English Listening Practise 5

Italian Factfile 17
booking a hotel room
Learn with television
Talk Italian: Programme 4
Visit the mountain town of Barga in northern Tuscany with Claudia and Cronos who have booked a hotel room over the phone. Find out too about agriturismo (farmhouse holidays) in Braccicorti.
Talk Italian is repeated regularly on BBC Learning Zone (BBC Two). Check out the details on www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone then video the programmes to watch at your leisure.
Learn online www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian
Italian Steps: Stage 2: Spelling your name
Watch Giovanna checking into a hotel then have a go at the activities so that you can be as cool as she is when you go to Italy. Find out how to get the accommodation you want, whether it’s a room with a view in Florence or a simple pensione.
Talk Italian: L’albergo
Find out how to book a hotel room in advance and get used to the questions you’re likely to hear when you check in. Watch the video clips, then do the activities and check your progress.
Learning hint
Watch the section on television where Claudia and Cronos book into the hotel in Barga. Play it again, this time taking the role of the guests yourself. Pause the TV after the receptionist’s side of the conversation and see if you can remember the guests’ words. Release the pause button to check your version against the original. When you’re word-perfect, play it again without pausing the television, but speaking at the same time as the guests, karaoke style.
Key language
Avete? Do you have?
Vorrei prenotare I’d like to book
Ho/ Abbiamo prenotato I’ve/ we’ve booked
una camera singola/ doppia a single/ double room
una matrimoniale a double-bedded room
con doccia with shower
con vista with a view
con prima colazione with breakfast
Ha una prenotazione? Have you got a reservation?
Per quante notti? For how many nights?
per stasera for tonight
per tre notti for 3 nights
Il suo nome? Your name?
la sua chiave your key
un documento a document (identity)
Ecco Here you are
Quiz
1. If the receptionist says they need una firma, do they want a means of identification, your company name, your car registration number, a signature or a deposit?
2. What’s una residenza?
3. Your room number is 268; how do you say that in Italian?
4. How would you ask at a hotel reception if they have a double-bedded room with shower?
5. And, in response to Per quante notti?, how would you say it’s for five nights?
6. You’ve booked ahead. When you arrive, how would you tell the receptionist that you’ve booked a single room with a view for two nights?
Answers on www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/answers.shtml
© Get Talking: BBC/Learning and Skills Council joint project 2004
BBC Learning English
The English We Speak
8 March 2011
Awesome
The English We Speak © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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William: Hello, and welcome to the English We Speak, I'm William.
Yang Li: And I'm Yang Li…
William: And your task, Yang Li, is to guess today's word, ok?
Yang Li: OK.
William: Awesome. Li, try some of this cake…
Yang Li: A cake? Oh, thanks! That's very nice…
William: Do you like it? Awesome. They're pretty awesome cakes, huh?!
Yang Li: Yes, and I think I know what this week's word is. It's…
William: Hang on Li, try some of this coffee as well – it's really…
Yang Li: Awesome?
William: Exactly - it's really awesome. You got it. So listen to this. Which three
adjectives are used in this clip?
Example
This party is awesome. The food is amazing. The wine is excellent.
Yang Li: Awesome, amazing and excellent.
William: That's right. Awesome means excellent or amazing.
Yang Li: Awesome. This word has existed in English for a long time, hasn't it?
William: Yes, and it used to mean awe-inspiring. So awe means great respect or
admiration, so something that’s awesome or awe-inspiring makes you feel
great respect and admiration.
Yang Li: Full of respect and admiration. But now it just means cool?
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William: Exactly, and that’s thanks to the influence of American slang. So the word
can now be used to describe almost anything.
Examples
These shoes are awesome.
This is an awesome radio programme.
Wow! You are awesome at singing, mate!
William: And there is one slightly different usage of this word. Listen to this.
Example
A: Are you free to come for hotpot tonight?
B: Yes, I should be.
A: Awesome. That makes four of us!
William: So what does awesome mean in that clip, Li?
Yang Li: It's like when we say 'great' at the beginning of a sentence.
William: Well, that's it, yeah, exactly. Awesome can also be used at the beginning of a
sentence to indicate agreement or approval.
Yang Li: Awesome! That's clear now.
William: Awesome. And that's the end of this awesome programme.
Yang Li: William, do you have any cakes left?
William: Er, just one. Do you want to share it, Li?
Yang Li: Awesome. Bye.
William: Bye.
BBC Learning English
The English We Speak
22 February 2011
Green
The English We Speak © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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Green
Wang Fei: Welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Wang Fei!
Finn: And I'm Finn!
Wang Fei: Finn has decided to take us out for a ride on his new motorbike today and
he's very proud of it.
Finn: I am, very proud of it. I thought it would be good to get out of the studio.
Look at all the beautiful, green fields around us, Wang Fei.
Wang Fei: Yes, beautiful green fields. That's the word for the day isn't it: green?
Finn: Green, yes!
Wang Fei: A bit easy, isn't it? Everyone knows the colour green!
Finn: The colour green? No, not that meaning, Wang Fei!
Wang Fei: So, what do you mean? Green as in good for the environment?
Finn: No, not that green either!
Wang Fei: Oh, ok, maybe another green? Oh ok, maybe, green with envy? I know
that phrase, that means to envy somebody, doesn't it?
Finn: Yes, that's right. But what are you envious about, Wang Fei? That's not
what we're… oh! ... ahhh!
FX - CRASH
Both: Ow!
Wang Fei: Finn, you are a terrible, terrible driver!
Finn: I know.
Wang Fei: Will you tell me what this green means?!
Finn: I'm sorry Wang Fei. What I mean is I'm very green at riding motorbikes,
that's what I wanted to say. Green means inexperienced or new to
something.
Wang Fei: Oh, I see. So when do we use it?
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Finn: Well, normally we use it to describe someone who is new to a particular
job or skill.
Wang Fei: Ooh, I see. But I'm not feeling good. So why don't we listen to some
examples for a moment?
Examples
I'm a bit green at video editing, so it takes me a long time to edit things.
He's a bit green in this job so he's bound to need some help.
My uncle's very green at searching the internet. He prefers to go to the library.
Finn: Ok, time to go again, Wang Fei!
Wang Fei: (To himself) Hmm. But I'm still not feeling that great to be honest…
FX - BIKE STARTS
Finn: What was that, Wang Fei?
Wang Fei: Oh nothing. Let's go.
Finn: Wow, what beautiful countryside…
Wang Fei: Gosh, I'm really feeling ill to be honest. I'm worried we're going to crash
again.
Finn: Wang Fei, what did you say? Are you ok?
Wang Fei: Not really.
Finn: Oh no, you look bad. You've gone green!
Wang Fei: What?
Finn: You've gone green – it means you look ill!
Wang Fei: Another green phrase… Finn – can't you just concentrate on your driving!
Finn: Ok, sorry. OK then! Bye everyone…
Wang Fei: And wish me luck. Bye.
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Topic : English Jokes
Title : Looking for a wife
Source : www.manythings.org
Re-upload to www.haarrr.wordpress.com, intended for English learners in Indonesia.
LOOKING FOR A WIFE
Fred is 32 years old and he is still single.
One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a
good wife?"
Fred replied, "Actually, I've found many women that I have wanted to marry, but when I
bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."
His friend thinks for a moment and says, "I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl
who's just like your mother."
A few months later they meet again and his friend says, "Did you find the perfect girl? Did
your mother like her?"
With a frown on his face, Fred answers, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like
my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much."
The friend said, "Then what's the problem?"
Fred replied, "My father doesn't like her."
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