In Contact! Episode 35: The Future

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Time to look forward! Yes, today well be discussing the future and what some possible changes to happen in our society and world can be. Hard task right? How does thinking of the future make you feel? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? It's a fact that the future is one of the most uncertain things there are, yet it is always a part of the human nature to try to predict what will come next. Anyway we'll have a go...

Let's see what the future holds in the next 35 minutes of In Contact!: we'll have a review on the most basic future tenses (you'll find out, for instances, that present tenses are also used to talk about the future!) and give you useful idioms that you may consider using when discussing the future. We'll share with you some predictions we have for society in the future, including in science, family and politics. The songs of the week will also show us what other people think will happen in the coming years (how optimistic or pessimistic do you think our singers will be?). To finish, we'll have lots of fun with Just a Minute, to see if we can change the destiny of the world speaking of the given topic with no deviation, hesitation or repetition.

In Contact! wishes a bright future to all of you! It will be a pleasure for us to hear from you. Let us know what you think of the topic for this episode:

• How do you see yourself in 5, 10 and 30 years? How do you think your life will change?
• How about the world? What positive and negative changes do you think the world will have?
• If you had the chance, would you like to have the power to forsee the future? Why or why not?
• Do you think it is important to think of the future, or is it better to focus on the present?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 34: Urban Myths

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OMG! Have you ever heard a story that is told to be real, even though it's not officially proved, that simply seems to be odd or even preposterous? Or how about those stories about supernatural events that are so hard to believe? And do you believe in any of those theories about unexplained events that occur under the control of influencial organisations? In this episode of In Contact! we'll go into the unknown and the bizarre with some urban myths.

To discuss these strange stories, we'll learn some expressions to report news and rumours, as well as some idioms to express your surprise, disbeliefs or astonishment. We'll give you some examples of the types of urban legends you might have come across, and our Top 5 we'll be about, of course, urban stories that have inspired their lyrics (you'll see if you can believe them or not). We'll play Just a Minute once more to see what crazy stories come with the minute challenge, and you'll also find very important information that will help you debunk common myths about the English language.

Have lots of fun listening to this episode! Also, tell us what you think of the topic in the comment section below:

• Do you believe in any urban story that you've once heard but that you know has never been confirmed?
• What's the craziest urban myth that you have heard in your city or country?
• Do you believe in any conspiracy theory? Why / Why not?
• What's your reaction when you listen to any strange news?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 33: Celebrations

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Hooray, it's time to have fun and celebrate! There are always many good reasons to share with family and friends and to remember the important moments and things of life. This episode of In Contact! will be all about celebrations! Join us to explore some important festivities that take place in different places of the world and discuss what makes these events so special and fun!

Are you ready? Get prepared to learn some expressions to greet new and known people formally and informally. Idioms about fun and excitement will be also on the way, and we'll learn some facts about some of the strangest celebrations around the world (let us know if we missed any other crazy festivity!). In case you are looking for a song for the ocassion, our Top 5 has good recommendations to you. To finish, we'll have fun with our Two-Word Tango about celebrations - how far can we get, and can you mention any other festival, carnival or celebration that was not listed?

We hope you have as much fun as we did when preparing this episode. Let us know your comments and your answers to any of the following questions:

• What is your favourite celebration, and what do you usually do on that special day?
• What's the most important festivity in your city and country? What do people do in these events?
• If you had the chance to create a new celebration, what would it be and why?
• What international festivity or celebration do you find interesting, amusing or even bizarre?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 32: Past and Present

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Time changes, people change. As time goes by, there are so many things that have changed for good, for instance in technology and science; on the other hand, there are other convertions that we may consider not very positive and, therefore, we start longing for the old times. In this episode we'll discuss the past and the present and the way we feel about many of those changes in our lifestyle.

Get ready to travel through time as we make a review on prepositions of time that you can use to talk about the past and the present (these are complementary to the prepositions we had already checked in our episode about the 90's); we'll be in contact with the world and with some interesting facts of the evolution society has had in the last 20 years; our recommended songs will let you know how our invited artists feel about change; and again, we'll have the super mission to talk about the past and the present in Just a Minute.

Did you like the episode? Let us know what you think of it in the comment box below! Also, you can let us know your answer to these questions:

• What's the most difficult change you have had in your life, and how could you deal with it?
• Do you think the past is always better than the present? Why or why not?
• What do you consider have been the most important changes in society in the last years?
• Are you a person who can easily adapt to changes? And, in general, why do you think most people find so hard to deal with changes?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 31: Music

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It's a fact that all of us must have at least a song that brings back good memories, or a song that has the power to change our mood for good or for bad. Also, everyone has at least one favourite type of music, while there are others genres that can annoy some people. In this episode we'll talk about one of the greatest pleasures and most beautiful ways of expression: music!

In this episode, we'll show you some expressions and forms you can use so as to describe what your music preferences are (using verbs different from like). We'll share some nice idioms related to the topic, and we'll tell you some information about the most important music genres to help you identify them. Our Top 5 will be packed with cool songs about the power of music, and our Brainy Challenge will introduce you to some modern songs with bizarre lyrics. This episode will certainly be loads of fun!

