How to learn English? (30/30 Challenge)

[Monica28]

Hello!

I turned on the CNN TV channel today. It was about a famous man, Jimmy Savel, who committed sexual abuses to many boys in the past. None of them have ever talked, because the author had blackmailed them. One of the victimes decided to talk today, after tens of years and described what had happened. Here are some expressions that he used:
…try to burry the past, …a face of BBC loved by fans, … likeable person, …how much knew BBC of the events, …not worstning the situation, …one of the Al-Kaida’s most wanted, …tracing device.

Then I saw PSY who has been interviewed about his big hit “Kangram Style”. He said that neither he, nor his family had expected such a huge succes and that he taught 1000 people to dance the “horse dance”. About his next project he said that he was preparing a new dance style which is even more interesting.

I also saw Malala’s mother who said that people surname her daughter “everyone’s daughter” and that although she’s feeling much better, she has a long road to recovery.

[Monica28]

Hi!

I broke up the rules of the challenge today and I watched a funny movie which was subtitled.
I didn’t need to read, because it was easy to understand. It was about a little boy who had been turned into a bug. A Sunday movie for kids.

I’ve been attracted by the language which was colorful and full of idioms, so I tried to store what I liked, but it’s possible that I misunderstood some of them:

…kissy face, …start to snake now, …I don’t want to hear a bip out of you, …bugg off, …you’re bluffing me, …and we were off, …pin head, …don’t do a cow about it, …watch the lip (or beak), …you little perv, … take this opportunity, …stay away hen brain, …take another look at this incident.

[Monica28]

Hi!
I went back to the BBC Radio4 today and I got some information about recent events and other subjects:
- from comments on a cooking festival: ….the festival was set-up by …, …this event sent out a message; …the philosophy of cooking at home is back in fashion today, …feeding the children in the old-fashion way is nutritionally better; …left-overs, …a matter of wasting food.
- from a broadcast about women in boardroom seats or in boardrooms or on the boards of companies – I heard all these three expressions;
- from a broadcast about foster-children (children who have been adopted): …free up children’s time; …it doesn’t make any excuse.
- about the risks to be gay in Uganda: …death penalty and imprisonment; …sin is death; …the facts have been outed in media and in talk-shows.

[Monica28]

Hi!

I heard many words and phrases about Sandy hurricane today on the Radio. I wish I wouldn't have, because I feel very sorry for the people who suffer because of it.
The hurricane hit badly the eastern coast of the US and devastated New York city.
Here's what I heard:
...mega-storm, ...super-storm, ...once-in-a-century storm, ...the bigger disaster in a hundred years, major disaster declaired in New York, ...it turned into a winter-storm, ...people have been told to leave their homes, ...out of power, ...flooding, ...the mega-storm has humbled the city, ...people feeling the sense of humility, ...it will take days to restoring the electricity, ...emergency personnel, ...the generators failed, ...pacients have been evacuated, ...restriction of driving, ...no election campain going on today.

Now, some others, from other news:
...spending a great deal of money on..., children's home scandal, ...support teenagers who come from children's home, ...witness statements, ...the arbiters of the game, ...a more affordable energy, ...make the bad things going away, ...new projects are coming up, ...try to deal with it, ...screening can save lives from brests cancer.

[Kati Svaby]

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Hi Monica,



As my daughter live in North Carolina they told us on 28th October that the Sandy wouldn't touch Chapel Hill and they are not in danger. This film was made on this day. Today evening I watched on TV - at my great surprise - that the hurricane arrived in their town. It was a snow-storm and snowploughs were cleaning the roads. Their Skype didn't work, so I couldn't speak to them.

NASA explore, 2012.10.28.

"What are your thoughts? An animation of NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) /VGOES-13 satellite observations from Oct. 26-28, 2012, show Hurricane Sandy move out of the Bahamas and its western clouds spread over the U.S. eastern seaboard. The circulation is evident over the Atlantic Ocean as Sandy moved northward.

NASA's TRMM Satellite Sees Super-Soaking Sandy

This hybrid Sandy is also a super soaker. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite can measure rainfall from space. Oct. 27 at 1907 UTC (3:07 p.m. EDT), NASA's TRMM satellite saw that rain associated with Hurricane Sandy storm's center, was moderate and falling at a rate of 20 to 40 mm per hour (1.57 inches per hour). The heaviest rainfall at the time of the image was falling west of the center (and closest to the U.S. East Coast) at a rate of more than 2 inches (50 mm) per hour.

During the morning hours of Oct. 28, Sandy has been maintaining a small area of deep (strong) convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up the hurricane) near the center.

