Author Archives: Luke Thompson

About Luke Thompson

I've been teaching English for over 20 years in London, Japan and France. I also do an award-winning podcast for learners of English called "Luke's English Podcast". In my free time I'm a stand-up comedian who regularly performs shows in English in Paris and sometimes London.

48. Useful Expressions for Travelling (with Claudia)

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A conversation about travelling and backpacking, with plenty of useful vocabulary for talking about this subject.

Right-click here to download this episode. 

Small Donate ButtonVocabulary
Here is the list of expressions which I use and explain in this podcast. It is all very useful for when you are travelling.
You’ll notice a lot of uses of Present Perfect Tense (have/has + past participle) in questions.
You’ll also notice the phrasal verbs – made of a verb + particle combination. They are very common, and there are lots in this podcast. There’s a transcript of the travelling conversation from this episode, just scroll down.

Here are the expressions:

Mind if I join you?
How’s it going?
Whereabouts?
Where in London?
I’m just up the road
No way!
How weird!
That’s right by my work
Really?
It’s a small world
How long have you been here?
I’ve been here about a week now
Are you staying long?
What about yourself?
We’re travelling through the whole area
Just travelling up through Vietnam
Where have you been so far?
I flew into Ho Chi Min City
I saw the sights
I flew up to Hanoi
I’ve got a mate up there
We had a laugh
Are you just travelling down the coast now?
Have you been to Hue?
No, we’re travelling south to north
I’m a bit templed out
They’re worth visiting
Beautiful views on the way
It’s pretty rank
Are you just going to stick around in Hanoi for a bit?
The plan is, just stick around here for a while
and then head down to Nha Trang
Chill out on the beach
I’m going to pass through Dalat
Do you know any good places to stay around here?
Just walk down this street
There’s an ATM on the corner
See you around!

Transcript [12:37] to [16:32]
L – Luke
C – Claudia

[12:37]
L: Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?
C: No, yes, fine.
L: All right. Cool, thanks. How’s it going?
C: Yeah, pretty good, thanks. Yourself?
L: Yeah, not bad, thanks. So where are you from?
C: I’m from England.
L: Yeah, yeah, me too.
C: Oh yeah, whereabouts?
L: London.
C: Yeah, me too.
L: Really? Where in London?
C: Do you know it quite well?
L: Yeah, yeah.
C: West London.
L: Really? Me too.
C: Yeah.
L: Me too.
C: Really? Chiswick?
L: I’m in Hammersmith.
C: Really?
L: I’m just up the road.
C: Yes, literally just up the road.
L: No way.
C: How weird.
L: So, where in Chiswick are you?
C: You know the green where the church is?
L: Yeah, do.
C: Just there. What about you?
L: Really? I’m up the road. Do you know the Tescos up the road?
C: Yeah.
L: I live opposite the Tescos.
C: Really? That’s right by my work.
L: Is it?
C: Yeah.
L: No way. Where do you work?
C: At the London school of English.
L: Really? So do I.
C: (sound of surprise) What the? no way.
L: Yeah. I’ve been working there for about three years.
C: Really? I only started just two months ago.
L: Ok, Are you Westcroft Square.
C: Yeah, just over your flat.
L: I haven’t been there for a while. I’ve been working in the other school.
C: That’s so weird.
L: No way. That’s amazing. It’s a small world.
C: It is. So, how long have you been here?
L: Well, I’ve been here about a week now.
C: Ok, not too long. Are you staying long?
L: I’ve got about a week left. So, yeah, just a couple of weeks.
C: Ok, just a holiday.
L: So what about yourself?
C: We’re travelling through the whole area. Done Thailand, a bit of Cambodia. Just travelling up through Vietnam and then to Loas.
L: Wow, you’re doing the whole thing. Enjoying it?
C: Definitely. It’s amazing. We’re loving Hoi-An. Ho Chi Min was cool too but a bit busy. So, where have you been so far?
L: Well, I flew in to Ho Chi Min and spent a couple of days there and just saw the sights. And then I flew up to Hanoi, because I’ve got a mate up there. And I spent New Year’s Eve there and I took a bus out to Halong Bay and I did that, stayed on a boat overnight.
C: Really? What was that like?
L: It’s pretty funny, really. The boat actually had mice on it.
C: Oh no.
L: And the engine was really loud at night, but it was funny. You know, there was good people on a boat. We had a really good laugh.
C: Cool. So, are you travelling down the coast now?
L: Yeah. That’s right. I fly out of Ho Chi Min City again in about a week. So I’m just going down the coast now by bus and train, visiting the main spots. Have you been to Hue?
C: No, not yet. We are travelling from south to north.
L: Oh right, ok. Hue is really nice. Go and see the imperial city. It’s really interesting.
C: What? Temples?
L: Yeah.
C: A bit templed out, to be honest.
L: A bit templed out. Lots of temples in Cambodia?
C: Yeah.
L: It is more temples, but they are pretty good. They’re worth visiting.
C: Ok.
L: So, after Hue, I took the train down here, beautiful views on the way. Really nice. I definitely recommend the train journey. Don’t eat the food though.
C: No?
L: No, it’s pretty rank.
C: Oh, ok. So are you just going to stick around in Hoi-An for a bit.
L: Yeah, yeah. The plan is just stick around here for a while and then head down to Nha Trang and chill out on a beach for a while and then I’m going back to Ho Chi Min City. I’m going to pass through Dalat as well.
C: Yeah, cool. Oh you’ll like Nha Trang. You should do a boat tour, you’ll have a really good time, yeah. So, do you know any good places to stay around here?
L: Yeah, there is loads of places, just walk down this street and there’s a few hotels. There is an ATM on the corner as well.
C: Oh good. Nice one. Ok. Well, have a great time.
L: Yeah. Thanks a lot. Maybe see you around in Hoian?
H: Yeah. yeah.
L: Ok. Bye, bye.
C: See you.
[16:32]
Vietnam

