Elevate Your English Fluency with Real News Stories!
Do lapses in memory disqualify a world leader? Is democracy thriving or failing in Pakistan? Let's learn English and find out! Dive into our unique 'News in Slow English' lesson. Discover stories you recognize, but with twists you won't see coming—like doctors and lost diamonds. Ready to transform your English with news? Let's explore how.
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- Learn with News: Expand your vocabulary with current events.
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✔ Lesson transcript: https://adeptenglish.com/lessons/english-phrases-learn-english-through-news-stories/
Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.
⭐ Naomi Klein
Expand your vocabulary and engage in everyday conversations, all while enjoying a unique blend of current events and unexpected stories. With Adept English, you're not just learning; you're immersing yourself in the language.
Whether it's the latest on President Biden or a heart-warming tale from the NHS, we've got you covered. Listen, repeat, and watch your English fluency soar. Start now and discover the power of listening!
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
⭐ Albert Einstein
#SlowNewsEnglish makes staying up-to-date accessible and enriching, turning global news into a tool for learning English. Dive into today's world events at your pace, and expand your vocabulary along the way. Join us for a unique blend of language learning and real-world insights. Your journey to fluency starts here! 🚀
More About This Lesson
Boost your English skills by diving into 'News in Slow English'. This approach lets you enjoy learning with Adept English. You'll hear about current events and interesting stories at a pace that's right for you. It's fun and effective!
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
⭐ Albert Einstein
Learn English easily at your pace:
- Expands vocabulary through news stories.
- Enhances understanding with slow-paced English.
- Introduces varied topics for broad learning.
- Improves listening skills with repetition advice.
- Offers positive stories for balanced perspectives.
- Teaches new expressions and idioms.
- Focuses on current, real-world events.
- Provides context for better comprehension.
- Encourages engagement with interactive content.
- Supports fluency with practical listening tips.
Why this lesson is great for you? By listening to news stories, you'll grow your vocabulary, understand real-life English better, and get comfortable with everyday conversations. Plus, you'll hear about exciting events and tales, from politics to heart-warming stories.
- Listen and Learn: Improve your English by listening to news in slow, clear English.
- Expand Your Vocabulary: Discover new words and phrases used in real situations.
- Cultural Insights: Learn about British culture and global events through news.
- Build Confidence: Practice listening and speaking to boost your fluency.
We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.
⭐ Petra Nemcova
Why should you try this lesson? It's not just about learning; it's about connecting with the world. You'll understand complex topics easily, remember what you learn, find endless resources for practice, and improve your speaking skills. Plus, you'll enjoy stories that make you feel good and be part of a global community of learners.
Join us at Adept English! Subscribe to our podcast for hundreds of engaging lessons. Whether you're curious about the world or want to hear positive news, we've got something for you. Start your journey to fluency today and discover the joy of learning English with news.
Frequently Asked Questions about "News in Slow English"
Diving into "News in Slow English" with Adept English is like setting sail on a voyage across the vast ocean of language, where each news story is a wave that shapes and refines your English fluency.
- What is "News in Slow English" and how does it help in learning English? "News in Slow English" is a learning tool designed by Adept English that focuses on improving English fluency through listening to news stories presented at a slower pace. This approach aids comprehension and allows learners to expand their vocabulary, understand pronunciation, and become familiar with the rhythm of the English language, especially with a focus on British English. By exploring current news stories, you also stay informed and engaged with real-world contexts, enhancing your learning experience.
- Can listening to slow news podcasts really improve my English speaking skills? Absolutely! Listening plays a crucial role in language acquisition. By regularly tuning into slow news podcasts, you immerse yourself in the English language, which helps in understanding the usage of words and phrases in context. Repetition is key. Listening on repeat enhances retention and pronunciation skills, gradually improving your confidence and ability to speak English fluently.
- How often should I listen to "News in Slow English" podcasts to see improvement? Consistency is vital for progress. It's recommended to incorporate listening into your daily routine, even if it's just for a short period. Engaging with a podcast episode multiple times will deepen your understanding and recall of the language. Over time, as your listening skills improve, you can increase the duration and complexity of the podcasts you listen to.
- Where can I find "News in Slow English" podcasts and other English learning materials? You can access "News in Slow English" and a wealth of other English learning resources on the Adept English website at adeptenglish.com. Here, you'll find hundreds of podcasts covering various topics. Additionally, consider exploring their podcast bundles for a more structured learning experience, available directly on your phone for learning on the go.
