Supercharge Your English Language Fluency: Learn with Trending UK News
🚀 Experience an EXCITING NEW WAY to skyrocket your English fluency! With our lessons, you won't be stuck in textbooks – you'll dive into ENGAGING NEWS STORIES, expanding your vocabulary, and conversing like a true Brit in no time. It's English learning, but NOT AS YOU KNOW IT. Grab your spot NOW and begin the journey to captivating British English! 🇬🇧
Here's what you gain with today's lesson:
- Learn English through INVIGORATING news stories 🗞️
- Achieve British English fluency FASTER 🏃♂️
- BROADEN your vocabulary naturally 🌐
- Speak with CONFIDENCE and AUTHENTICITY 🎤
- No dull textbooks, just FUN and EFFICIENT learning 🎉
✔Lesson transcript: https://adeptenglish.com/lessons/learn-english-language-slow-news-2023-jun19/
Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.
⭐ Roger Bacon, English Philosopher.
Ever dreamed of learning English effortlessly? Unleash your potential with our English language podcast, blending engaging news and effective language learning. But what's the catch? Tune in and uncover the secret. Delve into #BritishEnglish news and discover a new way to learn! 🌍
So are you ready to make your English fluency feel natural? Imagine a world where enhancing your English is as effortless as listening to intriguing news stories! Jump into today's podcast, designed to seamlessly weave vocabulary building into your daily routine. What makes this lesson truly invaluable? How does catching up with UK's hot topics transform your language journey? Discover the secret as you listen. Join us and learn English without feeling like you're studying. Make learning English a #EnglishFluency adventure! 🎧
Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.
⭐ Flora Lewis, Journalist, New York Times.
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Join us in a fun #EnglishLesson that will elevate your English skills today! 🚀
More About This Lesson
Welcome to our English language lesson that's not only efficient way to improve English fluency but also enjoyable! Today's lesson is structured using real-life news stories from the UK, helping you learn and live the English language without feeling like you're studying. This lesson has lots of useful content, speaking fluently, new vocabulary, grasping British accents, improving, or understanding cultural nuances – we've got you covered.
You live a new life for every language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.
⭐ Czech Proverb.
Things you will learn in today's English fluency lesson:
- Catch UK colloquial phrases and idioms in action
- Hear natural conversation pace and British accent
- Learn to understand native-level political discussions
- Expand vocabulary on UK cultural and societal topics
- Watch authentic dialogue usage in a British context
- Gain exposure to real-life British pronunciation
- Experience conversational English in a political setting
Benefits of our listen & learn approach to learning
Our English podcast lesson offers three key benefits. First, it can enhance your cognitive abilities. Second, it significantly improves reading comprehension and vocabulary. Lastly, by providing enjoyable educational experiences, it can improve retention and motivate continued learning.
The benefits just keep coming:
- Our lessons integrate English learning into your daily life.
- Our method of teaching helps you start thinking in English, not translating.
- We target common fears that learners have, like understanding fast English speech, speaking fluently, vocabulary, British accents, making visible improvement, and understanding cultural nuances.
- You don't need to be in the UK to learn British English. Our resources can significantly improve your fluency from anywhere.
- Our lessons are beneficial for cognitive enhancement, comprehension skills, and enjoyment in learning.
You should engage with our podcast if you want to:
- Improve English fluency effortlessly and enjoyably.
- Actively engage with topical news stories, enhancing your cognitive skills.
- Learn English without feeling like you're studying.
- Experience the language as it is used in contemporary Britain.
- Overcome common fears related to English learning.
Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.
⭐ Benjamin Lee Whorf, Linguist.
Experience the joy of learning English with our unique podcast lesson format. Subscribe today to transform your language journey and start your path to English fluency. With us, learning is not just about mastering a language; it's about living it! Follow us now and start your fluent future today!
Questions You Might Have...