Here’s a funny video by a pair of musician/comedians from New Zealand. This song is dedicated to English Robot 3000 and English Robot 4000. Which one should I choose to be my number 1 robot? Email me: luketeacher@hotmail.com
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrva8NoMLM&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

47. Travelling in Vietnam

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EnglishRobot3000 interviews me about my holiday in Vietnam.

Small Donate ButtonRight-click here to download this episode.

I recently bought an English speaking robot from Japan. His name is English Robot 3000, and he’s very nice. In this podcast, English Robot 3000 asks me questions about my holiday in Vietnam and I talk about what I did, where I went and how it felt.

The next podcast will contain lots of really useful language for meeting people when you are travelling.

Hope you enjoy the episode, and happy new year!

Photos
Here’s a slide show of my Vietnam holiday snaps

Here’s a picture of EnglishRobot3000
EnglishRobot

Get the PDF transcript here 👇

47. Travelling in Vietnam – TranscriptDownload

45. Luke & Andy’s Crime Stories (with Andy Johnson)

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A conversation with my friend Andy. We share some anecdotes. By coincidence, they’re also about petty crime. Some samples of vocabulary and expressions are listed below. I give definitions in the podcast – so listen to check the meaning.

Right-click here to download this episode.
This is a completely natural and authentic conversation. None of it was planned, so it is completely real and not fake.
This is really good listening practice for you. Listen to two native speakers talking naturally with each other. If you can understand the conversation, then you’re at the same level as a native speaker. You’ll understand the little comments and jokes that we make with each other. I recommend listening to the podcast a few times until you completely understand the conversation, and start remembering bits of vocabulary that we said. Also: Enjoy yourself!

Some vocabulary and expressions from our conversation:

The night Andy Got Arrested:
They know them by heart
For some reason we thought it might be funny to start throwing snowballs at the police station
He didn’t have a helmet, he had one of those little hats and it knocked his hat off
We started laughing hysterically
They put us in the cells for the night – “blimey”
We weren’t charged with anything, we were given, like, a verbal caution
I was very contrite and quiet and very apologetic
My friend Gareth, he got really indignant and really angry
Because he was mouthing off he didn’t get anything
They released us with a slap on the wrist and told us not to do it again
‘Snow crime officer!” – “Snow joke Luke!”

The Time Luke Got Caught by The Police for Skateboarding:
I consider myself to be a law abiding citizen, with a few minor indiscretions under my belt, but generally, you know, quite an honest, law abiding person
When I was twelve, I did have a run in with the police
I wasn’t a naughty child
My brother and I were both very into skateboarding at the time
An indoor shopping precinct
I felt quite awkward most of the time
Anyway right, cut a long story short…
Suddenly a police riot van turned up
This is like, a big van, with like, protection, you know, like a sort of, armoured van pulled up, and the doors swung open and just loads of police all just piled out of this van, and just, sort of, it was like an organised attack
A pincer movement
I decided to make a run for it too, kind of half heartedly
I just, sort of, casually ran towards the stairs, and the next thing I know; big hand on my shoulder, a big hairy policeman’s hand grabbed my shoulder
You’re nicked! Come here!
I looked up at him with these tears in my eyes, and with my lip trembling…
I wasn’t even capable of thinking straight
I was just really deeply traumatised
I went into a sort of state of shock
Next thing I know, policeman’s hand on my shoulder
The policeman looked at me, and felt pity and said “alright sonny, I’ll let you go”
He was a very friendly, kind of, jolly kind of policeman
Did they cuff you? They didn’t cuff us, no.
I think it’s terrible the way you’ve treated these children!
How dare you be so angry and aggressive!
Your Dad went ‘buck wild on their asses’!
My Dad just didn’t hold back
In the end I felt vindicated because my Father protected me, stood up for me against the, frankly brutal West Midlands Police.
Oppressive police reigime
I’ve always thought that you had potential criminal tendencies

Andy’s “I was wrongly accused of theft as a child!” Anecdote:
I’ve got a twin brother. “What, identical twin?” No, non identical. He’s the good looking one.
We were in this shop and we were looking at erasers, rubbers.
Apparently I just reached into my pocket and took the rubber out
We went home and he told my Mum.
Just, sort of, grassed you up to your parents.
I think I bought it. I must have bought it. I don’t think I deliberately stole it.
If I did steal it, it wasn’t intentional.
It was, kind of like, the manslaughter of theft.
Unintentional theft. There may have been mitigating circumstances.
Yeah, like it didn’t happen! That’s the mitigating circumstance.
You legitimately purchased it!
My brother was laughing in the background, smiling away.
We will be conducting a full investigation into the theft of the eraser.
They’re going to bring you in as well. You’re going to be an accessory.
I’ll just grass you up. I’ll do a deal with the Police.
You’re going to be a supergrass!
You’ll frame me.

