Today's podcast will be dedicated to the 'th'. English, being quite irregular at times, has two ways of pronouncing the combination of the t and the h. That may seem simple, but getting it right is a key  to sounding like a native. I have met many people from all over the world who speak English quite well, but who have a weakness when they use a word beginning with th. Some people will pronounce 'the' and similar words as 'de', as if the 'th' was a 'd'. Other people pronounce it as a 'z'; I have often heard "zis" and "zat" instead of this and that. So, how do we overcome these errors? Practice is the answer! I will read a paragraph that is full of the 'th' sounds; I will give you time to repeat after me. Remember, the two sounds are 'th' (as in thing), a sound that is light and full of air, and 'th' which is a heavier sound that has more vibration and less air flow. Let's give it a try.

 The thoughtfulness of my neighbors makes me think. Though they are retired, they are thrilled to spend their days helping people. Every Thursday at three o'clock, they hand out food, household things, and this and that to the poor in the community. Theodore, the husband, had throat problems, but thought more about helping the poor than helping himself. They read thick books on community service, they support the local theatre (er), and though they are thin and quite old, they thrive on charity runs. Such thoughtful people!

It's time for me to start preparing our Summer holiday. This year, my family and I will take a trip to Spain for a month. We will visit my father and sister in Scotland and England first, and then family and friends in Spain. I can't wait. Our preparations actually started last Summer, when I discovered that we had accumulated quite a lot of air miles over the past few years. I wondered how many return tickets from Seattle to London could be bought with those air miles. To my surprize(se), most of our tickets were covered. "I have to organize(se) a substantial trip," I said to myself. "Who knows when we will have another opportunity..." So, I got the tickets over the phone with a representative from British Airways, got the confirmation number, and jumped for joy. Now, I need passports for my two youngest children. So, off to the Court House I go. It is one of the oldest buildings in town, quite ornate compared to  the plain buildings that are typical of towns in the U.S. I walked up the marble steps to the third floor, to the passport department. I was suddenly confronted with two security guards, a metal detector, and a body search. Gosh, I didn't realize(se) it would be like this. My bag was searched, my body was checked, and I was given the ok. Phew! All I needed were two application forms. It was a quick in and out visit. As I left, I walked past other departments: marriage license, car license, building permits, and the court house that serves all of Wenatchee. It was all business and activity. There was even a jail! It was actually exciting to be in a place where important contracts and decisions are made on a daily basis, in a place where it all happens.

Grammar notes.

Practice of the verb 'to be' + past participle as an adjective.

1. The chair was painted the most beautiful blue.

2. The corn fields are harvested by machine nowadays.

3. The words of the prayer are carved into the stone.

4. We were driven to the opera by my cousin.

They are crunchy, small, folded, and light brown in color (colour). They usually come in individual, plastic packets. They don't fill you up, but they are an important part of certain meals. They hold a different promise for each person at the table. And, finally, they have an Asian touch about them. So, what are they? They are fortune cookies, of course. No Asian style meal would be complete without them, at least, from a Westerner's perspective. I'm sure there are a lot of Asian meals that should never have fortune cookies at the end; you'll just have to forgive my ignorance. The cookies are, afterall, an Asian American invention that started around the beginning of the 20th century. Apparently, Asian immigrants, probably Japanese or Chinese, started to manufacture them in California. A cookie that they might have been copying is the omikuji cookie of Kyoto, Japan which was a temple cookie filled with random fortunes. It sounds similar. Well, they certainly are popular over here. Though they are normally served after a chinese meal, they can also be found in Japanese restaurants, and Asian-American restaurants. Children get excited by the idea of a special cookie at the end of the meal, especially one that they can break open to find a message inside. "This week, a special person will come into your life," one might say, or, "Use your good judgment to make your fortune this year." My children always imagine ways the prediction might come true; they get imaginative, and even ridiculous. We end up giggling at the end of our meal because of the fortune cookies and their 'off-the-wall' predictions.

Grammar notes.

Expressions: to fill up/ to get filled up, to giggle, off-the-wall.

