Even when you attend an English class or work with an English tutor do you leave the class feeling like you haven’t spoken at all? If so, then you are not alone. A lot of students feels this way. Today we have a guest, Jason Newnum, who is an American English teacher. He teaches on the italki platform and he is available for lessons now! Jason has a special class called “Student Speaks, Teacher Listens.” Why did Jason create this class? Jason created this class because when he took Spanish classes he noticed that he was not getting much speaking practice at all. He felt discouraged and didn’t get much better. He realized that the same problem was happening with English students. Jason wants to solve this problem. Why is Jason’s class different? He makes sure that students talk more, about 80% of the time He feels comfortable being quiet, he doesn’t get nervous like other teachers do sometimes when they are nervous so he doesn’t fill that space with meaningless chatter A typical class with Jason: He asks you what’s new with you He gives you a short article or video clip and asks for your opinion He asks great follow-up questions- directly related to YOU and YOUR experiences He writes out your mistakes in the Skype chat box so that you have a record of your mistakes Get $10 off your second lesson with Jason Jason’s Bio: Jason Newnum teaches English as a second language, in Bariloche, Argentina, and lives there with his family. Although he received his university degree in Spanish and now lives in a Spanish speaking country, his Argentine wife speaks English and Spanish equally. So it’s difficult to force himself to practice Spanish, when it’s easier to speak English with his wife. So he understands the frustrations of having to force ourselves to practice a foreign language everyday. Do you have this problem with your English class? Are you planning to try Jason’s class? If so, let us know when you are going to get started with Jason.
AEE 295: How to Be Pushy Without Being Pushy in English
Come have a conversation with Lindsay and Michelle in the comments section of our blog! Come back to: http://www.allearsenglish.com/295 Get your free IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Today you’ll get six ways to check on someone’s progress in a non-pushy way in English! Do you ever want to get the status of someone’s progress on a project or an assignment but do you get confused about how to ask without making the person feel pressured? Today you’ll find out how to do it successfully in English. Ways to check on progress: “How’s it going? I look forward to receiving the files.” “Any updates? ” How are things progressing?” “How are things moving forward?” “How are things going?” “Do you need any feedback on anything?” “Do you want me to check your work?” Slightly more direct ways to check on progress: “What’s your timeline?” “How’s your timeline looking?” “I just wanted to check in. When do you think you’ll be able to get that done?” What other phrases do you use when you want to check on someone’s progress? Let us know in the comments below.
AEE 294: Don't Be a Fool! Learn About April Fool's Day with All Ears English
Come back to our blog and have a conversation with us! Go to http://www.allearsenglish.com/294 Get your FREE IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation April Fool’s Day is coming up later this week. Are you ready for it? How do you celebrate April Fool’s Day in your culture? Today you’ll learn what many Americans do on April Fool’s Day and you’ll get a few new vocabulary words for this day. It’s common to play jokes on friends and colleagues at work or at college in the United States. It’s especially common in colleges because students live together with their friends in dormitories. Vocabulary for April Fool’s Day: Gullible: To trust people and believe things that people say, even if those things are not true. Practical Joke: A joke that you play on someone (not a spoken joke). You act out this kind of joke. A prank: A practical joke, a joke that is acted out Gag gift: A silly gift that is not meant to be serious but is meant to be a joke What should you do if someone plays a joke on you? Don’t take it too seriously. Laugh at it. Have a good time. Leave a message in the comments. How do you celebrate April Fool’s Day? Let us know.
AEE 293: How to Learn English the Way a Child Learns to Walk
Come back to our site and let's have a conversation about this episode in the comments section: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-293-how-to-learn-english-the-way-a-child-learns-to-walk/ Today is a Deep Thoughts Thursday and we have an inspiring quote for you! Let’s talk about success. Here is the quote: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill We can apply this quote to a lot of different aspects of our lives like learning English, dating, and our career paths. We have to keep going and take on new challenges with a positive attitude even if we have failed many times in the past. Try to avoid feeling bitter when you take on a challenge and try again. What do you think about this quote? Do you keep your heart open and stay enthusiastic when you try again with something? Leave us a comment below and let’s discuss it!
AEE 292: How to Talk About Fashion in English
Come back to our site and talk about fashion with us! http://allearsenglish.com/how-to-talk-about-fashion-in-english What is your fashion style? Would you like to be able to talk about fashion in English in a more sophisticated way? Today you’ll get to expand your English fashion vocabulary in this episode with Lindsay and Michelle. Fashion Vocabulary: 1) Umbrella term= Bag Purse Backpack Satchel Handbag Pocketbook Evening bag Clutch Wristlet 2) Umbrella term= Shoes Sneakers Tennis shoes Walking shoes Boots Hiking boots Heels Flats Sandals Birkenstocks 3) Umbrella term= Shirt T-shirt Blouse Tank Top (Spaghetti straps, sleeveless) Sweater Sweatshirt Hoodie (hooded sweatshirt) 4) Umbrella term= Jacket Coat (heavier than a jacket) Ski jacket Leather jacket Peacoat What do you think? How do you know when someone is fashionable? What is your fashion style? Share it with us in the comments.
