November 2012

Aprender ingles gratis con La Mansion del Ingles. Un podcast para mejorar la gramatica, el vocabulario y la pronunciacion del ingles. Una leccion del ingles con ejemplos y ejercicios.

Learn English free with podcasts from La Mansion del Ingles. Improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This English lesson contains examples and exercises.

Hello, hello, hello! A big "thank you" to all of you for downloading this Mansión Inglés podcast. This is podcast number 55 recorded for November 2012.

Este mes, en el nivel básico, hemos practicado las colacaciones de los verbos y habia un listening para practicar los sonidos vocales.

In the intermediate section there was a translation exercise and an exercise to practise any, some, either, neither etc. which can be confusing. More idioms and a gap fill text in the advanced section. There's business vocabulary as usual, and many more ideas and resources to help you 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 so, let's begin then as usual with el nivel básico. Escucha y repite las siguientes colocaciónes:

Get dressed - I get dressed after my shower. - Repite: shower - after my shower - I get dressed -  I get dressed after my shower.

Take the dog for a walk - I take the dog for a walk every day. - Repite: every day - walk - fora - fora walk - the dog for a walk - I take - I take the dog for a walk - I take the dog for a walk every day.

Have a shower - I have a shower after breakfast. ¡OJO! - Se dice "have a shower" no se dice X"Chave a shower"X. Repite: have - have a shower - breakfast - after breakfast - have a - have a shower - I have a shower after breakfast.

Do your homework - Do your homework every day. - Please help me with my homework! Repite: homework -¡OJO! - homework. No se dice X"chomework"X -  my homework - with my homework - please help me - please help me with my homework!

Go shopping - I go shopping with my wife. Repite: my wife - with my wife - shopping with my wife - go shopping with my wife - I go shopping with my wife - husband - I go shopping with my husband - Children - I go shopping with my children - We go shopping together - hacemos la compra juntos. Repite: We go - We go shopping - We go shopping together.

¡Muy bien! - Very good!

En el segundo ejercicio del nivel básico, hemos practicado un 'listening' con los vocales y los sonidos débiles en inglés.

Por ejemplo la diferencia entre angry - enfadado/a y hungry - hambriento. Repite: /ӕ / angry I'm angry -  /˄/ hungry - I'm hungry

Where were you born? - Where were you born? es un poco difícil también. Escucha: Were -  Where were - Repite: Were - Where were - Where were you - Where were you born? - La intonación sube y baja - Escucha: Where were you born? - Repite: Where were you born?- I was born in London. Where were you born?

What time is it? - It's a quarter to twelve. - Repite: /ә/ - It's a - quarter - It's a quarter - to - It's a quarter to - It's a quarter to twelve. - It's a quarter to twelve. - It's a quarter to one. - It's a quarter to two. - It's a quarter to three. - It's a quarter to eleven.

Escucha: It costs seventeen pounds -  It costs seventy pounds - los números 13 hasta 19 llevan el estres en la segunda silaba: 13, 14, 15, 16 etc. y los números 20, 30, 40, 50 etc. tiene el estrés en la primera silaba.

Repite: 13 - 30. 14 - 40, 15 - 50, 16 - 60, 17 - 70, 18 - 80, 19 - 90

Repite: It costs seventeen pounds -  It costs seventy pounds

She gets home at seven - to get home significa llegar a casa. Es más común en el inglés hablado decir 'get home' que 'arrive home'. Repite: seven - at seven - home at seven - gets home at seven. No olvides la 's' de la tercera persona - She gets home. Repite: She gets home - she gets home at seven - She gets home at seven.

Escucha: The first of December - Repite: first - The first of December - second - The second of December - third - The third of December - forth - The forth of December - fifth - The fifth of December - sixth - The sixth of December - seventh - The seventh of December - eighth - The eighth of December - ninth - The ninth of December - tenth - The tenth of December.

El último ejemplo de este ejercicio fue la diferencia entre el sonido /˄/ como en la palabra uncle - tío, y el sonido /ӕ / como en la palabra ankle - tobillo. Repite: /ӕ/ - ankle - My ankle hurts - me duele el tobillo Repite: My ankle hurts - I hurt my ankle. Repite: /˄/ - uncle - I love my uncle - Yo amo a mi tío - My uncle is wonderful.

