Archive for May, 2008
Happy Friday!
May 30th
Hey everyone and anyone!
Happy Friday! People get so excited about the weekend that in offices people sometimes wish each other a Happy Friday. This is just like Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary.
I wanted to write a little message to let you know that we are still always improving our podcasts and this site. We are actually meeting on Sunday to record more podcasts for you. We would LOVE to hear from you and how you are doing with learning English. Pretty please. (this is an extra strong please!)
When I see Harp on Sunday, will I say “How are you” or ”How have you been”? We will talk about the differences between “How are you” and “Have you been” in our Curious Questions podcast next week. Next week I will also tell you what I asked Harp!
Enjoy your weekend wherever you are!
Expressions with CLEAR
May 28th
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Do you know all the meanings of the word clear? Do you understand them clearly? Here we try to make some of the definitions crystal clear for you! We look at things that are clear cut, discuss how to clear the table and clear your throat, and hope to make all these new expressions as clear as a bell.
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Robin: So if you didn’t catch that, clear your throat means to remove anything that might be obstructing, or preventing you, from speaking.
Harp: Exactly. If you feel like coughing you would clear your throat before talking.
Robin: Indeed, indeed, and this goes back to our basic meaning of clear.
Harp: Exactly, so clear a table.
Robin: Clear a table.
Harp: To move things that are on the table physically.
Robin: So you want to do your work.
Harp: Exactly, for me I don’t have a desk so I use my kitchen table but if I want to eat I have to clear my table. To pick up the pencils and the paper and I make a big mess.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Expression: In Da House
May 24th
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Robin and Maura are in da house! What does that mean? A real music lover heard this and wrote in to find out what it is all about.
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Maura: Hey everyone out there, this is Maura and…
Robin: And Robin.
Maura: Yes, we’re here with you with the Curious Questions podcast where we always take one of your questions and answer it for you. The next question is a very specific one. And it must be from a very careful listener, or someone who really loves rap music. Let’s first listen to the question.
Robin: I often hear in da house in rap songs. What does it mean? How do you use it? Can you use it in a daily conversation?
To hear a real example check out the video by Mariah Carey, featuring ODB who uses “in da house” at the beginning of the song!
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Mariah Carey Fantasy Remix
Victoria Day
May 21st
Hello again!
We are back. Where did we go?
Like Harp mentioned at the end of her post below, Monday was a holiday here in Canada. The Monday before May 24 is called Victoria Day and was created to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday.
Click here for wikipedia’s explantion of this holiday.
For many Canadians this is a weekend to party! When I was in highschool we called this weekend May 2-4. This refers to the date and also to a 24-case of beer, which can also be called a 2-4. Often people go away to a cottage on a lake or go camping for this weekend. When I was in highschool and university this was a big party weekend for me.
I didn’t party this year. But I did enjoy the extra day off!
Blind Date part 2
May 17th
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Jen gets mixed up and Rick is a couch potato! Do you already know these funny expressions? After finding out about Jen’s date in part 1 of Catching Up, she asks Rick about his night. Find out what is new with him.
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Rick: Well, I didn’t do anything special. I didn’t get lucky like you did.
Jen: No, no, nothing happened. But really, I thought you were supposed to go out last night.
Rick: No, actually that’s tonight.
Jen: Oh, I guess I got it mixed up.
Rick: Yeah. Last night I just stayed in. I watched some TV and I straightened up my place. I was pretty much a couch potato.
Jen: Hey, did you watch American Idol? I missed it.
Rick: No I didn’t. Are you into that?
Jen: Yeah, I can’t help it. I got into it because of a friend of mine. She told me it was funny, so I checked it out, and now I can’t stop watching.
Rick: Yeah, I try not to tune into those reality shows, they’re quite addictive.
Jen: For sure!
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Hump Day!
May 15th
Hi Everyone,
I hope this week has been going good for everyone. It has been very nice for me. This week I have had some friends visiting from my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. It has been very fun showing them the sites of Montreal. This weekend my boyfriend and I are planning on meeting up with our friends in Quebec City to visit some of Quebec that I have not visited before. Hopefully I will have some nice pictures to post here next week from the weekend.