AEE 291: Crazy? Insane? How to Use English Slang but Stay Politically Correct
Do you use a lot of English slang in your everyday conversations with natives? In today’s episode you’ll find out how to use the words “crazy” and “insane” as slang words in conversations. How to use the word “crazy” in a slang form: “I know someone who’s totally crazy because he still hitchhikes.” It was crazy for us to hitchhike. Those were my crazy days.” “Are you crazy about your boyfriend?” “What is the craziest thing you have ever done?” The slang words “crazy” and “insane” mean wild and out of control. They could also mean unexpected or out of control. The words are also used a lot in song lyrics, especially love songs. If you use these words in a literal way to describe someone who is mentally ill it is rude. Instead you could say that they are “mentally disabled” or “mentally handicapped” or “mentally challenged.” Have you ever tried using these slang words in your English conversations? Share your questions with us in the comments below. Let’s talk! Come back to allearsenglish.com/291
AEE 290: Get Off the Hamster Wheel! The Epidemic of "Busy" in the United States
Are you busy? In your home culture, is it considered “cool” to be busy? In American culture everyone is busy and it’s almost in style to be busy. We think that’s crazy! Today we are going to give our opinion on this article from the Washington Post called Exhaustion Is Not a Status Symbol. In American culture, especially in large cities like New York and Boston, things move fast and we often define ourselves based on the things that we do. We also measure our worth based on what we achieve. We end up valuing perfectionism and accomplishing things over just living. Americans don’t take much time off for vacation while in other cultures people take much more vacation time. How do we know that this is a problem? People in the US always say: “I’ve been crazy busy.” “I have so much going on.” What can we do about this? Avoid checking emails every three minutes When you complete a task, sit back and reflect, get feedback (this was a suggestion from the article) Take more vacation time What do you think? Is being busy considered cool in your culture? Let us know in the comments. Come back to http://www.allearsenglish.com/290 to have a conversation with Lindsay and Michelle
AEE 289: How to Make a 90 Degree Turn with Your English Conversations
Come back to our blog to leave a comment and have a conversation with us! http://allearsenglish.com/289 Today let’s talk about how to sound more natural in English when you use the phrase “by the way.” Michelle and Lindsay will show you some great examples of how to use this phrase. This phrase is useful to do two things: Bring up a random, unexpected topic To continue with the same topic, to add an idea linked to a previous idea Listen to the episode for a few great examples of how to use “by the way” in English conversations with Lindsay and Michelle. How have you used “by the way” in the past? Let us know in the comments!
AEE 288: To Tip or Not to Tip at an American Restaurant? That is the Question!
Come back to http://allearsenglish.com/288 Do you ever get confused about whether or not you should tip in an American restaurant? Do you wonder how much to leave? When to leave it? Today you’ll get insider information from Michelle, who used to be a waitress at an American restaurant. In the United States you MUST tip in a restaurant. Servers only make a few dollars per hour. They rely on your tips. How much should you tip? You should tip 18-20%. However, you do have a choice when it comes to leaving a tip. If you have bad service then you can tip less. If the waitress is slow or has a bad attitude then you don’t have to leave a lot of money as a tip. It’s up to you. When should you leave the tip? If you pay with a credit card they take your card and come back with a receipt and the receipt has a place to write in the tip and the total and then you need to sign the receipt before you leave. If you are paying in cash it’s ok to leave the cash on the table but put it under a cup or a plate. What if you are with a large party? (A group of 6 or more people): In this case gratuity (tip) is usually included. It’s added into the bill before you get the bill. Make sure you ask if you don’t know if it has already been included. In other episodes we will talk about tipping in a bar, a cafe, the hair salon, a taxi, etc. What is your opinion when it comes to leaving tips in the US? Have you ever made a mistake with this? Do you have any additional questions? Please ask us in the comments below.
AEE 287: SOS! Are You in Distress? How to Rescue Your English Phone Conversations
Come back to http://www.allearsenglish.com/287 Do you ever get into trouble during English phone conversations? This is one of the biggest challenge for English students, especially at work. Today we will show you how to get out of trouble if you aren’t understanding someone on the phone. We’ll give you 8 things to do before or during the call to get the help you need. How to Rescue Your Phone Call: Practice to listening to natives as much as possible in your daily life (podcasts, sitcoms, the news on TV) Ask the person to help you: “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble understanding you. Would you (be able to ) say that again?” “Could you repeat that (for me) please?” “Would you mind slowing down a bit? It’s hard to hear you.” Ask the person to follow up with a summary of the conversation by email See if it’s ok to record the conversation Breathe deeply before you get on the call with a native speaker It’s important not to be ashamed if you can’t understand someone in English on the phone. Don’t pretend to understand when you don’t. Use one of our strategies above to save your English conversations on the phone. What other tactics have you tried to rescue your English conversations? Share them with us in the comments!
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