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PODCAST

Practising English

M. A. Bilbrough

Listening practice for learners of B1 intermediate and B2 upper-intermediate levels of British English. Learn British English by listening to stories. Original and exciting stories written for learners and students of British English. Practise and prepare for Cambridge: B1 PET Preliminary and FCE First Certificate exams. IELTS: level 4, level 5 and level 6. Includes English grammar explanations and practice exercises, examples of vocabulary use, phrasal verbs and collocations help, British English

education language learning

All Episodes

26:19

Podcast 191 The Breath of the Mosquito (Part 1) B1 story

Practising English ·

2024/05/26

Send us a Text Message.This is a B1-level short story in two parts.Professor Mathew Pearson, a paleontologist and professor at Oxford University, made an incredible discovery when he found a skull. Tests are done and the results are extremely surprising...Technical vocabulary in the storyPrehistory / A prehistoric scenepaleontologyfossilsThe Jurassic period (finished 145 million years ago)The Eocene period (finished 33m years ago)skullThe prehistoric animal mentioned in the story is a sarkastodon.B1

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28:48

Podcast 190 The Harmonica Players (Part 3) B1, B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/05/12

Send us a Text Message.This is the third and final part of the story 'The Harmonica Players'. Here are the B2 phrases I discuss in the podcast.1) This was not the familiar peaceful atmosphere of Oxted.2) He found London rather threatening. 3) An awful lot of unfamiliar people who packed the streets.4) You were swept along by dense, hostile crowds of total strangers.5) A black man in a hat, moving quickly towards Jeffrey in the opposite direction, bumped straight into him. 6) Jeffrey,

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22:41

Podcast 189 The Harmonica Players (Part 2) B1, B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/05/06

Send us a Text Message.In Part 2 of my story, The Harmonica Players, I’ll be talking about racial prejudice. That means the irrational distrust and dislike of people from other countries. My motive for bringing up this topic and creating Jeffrey, a man who is very prejudiced against foreigners, has been from the unfortunate policy by the current Conservative party in the UK, who have proposed and are about to carry out flying immigrants, who have arrived illegally into the UK, to the African ...

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24:58

Podcast 188 The Harmonica Players (Part 1) B1, B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/04/29

The Harmonica Players. The story of two people who are very different from each other, yet there is something that unites them.Words and expressions discussed in the podcast:bedsit - accommodation, which is very basic, and is usually just one room.meter - a machine you put money into which controls the amount of electricity is consumed.- Somehow, he couldn’t face starting his day without a hot shower- All of a sudden, the ceiling light, television, fridge and electric heater all came

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21:26

Podcast 187 The River (B1, B2 story)

Practising English ·

2024/04/15

This is a B1 and B2 level podcast with a new story about the ages of Man. (See link to audioscript of story below.)B1 words discussed:sunriselandscapevalleys scenerywaterfallcave the cool shadesetting sun (sunset)B2 words discussedyouthbounced alonglife was a gift, which he would grab for himselfmake the most ofthe lines around his eyesa bald areamaturehis body was curved and bentslow, clumsy and tiredleaned awkwardlyhis old legs struggling to make the final stepsTo see full transcript, visit my

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23:54

Podcast 186 Cambridge Speaking Test (part 3)

Practising English ·

2024/04/07

I'm listing below the phrases I explain in the audio.This is a B1-level story. Below, are the phrases I explain from the story.Vocabulary expressions for the storyToday's story is B1 level. I'm listing below the phrases I explain in the audio.The point of this podcast is to explain that the language you use in your speaking exam must sound authentic.These are the B1 expressions I suggest you use in the speaking:some kind of - when you are describing something, or identifying

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27:25

Podcast 185 On The Edge (B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/03/25

In Telmah's life, very little happens. His garden is really the only thing he seems to care about. But one day, a neighbour loses her dog, and Telmah's life suddenly becomes much more complicated than he would like.These are the B1 expressions I explain from the story:be just about to do sthbelieve it or notfeel sorry fora sense of humourstraight awaybe fond of sb/sthkeen on sthshortly afterwardsjust in caseWhat do you think about Telmah. Is there a little of him in all of us?At

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26:41

Podcast 184 Drawing Conclusions (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/03/18

This is a B2 story in the genre of mystery or thriller. It's called Drawing Conclusions, which is one of the expressions I explain before I start the story.B2 phrases:- drawing conclusions- Mrs Robinson had neither seen nor heard Lorna since- take great pride in sth- to go into more detail- he couldn’t look her in the eye- was very absorbed in everything- as far as she knew, - ideas had crossed Mrs Robinson’s mind - gossip- the trouble with- was on the point of - it’s common knowledge - sooner

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23:46

Podcast 183 Doghouse Reilly Part 2 (B1 B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/03/04

