Audrey's EASY ENGLISH Podcast

Episode 30  Desire for approval

Script:

Hello, everyone, how are you? This week, the topic is "desire for approval". Social media is becoming more and more popular these days, and we often hear the phrase "desire for approval." It means wanting others to recognize and praise us. For example, imagine you bake a cake and share pictures of it on social media, hoping to get comments and likes. When you see those comments, it makes you happy. It's the feeling of wanting everyone to acknowledge that you did something good. To acknowledge means to admit and accept.

Life used to be simpler before social media became so popular. We didn't feel the need to show pictures of ourselves or of our friends and family at a restaurant. The only time we would show pictures to others was probably when we went on trips.

But social media has changed everything. Nowadays, people, especially women, post pictures of their new clothes, shoes, and jewelry on their social media pages. They also post pictures of the food they eat at restaurants, sometimes even just a cup of coffee.   They post their selfies at the gym.  Why do they do that?

I think maybe they feel insecure. They need validation, which means they want other people to say that they are good or important. Social media gives them a way to seek that validation from others. This desire for approval can stem from various factors. In today's digital age, social media has created a culture of comparison and competition. When we see others sharing their achievements and glamorous lifestyles, it can make us feel inadequate and fuel our own desire for validation. We may believe that receiving recognition from others will make us feel more valuable and worthy.

The number of likes, comments, and followers has become a measure of popularity and success. As a result, many individuals find themselves caught in a constant pursuit of more followers, striving to maintain an online presence that gather attention and praise.

However, it is essential to recognize the potential downsides of this reliance on external validation. The constant need for approval can lead to a distorted sense of self-worth, as our value becomes tied solely to the opinions of others. It can also create anxiety as we feel compelled to constantly seek validation in every aspect of our lives.

It is crucial to shift our focus inward. Building self-confidence and embracing our unique qualities and accomplishments can help us break free from the cycle of seeking external validation. Our worth should not be determined solely by the opinions of others.

In conclusion, while the desire for approval is increasingly prevalent in the age of social media, it is important to understand its underlying causes and impact on our well-being. By striving to develop a stronger sense of self-worth and reducing our dependence on external validation, we can find a healthier balance in our online interactions and cultivate a more authentic sense of happiness in our lives.

Vocabulary

acknowledge - means to admit and accept

validation – the act of checking and proving accuracy

inadequate – lacking the quality

distorted - twisted

prevalent - widespread

Script:

Episode 29

This week I am going to teach you a few phrases on how to sound like a native speaker.  I will give you two examples for each phrase.

The first one is

"You don't say...".  It is an expression used to convey a sense of surprise or disbelief at something that has been said. It is often used sarcastically to suggest that the speaker already knew what was said.

Example 1:

Person A: "Did you hear that it's going to rain tomorrow?"

Person B: "You don't say. I guess I should pack an umbrella."

Example 2:

Person A: "I just found out that the movie we want to see is sold out."

Person B: "You don't say. Well, maybe we can catch a different movie instead."

Number 2

"Tell me about it".  It is an expression used to express agreement or empathy with someone who is describing a frustrating or difficult situation. It suggests that the speaker has been through a similar experience and understands how the other person feels.

Example 1:

Person A: "I've been waiting in line for two hours to buy tickets."

Person B: "Tell me about it. I waited in line for three hours last week."

 Example 2:

Person A: "I can't believe how hard it is to find a job right now."

Person B: "Tell me about it. I've been applying to dozens of places and haven't heard back from anyone."

 Number 3

"I am losing it".  It is an expression used to describe someone who is becoming increasingly frustrated, overwhelmed, or stressed out. It suggests that the person is struggling to keep their emotions under control.

Example 1:

Person A: "I have so much work to do and not enough time to do it."

Person B: "I know, it's really stressful. You seem like you're losing it a little."

 Example 2:

Person A: "I can't find my keys anywhere and I'm going to be late for my appointment."

Person B: "Take a deep breath, you don't want to lose it over something small like this."

Number 4

"You tell me" – “You tell me" can be used to express agreement or emphasize that the speaker shares the same sentiment as the other person. It implies that the other person has made a valid point or observation, and the speaker is asking them to elaborate or offer their opinion.

Example 1:

Person A:  I heard the new restaurant downtown has amazing food.

Person B: You tell me!  I have been meaning to try it out but haven’t had the chance yet.

Example 2:

Person A: I think we should leave early to avoid the traffic.

Person B: You tell me.  You know the roads around here better than I do.”

Number 5:

"Have a beef with someone" is an idiom used to describe a situation where someone has a strong disagreement or grievance with another person. It suggests that there is a conflict or tension between the two individuals.

Example 1:

Person A: "Why are you avoiding Sarah?"

Person B: "I have a beef with her. She said some things that really upset me."

 Example 2:

Person A: "Why did you quit your job at the restaurant?"

Person B: "I had a beef with the owner. He was always micromanaging me and I couldn't take it anymore."

Thank you for listening.

Script:

Episode 28: How to get unstuck and continue a conversation:

Hello, everyone. How are you? Last week I was not feeling well, and skipped an episode. Sorry about that.

This week, I want to talk about how to get unstuck and continue a conversation.

We have all been there. Sometimes, when somebody asks us a question, we need time to think of an answer, or we forget what we are trying to say. Sometimes, we simply don't know the answer.

What should we do when we are in these situations? It depends on the question that you are asked.

Scenario one. You need more time to get your thoughts together, so buy yourself time by saying something.

You can say,

a) "Great question, let me think about that for a moment."

b) "You know, I have never thought about that. Let me think about that."

c) "You know, I am not sure, let me think about that".

Scenario two: When somebody asks your opinion about something that you don't know, answer a question with a question.

You can say, "I am not sure, what about you?"

You often hear people say "what about you?" and "how about you?". These two phrases are often used to ask for the other person's opinion or response.

"What about you?" is more straightforward and direct. "How about you?" is less formal, more friendly and casual. It is often used as a follow-up question to a proposal and suggestion.

But this strategy doesn't always work. What if somebody asks you about your job and you are not sure how to describe it in English? You certainly cannot say, "I am not sure." However, you can say, "Let me think about how to say it in English. In the meantime, why don't you tell me about your job?"

Scenario three: What should you do if you don't understand the question? Those moments can be embarrassing.

First of all, don't panic. And secondly, don't pretend you understand the question. You can ask the speaker to repeat the question or speak more slowly.

a) "I am sorry, could you please repeat the question?"

b) "Could you say that again more slowly?"

c) "I didn't quite catch that. Could you say that again?"

d) "I am not sure I understood your question. Could you rephrase it?"

Sometimes, I hear people say, "say that again?" or "one more time please". "Say that again?" is very casual and informal and shouldn't be used at the workplace, unless you and your co-worker are more like friends. You should never say that to your boss or clients. "One more time please" is polite and simple. But the suggested phrases made you sound more professional.

Thank you for listening.

Script:

Episode 27 - How to sound smarter at work by using 'smart' words

Hello everyone, how are you? This week, I want to teach you how to sound smarter at work by using more professional words.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Substitute "okay, no problem" with other phrases.

We often say "okay, no problem" when we agree to a request. It is fine when you are talking to your friends or family members. It is not rude to reply to your boss, co-worker or clients with, "okay, no problem" when they ask you to do something. However, it will make you sound more sophisticated when you use different words and phrases. Here are some suggestions:

"Certainly", or you can say, "certainly, I will get right on it."

"I will be happy to take care of that for you."

"Absolutely. When do you need it done by?"

"Consider it done. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Note that the words "certainly" and "absolutely" are interchangeable. So you can say, "absolutely, I will get right on it".

2. Use the word "modify" instead of "change". For example, at a work meeting, somebody says, "we need to change the way we deal with customers". The word 'change' makes it sound like you need to change everything and nobody likes to make changes. Use the word "modify" instead. It means the same thing but sounds less drastic. Drastic means extreme and serious.

3. Say "sensational" instead of "awesome", or "amazing" or "great". These three words are being overused.

4. Ask the speaker to "elaborate" instead of saying "what do you mean?", or "I don't understand what you are saying" when somebody says something that you do not understand. It is less casual and more professional. You can say, "can you elaborate it a little?"

5. Substitute "confused" and "confusing" with "perplexed" or "perplexing".

Examples: I am perplexed.

This situation is perplexing.

6. Avoid using the word "like" too often. Some people use this word 3 times in one sentence. Substitute with "such as", or "for instance".

Example, "This client is very difficult. You have to be careful with him, like when you go for a meeting, make sure you are 5 minutes early". Instead of saying "like if you go for a meeting", you can say, "such as" or "for instance, when you go for a meeting.."

7. "Exactly" is another word that people may overuse. You can say, "yes, that's so true", "yes, you are right," "that's exactly how I feel", or "you are spot on" to substitute "exactly".

I hope these tips will help you. Thank you for listening.

