English Recordings

What route did the Mayflower take?
The Mayflower and the Speedwell originally left Southampton, England on August 4, 1620. However, they had to stop in Dartmouth because the Speedwell was leaking. They left Dartmouth on August 21, but the Speedwell started leaking again so they stopped in Plymouth, England. At Plymouth they decided to leave the Speedwell behind and crowded as many passengers as they could on the Mayflower. They left Plymouth on September 6, 1620. From Plymouth, England the Mayflower sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The original destination had been Virginia, but storms moved the ship off course. Over two months after leaving Plymouth, the Mayflower spotted Cape Cod on November 9, 1620.

What was it like on the Mayflower?
Traveling as a passenger on the Mayflower was very difficult and scary. The 102 passengers were packed into a very small space. Many became sick. There weren't any bathrooms, running water, or fresh air. It probably smelt awful. The weather was bad with many storms so the passengers had to stay below for days. They often wondered if they would make it.

My name’s Rebecca. I’m a thirteen-year-old girl from England. I live in London.
I live in a large house with my parents and my two younger brothers.
I love going shopping with my friends and I enjoy swimming.
My school is twenty minutes’walk away.
Every evening I spend thirty minutes doing my homework.
I’d like to be a French teacher because I love France, French and Paris.
My brothers share a room but I have my own room. It’s a Paris themed bedroom.
That’s all for now !

Hi my name is Rob. I am Riley’s best friend. I’m eleven years old and I am from Minnesota. My favourite colour is Green. I’m scared today because it is my first day at school.

Hi my name is Anna. I am Riley’s best friend. I’m eleven years old and I am American. My favourite colour is red. I’m disgusted today because I found a spider in my bed.

"- Hey Georgia !!
-Hi Jim ! I want to go to the cinema tonight. Are you available ?
-Oh no, sorry I’m too busy tonight but tomorrow that would work for me !
-Okay , that sounds good to me too !
-What movie do you want to go watch ?
- Well, I’d like to see the new Ant Man . It’s out at Alamo Drafthouse, Los Angeles! The film is about a man who has a superpower!
- Fantastic I love that theatre : It's so cool to see a movie and eat at the same time ! And I looooove superhero movies ! What time is the screening ?
- On Wednesday , we don’t have much choice : it’s either 11 am or eleven forty five am
- eleven forty five would be perfect to me !
- Okay ! Let's book our tickets!!!! Where do you want to sit ?
- Well, I like to be far from the screen so I would say last row , like seat 5 and 6
- Oh wait a minute, seats 5 and 6 are not available but seat 1 and 2 are free !
- Great !!!!!!!! let’s go for seat 1 and 2 and we’re lucky, we have a discount : the ticket is only $ 5.62 per person !
- Oh wow ! That’s a good deal ! "

Aloha !
My name is Moana. I am 12 years old. I live in Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii. I have 2 brothers and one sister. Today, I’m going to talk about my routine in Hawaii.
I usually wake up at around 6:30 a.m. and sometimes, I make my bed when I’m not late. Then, I get dressed : I put on a colorful shirt with flowers and a skirt. After that, I have breakfast. I usually eat cereals and milk but sometimes, I like having toasted bread with butter and jam. Then, I brush my teeth and go downstairs to put my shoes on to do my work out. At 8:00 a.m., I go to school. I’m not home schooled. After school, I go to the beach to surf and swim. I love surfing a lot and I also love snorkeling, it’s really to see the turtles swimming in the ocean. I like going to the mountains and hiking.

Hi ! My name 's Kate , I'm British and I'm 15.
I love ice-skating , reading and I belong to a choir.
This year I'm running for class rep because I think I am the person you need to represent you well. I've got many projects !
I think I am persuasive , indeed, when I want something I do all I can to get it.
People often say that I 'm collaborative , I'm always here for people and I'm always ready to help them.
If I am elected a class rep I will set up new clubs for example a chess club, a drama club , a DIY club or even a homework club , it will be an opportunity for the pupils to get help to do their exercises or to learn better , some pupils can share their tips !
I really want to improve the food at the cafeteria , so if you vote for me , I'll convince the Head to make enjoyable and healthy school meals.
Let me assure you that if you vote for me, I will organize many events like to invite a musical or drama company.It will be also great to create a school blog to post all the new activities and to show what life is in our school.
The most important thing for me is your satisfaction. I want all the pupils to be happy and to come to school without any fears or frustration.
You can trust me , I will support you and listen to your ideas. Thank you and remember "We are stronger with a good leader !"

