G. A. L. E. S. L.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • ESL Links
    • Links during Online Classes
    • General English
    • TOEIC
    • TOEFL
    • Online Conversation / Language Exchange
    • Listening
    • Vocabulary
    • Grammar
    • Verbs
    • Business English
    • Telephone English
    • Other Links
  • Articles
    • Q & A: Help with International Accents, Page 1 >
      • Accents page 2: Ask them to slow down
      • Accents page 3: Get to know other accents
      • Accents page 4: Using online accent resources: IDEA
      • Accents page 5: Using online accent resources: Speech Accent Archive
      • Accents page 6: Using online accent resources: Map Your Voice
    • Case Study: BMW and Rover
  • Conversation Issues
    • Nice to meet you
    • How have you been?
    • Where are you? / Where are you from?
    • meet a problem
    • colleagues
    • -ed [versus] -ing
    • borrow [versus] lend
    • "or" questions
    • Relax myself
    • Sorry for my late
    • Name card
  • Search
  • About / Contact
  • Sound Problems
    • Feedback & Echo
    • No Sound
    • Fans
    • Interruptions
    • Volume Level

University

19/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
A lecture theatre, with many students attending a maths lecture, listening to the lecturer and looking at the information projected on the screens.
Here I'll put some links useful for the topic of university life: videos (accessible in China), podcasts, articles, vocabulary etc.
British Council - Learn English
Videos, audio and exercises (all completely free) from the China version of the British Council, so the videos are always accessible in China.
(For students outside China, these links will still work. You can also just remove the ".cn" from the URL to get the international site.)
  • LearnEnglish.BritishCouncil.Org.Cn - Oxford: video & exercises about life in the city and at university
  • LearnEnglish.BritishCouncil.Org.Cn - Universities: listening & exercise about different aspects of university
  • LearnEnglish.BritishCouncil.Org.Cn - Student Money: listening & exercise about students giving tips about money & spendingwhile at university
  • ​LearnEnglish.BritishCouncil.Org.Cn - Student Power: listening & exercise about students going on strike
Culips
Free podcasts from a Canadian ESL site, although some extra materials require paid membership.
  • Culips - Chatterbox #1 – On Campus
  • Culips - Chatterbox #2 – Off Campus
  • Culips - Chatterbox #104 – Getting educated in Canada
  • Culips - Chatterbox #117 – Study habits
Articles
Some articles & websites with useful info about university life in the US.
  • CollegeXpress - A Day in the Life of a College Student
  • College Data - What Will College Life Be Like? (After reading, click the link "Student Profiles" for more examples & info)
  • Thoughtco - College Life. Designed for US students, but many useful articles & links
  • InternationalStudentGuideToTheUSA.com - Preparing International Students for College Life in the U.S.A.
Vocabulary
Here are some links to vocabulary lists from ESL dictionaries.​ Explore them and click on a word to see definitions and example sentences.
  • Oxford Learner's Dictionaries - University Life
  • Oxford Learner's Dictionaries - Exams and Degrees
  • Oxford Learner's Dictionaries - Study Routes
  • Oxford Learner's Dictionaries - University People
  • Cambridge Dictionary - University and College Education
  • Cambridge Dictionary - Subjects and Disciplines
  • Macmillan Dictionary - Universities and Colleges
  • Macmillan Dictionary - University and College Students
  • Macmillan Dictionary - The School or University Day
  • Macmillan Dictionary - Student Bodies and Groups of Students
  • Macmillan Dictionary - Courses of Study
  • Macmillan Dictionary - Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications
  • ​Macmillan DIctionary - Words used to Describe Schools and Colleges
  • Macmillan Dictionary - ​Rooms in Schools and Colleges
  • Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary - College and University Life
1 Comment

