LANGUAGE EXPLORER

Hello everyone,

Hello everybody,

I would like to thank those people who have listened to my podcasts and read my blog over the past year. It’s fantastic for me to know that people like what I have prepared and discussed. I am not a teacher - but as a language student (although quite old now…lol) I can understand the difficulties faced when learning languages and so, maybe I could consider myself a sort of friendly language guide.

Please let me know any subjects about English life, culture and language you might be interested to know more about and I’ll see what I can do in 2008!

One thing I can tell you is that next year the city of Liverpool is to be the “European Capital of culture 2008″ which is exciting - and after all, this is the home of “The Beatles” - one of my favourite bands.

Next year I am planning a new podcast site for some guitar-based songs I am recording. I hope you like them.

I hope next year you can all realise your ambitions and dreams. In 2008 I would like to improve my Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese - I hope I can do this.

So to each and everyone of you, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lancashire, England.

Vielen Dank, merci bien, gracias, obrigado, spasibo, xie xie …….

Here’s a website about my region of England: www.pendle.net

Many thanks once again

Bye for now

Alan

Hello everybody,

I would like to thank those people who have listened to my podcasts and read my blog over the past year. It’s fantastic for me to know that people like what I have prepared and discussed. I am not a teacher - but as a language student (although quite old now…lol) I can understand the difficulties faced when learning languages and so, maybe I could consider myself a sort of friendly language guide.

Please let me know any subjects about English life, culture and language you might be interested to know more about and I’ll see what I can do in 2008!

One thing I can tell you is that next year the city of Liverpool is to be the “city of culture 2008″ which is exciting - and after all, this is the home of “The Beatles” - one of my favourite bands.

Next year I am planning a new podcast site for some guitar-based songs I am recording. I hope you like them.

I hope next year you can all realise your ambitions and dreams. In 2008 I would like to improve my Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese - I hope I can do this.

So to each and everyone of you, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lancashire, England.

Vielen Dank, merci bien, gracias, obrigado, spasibo, xie xie …….

Here’s a website about my region of England: www.pendle.net

Many thanks once again

Bye for now

Alan

This is just a note to wish all of my listeners/readers a Happy Christmas.

Here’s my present for you. It’s a link to an onine book about language learning. It is in English, written by an american who has attained fluency in French.

http://www.signiform.com/french/

I read this with interest a few years ago. I noticed that the website still has the book - and you may find it as interesting to read as I did.

Another podcast coming soon - hopefully before Christmas.

In a few days my wife and I will visit the Christmas markets in Cologne - I’ll tell you a little about them in a podcast.

Just an idea - maybe you would like me to read some stories like a “Talking book”? Let me know if you like the idea.

Take care

Alan

http://www.free-short-stories.org.uk/short-christmas-stories.htm

nice site for short stories in English

you can read this poem on my blog with some word explanations

alanpalmer.blogspot.com

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there. (T’was = It was. St Nicholas = Santa Claus)

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. (nestled all snug= comfortable, ‘kerchief=handkerchief, nap = sleep)

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. (clatter = noise, flew like a flash=quickly, tore open = opened quickly, sash = type of window slide opening)

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. (breast (here) = on the top of, lustre = appearance of the light)

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! (coursers = (here) the reindeers)

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!” (dash away = move away quickly)

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound. (prancing and pawing = the movement of reindeers hooves on the roof, with a bound (here) = jumped quickly out of the chimney)

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack. (peddler = old name for street trader, flung = swung onto with force)

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. (twinkled = sparkled/shone, droll = amusing)

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! (stump = short end of something,encircled = all around, wreath = circular garland, jelly = geletine dessert)

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. (chubby/plump = quite fat, jolly = happy, dread= fear)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose! (straight to = immediately, jerk = quick movement, finger aside of his nose (here)= a gesture with finger meaning that the other person should not speak, nod = tip head forward, rose= went up)

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!” (down= soft featherlike part of thistle, thistle =plant, ‘ere =before)

Hello everyone
I hope you like my new guitar tune introduction which I recorded yesterday. I wanted a new tune for 2008 – but I’m starting early by changing it now.
Today my weekend words is about Christmas traditions in England. It might be interesting for you to see what we different traditions we have here compared with where you live.
Firstly, the celebration of Christmas is not just a religious festival here. It has become the main winter holiday for England and most people now can take maybe up to 10 days off work to celebrate Christmas and also the New Year. In the USA for example, there are other celebrations that the whole country can take part in, such as Thanksgiving and Independence Day. In France, Bastille Day is very important. However in my country there a very few holidays where many people take a holiday at the same time. Christmas and New Year represent our biggest holiday celebration of the year where people give presents, remember family and friends with presents and cards and also take some time off work or even have a holiday in another country.
So unless you are particularly religious, for us, Christmas actually begins on the 25th December. Some people do have family parties on the evening of the 24th, but this is quite rare.
Those people who are religious would go to church on evening of the 24th. Catholics for example have “midnight mass” which is held late in the evening. For other people, the 24th or “Christmas Eve” is the time to go out to visit friends, go to pubs or clubs and enjoy the holiday late into the night.
For those with young families, it is the night when Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) visits and brings presents. When I was young, we used to hang up an old pillow case or large stocking by the fire which would have presents inside it in the morning.
Usually the day starts with presents being given to family – especially children. The most common traditional family lunch is roast turkey (or chicken) with roast potatoes and mashed potatoes, boiled or steamed brussel sprouts and carrots for vegetables, a rich meat gravy sauce and stuffing which consists of breadcrumbs and herbs baked in the oven as a soft dough. Some people prefer pork and this can be eaten with apple or cranberry sweet sauce. Of course for those people who are vegetarians, there is the choice of maybe some roast vegetables with garnish of herbs such as parsley or thyme.
The traditional dessert is “Christmas pudding” which is a steamed pudding using a mixture of dried fruits and cake mixture to bind it all together. This is eaten with a white sweet sauce to look like a snow cap. Some people don’t eat the pudding with sauce or maybe they would eat ice cream with it.
To finish off the meal, there are mince pies which are small pastries filled with dried fruit sweet sauce called “mincemeat” – which in the past was real meat, but now is fruit.
For drinks – many people like to drink whisky or brandy (and sometimes some brandy is added to the christmas pudding and set alight for a few seconds prior to serving it. This makes the flavour very strong.
The afternoon is usually the time to visit family or invite friends to come and visit. The day will be quite quiet as many people have eaten a lot by then. Even meals can be a buffet snack so that people can eat as much or as little as they prefer to.
Often the children will be tired and maybe ready for bed quite soon as they had woke up very early to see what presents “Father Christmas” had brought them.
For other people who don’t have children, or young adults – they often go out to visit people or go to a pub (public house)
So that is “Christmas Eve and Christmas Day” – I’ll tell you about the 26th of December (known as Boxing day) next time.
Take care and bye for now

New intro tune
Words on my blog
Take care
Alan