Good!

 

In the intermediate section this month, we translated some sentences from Spanish into English. I'm going to say the Spanish sentences with my terrible pronunciation, so please don't laugh! I want you to try to say the English sentence before I do. You can also pause this podcast if you need more time to think. Are you ready? Here's the first sentence for you to translate:

En verano me gusta acostarme tarde. - I like going to bed late in summer. - I like going to bed late in summer.

2. No nos gusta jugar a las cartas.    - We don’t like playing cards. - We don’t like playing cards.

3. Odian ir de compras.    - They hate going shopping. - They hate going shopping.

4. ¿Os gusta ver peliculas en version original?     - Do you like watching films in original version? - Do you like watching films in original version?

5. Le encanta (a ella) desayunar en la cama.  She loves having breakfast in bed. - She loves having breakfast in bed.

6. Odia (el) trabajar con el ordenador. - He hates working with the computer. - He hates working with the computer.

7. No sé nadar muy bien pero me gusta.   - I can’t swim very well but I like it. - I can’t swim very well but I like it.

8. ¿Que le gusta hacer a tu hermana?  - What does your sister like doing? - What does your sister like doing?

9. Odio oir a los politicos!  - I hate listening to politicians! - I hate listening to politicians!

10. Les encanta navegar por internet.  - They love surfing the net. - They love surfing the net.

11. Odio probar me ropa.  - I hate trying on clothes. - I hate trying on clothes.

12. ¿Les gusta viajar en avión?    - Do they like travelling by plane? Do they like travelling by plane?

Good! Ok, moving on then to the next exercise we practised confusing words like any, some, either and neither.

So, listen and repeat the following sentences.

Would you like some cake?

I'll have some cheese.

Is there any beer?

I like some classical music, but not all.

I'll listen to any hip hop music. I love it.

We have Irish whisky and Scotch Whisky. Which would you prefer?

I've got some money. Not much though.

How much wine is there?

All of you helped me.

None of you complained.

I don't know anyone who speaks German.

There's someone at the door.

No there isn't! There's no one there!

Very good! - ¡Muy bien!

 

If you like these podcasts, if you are learning more English with these podcasts, you can buy full lessons for only 1 euro and 40 centimos from our online shop - nuestra tienda online. Las lecciones están a nivel intermedio (B1). Puedes encontrarlas en mansioninglesdescargas.wazala.com that's: mansioninglesdescargas - todo junto - punto . wazala.com. Cada leccion vale 1.40 euros y dura approx. 1 hora y 15 minutos y cada leccion está en el formato mp3 lleva su trascripcion en formato PDF.

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

For example, De lo perdido saca lo que puedas. - in English it's Make the best of it. - Make the best of a bad situation. - Make the best of it. You can also say, "Make the most of it" - Repeat: make the most of it.

The next idiom is: Poderoso caballero es don Dinero. - Money talks bullsh*t walks - It's common to hear only the first part. Money talks.

Next was De Guatemala a Guatepeor - In English we say "Out of the frying pan, into the fire" - To go from a bad situation to a worse one.

I know that our friends in Guatemala don't like this expression, but I don't know any other translation. So if you can help me and tell me another way to say 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire', please send me an email at [e-mail] or send me a message on our Facebook page 'La Mansion del Ingles'

The next idiom was: En los nidos de antaño, no hay pajaros hogaño. -  Time doesn't stand still. - Time stands still for no man.

Desgraciado en el juego, afortunado en amores - is a direct translation to English. It's 'Unlucky in cards, lucky in love'. Unfortunately, I have always been both unlucky at cards and in love!

The last one is A perro flaco, todo son pulgas. - Misery loves company. This is something that you say which means that people who are feeling sad usually want the people they are with to also feel sad, for example:  "On a bad day, she isn't satisfied till the entire family is in tears. Misery loves company."

Also in the advanced section this month there was a gap-fill text. I'm going to read the text twice. The first time, just listen. The second time I'll stop in different places. When I stop, try to say the next word before I do. Even if you can't remember, you can guess what the next word might be.

Children and Convenience Foods

Nowadays, parents often feel guilty if they don't give their children healthy food for every single meal. Packaged food is frequently known as 'junk food' but in many instances that simply isn't so. Of course children should eat well, but meals should also be relaxed, enthusiastic and compatible with family life today.