1. We filled up the car with gas (petrol).  OR  That chocolate cake will really fill you up.

2. The children got over excited at the birthday party and wouldn't stop giggling.

3. That entertainer does the strangest things; he is really off-the-wall.

Do you ever go blank when you're trying to spell a word? It happens to me occasionally. When it comes to spelling, I have a problem. I have had to learn the Standard American English whilst living in the U.S. for the past 18 years, but, I'm English. That means that when I went to school I learned Standard English which has quite a few differences from that of the U.S. Some of the obvious ones are: color in American English and colour in British English, analyze in American English and analyse in British English, bank in American English and banque in British English. If you look through a list of the spelling differences, you will conclude that British English remains closer to its roots: Greek, Latin, French etc. The American English seems more phonetic, and I suppose, in some ways, is easier. Mind you, English is a bit of a pain anyway. My ten year old, who reads and writes well, still struggles on occasion with spelling. The silent 'e', the silent 'gh', the occasional silent 'p' (as in pneumonia or psychology), and the silent 'k'. "How am I supposed to know all of these spellings, Mum?" was his question. My answer was simply, "Learn the awkward words by heart." Both Standard American and British English share the same difficulties, I'm afraid. The only way to get around them is to consider them part of the beauty and interest of the language......I know, that's easy for me to say, I am English. Really, a language like Spanish is so much easier to learn because it is so phonetic. But, you know, English spelling is not always that easy for me because of this trans-Atlantic 'thing'. I have my own problems knowing when to double an 'l' when adding an 'ing', or whether to use an 's' or a 'z' (or I should say zed). A great web page to check out is: Susan Jone's American vs British spelling differences. I think I'll make a copy of them and stick it on the fridge.

Grammar notes:

Related expressions: to go blank, when it comes to ...., on occasion, I'm afraid.

1. In the middle of my exam, my mind just went blank.

2. When it comes to playing the piano, he is brilliant.

3. We will, on occasion, have breakfast in the French bakery.

4. They won't be coming to the party, I'm afraid. She called and said she was sick.

Yesterday, I looked over my shopping list, and saw something that my chidren had written down. "Valentines for school", were the instructions that I read. What they meant by that were little cards that are designed especially for school children. Here, in the U.S., it is tradition for the children to give a miniature card to each of their classroom buddies. Sometimes the teacher will allow a treat or tiny toy to be attached or taped to the card, something like an eraser, a pencil, or a small chocolate. It is a tradition which is unfortunately driven by materialism. Valentine's day itself, is not celebrated in a huge way at all by the general public. It is true that there are cards, flowers, and chocolates all over the place to give as gifts for a loved one, but it is not a holiday. The children take their card distribution very seriously, though. The teachers even print out a list of the names of the children in the class, so each child can write the correct names on the little gifts. The older children will read about St. Valentine; the younger ones will usually cut and paint big, red or pink hearts for their parents or guardians. Last night, as my children prepared their Valentines, it was all business. They each counted out the cards, wrote the names, added treats, and put them into a paper bag, ready for school today. And beware anyone who wished to interrupt! "Hey, that's my card!" "Don't use my pencil!" "You'd better leave enough chocolates for my class!" I think some of the Valentine's spirit should have been directed at eachother, let alone their friends.

Grammar notes.

 Practice of the preterite with new vocabulary: miniature, driven, guardian, beware.

1. My father bought me a miniature, glass house for my birthday.

2. He was driven to madness by her constant nagging.

3. Her aunt became her guardian when her parents died.

4. "Beware the stranger from the forest!" warned the old man.

My husband recently returned from a business trip to Germany and England. It is an annual visit that he makes to attend a large, international fruit convention. He spends most of his time in Berlin, and then finishes his trip in London. He loves that city. When he is there, he always calls me and tells me that he is enjoying his wife's 'old stomping ground'. That means a place either that you grew up in, or that was very significant for you. When he comes home, he always brings treats from London. Usually he will bring three or four kinds of chocolates: Smarties, Maltesers, Galaxay, and Toblerone. My favorite is Maltesers. When I see the red bag and feel the chocolates inside, it takes me back to my childhood. You know how a certain smell, or sight can have you feeling like a child again; that's what happens when I am around Maltesers. It just shows how significant our formative years are; how memories from that time become engraved in our brains and hearts. There is a certain smell that also brings the same nostalgia to me. It is the smell of a child's play dough that is called Plasticine. Since I have lived here, I haven't encountered that smell at all. But sometimes when I visit England, and I am, let's say, in a toy shop, I  might walk past some children's art supplies and smell that smell. Oh bliss! I get transported back to the days of pig tails and tricycles. It would be interesting to hear from some of you listeners which elements of your culture bring up those nostalgic feelings. If you E-mail me and let me know, I will do a podcast dedicated to just that.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary practice: bliss, annual, significant, let's say.

