Discover The Christmas Market in Toulouse, France

Discover The Christmas Market in Toulouse, France

14, February, 2025

Episode 241: Discover The Christmas Market in Toulouse, France

In this Vodcast, we visit and discover what is in store at The Christmas market, as we do every year. Sue, who is a huge fan of Christmas continues her mission to get Chris into the Christmas spirit.

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we get out and about with our video camera to discover the food and drink of the Christmas season in the centre of Toulouse, France. Will Sue be able to ‘sell’ Christmas to Chris, who is not 100% convinced?

Notes

Join us in the bustling centre of Toulouse on an unusually cold evening.

See the stalls and produce that is on sale, some of it quite original and others that are the stalwarts of the Christmas Market.

We discover some the unique and the traditional, along with the things that seem a little off-the-wall for the Christmas season.

One thing is for sure, love it hate it, The Christmas Market is certainly a lively and a very friendly place to go.

Recap & Takeaways

Packed with vocabulary about the Christmas season, along with lots of expressions to describe the tastes and sensations about food and drink.

Once again we visit the growing Christmas market in the centre of the beautiful city of Toulouse to soak up the Christmas spirit.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more cultural explorations!

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Planning a Holiday Getaway

Planning a Holiday Getaway

14, February, 2025

Episode 236: Planning a Holiday Getaway

In this podcast, you can hear us plan a holiday getaway in real time. You’ll be challenged by numbers, numbers and more numbers!

Planning a holiday getaway
Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we plan a holiday getaway in real time, you’ll hear us clicking away, making mistakes and finally coming up with a good destination which fits Sue’s budget.

Notes

Have you ever tried to book a holiday on line? It’s pretty confusing, isn’t it?

Listen to Chris and Sue go through the different options, flights and prices. There’s a lot of detailed information in this podcast, so you may need to listen several times.

This podcast is a great way to practice number comprehension; listen out for the times of flights, the dates of the holiday, the holiday budget, and the times of the stopovers.

There’s plenty of work do with this one! Not forgetting that planning a holiday getaway is a great way to boost your morale in these cold winter months.

 

Recap & Takeaways

BEFORE LISTENING, THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS

What’s the furtherest you’ve ever travelled?

How do you feel about flying?

Where have you been?

What’s your usual budget for a holiday?

What do you usually do on holiday?

What type of souvenirs do you buy from your holiday?

AFTER LISTENING

Write down all the numbers you heard. Can you reconsitute the flight itinery?

 

 

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A Few Days in New York

A Few Days in New York

14, February, 2025

Episode 234: A Few Days in New York

In this podcast, Sue chats to Laura halfway through their holiday in New York. Can you guess some of the grammar you’ll hear?

Buying and selling on-line

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we travel to New York to visit the sites and talk grammar. Listen carefully to the things we love about the Big Apple and some of the things which we couldn’t get used to!

Notes

Have you ever been to New York ? Is it on your list of things to do ? Do you like big cites ? Do you live in the USA? What do you think of tourists to your country?

Listen to this podcast in which Laura, a French-British young women talks to Sue about her holiday, or vacation as they say in American English.

In this podcast Laura talks about these famous sites:

The Empire State Building

The Rockerfeller Center

The Statue of Liberty

The Met Musuem

China Town

Central Park

The Subway

Can you think of any other places that you’d like to visit?

Learn more about the New York Skyline with our quiz, full of fun fact and great vocabulary.

https://english-podcasts.com/the-new-york-skyline-quiz/

Recap & Takeaways

If you are learning English, listen very carefully to how Laura talks about her trip. She is half way through her holiday so notice how she describes actions/events in the past and then actions/events in the recent past and then actions/ events in the future. This podcast is a great way to see all these grammatical structures.

Notice the use of the Simple Past tense to indicate something that Laura did in the past. 

I booked the hotel on line. I bought a Tourist pass before I came 

Sue asks Laura; How did you cope with the jet leg when you arrived?

Notice the use of the Present Perfect tense which Laura uses to describe something she has done recently, within the last few days but without mentioning the exact day.

I have been to see the Statue of Liberty. I‘ve done so many things.  I have taken a cab. I’ve been to wrong places. I have been to Five Guys. I’ve spoken to quite a few people from new York.

Notice the use of the Present Continuous tense to describe a current situation.

Sue asks Laura: How are you getting around ?

People in the street are all carrying a cup of soda or coffee.

Notice the use of the future tenses.

Sue asks Laura: What are you doing after this diner? When are you heading back ?

I’m going to visit Brooklyn Bridge and the Highline later this afternoon.

 

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The Travel Bet from Toulouse to Paris

The Travel Bet from Toulouse to Paris

14, February, 2025

Episode 218: The Travel Bet

In this podcast, we talk trains, planes and cars. We embark on a journey from Toulouse to Paris to see who arrives first.