- How can I give feedback or suggest topics for future "News in Slow English" episodes? Adept English is keen on listener feedback and suggestions for future podcast topics. You can share your thoughts and ideas through the feedback section on their website or by engaging with them on social media. Your input not only helps tailor the content to your learning needs but also enriches the community's learning experience.
Most Unusual Words:
- exonerated: Freed from blame or guilt.
- mishandle: Handle something badly or wrongly.
- credible: Believable or trustworthy.
- damning: Critically harmful; suggesting guilt.
- lapse: A temporary failure of concentration or memory.
- candidates: People who are being considered for a job or are running in an election.
- rubble: Broken bits and pieces of anything destroyed, like buildings.
- infrastructure: Basic systems and services provided in a country, like electricity, water, and roads.
- scrubs: Special clothes worn by medical staff, especially in surgery.
- anaesthetic: A substance that makes you unable to feel pain.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| About | 13 |
| People | 11 |
| President | 10 |
| English | 7 |
| Biden | 7 |
| These | 6 |
| Means | 6 |
| Podcast | 5 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: Your News In Slow English Biden Pakistan Japan
Hi there. Let's dive into the world of news today and see how expanding your vocabulary can help you stay informed and engaged in everyday conversations. Let's do a 'News in Slow English' podcast today.
I'll run through some news stories that you may have heard in your own language, so that will help your understanding. And if you stick with me until the end of this podcast, I'll cover a positive news story, which you probably haven't heard. One involving doctors and their laundry!
I've not done one of these 'Slow News' podcasts for a while, and we know you like them. So enjoy this. Listen on repeat to improve your English.
Hello, I’m Hilary, and you’re listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.
Hundreds of Adept English podcasts will improve your English!
If you really understand the benefit of using Adept English to help you boost your understanding and your spoken English,
then don't forget we have hundreds of podcasts available on our website at adeptenglish.com If you really understand the benefit of using Adept English to help you boost your understanding and your spoken English, then don't forget we have hundreds of podcasts available on our website at adeptenglish.com.
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If you'd like hundreds of podcasts in a very usable format available on your phone wherever you go, then think about getting our podcast bundles. For a small fee, you can download hundreds of podcasts. Quality English language listening. Go to our Courses page to find out how.
📷
A courtroom scene with a spotlight on the witness stand, emphasizing the role of a witness. Learn English easily at your pace.
What do we need in a US President?
So our first news story, and who knows where this news story will be by the time you're listening to it, but this is the current situation. The news came yesterday that President Joe Biden has been let off, exonerated from the charge of mishandling documents, mishandling files.
So the result of the investigation, the conclusion was that President Joe Biden had mishandled files, but they're going to let him off. 'To mishandle', M I S H A N D L E - that verb just means ' his handling was incorrect'. He didn't follow procedures or protocols. He didn't follow the rules about documents in other words.
But what really made the news here was the report that the people doing the investigation made. They were discussing how President Biden might appear as a witness in court, whether he would make a credible witness or not. 'Credible', C R E D I B L E means 'easily believed'.
'A well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory'?
And the report said the following. ' We have also considered that at trial, Mr Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interviews as a sympathetic well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory'. Although kindly worded, this is a damning report. ' An elderly man with poor memory' is not someone you want as US President. And this report has been made worse by the fact that there've been notable moments recently when President Biden appears to have forgotten things, his memory seems to have failed him in public.
He talked about President Mitterrand, who died in 1996 when actually he meant President Macron and he said 'Germany' instead of 'France'. President Biden also recently referred to Egyptian leader, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as 'the President of Mexico'.
Also apparent in this investigation, President Biden couldn't remember the year that his son had died. Something clearly important to him.
While it can feel a little bit like bullying to focus on an old man's apparent lapses of memory - the word 'lapse', L A P S E means 'an error due to forgetfulness or inattention' - that's a 'lapse', so it can seem like bullying, but the fact is that the US President is currently critical to world peace. Surely we need someone who is 'on the ball', as we say, and whose memory isn't under question.
News on the Pakistan Election - headed for a surprising result?
Now, let's move to a different part of the world, Pakistan, to be precise. This country's elections are a hot topic, stirring conversations about democracy, leadership and perhaps the unexpected success of independent candidates. 'Candidates' are people for whom you vote in an election.
So I talked about all the elections going on in 2024 in a recent podcast. That's number 713. And of course, one of these elections is happening in Pakistan.
Some interesting facts about the Pakistan election? It was widely believed that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be the only candidate likely to win the election. But it does seem as though independent candidates are doing well.