And it's essential to remember that most parents of young children are by definition, extremely busy people. Convenience foods are here to stay and they can be a valuable aid to the pursuit of happiness.

Parents must seek out the best and aim for a balance between real food and practicality. With all these convenience foods, you can balance out the meal by adding something fresh and home-made. When your children beg for ice-cream give them frozen yoghurt with fresh fruit. Indeed, a home where the fruit bowl needs refilling regularly is a home where people eat well. The crucial point is balance. What is at stake is your child's gastronomic happiness.

Ok I'll read the test again. Remember, when I stop try to say the next word before I do. Even if you can't remember, you can guess what the next word might be.

Children and Convenience Foods

Nowadays, parents often feel....... guilty if they don't give their children healthy........ food for every single......... meal. Packaged food is frequently known as......... 'junk food' but in many instances that simply isn't so. Of course children should eat......... well, but meals should also be relaxed, enthusiastic and compatible with family......... life today.

And it's essential to......... remember that most parents of young........ children are by definition, extremely......... busy people. Convenience foods are here to....... stay and they can be a valuable aid to the pursuit of...... happiness.

Parents must seek out the best and aim for a balance between real........ food and practicality. With all these convenience foods, you can balance out the......... meal by adding something........ fresh and........ home-made. When your children beg for........ ice-cream give them frozen ........yoghurt with fresh........ fruit. Indeed, a home where the fruit........ bowl needs refilling regularly is a home where people eat........ well. The crucial point is......... balance. What is at stake is your child's gastronomic .........happiness.

Very good! Well done!

Moving on to Business English, let's practise some business vocabulary.

Be careful of the difference between convenient and comfortable. A chair is comfortable, a bed is comfortable. You can be in a comfortable, or an uncomfortable, situation. Shoes and clothes are comfortable or uncomfortable. However, if something is convenient for you it suits you. For example. Let's meet tomorrow. Is 3 o'clock convenient? Is 3 o'clock a good time for you? I can't meet you before 3 o'clock, because I have to work. It's not convenient for me to meet you before 3. I would not use 'comfortable' in this context.

If you pay money upfront, you pay before, at the beginning. When you pay someone to paint your flat, for example, the painter has to buy the paint before he or she starts. So when you agree a price, you might pay some money upfront so that the painter can buy the materials.

Remember that you apply for a job and you apply to a company or a person. I'm applying to Microsoft for the position of software developer. I'm applying for a job at Microsoft.

To switch means to make a change. We have recently switched from the telephone company to cable for out internet connection. I've switched to a different brand of tomato sauce because it's cheaper.

If something sees the light of day, it means to be made available or to be known about. For example. The company agreed the ad was an embarrassment and promised it would never again see the light of day.

Don't confuse remind with remember. Remind is hacerle acordar a alguien and remember is acordarse. Remind usually has a direct object. Remind me to buy fruit. Repeat: Remind me to buy fruit. Remind us to send a birthday card. Repeat: Remind us to send a birthday card. Did you remind her about the doctor's appointment? Repeat: Did you remind her about the doctor's appointment.

Hmmm, that reminds me, I need to get back to working on the 4th eBook in our series for teachers on Teaching Conversation, but don't worry, we'll be back with you next month with another podcast from our monthly newsletter, our cuaderno de inglés mensual. Remember you can listen to all our previous podcasts at mansioningles.com and on iTunes.

Si te gusta este podcast, puedes hacernos un gran favor y escribe una corta critíca en iTunes. ¿Como se dice crítica o reseña en inglés? - Review - to write a review. If you write a review on iTunes (si escibes una crítica en iTunes) más personas pueden escucharnos porque subimos en el 'ranking' de iTunes.

Thank you very much for listening to this podcast, and for being part of the community of La Mansión del Inglés.

Remember, If you want to contact us you can find us on Facebook. Just search Facebook for La Mansión del Inglés and join our growing community of fans. Or send an email to: [e-mail]. You can also follow us on Twitter. Our Twitter name is MansionTwit.

Puedes ver el cuaderno mensual de este mes, y todos los cuadernos anteriores en www.cuadernodeingles.com/

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 is by Revolution Void, the album is The Politics of Desire and the track is called Outer Orbit.