Category Archives: Social English

295. California Road Trip (Final Part) Customer Service / Highway 101 / UK vs US English

18 Replies

Hi and welcome back to LEP. This is episode 295, and it will be the final part of this 8-part series which is inspired by my trip to the west coast of the US recently. I’m going to talk about the final part of our journey from San Francisco, down the coast via Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo and back to LA. I’ll also talk some more about customer service and give you some tips on how to make complaints in English and how to talk to strangers in slightly sensitive situations, like when you want a person sitting behind you to stop talking because you can’t sleep. You can expect to hear those things and more in this episode.

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I started this series on 26 August, which is just under two weeks ago. So, in less than two weeks I’ve uploaded about 8 episodes and each one is about 1 hour 15 minutes long. I realise that’s a lot of content for you to listen to, and I think a lot of my listeners are quite busy catching up with all this new content. I certainly hope that this sudden arrival of 8 new episodes hasn’t put anyone off. I know from experience that when I listen to a podcast and there are lots of episodes that I haven’t heard, that it seems harder to get back into it, like you’re falling behind and it’s difficult to catch up. So, I expect that some listeners are a little overwhelmed by the number of episodes that have arrived. Not you of course! If you’re listening to this I expect it means that you’re keeping up with the series without any problems! If you’re a new listener, then welcome to my podcast. It’s for learners of English. Visit teacherluke.co.uk for more information.

Anyway, I shouldn’t be worrying about anything because I have had lots of encouraging comments on episodes in this series and I’d like to read some out and respond to them here – not all of them, just a selection.

Comments from Listeners
One piece of correspondence from a listener in the USA, called “Lea”, which is worth mentioning:
Leah: “I’ve very much enjoyed hearing all about your trip. But I need to tell you that nobody in the U.S. ever says “galoshes”, lol !! Really it’s true. I do remember when I was in school (grade school & high school), in French class, and in language text books I would see this word.
We just say “boots”, sometimes more specific like, “rain boots”, “snow boots”, “hiking boots”, “riding boots” … But NEVER “galoshes”.
Did you hear someone in California use that term??
Anyhoo, I love the podcast!!! Thank you!”

Luke: “Thanks for the correction. I feel like I should now edit the podcast to include what you said! I might do it actually.”

Leah: “Ha! Just to check myself, I asked my 14 year old son if he knew what “galoshes” were. He said “No”, but he had heard the term used in a cartoon once. He further said that he got that they meant something like, “rain boots” through the context.”

So, I just wanted to agree with Lea and emphasise that it’s not galoshes in the USA, but in fact “rain boots”. In the UK it’s ‘wellies’ or ‘wellington boots’.
Google search results:
“Galoshes”: 454,000 results
“rain boots”: 2,090,000 results

Perhaps in the USA wellies are less a part of the every day culture, and so a well-known nickname hasn’t come up. Whatever the reason, it’s ‘rain boots’ rather than galoshes.

Perhaps it’s not that important that you know the correct term for rain boots in the USA, but who knows – perhaps it could be useful. Maybe in some emergency situation, like a flood or something. “Quick we need some wellies!” “What?” “I mean, we need some galoshes! Quick!” “Sorry, I… I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you British? I love your accent :)” “This is an emergency flood situation we need galoshes!” “Sorry – that means nothing to me. Have a nice day now, alrighty then, sorry about all this rain, but I guess you must be used to it because you’re British, right?”
“No, you don’t understand, we need rubber boots to protect us from the water, right now!! Boots, for the rain!” “Oh you mean rain boots? Why didn’t you just say?” etc.

Chriss Benitez
September 3, 2015 at 12:13 am
I love craft beer and california is the most famous place for breweries. Hoped you had lots of good Californian beers and American IPA.

I´m waiting for the Camaro photos :P, you get used to it don’t worry. I don’t have one but my Mustang is almost the same.

Great episode!!

ptholome/Antonio
August 29, 2015 at 11:38 am
WOW, WOW, WOW, WOOOOW

Hello Luke, This is a very great work you are presenting to us. I thank you for this huge effort you are doing to teach English to people all around the world.

I would say a lot about your new podcasts but even if I knew the adjectives you deserve I can only say that “Je suis resté sans voix” reading your four incredible podcasts.

I am waiting for the next podcast as impatient as people are waiting for the sixth book of the Game of Thrones.

I really only can say “BRAVO!” AND “CHAPEAU BAS MESSIEURS” (This means “hats off” or “well done!”)

Big Hug Luke

p.s. Why don’t you make a periscope each time you are going to work on a podcast?

Because watching AJ’s Periscopes for several weeks, I am surprised seeing myself waving the hand and saying bye when AJ finishes every Periscope video. I finally have the feeling that he is in front of me. It is a strange feeling, but it is really present.

Try it and be sure you are going to enjoy it, because you are going to have a real direct contact with your students. You have nothing to lose and a lot to find mainly our love and admiration.

See you

mollietai10@yahoo.com
August 27, 2015 at 3:06 pm
FANTASTIC journey with so much to offer . You give us amazing luxury through your account . What a romantic way of teaching English . WELCOME BACK ! Keep it up ! Million thanks !

petrokl
August 27, 2015 at 9:40 am
Dear Luke! Thanks for two very interesting and cognitive episodes. I found out a lot of new stuff about the US.

paquan
Hi Luke, this’s just a trivial comment, but I want to tell you that I like your jelly’s wobbling around noise making. It’s funny and cute. 😀

Rasul Ksirov
September 5, 2015 at 7:56 pm
The Eagles are single-handedly responsible for lots of people in my country mispronouncing the English word hotel as /’houtel/ – i.e. with the stress on the first syllable instead of the second. Which is funny, given that we have the same word in our own languages (Russian/Ukrainian – well, the Russian one lacks the initial h) – and it is stressed on the second syllable. But even fact is overlooked as a clue for correct pronunciation, against the popularity of the Eagles’ hit and its damaging influence on the unsuspecting English learner.

Explain yourself, I hear you say. All right, I will.

The musical metre (or rhythmic structure) employed in the chorus of “Hotel California” dictates that the word “hotel” is stressed on the first syllable thus overriding the actual word stress. Indeed, they do seem to be singing “welcome to the hOtel /’hou.tel/california” in the chorus.

This, coupled with the general notion that English learners tend to have about most two-syllable English words being stressed on the first syllable, gave rise to the infamous pronunciation error.

Myself, I was lucky enough to hear Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel” first, before the Eagles had led me astray with their confusing stress patterns.

Thanks for your comments everybody. Now let’s carry on with this series!

The Road Trip Continues – San Francisco
Dinner in Liholiho – an amazing Hawaiian influenced place
Liholiho
We’d never tasted food like this before. Some kind of battered and fried chicken, with fried broccoli and kale with cashew nuts. The broccoli in particular was amazing. Apparently they marinade it overnight and then deep fry it in soy infused oil, and the result is an amazing crunchiness combined with juiciness. We just made loads of noises during the dinner and couldn’t stop raving about the taste. Of course, we ordered way too much because we underestimated the size of the portions and ended up completely stuffed.

In fact, there’s quite a lot of Hawaiian influence in SF. It’s amazing to think that across the ocean there’s Hawaii and then Japan. It’s cool to be on the Pacific Coast. I’m more used to being near the Atlantic myself.

August 18
Extend our time in SF.
More acai bowls.
Lombard Street.

Grab some coffee in one of the many great looking coffee places on Polk Street.