Once again the organisation which promotes Australia - Tourism Australia - is advertising the best job in the world. But this year, they have six jobs going, all for six months, with a great salary and extra spending money. If you think one of these jobs is your dream job, you have to make a 30 second video explaining why you are the best person for the role. But - be warned - thousands of people will be competing for each post.

The job 'outback adventurer' is for someone with a passion for outdoor life, and in the Northern Territory there are plenty of wide-open spaces. The job is for someone to find out the best adventures and jobs for young people on working holidays. You'd be getting close to wildlife, sleeping under the stars in a bush camp and flying over stunningly beautiful landscapes in a hot air balloon. Your duties will include getting to know about aboriginal culture and eating traditional bush foods, maybe including the famous whitchetty grubs - insect larvae.

Like the idea of 200 days on sunshine every year? Job number two is a park ranger in tropical Queensland. It's a wonderful state with ancient rainforests, the world's largest sand island and the awesome Great Barrier Reef. Here your duties would include protecting and promoting native plants and animals, spectacular waterfalls, dinosaur fossils, untouched beaches and indigenous culture. You'd get paid to patrol the beaches of Lizard Island and live a life most people can only dream about.

Another island job is as 'wildlife caretaker' on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. If you love all kinds of animals, this is the job for you. The advert says you'll be able to talk to wallabies ( a kind of small kangaroo), play with dolphins, cuddle koalas and sunbathe with seals on the unspoilt beach at Seal Bay. You would get about the island on foot, by bicycle, kayak or boat, taking photos and leaving only footprints. There is one potential drawback, though. You would need to be pretty brave since you might come face to face with great white sharks.

Maybe you are not quite so keen on the great outdoors and your talents are more journalistic. If you fancy feature writing, photography and making videos, you can apply for the position of lifestyle photojournalist for TIME OUT in Melbourne. You would be required to photograph and write about the city's coolest cafés and musical events. But you'd also cover tourist activities in the whole state of Victoria, including surfing on the Great Ocean Road, skiing at Mount Hotham or watching the little penguins at Phillip Island.

Are you a foodie? Do you know about food, as well as love eating it? If the answer's yes, you can apply for the role of 'taste master' in Western Australia. You job would be to promote the best restaurants, pubs, wineries and breweries. You would also catch fresh seafood off the beautiful coast and learn all about making wine and beer.

Finally, a fantastic job in Sydney. We have all seen those amazing firework displays in Sydney Harbour; Well, you could be one of the people making that happen next year. New South Wales is looking for a 'chief funster', who would be based in Sydney while traveling around the state and tweeting about the coolest things going on. This job would appeal to someone interested in everything: sports, the arts, entertainment, food. You would also be involved in making the Sydney Festival, Mardi Gras, and Vivid Festival as spectacular and as fun as possile.

My school is very strict!
In the playground, we may not run.
We must wear a uniform and we can't wear jewellery.
The girls have to wear a skirt!
We mustn't be late, or we have a detention.
We may chew gum in the playground, but we mustn't chew gum in class.
The only cool thing is we can use our mobile phones in the playground!

Hi Alison, it’s Maria. (OR IF MAN SPEAKING: Hi Michael, it’s Greg)
As you know, my birthday is on January 27th and my parents let me organize a huge party! It will be awesome! I’m allowed to invite twelve friends and we can celebrate until eleven p.m.
Let me tell you what I’ve done so far. I have written down the invitations, I did it three days ago, but I haven’t sent them yet. I have ordered a nice cake, I will pick it up on Friday morning. I downloaded new songs yesterday, but I haven’t created a music mix yet. And I’ve bought some decorations. I did it last week.
Of course, my parents gave me tons of rules: we are allowed to do noise until half past ten but my parents want me to warn the neighbours. They let me decorate the house, but they don’t want us to break things. And they want me to clean up after the party. Oh, and they didn’t let me book a DJ. Nevermind, we’re going to have fun, I’m sure! Please, call me back so we can talk about it. See you!