Spelade
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In a state of paranoia, Park meets The Girl with the Almond Eyes and receives some exciting news from her.
We return to some French words that are borrowed by the English language - RENDEZ-VOUS, CROISSANT, RÉSUMÉ. We also explain the proper use of the words CV and CURRICULUM VITAE.
We cover three important phrasal verbs, namely TO DAWN ON, TO POP OUT and TO CALM DOWN.
And finally, we have an interesting discussion about the concept of FALSE MODESTY. How do you talk about your achievements without sounding presumptuous or boastful? That depends on the cultural context, for example in Norway it is influenced by a concept known as JANTELOVEN and in Spain by the concept of CANTAMAÑAS.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Park suspects that there are intruders in his apartment and decides that attack is the best form of defence.
We start this class with three common expressions. We explain what it means when something DOES THE TRICK. We illustrate the use of the idiom TO PUT BREAD ON THE TABLE. And we consider what it’s like to be ON A ROLLERCOASTER.
In the vocabulary section we focus on the word RESOURCEFULNESS.
We exemplify three phrasal verbs TO BURST INTO, TO CARRY OUT and BURN DOWN.
And finally, we take a moment to discuss some of the MOST FAMOUS LINES IN CINEMA, phrases that are well-known to most native English speakers and often referred to in informal conversations.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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On the bus ride to work Kim reveals a secret to Park that will change both of their lives forever.
We focus on adjective enrichment, encouraging you to use more colourful and precise vocabulary. For example, instead of saying "thin" say SKINNY or EMACIATED. Instead of saying "fat", say CURVY, BEEFY or CHUBBY.
We discuss the difference between PROPAGANDA and ADVERTISING. We explain the illegal process of MONEY LAUNDERING. And we review the verbs TO TAP, TO BUG and TO WIRE, activities that are often used in law enforcement.
Finally, we make sure you are familiar with the iconic expression TO JOIN THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Park is becoming paranoid as suspicious things start happening both at the office and in his apartment.
Let’s engage in some interactive exercises to help you master INTERROGATIVES.
In the vocabulary section we cover some advanced business English. When was the last time you felt OVERWHELMED. Do you know the difference between FUNCTIONARIES and CIVIL SERVANTS? How long is your DAILY COMMUTE? And do you know the difference between a SCHEDULE, AGENDA, and a DIARY.
We briefly review three useful phrasal verbs - TO SHUT DOWN, TO FIGURE OUT and TO SPEED UP.
And finally, we explain three interesting common expressions. Do you ever get TONGUE-TIED? Do you sometimes wish that people would MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS? And how do you feel when your boss is BREATHING DOWN YOUR NECK?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Kim explains his secret plan in precise detail to Park who is left speechless.
We continue to encourage you to expand your vocabulary particularly when describing people. We include positive adjectives such as OUTGOING, RADIANT and OPTIMISTIC, and negative adjectives such as DEPRESSED, PARANOID and UNSTABLE.
We explain the activities of the multinational institutions such as INTERPOL, EUROPOL and THE CIA, and how they are often TIPPED OFF about corporate crime.
We review some rhetorical devices. When you have many points to make, always use the RULE OF THREE. When you want your audience to remember a key idea, always use CONSCIOUS REPETITION.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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Back in North Korean, Park arrives at work and discovers something that fills him with fear.
In this chapter we start off with a review of some confusing grammar points - how and when to use the SAXON GENITIVE, and the difference between “FEW” and “A FEW”.
In the vocabulary section we continue to encourage you to use more advanced adjectives. We focus on the word DODGY which is particularly popular with native English speakers. We also describe what an OPEN PLAN OFFICE looks like. And we do a cross country analysis of the average age that people LOSE THEIR VIRGINITY.
On a more serious note, we discuss the concept of UNCONSCIOUS BIAS and how it manifests itself in the GENDER PAY GAP.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info
Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.
The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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Lola returns to the office to find JBlock in a state of chaos because their systems have just been hacked by a mysterious intruder.
Let’s review four types of IMPERATIVES - the direct, polite, informal, and the royal!