Comments about annoyingly rude customer service, which happened a couple of times
Generally speaking, the customer service we experienced in California was really amazing and impressive, and maybe we got used to it because when we had bad service it seemed really obvious and annoying. This was usually from young people doing jobs they probably believed were below them, causing them to treat you with a kind of cool disdain, as if to say “I’m above this”. For example, we had a bad experience in a coffee shop in San Francisco. Two trendy girls who were far too cool, in their minds, to be serving people coffee, served us coffee in a really snooty and dismissive manner and it sort of spoiled my morning a little bit (I can’t stand unnecessary rudeness – it really gets my back up and bothers me a lot). I don’t know why. Perhaps it was my accent. Perhaps it was the fact we were tourists. Maybe it’s because it was Monday. Maybe the cafe management treats them so badly that they put in zero effort, maybe it’s the slightly specific coffee request I made, or maybe it’s just because I didn’t order the coffee just right. Maybe I’m making a big deal of it, when in the end it really doesn’t matter at all! In fact I’m probably reading way too much into this encounter and thinking about it too much. But anyway, here’s what happened:

We stood there talking about what we wanted, and there was nobody in the queue behind us. I stepped forward to make my order. There are two girls behind the counter and they’re standing back a bit, having their own private conversation. I notice that the girls are talking about us, and not nicely. They’re sort of talking under their breaths and glancing at us. I wonder what we’ve done wrong and try to ignore it. Time to get the coffee. I wait a little bit for the girl to come over. I feel like I’m annoying her. I start talking to the girl at the cash register.
Her: “Can I help you?”
Me: “Hi, can I have one black coffee of the day…”
Her: *sighs* “So, you mean one regular dark coffee?” (she says, putting the order into the till. There’s probably a button that says “dark coffee” but no button that says “black coffee”)
Me: “Ok, sure. And an espresso, with…”
Her: “And a single espresso”
Me: Yes please, with just a little bit of hot water added.”
Her: *Sighs again and gives her friend a look*
Me: *Thinks: what the f*ck is going on here?*
Her: That’s gonna be 5.25.
Me: OK, here you are.
Her: “Your coffee will be delivered over there”
Me: “Thanks”
Her: No response. She’s already turned away from me. The transaction is finished.
The other girl then shouts “Single espresso with hot water!” even though there are no other customers around and she heard the entire transaction and I’m just standing right there, and puts the coffee on the top.
I go to pick up the coffee from her, and I say thanks, but she’s not looking at me. She’s turned away and is doing something else. I feel totally unwelcome and I don’t know why. Did I just destroy the environment again without realising it? What did I do wrong?
This really ‘did my head in’ for some reason. What happened? Did I order the coffee slightly wrong? Is it because of my accent? Why is it necessary to serve me my coffee in a miserable way because you feel that you’re above this job?
Maybe I’m way too sensitive, and after all it’s just a couple of coffees but this put a downer on me for about an hour until I got over it. (My wife got over it instantly, but I had a little dark cloud over my head for about an hour as a result of it) As we walked around I speculated about why they seemed so rude.

It reminded me of a routine by Louis CK about exactly this topic. I might play it to you right now because you might find it amusing, but there are some swear words that I’ll edit out because I’d like this episode to be a clean one. So, I think I’m going to play that to you, or at least just embed the video on the page for this episode. We’ll see…

So, in the end, there’s no excuse for being so rude!

How to make the right impression on a waiter
I just want to reiterate something I said in an earlier episode about dealing with waiters and other staff, because this struck me as being quite important, and as I was a foreigner in an English-speaking country it made me realise how important this is.
Remember that staff are just doing their job and you can help make it a little easier for them by showing that you understand that.

So, help them to do their job, don’t make it extra hard for them.
Smile, be friendly and respectful. Don’t have the attitude that this person is your own private slave for the evening and they should have infinite patience and they have no right to complain or be unhappy about your behaviour. This is unrealistic and rude. The waiter is a human being and they might be tempted to spit in your salad.
So, smile and be nice.
When the waiter asks how you are, respond positively, and ask how they are too.
Don’t forget to say please and thank you. Definitely show your appreciation if a waiter has done something special for you.

If in doubt, tell them it’s your honeymoon.

-How to ask for an upgrade in a hotel (this worked for us a few times)
Tell them it’s your honeymoon.

-How to make small requests

Certain phrases are useful.
“Is there any chance you could…?”

Tell them it’s your honeymoon.

E.g. “Is there anything you can do or recommend in order to make our stay even more special? It’s our honeymoon, and we want this to be a really special and memorable stay.”

We got a few hotel room upgrades, and also some free fruit and wine, and in one place they wrote a special message on our mirror, and another place gave us a card. One guy gave us some free bottles of water because it was the only thing he could offer. Everyone seemed genuinely happy for us and it broke the ice quite nicely.

California Diary Continued… 18 August
Union Square.
Drive to Monterey.
Another Japanese restaurant!

August 19
Next it’s Monterey. Beautiful coastal town, but not much more than the aquarium.
Touristy place near the old cannery, where the aquarium is now.
I visit, and the wife goes to the beach.
Wildlife from the waterfront (whales, otters, sea elephant “it’s a whale!”)
Then to Carmel.
Beautiful sunset on the beach with whales and dolphins in the water.
All about Carmel.

August 20
Another day there, including the beach.
17 Mile Drive.
This is an incredibly beautiful and rugged area with stunning coastline. It’s also right next to the Pebble Beach golf course, which you might know.
More whales and dolphins seen. It’s quite touristy, but nice.
By this time we’ve had lots of sun, sand and sea air and we feel like we’ve really absorbed the atmosphere of the place, so we’re feeling very relaxed and cool.

Highway 1 (coastal highway) through Big Sur. Epic views. One of the most stunning and attractive drives ever. Many romantic moments and photos on the way, with the sunset.
San Luis Obispo – the happiest town in America?

Audiobook recommendations
I just wanted to remind you about the audiobooks I’ve recommended in this series. Here are those titles again, just in case you wanted to check them out. Remember you can get a free audiobook if you sign up to a trial membership with Audible.com, which is the internet’s top provider of downloadable audiobooks. They have hundreds of thousands of audiobooks available. Go to audibletrial.com/teacherluke – you can try it out for 30 days, download an audiobook free, and if you don’t like the service just cancel your membership but keep the audiobook. All the details are on my website. Audibletrial.com/teacherluke or click a button on my site that says Audible.
Let’s just re-cap the titles I’ve recommended so far.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
The “For Dummies” series – e.g. English History for Dummies
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

August 21
Next day…
Slight miscalculation of distance and a satnav error and we end up missing Malibu and getting stuck in a huge traffic jam in LA.

Last evening – super trendy vegetarian restaurant with a live jazz band. Huge place.

August 22
The problem with the rental car.
Getting fobbed off by Avis.
Fixing it the next day. Describing the story, being clear about what the problem is, taking emotions out of the equation, being clear about what you expect, showing that you’re not happy…
Explaining what happened is very important.
Making sure the person knows exactly what the point is, is very important.

How to make a complaint. (After the Avis situation)
Say that you’d like to register a complaint. Many companies have official channels and ways of dealing with complaints, that might include some rectification. Be clear from the beginning that you are making a complaint, or the staff might just try to fob you off.
Ask to speak to a manager. This shows that you mean business.
Ask for the names of the people involved and write them down. Again, you mean business.
Ask for evidence of anything important – e.g. a print out of a new rental agreement with a price adjustment. Don’t take anyone’s word for it. You’re in a legal area here, so you need paper evidence!
Explain the background story quickly and simply. They need to know what happened.
Be firm and confident and businesslike. Don’t get too personal or emotional.
Explain what you want.
Remember that these people are just doing their jobs.
Tell them it’s your honeymoon.

