Ten things you can do to master small talk in any language.

The English Toolbox

Small Talk

In today's episode we learn an anecdote about the American tourists who once met the Queen and had no idea who she was. Here's the story. 

Key Vocabulary:
An anecdote   /ˈanɪkdəʊt/   noun  = a short, interesting story about a real incident or person.
To play a prank on someone = To carry out a trick, deception, or practical joke on someone.
To pull someone's leg  =  to deceive someone playfully; tease someone.
Cantankerous	/kanˈtaŋk(ə)rəs/ adjective   = bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
To be a fly on the wall =  you would like to hear what will be said or see what will happen while not being noticed

Former Royal Protection Officer, Richard Griffin said he and the Queen met the American hikers one day while they were walking near Balmoral Castle, her holiday home in Scotland.
"The Queen would always stop and say hello," Griffin said. "And it was clear from the moment we first stopped that they hadn't recognized the Queen."
Griffin said one of the Americans asked the Queen where she lived.
"She said, 'Well I live in London, but I've got a holiday home near here,"' Griffin recalled. 
The hiker then asked if she had ever met Queen Elizabeth.
"Well I haven't, but Richard here meets her regularly," the Queen replied.
The hiker then turned to Griffin and asked: "Oh, you've met the Queen? What's she like?"
"I decided to pull her leg, so I said, 'she can be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humour".
The American then got his camera out, and gave it to the Queen, asking if she could take a picture of him with the royal protection officer. "Then we swapped places and I took a picture of them with the Queen and we waved goodbye". "The Queen said to me, 'I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to their friends —  hopefully someone tells him who I am.'"

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The Queen and the American tourists

Japanese Podcast for Beginners|| きれいな アイスティー | VERY VERY EASY Native JAPANESE!

♯１８
アイスティーを つくりました。
と～っても いい かおりが して、きれいです✨
CMの アイスティーみたいです！

📖きょうの おはなし
「きれいな アイスティー」
00:00 こおり
00:34 こうちゃ
00:45 コップ
01:35 こおりが できました
02:25 アイスティー
02:45 ネコの ゲンブガンちゃん



Q．みなさんも もう つめたい のみものを のんでいますか。


🦔🍎　ちょっと むずかしい ことば・ぶん　🍅🦔
It is useful to copy and paste words you don't understand into the translation‼ Microsoft Translator / Google Translator: You can also check the reading of kanji‼‼

１））こおり 00:00 
・氷
・作る
・アイスティー
・ひとつひとつ
・ゆっくり
・水
・入れる
・こぼれる
・ゆっくり入れなければ（いけません。）水がこぼれてしまう
・冷凍庫（freezer）

【grammar check!】
①ところだ ②Volitional Form＋と思う ③ていく ④なければいけません ⑤てしまう


２））こうちゃ 00:34
・紅茶（black tea）
・濃い

【grammar check!】
①Nが できる〈be completed/finished〉 


３））コップ 00:45
・今度*
・コップ
・選ぶ
・長い⇔短い
・中（なか）
・大きい⇔小さい
・飲むところ
・細い
・あまり～ない
・どちらが いいかな？？
・決める

*This ``こんど（今度）'' is used to mean ``つぎ（次）''
Example）「こんどのでんしゃはとうきょうえきまでとまりません（今度の電車は東京まで止まりません）」The next train won't stop until Tokyo Station..

【grammar check!】
①Potential verb/ V- dictionary form ことが できる 


４））こおりができました 01:35 
・取る
・取り出す
・硬い
・なかなか～ない
・入る　はいる
・カラン（onomatopoeia）
・音
・最後に
・ひとつ、ふたつ、みっつ、よっつ、いつつ、むっつ、ななつ、やっつ


【grammar check!】
①Nができる〈be completed/finished〉 ②なければいけない ③reasonて、 ④Potential verb 


５））アイスティー 02:25 
・うわぁ
・CM（しーえむ、commercial）
・匂い
・香り

【grammar check!】
①Nが できる〈be completed/finished〉 ②みたいだ ③〈Sensation that the speaker has perceived: voice, sound, smell, taste etc...〉が する* 
*"Minna no Nihongo Elementary Japanese 2 Translation & Grammar Notes-English" p.139


６））ネコのゲンブガンちゃん 02:45
・一人で
・冷たい
・いただく
・飲み物
・ドリンク（drink）
・もうすぐ
・夏


【grammar check!】
①Verb stem＋に 来る ②ては いけない（ちゃ いけない）③Potential verb 


Japanese Podcast for Beginners
VERY VERY EASY Native JAPANESE
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Japanese! わたしの いろいろな はなし

きれいな アイスティー

En el episodio de hoy comento una de las obras del escritor español Federico García Lorca, La Casa de Bernarda Alba. En el episodio hago un resumen de la obra y menciono algunas de las características y símbolos que aparecen en ella.

Como siempre, espero que disfrutes el episodio, si lo haces, ¡no te olvides de dejarle una valoración!

Únete al reto de 10 días https://blancadelatorre.kartra.com/page/wRn262


Blanca to go 

157 – La casa de Bernarda Alba

In questo episodio continuiamo la lettura del libro La fine è il mio inizio versione redux. 
Ho fatto un errore nei primi minuti dell'episodio accenno al solstizio d'estate (21/06) dicendo equinozio invece di solstizio, questo a prova del fatto che anche noi parlanti nativi facciamo errori!!! Spero che questo episodio sia di vostro gradimento, buono ascolto e buono studio!!!

The Italian Miscellaneous Podcast🖐 

La fine è il mio inizio Capitolo 1 parte 1

【北海道Hokkaido生活】
〈#128〉10月26日月水曜日　天気/晴れ　気温/9℃ 

風蓮湖/ふうれんこ
・道東の風蓮湖にオオハクチョウが飛来
・ロシアから本州へ行く途中で休んでいる
・11月中旬には、2000羽が飛来

［単語］
道東/どうとう…北海道の東
オオハクチョウ/おはくちょう…鳥の名前
飛来/ひらい…とんで来る
ロシア/ろしあ…国の名前。中国の上にある国。
本州/ほんしゅう…日本の東京や大阪などがある大きな島。日本には、北海道、本州、四国、九州がある。
中旬/ちゅうじゅん…11日から20日まで
羽/わ…鳥の数え方。1羽、2羽、3羽

レッスン待ってます♪


北海道Hokkaido生活 for Japanese learners

〈#128〉10月26日月水曜日　湖に鳥が来た！

IELTS Speaking. Part 3. Question 2.

Is using the internet a social or solitary activity? Why?

Linking words: On top of that, however, finally.

Relevant vocabulary: Interact with other people, society, busy, finding information, doing homework, surfing, screens, pay much attention, “social” thing, purpose or function,   social networking websites, connect, bringing friends and relatives together, like-minded, common cause.

What was useful out of the answer? Did you get inspired? Do you want some help in IELTS speaking?

Book my class now to improve your score!

IELTS-SPEAKING 8-9 BAND IS POSSIBLE. DAILY SPEAKING PRACTICE PART 1,2 & 3. Listen daily.

IELTS Preparation. Band 8-9 Answers. Part 3 - The Internet and it's impact. Q2

Post Boxes (with transcript for study)

Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bNQsAfxPDAGS7bnp2ToO1g5tYdMI91u0/view?usp=drivesdk

Teacher Joseph's Podcast

Post Boxes (with transcript for study)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oCc73XeG1DD_ih95NBNiUsSRWXhae49s/view?usp=drivesdk