English Recordings

Hi, I’m medium height, thin, my hair is short and black, I wear glasses and have a scar on my forehead, people say I’m courageous. I’m the most famous wizard of all time : my name is Harry Potter.

Harper: Hi! I'm Harper.

Spencer: Hi, I'm Spencer, come in!

Harper: Wow, that's a really nice apartment! I love the decoration.

Spencer: Thanks! Yeah, it's really bright and cosy. Please, have a seat.

Harper: Thanks. So do you live here alone?

Spencer: No, actually I have two other roommates, Noah and Taylor.

Harper: Oh great, so how many rooms are there?

Spencer: There are 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a great open kitchen that you can see here, with a dining table and here is the living room.

Harper: The view is amazing, it's so nice to have the ocean so close.

Spencer: Yeah, and the neighborhood is so cool! Santa Monica is my favorite place to live in Los Angeles. Is it your first time in LA? Have you ever lived here before?

Harper: No, I haven't. I'm starting at UCLA next month but I wanted to live near the beach. So, how much is the rent?

Spencer: It's $1,100 per person per month.

Harper: Wow, it's a bit expensive.

Spencer: Yes, I know, but don't forget it's a super safe neighborhood and public transit is really convenient. Can I ask you a few questions?

Harper: Sure!

Spencer: First, can you describe yourself in a few words?

Harper: Well, I am quite easy-going, not careless at all and extremely respectful of people's boundaries.

Spencer: Great, that's what we want here! Do you like going out?

Harper: Of course, I'm a night owl on the weekend.

Spencer: Alright, have you ever lived with roommates before?

Harper: I haven't, no.

Spencer: Okay, how often do you cook?

Harper: Hm, I'm not a very good cook, I rarely cook but I often order delivery or buy takeout food.

Spencer: We do cook a lot here, maybe you can learn a thing or two. What about your cleaning habits? How often do you hoover or do the dishes?

Harper: I'm quite house proud, I must say. I hoover every two days and I always do the dishes after I have used anything.

Spencer: Super, well, let me show you the rest of the apartment!

patient / impatient
tidy / messy
nice / mean
hardworking / lazy
polite / impolite
honest / hypocritical
sociable / shy

Five reasons why English is the “Global Language” of Today

If you are learning English right now, it’s probably something to do with getting your degree, advancing in your career, or maybe for personal reasons like having an English-speaking partner. Nowadays it seems like everyone is learning English, and it is becoming the world’s most widely spoken language. It is used in business and trade all over the world, and in places like Europe, it is spoken widely outside of business. But why? What makes English the magic catch-all language that everyone wants to speak fluently? The answer lies not just in the history of the language, but politics, culture and technology!

1) The British Empire. The first, and most obvious reason that English became widespread in the first place is because of the British Empire. Before colonizing around a quarter of the planet, Britons were the only ones speaking English, and the language was confined to the British Isles. But when they started doing trade with places like Asia and Africa, colonizing and settling around the globe, the language naturally spread. At first, it was mainly used in administration and business dealings, but it then also became spoken and taught in education. So English became an elitist language of sorts, spoken by those who were educated in literature, philosophy and poetry.

2) Post-war USA. After WW1 and WW2, Europe was devastated whereas American businesses were booming and started trading all over the world. This bolstered the use of English as the language of global trade. At the same time, American culture was being exported heavily through music and film. The advent of jazz, rock n’ roll and other popular music from both the USA and the UK infiltrated the culture of people everywhere, making English more than just the language of business, but the language of entertainment for the masses. Hollywood was also booming with popular films exported worldwide, and then in the 1960’s the counter-culture movement arrived with social change and the hippie movement sweeping across the USA and Europe. Which brings us to the next point:

3) The coolness factor. English is used across the world to signify a certain lifestyle or culture linked to American-style success or entertainment, or sometimes to signify a certain British quality. Advertisers use it all over the world to sell their products. It is also the most common language used in the film and music industry. Big-budget movies and everyone’s favorite classic films are mostly produced in English. In music, if a band wants to become popular or famous, they will produce their work in English as well. Maybe it’s because English will reach a wider audience, or maybe because English is taken more seriously as an element of good pop music. And then there are sports—American-invented sports today like BMX and skateboarding, and even basketball, have an entire vocabulary in English, and many of the best athletes in those fields are English-speaking—even if they have been recruited from abroad!

4) Technology. At the same time that the USA was becoming the world’s business superpower, the internet was also invented in the USA. This created an entire lexicon for computers and technology that was invented in English. The hardware for all our smart technology uses English words that have become commonly used around the world. The world of science is also dominated by English for much the same reason: historically, universities publishing important research were doing so in English, and as a scientist today, any serious publication must be done in English.

5) The snowball effect. Now that English is so widespread across the internet, on the radio, in schools and in the business world, it is hard to escape. It is well known that in order to get a good job in today’s global market, speaking English is becoming a requirement more often than not. That’s why students and more adults than ever are taking private lessons, taking language immersion holidays and studying English to become as fluent as they can. It is not a guarantee of success, but it certainly does help!
Some people cite other reasons for the popularity of the English language, such as that it is “easy to learn” or that is evolves with our changing times. (…)

Exercise 1:
patient / stupid / intelligent / chatty / generous / impatient / courageous

Exercise 2:
shy / lazy / organized / tidy / brave / polite

Exercise 3:
smart / fearful / skilled / hardworking / talkative / clumsy / messy / rude / timid / selfish

The Internet is a million computers that are linked by telephone lines.
It brings together people, homes, schools and businesses around the world.
Surfing the net can be dangerous.
Some grown-ups use chat rooms on the Internet to make friends with young people
because they want to hurt them.
You can stay safe on the net if you follow these basic rules.
Tell a parent or teacher when you are surfing the net.
Tell a parent or teacher about any rude or nasty e-mails you get.
Don't reply to them.
Don't use your real name in a chat room.
Tell a parent or teacher if you feel uncomfortable about what someone is saying in a chat room.
Never meet anyone you've talked to over the Internet without your parents' permission.
Don't give your name, home, school, e-mail address or phone number over the Internet.

The Internet is a million computers that are linked by telephone lines.
It brings together people, homes, schools and businesses around the world.
Surfing the net can be dangerous.
Some grown-ups use chat rooms on the Internet to make friends with young people
because they want to hurt them.
You can stay safe on the net if you follow these basic rules.
Tell a parent or teacher when you are surfing the net.
Tell a parent or teacher about any rude or nasty e-mails you get.
Don't reply to them.
Don't use your real name in a chat room.
Tell a parent or teacher if you feel uncomfortable about what someone is saying in a chat room.
Never meet anyone you've talked to over the Internet without your parents' permission.
Don't give your name, home, school, e-mail address or phone number over the Internet.

Hey Lexi !
How are you ? I'm back from Los Angeles. I had an amazing time !
First, on Monday, I went cycling with my mom. We went to Venice Beach and had a picnic. I made some chicken sandwiches, they were so delicious !
On Tuesday, I went shopping on Rodeo Drive with my sister. She bought a new pair of shoes and I bought a bag and a pair of sunglasses. Everything was so expensive !
Next, on Wednesday, we visited the Universal Studios. It was magical ! But it was very hot on that day so we had to leave early.
On Thursday, we went to a water park. We had a lot of fun until my mom broke her leg while trying to jump from a diving board. We rushed to the hospital... Fortunately, she is ok now.
What about you? Did you have fun in Germany? Tell me everything!

What's your name ?
My name is Henry Thomson .
How old are you ?
I am 35 years old.
Where do you live ?
I live in Bristol.

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