Finding a Home

2/6/2016

0 Comments

 
UPDATE 2017-05-23: Added Culips Simplified Speech #024. 2017-05-16: Added Culips Real Talk #14; expanded description of studio flat. 2017-03-22: Added British Council videos. 2017-2-27: All ESLPod.com links changed to Lizhi.fm. For more info, see this post: ESLPod Links Broken.
Picture
Here's a big post with videos, podcasts and vocabulary lists designed for students of English, related to finding a home.
Topics include:
  • The process of finding a place and steps involved in renting or buying.
  • The type of home: an apartment / flat or a house, the number and types of rooms in the home, the building and other amenities.
  • The style and decoration of the home, both inside and outside, and making changes or repairs.
  • The garden / yard attached to the house.
  • The area / location of the home.
  • Things in the home, which might be included when renting: e.g. furniture and appliances.
  • Other costs: services, utilities, maintenance charges etc.
  • Sharing with a roommate / flatmate / housemate.
  • ​Moving into a new home, and having a housewarming party to celebrate.
NOTE: In English, we often use the word "house" in conversation, compound words, phrases and idioms when talking about our home, even if it's actually an apartment.

Read More
0 Comments

Recruitment & Selection: Articles, Audio, Videos

10/5/2016

1 Comment

 
Update 2018-01-24: Removed dead About.com video links. 2017-05-16: Changed ESL Pod links to Lizhi.fm.
Here are some articles, podcasts and videos (accessible in China) on the task of recruitment and selection in human resources, including issues related to hiring someone from another country / relocating overseas. This involves thinking about organizing the process, gathering information about the job requirements, the personality the selected person should have, and issues related to working in a different country.
Picture

​Articles
  • Wikipedia - Recruitment
  • Australian Human Resources Institute - Recruitment and Selection
  • University of California, Riverside - Recruitment & Hiring Process
  • The Times Business Case Studies - Recruitment & Selection

Videos
  • Business English Pod - Video Vocab 43 English Vocabulary for Human Resources 1. Vocabulary for various HR issues including recruitment and selection.
    ​Students in China can get the video from the direct download link below.
    Direct download link (MP4, 54mb)

Podcasts
  • OneStopEnglish - Selection and recruitment (Go to "Related files" and listen to the audio). Overview of the whole process of recruitment and selection.
  • ESL Podcast 552 – Reviewing Job Applications
  • ​Business English Pod BEP 114 – Job Interviews: HR Review of Candidates
  • Business English Pod BEP 285 (Part 1) and BEP 286 (Part 2) - Idioms of Personality and Character. Businesspeople discuss which employee to select for an overseas assignment; who has the right personality for the job.
  • ​ESL Podcast 904 – Working Overseas
1 Comment

More Podcasts on Training

2/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Update 2017-3-7: Changed ESL Podcast links to Lizhi.fm. For more info, see this post: ESLPod Links Broken.
Picture
Here are some more podcasts related to training and development of employees.
Business English Pod

Meetings: Considering a Proposal

Discussing training vendor's proposal offering blended learning delivery model for language training.
  • Part 1 - BEP 173
  • Part 2 - BEP 174

Delivering Training
Giving training for customer service.
  • Part 1 - BEP 196
  • Part 2 - BEP 197

Human Resources: Training Manager
A training manager talks about her job: goals (including the acronym SMART), duties, methods, training programs, working with vendors, tracking results and evaluating outcomes.
  • BVP 02 – Human Resources: Training Manager

Video Vocab 44 - English Vocabulary for Human Resources, Part 2
Includes section on learning and development (also called training and development): on-the job training, coaching and leadership development. (Also includes other HR issues like talent mangement, performance review etc.). Students in China should use the direct download link.
  • VV 44 – English Vocabulary for Human Resources 2
  • Direct download link for video (MP4, 55mb)

ESL Pod
  • ESL Podcast 856 – Training Salespeople. Training for customer service & satisfaction for retail staff.
  • ESL Podcast 504 – Training Inexperienced Employees
  • ESL Podcast 162 - Training a New Employee
0 Comments

Podcasts on Brainstorming

30/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Update 2018-01-21: Added BEP32A & 32B. 2017-02-16: Updated ESLPod links to Lizhi.fm. For more info, see this post: ESLPod Links Broken.
Picture
Brainstorming is a type of meeting with the goal of coming up with lots of ideas. It can be useful in marketing, for example as part of new product development (NPD) or generating your marketing tactics. It might also be used to troubleshoot a problem or help plan a project.