1. That chocolate cake is so good; it is pure bliss!

2. All the local gardeners are preparing for the annual vegetable competition.

3. The rainfall has caused a significant rise in the height of the river.

4. I'm not sure how much that house is worth; it might be, let's say, three hundred thousand.

 

Junk mail can be a real pain sometimes. You know the kind: offers from credit card companies, catalogues that you will never use, and all sorts of letters and advertisements that try to get you to spend money in some way or other. I receive a lot of coupons in the mail, mainly from local supermarkets where I shop. Now these are actually useful. Most people I know use coupons at least part of the time; it's a smart way to shop. My sister-in-law is an expert at using coupons. When the coupons come out in the local newspaper on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she spreads them out on her kitchen countertop, and when she has time, she scans all of them, searching for the ones that she can put to use. Because she has done this for so long, she is quite knowledgeable about what is a good deal and what isn't. To be a good coupon user, you must always keep them close to your shopping list, and remember to throw the expired ones away. Coupons have been around for a long time. It was in 1887 that Coca-Cola started using new advertising ideas. One of these was to put coupons in newspapers. By 1913 8,500,000 free drinks had been consumed, but the company had grown so much that the drink was being consumed in every state. Now, each year, coupons generate 3 billion dollars in sales. Now that's a lot of sales. So, the little pile of coupons that I receive each day in the mail (post) is just a tiny part of that advertising machine, trying to get us to spend money by saving money. It's a great idea when you think of it.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: catalogue, to scan, knowledgeable, expired/ expiration date, to generate.

1. I ordered some new shoes from a catalogue.

2. The hunter scanned the field to see if there were any deer there.

3. The professor really knows his subject well; he is truly knowledgeable.

4. The cheese spread had expired; its expiration date was two months ago.

5. Our advertising campaign has generated a huge amount of sales.

 

If you're looking for a bargain in this town, there is a store that offers some very good deals. It is called the Grocery Outlet. I was in there the other day, searching for the latest 'best buys' when I saw a large shelf of flowers on display. In amongst the different kinds of flowers were orchids. I was pleased and surprised at the same time. You can never really be sure what you will find in this shop; their specials change from one day to the next. To find orchids was a very pleasant surprise. It just so happens that my mother has started collecting orchids. She is very quickly becoming an encyclopedia about them. I called her on the cell phone to let her know about my find. "Get me two of the best, will you? I'll pay you back later," she said. There were several colors to choose from, and the plants ranged from small to about two and a half feet tall. When I got home, I thought I would find out about these exotic flowers that so many people have as a hobby.

Orchids can be found in almost every habitat on the planet, apart from deserts and glaciers. Most are found in the tropics. And when I say most, I'm talking in terms of thousands. Orchids are the largest family of all flowering plants. There are over 22,000 species of orchids; about 800 new kinds are found or cultivated each year. One orchid is responsible for vanilla which we use in cooking. It comes from Mexico, and, not surprisingly, is called Vanilla. With so many orchids around, you can imagine the variety of shape, color (colour), and pollinating practices. Some are self pollinating, and there is even one in Australia which lives underground, and relies on ants and other underground insects to pollinate it. Orchids have been around for a very long time, as well. A fossilized bee that was trapped in amber about 15 million years ago was found to have orchid pollen on its wings. There are annual shows around the world dedicated to orchids, and hundreds or thousands of people visit these shows to feed their obsession.

Grammar notes.

 Common expressions: from one day to the next, it just so happens, you can never really + inf.

1. You never know what the weather will be like from one day to the next here; one minute it's snowing, the next it's raining.