Luke’s “Law breaking in Canada” photo album:
You might be wanted by interpol.
Maybe the mounties. The mounties always get their man!
They’re going to chase after me and get me. They might even make a sort of light hearted drama about it. Like, ‘a Canadian mountie travels to London in order to track down an infamous criminal’.
A fish out of water – riding around Regent Street on his big horse.
We decided we would take photos of ourselves breaking all of these by-laws.
That probably counted as a crime wave. It probably had the mounties baffled during the summer of ’97.
If I went back to Canada, they wouldn’t let me in. They’d bang me up.
Is that why you’ve been growing your hair, so they won’t recognise you?
Let’s stick the Queen’s speech on, shall we?
Everyone will be sat there with a glass of sherry.
“On a slightly sadder note. On one of my recent perusals of Luke’s English Podcast, it has been drawn to my attention, that there is a criminal on the loose in England! His name is Andy Johnson! And we must lock him up! Immediately!
People are going to leave their houses with bats, and they’ll be like an angry mob knocking on my Father’s door.
There’ll be, like, burning torches, pitch forks.
You can commit as many crimes as you like, and they don’t even bat an eyelid.
They’re very tolerant. They’re very liberal.
I think my crimes pale into (in)significance compared to what you did.
If you can get away with it, I’m going to get away with it.
People used to get hung, drawn and quartered for that in the middle ages.
Maybe he was aiming for the face, which for me is an aggravating circumstance.
Festive snowball attack.

44. Telling Anecdotes

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Improve your speaking by telling interesting and amusing anecdotes. In this episode you’ll learn about anecdotes, listen to a couple of stories told by some BBC radio DJs and learn some new vocabulary. Good extended listening practice. There are vocabulary notes and a grammar practice exercise below. Enjoy!

Right-click here to download this episode.
Anecdotes
What are the characteristics of an anecdote?

• They’re quite funny
• They contain a story
• They include lots of descriptive details – like exactly what happened and what it looked like
• They include descriptions of the thoughts and feelings of the person involved
• Some details are exaggerated to make the story more interesting!
• They involve a comment at the end – e.g. what you’ve learned, what you think of the situation now

You’re going to listen to an anecdote by Adam Buxton, a BBC Radio DJ and comedian from South London.

The Adam & Joe Show is a weekly radio programme on BBC 6 Music every Saturday morning. The show is also available as a podcast from the BBC here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/adamandjoe/

Adam and Joe have known each other since they were children. They both grew up together in London, and became famous for making comedy television programmes and radio shows. Adam Buxton is also an actor who has been in British films such as Hot Fuzz, Stardust and Son of Rambow. Joe Cornish is now a film director and his latest film is called Attack The Block, and it’s a sic-fi horror film about a group of kids in London who fight back against aliens that attack their block of flats. It’s great, and it features young Londoners speaking in their real local dialect.

Untitled-5

Listen to Adam’s anecdote and answer these questions:

1. Where was Adam when this happened and why was he there?
2. How does Adam know this happened when he was incredibly young?
3. What was lying on the floor? How did it get there?
4. Why did Adam think it was free?
5. What was Adam doing when his Dad found him?
6. What did Adam’s Dad say when he realised Adam had stolen the gum?
7. How did Adam’s Dad make his point?
8. What exactly happened to the gum?

Vocabulary
Here’s some of the vocabulary from the recording of Adam and Joe. To get explanations of this language, you’ll have to listen to the podcast. I start giving definitions at about 22m40sec.

1. Do you think of me as a bit of a crim?
2. These are crimes you commit on kind of an instinctive basis
3. We don’t condone it. In fact if you enter this text competition we might pass your details on to the coppers.
4. This is one of my formative memories
5. The earliest memory I’ve got stashed away in my brainium
6. This is in the days when my Ma and Pa used to smoke cigs
7. Someone had knocked a packet of Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum off the shelf
8. The floor is no man’s land
9. That’s what Ronnie Biggs said in his defence. “It was on the floor! The gold fell on the floor!”
10. So, anyway, to cut a long story short, I stuffed the Wriggles in my pockles
11. I was fairly brazen about it
12. My Dad found me happily chomping some Wriggles
13. It’s tricky to get rid of the evidence. Just chew it. You can’t swallow it either
14. The police can forensic it
15. I was very freaked out
16. Gum’s not even flammable, is it?
17. It’s like a sort of a hellfire response! It’s like he’s a Baptist minister.
18. The foil just went all charcoaly and the gum just sort of melted