Here are some ESL podcasts about brainstorming and idea generation (creating new ideas), with vocabulary and advice useful for brainstorming, meetings, marketing, troubleshooting, project management and business English in general.
Business English Pod
For the exercises/glossary etc for the Skills 360 podcasts, you will need Adobe Flash.
  • BEP 32 ADV – Meetings: Brainstorming & Discussing Ideas

  • BEP 270 – Brainstorming Meetings (Part 1) - brainstorming marketing ideas to increase sales and encourage customer loyalty.
  • BEP 271 – Brainstorming Meetings (Part 2)

  • Skills 360 – Running a Brainstorming Session 1
    Quiz, exercises, glossary explaining the vocabulary etc.
  • Skills 360 – Running a Brainstorming Session 2
    Quiz, exercises, glossary explaining the vocabulary etc.

  • Skills 360 – Organizing your Ideas (Part 1) - Frameworks for generating ideas. Mind map. Concept map. SWOT analysis.
    Quiz, exercises, glossary explaining the vocabulary etc.
  • Skills 360 – Organizing your Ideas (Part 2) - Organizing & screening ideas you came up with in the stage of idea generation.
    Quiz, exercises, glossary explaining the vocabulary etc.

  • BEP 32 A – English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (Part 1) - Brainstorming, discussing and narrowing down ideas to solve a problem. Includes phrases for polite disagreement and participating in a conference call.
  • BEP 32 B – English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (Part 2)
ESLpod.com
  • ESL Podcast 141 - A Brainstorming Session - ideas for raising funds.
0 Comments

Podcasts on Coffee Shops

5/11/2015

 
Update 2016-12-30: Updated ESLPod links to Lizhi.fm. See ESL Pod Links Broken for more info.
Update 2016-11-18: Fixed Culips #1 link. Added Culips #164.
Update 2015-12-11: Added Business English Pod 134.

Picture
Whether we call it a coffee shop, coffee house or café, a place where we can buy and drink some coffee is a part of many people's everyday lives, be it just for the coffee, or somewhere to hang out with friends, go on a date or even take your laptop and do some work.

More info on coffee shops / coffee houses / cafés:
  • Wikipedia - Coffee house
Here are some podcasts on coffee and coffee shops.
  • ESL Podcast 34 - Cafe Living
    Hanging out at the coffee shop, the kinds of coffee and food, the people who spend time there and how.
  • Culips - Simplified Speech #1 – Coffee
    Types of coffee, coffee vs tea, habits, effects etc.
  • Culips - Chatterbox #164 - Café Culture
    Life in the café: not just coffee, but food, hanging out with friends, passing the time reading or writing, live performances of poetry or music, wifi etc. Comparing coffee shops to cafés.
  • ESL Podcast 795 – Ordering Coffee and Tea
    Types of coffee (like latte, espresso, etc) or tea, getting decaf, extras like cream, sugar etc
  • ​ESL Podcast 418 – Getting Bad Service (at a Coffee House)
    Getting bad service when ordering a coffee from a barista at the counter.
  • Business English Pod 1354 - Getting Online at the Coffee Shop
    Business travellers often visit coffee shops not just for the coffee and snacks, but also for the wi-fi, so they can get online and check their e-mails or do other things that require an internet connection. Listen as the barista helps the customer connect to their wireless network.