These are the dog expressions I mention today:Dog Eat DogRaining cats and dogsTeach an old dog new tricksAnd these are the B1 and B2 expressions I explain, and that you will hear in the story:B1It didn’t look like they were expecting me.They were definitely up to something.He walked in and I went after him. I glanced around.Rocky close on my heels. Somehow, I had to get rid of him.Winning that dog food would be a dream come true.B2‘Weather seems to be getting worse and worse, this winter.'The

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22:06

Podcast 182 Doghouse Reilly (B1 B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/02/26

Today's story is B1 level with lots of B2 phrases added. This let's you improve little by little without getting lost because the text is too difficult to understand. I'm listing below the phrases I explain in the audio.I also talk about ellipsis, which is where you omit words from a sentence in an "economy of words". We still understand the meaning - only the grammar is affected. Ellipsis is common in informal prose and speech. The examples are:- Not a nice place, the

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30:40

Podcast 181 The Octopus's Garden (Complete Story)

Practising English ·

2024/02/16

This is a special edition podcast. Today I’m publishing The Octopus’s Garden as one complete story. If you have listened to this story in the two parts I published two weeks ago (podcasts 179 and 180), you’ll remember that I have dedicated this story firstly, to the children of Gaza, who are suffering so terribly during this horrific war. Secondly, I’ve also dedicated this story to my brother Nick Bilbrough and the HandsUp Project team, who worked for so many years to give the Gazan children a voice

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25:07

Podcast 180 The Octopus's Garden (Part 2)

Practising English ·

2024/02/06

Hello, dear listeners!This is part 2 of my story, The Octopus's Garden, which I'm dedicating to the children of Gaza and my brother's HandsUp Project team that has been working with Palestinian children to help them have a voice in the world by producing plays in English online. You can find out more about the HandsUp Project here... (https://www.handsupproject.org/)Most of the language of this story is B1 with some B2 words added. You can find the audioscript at

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24:02

Podcast 179 The Octopus's Garden (Part 1)

Practising English ·

2024/01/30

Dunya Yousef Hussan AL-BARGHOUTI sat on the white sand and looked out across the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. Somehow, at last, she had found comfort here...This is a B1 to B2-level English podcast about my story dedicated to the children of Gaza.I will introduce a lot of new B2 words for you to listen for during the story. I also include a full AUDIOSCRIPT of the story at my website: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-179.htmAt https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of

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22:57

Podcast 178 Lunch of the Boat Party (B1 English)

Practising English ·

2024/01/15

A painting by Renoir inspired today's story. The painting is famous, and is called "The Luncheon of the Boat Party" (I have used the simpler word "Lunch").These are the adjectives to talk about people's personality that I mention at the beginning:miserablelivelykeenlonelyexhaustedembarrassedeasygoingreliablecharmingsensiblecheerfultalentedAnd I discuss these two B1 expressions:a sense of humourin tearsThe question I ask is that you identify Angèle in the story, in the

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23:36

Podcast 177 Never Go Back (Part 2) B1 level

Practising English ·

2024/01/07

Part 2 of my short story for B1 learners of English - Never Go Back. I'll look at the vocabulary I used, related to suspense.Here are the words I explain for you to listen for:Benjamin looked up, shocked at this unexpected and rude behaviour. Why all this unfriendly behaviour, when this morning the hotel staff he had met had been so kind.Her face looked sour and unfriendly.‘Your card, sir,’ she said. But her look was cold.He felt anxious and confused.Benjamin left the room angrily and walked to

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17:16

Podcast 176 A Christmas Carol

Practising English ·

2023/12/18

In this podcast I thank my listeners for all the times you have downloaded Practising English Podcasts in 2023. I'll talk a little about an English Christmas and read my B1 version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.You can read the entire transcript at my website: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-176.htmAt https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning

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22:19

Podcast 175 Never Go Back (Part 1) B1 level

Practising English ·

2023/12/11

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16:16

Podcast 174 Somebody for Jenny (B1 story)

Practising English ·

2023/12/03

Jenny is looking for a relationship. Will she ever find somebody suitable? Today's B1 story comes with a test. The story contains around 60 B1 words, which are useful for B1-level English study, and some of them are not easy to learn as they are not very intuitive (false friends).I include below a list of thes B1 words in the order they appear in the story:disappointedallowattempted advertisingkeen

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22:53

Podcast 173 Tsunami (Part 2)

Practising English ·

2023/11/19

The second part of Tsunami (See Podcast 172 for Part 1). Story for B1 and B2 learners of English.The words and expressions I describe today are:frighteningstrike fear into human heartsthe heart beats fastermysterious giant horsescreaming with/in fear, happinessbe in shocka totally hopeless situationThe three questions for the story area:1, What else screamed besides the children?2, Which animals are named in the story?3, Which two Greek gods are named?At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer

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20:41

Podcast 172 Tsunami (Part 1)

Practising English ·

2023/11/13

B1-level story with questions and a grammar point. For the audioscript, please go to my website: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-172.htmAt https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www.practisingenglish.com/My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2Nhttps://amzn.to/33Axu2NBe back soon with another

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271 results

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