Script:

Episode 26: How to deal with gossips

A gossip is a rumor or a report of somebody, usually something bad. The conversation usually starts with, "Oh my God, did you hear...?" Gossips happen at work and at social gatherings.

Why do people gossip? People gossip for a variety of reasons, which can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, gossiping can help people build and maintain social connections by sharing information and stories about others. It can also provide a way for people to bond over shared experiences or even serve as a form of entertainment.

However, gossiping can also be used as a means of social control. People may spread rumors or negative information about others to damage their reputation, or it can serve as a way to make people feel superior by having exclusive information into other people's lives. If you are uncomfortable about gossiping, how do you politely ask somebody to stop talking badly about somebody else?

1. Change the topic. When somebody says to you, "Did you hear what she did yesterday?" You know the next thing that she says will be some kind of gossip or rumor. If you don't want to participate in a gossip or rumor, you can say, "no", and then immediately follow by saying something totally different, such as,

"Have you started watching that new TV show?", or "how are your kids?", or "how's the new project going?"

You make it clear you are not interested in the gossip, and want to move on to another topic. If that doesn't work, and the person is persistent in gossiping, then you can try the following strategy.

2. Shut it down. Simply be honest. Tell the person that you are not comfortable talking about somebody else when they are not here. You can even say,

"I am not really into gossip." You can ask to change the topic by saying, "Do you mind if we talk about something else?" or "Do you mind if you change the subject?"

It is good to be honest.

Thank you for listening.

Script:

Episode 25 How to sound professional on the phone – common telephone conversations and phrases

Speaking on the phone in English can be nerve-racking for English students.  Nerve-racking means causing stress or anxiety.  You already feel nervous speaking English, and speaking in English on the phone makes you even more nervous. First of all, speak clearly and slowly. Enunciate your words, and avoid mumbling or speaking too fast. Enunciate means to pronounce clearly.  The second tip is to listen carefully.  If you cannot hear or catch what the other person is saying, don’t panic. Ask the person to repeat, by saying, “I am sorry.  I didn’t quite catch that.  Could you repeat what you just said?”

Use appropriate language and be respectful.   

Here are some essential phrases.

1.    When you are answering a call for work, state your name and company name.  For example, “This is Audrey from ABC company. How can I help you?”  or you can state the department where you are working in. “This is Audrey in the Accounting Department.  How can I help you?”

 2.    If you are the one making the call, say, “this is Audrey calling from ABC company.  I am calling about..  ( you state the reason why you are calling).  If you know the person that you are calling, maybe you speak to her regularly, you can speak less formally.  You can say, “Hey, it is Audrey over at ABC Company… I just want to… ( and you state the reason why you are calling).

 3.    You are asking to speak to someone specific on the phone. Example, “Hi, this is Audrey from ABC company.  May I speak with Laura?” or you can say “Is Laura available? “.

 If it is not important who you want to speak to, but you need to speak to somebody inside a specific department, you can ask, for example, “could you connect me with someone in the Accounting Department?”

4.    When you are answering a call and you need to put someone on hold because you are searching for information, or you are looking for the person, or you are simply too nervous and need to calm down and think about what to say, here are some phrases to say when putting someone on hold.  “May I put you on hold?”, “Could I ask you to hold for a moment?” “Would you mind holding for a moment?”

I hope these phrases help. 

Script:

Hi, everyone, how are you? This week I am going to talk about two topics. The first one is making small talks.

Making small talks with somebody you don't know well can be intimidating, but it is a great way to connect with others and

build friendships. Here are some tips for making small talks.

#1 - Start with a greeting, say hi, introduce yourself, and ask them how their day is going. This will break the ice and set a friendly tone.

#2 - Ask open-ended questions instead of yes and no questions. For example, ask "how was your weekend?" if you are meeting that person at the beginning of the week. If you are meeting the person on Thursday or Friday, you can ask, "what are your plans for this weekend?"

#3 - Find common grounds. If you are talking to other parents, you can talk about the kids, or the school activities. If you are at a work event, you can talk about your job or the industry.

#4 - Listen attentively and ask follow-up questions.

#5 - Keep it light and positive, avoid sensitive topics and avoid oversharing your personal life.

The second topic that I want to talk about today is how to politely end a bad conversation. We have all been there - being in a boring conversation, or that the other person is saying something that makes you uncomfortable. Many people use excuses like, "excuse me, I need to get a drink", or "I need to use the bathroom". Everyone knows these are cliches. A cliche is a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. An example of a cliche is, "life is too short." Have you heard of that cliche?

There are other excuses that are more positive, tactful and honest.

If you are at a party or a networking event, and you are stuck with somebody who has been talking to you for too long, or that the conversation is too boring, you can exit the situation by saying these:

1. "It has been really nice talking to you, but I promised myself I would mingle with others and get to know more people. I will catch you later."

2. "Oh, I see some of my colleagues over there, I would like to say hi to them. It is really nice chatting with you".

Emphasize it has been great talking with them.

The other strategy is to ask the speaker to introduce you to somebody else at the event. Say, "I hardly know anyone here, who do you think I should meet? I would like to meet a few new people at this event today. Can you introduce me to anyone?"

The third strategy is to introduce somebody to this person so you can get out of this conversation. The person that you know may have something in common with this person. You can say, "I see my co-worker, John, over there. I think the two of you have a lot in common. Let me introduce you.

The last tactic is to say, "I am sure I have taken a lot of your time. You have got a lot of people you want to talk to. I will let you go but it has been great talking with you.

Vocabulary

1. break the ice - do or say something to ease the tension or get the conversation going.

2. mingle - socialize

3. catch you later - used for saying goodbye to someone when you expect to see them soon, or later the same day. I will catch you later means I will see you later, chat with you later.

Script:

Episode 23: How to conduct or participate in an English online meeting

Since the pandemic started three years ago, online meetings have replaced many face-to-face meetings. For those of you who have experience with online meetings, you may find that you are unsure about online meeting etiquette, such as what to say in some situations. Today, I am going to share some tips with you.
1. Preparation
First of all, you need to prepare for a successful online meeting. That includes testing the microphone and camera in advance, especially if this is the first time you and the participants are using this platform. You can send an email to the participants a day before. You can also inform the participants audio and video before you start. Instead of a blank screen, you can create an image or slide that says:
"To prepare for the best experience, please check your audio and video before we start.  Use headphones during the discussion."
2. Introductions and greetings:
If you are the host of the meeting, greet others and lead introductions. Include your name, position, and company name.

For example: "Hi everyone, I am Audrey. I am a junior analyst at ABC company, and I will be leading the discussion today."  
If there are new faces that will participate in this meeting, say, "There are some unfamiliar faces today, so let's do a quick round of introductions.”

Be sure to call on each individual person.  
3. Next, establish ground rules for active listening.
In a face-to-face meeting, we use verbal cues to show that we are listening, such as saying "a-ha," "that's right," "that's interesting." These verbal cues don't always work on an online platform.  In an online meeting, try to utilize the tools on the platform, such as sending emojis or using the chat box. You can tell the participants the following:  
"If you have any questions during the meeting, please let me know by using the raised hand emoji."
"If you like or agree with something, use the clapping hands or thumbs up emojis."
"You can also use the chat box to send me a message."  
4. Etiquette  
It would be a good idea to tell the participants to turn off distractions, such as their phones, and use mute if there are background noises. When you want to make a comment or ask a question, use the raised hand emoji, or you can simply raise your hand. 
When the host asks you to speak, say:   "I am sorry to interrupt, but I would like to ask a quick question."

Or say, "I am sorry to interrupt, but I want you to clarify something that you said."  
What if there is an interruption, such as a technical difficulty? If possible, send the host a message; if not, send an email.  
The next scenario is if you are the host, and you are showing a presentation and need some time, say,

 "Please bear with me for a moment (or please wait a moment) while I get ready to share my slides."

When you are ready after the short disruption, say, "I apologize for the wait." 
5. Closing . Now it is time to end the meeting. If you are the host, summarize the meeting, repeat the main points, and thank the participants. Say, "We got so much done today; thanks, everyone, for coming."

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Etiquette – the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession

Cue -sign or signal

Utilize – use, make use of

Script:

Episode 22 Pandora’s Box

Hello, everyone, how are you doing?  Today I am going to talk about the idiom “open a Pandora’s Box”. The phrase "open a Pandora's Box" means to start something that will cause a lot of problems that you didn't expect. It comes from a Greek myth about a woman named Pandora who was given a box as a gift, but was told not to open it. Curiosity got the better of her, and when she opened the box, all the bad things in the world came out, like sickness, greed, and envy.

Here are some examples of how you might use the phrase "open a Pandora's Box" in everyday language:

1.    When he decided to confront his coworker about their behavior, he inadvertently opened a Pandora's box of office politics and drama.

