Powerful Podcasts for English Fluency | Episode 11

Summary

In this episode of EnglishPod, hosts Marco and Erica introduce learners to the art of small talk, focusing on everyday conversations with acquaintances or strangers. They dissect a dialogue between two characters, highlighting phrases like 'barely even,' 'did you catch,' 'by the way,' and 'take the stairs.' The hosts explain the usage of these phrases in context, providing examples to enhance understanding. The lesson aims to equip English learners with practical language skills for engaging in small talk, emphasizing the importance of such interactions in daily life.

Takeaways

• 😀 The podcast 'English Pod' provides English lessons for learners at different levels, focusing on everyday language.
• 🗣️ The episode emphasizes the importance of 'small talk', which are brief conversations with people you don't know well.
• 👂 The dialogue in the podcast is designed to be fast-paced to mimic real-life conversations, but it's slowed down for easier understanding.
• 🏙️ The script includes a dialogue set in an elevator, highlighting common small talk topics like the weather and news.
• 🧩 The term 'barely even' is introduced as a phrase used to emphasize the difficulty of an action, similar to 'almost couldn't'.
• 📰 'Catch' is used in the context of hearing or seeing something, like news or a game, and can be applied in various scenarios.
• 🔔 'By the way' is a phrase used to introduce a new or unrelated topic in the middle of a conversation.
• 🏢 The dialogue includes a humorous misunderstanding about a daughter being mistaken for a wife, illustrating the potential pitfalls of small talk.
• 🏋️‍♂️ 'Take the stairs' is a phrase that means to go up the stairs, not to take them somewhere else, and is used in the context of leaving the elevator.
• 📈 The podcast offers language patterns for small talk, such as 'It sure is [adjective]', which can be used to emphasize a point.
• 🤝 The phrase 'Yeah, it's [adjective] all right' is used to agree with a statement made by someone else during small talk.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the English Pod lesson discussed in the transcript?

The main topic of the English Pod lesson is 'Small Talk', which refers to casual conversations with people you don't know well.

How does the dialogue in the lesson start?

The dialogue starts with a greeting and a comment on the weather, specifically how cold it is in the morning.

What is the meaning of the phrase 'barely even' as used in the lesson?

The phrase 'barely even' is used to emphasize that something is almost to the point of not happening, similar to 'almost couldn't' or 'almost nothing'.

What does the term 'catch' mean in the context of the dialogue?

In the dialogue, 'catch' is used to ask if someone has heard or seen something, like news or an event.

How is the phrase 'by the way' used in the conversation?

The phrase 'by the way' is used to introduce a new point or topic that may or may not be related to the current conversation.

What does 'take the stairs' mean in the dialogue?

In the dialogue, 'take the stairs' means to physically go up the stairs, not to take them somewhere else.

What is the purpose of the 'Language Takeaway' section in the lesson?

The 'Language Takeaway' section provides key words and phrases from the dialogue, explaining their meanings and usage in everyday conversations.

How does the dialogue demonstrate the use of the phrase 'it sure is'?

The dialogue uses 'it sure is' to emphasize agreement with a statement, such as 'it sure is cold this morning'.

What is the function of the phrase 'did you happen to' in the dialogue?

The phrase 'did you happen to' is used to inquire if someone has done something by chance, like 'did you happen to watch the football game?'

What is the significance of the character Mr. Anderson leaving the elevator in a hurry?

Mr. Anderson leaving the elevator in a hurry signifies that he did not want to continue the conversation and found it annoying.

How does the lesson encourage learners to practice small talk?

The lesson encourages learners to practice small talk by providing patterns and structures for common conversation starters and responses.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Introduction to Small Talk

The video script introduces an English lesson focused on small talk, a type of conversation that occurs between acquaintances or strangers. The hosts, Marco and Erica, emphasize the practicality of small talk for everyday use. They provide a dialogue example featuring a conversation in an elevator, highlighting common phrases and expressions used in small talk. The dialogue includes discussions about the weather, current events, and personal comments, which are typical small talk topics. The hosts also mention that they will dissect the language used in the dialogue to help learners understand and apply it.