Podcasts on Weddings

28/10/2015

 
Update 2017-04-14: Added Real Life 142. 2017-01-20: Updated ESL Podcast & ESL Café links to Lizhi.fm. For more info, see this post: ESLPod Links Broken. Added Culips Catchword #20 & Catchword #168. 2016-07-02: Added ESLPod 166, 167, 807, 278, 133 & 765.
Picture
The bride, wearing white and holding a bouquet, and the groom, wearing a dinner jacket (US: tuxedo) and bow tie, smile as the guests celebrate by throwing confetti on the newlyweds.
Re our class on weddings, here are some related podcasts.
General
  • ESL Pod English Café 337
    Discusses several topics.
    2nd topic (starts about 11'15"): Overview of getting married in the US.
    Topics discussed: where to get married, who does it, religion, proposing & engagement, parties, eloping, ceremonies, the reception, the honeymoon etc
  • Luke's English Podcast - 286. The Wedding Episode
    Very long podcast (an hour and a half) about the ESL teacher's own wedding, including organizing it, all the emotions, choosing a civil wedding over a religious one,  and the meaning of marriage to him and his wife. 
  • RealLife Radio #142 – Getting Married in English
    Long podcast (55") all about getting married and how weddings are celebrated in western culture. Lots of wedding terms and expressions, and all the aspects of a typical marriage ceremony. 
Before the Wedding
  • ESL Podcast 258 – Moving in Together
    ​Many couples in Western countries live together before getting married.
  • Culips - Chatterbox #57 - Getting Engaged
    How, when and where people propose, who proposes, related phrases like "tie the knot", the engagement ring, being engaged, how long people stay engaged. Also preparing for the wedding: planning, costs etc.
  • Culips - Catch Word #168 – Let’s get married!
    Words & phrases for proposing marriage and getting married (pop the question, get hitched, tie the knot) with examples and a little cultural explanation.
  • ESL Podcast 166 - A Marriage Proposal I and ESL Podcast 167 - Marriage Proposal Part II
    A man tries to choose the right time and place to pop the question to the woman he loves.
  • ESL Podcast 807 – Getting an Unexpected Marriage Proposal
    A man expresses his feelings for a woman and then gets down on one knee  and asks her to marry him.
  • ESL Podcast 278 – Meeting the Future In-laws
    One big step before getting married is meeting the parents of your future spouse.
  • ESL Podcast 939 – Planning a Wedding 
    Some people even hire a wedding planner / coordinator to help them organize everything, like setting the date, booking the venue, getting a caterer for the wedding reception, a wedding photographer, a videographer etc.
  • ESL Podcast 905 – Getting a Marriage License
    A marriage licence is a permit showing the two people can legally get married, required before the wedding. You might need to show a licence to the officiant (the person who officially carries out the wedding), often a priest or a judge, in order to get married.
  • ESL Café 185
    Discusses several topics.
    2nd topic: the wedding shower / bridal shower, a party for the woman (the bride) before she gets married, perhaps organized by a bridesmaid or maid of honour (a female friend who helps the bride with wedding-related issues).
    3rd topic: the wedding registry, a list of gifts the couple would like.
  • ESL Podcast 399 – A Bachelor Party
    A bachelor party is for the man (the groom / bridegroom) and his male friends before he gets married, organized by the best man (a male friend or relative who helps the groom with wedding-related issues), also attended by the groomsmen (other male friends/relatives helping the groom).
On the Day
  • ESL Podcast 462 – Having Doubts About Getting Married
    Sometimes people get cold feet (very nervous about doing something) about getting married, even on the day of their wedding. Talks about the members of the wedding party.
  • Culips - Catch Word #20 – Cold Feet
    More on the idea of getting cold feet before taking a big step in your life.
  • ESL Podcast 303 – A Traditional Wedding
    A description of what happens and what is said at a typical American wedding ceremony, and types of wedding, like a church wedding versus a civil ceremony. (The classic style is a white wedding.)
  • ESL Podcast 133 - Going to a Wedding
    Talking about the experience from the point of view of a guest.
Other
  • English Café 225
    ​Discusses several topics. 
    1st topic: Civil rights for gay people, including marriage.
  • ESL Podcast 765 – Annulling a Marriage
    If the marriage should not have happened (like you immediately realize it was a big mistake), you can get it annulled (as though it never happened).