2.     The government's decision to change the healthcare system without proper planning and consultation could potentially open a Pandora's box of unintended consequences.

3.     By sharing that controversial opinion online, she opened a Pandora's box of hate comments and backlash from people with opposing views.

In each of these examples, "open a Pandora's Box" is used to describe a situation where something is started that has the potential to cause a lot of problems that were not expected or anticipated.

 There are a few English idioms that are similar to "open a Pandora's Box" and convey a similar meaning. Here are a few examples:

1.    "Let sleeping dogs lie" - This means to avoid stirring up trouble or controversy by leaving things as they are.

2.    "The genie is out of the bottle" - This means that something has been done that cannot be undone, and that there will be consequences that cannot be avoided.

3.    "Open a can of worms" - This means to create a complicated and unpleasant situation that is difficult to resolve.

All of these idioms suggest that sometimes it's best to leave things as they are, because opening up a difficult or complicated situation can lead to unforeseen and unwanted consequences.   

Vocabulary

Inadvertently – accidentally, without intention

Controversial- giving rise to public disagreement

Backlash -  a strong and adverse reaction by a large number of people, especially to a social or political development.

Thank you for listening.

Script:

Episode 21: Cruise ship joke and chatGPT

Hi everyone, how are you? Have you heard of chatGPT? It is an amazing AI language model. I use it everyday. It is a great source for information and advice. Today I used chatGPT to help me with this week’s podcast.

Last week, I read an article on a Japanese news website about the government relaxing the mask policy and that people are not sure what they are supposed to do - to wear a mask or not. Japanese society has strong “peer pressure” that forces people to conform to the opinions of the majority. In this article, a joke about a cruise ship was briefly mentioned. I thought the joke was funny, so I posted the joke on my Facebook page. However, nobody liked or commented on it. I was thinking maybe it was considered a little racist. I removed the post and this morning I asked chatGPT to tell me the joke in details, and I asked it if the joke was racist or not.

Here is the cruise ship joke. I hope everyone will take it lightly and not be offended.

An international cruise ship was sailing across the ocean. Suddenly, it struck an iceberg and began to sink. The captain put the women and children in lifeboats. But there were not enough boats, so he had to convince the men to jump into the water.

One by one, the captain called up each national group, said something to them, then they jumped. Later, a reporter asked him, “How did you persuade each national group to jump?” “It was easy,” explained the captain.

“I told the Americans that, if they jumped, they would be heroes. For the British, I appealed to their sense of fair play and told them a true gentleman would jump. For the French, I appealed to their sense of reason and told them it was the most rational thing to do.

Germans are trained to obey commands, so I ordered them to jump. The Italians, in contrast, don’t like to obey rules. So, instead, I used reverse psychology and told them it was forbidden to jump. Finally, for the Japanese, I appealed to their sense of conformity. Everyone else has jumped, I told them, so they jumped, too.”

I asked chatGPT if this joke is racist or not, and it replied as follows:

It is considered by many people to be offensive and inappropriate because it relies on negative stereotypes about different nationalities.

The joke uses nationalities as a punchline, implying that Americans are heroic, Germans are obedient, and Japanese are self-sacrificing.

I myself find it acceptable, nothing inappropriate. What do you think?

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

1. Conform – to obey

2. Reverse psychology - strategy of suggesting a behavior that is opposite to what you actually desire, in order to encourage the other person to do what you actually want. In this example, the captain told the Italians not to jump, to make them jump.

3. Stereotype - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Episode 20: Do Canadians say sorry a lot?

Script:

Hello, everyone, and welcome back!

I'm sorry I missed last Friday's episode. I was really busy last week.

Today's topic is "Do Canadians say sorry a lot?" I chose this topic because I read an article that said Canadians apologize a lot, even if we're not at fault. The article is called "Sorry — Can We Talk About Why Canadians Apologize So Much?" by Emily Keeler.

Emily's favorite example of a Canadian apology is when you're out for brunch or at a restaurant and you need some ketchup. Instead of saying "Excuse me, can I have some ketchup please?", Canadians say to the waiter, "Oh sorry, hi, could I have some ketchup, please? Oh thanks, sorry."

She also mentioned that we say sorry even when the other person is at fault. For example, if we're biking and a car knocks us down, we apologize to the driver who almost killed us.

Really? Is that the case? I'm not sure. Most Canadians are polite, but not to this extent. Besides, it depends on the culture. Canadians come from all over the world.

Emily's theories as to why Canadians apologize so frequently are interesting. Theory number one is inherited awkwardness. We're a byproduct of British settlement. British identity — for better or worse — is fixed. What it means to be Canadian, on the other hand, is not. Hmm, I can't relate to this theory.

Her second theory is that we want to be different from Americans, who don't apologize as much. In the U.S., issuing an apology is often framed as an admission of inadequacy, weakness, or guilt.

After reading this article, I did my own research and found that we have an Apology Act in Ontario, Canada, that was established in 2009. The Apology Act is a law in the province of Ontario that states that apologies made by a person do not necessarily constitute an admission of guilt. It is a measure to give lawyers a fair chance to defend clients who were never guilty but apologized to the aggrieved.

Vocabulary:

1. Relate – connect to
2. Aggrieved – a person who feels wronged,      resentful, or unfairly treated because of a particular event. In legal      contexts, it means the person who has suffered harm or injury.

Script:

Episode 19: How to benefit from news discussion lessons

Hello, everyone, welcome back.

My News Discussion lesson is popular among high-intermediate to advanced students. It is a good way to practice expressing your opinion in English.  It is my favorite type of lesson because I have an opportunity to read news articles that I wouldn't normally read.

So, how do you maximize the benefits from the news discussion lesson? Here are some tips.

If you are selecting the articles yourself, please bear in mind the following points:

First of all, pick a topic that interests you. Do not randomly select an article just because it pops up on your news alert app. Make sure you understand the content. If there is anything that you don't understand about the article, you can ask me before the lesson.

I usually send discussion questions before the lesson. If you select the articles, I always ask why you chose them. It is for your own benefit to think about why you selected them. For example, you may be interested in the topic or concerned about the issue, and you should elaborate on this.

For example, if you pick an article about the benefits of yoga, a good answer to "why did you select this article?" would be:

"I am interested in fitness and health, and I recently started doing yoga. I have seen an improvement in my physical and mental health, so today I chose this article."

A not-so-good answer would be: "Ah, well, it is the most recent article on this website."

A bad answer would be, "I don't know.."

Another question I like to ask is "What do you think of this situation?" There is no right or wrong answer, and you don't need to be shy about what you think. The objective of this lesson is to practice speaking English, and I encourage you to speak as much as you can. Whatever you say is between you and me, so express your opinion freely.

When you select the article, ask yourself what you think of the topic or situation. If you don't have an opinion, then it is probably not the right article for you. Find an article that you can talk a lot about.

Vocabulary

Objective – goal or purpose

Script:

Episode 19: How to benefit from news discussion lessons

Hello, everyone, welcome back.

My News Discussion lesson is popular among high-intermediate to advanced students. It is a good way to practice expressing your opinion in English.  It is my favorite type of lesson because I have an opportunity to read news articles that I wouldn't normally read.

So, how do you maximize the benefits from the news discussion lesson? Here are some tips.

If you are selecting the articles yourself, please bear in mind the following points:

First of all, pick a topic that interests you. Do not randomly select an article just because it pops up on your news alert app. Make sure you understand the content. If there is anything that you don't understand about the article, you can ask me before the lesson.

I usually send discussion questions before the lesson. If you select the articles, I always ask why you chose them. It is for your own benefit to think about why you selected them. For example, you may be interested in the topic or concerned about the issue, and you should elaborate on this.

For example, if you pick an article about the benefits of yoga, a good answer to "why did you select this article?" would be:

"I am interested in fitness and health, and I recently started doing yoga. I have seen an improvement in my physical and mental health, so today I chose this article."

A not-so-good answer would be: "Ah, well, it is the most recent article on this website."

A bad answer would be, "I don't know.."

Another question I like to ask is "What do you think of this situation?" There is no right or wrong answer, and you don't need to be shy about what you think. The objective of this lesson is to practice speaking English, and I encourage you to speak as much as you can. Whatever you say is between you and me, so express your opinion freely.

When you select the article, ask yourself what you think of the topic or situation. If you don't have an opinion, then it is probably not the right article for you. Find an article that you can talk a lot about.

Vocabulary

Objective – goal or purpose

Script:

Episode 18: Tipping culture in Canada

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today I am going to talk about the tipping culture in Canada.

I just finished reading an article about tipping in the United States. It says many U.S. consumers think it is getting out of control. This article inspired me to write about tipping here in Canada. I live in Toronto. I am not sure if the tipping culture is the same in other provinces but I would assume so.