How to ask people to stop talking on a plane. (During the return flight)
Remember that the people doing the talking are probably going to take it really badly or personally. How would you react if someone told you to be quiet on a plane?
Do not bring all your anger and frustration to the first comment. Be utterly reasonable, giving them no choice but to respect your wishes. If they don’t like you or find you unreasonable, they won’t want to comply.
Say things like “I don’t want you to stop talking, but…”
Explain why you would like them to stop.
Again, don’t get emotional, aggressive or angry, but you can say it firmly without being aggressive.
“I’m really sorry to bother you, I don’t want you to stop talking, but could you please try to do have your conversation more quietly? It’s just that nobody else is talking, and we all need to rest and I can hear every word you are saying!”
It would be pretty hard not to say “Oh, sorry!” in response to this.
If you just turn round angrily and say “shhhhh!” then I’m sure they’d be less willing to comply – remember, they’re not aware of all the anger and frustration that’s been building up inside you, so you’ll just look like an insane person, and you’ll have a couple of enemies on the flight.
Final tip: Tell them it’s your honeymoon.

American English Vocabulary vs British English Vocabulary
This is a mix of things like games, job titles and household items.

Wardrobe – Closet Furniture
Plaster – Band-Aid Personal Care
Ladybird – Ladybug Insect
Noughts and Crosses – Tic Tac Toe Game
Draughts – Checkers Game
Flat – Apartment Housing
Tap – Faucet Furniture (sink)
Lift – Elevator Housing (in a building)
Torch – Flashlight Household Item
Football – Soccer Game
Estate Agent – Realtor Job
Rubber – Eraser Stationery
C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) – Résumé Job
Spanner – Wrench Tool
Autumn – Fall Season
Holiday – Vacation
Canteen – Cafeteria Room

In Conclusion
We had an absolutely fantastic time travelling around California. It has so many things to offer, including lots of things that we didn’t get to see. Two weeks are not enough, and the time went by so fast that it was almost over before it had started! It is a wonderful place for a honeymoon, and in fact for all types of holiday – for single people, honeymooners or families. I would definitely recommend it, although it is a bit expensive in some areas, particularly San Francisco and the coast. All in all the people were really friendly, the weather is fantastic and there are loads of impressive and entertaining things to see and do. There is plenty of really amazing food, which is a contrast to the stereotype of USA with its unhealthy food culture. The landscape is varied and beautiful and there’s a lot of shopping to be done as well. We’d love to go back one day and see lots of other things we missed. We shared a really special two weeks that we’ll remember forever.

I really hope you’ve not only enjoyed this account of my trip, but that you’ve also learned some things too. My intention has been to not just share our travelling experience with you, but also to just invite you to think about the culture, history and geography of the place along the way, as well as teach you some English.

I’m going to upload photos of our California trip on this page, or on each page in this series. Check them out – it might help to bring some of my descriptions to life a bit.

As ever, leave your comments on the pages for these episodes with your thoughts, feelings and questions. Join the conversation at www.teacherluke.co.uk

That’s it for now, until the next episode.

Take it easy.
Luke
17 Mile Drive

288. California Road Trip (Part 1)

12 Replies

Hello! Welcome back to LEP. This should be episode 288. How are you? I hope you’re doing alright. I’m fine thanks. I got back from my honeymoon in California just a couple of days ago. I’m dealing with jet lag. It’s grey and windy here (can you hear the wind noise in the background?) and my sun tan is fading, but it’s good to be back.

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Thanks for lots of recent comments on the last few episodes of this podcast. Thank you sooooo much for all the lovely things so many of you wrote in response to the wedding episode of the podcast that I did recently. It’s really touching to read your comments. My wife also found them very sweet and nice.

This episode is about my recent honeymoon trip to California and I have so much to tell you about it. But before we start, let me just say a few things in the first few minutes of this episode.

First of all, I’d just like to say don’t forget to join the mailing list so you’ll get an email whenever I post a new episode, or other bits of content such as videos or blog posts. Also, you can subscribe to comments on this website too. When you leave a comment on a page, you can tick a box that says “Subscribe to comments”. Then whenever anyone else leaves a comment, including responses to your comments, you’ll get an email notification. It’s a good way to keep up with what other LEPsters are writing on teacherluke.co.uk

Secondly, I would like to say a big hello to YOU – yes, YOU – the one who is listening to this episode, and to say thank you for tuning in, using whatever means – either on the website, on iTunes, on your phone, your iPad, your android device, in your car, on your mp3 player, on your internet radio or just hearing it by chance because someone else is playing it to you, like your English teacher or something. If you’re with other people while listening to this, why not just turn to them and say a friendly, “Hi, how are you? Are you alright?”, just as a gesture of goodwill. There, that feels nice doesn’t it? If you’re a regular listener to LEP, then hi – welcome back. If you’re a long term listener then “hello old friend”. If you’re new to the podcast, then welcome to LEP. I’d just like to say that I strongly recommend that you keep listening to this podcast on a long-term basis, because let’s face it – learning a language is a long-term process, and I record this podcast with that thought in mind. Just listen regularly over a fairly long period and you will see improvements in your English – and that’s just from listening. There are other ways of speeding up the learning process by using my podcast and website as a resource (listen to episode 174 for more information on this) but at the very least, just enjoying listening to this podcast regularly is definitely a great way of keeping your English fresh. People often underestimate the importance of doing lots and lots of listening. It can make a big difference to many other areas of your English, including speaking, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. It’s particularly useful if you enjoy what you listen to, and you basically understand most of it, and that you feel that the person you are listening to is speaking to you personally. That’s what I aim to give you in these podcasts. The perfect listening resource to help you improve your English. So, I’d like to say thanks for listening, but I’d also like to say “well done” for listening too, in order to remind you of the benefits that you get from listening to this. Well done, you’re doing the right thing and your English will benefit from it as a result. It’s quite simple really. It’s not rocket science. For more information on this kind of thing, just listen to my other episodes, and have a look at my website which is teacherluke.co.uk. You’ll find loads more information and useful content there.

Introduction
Now, as I mentioned before, this episode is all about my recent trip to California in the USA for my honeymoon! As you probably know, I recently got married and my wife and I decided to go to California, and now I’m back, and my tan is fading, but the memories are still fresh in my mind, and I’d like to share them with you. So, let’s go to the USA in this episode and go on a road trip around California!

Notes & Transcriptions
You will find some notes and some transcriptions on the page for this episode. In fact, if you’re reading them now then you’re reading them now. There they are right in front of your eyes! Just a reminder if you want to find this episode on teacherluke.co.uk – just look in the ALL EPISODES archive for episode 288, or just type in the search bar on the right of the screen the number “288” or the word “California” and you’ll find it easily.

The following words and sentences that you can read on this page are not a full transcription. They’re just notes. Some parts are transcribed, but mostly these are just basic notes, which means that they are not always full sentences. They’re just words and phrases written to help me remember details of the trip.

I wrote these notes on my iPhone during spare moments on holiday, and also when I got back, and I used them to help me record the episode you’re listening to now. I hope you’re listening, and not just reading – remember, this is a podcast and not a blog. It is designed primarily to be listened to.

Here’s what you’re going to get in this episode (or series of episodes)
This is a sort of diary or report of what happened on my honeymoon in California, but it’s not just a description of a honeymoon. It’s more than that, because not only am I going to tell you a few stories about what happened and what we did, but I’ll also explain a bit of cultural and historical information, as well as give you some practical tips, including ways of communicating effectively in various situations.