05:03

📚 Language Takeaway and Small Talk Patterns

In this section, the hosts break down the language used in the dialogue into key phrases and expressions. They explain the use of 'barely even' to express the difficulty of an action, similar to 'almost couldn't.' The phrase 'did you catch' is introduced as a way to inquire if someone heard or saw something. 'By the way' is explained as a phrase to introduce a new, possibly unrelated topic. Lastly, 'take the stairs' is clarified to mean the act of physically going up the stairs, not metaphorically taking them somewhere. The hosts also provide patterns for starting small talk, such as using 'it sure is' followed by an adjective to make a statement and 'yeah, it's' to agree, as well as 'did you happen to' to inquire about chance occurrences. They encourage learners to listen to the dialogue again to better understand these phrases in context.

10:03

🎧 Audio Review and Vocabulary Practice

The final part of the script is an audio review where learners are encouraged to listen to the dialogue at a faster pace to practice catching the phrases discussed. The hosts list the key vocabulary and phrases, such as 'it sure is' for affirmation, 'barely even' for expressing difficulty, 'did you happen to' for chance occurrences, and 'by the way' for introducing new topics. They provide examples of how to use these phrases in sentences, reinforcing the lesson's objectives. The script ends with a prompt for learners to visit the EnglishPod website for more lessons and resources, and to engage with the hosts by leaving comments.

Keywords

💡Small Talk

Small talk refers to casual, informal conversations with people you may not know well. It's a way to establish rapport and engage in friendly dialogue. In the video, small talk is the central theme, as the hosts discuss how to use certain phrases and expressions to initiate and maintain light conversations in everyday situations.

💡Barely Even

The phrase 'barely even' is used to emphasize the difficulty or scarcity of a situation, similar to 'almost couldn't' or 'almost nothing.' It is often used in a negative context. In the script, it's exemplified by saying 'I could barely even eat my lunch,' which underscores the speaker's extreme busyness.

💡Catch

In the context of the video, 'catch' is used to inquire if someone has heard or seen something, like news or an event. It's a colloquial way of asking about recent happenings. For instance, 'Did you catch the news?' is used to ask if someone is aware of the latest news.

💡By the Way

This phrase is used to introduce a new or additional point in a conversation, often one that is somewhat disconnected from the current topic. It serves as a transition or a way to bring up a new subject. In the script, it's used as 'By the way, I saw you with your daughter at the office Christmas party,' which shifts the conversation to a personal note.

💡Take the Stairs

This phrase does not mean to literally take the stairs somewhere but rather to use the stairs for movement, typically to go up. It's a more idiomatic way of saying 'go up the stairs.' In the dialogue, one character uses it to indicate their intention to walk up the stairs after realizing they are on the wrong floor.

💡It Sure Is

This expression is used to affirm or agree with a statement, often emphasizing the truth of an adjective. It's a conversational tool for showing agreement or共鸣. The script uses it in the context of discussing the weather, as in 'It sure is cold this morning,' which is a way to start a small talk conversation.

💡Barely Even Got Out of Bed

This phrase is used to express that something was very difficult or almost didn't happen. In the context of the video, it's used to describe the coldness of the morning, suggesting it was so cold that the speaker almost didn't manage to get out of bed.

💡Did You Happen To

This phrase is used to ask if someone has done something by chance or coincidentally. It's a polite way of inquiring about an event or action without assuming the person was specifically looking to do it. In the script, 'Did you happen to watch the football game last night?' is an example of this, showing a casual inquiry.

💡Patriots

The 'Patriots' refers to the New England Patriots, a professional American football team. In the dialogue, mentioning the Patriots is part of the small talk about a recent football game, which is a common topic of conversation among sports fans.

💡Christmas Party

A 'Christmas party' is a festive event typically held during the Christmas season. In the script, the mention of a Christmas party serves as a point of connection between characters, providing an opportunity for small talk and personal interaction.

Highlights

Introduction to the English lesson focused on small talk for elementary learners.

Definition of small talk as conversations with people you don't know well.

Dialogue example demonstrating a small talk scenario in an elevator.

Use of 'barely even' to express something was almost not possible.

Explanation of 'catch' as in hearing or understanding something.

Introduction of 'by the way' as a phrase to introduce a new, possibly unrelated topic.