Before digital payment with tipping options became popular, people left small change in the little tray on the table. The waiter could see how much tips you paid. Unlike in some countries, we pay at our table in a restaurant, not at the front of the restaurant where the cash register is. When we finish our meal, we ask the waiter, “can we have the bill please?” The waiter will bring the portable credit card machine to the table. The options for tips are prompted -  15%, 20% , other amount or “skip”. In some places, “skip” is not an option. I always press other amount and type in 10% to 12% depending on my satisfaction level. Actually, 10-12% is considered pretty low. 15-20% is the norm here. But with the rising prices, I really don’t want to spend money on tips.

These days, services that didn’t have a gratuity option before, now have one.

I took my dog to the groomer last Saturday, the price was $110 for the service. With 13% tax and 10% tip, I paid over $130. The groomer did an excellent job, but isn’t it her job to do an excellent job?

Same with other businesses. A server’s job in a restaurant is to serve customers. Why do we need to pay extra for the person to do a good job?

I guess one advantage for us customers is that, if there is no tipping system, then the wages of servers will be higher, which will be reflected on the prices of our meals.

The other problem is that with personal services like haircut, how much tip should you pay? If the haircut costs $50, isn’t paying $5, which is 10%, or $7 (which is less than 15%) a bit embarrassing? Paying $10 for a $50 haircut is just too much.

Tipping, whether done digitally or not, causes consumers a lot of stress.

The tipping culture is just outrageous!

Vocabulary

Prompt – to bring about an action

Norm – something that is usual and standard.

Gratuity - tip

Outrageous – shockingly bad

Script:

Episode 18: Tipping culture in Canada

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today I am going to talk about the tipping culture in Canada.

I just finished reading an article about tipping in the United States. It says many U.S. consumers think it is getting out of control. This article inspired me to write about tipping here in Canada. I live in Toronto. I am not sure if the tipping culture is the same in other provinces but I would assume so.

Before digital payment with tipping options became popular, people left small change in the little tray on the table. The waiter could see how much tips you paid. Unlike in some countries, we pay at our table in a restaurant, not at the front of the restaurant where the cash register is. When we finish our meal, we ask the waiter, “can we have the bill please?” The waiter will bring the portable credit card machine to the table. The options for tips are prompted -  15%, 20% , other amount or “skip”. In some places, “skip” is not an option. I always press other amount and type in 10% to 12% depending on my satisfaction level. Actually, 10-12% is considered pretty low. 15-20% is the norm here. But with the rising prices, I really don’t want to spend money on tips.

These days, services that didn’t have a gratuity option before, now have one.

I took my dog to the groomer last Saturday, the price was $110 for the service. With 13% tax and 10% tip, I paid over $130. The groomer did an excellent job, but isn’t it her job to do an excellent job?

Same with other businesses. A server’s job in a restaurant is to serve customers. Why do we need to pay extra for the person to do a good job?

I guess one advantage for us customers is that, if there is no tipping system, then the wages of servers will be higher, which will be reflected on the prices of our meals.

The other problem is that with personal services like haircut, how much tip should you pay? If the haircut costs $50, isn’t paying $5, which is 10%, or $7 (which is less than 15%) a bit embarrassing? Paying $10 for a $50 haircut is just too much.

Tipping, whether done digitally or not, causes consumers a lot of stress.

The tipping culture is just outrageous!

Vocabulary

Prompt – to bring about an action

Norm – something that is usual and standard.

Gratuity - tip

Outrageous – shockingly bad

Script:

Episode 17: Digital Detox

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today I am going to talk about digital detox.

What is digital detox? Digital detox is a period of time during which you refrain from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers in order to reduce stress.

How many hours do you spend staring at your phone, computer, tablet or other electronic devices? Work aside, we use electronic devices to connect with our friends, check their social media page, watch Youtube, Instagram or Tik Tok videos, and reading the latest news. We also have apps for appointment reminders, and apps to track our exercise progress. There is an app for almost everything.

Many people have breaking news alert apps on their phones. There are also lots of people who enjoy watching funny videos on Instagram or Tik Tok and send them to others.

Staring at our devices may be pleasurable in the moment but it can get addictive. Neck and shoulder pain, and eyestrain are some of the side effects. Sometimes, it can even affect the quality of our sleep. Studies show two or more hours of screen time in the evening can seriously disrupt the melatonin surge needed to fall sleep.

Totally giving up on screen time is not practical, so what can we do?

1. Turn off push notifications - Getting constant updates on the news is distractive, especially when you are at work. When you receive the alert, it is hard not to read the news. It affects your productivity at work.

2. Designate tech-free time - it can be your meal times. Use this opportunity to stay away from the screen and focus on eating, or if you are eating with others, simply enjoy the conversation. Bedtime is also a good tech-free time.

3. Consider turning off all electronic devices at least half an hour before sleep, at a minimum. Try reading a book, taking a bath or doing some other type of relaxing activity.

4. Rediscover paper - try reading a paper book instead of e-book.

5. Limit yourself to one screen at a time. When we are trying to focus on work, and scrolling our phone at the same time, our brains go haywire. Multitasking is stressful and we get distracted.

6. Limit the number of apps you download. The more apps you have, the more time you spend on your phone or other devices.

How many hours do you spend on your phone a day?

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Refrain – keep from doing

Addictive – a strong desire and need to do something

Melatonin – a hormone that makes us sleep

Productivity – the quality of being effective

Designate - choose, pick

Haywire – being out of order

Script:

Episode 17: Digital Detox

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today I am going to talk about digital detox.

What is digital detox? Digital detox is a period of time during which you refrain from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers in order to reduce stress.

How many hours do you spend staring at your phone, computer, tablet or other electronic devices? Work aside, we use electronic devices to connect with our friends, check their social media page, watch Youtube, Instagram or Tik Tok videos, and reading the latest news. We also have apps for appointment reminders, and apps to track our exercise progress. There is an app for almost everything.

Many people have breaking news alert apps on their phones. There are also lots of people who enjoy watching funny videos on Instagram or Tik Tok and send them to others.

Staring at our devices may be pleasurable in the moment but it can get addictive. Neck and shoulder pain, and eyestrain are some of the side effects. Sometimes, it can even affect the quality of our sleep. Studies show two or more hours of screen time in the evening can seriously disrupt the melatonin surge needed to fall sleep.

Totally giving up on screen time is not practical, so what can we do?

1. Turn off push notifications - Getting constant updates on the news is distractive, especially when you are at work. When you receive the alert, it is hard not to read the news. It affects your productivity at work.

2. Designate tech-free time - it can be your meal times. Use this opportunity to stay away from the screen and focus on eating, or if you are eating with others, simply enjoy the conversation. Bedtime is also a good tech-free time.

3. Consider turning off all electronic devices at least half an hour before sleep, at a minimum. Try reading a book, taking a bath or doing some other type of relaxing activity.

4. Rediscover paper - try reading a paper book instead of e-book.

5. Limit yourself to one screen at a time. When we are trying to focus on work, and scrolling our phone at the same time, our brains go haywire. Multitasking is stressful and we get distracted.

6. Limit the number of apps you download. The more apps you have, the more time you spend on your phone or other devices.

How many hours do you spend on your phone a day?

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Refrain – keep from doing

Addictive – a strong desire and need to do something

Melatonin – a hormone that makes us sleep

Productivity – the quality of being effective

Designate - choose, pick

Haywire – being out of order

Script:

Hi everyone, welcome back. It is a very cold day today! Minus 20 degrees!

Today I want to talk about gossips -  why most people like to gossip.

When we hear the word "gossip", we tend to think about rumours or a juicy secret.

(Juicy means scandalous or appealing). An example of a juicy secret is if you find out your boss is sleeping with his secretary. But gossips can be defined as talking about somebody who is not present. We all gossip at some point.

Gossips can be positive. You are telling your co-workers that your son has been admitted to a university. That’s positive. Gossips can also be neutral – neither positive nor negative. You are merely sharing information with another person. For example, you are telling your friends that your cousin is getting married next weekend, or that your co-worker got a promotion.

Why do we gossip? Humans are social creatures. Gossip helps us bond with each other, regardless of whether the conversation is positive or negative. Generally speaking, most gossips are negative.

Many people who are insecure about themselves find temporary relief in judging others, and knowing something that others don't can make you feel important. Talking about something bad about another person also makes you feel superior.

Some people are sadistic. They enjoy knowing that somebody is experiencing pain or misfortune, delighted it is not happening to them.

Sometimes, we are simply bored or can't think of anything to talk about. Talking about other people can be exciting, especially if it is a juicy gossip. Also, it makes you the center of attention.

However, it is not good to gossip negatively because people will mistrust you. It is better not to gossip about other people.

If you are caught in the midst of a gossiping conversation, and feel like you are drowning in negativity, you can redirect the conversation by saying something positive about the person. Or you can simply leave the conversation.

Have you gossiped? Have you been the target of a hurtful gossip?

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Juicy - a fruit that has is full of juice.

A juicy secret or gossip means that it is interestingly scandalous.