Podcasts on Furnishing and Decorating a New Home

16/9/2015

0 Comments

 
UPDATE 2017-10-22: Added Giles Parker and Culips CB#196. 2017-2-27: All ESLPod.com links changed to Lizhi.fm. For more info, see this post: ESLPod Links Broken.
Picture
Here are some podcasts on furnishing and decorating a new home.
  • Giles Parker English Academy - Pass the paint pot - Imperatives and phrasal verbs (a podcast about grammar & politeness but the final conversation is about painting a home)
  • Culips - Chatterbox #196 - Kitchen Renovation (about making an old kitchen better by renovating it: getting rid of the old decoration, equipment etc and making a new kitchen)
  • ESL Podcast 310 – Shopping for Furniture
  • ESL Podcast 469 – Rearranging Living Room Furniture
  • ESL Podcast 766 – Describing Shapes and Sizes (of furniture etc)
  • ESL Podcast 1117 – Assembling Furniture
  • ESL Podcast 675 – Having Furniture Delivered
  • ESL Podcast 131 - Sharing an Apartment (describing different rooms and the things in them)
  • ESL Podcast 168 - The Home Improvement Store (to buy things to decorate or improve your home)
0 Comments

Staying at a Hotel: Podcasts

10/9/2015

 
Update 2017-01-06: Updated ESL Pod links to Lizhi.fm. (For more info see this post: ESL Pod Links Broken.) Added ESL Podcast 138, 382,
Update 2016-06-20: Added ESLpod 247, 461, 635, 690, 711, 801, 914 & 1162, and BEP 89, 283 & 284.
Picture
Re our classes on travel and staying at a hotel, here are a few relevant podcasts.
Researching / Choosing a Hotel
  • ESL Podcast 801 – Reading Online Reviews
  • ESL Podcast 461 – Using a Guidebook
  • ESL Podcast 382 – Types of Hotels and Accommodations
Making Reservations
  • ESLPodcast 110 - Hotel Reservations
  • ESL Podcast 690 – Types of Views
  • ESL Podcast 1034 – Making Changes to a Hotel Reservation
  • BEP 79 INT – Travel: Making a Hotel Reservation
  • BEP 89 INT – Telephoning: Making Arrangements (Small note: they consistently mispronounce the name "Francesca", which should be said like this.)
Getting to your Hotel and Around Town
  • ESL Podcast 711 – A Difficult Place to Find
  • ESL Podcast 635 – Arranging Airport Transfer
  • BEP 283 – Business Trip 1: Taking a Taxi
  • BEP 284 – Business Trip 2: Giving Directions and Getting Around
Checking In
  • ESLPodcast 97 - Checking into a Hotel
  • BEP 80 INT – Travel: Checking In to a Hotel
Staying at a Hotel: Services, Amenities and Facilities; Problems
  • ESLPodcast 87 - Hotel Housekeeping
  • ESLPodcast 90 - Room Service
  • ESL Podcast 914 – Wanting Peace and Quiet
  • ESL Podcast 247 – Asking for Recommendations
  • ESL Podcast 138 - Hotel Tour Desk
  • ESL Podcast 1162 – Staying in an Inexpensive Hotel
  • ESL Aloud Podcast #143 - A Lousy Hotel
Checking Out
  • BEP 124 INT – Travel: Checking Out of a Hotel
  • ESL Podcast 223 – A Mistake in the Hotel Bill

