February 2012

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Hello again and thank you for downloading this Mansión Inglés podcast. This is podcast number 46 recorded for February 2012.

 Este mes, en el nivel, básico los adverbios y las expresiones de frecuencia. At intermediate level some more common collocations, and at advanced level idioms and advanced collocations. There's business vocabulary, dictation and many more activities to improve your English and take it to the next level. 

 En los podcasts mensuales hablamos de los temas, vocabulario y ejercicios que salen en nuestro cuaderno mensual. Así podáis practicar la pronunciación y repasar el material del cuaderno. Si quieres recibir gratis el cuaderno cada mes, ver la trascripción de este podcast o leer los anteriores, vete a mansioningles.com y sigue los enlaces en la página principal.

 Ok, en el nivel básico este mes, hemos estudiado los adverbios de frecuencia - Adverbs of frequency, y hemos dicho que los adverbios de frecuencia indican la frecuencia con que se realiza la acción.

Vamos a ver si te acuerdas los adverbios de frecuencia en inglés. Primero voy a decirlos en español y quiero que los dices en inglés antes que los digo yo. Luego, repítelos para practicar la pronunciación. ¿Listo? Are you ready? OK.

      siempre - always

casi siempre - almost always

normalmente - usually, normally

a menudo - often

a veces - sometimes

raremente - rarely

casi nunca - hardly ever

nunca - never

¡Muy bien! Very good. Now, Remember - acuerdate que  los adverbios estos generalmente, se colocan los adverbios de frecuencia antes del verbo principal:

¿Cómo se dice en inglés "Usualmente me levanto a las 8."? - I usually get up at 8. - repite: I usually get up at 8.

¿Cómo se dice en inglés "Siempre me levanto temprano."? - I always get up early. - repite: I always get up early.

¿Cómo se dice en inglés "Nunca me levanto tarde."? - I never get up late. - repite: I never get up late.

Nota que  los adverbios de frecuencia se ponen después del verbo "to be":

I am never late - nunca llego tarde. Con la contracción; I am cambia a I'm -  I'm never late. Repíte: I'm never late. I'm always late. I'm sometimes late.

También se puede encontrar en posición final o inicial:

Normally, I get up at 8. Repíte: Normally, I get up at 8.

I get up at 8, normally. Repíte: I get up at 8, normally.

I'm late sometimes. Repíte: I'm late sometimes.

Sometimes I'm early. Repíte: Sometimes I'm early.

Good. OK. Ahora vamos a repasar algunas  expresiones de frecuencia - y como antes, voy a decirlos en español y quiero que los dices en inglés antes que los digo yo. Luego, repítelos para practicar la pronunciación. OK. Ready? - ¿Listo?

una vez a la semana - once a week - once a week

dos veces al día - twice a day  - twice a day 

tres o cuatro veces al mes - three or four times a month - three or four times a month

todos los viernes - every Friday - every Friday

cada dos horas - every two hours - every two hours

todos los días - every day - every day

Muchas veces utilizamos los adverbios y las expresiones de frecuencia para contestar a la pregunta "How often........?" - ¿Con qué frecuencia.....?

Por ejemplo: How often do you see her? - ¿Con qué frecuencia la ves? / ¿cada cuánto la ves? - How often do you see her?

Para contestar se puede decir:

        - I see her three or four times a month.

        - I see her every day.

        - I often see her.

        - I hardly ever see her.

Escucha y repite algunos ejemplos con estas expresiones en un contexto:

I always have toast for breakfast

I never drink beer.

Do you usually go by bus?

She doesn’t often go to discos.

I rarely listen to music.

She hardly ever watches TV.

How often do you go out?

I rarely buy clothes.

They’re sometimes late.

He's never happy.

I’m always late for work.

I never have breakfast in bed.

I almost always use public transport.

We hardly ever go out.

What time do you usually finish work?

I’m never hungry in the morning.

I don’t often read the newspaper.

The food here is usually very good.

I always take sugar in my coffee.

Very good. Well done! - ¡Bien hecho!

In the intermediate section this month we looked at some common collocations in English. Let's see - vamos a ver - let's see what you remember.

A party. Do we say take, do or have a party? - Have a party. Repeat: I'm having a party next Saturday.

So, do we make an example of somebody, take an example of somebody or do an example of some one? - The collocation is make an example of somebody or some one. The judge made an example of the graffiti artist and sent him to prison for three months.

What about a favour - un favor? Is it do a favour, make a favour, take a favour or have a favour? - Do a favour. Repeat: Can you do me a favour? Hey, do me a favour and hold this for me.

Now, do we say have friends, do friends or make friends with someone? - we say make friends with. Repeat: I made a lot of friends in London.

What about investment? do an investment, take an investment or make an investment? - It's to make an investment. Repeat: That's a good investment to make.

¿y las listas? Do we do lists or make lists? Make lists. Repeat. I need to make a shopping list. Make a list of things to do tomorrow. Make a list of new vocabulary.

A mistake - do or make or take? Make. We make mistakes. We do our best not to make mistakes. Repeat: Do your best - Don't make mistakes. What's the worst mistake you've ever made?

Money? do we make or do money? Make money. We do business to make money.

And finally, a noise - un ruido - do, make, take, have a noise? We say make a noise. Shhhhh! Don't make a noise. You're dad's asleep. Repeat: He makes a lot of noise. - He's very noisy. Why are you making so much noise?

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There were more idioms this month in the advanced section. Let's see if you can remember the idioms if I say the translation in Spanish.

For example, what's the English idiom for Lo que fácil viene, fácil se va. - Easy come, easy go. - Repeat: Easy come, easy go.