Sadistic – you feel happy when you see another person suffer.

midst - in the middle of

Script:

Hi everyone, welcome back. It is a very cold day today! Minus 20 degrees!

Today I want to talk about gossips -  why most people like to gossip.

When we hear the word "gossip", we tend to think about rumours or a juicy secret.

(Juicy means scandalous or appealing). An example of a juicy secret is if you find out your boss is sleeping with his secretary. But gossips can be defined as talking about somebody who is not present. We all gossip at some point.

Gossips can be positive. You are telling your co-workers that your son has been admitted to a university. That’s positive. Gossips can also be neutral – neither positive nor negative. You are merely sharing information with another person. For example, you are telling your friends that your cousin is getting married next weekend, or that your co-worker got a promotion.

Why do we gossip? Humans are social creatures. Gossip helps us bond with each other, regardless of whether the conversation is positive or negative. Generally speaking, most gossips are negative.

Many people who are insecure about themselves find temporary relief in judging others, and knowing something that others don't can make you feel important. Talking about something bad about another person also makes you feel superior.

Some people are sadistic. They enjoy knowing that somebody is experiencing pain or misfortune, delighted it is not happening to them.

Sometimes, we are simply bored or can't think of anything to talk about. Talking about other people can be exciting, especially if it is a juicy gossip. Also, it makes you the center of attention.

However, it is not good to gossip negatively because people will mistrust you. It is better not to gossip about other people.

If you are caught in the midst of a gossiping conversation, and feel like you are drowning in negativity, you can redirect the conversation by saying something positive about the person. Or you can simply leave the conversation.

Have you gossiped? Have you been the target of a hurtful gossip?

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Juicy - a fruit that has is full of juice.

A juicy secret or gossip means that it is interestingly scandalous.

Sadistic – you feel happy when you see another person suffer.

midst - in the middle of

Episode 15:

Script:

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today's topic is dogs. Life is better with a dog.

Dogs are loyal animals. They love their owners unconditionally and offer devoted companionship and constant entertainment. Spending time with dogs work wonders for our wellbeing. Is it just a feeling, or is it science?

Researches show that people's lives are indeed better with dogs. Dogs make us happier, healthier and help us cope with crisis. They can also improve our social lives.

Here are some of the science-proved benefits.

Dogs offer unconditional love, emotional support and they are good companions. Studies show that dog ownership reduces loneliness.

Dogs are good for our physical health. Dog owners exercise more than non-dog owners. An average dog needs about one hour of walking every day. We become more active after we have dogs.

A recent research suggests that dog owners have lower blood pressure and improved responses to stress, and that the bond between humans and dogs can help us deal better with stress and crisis.

Dogs can improve our social life. When we take our dogs out, we have more opportunities to meet new people in the park. Commenting one’s dog can be a good conversation starter.

For those who are single, it may improve our dating life as well. A dog's presence makes us look more likeable and friendly. Studies also found that on dating sites, people with dogs in their profile pictures have more likes than those who don't.

In a study done by Japanese researchers in 2009, it was found that staring into our dog's eyes raises our level of oxytocin, also called "love hormones", which are natural mood boosters.

Of course, having a dog at home can be a source of stress. They require a lot of attention, exercise, play time and we have more cleaning to do.

But I think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

A dog that is about 7 – 9 kg is ideal for our family. However, we ended up buying a larger breed. My dog’s name is Oreo. She is now 9 months old and 25 kg already. It is tough taking her for a walk. But I must say, despite the challenges, our family is happier than before.

Vocabulary

Unconditionally – without any conditions

Devoted – loyal, faithful

Outweigh - exceed

Script:

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. Today's topic is dogs. Life is better with a dog.

Dogs are loyal animals. They love their owners unconditionally and offer devoted companionship and constant entertainment. Spending time with dogs work wonders for our wellbeing. Is it just a feeling, or is it science?

Researches show that people's lives are indeed better with dogs. Dogs make us happier, healthier and help us cope with crisis. They can also improve our social lives.

Here are some of the science-proved benefits.

Dogs offer unconditional love, emotional support and they are good companions. Studies show that dog ownership reduces loneliness.

Dogs are good for our physical health. Dog owners exercise more than non-dog owners. An average dog needs about one hour of walking every day. We become more active after we have dogs.

A recent research suggests that dog owners have lower blood pressure and improved responses to stress, and that the bond between humans and dogs can help us deal better with stress and crisis.

Dogs can improve our social life. When we take our dogs out, we have more opportunities to meet new people in the park. Commenting one’s dog can be a good conversation starter.

For those who are single, it may improve our dating life as well. A dog's presence makes us look more likeable and friendly. Studies also found that on dating sites, people with dogs in their profile pictures have more likes than those who don't.

In a study done by Japanese researchers in 2009, it was found that staring into our dog's eyes raises our level of oxytocin, also called "love hormones", which are natural mood boosters.

Of course, having a dog at home can be a source of stress. They require a lot of attention, exercise, play time and we have more cleaning to do.

But I think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

A dog that is about 7 – 9 kg is ideal for our family. However, we ended up buying a larger breed. My dog’s name is Oreo. She is now 9 months old and 25 kg already. It is tough taking her for a walk. But I must say, despite the challenges, our family is happier than before.

Vocabulary

Unconditionally – without any conditions

Devoted – loyal, faithful

Outweigh - exceed

Hello, everyone, welcome back. Today I am going to talk about Lunar New Year, its taboos, superstitions and traditions.

The Lunar New Year, often known as Chinese New Year, is the beginning of the calendar year with months based on the phases of the moon. The Lunar New Year often falls on the same day in different countries, but the way it is celebrated is unique to each place and region. Lunar New Year is not only celebrated in China, but also in Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is also celebrated in countries where there are Chinese communities such as in Canada.

Lunar New Year usually falls in late January to mid-February. This year, it falls on Jan 22nd.

Each year corresponds to twelve animals from the Chinese zodiac. They are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. It is believed that each sign has its own personality traits.

The most interesting things about Lunar New Year are the taboos and superstitions. These taboos and superstitions are probably outdated, and I have never heard of some of them until I did the research for this podcast.

These are the things you shouldn’t do on Lunar New Year's Day.

1. Don't eat porridge because it will bring poverty.

2. Don't wash your hair because it will wash away any good luck.

3. No needle work as it depletes wealth.

4. Don’t say any unlucky words such as "die", because it brings death.

5. Don't break any dishes or glasses as it will bring bad luck.

6. Don't use any scissors for the same reason.

7. No crying. Again, it will bring bad luck.

8. Don't wear black or white clothes. Black colour is associated with funerals. Wear red or bright colours.

9. No hospital visits because it will bring illness.

10. Don't do laundry today, it washes away good fortune.

Most of these rules sound ridiculous to me, but it is entertaining to read or hear about them. However, I do follow some of these rules. I follow number 4 and number 8.

Now, apart from avoiding doing things that will bring bad luck and ill health, people prepare traditional dishes that have symbolic meanings and are symbols of luck and prosperity. Fish is one of the dishes.

How do people prepare for the New Year? Most people clean the house thoroughly. It is believed that sweeping dusts symbolizes sweeping away any misfortune and bad luck. Some people put up red and gold decorations with lucky words.

On Lunar New Year's Day, people visit their parents, grandparents or in-laws. The elders will give red packets with money inside. People gather for dinner and celebrate together.

Holidays last from a few days to two weeks in Asian countries that celebrate Lunar New Year.

Now, let me get back to my housecleaning. I have a robot vacuum cleaner that will suck all the dusts and dog’s hair up, which will hopefully remove my bad luck too. ^_^

Thank you for listening.

Vocabulary

Taboo – something that is forbidden to say because of social or religious custom

Superstition – an excess belief in supernatural things, similar to a myth or old wives’ tale.

Prosperity - wealth

Script:

Hello, everyone, welcome back.

Last time we talked about what holiday blues are, and what cause them. Today I am going to talk about different situations and suggestions on how to cope with holiday blues.

1. Learn to say “no”. You are invited to, or are hosting family gatherings, or gatherings with friends and colleagues. You feel overwhelmed. You may not even want to attend these gatherings. If that is the case, learn to say “no”.  Overscheduling and not making time for yourself can lead to emotional breakdowns. Stay firm on your decisions.

How about taking a trip with your family and skipping all the gatherings?

2. If you are alone because you have lost a loved one, or have broken up with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, do not stay at home alone, even though you really want to be away from everyone. Spend time with your friends and family and follow a routine. If you normally go to the gym twice a week, or go for walks and jogs regularly, don't skip. Getting out of your house and meeting people will make you feel better.

3. If you are feeling down, don’t watch Christmas movies where everyone is enjoying their lives. Often Christmas movies are over romanticized. Stay away from your friends’ posts on social media as well.

The following suggestions are for regardless of whether you are stressed or depressed.

