Monthly Archives: January 2008

Your Movie Recommendations for Other Listeners

Posted on Tuesday - January 29, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

Many of our listeners like to watch English-language movies for enjoyment, but also to improve their English. We sometimes get emails asking for our recommendations. We don’t have specific films to recommend, but what is important is that any movie … Continue reading →

Posted in Television and Movies | 78 Comments

Snow-Capped Mountains…in Los Angeles

Posted on Monday - January 28, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It has been raining here in Los Angeles pretty much non-stop (without interruption) for the past four days. It is normally very dry in southern California, but this year we have received a lot of rain and snow. One of … Continue reading →

Play Ball! (in China)

Posted on Thursday - January 24, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Baseball is one of the United States’ most popular sports, but it has become popular in many other countries as well, especially in Asia and Latin America. In the U.S., the organization of professional baseball teams is called Major League … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 13 Comments

Post No Bills

Posted on Thursday - January 17, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Bill is a funny word. Normally, it means a statement of what you have to pay someone for a product or service, what you owe him or her. In a restaurant, the waiter brings you the bill (also called the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 11 Comments

Marilyn Monroe Sings! (English Cafe 120)

Posted on Wednesday - January 16, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

In today’s English Cafe 120, Jeff talks about the dumb blond stereotype. When Americans think of dumb blonds, the classic example is Marilyn Monroe, or at least the characters she played in films. Here she is singing a song from … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussing the Episodes, Karaoke English | 15 Comments

Let’s Crash this Party (ESL Podcast 338 – Refusing an Invitation)

Posted on Monday - January 14, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

In today’s ESL Podcast 338 – Refusing an Invitation, we talked about finding an excuse for not attending a party. Sometimes, though, we decide to accept rather than refuse an invitation. In the Culture Note of the Learning Guide, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussing the Episodes | 6 Comments

Comix and R. Crumb (ESL Podcast 337 – Reading Comic Books)

Posted on Friday - January 11, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

In the Culture Note of today’s Learning Guide, we talk about the comix movement. A major figure (important person) in the comix movement is R. (Robert) Crumb, who is an American artist and illustrator (a person who draws pictures for … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussing the Episodes, Television and Movies | 7 Comments

ESL Podcast Named One of iTunes’ Best of 2007 Podcasts in Japan

Posted on Friday - January 4, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Apple’s iTunes-Japan has named ESL Podcast one of the “Best Podcasts of 2007,” one of only a 20 podcasts in Japan to receive this honor. We are very grateful for the recognition, and hope we can continue to provide useful … Continue reading →

Posted in About ESL Podcast | 23 Comments

What’s in a Name? Maybe A Lot!

Posted on Wednesday - January 2, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

I recently read an article about something called “name-letter preference.” According to several research studies, people are more likely to favor (like better) and choose those things that begin with their initials (the first letter of their first or last … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Current Events | 9 Comments