I’m going to tell you what it’s really like to be in California. It’s a description of the culture, geography, people, history, sights, sounds, smells and more. I’m going to tell you what it’s really like to deal with customer service there, what’s it’s really like to drive in the USA, what it’s like to deal with problems, what some of the linguistic differences are, what the climate is really like, what the food is really like, some of the history and cultural highlights, how to get along with people in the USA, how to develop the right relationship with waiters, hotel staff and other key people. It is a description of my honeymoon, but I also want it to be a lot more than that. I want to take you with me on my holiday, and teach you some things along the way, and it’s all in English of course so not only are you going to join me on a geographical and cultural journey, but also you’re going to plug yourself into a source of natural English spoken from me to you, right here, right now. You can pause it any time you like, you can rewind and listen again, you can slow it down, you can speed it up, you can fall asleep and listen again later, you can transcribe it, you can repeat after me or you can just relax and enjoy listening. So, brew a cup of tea or coffee, get comfortable, get uncomfortable and then get comfortable again, smoke a big cigar, pretend your working on a big excel spreadsheet at work – do whatever you have to do to enjoy the episode. I hope you like it and find it useful.

As usual, I’m not sure how long this episode will be, but I’m pretty sure it will be another mini-series of episodes as I have quite a lot to say about this trip.
You can visit the page for this episode in order to find some of this episode transcribed, some of the notes I wrote in my phone while I was there and other things like links and photographs of the trip.
Now let’s get started with the first part of this story.

Following the tradition, you are going to hear me doing my first recording in a toilet on a plane.

6 August – Recording 1 – In a toilet on a plane again, above the Atlantic Ocean
You’re listening to Luke’s English Podcast
Where am I? I’m in a toilet on a plane again.
This is becoming a tradition – recording podcasts inside toilets on different modes of transport.
We are going to California for our honeymoon.
It’s the land of Hollywood, Baywatch, Coastal Highways, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Yosemite national park, the tallest trees in the world and open top cars etc.
I’m hoping to record short episodes at regular times during the holiday.
I’ll try to teach you something in every location, and I’ll just describe what I’m seeing and what it’s like.
I might even interview a few people that I meet because, you know, they speak English in America too of course – a kind of English.
I’m flying to New York.
What happened?
Flight was overbooked. Flight companies overbook their flights to make sure it’s not a loss of money for them.
We checked in, in person, not online. Why? We were hoping to get upgraded because we’re on our honeymoon.
Everyone told us to mention we’re on our honeymoon, as that would be the key to unlock numerous upgrades, rewards and treasures.
We were hoping to be upgraded to business class or something.
In fact we sort of got downgraded.
Talk about the overbooking process.
Mention the change of route.
It’s not that bad.
All’s well that ends well.
Despite the inconvenience and the delay and the stress we are nevertheless on our way. So all’s well that ends well.
(Let’s hope this ends well and that we do get to our destination ok in one piece)
That’s it – this is Luke Thompson in the toilet signing out.

I originally intended to do recordings while I was there, using my mp3 recorder, including some random interviews with American people, but that didn’t really happen in the end. I mean, it was my honeymoon so the main point was to share a special time with my wife. I wasn’t going around with a microphone the whole time, interviewing people and talking to myself.

However, I did manage to get an interview with one person – and that was perfect and really special, and very appropriate to Luke’s English Podcast, which is primarily for people who are learning English as a foreign language. Who did I manage to speak to? Well, it was the one and only AJ Hoge, who you may well be aware of. He’s the internet’s most famous English teacher. You’ve probably come across him at some point. He has an online teaching programme which he has called Effortless English. He’s made a big success of himself as an independent online English teacher, he’s a native speaker of American English and a resident of California, so he’s the perfect person for me to have spoken to. So, in the end that makes up for the fact that I didn’t speak to any locals on the podcast. I got AJ, so that’s fantastic – it happened in San Francisco so you can expect to hear my conversation with him in that part of the story.

Our California Itinerary
California has so much to offer – climate, different environments, famous sights, shopping, good food, beer, wine, musical history, literary ties, connections to counter culture and it’s the place we’ve seen in so many films and TV shows.

Itinerary: LA – Yosemite – SF – Coastal Highway via Monterey, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Malibu – LA.

We only had two weeks, so there was no way that we could do and see everything. In fact, I think you shouldn’t try to do too much on holiday. I’ve said it before: holidays are like pizzas. Don’t put too many toppings on a pizza. Don’t try to do too many things on a holiday. OK, maybe holidays aren’t that similar to pizzas, but you get the idea.

I’m lucky enough to be able to travel
I generally get the chance to travel somewhere on holiday about once a year. This trip was a bit special because it was my honeymoon and we planned to go on a slightly more expensive trip. Anyway, I’m still lucky to have the opportunity to go to different places, quite far away. Not everyone has that luxury. You might not have that luxury. Admittedly, you might have that luxury – I’m sure many of you are very well travelled. But I also know that plenty of the people who listen to this free podcast don’t have the chance to go on many foreign adventures. So, I hope you enjoy the experience of listening to my account and that I give you an idea of what it’s really like to drive around California for a couple of weeks. And if you have had the luxury of going there, then perhaps you can compare your experiences to my experience. Did you experience similar things and have the same thoughts and feelings? What are some of the the thoughts in your head as you listen to my account on this podcast?
As ever, please leave your comments on the page or pages for this episode series. That’s not just for my reading pleasure, but also so you can share thoughts and ideas with your fellow LEPsters.

California Diary Continued – 6 August/7 August
In the taxi we heard “Hotel California” on the radio, and even though it’s a bit of a cliché, it was a perfect soundtrack to the trip. From the taxi we saw silhouettes of palm trees swaying in the breeze, the shapes of the Hollywood hills in the distance, Spanish style villas, lines of headlights of cars on long highways, the warm temperature outside and the spacious streets and empty sidewalks. Wow, we’re in movieland – LA, is it real or just a jet-lagged dream? This is how it felt at the beginning. We felt a million miles from home, and in a strangely familiar environment – one that we’d seen before in a hundred movies. It was like entering a recurring dream.
LA is a big place, but so is the USA as a whole.
We flew over it for hours and hours. It made me think of the people, years ago, who made that journey on foot or horseback. It took them years and years. They travelled in groups, families etc. People died and were born on the journey. Now we see it as an annoying inconvenience that takes 5-6 hours out of our holiday.
LA, Hollywood
Arrived and went for some dinner.
Service – very personalised. “Hi my name’s Derek, I’ll be looking after you this evening. Can I get you something to drink before we start?” Mammoth sized cups of water and ice arrived. I ordered one beer, I got two because of some kind of special offer I wasn’t even aware of. There’s always some kind of deal, discount or offer available. Already we had way more than we needed.

A Note on Customer Service
Generally, in my experience customer service in the USA is good, despite a couple of negative experiences I had there. There’s a bit more ‘back and forth’ than in the UK (I mean, standard things that you say in general interactions with waiters or staff), and it’s a bit like a little game you have to get used to.
For example:
Hi guys, good morning, how are you today?
Fine thanks, and you?
I’m good thanks for asking. If you need anything at all, my name’s Stacey.
What if we don’t need anything, then what’s your name?
I’m sorry?
You said, if we need anything, you name’s Stacey. What if we don’t need anything, is your name still Stacey? It’s… I’m sorry it’s just a joke.
Oh, I see! You’re joking! Hahahaha!
Sorry, I’m English.
No problem! I love your humour, so dry, right?
Yeah.
Well, just enjoy you guys. Let me know if you need anything.
Thanks for your help Stacey.
Have a nice day now.
You too.
I will, thanks for asking!

Staff tend to be friendly, attentive and professional, probably because quite a large part of their wages comes from tips, so they have to make the right impression. Sometimes though, as a foreigner, it seems a little tricky to get through to the staff if you have particular requests, or perhaps because of the cultural/language barrier. I think this applies to the UK too. Because you’re not local, you don’t know the normal ways of doing things, so you need to make a slightly bigger effort to help bridge the cultural gap. You might think – but this is exclusively the job of the waiter, he/she should make all the effort.