4. Limit your alcohol use. It can have a negative effect on your mood and sleep.

5. Don't indulge on food. You will regret it when you gain a couple of pounds. Eat healthy.

6. Get enough sleep.

7. Buy yourself a small gift. This works the best for me when I am feeling down.

It is important to recognize how you are feeling. If you notice yourself feeling down, irritable, tearful, exhausted, or having difficulties with your sleep and appetite, it is time to ask for help.

Too often, we act on how we feel, rather than what we should be doing or what is best for us. We let our negative feelings take over, thoughts like, "I don't feel like seeing a friend", "I don't want to go out". When we are feeling down, we don't feel like doing anything, which makes us more down. So in order to get better, you should do something.

I have had holiday blues for the past couple of years, and I am not even sure why. Being surrounded by my family should be a happy situation, and yet I was sitting at home sulking. This year, we had a small family dinner on Christmas Eve. And I spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day sulking at home doing absolutely nothing. Suddenly I realized I had to do something to get out of the blues.  I decided to reach out to one of my girlfriends.  I asked her if she had any plans on New Year’s Day. She said she had got no plans and would love to meet. So we went out for Chinese food. A change of routine was good for her and me. Over dinner, I told her about my holiday blues and she told me she was having that too. She said she thought she was the only person that was feeling down during the holidays and had never told anyone, not even her husband. She felt relieved after opening up to me. I was happy we met that night.

Starting January 2, my mood was back to normal. The holiday blues disappeared all of a sudden.

Thank you for listening.

Grammar

Eat healthy or eat healthily

Grammatically, it should be ‘eat healthily’, however, ‘eat healthy’ has been widely used in books and media. So it is okay to say “eat healthy”.

Vocabulary

Sulk (verb) – be silent because you are in a bad mood or bad-tempered, annoyed; similar to ‘mope’.

Script:

Hello, everyone, welcome back.

Christmas and New Year is supposed to be a joyful time, so why are some people depressed during the holidays, or even started to feel depressed before the holidays? Today we are going to talk about Christmas Blues, or Holiday Blues. “Blues” means feelings of sadness.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the United States, 64% of people report being affected by holiday depression, and it is most often triggered by financial, emotional, and physical stress of the season.

So, why is it that the holidays make feeling okay so hard?

Here are some of the reasons.

1. Far too much comparison. Christmas and New Year holidays have been overly commercialized and romanticized. Most people ‘s impression of Christmas and New Year is that the holidays are filled with joy and laughter, and the table is filled with delicious food. The Christmas tree is decorated with shiny ornaments with presents underneath. You can see the snow falling outside. Party after party, food, wine and beautiful clothes. Maybe a two day trip to a ski resort.

Then we compare the reality with our imagination and expectation, and we compare this holiday with the previous happier ones, when our grandparents, parents were still around. We compare our holidays with our friends’ holidays, who post their stories and videos on Facebook and Instagram. Their lives seem perfect; perfect spouses, perfect children, perfect job, even their dog is perfect.

2. Stress is high. Now that most people are pretending that the pandemic is over, parties are resumed. More get-togethers, more gifts to buy, more meals to prepare. It is a stress to your wallet as well.

3. End of year self-reflection leads to negative thinking. You criticize yourself for what you did, or didn’t do this year.

4. Loneliness is a common trigger. Maybe this year, you are alone. Maybe you are single this year, just broke up with your partner. Or maybe you are away from your family because of school or work. Some people, just feel lonely even though they are surrounded by family and loved ones.

5. Winter depression, or seasonal affective disorder. It has to do with shorter daylight hours in the winter.

In next week’s episode, I will talk about how to cope with and pull through the holiday blues, and I will share my own story.

Vocabulary

1. Romanticize – idealize, make something seem better than it is.

2. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. Symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months.

Script:

Hello everyone, welcome back. Happy Holidays!

Every year, around the end of December, millions of people make New Year's resolutions, hoping to spark positive changes. The recurring themes each year include fitness and health, improved finances, and personal and professional development. The most common resolutions are:

1. Exercise more

2. Eat better

3. Lose weight

4. Reduce stress

5. Quit smoking

6. Reduce drinking

7. Learn a new skill, hobby or language

8. Make more money, or save more money (spend less money)

9. spend more time with family and friends.

10. Spend less time on social media

Despite the best of intentions, once the excitement of the New Year wears off, many people struggle to follow through on their plans.

Here are some tips that may help you achieve your goals.

1. Mentally prepare for changes. In order to achieve your goals, you need to make changes. Ask yourself if you are ready to make those changes now. Try not to make big and quick changes, any changes should be gradual.

2. Set a goal that motivates you. Your resolution should be for yourself only, not for your spouse or your boss. If you are coerced into setting these goals in order to please another person, you will not be truly motivated, and you might even feel a bit resentful.

3. Limit resolutions to a manageable amount. A common mistake in making resolutions is that you are having too many. Five is already too many. I would suggest keeping the number to no more than three.

4. Be specific. For example, "I want to lose weight" is too general. "I want to lose 10 lbs by May". That's specific and measurable.

5. Break up bigger goals into smaller goals. Let's use the example in #4. I want to lose ten pounds by May. That's the big goal. The small goal will be like, I want to lose three pounds in January, and about two pounds in each month. For those of you who have tried to lose weight, you know you will lose the initial couple of pounds pretty quickly in the first couple of weeks, and then the rate of weight loss slows down.

6. Write down your goals, and review them from to time. If you make a progress, pat yourself on the back, and if you fall off track, don't be too hard on yourself. Get back on track.

Vocabulary

1. recurring - happen again periodically; repeatedly

2. coerced - to coerce somebody means to persuade an unwilling person to do something;

To be coerced means to be pressured by somebody.

3. Pat yourself on the back – to congratulate yourself.

Hello, everyone, today is Thursday Dec 15. I am not sure if you can hear the howling sound of the wind.  It is really windy today. I live on the top floor and I feel that the wind is going to blow the roof off this building.

Okay, today, we are going to talk about informal contractions.

Informal contractions are short forms of words that people use when speaking casually. They are not exactly slangs. We do not use them in formal writing. However, you can use them when you are texting with your friends. These informal contractions are more common in American English. When we write them, we do not usually use apostrophes. Below are some examples:

1. Ain’t  – You have to use apostrophe for this one. It is a contraction for am not, are not, has not and have not.

Examples: I ain’t sure – means I am not sure.

You ain’t my boss means you are not my boss.

I ain’t finished my homework means I have not finished my homework.

Note that ‘hasn’t’ and ‘haven’t’ are more widely used.

2. Gimme  – means give me

Example: Gimme your money.

3. Gonna  – means going to

Examples: I ain’t gonna tell you.

What are you gonna do now?

4. Gotta  – have got a or have got to

Examples: Have you gotta car? It means have you got a car?

I’ve gotta go now means I have got to go now.

5. Kinda  – kind of

Example: This is kinda expensive.

6. Lemme  – let me

Example: Lemme go!

7. Wanna - means want to, or want a

Examples: I wanna go home means I want to go home.

I wanna coffee means I want a coffee.

8. Whatcha -  means what are you, or what have you

Examples: Whatcha gonna do? Means what are you going to do?

Whatcha got there? Means you have you got there?

9. Ya – you

Example: Who saw ya?

Out of these nine contractions, I mostly use “gimme”, and “kinda”.. There is no specific reason why I don’t use the others, it is just a habit.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 8 – How to improve in small talk

Script:

To most of us, making small talk doesn’t come naturally. It is a skill that requires practice.

We have all been there. You are at a party, or conference, and you try to start a conversation with somebody you just met, or even more challenging, you are trying to join a conversation with a bunch of people that you don’t know.

Here are 7 tips.

1. Introduce yourself. The best way to break the ice is to introduce yourself. “To break the ice” is to do or say something to make people feel more relaxed in a social situation.  Here is an example of how to start a conversation at a wedding.

“Hi, my name is Audrey. I am the bride’s best friend. How do you know the couple?”

2. Have some topics in your mind – for example, current events that are not related to politics. Don’t talk about politics with people you don’t know. How about talking about a new movie? Your last trip? Sports game? If you are attending a work event, make sure you are up-to-date on the latest industry news.

3. Ask open ended questions. Asking a “yes or no” question is one of the fastest ways to kill a conversation because it doesn’t give you anything to build on. (Note: Open ended questions are what, when, how, where, why.)

Instead of saying “Did you like the movie?”

Say “What did you think about the way the movie ended?”

Instead of saying “Are you a friend of the bride?”

Say “How did you meet the couple?”

Instead of saying “Are you a business major, too?”

Say “Which classes are you taking right now?

