Responses to readers
Dear Everyone,
Thank you all for continuing to blog. Here are some individual responses to you all. I have written words in CAPITAL LETTERS where I have reworded sections from your posts. Thank you for all of your comments and please keep blogging.
Hi Mark – I got all the numbers from a TV programme. I have a big imagination, but I am not that good with numbers! I think this is the first time you have written a response to one of my blogs, so let me say “hello” to you officially. But tell me, is Mark and Italian name? Are you Italian?
Hello Yanko. This is modern live or LIFE? It would be difficult for US to give up our cell phones etc. How could WE do it? I like your ‘out of curiosity’ question about transport. When I lived in London, I had a 2-hour commute to work each way. Now, it’s 15 minutes door to door (that means from leaving the door of my house to arriving at the door of my office) Over a lifetime? Steve is busy trying to work it out for me…
Hello Shu – I am glad we can help you learn a second LANGUAGE. Thanks for taking the time to write us a reply. Where in Japan do you live?
Hello again busy bee Pary – you don’t have to apologise about not commenting on every blog. It’s great to hear from you when you have the time. I also think the breakfast you describe is disgusting. But, I am sure that some people must like it. You are also right – don’t think about how many beauty productS (or cosmetics) we women use. Well done for doing the vocabulary. I will post the answers tomorrow, to give everyone the chance to do them.
Hi Anwar - good to hear from you and I am always happy to share INFORMATION with you. Does a third of food BOUGHT by rich people really end up in the rubbish dump without BEING eaten? Do you know that in the UK most food has a ‘sell by’ and ‘eat by’ date on it? These refer to the date by which a produce must be sold (or the supermarket will throw it out) or, once you have bought it, the date by which the product must be eaten. A lot of people think that once the food has reached its sell by date, then you need to throw it out, but in my opinion that is not always true. It’s such a waste. Anyway, I think we are both ‘singing off the same hymn sheet’ (this is a cliché which means ‘we agree with each other) about food waste etc.
Hi Habooba – lovely to hear from you again. I like your approach to trying to work out what’s in my blog. I will try to find more pictures to keep you GUESSING next time. Please remind me which country you are from, as it wasn't mentioned in your blog. Thanks for your comments.
Hello JinHee and welcome to the blog. Please tell us more about yourself. What do you do in Seoul (are you working, are you a student etc) and one fact about yourself that you would like to share with everyone. Thank you for blogging and speak to you soon.
Hi Silwal. Good to hear from you again. I like your word ‘edutainment’. I agree with you that using a movie does have some DRAWBACKS with the language level. But, I think that by typing up some of the difficult or crucial passages, so that students can read as well as listen, I can overcome these. What do you think? Thank you for your kind wishes for the success of the programme.
Hello Tanya. Nice to hear from you again. I am sorry to hear that you don’t ENJOY going to the cinema. Please tell me more about your collection of GOOD OLD (word order here…) videos that you BUY in second hand shops. This is a great place to buy things. What about the internet – do you use sites like e-bay, for example, to buy movies? Death on the Nile PRICED at only 5 euros sounds like a bargain to me, you LUCKY lady. I hope you had a good evening listening TO Agatha Christies. Bye for now.
Hello Bezya – I think this is the first time we have spoken (blogged!) so hello and thanks for your comments. Phrasal verbs are a minefield (this means they are very difficult). I have give Cris some exercises on phrasal verbs already, so have a look back (there’s a phrasal verb for you!) through our blogs to find some exercises you can do. I’m going to give you some examples of how to use the phrasal verbs you mentioned. Can you notice any differences in usage?
I don’t want to end our relationship
I don’t want this blog to end
I don’t want to end up alone.
If you don’t work hard at school you might end up with a bad job.
Please clean the flat while I’m out.
Can you clean up this mess please?
Hello Ana Paula – how are you doing? You are lucky to have so many arthouse cinemas in Sao Paulo. When I lived at home back in Newcastle, I also used to go to matinees. I always liked going to the cinema in the afternoon. What film would you next like to see?
Hi Praveen Raj – I am studying my degree through the Open University, which is an English institution. To study at most universities in Thailand you need to speak Thai, and sadly my Thai is not that good. Hope you had a good week yourself and speak to you soon.
Hello Chaos – how are you doing? Have a look at the photo in the blog of my son eating chocolate. And I talk about chocolate at the beginning. That’s why it’s called ‘chocolate’. Tell me more about your life in China.
Hi Paulraj – have you never seen a movie ON the internet? Please don’t feel guilty about not making any comments over the past week. You must be very busy with your job. It is good to hear from you when you have time.
Hello Vladimir – thanks for blogging again. I look forward to your challenging comments :-) Don’t you think I am entitled to complain about where I live, even just a little bit? I’ve tried your version of cooking hot chocolate. A friend of mine once went to Mexico, and brought me back a box of chocolate tablets. I used to mix them with hot milk, as you describe, to make hot chocolate. Quite a lengthy process, but quite delicious. Keep blogging!
Night night everyone,
Anne.
PS - Happy St George's Day
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Day)
Comments
Hi Anne! Sorry i couldn't post any comment from last few days because im not feeling well. Actually, i remain in a depressed mood mostly dont know why?:(. Dont you feel depressed sometimes?. Anyways tc and bye.