2. Did you say that you need a calculator? It just so happens that I have one here.

3. You can never really judge a person by his appearance. That scruffy man over their is a generous millionaire.

OR You should never really expect to succeed if you don't work hard.

 

It is supposed to be a good thing to reward your kids every now and then for going to school, or doing their chores. Domini, my daughter is no exception. When she changed preschools, she went through a time of adjustment, and had to be encouraged to stay at her new school. She only goes four mornings a week, but, even so, a change is a change. I found that I could persuade her to go along with the new plan by giving her a surprise randomly after preschool. Sometimes it was a treat, and at other times it was a little toy, or art supplies. Well, it worked. She soon got into the habit of going to her new preschool, and now she loves it. She loves the teachers, and has made good friends there. So, the need for persuasion has, thankfully, disappeared. But every now and then, I will drive her to a little shop that is a few blocks away from her preschool, and there we will buy a transfer sticker, or what she likes to call a tatoo. Just outside of the shop are some little glass dispensers with pretty pictures and patterns on them. I give her two quarters which she holds onto with excitement while she chooses the one she wants. There is a flat metal plate with slots in it into which you put the money. Then, in order to receive the 'tatoo', you have to push the metal plate into the dispenser. Automatically, it pops out in a small piece of protective cardboard. It's not a big deal at all, but for Domini it is. The first time we got one, she immediately said, "Mum, I need to go to the bathroom." I thought it was a little odd, but said that we could ask in the shop if she could use their toilet. So, I stood outside the bathroom and waited and waited. "Domini, are you alright in there?" I asked. "Yes Mum, I've almost finished," was her reply. I heard the water running, and was congratulating myself on training her well to wash her hands, when she came out with a big grin and showed me her 'tatoo'. That's why she had wanted to go to the bathroom; her tatoo had to be displayed immediately.

Grammar notes.

 Useful expressions and related vocabulary: an exception, to go along with ..., a dispenser, a slot.

1. Most people in our family are short, but my brother is the exception.

2. I hope the employees will go along with our idea to change the company.

3. Push the button on the dispenser and soap will come out.

4. You have to put the right coin in the slot; only one size will fit. 

This podcast seems like a very simple one; what  could I possibly have to teach about the stairs? Well, there are many kinds of stairs in a home. You have the steps leading up to the front door, or between one room and another. Sometimes a room can be 'split level' meaning that there is a step all across the width of the room, creating the effect of two different rooms. And then you have the stairs that take you from one floor to another. The stairs between floors can be called the staircase. We also use the expression, "a flight of stairs" when you are not in a home. For example: At the clinic, I had to go up three flights of stairs to get to my doctor. In the home, there are also different kiinds of stairs. Normally, a staircase is made of wood, concrete, compressed materials, or even metal. A spiral staircase is an interesting and space saving way to connect two floors. Have you heard the word 'landing'? Of course it could be used when talking about planes 'landing' in the airport etc. But the noun, a landing, can refer to an area of level ground in the middle of a staircase or at the end. For example: You left your shoes at the top of the stairs, on the landing. Or: The children love to play half way up the stairs, on the landing. A staircase will often have a handrail which prevents you from falling over the edge. This is made up of banisters, which are like upright poles, and then the horizontal piece on top that you hold on to. So, as you are running upstairs and downstairs, you hold on to the handrail, or just let your hand slide along the top of it. The finish, or surface material of stairs, can obviously be just about anything, depending on where you live. We have carpeted stairs at home because of the cold winters. Some houses that recquire carpet for warmth, have a 'runner' on the stairs. Runners are long strips of carpet that do not completely cover the stairs; the edges of each step are exposed. Using a runner allows a view of the material underneath, perhaps a beautiful wood, or an elegant tile. It just goes to show that there is a lot more to stairs than you might first think.

Grammar notes.

Stair related vocabulary: handrail, runner,staircase, landing, banister, flight of stairs, split level.

1. I must clean the handrail; sticky fingers have been all over it.

2. We bought a new runner for the staircase; it compliments the wood perfectly.

3. I wove the Christmas wreath through the banisters for a pretty decoration.

4. We must take the elevator (lift); there are too many flights of stairs.

5. One part of our split level is a lounge, and the other is an office.