The National Hurricane Center has issued Flood Watches for the U.S. East coast and interior areas because Sandy is huge, slow moving and can drop up to 2 inches of rain per hour.

This visualization was created by the NASA GOES Project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Credit: NASA GOES Project"

Bye:
Kati
_________________
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

[Monica28]

Hi, Kati

Mother Nature showed us again its power, it has always been frightening, but people are smarter and smarter, so you'll be able to talk to your daughter soon, you'll see.
Snow-storm you said? This rain was a little crazy I'd say.
Bye.
Monica

[Mujibur]

Hello Monica and everyone there,

Following are some of the phrases I jot down for the BBC Radio 4 listening:

She has witnessed her behavior - because the communication has broken down - it’s incredibly difficult – concern for the future wellbeing - between both parents – that favors the majority – existence of violence and abuse – he is her father – effectively starting from the scratch – it doesn’t matter what he has done in the past – less painful – for children in particular – already underway – she has now written a book – working pattern – he really used it as a learning exercise – I have been lucky enough – on the world scale – entirely unrelated - pictorial guides – while I made the television series – quite a large multilayered summit – extraordinary man – the helicopter pushed him along – the want to overcome when the get to the lakes – from the filming point of view – it was a wonderful experience – mountain rescue team – because your mobile phone would probably not work – thank you very much indeed – vampires - most powerful women in the country -

With warm regards,

Mujibur
_________________
I'm trying to be consistent in learning the English language skills.

[Monica28]

Hi Mujibur,
Glad to see you!

Let's exchange phrases now:
...to boost the economy, ...to take another strike, ...from disaster to pride, ...referees=arbiters, ...hosting a party, ...his family life was very much on hold, ...it double-marked me, ...working on the speed record, ...she doesn't want you around, ...the father was very strict, ...tender moments, ...I was fitted-in, ...you unscrambled yourself. The last one is like this: "to be or not to be" correct what I heard :) I can't remember the context and when I think at scrambled eggs ...

Bye,
Monica

[Monica28]

Hello!

I got used to listening radio programmes in English. I really enjoy it.
I saved again some expressions that sound interesting:
... see where the problems lay, ..put pressure on the supply chain, ...a new player introduced onto the field, ...products exhaustively tested, ...three days suspension, ...trapped in their homes, pieces to putting together, ...things are eventually resolved, ...emotional support, ...chilly wind (I love this), ...some decent sun (I love this too), ...a cut in the budget would be unrealistic, ...wishful thinking.

I wonder: a person who is "wishful thinking" wishes something all the time, can't think at anything without wishing something? I can't recall the context.

Monica

[Beeesneees]

'Wishful thinking' indicates that someone is hoping that something will happen, but doesn't have a real basis to expect that it will. In fact, it probably won't happen , but it doesn't stop them from hoping — and acting as though it were true.
_________________
"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett

[Monica28]

OK,
Thank you, Beees!

[Monica28]

Hi everyone!

30/30 Challenge is over for me today. It's the 30th day.
I listened to an interview with a woman whose twenty-years-old daughter had disappeared because she had been kidnaped and killed.
It was a real and sad story; two phrases of the woman impressed me the most:
"She never missed her mother's day in her life" and
"Never in a million years would I thought that she was burried somewhere".

************************

In the end of this race, I can say that it was a GOOD EXPERIENCE! I'll share with you my reasons:

I can understand British English much better.
I discovered many expressions and, by writing them on the Forum, I had a good feed-back: Beeesneees, to whom I'm very thankful, explained me the ones I misunderstood and also those which I didn't understand at all;

I know what my radio preferences are: the programmes based on interviews and true life stories; I also know where I can find them: on "BBC Radio 5 Live".

I know that if I continue listening, I'll understand News programmes better and better.

I said once that I wanted to complete this challange because I wanted to see what happens. Well, it happened!
When I speak, I can find my words much more easily than before, and I'm much more interested in idioms when I listen.
I discovered it last week, while spending some time with my American friends: my words came "just like that" as Mr. Kyaw say..., so it was easier to making myself understood; I also had time to observe, and I really savoured the way they were speaking.

So, my experience say that this challenge is worth to do, because it brings very good results and ... who knows? listening some authentic English every day might become a new habit which help us improving our English, continuously.

[Monica28]

I did it! What did I do?

Three times the same message?!
It must be my mouse. I chose Preview and then something happened.
Or maybe the witches of Halloween tripled my message tonight?

So, people from everywhere, read it just once!
Thank you.

Monica

[Torsten]

Halloween Gremlins, I'd say.

TOEIC listening, photographs: A worker

[Monica28]

Yes.
This one, I think.