4. Agree, then add something.

If you’re at an event and someone makes an observation about your surroundings, the host, or even something totally unrelated, go with it. Their statement can be a good opportunity to add your own observations, establish a connection, and move forward into a conversation. First, agree with what they have said, then add your own take, and follow it up with an open-ended question that leaves room to move to a new topic. Here’s how it might look in action:

Someone says: “This cocktail is pretty good, huh?”
You say: “It is. It really complements (meaning: go with) the appetizers. Have you tried them yet?”

5. Be complimentary. Complimentary means praising, flattering.

If you want to seem friendly and approachable, find nice things to say about others.

6. Let them teach you something.

No one is an expert on every topic.  If somebody mentions something you don't know about, don't let the conversation die there. Use it as an opportunity for conversation.  People love to talk about themselves and things they are passionate about, so express your curiosity and allow them to share more knowledge with you. Here are some ideas for how to do this:

· “I’ve never been fly-fishing before. What is it like?”

· “I’m not familiar with that program yet. Is it difficult to learn?”

7. Have an exit strategy.

Sometimes you just need to get away. That’s okay. Making a smooth exit is also a part of being skilled at small talk. You could excuse yourself to the restroom or the buffet, but the easiest way to get out of a conversation is to be polite and direct. Let them know you enjoyed speaking with them and that you’re going to direct your attention to something else now. Here are some examples:

· “It was lovely meeting you. I’m going to refresh my drink and check in with the host.”

· “Excuse me, but I just saw someone I need to speak with. It was nice chatting with you.”

· “I’m so glad we met. I hope to run into you again later on.”

Episode 8 – How to improve in small talk

Script:

To most of us, making small talk doesn’t come naturally. It is a skill that requires practice.

We have all been there. You are at a party, or conference, and you try to start a conversation with somebody you just met, or even more challenging, you are trying to join a conversation with a bunch of people that you don’t know.

Here are 7 tips.

1. Introduce yourself. The best way to break the ice is to introduce yourself. “To break the ice” is to do or say something to make people feel more relaxed in a social situation.  Here is an example of how to start a conversation at a wedding.

“Hi, my name is Audrey. I am the bride’s best friend. How do you know the couple?”

2. Have some topics in your mind – for example, current events that are not related to politics. Don’t talk about politics with people you don’t know. How about talking about a new movie? Your last trip? Sports game? If you are attending a work event, make sure you are up-to-date on the latest industry news.

3. Ask open ended questions. Asking a “yes or no” question is one of the fastest ways to kill a conversation because it doesn’t give you anything to build on. (Note: Open ended questions are what, when, how, where, why.)

Instead of saying “Did you like the movie?”

Say “What did you think about the way the movie ended?”

Instead of saying “Are you a friend of the bride?”

Say “How did you meet the couple?”

Instead of saying “Are you a business major, too?”

Say “Which classes are you taking right now?

4. Agree, then add something.

If you’re at an event and someone makes an observation about your surroundings, the host, or even something totally unrelated, go with it. Their statement can be a good opportunity to add your own observations, establish a connection, and move forward into a conversation. First, agree with what they have said, then add your own take, and follow it up with an open-ended question that leaves room to move to a new topic. Here’s how it might look in action:

Someone says: “This cocktail is pretty good, huh?” You say: “It is. It really complements (meaning: go with) the appetizers. Have you tried them yet?”

5. Be complimentary. Complimentary means praising, flattering.

If you want to seem friendly and approachable, find nice things to say about others.

6. Let them teach you something.

No one is an expert on every topic.  If somebody mentions something you don't know about, don't let the conversation die there. Use it as an opportunity for conversation.  People love to talk about themselves and things they are passionate about, so express your curiosity and allow them to share more knowledge with you. Here are some ideas for how to do this:

· “I’ve never been fly-fishing before. What is it like?”

· “I’m not familiar with that program yet. Is it difficult to learn?”

7. Have an exit strategy.

Sometimes you just need to get away. That’s okay. Making a smooth exit is also a part of being skilled at small talk. You could excuse yourself to the restroom or the buffet, but the easiest way to get out of a conversation is to be polite and direct. Let them know you enjoyed speaking with them and that you’re going to direct your attention to something else now. Here are some examples:

· “It was lovely meeting you. I’m going to refresh my drink and check in with the host.”

· “Excuse me, but I just saw someone I need to speak with. It was nice chatting with you.”

· “I’m so glad we met. I hope to run into you again later on.”

Script:  Quiet quitting

Hi everyone, how are you?

Today I am going to talk about quiet quitting. It is a new term that I just learnt last weekend when I was looking up for new topics for my work.

Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one’s job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. That means no working overtime or attending non-mandatory meetings, and not checking work emails or answering work-related phone calls in their own time. “Mandatory” means required, something you have to do. It is not clear who invented the term "quiet quitting," but it has become a popular topic on the social media site TikTok.

To me, quiet quitting is not the same as slacking off. Slacking off is when a worker is working less hard or less than what is required.  Slacking off is not good, but quiet quitting doesn’t sound like a bad trend. The worker is trying to find a balance between work and life. Work is not your life, and it shouldn’t be. Only doing what you need to do at work is normal, only the term itself is new.

The reaction of managers to the phenomenon has been mixed. A phenomenon is a fact or situation that sometimes nobody knows how it begins. Some managers have been tolerant, in part because the tight labour market makes hiring difficult, so it is hard to replace these quiet quitters, at least for the time being. Others have responded to quiet quitting by quietly, or loudly, firing employees whom they see as slacking off. In fact, “quiet firing” has become a buzz phrase. A buzz phrase is a word or phrase, that is fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context. Quiet firing is making a job so unrewarding that the employee will feel compelled to resign.

This term, “quiet quitting”, has expanded from meaning doing the minimum work in the office, to meaning doing the minimum work in a romantic relationship. “Quiet quitting” or “quiet dumping” is when your partner chooses to only do the bare minimum required to date you without you breaking up with them. They're no longer going above and beyond for you, they've lost interest but they don't want to be the one to break it off.

Script:  Quiet quitting

Hi everyone, how are you?

Today I am going to talk about quiet quitting. It is a new term that I just learnt last weekend when I was looking up for new topics for my work.

Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one’s job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. That means no working overtime or attending non-mandatory meetings, and not checking work emails or answering work-related phone calls in their own time. “Mandatory” means required, something you have to do. It is not clear who invented the term "quiet quitting," but it has become a popular topic on the social media site TikTok.

To me, quiet quitting is not the same as slacking off. Slacking off is when a worker is working less hard or less than what is required.  Slacking off is not good, but quiet quitting doesn’t sound like a bad trend. The worker is trying to find a balance between work and life. Work is not your life, and it shouldn’t be. Only doing what you need to do at work is normal, only the term itself is new.

The reaction of managers to the phenomenon has been mixed. A phenomenon is a fact or situation that sometimes nobody knows how it begins. Some managers have been tolerant, in part because the tight labour market makes hiring difficult, so it is hard to replace these quiet quitters, at least for the time being. Others have responded to quiet quitting by quietly, or loudly, firing employees whom they see as slacking off. In fact, “quiet firing” has become a buzz phrase. A buzz phrase is a word or phrase, that is fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context. Quiet firing is making a job so unrewarding that the employee will feel compelled to resign.

This term, “quiet quitting”, has expanded from meaning doing the minimum work in the office, to meaning doing the minimum work in a romantic relationship. “Quiet quitting” or “quiet dumping” is when your partner chooses to only do the bare minimum required to date you without you breaking up with them. They're no longer going above and beyond for you, they've lost interest but they don't want to be the one to break it off.

Script: What is Canadian food? That is a hard question. Canada is a multicultural country and we eat the foods of the countries our parents or grandparents came from. There are many different cultures in Canada, and as a result, many different types of food. When we think of food, we think of Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek and Iranian food.

If you ask Canadians what the original Canadian food is, they might say “poutine”. Poutine is an original Canadian food. It is a dish of French fries and cheese curds topped with gravy. Gravy is the juice coming from meat that runs naturally during cooking and thickened with flour or corn starch. When you roast a loaf of beef, you get the meat juice, you add corn starch to it. So gravy is usually very oily.

Non-Canadians might think we eat poutine regularly, but that’s not the case. Most restaurants don’t serve poutine, and most people don’t make that at home often. I have only eaten it once at an amusement park.

I don’t like this dish. French fries should go with ketchup, and gravy goes with roast beef or mashed potatoes. The gravy makes the fries soggy.

Canadians eat a lot of potatoes, baked potatoes topped with gravy or sour cream. A traditional homecooked Canadian meal consists of meat, such as roast chicken, roast beef, meat loaf, potatoes and vegetables. Vegetables such as steamed carrots, broccoli, peas or salad. We also eat hamburgers, pizzas and chicken nuggets.

When I say ‘we’, I mean Canadians in general, especially those that were born here.

Immigrants usually prefer food from their countries, no matter how many years they have been here. Chinese people eat Chinese food and Iranians eat Iranian food.