Be realistic, the waiter is a person and they’re not always an expert in cross cultural relations either. If you want to achieve something, and get what you want, you just need to make a bit of extra effort yourself. This means greasing the wheels with some niceness, charm, a smile and a willingness to make things work. So, what’s my advice for getting good customer service when you’re in a foreign country? Just that – try to be clear, positive, friendly and remember that the waiter or whoever it is that’s giving you a service is just a person doing a job. It’s easy to let things break down because of slight cultural differences. It’s important to make an effort to help the person to help you. I say that because I’ve seen people in the UK who got offended by what they perceived was bad service, but was in fact just a slight breakdown in communication. Give your communication a chance and be patient, friendly and helpful, and don’t expect the staff member to understand everything you say the first time around.

L.A. Continued… 7 August
Space.
Coffee & breakfast
Car
Weather
Location
Phrases “you got it” “you’re all set” “I’m good”.
Palm Trees, hotel California, film noir, Raymond chandler, Charles Bukowski, a million movies. The whole place is like a movie set.
This is a movie town – everything is fake and it’s all about veneer. As well as being sunny all the time, there is a mysterious and slightly sinister feeling to the place too, which is perfectly captured by the classic detective stories of Raymond Chandler and other writers, and the movie versions of those stories, collectively part of the film noir movement. I’ll talk more about this mysterious atmosphere in a bit, but first…

Recommended Audiobook Download – The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Let’s take a break from the UK’s favourite books for this series, and look at a few recommendations for California-related audiobooks you could download free by going to www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke
Recommendation #1 – The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This is perhaps THE classic American detective story. It’s set in LA and it is absolutely full of dark and mysterious atmosphere, as well as understated cool humour and sizzling tension. It follows private detective Philip Marlowe as he tries to solve a complex case, while dealing with several dangerous and seductive female characters and some violent murderers. It perfectly captures the atmosphere of a film noir movie set in LA, and it’s really well read by Ray Porter. This is the blueprint for so many other detective stories featuring tough and cool, yet ultimately vulnerable heroes. Imagine films starring Humphrey Bogart for example. It’s glamorous, brutal and extremely well written stuff. www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. It’s got an average rating of 4.3 out of 5.

California Diary – LA, Continued…
Nothing is real here. There’s a strange feeling that you’re living in some kind of dream, and I don’t think that is entirely the result of breathing in the marijuana vapours which are floating around in the street in so many places.

It’s hard to date the buildings. They could be old, or they could just be built in an old style. LA doesn’t have the same depth of history as in Europe. There’s evidence of a colonial past, but also so many buildings are new but designed to look like they come from another period, like Spanish villas for example.

It’s all like a movie set, and if you took away the facades of the buildings, it’s just a desert underneath. So, the buildings are a kind of facade. Everything is a bit fake, like in a movie. It’s hard to know what is real. The people also seem a bit distant. They’re sweet, and hippyish, if a bit shallow in some circles. It feels like everyone is high, in fact they probably are, because smoking marijuana is more and more popular.

There’s no evidence of smoke when you walk around, but I’m sure people are ‘vaping’ all over the place. I can smell it. In the corridors of our hotel, in the street outside bars.

California’s Marijuana Laws – An Interesting Legal Conflict
California has an interesting position on marijuana use, and this reveals an interesting conflict between state and federal law in the USA.
Is pot legal in California?
What about smoking tobacco?
Do people smoke in the street?
What is ‘vaping’?
Where do people buy weed in California?
Did you see it or smell it there?

More in part 2 soon…
Hollywood-Sign

287. VOCAB BATTLE!!! WITH AMBER & PAUL (exciting title)

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aka “Vocabulary Game with Amber & Paul” or “Fifteen Fixed Expressions” (less exciting titles)
Learn more English expressions in this episode by listening to another vocabulary game with Amber Minogue and Paul Taylor.
The series of episodes featuring ‘fixed expressions’ and vocabulary games continues in this episode. The previous ones, entitled “Ten Fixed Expressions” (283) and “Ten More Fixed Expressions” (285) featured me testing Paul’s knowledge of multi-word expressions in English. He did better in the second episode than the first, although maybe that’s because of the way I explained the expressions rather than because of Paul’s lack of vocabulary. Nevertheless, the wider aim of these episodes is to teach you, my listeners, some vocabulary in the form of multi-word expressions.

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What is a ‘fixed expression’?
Essentially, a fixed expression (according to me) is a vocabulary item comprising of a few words that always go together. That includes idioms, sayings, phrasal verbs, well-known quotes and collocations. All these things are lexical items which are included in the catch-all title of ‘fixed expressions’. The words are fixed together. They’re not just individual words combined, but they are discrete items of vocabulary in their own right.

So, fixed expressions are essentially ‘lexical chunks’. They’re not types of shelf unit or ikea furniture or anything like that. They’re just phrases in English. That should be clear.

I realise that the more I explain, the more confusing it is, so I’ll stop explaining now and we can start playing the game.

Let’s Play the Game
This time Amber is involved.
All three of us have short lists of five expressions.
We’re going to do three rounds of this game.
Round 1: Amber vs Paul (Luke is the Question Master)
Round 2: Paul vs Luke (Amber is the Question Master)
Round 3: Luke vs Amber (Paul is the Question Master)

Rules of the Game
The Question Master defines an expression without using the words in the expression.
The QM can also give little hints if necessary.
The two competitors race to guess the expression.
A point is awarded to the one who guesses the question right. If both competitors guess the expression at the same time, they both get a point.
Listeners can try to guess the expressions too. Did you guess them? Did you beat us?
If you don’t know the expression, listen carefully because we will explain, repeat and give examples.

So, it’s a fun game and a learning opportunity too, in one Great British package.

The Expressions in the Game
Here you’ll find lists of the fixed expressions in this episode. Listen to the episode to get the full definitions and examples, or search for the definitions online.

Luke’s Expressions
1. to be hard up
2. to be in the loop / to stay in the loop / to keep someone in the loop
3. “been there, done that, got the t-shirt”
4. to bend over backwards (for someone) (to do something)
5. to give someone the benefit of the doubt

Amber’s Expressions
1. to get your foot in the door
2. to show your true colours
3. over my dead body
4. in mint condition
5. to bite the bullet

Paul’s Expressions – Theme: Body Parts
1. to have two left feet
2. to be/fall head over heels in love with someone
3. (to do something) by the skin of your teeth
4. (give it some) elbow grease / (put some) elbow grease (into it)
5. to put your foot in your mouth

There are plenty of other expressions in this episode, so if you notice any other good ones please add them in the comments section below.

Enjoy!

p.s. I’m going on my honeymoon in a couple of days so there will be no new episodes for a couple of weeks, but LEP will be back :)
VOCABBATTLE

285. Ten More Fixed Expressions (with Paul Taylor)

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It’s been about one month since I last uploaded an episode of the podcast, but now LEP is back! Where have I been? Well, I got married (expect a podcast about that soon) and took some time off after that, and then I had lots of work commitments, comedy commitments and honeymoon-organising commitments and I didn’t have enough time to record an episode, but of course I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to speak into the microphone, and that opportunity came today. So here it is.

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Introduction
Paul Taylor is with me for this one and we’re going to do another round of our vocabulary game, just like we did in episode 283.
That episode was called “Ten Fixed Expressions” but that now seems to be quite a dull title. Certainly, we did teach 10 expressions but the title seems a bit boring don’t you think? I’m wondering what to call this episode and I still can’t decide as I’m writing this. I always think that titles of my episodes should describe what is in each episode, and should also be fun and interesting enough to catch your attention. In this case Paul and I teach you ten expressions again, but we also have a chat about our recent news, and get very sidetracked by a negative review on TripAdvisor of one of our recent comedy shows.