Imagine our British English lesson as your personal language orchestra, where every topical news story is a different musical instrument. As you explore each diverse word and sentence structure, it's like playing each instrument with a unique sound. The symphony of language fluency is not just about hitting the right notes efficiently but enjoying the whole music-making journey.
- How can this lesson help improve my English fluency?
This lesson presents engaging news stories to help you practice and enhance your English fluency. As you explore diverse vocabulary and sentence structures, you'll naturally boost your understanding and usage of British English. - Is this lesson about just reading the news in English?
No, it's much more than that! You're not just reading the news, but actively engaging with it. This helps to turn English learning into an efficient, practical, and enjoyable experience. - Can I improve my British English accent through this lesson?
Yes! The news stories are presented in British English, helping you familiarize yourself with the accent and pronunciation, leading to more authentic spoken English. - Will this lesson help me learn new vocabulary?
Absolutely. By engaging with topical news stories, you'll encounter and understand diverse vocabulary, expanding your English lexicon in a fun and practical way. - Is this lesson suitable for English learners at all levels?
Yes, it is. Whether you're a beginner or advanced learner, this lesson offers an enjoyable and efficient way to improve your English fluency through active engagement with real-world content.
Most Unusual Words:
- Inquiry: An investigation or examination.
- Compliant: Willing to follow rules or instructions.
- Scandal: An action or event that causes public outrage or shock.
- Resignation: An act of resigning or quitting one's job or position.
- Drought: A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall.
- Outrage: A feeling of shock, indignation, or anger.
- Traffickers: People who deal or trade in something illegal.
- Survivors: People who have stayed alive, especially in a dangerous situation.
- Hosepipe: A flexible tube used for conveying water.
- Migrant: A person who moves from one place to another, often to find work or better living conditions.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| Water | 15 |
| English | 14 |
| There | 12 |
| About | 9 |
| People | 8 |
| These | 7 |
| Their | 6 |
| Companies | 6 |
| Listening | 5 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
The mp3 audio and pdf transcript for this lesson is now part of the Adept English back catalogue . You can still download and listen to this lesson as part of one of our podcast bundles.Transcript: Fast-Track British English Fluency With News Stories
Hi there. Have you ever considered that learning English can be effortless and interesting at the same time? By listening to this podcast, you'll find an easy and enjoyable way to practise your English and keep up with current news topics at the same time. News topics that you may have heard before, so it will make understanding the English a little easier perhaps.
This is an effective way to boost your language skills. It keeps your mind on news stories, while your brain is busy doing its English language practice. You'll hardly notice that it's happening!
Did you ever imagine that a birthday cake might eventually lead to the resignation of an ex-Prime Minister in the UK?
Or you may be wondering why do they have hosepipe bans in the UK with all that rain that they have there?
Let's find out, shall we?
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.
If you'd like to practise your understanding of English conversation......
Just before I start, don't forget if you'd like to practise your understanding of English conversation with different speakers, voices other than mine, then have a look at our 'Activate Your Listening Course'. You can find it on our Courses page.
It's English conversation about Food, Education and the UK. Great practice at understanding different speakers in English and their conversation. And it's a 'Listen and Learn' course just like all our other materials. Go and have a look today at adeptenglish.com.
Boost Your Learning With Adept English
News item one - Boris Johnson resigns over Partygate
Well, Boris Johnson has been in the news this week. He's our old Prime Minister, the one before our current Rishi Sunak.
And he's in the news because he's resigned as an MP. That means he's given up his job as a Member of Parliament. He's done this because there has been an inquiry, an investigation by the Commons Privileges Committee, a special group of seven people. And they've been looking into what have become known as 'the Downing Street Parties'.
The issue here is that in the middle of the lockdown and the pandemic in the UK, as in many other countries, there were strict rules, restrictions on what you could do.
And it seems that behind the scenes in Downing Street, these lockdown rules that everybody was supposed to follow, were not being followed very strictly.