Let’s also discuss some interesting expressions. Do you think that one day you may become a DIGITAL NOMAD? Will that help you avoid having a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN?
We take another look at the rhetorical devices we introduced in Chapter 12. How the RULE OF THREE helps you structure your arguments. And how conscious REPETITION makes your speech more memorable.
And finally we ask the question - why do men love to give each other NICKNAMES?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Lola goes to Concha’s home for Sunday lunch and is excited and nervous about who else has been invited.
Let’s do some work on pronunciation. More specifically, we look at how words of FRENCH and SPANISH origin are pronounced in English.
We explain some common expressions and idioms. Do you remember what it was like when you had A CRUSH at high school? Did this person give you BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH, or did they FRY YOUR MIND?
And finally, we discuss TIPPING CULTURE around the world. In which countries should you tip the waiter or barman, and which countries should you not?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Lola visits the Retiro Park in Madrid, to meet with her mother who may have some valuable information for her.
In this chapter we cover some fundamental business terms including REVENUE and PROFIT and the role of a BOARD OF DIRECTORS at a company.
We explain two very important and challenging pronunciation points, the VOICED “S” SOUND and the SCHWA VOWEL SOUND.
We discuss five relevant common expressions. What do you do when there’s an ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? Is there anybody in your company that you should be KEEPING AN EYE ON? What sort of activities are EASIER SAID THAN DONE? Is it true that TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS? And are you the kind of person that ALWAYS LOOKS ON THE BRIGHT SIDE?
We end with a brief discussion of two modern business concepts TOXIC POSITIVITY and TRAGIC OPTIMISM.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Back in North Korea, Park faces a life-threatening dilemma.
In this chapter we continue to enrich your vocabulary with words such as STUNNED and RECKLESS.
We cover two common phrasal verbs to HANG OUT and to SINGLE OUT.
We discuss two common expressions that are often used in business. Would you consider yourself to be a PEOPLE PERSON? And what is your SKILL SET?
And finally, we make sure that you are fully aware of the difference in the PRONUNCIATION of certain regular past particles such as observed, crashed and included.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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The CyberStory magazine article about Lola is published with many details about her personal life.
In this chapter we discuss the business concepts of MONOPOLY POWER, HOSTILE ACQUISITIONS and MARKET DISRUPTION. We also explain a typical TWO-YEAR ROTATION program for graduates joining big companies.
We cover a couple of related common expressions. How do you progress FROM RAGS TO RICHES? And what makes someone a FOLK HERO?
There are loads of every day phrasal verbs included in the chapter, for example -SCROLL UP/DOWN, ZOOM IN/OUT, TEAM UP and ROLL OUT
And finally, we introduce a very popular modern form of physical and psychological self-improvement known as THE WIM HOF METHOD.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Lola reveals everything to her lawyer Gonzalo who points out the mistakes that she made when she quit TechSpania.
Let’s review the grammar of MODAL VERBS, more specifically can, could and would.
We talk about the legal implications of resigning from the company. What are the rules regarding CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION? What is a NONCOMPETE CLAUSE? And what happens if you BREACH YOUR CONTRACT?
We cover three relevant phrasal verbs TO PLUG IN, TO KEY IN, and TO MOVE ON.
And finally, we do some pronunciation work focusing on the “J” and “G” consonant sounds in words such as JUDGE, JURY, DIGITAL and VIGILANTE.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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Kim secretly organises a date for Park with a beautiful girl who travels on their bus to work.
In this chapter we review the commonly misunderstood concept of COMPOUND NUMBER ADJECTIVES.
We discuss the PROPERTY LADDER in capitalist economies and offer our own personal experience of climbing up it.
We expand the abbreviations FBI, CIA, NSA, terms that most people who watch Hollywood movies and Netflix series are familiar with.
And finally, we explain what happens to your body when your HEART SKIPS A BEAT.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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JBlock receives a surprise visit from two agents from Interpol who are investigating the recent cyber-attacks.
We focus on three advanced phrasal verbs in this chapter - TO CLAM UP, TO BOIL OVER and TO BREAK DOWN.