Today was what many people refer to as Hump Day. This is a funny expression that is used in Canada which I will try to explain clearly. For most people the work week is Monday to Friday, typically people enjoy their time off from work and they look forward to the weekend. Since Wednesday is the half way point of the week people are happy when it is finished because that means the weekend is coming up soon. If you imagine a small hump or hill and Monday and Tuesday are like walking up the hill, Wednesday is the top of the hill and after Wednesday is finished it is all easy walking to the weekend. The hump of the week is finished.
Even though I really like my job and I enjoy working, it is always fun when the weekend is coming closer. This weekend is a long weekend because Monday is a holiday so that is even more exciting.
I hope you all had a good hump day!
Harp
Expressions with LOOK
May 14th
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You don’t need to look up these definitions in the dictionary. Just listen to this episode where we look at some of the possibilities with the verb look! To look like, look down, look up and look forward to are the expressions that we examine in this episode.
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Robin: To look up. For example, you tilt your head backwards, point your eyes up and you are looking up.
Maura: Right, you usually look up at something, like the ceiling or into the sky.
Robin: Into the sky. We look into the sky. We look up into the sky.
Maura: Robin’s always looking up into the sky. Daydreaming.
Maura: So we can also look up to a person.
Robin: Definitely! And what does that mean?
Maura: It means to admire and respect someone. Who do you look up to?
Robin: I don’t know, that’s a good question. Who do you look up to? Besides me of course.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Pronunciation: Want vs Won’t
May 10th
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The question this time is a pronunciation question. How can we hear the difference between “want” and “won’t”. It is true that they are very similar, but there are some differences and here we explain them for you.
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Maura: I wonder if you can hear the difference in this episode? I hope so. If you’re having any trouble hearing the difference and want to understand this pronunciation episode, go to our website Culips.com and see the transcripts in Lipservice.
Robin: So with won’t we have an O and the second example with want we have an A. This is a big distinction to make because if you listen closely these vowel sounds are pronounced differently and can help you distinguish between them.
Maura: In won’t we hear wo. The mouth looks like an O, the lips move out and back in a little, but they don’t lose the O shape.
Robin: In want we hear a short A sound: ah.
Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast
Do You Want to Dance-Bobby Freeman-original song-1958
Happy Hour
May 9th
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post here and I’m very excited to begin blogging. I thought I would start off with telling you a bit about a tradition that happens all across North America and I believe in Europe which I will be taking part in tomorrow night.
What I’m talking about it is “Happy Hour.” As some of you may know the Culips team is based in Montreal and in French Canada people call it 5 à 7. The reason for these names are that the regular working hours of people with office jobs is 9am to 5pm. Collegues often go to a neighbourhood pub or bar to have a drink together. It is called “Happy Hour” because most people are happy when they are finished work for the day. I presume that it is called 5 à 7 (in French the à means to, so 5 to 7) because people will hang out with their work friends for a while but then will head home to their families at around 7pm.
Tomorrow night, friday night here in Montreal, I will be going to a pub in the downtown core of the city which I have been to once before and it is a very cool place. In case any of you are interested here is the website. http://www.ste-elisabeth.com/eng/elisabeth_eng.htm. Hopefully it will be warm enough that we can all sit outside.
I would love to hear some traditions from your countries to relax after work.
iTunes!
May 7th
Hello anyone and everyone! We have just been accepted to iTunes and hope that many people visit and tell us what they think.
We will be making some changes to the podcasts as we go along. Please send us your comments because they will really help us.
If there is something you have always wanted in a podcast, tell us and maybe you will see it happen!
Thanks for checking us out.
From Maura
Of all the podcasts with 'real world' English examples, I like yours the best. Maybe its the fun you put into the lessons. The students can here that in your voices. And they also feel your dedication to what you are doing - it's just not a job you do, but a gift you give to everyone who listens. And while the students like the Lipservice PDFs for all the information it contains, as a teacher I am impressed by the professional effort put into making them. I give the Culips podcast and the Culips crew my highest recommendation, both as a teacher, and a listener. 
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