Some vocabulary here, a 'party', P A R T Y. It's probably a word, you know already. A 'party' in this context is a 'get together', 'a meeting of a number of people', usually with the idea of pleasure, enjoying yourself in mind. You might associate a 'party' with alcohol, dancing, music.
I'm not sure that that was quite what was happening during the lockdown at Downing Street, but people do certainly seem to have been in the same room to eat birthday cake for Boris Johnson's birthday, meaning that they broke the rules.
Why 'Downing Street'? Well, if you've visited London, you may have visited Downing Street. It's the official home of the British Prime Minister. It's the one with that shiny front door that you see on the news sometimes - if you follow the UK news that is.
Why do we add 'gate' to the ends of words?!
And this scandal is sometimes called 'Partygate'. So that's 'party' with G A T E on the end of it. That's a made up word. Why do we do that in the English language?
If we add 'gate' on the end of a word, it indicates that it is 'a scandal', 'a disgrace',' an event where people behaved badly' and there's outrage and anger about it.
It references, as you probably know, something called 'the Watergate Scandal', which happened in the US in the 1970s, and involved President Richard Nixon.
So we take the 'gate' off 'Watergate' and we add it to whatever particular scandal it is that we want to give a name to. 'Partygate' in this instance.
So it looks this week as though Boris Johnson has left politics altogether, in disgrace. Whatever you think of Boris Johnson, I would prefer it if a Covid inquiry looked at the measures that were taken, looked at the lockdown rules, and the other decisions that were made during the pandemic and investigated 'Were these the right ones? Were these sensible?' That's what I prefer they focus on, but I do understand the interest in Partygate.
📷
An AI image of migrants in a wooden boat on the ocean. Multiply your vocabulary and supercharge your fluency.
News item two - a horrible disaster and a situation that's hard to solve
Next news item. There was horrible news this week about the boat off the coast of Greece. This boat had departed or set off from the coast of Egypt. That's E G Y P T, the country in North Africa. And the boat had stopped at the Libyan Port of Tobruk to pick up migrants who wanted to travel to Europe. The word 'migrant', M I G R A N T is what we use in English to refer to someone who wants to move country, but who is doing it outside of the law, unofficially. Illegally, if you like.
And as we all know, migrants take huge risks sometimes. They risk their lives to try to move to another country where they feel they may have better life chances.
So this boat was a fishing boat, used by traffickers to make money illegally by taking migrants. And it sank, it went down in the sea.
Survivors of this disaster are saying that it could be one of the worst of its kind. There were possibly up to 100 children onboard this boat. And it's feared that altogether there may have been 750 people on this fishing boat.
The word 'survivor', S U R V I V O R. That means 'someone who survived', 'someone who was there, but is still alive'.
More women and children in the causalities?
There are pictures of the boat where the deck is absolutely full of people, but survivors are saying that there were many more women and children underneath the deck, in the hold of the boat.
Families of some of the missing people have arrived in the Greek port of Kalamata to search for their loved ones. In the links for this podcast, there is a video from the BBC News website, which shows a young man who was on the boat and who survived, being reunited with his brother. You can see his trauma in this video.
Apparently, all the 104 people who have been rescued so far were male, were men, suggesting, again, many more casualties amongst the women and children on board.
I don't know what we do about this problem. It happens really frequently in the Mediterranean, where people try to travel from North Africa to the southern shores of Europe, Greece, Spain, Italy.
A similar problem in the English Channel
There's a problem also nearer to us in the UK, nearer to home in the English Channel. The 'English Channel' is the sea between Britain and France. And migrants frequently try to cross this channel in small boats.
Clearly the Mediterranean in the middle of summer is dangerous, but the English channel is a notorious piece of water. Dangerous again, even in the summer, but far more so in the winter months when large ferries sometimes have trouble crossing it.
This is a horrible situation and it's really difficult to find a solution to it, I think.
Something a bit lighter?