Hi Anne: thank you very much for your wishes of hapiness about St George's Day. Here in Catalonia is a nice day because there are many books outdoors in the street and people go walking, and buying books. One of our traditions is to give a rose to the women and a book to a men (boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, children, friends, colleagues .... ) Do you know this tradition? Ah, my husband has given me a red rose and I have given him a new book that I has bought today!!! Bye bye
Hello, Anne! Thank you for correcting my mistakes. I am fighting with linking words, phrasal verbs, present participles and so on, so I am trying to use them all but not very successfully. I am needed a time! About movies: it is too expensive to go to the cinema! Why I have to pay 10-15 euro to see a movie? I can buy some videos in second-hand shop only for 1 euro each! Of course, these videos are out of date but I am from former Soviet Union, so I never saw them! Anyway I spend too much money… If I have to spend, I prefer books, computer programmes, ballet and so on. Videos are a part of my spending too and I have a collection of a new world. As I understand, my videos are mostly American videos: Columbia Pictures, Disney and some other companies. It is sounds funny but I only find actors like Bruce Willis, Audrey Hepburn etc... Of course, I heard these names before, but I newer saw actors in movies. So I will have an excellent life: the whole new world is opened to me: books, songs, countries, languages, movies… The leader of my videos is “My Fair Lady” with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Garrison: I wanted to hear the real good English and I can listen to it now. But my real favourite film is “The Phantom of the Opera”. The music is fantastic: I was singing the whole week after I saw DVD with this movie. Just now I bought next two new videos: “A Simple Wish” – it is for children, but I adore children movies - and “The Kid” – I am afraid, it is for children too. So I am going to watch my children’s movies now. Bye,
Hello Anne, Yesterday I was seeing some art work and I saw one that impressed me very much made of bamboo. Guess what...it was made in Thailand...so far from here! This made me immediately remind of you and your blogs. Unluckily I've been losing many lessons due to other activities in my routine and I need to read some of them(the blogs and lessons), especially about food because it's the topic we are going to talk about in our next skype meeting. I explain...I and some students from BBC LE meet on skype in order to pratice the speaking and listening skills. It's like a learning circle. We choose a subject, read about it before the meetings and then, speak about it. I hope you understand my absence, what is a shame because I love your blogs and lessons. See you soon Adri
Hi Readers: I have read all your comments. Adriana, please could you explain more about "Skype meeting"; what is the mean for the word Skype"? It sounds very interesting. Many thanks in advance. Everybody: Have a nice day! Mercè
Hi Anne, I have never seen any movie on the internet. Could you give me some of the web address to watch movie in English. As I told you in the last blog it is not possible for us to see English movie in my place. When I was doing my college studies my friends invited me to go for English movie when ever they had gone. But I always refused to go with them. I did not realize that it will help me to learn the language. But I felt it very much now. Thanks for your encouragement. I want to make a comment like writing a diary every day. I Know that it will help us to gain confidence in writing and overcome the mistake.
Hello Anne, when I read the blogging system in the bbc wordservice/learning, it was really exiting to me, I think it will be one of the way to improve our information, I'm one of the englisg learner student, I onle have six month to improve my english, please show me some easeier and interesting way of studying. If you reply my email it will incourage me to keep in contact with you. your censerly Mohammadullah
Dear Anne, The word “edutainment”, I have read several times in various articles in internet. I just tried to recapitulate whatever I read. Nowadays using PowerPoint presentation, slide show, DVD, audio cassettes, and English movies to teach language is a fashion in Kathmandu. Here are so many institutions which emphasis teaching English using electronic media. It is not sure how much capable resource person they are using. I still remember some of my teachers who are incapable of interpret numerical problems written in English except what they used as course books. One day, our private tutor wasn’t able to solve numerical problem in his previous class and same problem raised by one of my colleagues. We started to read that problem and try to translate in Nepali. In that time, we were fortunate to understand it properly in Nepali and teacher was able to solve that problem numerically. In that day, he told us frankly that his English wasn’t so good though he taught several batch in English in campus.
Hi Anne, Whoa! Yippee! Blimey! Y’day an Angel came in my dream and talked to me. Am I dreaming? No, bogging. Thanks Anne, you made my day. Anne, are u doing through Distance learning mode? Any way all the best. Even I completed my post graduation through distance mode. Vocabulary- 1. Doing many task at a time 2.from birth to death 3. Serious 4. Make 5. Waste buried 5. A British guy 6. Synthetic beauty products. Cheers! Praveen Raj
Hi,Anne,i am fine,thanks,and you?I find the time flows so slowly these days,and i feel boring all the time.Because the classes is not very much,we have lots of time to rest.Eating,sleeping and eating again.And sometimes use photoshop to make some funny pictures.That's all my life.During the boring time,some friends advise me to find a girlfriend,however,good from far is far from good.Agree with me?.Although I know I am wasting my life,I don't know what to do and how to do. Whatever,even so,I wish you enjoy your weekends too. Bye for now.
hai anne this first time i am writing one letter to you .i wish i could write letters like you.here i am working as an engr planning to do IELTS this year.iusually read news from bbc news site .Accidently i opened your blog site it is intersting for learners like me.thanks bye for now take care.....
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