Grammar Exercise
Practise your English by completing Adam’s story. This is a slightly basic version of the story (not exactly the same as the one in the recording). Don’t listen, just try and put the verbs in the correct form:

Well, my introduction to the shady world of crime (come about) __________ when I suppose I (be) _______________ about four or five. We (be) ____________ at the corner shop. This (be) _______________ in the days when my Ma and Pa (smoke) _______________ cigs. We (live) _______________ in Earl’s Court and we (be) _______________ at the corner shop. My Dad (buy) _______________ some cigs. I (know) _______________ I (be) _______________ incredibly young because the only shelf I (see) _______________ (be) _______________ the absolute bottom shelf, and that (be) _______________ where all the sweeties (be) _______________. And someone (knock) _______________ a packet of Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum off the shelf and it (just lie) _______________ on the floor, (call) _______________ my name. And I (be) _______________ the only one down there at that level, and I (look) _______________ at it and I (think) _______________ “Free gum! Free gum!”. I (remember) _______________ very clearly the logic process I (go through) _______________ in order to justify to myself that it (be) _______________ ok, because inside I (know) _______________ that it (steal) _______________. I remember (think) _______________ “it (fall) _______________ off the shelf and they don’t want it any more”.

Anyway, I (shove) _______________ the gum into my pocket, and (get) _______________ home and I (go) _______________ into my room. I didn’t believe I (commit) _______________ a serious crime, but my Dad (find) _______________ me happily (chomp) _______________ some gum, and he said “where did you get this gum? I didn’t buy you any chewing gum. You’re not allowed gum.” And I said “It was on the floor, it was broken!” And he said, “you (just steal) _______________ something! You stole this! You didn’t pay for it! If the police (find) _______________ out, you (go) _______________ to prison.”

I (be) _______________ very freaked out, and (make) _______________ his point even more forcefully, my Dad (burn) _______________ the gum. The foil just (go) _______________ all charcoaly and the gum just kind of (melt) _______________. It (smell) _______________ minty.

Transcript of the Adam & Joe Anecdotes
Here’s the complete script if you need it:

Well, my introduction to the shady world of crime came about when I suppose I must have been about four or five. We were at the corner shop. This is in the days when my Ma and Pa used to smoke cigs. We lived in Earl’s Court and we were at the corner shop. My Dad was buying some cigs. I know I was incredibly young because the only shelf I could see was the absolute bottom shelf, and that’s where all the sweeties were, and someone had knocked a packet of Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum off the shelf and it was just lying on the floor, calling my name. And I was the only one down there at that level, and I was looking at it and I was thinking “Free gum! Free gum!”. I remember very clearly the logic process I went through in order to justify to myself that it was ok, because inside I knew that it would be stealing.

I remember thinking “it’s fallen off the shelf and they don’t want it any more”.
Anyway, I shoved the gum into my pocket, and got home and I went into my room. I didn’t believe I had committed a serious crime, but my Dad found me happily chomping some gum, and he said “where did you get this gum? I didn’t buy you any chewing gum. You’re not allowed gum.” And I said “It was on the floor, it was broken!” And he said, “you’ve just stolen something! You stole this! You didn’t pay for it! If the police found out, you could go to prison.”

Rules of Life
p.s. Here those ‘rules of life’ I talked about at the beginning of the podcast:

1. Don’t be dead
2. Get a job
3. Get money
4. Get food
5. Find friends / a life partner
6. Get married
7. Buy a nice house in a good neighbourhood – get on the property ladder
8. Get a broadband internet connection (so you can download Luke’s English Podcast)
9. Get an HD TV
10. Negotiate a good mobile phone contract
11. Look after your teeth
12. Eat plenty of fibre
13. Eat 5 portions of fruit or vegetables a day
14. Get plenty of sleep – at least 6 hours
15. Get regular sex
16. Reduce your carbon footprint – insulate your home
17. Watch the latest American dramas on TV
18. Consolidate all your monthly loan repayments
19. Learn another language
20. Call your parents
21. Exfoliate
22. Follow your dreams
23. Enjoy yourself.

So, the 23rd rule of life – Just ENJOY YOURSELF!

24. Listen to Luke’s English Podcast every day.

43. Notting Hill Carnival Video Out-takes

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1gLlvqru-s

Earlier this year I made a video at the Notting Hill Carnival. Here are some of the bits which I didn’t include in the final edit. You can see that I got a bit frustrated on this day…

There are some bits of useful language in this video. They are all explained below.