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we take on a challenge to see who can arrive in Paris the quickest.

Notes

Have you ever wondered about the quickest way to get from A to B? In this podcast we leave Toulouse and the same time but we use different forms of transport to get to a particuler café in the centre of Paris. Who do you think gets there first?

Not only do we take into account the time spent, but also the money spent too. Of course we don’t forget about the comfort and the stress involved in travelling to.

This is a great podcast to test your numbers (prices, times, timetables etc).

How much do we spend on the different forms of transport ?

How long does each journey take ?

Recap & Takeaways

In this podcast you will hear the words “get” and “got” many times.

For example:

Did you get the metro? Did you get a ticket?

I got the train. I got  a taxi.

To test your knowledge of “Get” try this quiz.

https://english-podcasts.com/the-verb-get/

 

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Guns, Gingerbread and the American Constitution

Guns, Gingerbread and the American Constitution

14, February, 2025

Episode 232: Guns, Gingerbread and the American Constitution

In this podcast, Sue listens in amazement to an American women explain about her daily life carrying a gun everywhere she goes, including to the shops and even to chuch.

Usa and guns

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we get to hear first hand from an American women, Cindy, living in South Carolina, and why she carries a gun with her in her daily life.

Notes

Gun culture is deeply entrenched in American culture and it is a right under the 2nd ammendment of the constitution, which makes it very difficult to change even in the wake of tragic mass shootings.

Data in 2023 showed  that U.S. citizens own approximately 398.5 million firearms, including handguns, shotguns, and rifles.  This means that civilian gun ownership averages about 1.2 firearms per person in the U.S. So it seems that, yes–there are more guns than people in America.

So why do everyday citizens feel the need to carry a gun? In this podcast Cindy explains why she owns mulitple guns and how she feels protected when carrying her gun even though she has never had to use her guns.

In this podcast, the team at english-podcasts has no intention to pass any opinion, bias or judgement on the subject, and we thank Cindy for her personal account of gun use and general attitudes. 

Recap & Takeaways

As a language learner, listen out for Cindy’s southern American accent and American English vocabulary such as “purse”, “pants” and “packing”.

BEFORE LISTENING try to think about the vocabulary you are likely to hear to be abole to answer these questions:

  1. What do the background checks consist of?
  2. How many guns does Cindy own?
  3. Where does she keep her gun?
  4. Where do many women keep their gun?
  5. How (and when) does she practice shooting?
  6. Why does she feel the need to have a gun with her?
  7. What is “Open” and “Conceal” carry?
  8. What does Cindy say about bullets?
  9. What does she say about a recent hold up in her local supermarket?
  10. What does she say about Shoot Unseen ?
  11. What does Cindy explain about the American constitution?

AFTER LISTENING: Now you can answer those questions ! Try to write full senetences so that you can check your grammar and syntax.

 

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Toulouse, the top city to visit in 2025

Toulouse, the top city to visit in 2025

14, February, 2025

Episode 214: Toulouse, the top city to visit in 2025

In this podcast, we present our adopted city, Toulouse, which has been nominated at the top city to visit in 2025 by the reputed travel guide series Lonely Planet.

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode we talk about one of the best cities in Australia and apparently, throughout the world as it is widely recognised as one of the best places to live in the world.

Notes

What websites are saying about Toulouse:

.Spotlight on the Ville Rose! The prestigious Lonely Planet travel guide has just crowned Toulouse as the best destination to visit in 2025. An accolade that propels the Occitan capital to the forefront of the international tourism scene and confirms its status as the jewel in the crown of south-western France. We tell you all about it.

With its picturesque alleyways, lively cafés and comforting cuisine, Toulouse has a warm, trendy atmosphere. In its rankings, the Australian travel guide praises the unique atmosphere along the sunny banks of the Garonne and the Canal du Midi. We won’t deny that Toulouse is a great place to live, eat and feel. Lonely Planet’s experts also highlight Toulouse’s rich architectural heritage, from the majestic Saint-Sernin basilica to the emblematic Place du Capitole.

The jury was also won over by Toulouse’s cultural dynamism. The city is teeming with innovative art galleries housed in converted industrial sites. Music lovers are not to be outdone, with a wide range of musical offerings, from jazz at Le Taquin to opera at the Théâtre du Capitole. The highlight of this artistic effervescence is the long-awaited reopening of the Musée des Augustins in 2025, a veritable cultural institution in Toulouse since 1795. All of which makes Toulouse a must-see destination for art and culture lovers from all over the world!

Recap & Takeaways

Listen up as we discuss 20 “must do” places and things in Toulouse.

We have lived in Toulouse for over 30 years and know the city very well. We list out our top places which range from medieval cathedrals to rooftop bars and of course, the iconic rugby stadium.

As a language learner, listen out for the adjectives we use to describe our favourite city.

How would you describe your home town ? As a language learner, take the time to describe in detail your home town.

 

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