Project management: more podcasts and videos

7/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Business English Pod has several podcasts and videos related to the topic of project management. You can see all those tagged 'project management' here:
  • Business English Pod / Category / Project Managment
The embedded videos are blocked in China, but you can still get them if you click the little "Download" link at the bottom of the page.
Picture
Here is a selection:
  • Video Vocab 20 – Project Management: Planning Process 1
  • Video Vocab 21 – Project Management: Planning Process 2
  • Video Vocab 07 – Project Management (Part 1)
  • Video Vocab 08 – Project Management (Part 2)
  • BVP 04 Vocabulary – Discussing a Project
  • BEP 39 INT – Reporting: Project Update
  • BEP 243 – Debriefing a Project (Part 1)
  • BEP 244 – Debriefing a Project (Part 2)
Don't forget to also check out my posts on other project-related materials from Business English Pod:
  • Podcasts on Staffing Needs
  • SWOT Analysis
Also you might want to look at my post on project management podcasts from ESL Pod:
  • Project Management Podcasts
0 Comments
<<Previous

    G.A.L.E.S.L. / joe3

    Some tips and links on learning English.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    My microblog on
    ​Hiknow English

    Categories

    All
    About This Site
    Accent
    Adjectives
    Advertising
    Alcohol
    Attraction
    Audio
    Beauty
    Blogging
    Books
    Building
    Business
    Career
    China
    City
    Class Time
    Cloud Computing
    Coaching
    Communication
    Complaints
    Computing
    Conflict
    Conversation Issues
    Culture
    Customer Service
    CV/resume
    Diacritics
    E Commerce
    E-commerce
    Education
    Electrical Engineering
    E Mail
    E-mail
    Emailec5f5ec77c
    Emphasis
    Employment
    Engagement
    Engineering
    English Variations
    Entertaining
    Environment
    Ethics
    Exercise
    Finance
    Food
    Funny
    Grammar
    Health
    Home
    House
    Human Resources
    Idioms
    Images
    Induction
    Internet
    Interview
    Job Hunting
    Language Exchange
    Leadership
    Links
    Listening
    Marketing
    Marriage
    Measurement
    Meetings
    Mentoring
    Microblogging
    Mistakes
    Mobile Phones
    Money
    Movies
    Negotiation
    Numbers
    Office
    Phrasal Verbs
    Presentation
    Productivity
    Professional Development
    Project Management
    Pronunciation
    Q&A
    Qualifications
    Questions
    Recruitment
    Sales
    Social Networking
    Software
    Sport
    Suburb
    Telephone
    Telephone English
    The West
    Time
    Tips
    Tone
    Training
    Travel
    Tv
    Uk
    University
    Us
    Verbs
    Video
    Visuals
    Vocab
    Vocabulary
    Weather
    Web Hosts
    Weddings
    Work
    Writing

    Archives

    June 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from roland
  • Home
  • Blog
  • ESL Links
    • Links during Online Classes
    • General English
    • TOEIC
    • TOEFL
    • Online Conversation / Language Exchange
    • Listening
    • Vocabulary
    • Grammar
    • Verbs
    • Business English
    • Telephone English
    • Other Links
  • Articles
    • Q & A: Help with International Accents, Page 1 >
      • Accents page 2: Ask them to slow down
      • Accents page 3: Get to know other accents
      • Accents page 4: Using online accent resources: IDEA
      • Accents page 5: Using online accent resources: Speech Accent Archive
      • Accents page 6: Using online accent resources: Map Your Voice
    • Case Study: BMW and Rover
  • Conversation Issues
    • Nice to meet you
    • How have you been?
    • Where are you? / Where are you from?
    • meet a problem
    • colleagues
    • -ed [versus] -ing
    • borrow [versus] lend
    • "or" questions
    • Relax myself
    • Sorry for my late
    • Name card
  • Search
  • About / Contact
  • Sound Problems
    • Feedback & Echo
    • No Sound
    • Fans
    • Interruptions
    • Volume Level