Clarification that 'take the stairs' means to go up the stairs on foot.

Slowed-down dialogue to help learners catch phrases more easily.

Pattern 'It sure is [adjective]' for emphasizing a statement.

Response pattern 'Yeah, it's [adjective] all right' to agree with a statement.

Use of 'did you happen to' for asking if something was done by chance.

Third listening of the dialogue to reinforce understanding.

Encouragement for learners to apply the language in their daily lives.

Promotion of the Englishpod website for additional learning resources.

Invitation for learners to leave comments and engage with the hosts.

Farewell and sign-off for the episode.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello English Learners welcome back to

English pod my name is Marco and I'm

Erica and we're bringing you another

great Elementary lesson for all our

elementary Learners you know what Marco

I think this lesson is so useful this is

language that you can actually use every

single day exactly every day exactly

because today we're going to be teaching

you small talk so what is Small Talk

well small talk is small conversations

that you would have with people that you

don't know very well but you still want

to be plight yes right and you want to

maybe just chat a little bit okay so

let's listen to our dialogue and as

always it's going to be a little bit

fast but don't worry about it cuz we'll

come back in a minute and help you with

some of the difficult

[Music]

language morning hi there Mr Anderson

how are you in this fine morning fine

thank you it sure is cold this morning

isn't it I barely even got out of bed

yeah it's pretty cold all right did you

catch the news this morning I heard that

there was a fire in Byron Street no I

didn't hear about that did you happen to

watch the football game last night the

Patriots scored in the last minute no I

don't like football oh oh by the way I

saw you with your daughter at the office

Christmas party she's really beautiful

she's my wife oh here's my floor nice

talking to you goodbye oh sir this is

the 56th floor we're on the 70th that's

okay I'll take the

stairs okay I think this guy was a

little bit annoying yeah Mr Anderson

really didn't want to talk to him did he

yeah I think that was pretty obvious he

left the elevator in a hurry okay let's

take a look at our language today in

language

takeaway language

takeaway all right what do we have today

in language takeaway well we've got four

words and phrases and our first one is

bar even barely even barely even so how

do we use barely even it's a little bit

difficult it's really similar to like

almost couldn't or almost nothing or

almost can't so we use it usually in a

negative sense for example I could say I

was so busy today I could barely even

eat my lunch okay so I can maybe say it

was so dark I could barely even see yeah

okay yeah or I'm so poor I can barely

even pay my rent okay good barely even

mhm all right let's take a look at our

next one catch catch catch did you catch

the news so by did you catch the news

you mean did you hear the news exactly

so how else can we use this did you

catch a really common one is I didn't

catch your name yeah I didn't hear your

name I didn't hear your name yeah and we

can also say I didn't catch what he said

I didn't catch what he said yeah so I

didn't hear y okay let's look at our

next word by the way by the way by the

way by the way okay so let's listen to

some examples first of how we can use by

the way and then we'll come back and

talk more about it example

one are you going to be at the meeting

today yeah I'll be there oh by the way

did you hear what happened

today example two

by the way I almost forgot to tell you

Maggie

C okay so I see that when we say by the

way um we're introducing a point after

we've already talked about something

exactly and maybe it's not even related

to the topic we were talking about no

it's a different topic different topic

right it's like saying oh I almost

forgot to tell you exactly so I like oh

Erica don't forget we have a meeting

today oh and by the way I like your new

haircut thanks Marco all right see

that's the way you would use by the way

okay and our last word on language

takeway take the stairs take the stairs

take the stairs take the stairs so it

doesn't mean you're going to take them

somewhere or no no no you're not taking

them home with you it means you're going

to go up the stairs mhm okay so take the

stairs yes a lot of people might say use

the stairs or go up the stairs but our

English pod Learners they know right to

use take the stairs y take the stairs

okay so now we're ready to listen to our

dialogue again we're going to slow it

down a little bit and this will help you

to catch these phrases a little bit

[Music]

