Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Show 525 Wednesday 10 October


Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today, I got an email from someone asking for help with their English.
So today is their lucky day. I’m going to point out some mistakes in their email.
While I’m reading this email, see if you can see what the mistakes are.

Hi how was youre day?
Hi, how was your day?


You’ve used the wrong your there. That’s a classic mistake.
And my day was great, thank you.

First Iwant to know how many times repeat one lesson?
First, I want to know how many times to repeat one lesson.


You shouldn’t use a question mark there because it’s not an actual question.
Also, I think this sounds a bit better:
Could you tell me many times I should repeat one lesson?

And my answer to that question is: until you get sick of it. I think repeating is really important and useful, but it’s important to choose something that you’re interested in to repeat. I would just watch a show once and then if you find it interesting, watch it again and again until you get sick of it.

Second what do I do to remind a word, that I don't know ?
Second, what do I do to remember a word that I don't know?


You should use remember there.
Well, there are many methods to remember words. And one is to use it. So, when you pick up a new word, try to use it as much as possible in conversation and use it when you’re writing, because the more often you use it the more likely you are to remember the word.

Third how can I underestand a word or sentences if I don't want look from dictionary , is it possible or not .
Third, how can I understand a word or sentences without looking them up in a dictionary? Is this possible?


You’ve spelled understand wrong there.

Yes, it’s definitely possible. You can try and guess what a word means from the context. And I think it’s a very useful and important skill.

And the email goes on from there.
And my final piece of advice today is this: use spell check. Spell check won’t solve all your problems, but it is very useful.

I use Word and I have that thing turned on where you can see a squiggly red line under a word that could be spelt wrong.
I think that’s a great way to improve my spelling. That line could be there because it’s a new word like blog, but it also could be there because I don’t know how to spell the word.
And when I see it, first I try and correct the mistake myself, and if I can’t work it out, then I look it up. And after I’ve made the same mistake a few times, then eventually I remember how to spell it.
It’s really useful to know how to spell, even if you are on a computer because it’s much faster if you spell everything correctly the first time.



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora this is Stick News. Today is the World Day Against the Death Penalty. Thousands of people across the globe are taking part in initiatives to protest capital punishment.

When a state agrees to kill a person as punishment for a crime, it’s called capital punishment or the death penalty.
Wikipedia says the death penalty used to be used by nearly all societies.
But now many countries and states have abolished the practice. Including almost all countries in Europe, the South Pacific and Latin America and Canada.
Places where the death penalty still exists include the United States, Guatemala, most of the Caribbean and the majority of democracies in Asia and Africa.
In 2003, the first World Day Against the Death Penalty took place. The event was launched by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
The coalition says on their website that their ultimate objective is “to obtain the definitive abolition of death sentences and executions in those countries where the death penalty is in force.”

And that was Stick News for Wednesday the 10th of October.
Kia Ora.




ASKING ACADIA
What do you think of the death penalty?

Honestly, truthfully, um, I’m not exactly against it for one reason. I know that if it was me, and you leave me alone and you touch somebody that’s mine, I will kill you. So, let them get you before I do.
Well, it depends on the situation, because if it’s like, if someone’s murdered, like, death for death, I don’t find is right. So, it really depends on the situation, I guess, for now. And of course other countries believe different things too. So ... but, here, I don’t really believe that’s right.

I think it’s wrong because you don’t know ... what happens if someone’s innocent? You can’t exactly go back on it.

Um, I really don’t think that it should be up to us to decide who lives, who dies, um, it ... I don’t want that responsibility and I don’t feel like I can trust someone else with that either.

I think, um, I don’t necessarily agree with it completely. But I also don’t agree with um, guys, like someone committing a crime, like murder and then being let out of prison years later and then recommitting that crime. So either way, I don’t necessarily agree with it, but at the same time, I don’t agree with not having it.



conversations with sarah
#325 Do you agree with the death penalty?

Step 1: Repeat Jenny’s lines.
Step 2: Read Jenny’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Sarah Do you agree with the death penalty?

Jenny Yes.

Sarah Really? Why?

Jenny I think some crimes are so bad that they deserve it.

Sarah Like killing people?

Jenny Yes. And I think it helps the families of the victims.

Sarah Really? But from what I’ve read often the victims’ families don’t actually support the death penalty.

Jenny So you don’t support it?

Sarah No.

Jenny How about when a person kills a lot of people?

