VOA-LESSON 8:

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-8-are-you-busy/3253185.html?ltflags=mailer

Summary

Anna wants to apologize to her co-workers. She learns what they do at the same time every day.

Speaking

In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about three times of the day. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend.
Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn how Americans make hesitation noises, like um, to give themselves more time to think of an answer. You can also learn how to use emphasis when you apologize and accept an apology. Conversation Anna: Hello, everyone. Here I am at my new job! Yesterday at my first day of work … Well, let’s not talk about yesterday. Today is a new day! Today I want to apologize to my co-workers.
Anna: Hi, Anne. Are you busy?
Anne: Hi, Anna. Yes. At 10 a.m. I am writing. Every day I do my morning show. Sorry!
Anna: Okay. See you later, maybe.
Anne: Maybe I’ll see you later.
Anna: Hi, Jonathan. Are you busy?
Jonathan: Yes, I’m busy. When the studio light is on, I am recording my evening show.
Anna: Right. Sorry about yesterday.
Jonathan: No worries.
Anna: May I see the studio?
Jonathan: Um, maybe another time? Right now I am busy.
Anna: Sure. Okay, ’bye.
Jonathan: ‘Bye.
Anna: Hi, Amelia! Are you busy?
Amelia: I’m a little busy. Anna: I want to say I’m sorry for yesterday.
Amelia: It’s okay, Anna.
Anna: Well, I am sorry.
Amelia: It’s okay,
Anna. Come by this afternoon.
Anna: Okay.
Caty: Anna.
Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Are you busy?
Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I am busy.
Caty: My office. 5:00 p.m.
Anna: 5:00 p.m.
Caty: Come in. Co-Workers: Surprise!
Anna: A party! Awesome! And I still have my job! Phew!* Until next time! * Phew! is a sound used to show that you are relieved, tired, or hot

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

VOA PERMISSION

 Esta página: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/p/6021.html dice acerca de nuestras condiciones de uso.

Me di cuenta de que también comentó sobre Teach curso de Inglés de la let. Que sin duda debe ser compartida con tantos profesores y estudiantes de magisterio como sea posible. ¿Le importaría que nos deja saber dónde se encuentra?

En caso de que quiera todo el paquete de descarga de una sola vez, he subido todos los recursos para el curso de nuestra unidad de Google:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1i0nBypuhdRihCPb5mEb1kL_ccQtT5oin?usp=sharing

(el tamaño total es de 4.34 GB - para que quepa en un DVD si desea hacer circular esa manera)

Estos materiales están en el dominio público y pueden ser compartidos y copiarse libremente.

Sinceramente,

Jill Robbins, Ph.D.

VOA Learning Inglés

Multimedia Maestro eLearning

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/

VOA-Lesson 12: Meet My Family

Summary Anna is feeling homesick. Marsha helps her by listening to her talk about her family. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to ask a friend to talk about a problem. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about your family. Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn about how Americans pronounce the word "aunt" in different parts of the country. Conversation Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. has many beautiful parks. In fact, this park reminds me of my home very far away. Marsha: Anna, here's your coffee. Anna: Thanks, Marsha. Marsha: What's wrong? Anna: I'm thinking about my family. I'm feeling homesick. Marsha: Do you want to talk about it? Anna: Sure! I have some photos. Marsha: Yes. Yes, you do! Anna: Photos really help. Anna: This is my mother and this is my father. They are rodeo clowns. Marsha: What do rodeo clowns do? Anna: They make jokes at a rodeo. They make people laugh. Marsha: That-That';s very different. Marsha: Who is that woman in the picture? Anna: That is my Aunt Lavender. She is my mom's sister. She loves gardening and makes spoons. Marsha: She makes spoons? Anna: Of course. Marsha: That, too, is very different. Anna: Oh! This is my Uncle John. He is my father's brother. Marsha: What does Uncle John do? Anna: He's a chicken farmer. And makes guitars. He's awesome, and I'm his favorite niece. Marsha: Who are they? Anna: They are my cousins. They are my Uncle John's daughter and son. Marsha: What do they do? Anna: They raise sheep and make sweaters. Marsha: Yeah, that's not a surprise. Marsha: Thanks for showing me your family photos. Your family is very different. Anna: I do feel better. Thanks for listening. I have many more photos! Marsha: Yeah. Yeah, you do. Anna: Washington, DC is my new home. But I like remembering my old home, too. Anna's Family Tree This is a family tree. Anna tells Marsha about her parents. Her mother and father are rodeo clowns. Her father's parents are from Italy. These grandparents speak Italian. Anna's mother's parents live in California. These grandparents have a farm and raise horses. Anna's mother's sister is Aunt Lavender. She loves gardening. Anna's father has a brother. His name is John. Uncle John makes guitars. Uncle John has a daughter and a son. They are Anna's cousins. They raise sheep. Anna's brother has two children. They are Anna's niece and nephew. Writing Are you from a big family or a small family? Write to us to tell us about two people in your family. What do they do? What do they make? Send us an email or write about them in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend.

VOA- What Do You Know About 'You Know?'