better

morning hi there Mr Anderson how are you

on this fine morning fine thank you it

sure is cold this morning isn't it I

barely even got out of bed yeah it's

pretty cold all right did you catch the

news this morning I heard that there was

a fire in Byron Street no I didn't hear

about that did you happen to watch the

football game last night the Patriots

scored in the last minute no I don't

like football oh oh by the way I saw you

with your daughter at the office

Christmas party she's really beautiful

she's my wife

oh here's my floor nice talking to you

goodbye oh sir this is the 56th floor

we're on the 70th that's okay I'll take

the

stairs okay so now let's take a look at

ways to start up some small talk in

putting it

together putting it

together so Marco today we've got some

great patterns or structures that you

can use uh in in your small talk yeah

exactly we saw some great patterns let's

start with the first one it sure is cold

this morning it sure is cold it sure is

cold it sure is cold okay so we can

change it up a little bit and say it

sure is hot mhm or it sure is late okay

this sure is interesting mhm or you

could say he sure is smart so basically

you can change the adjective cold hot

smart hard

and when you say sure is uh this is a

great way of emphasizing that you

believe this adjective to be true okay

it sure is now what would be the answer

to this well in the dialogue uh Mr

Anderson said yeah it's pretty cold all

right it's pretty cold all right it's

pretty cold all right so again using the

examples we used before we can say oh

it's pretty hot all right mhm or it's

pretty late all right or he's pretty

smart all right mhm or this is pretty

interesting all right so it means you're

agreeing with that person exactly okay

great so Marco these things it sure is

blank and yeah it's blank all right

these can go together really well can't

they yeah as a question and answer

format they go well so why don't we

listen to some examples of how these two

phrases work together example

one it sure is a nice day today yeah

it's nicer

right example

two the bus is sure late today yeah it's

late all

right example

three this class is really hard yeah

it's hard all

right okay so now let's take a look at

our next word in putting it together did

you happen to did you happen to did you

happen to did you happen to did you

happen to see Bob this morning I didn't

happen to see Bob so it means like like

did you by chance by chance did you by

chance see Bob or something yeah okay

another example would be did you happen

to go to that restaurant I recommended M

or maybe do you happen to have a pen do

you happen to know where the bathroom is

yeah that's a really useful one that's a

useful one that's basically how you

would use this structure did you happen

to do you happen to so now let's listen

to our dialogue for the third time and

I'm sure that you'll be able to

understand

[Music]

everything morning hi there Mr Anderson

how are you in this fine morning fine

thank you it sure is cold this morning

isn't it I barely even got out of bed

yeah it's pretty cold all right did you

catch the news this morning I heard that

there was a fire in Byron Street no I

didn't hear about that did you happen to

watch the football game last night the

Patriots scored in the last minute no I

don't like football oh oh by the way I

saw you with your daughter at the office

Christmas party she's really beautiful

she's my wife oh here's my floor nice

talking to you goodbye oh sir this is

the 56th floor we're on the 70th that's

okay I'll take the stairs

all right Marco that was a really useful

dialogue for daily life wasn't it yeah I

think you can find a lot of useful

language there and that you can apply

tomorrow yeah well speaking of useful

things let's talk a little bit about our

website yeah be sure to go to our

website at englishpod ccom where you can

find other lessons as well maybe you're

an intermediate student or Advanced yes

so we've got intermediate Advanced Upper

Intermediate lessons on our website and

a lot of other resources that you can

explore so be sure to to our website and

leave all your comments because Erica

and I are always there and we're really

happy to answer all of your questions

okay everyone well we're out of time but

until next time

[Music]

goodbye the English pod audio

review listen to the meaning then say

the vocabulary

word affirmation or confirmation of

something

it sure

is hardly could almost

not barely

even here listen

to

catch by chance uh someone did

something did you happen

to phrase used to interject another

Topic in a conversation

by the

way go up the stairs use the

stairs take the

stairs let's try that

faster affirmation or confirmation of

something it sure is hardly could almost

not barely even affirmation or

confirmation of something it sure is

hardly could almost not barely

even by chance uh someone did something

did you happen to affirmation or

confirmation of something it sure is

here listen to catch affirmation or

confirmation of something it sure is by

chance uh someone did something did you

happen

to phrase used to in project another

Topic in a

conversation by the

way now say the word and hear it in a

sentence by the

way by the way did you get my

message

catch I'm sorry but I didn't catch your

name by the

way by the way did you get my message

[Music]