Sarah No matter what they do, I don’t agree. I don’t think we can really stop killing by killing more.

Jenny Well, how can we stop it?

Sarah Well, maybe we can’t. But if the death penalty doesn’t even help, then we shouldn’t do it.

Jenny But they need to be punished for their crime.

Sarah Yeah, maybe. But anyway, you can punish people without killing them. And what about all the wrongful convictions? There are a lot of them. And once someone is dead, that’s it.



links
Death Penalty at Wikipedia

music

show start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: La note en cage
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

asking acadia start
artist: XL Ant
album: XL Ant
track: Levitation (Club Mix)
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: Manu Cornet
album: Distance & Temps
track: Silk Road
from: Paris, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Trust
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you have translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 524 Tuesday 9 October


Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.


Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today’s guest is Mike. He’s in his fourth year at Acadia and he’s studying history. He also writes for the student newspaper. And I asked him if it was difficult to find the time to write for the paper and study at the same time.

If I want to become the student that my mum wants me to become, yes, definitely.
But if I want to be the, ah, the journalist student that I’d like to become, it’s surprisingly easy. Once you just decide to go and do it.



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora in Stick News today, New Zealand is in a state of shock after their national rugby team, the All Blacks, were beaten in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

New Zealand’s national sport is rugby union. The national rugby union team is called the All Blacks.
It says in Wikipedia that the All Blacks are a formidable power in international rugby and are the top-ranked team in the world.
The Rugby World Cup has been held every four years since 1987. The All Blacks were the first ever champions and they finished in the top four in the next three tournaments. But this year, they were eliminated in quarter-finals.
On Sunday, the All Blacks lost to France. The New Zealand Herald said: It was a case of gut-wrenching deja vu for the Kiwis with the French repeating the second-half comeback that saw them eliminate the All Blacks in the 1999 World Cup.
Since Sunday, thousands of people have commented under the question on the NZ Herald site: Why do you think the All Blacks lost?
Many blame the team’s arrogance or the ref. While other’s suggested people stop moaning.
It's a game, one person wrote, - nobody dropped bombs on innocent NZ families, Mt Ruapehu did not blow half the North Island away. New Zealand is a beautiful, lucky country with much more to be proud of than rugby - sad that so many Kiwis are still too All Black-blind to see past an oval ball.


And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 9th of October.
Kia Ora.





conversations with sarah
#324 Why are you studying history?

Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Mike.

Sarah Why did you choose Acadia?

Mike I chose Acadia because I knew the area. It was familiar. I knew that it was an excellent school. And, ah, my parents went here, so, ah, there’s a history of it.

Sarah Why are you studying history?

Mike Ah, because I’m not good at science. I’m absolutely terrible with numbers. I don’t have the drive for business. Ah, but I read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies. Um, it was either history or ... work at a burger joint.

Sarah What do you want to do after you graduate?

Mike Ah, I intend on either becoming a journalist. Ah, hopefully an online journalist, like a professional blogger. Or hopefully just get published and be able to live off of just writing. You know, fiction, ah, scripts, comedy, whatever.

Sarah What do you do at the student newspaper?

Mike Ah, I’m the opinions editor there. I pretty much just write about student politics or national politics or sometimes international politics. Anything that is considered a hot button issue in any way.

Sarah What do you most enjoy writing about?

Mike I definitely enjoy writing about politics. Um, but, mostly I enjoy culture. Like writing about different culture, my own culture, ah, counter cultures, sub cultures. Ah, just the way that others express themselves. The way that ah, others express themselves, the way that I express myself. It’s just, it’s so interesting, so I definitely am a culture writer.

Sarah What would you like to write a book about?

Mike I would like to write a book ... I’ve, I’ve always answered time travel. Not in a scientific manner or a serious manner. But just because I don’t think people have had enough fun with the concept yet. You could definitely do a good 800 pages of completely ridiculous comedy about time travel.



notes

a burger joint = a fast food shop selling burgers

joint (noun, informal) an establishment of a particular kind

off of - this is North American grammar. In NZ we just say "off" - "... be able to live off just writing".

hot button (noun, North American) an issue that is highly charged emotionally or politically

links

today's news

today's STICK NEWS pictures

Rugby World Cup results

All Blacks - Wikipedia

ABs at the World Cup - Wikipedia

music

show start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: La note en cage
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: Manu Cornet
album: Distance & Temps
track: Silk Road
from: Paris, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: New Year Evening
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you have translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.