Vocabulary

The text captions contain some phrasal verbs and other expressions. Here are some of those useful bits of language:

The door was putting me off – ‘to put someone off’ = the door was distracting me and stopping me from concentrating properly
The chair was getting in my way – ‘to get in your way’ = the chair was in my personal space and stopping me from moving freely
I couldn’t string a sentence together – ‘to string a sentence together’ = to be able to speak properly
I was starting to get really pissed off – ‘to get pissed off’ = to get annoyed and angry (it’s a slightly rude expression)
I can’t be bothered to carry an umbrella – ‘can’t be bothered’ = I’m too lazy to do it. I don’t want to make the effort to do it.
I might get caught in the rain – ‘to get caught in the rain’ – to be surpised by rain, and get wet because you’re unprepared
What the hell? = Who cares? It doesn’t matter!
Live life on the edge = Live a risky life
I’m waiting for my mobile phone to charge up – ‘to charge up’ = to put electricity into a battery
To run out = the battery becomes empty
I was in a funny mood, perhaps because I was tired or a little fed up – ‘fed up’ = slightly bored or unhappy
That must get quite claustrophobic and awkward – ‘claustrophobic’ = frightening because it is a small space. ‘awkward’ = uncomfortable and embarrassing

More audio podcasts coming soon!

41. London Video Interviews Pt 3

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[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]
More native speakers describing their home city of London. Transcript and definitions available below. Luke’s English Podcast is for learners of English as a second language. If there was an award for ‘Best Learning English Podcast by Someone Called Luke from West London” this would definitely win!

Parliament Square

(This guy has lived in London his whole life. He has quite a typical London accent. You can hear/see it in the way he pronounces the /th/ sound in words like ‘think’. He says ‘fink’.)
Man: Hello
Luke: So, are you from London?
Man: Yep, I sure am
Luke: How long have you lived here?
Man: Twenty one years
Luke: Right, okay, so what’s the best thing about it?
Man: Best thing? There’s always something to do, places to go. There’s a lot of tourist attractions around here… erm, things… that the main thing, it’s the things to do… you can never be bored in London
Luke: Yeah
Man: …always places and things to see
Luke: Ok, what’s the worst thing?
Man: Worst thing? Where it’s such a big city, it’s easy to get lost, and the amount of people that came here, come here… err, it’s easy to get lost, and people can push you out of the way and you can get lost within the people around London. It’s always busy, always always busy so be prepared to wait (and) get lost, basically…
Luke: Alright, great
Man: Cool
Luke: Thank you very much
Man: Thank you
Luke: Cheers

London Eye
(The first woman sounds quite ‘middle class’ and has a well-spoken southern English accent)
Woman: Hello
Luke: How long have you been in London now?
Woman: All my life, or… all of today as well
Luke: So (laughs)… okay, so you’re a proper Londoner then?
Woman: Yes
Luke: What’s the best thing about living here?
Woman: The people, err, the theatre, the sights, just the general buzz. It’s fun.
Luke: Okay, what about the worst thing?
Woman: Err, the commuting, the transport, but other than that it’s pretty great all round
Luke: Ok, thank you very much
Woman: Ok, thank you, bye
Luke: Cheers, bye

South Bank
(The woman on the left is from somewhere very close to London and has a typical London accent, her friend on the right is originally from somewhere in the north of England, and has – I think – a Lancashire accent, but not very strong)
Friends: Hi, hello
Luke: So, where are you from?
Friend 1: I’m from just outside London
Friend 2: and originally I’m from the north of England and I moved to London about 8 years ago
Luke: Ok, right. But you’ve both been living in London for quite a few years
Friend 1: Twenty odd years, yeah
Luke: Right. So what’s the best thing about it?
Friend 2: I think the best thing about London is, we were talking about it earlier, erm…
Friend 1: Skyline
Friend 2: Yeah, when you step out somewhere, you feel like you’re on a film set. It must be like, I’ve never been to New York, but you feel like every building is recognisable, everything’s like a film set. It’s so busy and buzzy. It’s fantastic.
Friend 1: And there’s always lots to do
Luke: Right, what about the worst thing?
Friend 1: Tubes
Friend 2: Tubes are bad, yeah
Friend 1: Tubes in the summer, with no air conditioning
Friend 2: It’s a bit lonely as well, you don’t know, often you never see the same face again…
Friend 1: You see, I don’t agree with that
Friend 2: Occasionally it can be a bit lonely. And the crime’s not brilliant.
Luke: Right, thank you very much
Friend 2: Right, you’re welcome
Friend 1: Ok, thank you
Luke: Fantastic

City of London (This is the financial heart of London. The view you can see in the video is from Waterloo Bridge)
(This girl has a typical accent that most young people have in London these days)
Luke: What’s the best thing about London?
Girl: By f… (by far) the best thing in London is the nightlife… and… but it’s got loads of restaurants and pubs… but it’s got loads of everything really. You’re spoilt for choice here. Very spoilt for choice.
Luke: Ok, what about the worst thing?
Girl: The worst thing, it’s quite expensive… especially the, especilly the train, the tube is very expensive for example. And there’s always delays on the tube as well. Erm… That’s it really. I can’t think of anything else.
Luke: Ok, great. Thank you.
Girl: That’s it?
Luke: That’s it, thanks very much
Girl: Thank you very much

South Bank Skate Park (This is a small area on the South Bank of the Thames near Waterloo Bridge & The London Eye where there is a skate park for skateboarders and ‘BMXers’ and graffiti artists)