Faith in democratic process?
Many of these are allied with Imran Khan's political party, even though Imran Khan himself is currently in prison. He's well-known of course in the UK because of his cricketing career and because he married Jemima Goldsmith.
Talking about the election, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Maleeha Lodhi has commented that the number of people coming out to vote in the Pakistan elections shows that there is belief in democracy, belief in the democratic process in Pakistan. But there have also been reports that mobile phone networks were down and there has been violence related to the election.
For example, 30 people have been killed in two separate bomb attacks outside election offices, in the province of Balochistan, in Southwest Pakistan. Let's hope that these elections continue without further loss of life, and that the people of Pakistan enjoy a fair and democratic process and a leader in the end that most people genuinely want.
Aftermath in Japan
But life isn't just about politics. Let's touch on a more solemn note. Japan recently faced a devastating earthquake. That's E A R T H Q U A K E. Earthquakes are always a reminder of the unpredictable power of nature. And this tragedy left many homes in ruins and families in distress. This earthquake is a piece of news, which I think perhaps fewer people than normal know about. Maybe because it happened on New Year's Day 2024.
There was an earthquake in Japan registering 7.6 on the Richter scale and this happened on the remote Noto Peninsula.
This earthquake killed 241 people and it destroyed 55,000 homes. Although the loss of life is terrible, people are also suffering and still dealing with the destruction of buildings, roads, bridges. Whole neighbourhoods have been destroyed, in fact.
Election Buzz 2024-The Vocabulary Of Democracy
The buildings have been 'reduced to rubble', as we say in English. 'Rubble', R U B B L E - that's the word we use for broken stone or brick or building materials. What's left when a building falls down or is destroyed.
We see piles of rubble on the news quite a lot at the moment, whether that's in Gaza or in Ukraine. And this disaster in Japan is another one where the whole infrastructure has been destroyed.' Infrastructure' I N F R A S T R U C T U R E. And 'infrastructure' means 'the basic systems and services like water, electricity, and roads'.
I guess the difference here is that this one is caused by a natural disaster, an earthquake, so it feels different from Gaza or Ukraine. Hopefully the people in this remote region of Japan will get the support and help that they need to rebuild.
Positive News Alert: Doctors and their 'scrubs'
Let's end on a heart-warming note. Have you ever lost something and then against all odds, it finds its way back to you. The news is so often negative, so let's do one of those positive news stories.
So this is in the UK and about an NHS consultant - t hat means a doctor. Radhika Ramasamy, who works in the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds in the UK.
A while ago Dr Ramasamy was giving a patient an anaesthetic and she took off a diamond ring, a birthday present from her husband. And she put the diamond ring into the pocket of her scrubs. ' Scrubs', S C R U B S in this context, we use this word to mean 'the clothes that medical staff wear', particularly when they're operating, particularly in the Operating Theatre.
' Scrubs', is also the title of an old medical sitcom that you might know. This was a TV comedy series about doctors training in a hospital in the US. That was the series 'Scrubs', and that's named after these particular clothes. 'To scrub' something is what you do when you want it really clean. So that's where the word comes from.
Anyway, Dr Ramasamy put the diamond ring into the pocket of her scrubs and forgot all about it. It was only later that she realised it had been lost and she imagined that it had been destroyed at the hospital laundry.
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However, this was not the end of the story. Five days later, about a hundred miles away in the Royal Free Hospital in London, trainee doctor or 'registrar', as they're called, Suraj Shah, was putting on his scrubs, freshly laundered scrubs. Suddenly there was a noise, something dropped to the floor and the ring was discovered, undamaged.
At this point, the chances of the ring being reunited with its owner seemed slim, but the hospital laundry team got to work and eventually the ring was returned to Dr Ramasamy. She was reported to be 'over the moon', as we say in English. That means 'joyful, very pleased' that people had taken the trouble to find out who the owner of the ring was. She'd expected it was lost, and that she would never see it again.
Small 'human' kindnesses matter a lot in our world of wrong-doing....
As I've said before, it's often the small things, the small actions in our lives that remind us that humanity is 'alive and kicking', despite all these negative news stories that we read.
Goodbye
OK, so use this podcast to practise your English by listening to it a number of times. Give us feedback And let us know what subjects you'd like to hear an Adept English podcast on.
Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com
Links
- My memory is fine
- Pakistan election
- Japan quake
- Consultant's lost ring
- Scrubs (TV series)
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