What about, No hay mas de temer que una mujer despechada - It's quite difficult this one, and it has the words hell and the verb to scorn, which means desdeñar o despreciar. Do you remember?   Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Fury is ira or furia. - Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

What about this one, Procura lo mejor, espera lo peor y toma lo que viniere. - Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Now that's what I call bloody good advice; Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Next is an idiom that my dad uses very often: Si vale la pena hacerlo, vale la pena hacerlo bien. - But my Dad is English of course and he says; Son, If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Repeat: If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well.

This next idiom is quite common, it's El que la sigue la consigue. Do you remember? If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Repeat: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Ya que estamos en el baile, bailemos. - The English equivalent has the words penny and pound in it. - In for a penny, in for a pound. Repeat: In for a penny, in for a pound.

El mundo es un panuelo. - No! we don't say the world is a handkerchief. Yes, I know panuelo is handkerchief in English, but the idiom translates as "It's a small world!" or "What a small world!" I met my next door neighbour when I was on holiday in Kenya. What a small world! - It's a small world, isn't it?

And finally we have the idiom that my mum always used when she asked me to tidy up my bedroom, put my clothes away and my games in the cupboard. Of course I didn't do it and she said; Es como hablar a la pared.- Which in English is; It's like talking to a brick wall. Repeat: It's like talking to a brick wall.

Listen and repeat the idioms again:

Easy come, easy go.

Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

It's a small world! 

It's like talking to a brick wall.

Also in the advanced section we had some common collocations. For example to take someone hostage. To take someone hostage means to keep, or retain a person or group of people until a specific demand is met (hostage in Spanish is rehén). Repeat: They robbed the bank and took 23 people hostage.

To a have a grudge against someone means tenerle/guardarle rencilla/rencor a algn. We also say to bear a grudge or hold a grudge against someone. Repeat: Why are you holding a grudge against her. You should forgive her.

If you make a mockery of something you ridiculizar algo

He made a mockery of the meeting by dressing up as a clown.

Do you remember how to say hacer daño in English? To do harm. Repeat: Those spiders won't do you any harm. They are completely harmless.

To make a stop means to have a break in the middle of a journey.

Repeat: Can we make a stop soon I'm dying to go to the toilet.

How do we say hacer una fortuna en ingés? To make a fortune. So we make money and if we make a lot of money we can make a fortune. Repeat: He made a fortune out of re-selling old coat hangers.

To take the lead means llevar/tomar la delantera

Repeat: Alonso has taken the lead in the last lap of the race.

We need to take the lead in the software market.

To do well means tener éxito (opposite = to do badly). Repeat: He's doing very well in New York, you know.

I'm so sorry to hear your company's doing badly.

¿Como se dice hacer un modelo? - to make a model. Repeat: Can you make me a plastic model of the project?

What about research - investigar, hacer investigaciones. Do we say do research or make research? - do research. Repeat: I'm doing scientific research for my degree. - Which web sites do you use when you do research?

In the Business English section this month we looked at some business English vocabulary.

Do you remember what you have to fill out or complete when you apply for a job or a course? It's a special kind of form - an application form. Repeat: Application form. To fill out an application form. The phrasal verb to fill out means rellenar. Sometimes you hear fill in. Fill in a form or fill out a form. You usually send your CV with an application form.

How do you say 'puesto de trabajo' in English? - a post or a position. You apply for a post or a position in a company. Repeat. I'm applying for the post of office manager.

Another word for company (empresa) is firm - F-I-R-M. The Firm was a good film starring Tom Cruise in which he was a young lawyer. Tom Cruise joined a successful law firm and Gene Hackman was his boss. It was a good film. The Firm - The company. Repeat: How much is your firm paying you? What's the name of your firm? What does your firm do? What firm do you work for? Do you work for a large firm?

If your application is successful. If your CV is impressive, you may be asked to attend an interview - una entrevista - Repeat: to attend an interview. Can you attend an interview next Thursday? When can you come in for an interview?

Another way to say “Why did you hand in your notice?” is  “Why did you resign?” When you hand in your notice or give notice you formally tell your company that you intend to leave. Some firms ask you to give 2 weeks notice, some firms require you to tell them one month before you leave. They require one months notice.

Job candidates are often asked to provide references from previous teachers or employers. A reference is written by a person who can write about the skills and qualifications that you have for the job you are applying for.

A person who lives outside a city and travels into the centre to work every day is called a commuter. It's sometimes quite expensive to live in the city centre, so many people live in the suburbs outside the city and travel in to work. They commute to work on a daily basis. When I lived in London, I had a 45-minute commute into the city where my office was.

Regular annual increases in your salary are called increments - increments. and another way to say “What’s your job?” is "What do you do for a living?” or just "What do you do?" Repeat: What do you do? - What do you do for a living?” If an American asks you "What do you make?" He or she is asking about your salary - How much do you earn? What do you make? but this question is not very polite unless you know someone quite well.

The extra things you receive in addition to your salary, such as a company car, health benefits and travel expenses, are called fringe benefits or perks. Repeat: What perks do you get with your job? What are the fringe benefits? Some companies offer such perks as a company car, dental treatment, travel costs and they pay for you to stay in the best 5 star hotels. As a teacher, my perks include a free pen!

Well, that’s it for this month, so thank you very much for your time, and thank you for being part of the community of La Mansión del Inglés.

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Until next month then, take care, keep practising and taking your English to the next level! Bye for now!

The music in this month’s podcast was by Revolution Void, the album was The Politics of Desire and the track was Outer Orbit.