(This guy is a BMXer – someone who rides a BMX bike. He also has the kind of informal London accent that many young people in London speak with these days)
BMXer: Alright
Luke: How’s it going?
BMXer: Good
Luke: Alright, so, do you live in London?
BMXer: Yeah
Luke: How long have you lived here?
BMXer: All my life. 20 years.
Luke: Ok, so you’re a proper Londoner then
BMXer: Yeah
Luke: What’s the best thing about living here
BMXer: Well, actually I think the best thing is the skate parks. Just ‘cos (because) I’m a BMXer, and I like… it’s a good atmosphere everywhere when you get to a skate park, everyone’s all, like, having fun and everything
Luke: Yeah yeah yeah
BMXer: That’s the best part, man
Luke: There’s like, about 4 or 5 isn’t there, over London
BMXer: Yeah, more actually, I think there’s more than that but, I just… I know of a few, like…. I live in Stockwell and there’s one there, and this one here.
Luke: Ok, what’s the worst thing about London?
BMXer: Probably just some areas like Brixton, Peckham, stuff like that… You hear of crime and people getting mugged and… but… well it is late at night, but still… that’s, that’s probably the worst thing anyway, you’ve just got to be careful in places like that.
Luke: Yeah, yeah yeah yeah. Ok, thank you very much.
BMXer: Ok
Luke: Cheers

tourist attractions – things which attract tourists (like the famous buildings, etc)
the sights – tourist attractions, famous things to see (e.g. the famous buildings, the London Eye)
the general buzz – the exciting and lively atmosphere
the commuting – travelling from home to work every day (usually from outside the city into the city)
Twenty odd years – about/approximately twenty years
Skyline – the shape of the city against the sky. E.g. New York has a famous skyline.
a film set – a place where a film is being made
buzzy – lively, atmospheric
You’re spoilt for choice here – you have so many choices that it’s difficult to decide which one to choose
skate parks – places for skateboarders to go skateboarding
getting mugged – being robbed in a public place

40. Health / Feeling ill – Phrasal Verbs & Expressions

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his episode is filled with vocabulary relating to health, feeling ill, catching a cold and common symptoms.

Small Donate ButtonRight-click here to download this episode.
TLuke’s English Podcast is a free service for people who are learning English as a foreign language. Download each episode free. Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes. Use it to practise listening, develop vocabulary and learn about the culture of the English language. Luke is well qualified and has lots of experience of teaching English for general life and for business/legal purposes. This podcast is designed to be useful, but also entertaining and fun.

Here are the lyrics to the “Feeling Sick Rap”

I’m sick, I’m sick
I’m under the weather
But in a few days
I’m gonna feel better

I’ve been coughing and sneezing
all day and all night
But don’t worry about me
I’m gonna be alright

Cos (because) I think I’m coming down with a cold
It gets worse and worse, the more you get old

My doctor told me
It’s gonna be fine Luke
It’s just a cold
You’re not suffering from swine flu!

Here’s a list of the phrasal verbs and expressions I teach in this episode.

To be under the weather – To feel a bit ill / have a cold because of the weather
To be off colour – To feel a bit ill
To pick something up – to catch something “I picked up a cold last week”
To come down with something – To catch something “I think I’m coming down with a cold”
To look after someone – To take care of someone
To fight something off – To try your best to get better “I’m trying to fight off my cold by going to work”
To shake something off – To try to get better “I’ve been trying to shake off this cold for days and days”
To pass out – To faint / suddenly fall asleep from weakness or sickness
To throw up – to vomit / to puke
To swell up / swollen – to expand because there’s a problem with it “My glands have swollen up”

Here’s the conversation which includes the list of symptoms. To get definitions of the symptoms, you’ll have to listen to the podcast:

Friend: Hi, how’s it going?

Luke: Oh, not too good really

Friend: No, you sound a bit ill

Luke: Yeah, I’m a bit under the weather actually

Friend: Oh really? What’s the matter?

Luke: Oh, I think I’ve got flu or a cold or something, I don’t know

Friend: Really? What are your symptoms?

Luke: Just the usual things, you know. A sore throat, a headache, a cough, aches and pains, cold chills, a stomach ache, it hurts when I swallow, my glands are swollen up, I’ve been throwing up quite a lot, I’m sneezing all the time, I’ve got a stiff neck and a bad back, my lips are dry, I feel a bit dizzy, I’m losing my voice, I’ve got gas and indigestion, I’ve got diarrhea, my joints ache, I’ve lost my appetite and I don’t have any energy or enthusiasm for anything really, my hands are shaking, I feel drowsy, I’m wheezing quite a lot, I’ve got a lot of phlegm and catarrh, I get cold sweats at night, I’ve got lots of mouth ulcers and I feel quite de-hydrated, I can’t sleep properly or get comfortable when I sit down, I keep sniffing and blowing my nose and I’ve got a cold sore on my lip, and to top it all off I’ve got athlete’s foot, and a sprained ankle and a broken leg as well. That’s it really.

Friend: Uh huh? Have you seen a doctor?

Luke: Um, no. No I haven’t. That’s a good idea. I’ll do that then.

Friend: Yeah, you should do that because you sound really really really ill.