The main aim of the episode is to play the vocabulary game and let you understand the meaning of ten English expressions but it also is a chance for us to mess around a bit and talk about other things if we feel like it, especially if it is entertaining or interesting for you.

So, should I call this episode “Another Ten Natural Expressions” or “Ten More Natural Expressions” or “Ten Natural Expressions (Part 2)”? Maybe “Vocabulary Game with Paul Taylor (#2)” is a better title? I can’t decide. I’ll choose the title when I’ve finished writing this and editing the episode together, and whatever title you see at the top of this page is the one I finally went for. I suppose you’ll probably be thinking – “Luke, the title doesn’t really matter. It’s the content that counts.” That’s true of course, but I do think the title is quite important for attracting new listeners to the podcast, and because it helps you to identify the main content of the episode. Let me know what you think about the title of this episode by leaving a comment below.

In This Episode
Anyway, regardless of my indecisiveness about the episode title, here’s what you can expect in this episode.

1. Hi Paul, hi Luke, etc. :)

2. Conditions are almost exactly the same as in the recoding of episode 283. It’s boiling hot. I’m with Paul Taylor. We’re sitting in the shade, mostly, except for my leg which is in direct sunlight again. We’re going to play a vocabulary guessing game like last time we did this (episode 283).

3. What’s new Paul? He’s been doing more comedy gigs. We got a bad review for one of our comedy shows, and we talk about it a little bit. The wording of the review bothers us a bit (also the fact that it’s so negative of course). Here’s a picture of the review (below). What do you think of the description? Ignore the lack of a full-stop at the end of the second sentence. Is the comment slightly ambiguous? What does it really mean? Look at the review and then choose option a) or b).
Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 15.20.45
[socialpoll id=”2286338″]

One thing’s for sure, this person did NOT enjoy our show! You can’t please all the people all the time, and bad reviews are just a part of putting on comedy shows. So, never mind!

Anyway, in our conversation we use the negative review as a chance to talk about the importance of being dedicated, motivated and positive as a way of pushing through a barrier of resistance that you might experience if you want to really achieve something in life, like becoming a really funny comedian or learning another language to an advanced level.

4. The Ten Fixed Expressions & Vocabulary Guessing Game
The rules of this game are the same as last time. I’ll explain an expression to Paul and he has to guess which one I’m talking about. Listen to my explanations – can you guess the expressions before Paul does?

Here are the ten expressions I explain in the episode. Listen to the episode to get definitions and examples, or just google them for online definitions.

1 all’s well that ends well
2 an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth)
3 and Bob’s your uncle
4 and pigs will fly!
5 that’s another kettle of fish
6 as cheap as chips
7 to ask for trouble
8 to be away with the fairies
9 to be back to square one
10 to be all ears

That’s it!

Listen all the way to the end of the episode to hear some out-takes of my introduction to this episode. What are out-takes? They’re the mistakes that are edited out of the final version of a film, song recording, or in this case a podcast episode. Sometimes it takes me a few attempts to get the introduction right. I might do nearly 10 failed introductions before I finally get it right and continue with the rest of the recording. They’re not normally intended for publication, but sometimes they’re pretty funny so I shared them with you at the end of this episode.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below this episode! Thanks for being awesome listeners and LEPsters and all that. You’re the best. Look forward to more episodes coming soon…

Luke ;)
[socialpoll id=”2286331″]
tenmoreexpressions

279. Marcus Keeley / Northern Ireland / Accent (Part 3)

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Welcome back to part 3 of this short series. In parts 1 and 2 we got to know my guest a bit, and talked about Northern Ireland. Now in part 3 we are going to have a good listen to Marcus’s Northern Irish accent, compare the way he and I speak, and also learn a few common phrases and slang from Northern Ireland. Enjoy!

Small Donate Button[DOWNLOAD] [AUDIOBOOK OFFER] [PART 1] [PART 2]
3. Belfast accent (Check out this page on English in Northern Ireland from the fantastic British Library website)
I want my listeners to at least be aware of the accent(s) in Northern Ireland. Ideally they’ll be able to recognise it, or even copy it (just for fun). I also would like to find out about some of the specific phrases that are used in that part of the English speaking world.
– Is there a variety of accents in Northern Ireland?
– What is Ulster Scots?
– How would you describe your accent?
– Do people judge each other on their accents?
– What do you think of other accents from the UK? What do you assume about a person when you hear their accents? Is it fair to judge people by their accent?
Say some specific things: (These may be stereotypes)
“How now brown cow”
“Sit down”
“How are you?”
“I’m feeling a lot better now thank you”
“This is the first farm in the whole country to produce such excellent cheeses”
“She wanted to pull me into the pool”
“Can’t you see that the lift is completely full, you fool!”
“I can’t get this boot on my foot”
“I love coming to Paris because of the good food”
“I’m from Northern Ireland”
“I took the ferry to Derry and it just cost a penny”

How would you say these things, with specific phrases? (Check out this page with a list of common phrases spoken in Northern Ireland)
– Alright mate?
– I’m going to the shop, do you want anything.
– It’s a really hot day, isn’t it?
– I’m going to bed.
– Oh, go on!
– Look at her face! She’s got a weird looking face.
– Yes. (like, “yes, I’ll have a pint if you’re buying”)
– Come on, now.
– “Get a hold of yourself!”, “Wise up!”
– That film was really great. (or just, That was really great wasn’t it?)
– I agree, totally, good, etc. E.g. “Come on, this isn’t working. Let’s go to the pub” – “Yeah, totally”
– You stupid idiot!
– Could you give me a fag/cigarette?
– The police.
– Have you finished (your tea)?
– Are you mad?
– OK, I’m going home for dinner.
– Good, fine, great, etc. (dead on, cracker, sound)
– Alright, let’s have a little drink.
– Can you lot keep the noise down? I’m trying to sleep in here!
– She looks like your mum.
– What’s “spotty dog” (great) and “wind your neck in?”

Nadine from Girls Aloud “I’m going to give him a bath”

Frostbit Boy (The strongest Northern Irish accent I’ve ever heard!) Basically he’s talking about the difficulty of walking to school in the very cold weather.

Why are there so many accents in Northern Ireland?

Markus keeley pic copy 2

278. Marcus Keeley / Northern Ireland (Part 2)

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In part 1 of this episode we met Marcus Keeley. In part 2 we are going to talk specifically about Northern Ireland, its culture, the atmosphere there and things you can do if you visit as a tourist. There will be a part 3 of this conversation, which will focus on the accents and dialects in Northern Ireland.

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2. Focus on Northern Ireland
My listeners, who are around the world, may not know very much about Northern Ireland. It’s often a bit overlooked – in my experience, a lot of people see the UK as just London, Edinburgh, Oxford & Cambridge, Manchester, Stonehenge and a few other famous spots, perhaps Wales. Northern Ireland is rarely mentioned. The UK is a bit confusing – people aren’t completely sure how Ireland and Northern Ireland fit into it. I expect people are aware that there has been trouble there in the past, with the IRA and the sectarian conflict, but there’s more to it than that. Let’s try and let my listeners know a bit more of what it’s really like to live in Northern Ireland.

– When you meet people from other countries, how much do they know about where you come from? Do you get the same kinds of reactions from people?
– Where is it?
– Capital city?
– What’s it like to live in Belfast? Is it a good place to live?
– What can people do or see if they visit?
– What’s the atmosphere like these days?
– Is there still a sense of trouble?
– Do your generation still hold on to that feeling?
– Do you remember what it used to be like?
– Why was there trouble in the first place?
– How do you see the future in Northern Ireland?
– How do you see The UK?
– What did you think of the election? Where does N. Ireland stand?
– What if The UK left the EU?