We explain the difference between the active voice and the PASSIVE VOICE in English grammar and highlight situations where the passive voice should be used.
We differentiate between the verbs TO FIRE, TO MAKE REDUNDANT and TO RESIGN.
And finally, we introduce a cool English idiom. What do you do when you suddenly realise that you are SWIMMING WITH SHARKS?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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After a night out with her blind date, Lola wakes up the next morning and is not exactly sure where she is, or what has happened.
In this chapter we review interrogatives, in fact we test you on the five most frequently confused interrogative structures, namely - WHOSE? WHICH? HOW OFTEN? WHAT DOES HE LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS HE LIKE?
We examine three interesting expressions. What does it mean when you act LIKE A DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS? Who is SLEEPING BEAUTY and how is she interpreted in different countries? And what do you do when you have A LOT ON YOUR PLATE?
Finally, we discuss the subtle but significant difference between being a FREELANCER and being SELF-EMPLOYED.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Lola needs to distract herself from all the pressure in her life, so she agrees to go on a blind date with a mysterious new man.
Let’s focus on the related phrasal verbs TO LOOK OUT, TO LOOK ON and TO LOOK OVER. We offer advice on how to dominate this very challenging grammar point.
We discuss two interesting items of vocabulary. How do you define HOT PROSPECTS when you are classifying potential clients? And what exactly is a BLIND DATE?
And finally, we have some fun with the grammatical concept of OXYMORONS - short phrases that seem to be contradictory but have a powerful underlying message.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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A nervous Park goes on his first date with the Girl with the Almond Eyes.
In this chapter we discuss CORRUPTION around the world using the work of Transparency International and their Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). We talk about BRIBERY, BLACK MARKETS and THE SECRET POLICE.
We also have three really useful common expressions. Nobody should believe that they are ABOVE THE LAW. Never TURN A BLIND EYE to criminal activity in your company. Always WEIGH UP THE PROS AND CONS when making an important decision.
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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TechSpania organizes a press conference, and shocks everybody when they state who was to blame for the recent cyberattack.
In this chapter we focus on some fundamental concepts related to public speaking. How do you prepare yourself to make a speech in front of a HOSTILE AUDIENCE? What rhetorical techniques can you use to be more persuasive? What is the RULE OF THREE? And why is conscious REPETITION so effective?
We also highlight a couple of colourful common expressions. What do you do when there is an ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? And how do you know when the crime committed against your company is AN INSIDE JOB?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info
Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
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One of Techspania’s most valuable clients, a Swiss life insurance company, is hit by a cyberattack.
Let’s discuss some every day English expressions. How do you handle your boss when he or she is in a BAD MOOD? How much would you be willing to put ON THE LINE to get a promotion? Do you know your clients INSIDE OUT?
We also cover the most common phrasal verb in business English – TO DEAL WITH - a verb that native speakers use multiple times per day. We also explain the meaning and uses of TO SHUT DOWN and to COME TOGTHER.
Finally, we talk about three interesting business concepts. What are the benefits of BRAINSTORMING? What is a MONOPOLY and how does it negatively impact the consumer? And finally, how can you achieve a WORK-LIFE BALANCE?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
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Meet the team of international coders behind JBlock’s technology. And find out why they think salespeople, like Lola and Cayetano, are a waste of space.
We focus on the pronunciation of words within the pharmaceutical sector such as BIOTECHNOLOGY, ANTIBIOTICS, PARACETAMOL and VIRUS.
In the vocabulary section we make a clear distinction between a DEGREE and a CAREER and between FREAKS and GEEKS. We also consider whether a person from the United States should be described as US citizen or an AMERICAN citizen.
Finally we cover a couple of important business concepts. Do you know what a P.O.C. is? Do you know what makes a good corporate SLOGAN?
We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here:
www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info
Bring English into your life!
And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.The Adventures of Lola Badiola is now available as a book.
It’s the perfect complement for this podcast.It includes complete transcripts, explanations and quizzes.
So buy it now on Amazon, right here!
Support the show
- Visa fler