Luke: Oh ok, I’ll go to the doctor’s. Thanks for your advice.

Friend: That’s no problem. Have a nice day.

Luke: Thanks, you too. Bye bye *coughs* bye bye bye

Here’s the link to the BBC’s information page about swine flu. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8021958.stm

39. Subtitles in Videos

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This is a video with advice on how to use videos with transcripts to improve your English.

You can  watch the video on YouTube here:

Transcript

This video has subtitles – you can listen to me and read at the same time.

That makes it nice and easy for you, doesn’t it?

However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to watch videos with subtitles every time.

There are no subtitles in my recent videos.

This probably makes it difficult for you to understand everything the native speakers say in their interviews.

But, I believe it is better for your English to survive without subtitles.

There are no subtitles when you talk to people in real life, right?

So it is better to practise your listening without relying on subtitles.

When you watch a video with subtitles (like now), you are not really listening like normal. You’re reading too.

If you always do that, you will find it difficult when you actually talk to people in English.

So, when you watch the video interviews on this site, don’t worry if you don’t understand everything.

If you want to understand every word in the video interviews, you can. You don’t need subtitles.

Here’s how:

1. Watch a video with interviews in it (e.g. London Video Interviews Pt.1)

Try to understand as much as possible, but don’t worry if you can’t understand everything.

These are native speakers, talking naturally, so it might be difficult.

2. Then, find the transcript to the video by going to http://teacherluke.podomatic.com

It’s a good idea to print the transcript if you can. You could highlight the text and then paste it into a Word document, then print it.

3. Next, read the transcript and listen to the video at the same time.

Underline words or phrases that you don’t understand.

Think about differences in the words in the transcript, and the way the speakers say them in the interview.

4. After that, study the words / phrases that you don’t understand.

Do this with a dictionary, or by googling the words.

Google is good because you can find lots of examples of a new word being used in other situations.

Remember that some phrases may be idiomatic – so you might have to guess what they mean.

Use your intelligence! Be a ‘text detective’.

5. After you’ve studied the transcripts, watch/listen to the interviews again but without the transcript.

Watch the speakers’ mouths when they speak and think about how they pronounce the words and sentences.

Now, you should be able to understand the interviews completely, at the same level as a native speaker.

6. Read the transcript out loud.

Actually say the words, and try to copy the way they are pronounced in the interviews.

Don’t just stop at listening and understanding – it’s really important to combine skills and convert listening comprehension and pronunciation awareness into speaking practice.

Have fun, but don’t make a fool of yourself by reading the sentences out loud in public!

7. Try to remember any words or phrases in the interviews which you think are useful.

8. Practise by recording yourself talking about good/bad things about your city, or about London.

Listen to the recording. Try not to be embarrassed by the sound of your own voice. This is natural. Just listen to yourself in order to get a better understanding of your speaking, so you can work on your weak points.

Don’t forget to feel good about what you do well too.

This is a much longer process than just watching a video with subtitles, but I think you will agree that in the long run it is much better for your English.

It is much better to learn to listen by actually listening and looking at the speaker’s face, not by reading subtitles.

Also, if you follow the steps above you can train yourself to listen well and learn about vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking too.

That’s it!

Enjoy the videos…

Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye!

37. London Video Interviews Pt.2

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Full Transcript Available Below
To download the audio for this episode, right-click here.

More interviews with native English speakers in London. Transcripts & definitions available below. This video was filmed in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Chinatown and Picadilly Circus in the centre of London.

Hello learners of English, here is the transcript for the second video with interviews in the centre of London.

Use these videos as an opportunity to practise listening to authentic English conversations in a natural context. It’s a good chance to get exposure to English by native speakers, especially if you don’t live in an English speaking country.

Transcript

Graphic design student: Hello
Luke: So, how long have you been in London?
Graphic design student: Two weeks
Luke: Really? What do you do?
Graphic design student: Err, graphic design. Camberwell, School of the Arts.
Luke: Ok. So, your first two weeks.
Graphic design student: First two weeks. It’s quite a big impact. Very big, lots of people, and it’s quite expensive as well.
Luke: Ok. What’s the best thing about it?
Graphic design student: Err, night life. Very good night life. It’s got, you know, erm… If you go to the right places… A lot of action, erm, you know, a lot of friendly people as well.
Luke: Excellent. What about the worst thing?
Graphic design student: Depends on where you go. I mean, there’s quite a lot of, err, muggers about, dodgy people looking at your weirdly. You want to just, turn, turn away from them
Luke: Ok yeah
Graphic design student: Apart from that, generally a lot of people are quite nice. I mean, there’s some people that shove about, but, you know, you’ve just got to deal with it.
Luke: Ok, thank you very much
Graphic design student: That’s ok
Luke: Cheers.