Nadine from Girls Aloud “I’m going to give him a bath”

Markus keeley pic copy

277. A Chat with Marcus Keeley from Northern Ireland (Part 1)

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This episode is the first part of a conversation I had recently with a friend from Northern Ireland. It’s the first time I’ve had someone from that part of the UK before so it’s a chance to get to know him, his country and the accents you find there. In this one we get to know Marcus and give you a chance to hear his accent. There will be two more parts to this episode. Enjoy!

Small Donate Button[DOWNLOAD] [AUDIOBOOK OFFER] [PART 2] [PART 3]
Just before we start I would just like to say thank you for taking part in the quick survey that I launched on teacherluke.co.uk recently. I asked you to select the types of episode of the podcast that you prefer to listen to. You can still do it of course, by going to my website and finding the page for the survey in the archive of episodes. Just click ARCHIVE in the menu and then ARCHIVE – ALL EPISODES and you’ll find the survey between episodes 276 and 277. The feedback will help me to know what kind of thing you prefer in episodes of LEP. Of course, ultimately I have the final decision because I’m the boss – I’m Luke after all, and this is Luke’s English Podcast and I have the final say, like sometimes I think it’s worth presenting you with something more challenging here, more entertaining there, more topic focused here, more pronunciation focused there and so on. But anyway, take my survey and let me know what your preferences are – your thoughts will combine with mine and it can help me to provide the right content for you. Click here to take the survey.

Quick Quiz
Now, quick quiz – what are the four countries that make up the UK?
England, Scotland, Wales and… Northern Ireland.
How much do you know about Northern Ireland?
What’s the capital city? (Belfast)
Another big city there? (some call it Derry, others call it Londonderry)
Where exactly is it? (well, the clue is in the name because it’s the northern part of the island of Ireland – but it’s not part of The Republic of Ireland politically, it’s part of the UK) It’s not far from parts of Northern England and South Western Scotland.
What else? The Titanic was built there, Game of Thrones is filmed there, unfortunately it’s also known for ‘the troubles’ – violence, civil unrest and terrorism.

It’s home to about 1.8 million members of the UK, and they have their own culture, their own accents and their own particular dialect, and in a recent survey the ‘Northern Irish accent’ was voted the sexiest accent in the UK!

Today on the podcast I’m joined by Marcus Keeley, who is a stand-up comedian, improviser and poet who comes from Belfast in Northern Ireland. I know Marcus from the stand-up comedy scene in Paris, as he likes to come here from time to time to visit and do comedy shows with our team. He’s a friendy, interesting and funny gentleman and this is the first time I’ve had someone from Northern Ireland on this podcast.

So, this is one of those episodes in which I have a guest on the show and we explore a number of different things within the context of an authentic conversation between two native speakers of English. If you like you can imagine that you’re there with us, involved in our conversation. After all, we are speaking to you, and for the attention of you, and you can get involved by sharing your comments on the page for this episode.

What are you going to get in this episode?
– Generally, this conversation is presented for people who are either learning English or who have a particular interest in all things British, or perhaps both.
– First we’ll get to know Marcus a little bit, giving you a chance to train your ear to his accent and way of speaking
– We’ll talk about Northern Ireland, and really get to know this often overlooked part of the UK – including a bit of culture, history, politics, things you can do as a visitor and whatever else comes up in our chat
– You’re going to listen to the Belfast accent of Marcus, and talk a little bit about the variety of accents that you can hear in Northern Ireland
– You can learn a few common phrases from the dialect of English that you hear in Northern Ireland

As ever, you can read notes for this episode at teacherluke.co.uk, so if you want to do some studying, you can.
Also, you may hear bits of rude language in this episode – so, you have been warned.
We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, which lasted nearly two hours so this will be a two part episode I expect.
Please leave any comments or questions on the page for this episode.
That’s it – I hope you enjoy our conversation, and that you experience something you haven’t experienced before.
It might be tricky to follow everything Marcus says in this episode because you’re not familiar with his accent. I encourage you to keep going and just try to follow the general flow of the conversation! Best of luck. Let’s get started…

1. Get to know Markus a bit
Where are you from exactly?
What brings you to Paris?
What do you do?
How long have you been doing comedy?
How would you describe your act?
Stephen Nolan Podcast
Markus keeley pic

273. The Bad Haircut Situation Part 2: More Role Plays & Improvisations (with Amber & Paul)

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(Longest title ever?)
In the last episode, Amber, Paul and I talked about giving compliments, sharing bad news, and generally saying negative things in a careful and diplomatic way. We then did a couple of role play improvisations to help you notice specific language. In this episode we continue with the improvisations. You can see some samples of language used in those improvisations below.
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I hope you enjoy this episode. As ever, please leave your comments below!

The Role-Plays and Language
3. You go to your friend’s house and they show you their new living room which took months to decorate and cost hundreds of pounds, but it looks awful.
– It’s different to how I imagined
– Normally I love the smell of fresh paint
– …very human
– You’ve really made a statement
– …ah, so it’s finished!

4. Last year you lent your iPod to a friend while he was in hospital. Now he’s better and he’s been out of the hospital for quite a few months but he’s still using your iPod all the time. Demand that he gives it back to you, but do not be rude to your friend!
– You look so great / so nice to see you (positive)
– I was woooooondering
– Did I lend you my iPod?
– I can show you a website
– I was thinking, if I could possibly get back that iPod
– I was thinking possibly if I could have it back
– You don’t mind?

5. You are the manager of a small office. Staff members in the office have complained to you that a member of the team has serious BO (body odour) issues. You’re the one who has to tell him about it, and suggest some solutions. But don’t hurt his feelings!

Language
– Take a seat
– How are you?
– I wanted to have a chat
– essentially
– Let me start again
– Unfortunately, it seems…
– Specifically
– Being frank
– What can I do for you? (resolving the issue)
– I understand. That’s fine.
– Here’s the issue
– What Mr Taylor was trying to say was…

6. You’re the boss of a school. You have to inform one of your teachers that they’re going to be replaced by a Japanese teaching robot.
– No language recorded (I was too involved in the role play).

Fancy transcribing this episode? Click this link to access the google document and start transcribing!
difficultsituations2

The Bad Haircut Situation (with Amber & Paul) How to use English in sensitive situations

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In this episode we’re going to look at how to deal with sensitive situations in English, and that includes ways of delivering bad news or saying negative things. We’re going to consider ways of using language carefully in order to avoid upsetting people or making them angry. You’ll hear a discussion on this topic between Amber, Paul and me and then a few role plays in which we have to deal with some sensitive situations. Watch out for the specific language that we use.
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“The Bad Haircut” – Imagine this situation:
You are at work on a Monday morning, and your colleague arrives. Your colleague’s name is Jane. She is a lovely person. She is kind, sensitive, and generous. She has also been a little bit under-confident recently, after she split up with her boyfriend, who she had been going out with for 4 years. The break up left her feeling a bit lonely and upset, but now she is feeling much better about herself and is ready to take control of her life again.

At the weekend Jane had her hair cut and she has chosen a new style. It’s really quite different to her previous style, and to be honest, it doesn’t look good. It doesn’t suit her at all, and it is not really a fashionable style either. Let’s say she’s added a fringe, she’s cut it shorter and she’s changed the colour. You’re thinking: “this is a bad move – she’s taken a step in the wrong direction with this new haircut”. She seems to be a bit unsure of herself, but she’s excited about her new hair, which obviously cost her a lot of money. You are the first person she has seen in the office. She says to you, “So, what do you think of my new hair cut?”

What should you say to her?

Now, think about this situation carefully. Consider these questions before you decide on your reponse.