News item three - those pesky water companies again?
You know all those stereotypes about how it rains all the time in the UK? I'm sure you've heard those.
Well, I'm not sure they're true anymore in the summer. This week it was announced that there will be 'hosepipe bans' in parts of the UK, in the counties of Sussex and Kent.
It's those water companies again!
And you know what I think of them from my last newsy podcast! That's number 643. The water companies are not popular in the UK. A 'hosepipe ban'? Well, a 'hosepipe', that's H O S E P I P E - two magic E words joined together! 'Hosepipe'. It's a long kind of tube. And it's what you attach to a tap to water your garden, wash your car, or if you're really lucky, fill your swimming pool with. That's a 'hosepipe'.
And a 'ban'? A 'hosepipe ban'? So a 'ban', B A N - it means you're not allowed to use it. Hose pipes are 'banned'. So 'ban' is a noun and a verb 'to ban'.
So in the UK, if the summer is hot and dry and there's not much rain, the water companies inevitably impose a hosepipe ban in order to conserve water. Generally, people are not very compliant with this. ' Compliant' means 'obeying the rules'.
Listening Lessons
https://youtu.be/HeJ4amgFiaE
It is hot in the UK and we do have a drought
But these hosepipe bans coming into effect in the counties of Kent and Sussex. Well, they reflect the weather that we're having at the moment and how little rainfall there's been in the last few months.
It's hot at the moment. It's over 30 degrees most days. A good English word to learn in this context, and one that has difficult pronunciation in relation to its spelling, the word 'drought', D R O U G H T - 'drought'.
A 'drought' is a period of time with no rain. And we might say of our beloved lawns in the UK, which are looking a bit brown at the moment, that they are 'droughted' with an ED on the end.
So the lawns and the flowers and the gardens have needed a lot of watering lately in the UK, but no longer in the counties of Kent and Sussex, not allowed to use hosepipes. Apparently my water company, Southeast Water, that's the water company in my area is saying that its facilities are working at 'full output'.
Every water treatment works is going 'full pelt', is working as hard as it can to keep up with the demand. So we may be next for the hosepipe ban.
But are water companies actually providing a service, as they reward their shareholders with ample dividends?
Apparently in Kent and Sussex, there are people who have had no water coming to their houses for a few days. And as usual, there is outrage about this.
My thoughts? It may be hot and dry in the UK for periods of time in the summer, but my goodness do we get a lot of rain in the winter and quite a bit of rain in the spring and the autumn. There should be 'plenty to go around', as we say.
Countries in Europe with less rainfall than the UK appear to manage.....
What about countries in Southern Europe, - do they have hosepipe bans?
They have a lot less rain than we do, but it may be that they manage their water supply much better than do the water companies in the UK, I suspect. I do wonder if these water companies in the UK are doing their jobs properly. What happened to all the water from that winter rain, I wonder?
It's very hot at my sister's house in Greece and occasionally in the summer the water goes off, but it's not very often. It's never happened while I've been visiting.
Even in Greece with the hot dry weather that they get every summer there, that rarely happens. Even in those conditions, the Greek water companies manage to maintain a supply of water, so why can't we? Why can't we do that here?
Let us know what you think!
Do you live in one of those countries? If you do, you may have a different story or you may be about to tell us that 'No, we have lots of water all year round and no hose pipe ban!' I'd be really interested to hear from you. Please share your insights with us.
Download The Podcast Audio & Transcript
As ever, the links to these news stories can be found on our website at adeptenglish.com, if you want to read more. But that's my news round up for this week. I hope you found it interesting? And that perhaps knowing some of these new stories already may have made your understanding a little easier.
Goodbye
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
- Boris Johnson
- List of -gate scandals
- Partygate
- Greece boat disaster
- Hosepipe ban
- Podcast 643 Water Companies
- Podcast 625 Uk News Practice
- Podcast 556 Uk News Conversation
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