VOA- In the film Caddyshack, American actor Bill Murray plays a golf caddy. He carries golf clubs for other people and offers them advice on how to play the sport. At one point in the film, Murray tells an outrageous story. He claims to have traveled to the Himalayas and helped the Dalai Lama play golf. After one game, Murray says he asked the Tibetan spiritual leader for money. Here are a few lines from the movie. Today, we will not explore the world of golf. Instead, we will consider the meaning of two words: you know. You heard them used twice in our example. We will show you how and why Americans use this expression. You might be surprised to learn how "you know" has many uses. Acknowledgement markers If you listen to Americans as they speak, you will often hear them say "you know" in strange places in a sentence. You might hear it at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. When Americans say "you know," they might mean it in a literal sense, as in the following: "Do you know that person?" "Yes, I know him." However, today we are talking about how English speakers use "you know" in other ways. These include social uses, such as saying "you know" to soften the meaning of a statement. Language experts have a term for such an expression: an "acknowledgement marker."* You do not need to worry about the term now. Just remember that English speakers choose some words for social uses. They mean more than the individual words suggest. Do not fear: we will clarify these points by giving you examples from popular culture. "You know" in social situations "You know" gives other people the idea that you have some kind of shared knowledge with them. People use it to show that they have a common understanding. Sometimes people use an acknowledgment marker because they want to know if you agree with them. Other times, they use it as a way to fill spaces in a conversation or discussion. Saying "you know" gives the speaker time to think of what to say next. The context tells you which of these purposes "you know" serves. Example #1 Let's study an example. Think back to the line from Caddyshack: “And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something? You know, for the effort, you know.’” Here, Murray is asking for a tip – a small payment. When Murray says "you know" before and after the words "for the effort," he is suggesting that the Dalai Lama knows he has worked hard. Murray uses "you know" to offer a suggestion. He does not want to ask for money directly. He wants to improve his chances of getting the tip by using indirect language. Murray's caddy could have simply said, "Can you give me a tip for helping you?" Such a direct question would be considered disrespectful in American culture. Example #2 Let's look at another example. Consider this exchange from the 1994 film, Leon The Professional. - "My parents died in a car accident four weeks ago. It was terrible." - "You know, we didn't have the time to get to know one another when you first came here. But I want you to know that I'm not the kind of woman who'd let down a child, whatever her situation, whatever her mistake. Here, the second speaker begins her sentence with "you know." In this situation, she wants to gain the trust of the young girl. She begins her sentence with "you know" so that it gives the girl the idea that they have a connection. She wants to give her new information, but she also wants to make her words sound familiar. She also wants to improve her chances of a positive response from the young girl. Example #3 Here is one final example. Imagine two people are staying late at work. One person might tell another person they need to go. She might say: "Hey, Jane, you know, the last train leaves in 15 minutes!" Here the speaker is presenting information about the train, as if it is known information. Jane probably does not know that the train is leaving soon. But her coworker wants to soften the statement by using language that suggests she does know that the train is leaving. History and "you know" The term "you know" is not a new form of slang. "You know" has a long history, according to John McWhorter, a language expert. He says that English speakers have long used words and expressions such as "you know." McWhorter points to lines in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as an example. Chaucer wrote the now famous work in the 14th century. In the Knight's Tale, the character Emily says the words "thou woost." The word "thou" later became "you" as the English language changed over time. "Woost" is the verb that eventually became "know." McWhorter notes that "thou woost" was the 14th century version of the modern-day "you know."* What can you do? The next time you are listening to an English speaker, try to find examples of "you know." How often does the person use those words? Why do you think they are using them? You should be careful about using "you know." Sometimes English learners become nervous and use "you know" too often. This overuse of "you know" means that they do not practice using other expressions or vocabulary. The point of today's story was to show you how English speakers use certain words and expressions for social uses. There are many others – which we can explore in another Everyday Grammar program. -"You know, I think we should end our report now." -"Ok – I think you are right." I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. *McWhorter, John. Words on the Move: Why English Won't – and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally). Henry Holt and Co. 2016. Pg. 34 We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story outrageous – adj. very strange or unusual going to stiff (someone) – expression – to not pay someone the amount of money that you should pay them; to fail to pay a tip consciousness – n. the condition of being conscious; the normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you literal – adj. involving the ordinary or usual meaning of a word context – n. the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning slang – n. words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people practice – n. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

NOTICE USA : Extreme Cold Affecting Many Areas Across US

VOA

Extremely cold weather is a problem in many parts of the United States. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that record-setting temperatures have been blamed for at least 12 deaths in recent weeks. Some forecasters say the worst weather is yet to come. On Tuesday, the U.S. National Weather Service announced wind chill advisories and freeze warnings for 40 of the 50 states. The weather service predicted a “period of much-below-normal temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to the central and eastern U.S. over the next week.” Air temperatures fell to -13 Celsius near Cullman, Alabama, which usually has a mild winter. In the port of Mobile, Alabama, temperatures reached as low as -7 Celsius. City officials opened warming shelters across the southern United States, as the cold weather brought light snow as far south as Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, a winter storm dropped snow, sleet and freezing rain from northern Florida up the Southeast coast. Some cities reported snowfall for the first time in over 20 years. Cars spun out of control on icy roads from Texas to Georgia. Hospitals across the country are reporting an increase in emergency room visits for hypothermia and other conditions linked to extreme cold. The record-setting cold weather began in the central U.S. early last week. Omaha, Nebraska, broke a 130-year record when temperatures fell to -29 Celsius. The city of Aberdeen, South Dakota broke a 99-year record with temperatures of -36 Celsius In Florida, several water parks closed because of the cold weather. New York’s Hudson River froze in some parts, forcing officials to cancel passenger ferry service. At Niagara Falls, people took photographs of the Horseshoe Falls, where flowing water had turned to ice. Frozen sharks were washing up along the coast south of Boston, Massachusetts, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy reported. Forecasters warned that weather conditions could worsen, especially in the Northeast. A winter storm warning extended from the Florida panhandle all the way up the Atlantic coast. Coastal flooding, downed trees and power lines were possible along the East Coast. I'm Susan Shand.