Luke: So, hello
Girl in red scarf: Hello
Luke: Where are you from?
Girl in red scarf: I live in Redhill, which is about half an hour away from London
Luke: Ok, erm, how long have you lived there?
Girl in red scarf: Two weeks!
Luke: Ok. Everyone’s been living in London for two weeks for some reason. So, what’s London really like then?
Girl in red scarf: London, well, London’s a really really massive place which can be quite overwhelming, but it’s not that scary after you’ve, you know, got stuck in there. Erm, London has everything you’d ever want, if you’re into theatres, art, education, night clubs, anything. Erm, I would say, just get stuck in there and go for it!
Luke: Ok, great, and what’s the worst thing about London?
Girl in red scarf: The worst thing… oooh the worst thing… err, I think the worst thing would have to be the pollution. It’s probably not as bad as some countries, but you always feel like you’ve got black fingernails.
Luke: Ok. Thank you very much.
Girl in red scarf: Thank you

Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Hi!
Luke: So, are you from London too?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Yes, I am
Luke: Ok, so how long have you lived here?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Err, my whole life. Luke: Ok, so you’re a real Londoner
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Yes, a real Londoner
Luke: Ok, what’s it like then, living here?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): What’s it really like? Erm, well I think it’s fantastic. It’s nice to live in such a cosmopolitan place with lots of things to do. You can never say that you’re bored or have nothing to do because then that’s all down to you, so…
Luke: What’s the best thing about it?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Erm…
Luke: You might have just answered that
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Yes I think I have. Just the variety and everything you want to do. Lots of things for different age groups, there’s always something for someone to do. I would say the best thing is, like, the cultural little occasions that we have, like Chinese New Year and things like that, where you have big street parties. I would say that’s the best thing.
Luke: Ok, what about the worst thing?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Oh… I don’t like to answer that question
The girl with the red scarf (off screen): Pigeons!
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Oh yeah! I hate pigeons! I hate pigeons! They’re just…
Luke: What’s wrong with them?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): They’re diseased!
Luke: They’re diseased. Flying rats.
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Yes
Luke: Right?
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): Yeah. That’s the worst thing, I don’t dislike anything else.
Luke: Ok, thank you very much
Real Londoner girl (who hates pigeons): You’re welcome
Luke: Cheers

Smartly dressed couple: Hi
Luke: So, are you from London
Smartly dressed girl: Err, we’ve just moved here, yeah.
Luke: Just moved here, right, so err… How long have you been here?
Smartly dressed girl: Err… We’ve been here for a couple of weeks.
Luke: Ok. Everyone I’ve interviewed today has been in London for, like, two weeks. I don’t know why… So, what’s London really like then? What do you think?
Smartly dressed guy: Err, it’s a huge place. There must be about 10 million people living here. It’s got a lot of good things, bad things. It’s vibrant, it’s multicultural. It’s got fantastic places to eat, fantastic places to go out in the evening.
Smartly dressed girl: Fantastic theatre, fantastic restaurants. Fantastic museums, art galleries. Absolutely loads of stuff.
Luke: Ok
Smartly dressed guy: It’s a fast paced place. People seem to be moving around a lot faster than in the rest of the country
Smartly dressed girl: Sometimes that can get quite a bit much, you know. People sort of rushing everywhere all the time
Smartly dressed guy: But it’s interesting, but there’s also negatives to living here
Smartly dressed girl: It’s very congested, it’s very expensive. Err, extremely expensive, public transport is expensive. It’s hard… it can take a long time to get anywhere
Smartly dressed guy: And there’s also a lot of pollution, and crime as well. So, if you come to live here I think it’s about finding the right enclave…
Smartly dressed girl: Yeah, the right neighbourhood to live in, definitely…
Smartly dressed guy: And having friends. Set up your own community of friends, rather than knowing your next door neighbour.
Luke: Yeah. Ok, thank you very much
Smartly dressed guy: No worries
Luke: Cheers, bye bye
Smartly dressed girl: Cheers, bye

Vocabulary definitions

Here are some definitions of some of the vocabulary in the video.

night life – social life at night, for example clubs and bars
a lot of action – lots of exciting things happening, and lots of nice girls to meet
muggers – criminals who might steal things from you in public (e.g. attack you and steal your bag)
dodgy people – people who are strange and can’t be trusted
looking at your weirdly – looking at you in a strange way
turn away from them – look/turn in the other direction
shove about – push people when in a large crowd (e.g. pushing people when getting on or off a crowded train)
you’ve just got to deal with it – you have to just learn to live with it. You can’t let it make you unhappy.
massive
overwhelming – having such a great effect on you that you feel confused and do not know how to react
if you’re into theatres, art, education, night clubs, anything – ‘to be into something’ means to be interested in it, or to enjoy it
just get stuck in there – get involved without hesitation or fear
and go for it – just do it!
pollution – dirty air caused by cars, bad air conditioners etc
a cosmopolitan place – a place with lots of people from all over the world (positive adjective)
Pigeons – very common birds which you find in the city (see the video at about 3:33)
vibrant – full of energy and activity in an exciting way
multicultural – involving people from many different cultures
fast paced – with a quick lifestyle (e.g. people rushing about everywhere, walking very quickly, in a hurry)
get quite a bit (too) much – be stressful and annoying
congested – full of traffic, lots of traffic jams
the right enclave – a small area within the city in which you live and feel comfortable
neighbourhood – part of town in which you live