1. How exactly will you phrase your response?
2. How honest will you be? Will you tell the truth or not?
3. How might your response affect Jane’s feelings?
4. How direct will you be?
5. What is the most normal, usual and common thing you would say to a friend in this situation? How would you say that in English?
6. If you were from a different culture, would that affect your answer?
7. How would an English person answer the question?

Jane: So, what do you think of my new hair cut?

Your answer: ______________________________________________(please leave your suggestion in the comments section)
Amber’s answer: Wow, you’ve completely changed! It’s completely new! It’s completely different! It’s a completely new look! (With a positive tone)
Paul’s answer: (If he noticed) It looks great!

Wrong thing to say: Don’t worry, it’ll grow out.
“it’ll grow out” = in time the hair will grow and the new style will disappear, and it will look better eventually.

Should we always tell the truth to people?
What if they’re a close friend?
Should friends always support you, or should they sometimes disagree with you if it’s necessary?
Does this change when ‘the stakes are high’?
Is this also different between different countries, or is it universal?

The Importance of Language
It’s in these difficult situations that language becomes vital – we need to be diplomatic in order to prevent problems, to keep relationships sweet, and to avoid big arguments or hurt feelings. You need to be able to use language very carefully sometimes – but how? What are the approaches and phrases that you can use to achieve these things? Let’s look into it in this episode. We’re also going to play around and improvise a few scenarios in which people have to deliver some pretty bad news, which should be fun.

Cultural Aspects
– How would different cultures react to the same situation?
– Are British people more awkward (than other countries)?
– Do we have many social codes? What are they?
– Does our language define us? Or do we define our language? (e.g. French has more formality in it – does that make them more aware of formality codes in their behaviour too?)
– Are Americans more relaxed and laid back than the Brits?

Social Codes
According to Amber’s German friend who has lived in the UK and in France: It’s possible to break cultural codes in France and you’ll be forgiven because you’re foreign, whereas in Britain they still have lots of social codes but they pretend they don’t have any! So when foreign people break the codes, even subtle ones that we aren’t aware of, Brits might get offended!
Perhaps this means the French are a lot more frank and open about having social etiquette, whereas the Brits like to think they are informal and relaxed, when actually they have social etiquette too, which you have to be aware of.

What are those behaviour codes in the UK?
There are codes around giving and receiving compliments.
Here’s the wrong way:
Girl 1: Oh those are very nice earrings.
Girl 2: Thank you. [Didn’t say anything else – which comes across as rude and inconsiderate]

It shows that there are lots of codes that most people don’t even realise exist.

Here’s the correct version:
Girl 1: Oh those are very nice earrings you’re wearing. [Paying a compliment]
Girl 2: Oh thanks! Yeah, I just picked them up in a car-boot sale (a market). I love your dress. [Being modest, then returning the compliment]
Girl 1: Oh, this old thing! It’s just been in my wardrobe for ages, and I just threw it on this morning! [Being modest]
It seems to be normal to be very modest about compliments in the UK, certainly for girls. Is it the same for guys?

Is this just the British/English? How do you react in your country when someone compliments you?
Generally speaking, the English tend to be quite self-effacing and modest, and we don’t like people who are arrogant and who show off.

What about the difference between Americans and British people?
Americans tend to sell themselves more.
The British tend to be more self-effacing and modest. Paul doesn’t want to come across as being arrogant.

Do men and women have the same social codes?

Careful and Diplomatic Language
Choosing what to say in situations like this requires diplomacy and careful attention to language.

Difficult Situations
In this episode we’re going to consider the language you would use in situations like this. Here are some categories:

  • Giving some bad news when it’s your fault (admitting to something)
  • Giving some bad news when it’s not your fault (reporting/announcing something)
  • Requesting something that you shouldn’t be requesting
  • Saying no to a request
  • Saying that you can’t do something
  • Explaining something that could cause someone to get upset or angry

Role Plays for Improvisation
How about these difficult situations? What would you say?
Listen to Luke and his friends improvising the situations. Try to notice specific language they used.

1. You agreed to look after your friend’s dog (you didn’t want to do it) and while looking after it, the dog ate your nice handbag. You’re really angry. Tell the friend.
Here’s some language used:
– There was just one thing…
– He’s a bit of a chewer…
– I wouldn’t normally mind, but…
– Oh no!
– I’m so sorry

2. You have to explain to your family or your partner that the internet has to be cut off to save money. Your partner is a total geek who pretty much lives online constantly, and can’t imagine a world without it.
– I think we need to reduce some of the expenditure that we have so we’re not always in debt
– It seems like the biggest expenditure now is the internet
– Why don’t we just potentially cut off the internet in the house
– Maybe you can go out more

BADHAIRCUTPIC

271. Catching Up with Amber & Paul

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Today I’m joined by my mates Paul Taylor and Amber Minogue, both of whom have been on the podcast before. Let’s catch up with them and see what they’ve been doing. Listen to the episode to hear a completely unscripted and authentic chat between 3 native speakers from England, as we talk about having babies, pedestrian crossings, having ginger hair, the difficulties of being English in the sunshine, and some of our favourite TV shows and films.
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Amber
Click here to listen to Amber’s previous interview on LEP, in which she talked about having a baby.
How was the birth?
You said you would go with a natural birth before. Did you?
What’s it like being a mum?
Best things? Worst things?
Sleep? Nappies?

Paul
Click here for Paul’s previous episodes on LEP. Part 1 and Part 2.
What have you been doing?
Click here to visit Paul’s YouTube channel for Taylor’s Top Tips. 

Topics in this Episode
We talk about various things including:
– Amber’s baby, the birth and what it’s like to be a Mum
– Paul’s news, including his short YouTube videos called Taylor’s Top Tips (started on Instagram, then moved it to YouTube).
– The sound effects from my terrace (the sounds of the street, the sounds of people stepping in dog poo in the street)
– Pedestrian crossings in Paris vs Dog poo
– The dangers of crossing the road in Paris
– The difficulties of being English in the sunshine
– Struggling with a folding chair while avoiding a spider
– Ginger people / having a ginger beard / being a ‘ginger ninja’
– Are Italian people obsessed with ginger people?
– Game of Thrones and other TV shows like Breaking Bad, Suits, Dexter, The Walking Dead, Lost, House of Cards etc.
– TV series vs Films
– J.J. Abrams the director of the new Star Wars film, and his love of lens flare.
– Amber doesn’t like ‘wiggly camera’ – shaky, handheld camera effects – like in the Jason Bourne films and the Taken films.
– The film Cloverfield (directed by J.J. Abrams)
– The Blair Witch Project (1999)
– Recommended TV series (plural – series, singular – series). Amber: Game of Thrones and The Wrong Man’s, Paul: Fawlty Towers, Luke: Louie.
– Vocabulary: A TV series (e.g. Game of Thrones) – not a serie, a season (e.g. season 1, season 2 etc – in the UK we used to say ‘series’ not ‘season’ but now most people say ‘season’)
– Serial? It’s an adjective to describe a series of things – e.g. a serial publication. In my opinion we don’t say a ‘TV serial’, we say a ‘TV series’. Amber and Paul don’t agree.
– Criticisms of French television (a bit of French bashing here? or genuinely valid criticisms of French TV?)
– Summarising the conversation: Jumping into gingers (“Don’t jump into anyone too quickly, you have to give them fair warning in advance”), we detoured into TV, the escapade/debacle with the chair, spending time in the sun
– Orphan Black (TV show)

Taylor’s Top Tips

For the Geeks: What is lens flare?

The trailer for Cloverfield
Directed by J.J. Abrams. Lots of shaky, handheld camera (or ‘wiggly camera’ as Amber described it)

Orphan Black trailer

AmberPaulPIC