But everyone loves Japanese food. There are many sushi restaurants in Toronto. Most people love Chinese food too. But Canadians like Canadian Chinese food, which consists of sweet and sour pork that are over-done with red food colouring, and lemon chicken pieces that are too yellow. Chop suey is also popular in North America. ‘Chop’ what? Chop suey. S-U-E-Y. It is a dish in American Chinese cuisine and other forms of overseas Chinese cuisine, consisting of meat and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery and bound in a starch-thickened sauce.

It tastes awful to me. This dish is often very oily. But a lot of Americans and Canadians like it. People from different cultures have different preferences. We are comfortable with what are used to. I am used to plain, less oily, less salty food with minimal sauce.

Script:

Hello, everyone, how are you doing?

Today I am going to talk about ghosting. Have you heard of this term?

Ghosting, is a casual term describing the practice of ending all communication and contact with another person without any warning and ignoring any subsequent attempts to communicate. The term originated in the early 2000s, typically referring to dating and romantic relationships. In the following decade, with the increasing use of social media and online dating apps, ghosting is on the rise. Now, this term is also used to refer to similar practices among friends, family members, employers and businesses.

The most common cause of ghosting in a personal relationship is to avoid emotional discomfort in a relationship. A person ghosting typically does not care how it will make the other person feel. The person being ghosted usually feels devastated and hurt.

A friend of mine, let’s call her Mary. Mary told me her story and gave me permission to share her story here.

She has been dating a guy for over a year. Their relationship has been volatile. Volatile means changing quickly and unpredictably, usually changing for the worse. They broke up every couple of months, and got back together after 2 weeks. However, Mary has had enough of this guy, and ghosted him on Halloween.

She said, “When he said something rude or made an insensitive remark, I used to get mad at him or explained to him how I felt. However, after all these months, I realized he is not going to change. That’s just the way he is – a total jerk. What he said to me recently was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, and I so ghosted him, and blocked his number.”

The idiom, “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” means the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset and angry.

When Mary told me that she ghosted and blocked her boyfriend, I felt sorry for her. Ghosting somebody is rude and immature, however, I am sure she had her reasons. I guess she was so fed up that she didn’t even want to end this relationship in a more mature way. She could have responded to him by saying she has had enough and she wanted to break up. But sometimes a bad romantic relationship drains a person emotionally, so much that the person does not even have the last bit of energy to end it.

Have you ghosted anybody? Have you been ghosted before?

Script:

Hello, everyone, how are you doing?

Last time, I said, in winter, sunrise is about 8am and sunset is around 5pm. I would like to make a correction. After changing the clocks, sunrise is about 7am, and sunset is 5pm.

If I could change the rules, I would prefer a later sunrise and a later sunset. It gets dark soon after my kids come back from school, and I feel like I have to rush them to eat dinner and do homework. For those people working a 9 – 5 job, it is nighttime the moment they step out of the office. Isn’t that depressing?

Okay, so, today we are going to talk about eating habits.

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night….

Do you eat breakfast? Do you skip breakfast?

Health experts say it is not good to skip breakfast, and there are 5 reasons:

1: Quick Fix of Essential Nutrients.

2: Prevent Weight Gain.

3: Healthy Skin.

4: Power Your Brain.

5: Energy Boost.

A lot of people who are trying to lose weight make the mistake of skipping breakfast. When you skip breakfast, you often crave sugar and end up eating unhealthy snacks before lunch time. Or you end up eating a lot during lunch time.

What do you eat for breakfast? It is important to eat protein in the morning. A quick and easy breakfast would be 1 boiled egg, 1 slice of toast and 1 fruit.

I love my morning coffee, more like, I need it. I cannot start the day without a coffee.

How do I take my coffee? With milk and honey.

How do you take your coffee, or tea?

The phrase “how do you take” in this sentence means, if you add milk, sugar, sweetener or prefer it black.

Are you a picky eater? A picky eater is someone who doesn’t like to eat a variety of foods, and dislikes many kinds of foods. What do you crave?

Do you eat 3 regular meals a day?  Or do you graze during the day? To graze is to eat small portions of food throughout the day. Usually, when people graze, their food choices are poor. People usually graze on low nutrient foods like chips and sweets. Grazing is not the same as snacking. Snacking is eating between main meals, and you finish it right away. Usually, snacking is planned and choices are better. For example, if you eat a fruit in the mid-morning, that’s snacking, not grazing. If you have a bag of Smarties on your desk and you eat 1-2 Smarties while working, and it takes you a few hours to finish that bag of Smarties, that’s grazing.

My meals are mostly planned. I eat breakfast at 7am, usually oatmeal topped with granola, and blueberries. Around 9 or 10am, I eat a slice of cheese with toast. Lunch is around 12 noon. Then mid-afternoon, before I pick up the kids from school, I eat a granola bar, or some leftovers from lunch. Dinner is at 5:30 – 6pm. My last meal of the day is 8 pm, when I indulge in a little bit of sweets, 1 to  2 oatmeal cookies while watching Netflix.

What is your eating habit like?

Thank you for listening.

Script: 

Hi, today is November 3. It is starting to get cooler here in Toronto. Daytime temperature is around 14-18 degrees and nighttime temperature is under 10 degrees. I love this weather. The leaves are changing colours too.

I wake up around 7am, and it is still dark at 7. In Canada, we utilize Daylight Saving Time. Daylight saving time began on March 13 this year, and ends this coming Sunday, November 6. We have to move the clock backwards by one hour. The time “changes” at 2 a.m. When I say change, I mean the new time is in effect.

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wondered, what happen to midnight TV programs and radio shows when one hour is missing? I asked my parents, I asked everyone. Nobody gave me an answer because nobody cared and they didn’t know. I always ask people this kind of weird questions, weird to them, but not to me. It is a legitimate question. The missing TV show or radio show doesn’t concern me, since I have long fallen asleep at 2 am, but I still want to know.

After the time change, 7am will become 6am. There will be a 14 hour time difference, instead of 13 hours between Toronto and Japan, where most of my students are.

What is Daylight Saving Time? It is the practice of advancing clocks (typically by one hour) during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time. That means we get more daylight. In the winter months, we set the clocks back by one hour in autumn to normal time.

It doesn’t make sense to me at all. In the summer, even if we don’t advance the clock, the days are already long. It is still bright at 8pm.  After we change the clocks to Daylight Saving time, it starts to get dark around 9pm. It is ridiculous. We have 15 hours of daylight. Who needs so much sunlight? How can kids fall asleep when the sun in still shining?

In winter, sunrise is about 8am and sunset is around 5pm. The days are very short. We don’t get enough sunlight and therefore not enough vitamin D, and many people get depressed in the long Canadian winter. So, shouldn’t we change the clocks in a way where we get more sunlight in the winter and less in the summer? It makes more sense, right?

Let me know what you think.

Thank you for listening.

This podcast is created for intermediate English students.  Today's episode is my first one, so I will start by introducing myself.

Podcast 1 – November 1, 2022

Script:

Hi, everyone, this is Audrey from Toronto. Nice to meet you! This is my first time creating a podcast, so let me start by telling you a little bit about myself.

I live in the suburbs of Toronto. It is a multicultural area with lots of Asians and Middle Eastern people. As a result, there are lots of Asian and Middle Eastern shops and restaurants. I love the diversity here. It is really fun.

About my job, I teach English online. I have been teaching on a website called Cafetalk for over 5 years now. I also offer life coaching and wellness lessons. I really love my job. I get to talk to different people everyday.

Since I work from home anyways, the pandemic hasn’t affected me much, except for a couple of months when we had a lockdown. All the shops except grocery stores and hardware stores were closed. I remember that for a while, the local hardware shop only offered curbside pickup. We had to park the car at the outdoor parking and called the store’s number, which, nobody answered. It was winter time and the temperature was sub-zero! Sub-zero means below zero.

I couldn’t see my friends for months. We could only chat on Facebook and Whatsapp. I am pretty surprised it didn’t affect me that much. I didn’t get depressed or anything. On the other hand, I enjoyed this secluded life.  I guess I am more of an introvert. Being cooped up at home didn’t bother me at all. I am still cooped up at home, because I recently got a puppy, who gets anxiety when I am not at home, so I don’t go out much.

Now, let’s talk about my hobbies.  I like fitness and wellness, studying Japanese and watching Netflix. Well, is watching Netflix considered a hobby?

About a year ago, I started listening to Japanese podcasts and I got inspired by these Japanese tutors. They have very interesting topics and I always look forward to their new episodes. So I have been thinking, why don’t I try making podcasts too?

There are many English podcasts out there. I haven’t listened to any of them but I checked out their websites. It seems each episode is pretty long, 30 min to an hour. I can’t talk that long, at least not today, which is the first time, and I can’t listen to anyone talking for that long either. So for now, I will make shorter podcasts.

It will be great if you, my listeners, can offer me ideas for upcoming topics, and the length of each episode.

Thank you for listening. See you next time.