Dear James,

As you know, we have been working on the new perfume that we are launching in April and we are unsure about some of the packaging details. We have seen some of your creative work in the sales department and we think you have a very good eye for detail.

Do you have some time before close of business this Friday to sit down with us and talk through some of our designs? We would truly appreciate your advice on this. It shouldn't take longer than two hours of your time and we would be happy to clear it with Patricia, your department head, if necessary.

Best regards,
Sarah Ford
Head of Department
Product Design

The Habits of Highly Effective English Communicators

An email request for help. IELTS LISTENING 

Turkish listening

after the age of thirty 

法国的面包和中国的面包有什么不同？

Yating在法国

面包

「旬（しゅん）の味覚」とは、その季節にしか食べられない食べ物のことです。
そして春の味覚は、寒い冬が終わることを教えてくれる食べ物。寒い地方に住む私たちにとって特別な食べ物です。

Today I talk about seasonal food which we can eat only a short period of time. Fukinotou, butterbur sprout, tells us the end of winter, which we can't wait. 

+++ words +++
植物（しょくぶつ）　　plant
つぼみ　　　　　　　　bud
地面（じめん）　　　　ground
咲く（さく）　　　　　bloom
3センチ　　　　　　　 3cm
あっというま　　　　　a really short time (like saying "a" )
落ち葉（おちば）　　　fallen leaf
隠れている（かくれている）　covered
味（あじ）　　　　　　taste
にがい　　　　　　　　bitter
ほろにがい　　　　　　slightly bitter
たらのめ、うど、こごみ、つくし
　all of them are seasonal edible wild plants in spring (some of them are grown for sale though)
サクサクした　　　　　crispy
細かく（こまかく）　　into small size
いためる　　　　　　　saute
甘辛い（あまからい）　sweet and salty
種類（しゅるい）　　　kind
直売所（ちょくばいじょ）　farmer's market

+++ grammers +++
～といっても　　　　　indeed ～, but
Vてしまう　　　　　　 have done (and I feel disappointed at that)
Nのうちに　　　　　　 while ～(I have to do something)
Vなければなりません　 have to do
～かもしれない　　　　might

Country Life in Japan とかいとちがう　かもしれない　いなかのくらし

春の味覚（みかく）ふきのとう

Nuestra existencia y el desarrollo de todas nuestras extensiones han llevado a la desaparición de muchas especies de animales como de plantas y ecosistemas. Hoy hablamos de los arrecifes ubicados en Centro América y de su papel en nuestras vidas. 
En el siguiente enlace encontrarán en artículo del episodio así como vocabulario nuevo: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cc5qd4OP-JYIZNDmIug-6QAP9Vq5NZ3IuRW27zynY0I/edit?usp=sharing

Voces Difusora

Arrecifes: la existencia del humano, la desaparición del ecosistema

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.'"

Learn English with Cambridge David

The Queen and the American tourists

What are your hobbies?  
Angela reads the basic text from this lesson, (transcript available when you take this lesson).

This topic is also available for intermediate and higher-level learners.


English with Angela -  conversation 

TASK 39 - FREE TIME 

Simple conversations are perfect for breaking the ice, and they are perfect for beginners. Talk about everyday situations like shopping, traveling, and dining out.