As you listen to the show, you may think of your answers to these questions:

• What's your favourite genre of music? And have you got any favourite band or singer? And what type of music don't you like?
• Can you name three songs that have a special meaning to you and say why they are important to you?
• Do you think modern music is better than old music? Why?
• Do you think music has any influence in your mood and personality? Why so?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

Something about our games: "Just a minute" and "The two-word tango"

If you are a regular listener of In Contact!, you must definitely be familiar with two of our sections (which are in fact two of our favourite ones!), Just a Minute and The Two-Word Tango. But were did these ideas come from?

Just a Minute is originally a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) radio comedy show that started in 1967. It was created by Ian Messiter, who is always aknowledged in the original show even after he passed away, and since its first emission it's always been hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who is a famous English TV presenter and comedian (right, he's hosted the show for 50 years). The mission of contestants in this game is to talk about a given topic (usually a very funny or odd one) for a minute without repeating words - apart from the ones given in the topic -, without deviating from the topic, from reality or from the right use of the language, and without pausing or hesitating. For any of the contestants commiting any of these faults, they will be challenged and give a point to their clever contenders. Something amazing about the original show is that it's been running for so many years, yet it is one of the funniest radio comedy shows - also because of the wit of the guests in the show. Here you have a bit of what Just a Minute is about, in a special TV edition:

Wow, speaking for a minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation... That's no small order! Anyway it's so much fun and, for English learners, it can be a very amusing way to improve your speaking abilities, including your fluency and your use of vocabulary and grammar. Definitely this game is a favourite one of the In Contact! team! And if you've ever wondered what the opening theme of the game is, it's The Minute Waltz by Frédéric Chopin, which has become iconical from the game.

Let's talk about The Two-Word Tango now. Our game has been adapted from the one in the Dick & Dom in da Bungalow show, which was a CBBC entertainment television series for children and which was broadcast from 2002 to 2006. In this show, the two presenters had very crazy games and challenges, including the Two-Word Tango in which contestants had to follow the tune of the music and, in the blank spaces, they had to say sets of two words. No brainer, right? Well, actually it's not that easy, mainly when the pace of the music gets faster and faster...

Years later, radio host Chris Moyles decided to adapt this game in the Celebrity Two-Word Tango: in this, contestants had to tell names of celebrities, films, characters and other things according to the given topic. For sure it was much more challenging:

Isn't it fun? Well, this is a perfect game to challenge yourself and test your vocabulary whilst having fun with classmates or friends!

Do you know any other game that we can start playing in our show? And would you like to participate in any of these games? Leave us your comment and help us with more ideas for our programme!

In Contact! It's time to celebrate our first 30 episodes!

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We've reached 30 episodes of In Contact! Yes, it's been a 30-episode journey full of hard work, learning and so much fun. May this be the time to thank all the people who have been involved in this project and have made it possible with their participation and their support. Over all, we hope you find this show as enriching as it has been for the In Contact! team and that you're having fun while learning English with us. 

Here you have a list of our last 10 episodes:

• 📻 Episode 21 - Australia
• 📻 Episode 22 - Regrets
• 📻 Episode 23 - Growing Up
• 📻 Episode 24 - Law and Justice
• 📻 Episode 25 - Transportation
• 📻 Episode 26 - Sports
• 📻 Episode 27 - Literature
• 📻 Episode 28 - The 90's
• 📻 Episode 29 - Duos
• 📻 Episode 30 - Humour

And in case you missed them: 🎙 Episodes 1-10 - 🎙 Episodes 11 - 20.

⚠️ IMPORTANT! If you are interested in downloading any episode or just a single section, please contact us and we'll be delighted to send you the file you request. Also, if you want to contribute with a post on our blog to recommend any learning strategies or resources, we'd be very happy to have your invaluable contribution! If you want to play a part in the show in any form, please contact us here.

We're looking forward to keep in touch with you. Don't forget to tune in and keep in contact!

In Contact! Episode 30: Humour

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It's time for a good laugh! In this episode of In Contact! we'll have a very fun time because we'll discuss humour and the way people express it around the world. And after all, who doesn't enjoy a good joke or, from time to time, in a normal situation, who doesn't have a good time with a punch line that surprises everyone and make them laugh? Or who doesn't remember an amusing and funny experience? In so many ways, we can spice our lives with some humour, yet it's not easy for everyone to come up with witty lines. Anyway, we'll see if we can make you laugh.

Yes, humour is a very serious matter for us! So get ready for tons of info and fun in this episode. We'll share some tips to help you tell a funny story in an interesting and amusing way; we'll be in contact with the world and with the ways humour is expressed in different places of the world (remember, laughter is universal, but humour is not!); of course our Top 5 will be packed with humorous song, and our idioms of the day will help us refer to funny situations and jokes. All this and much more (including a few jokes), coming in the next minutes.

Now let is see your sense of humour! Send us your comments and let us know what you think of this episode and topic.

• Are you good at telling jokes? And what kind of jokes do you enjoy most?
• Can you post a very good joke in English that you want to share with the In Contact! listeners?
• Is there any funny story or anecdote that happened to you or to a friend and that you would like to share with us?
• Is there any comedian or comedy film that you like most?

We hope you have a great time with this show. Until then!

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 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 29: Duos

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Good and bad, Adam and Eve, day and night, light and dark, salt and pepper, the moon and the sun... There are so many things that come in pairs to oppose each other or, even better, to complement each other. Today we'll talk about duos or things that always come together. Probably after this episode you'll find out that there are many important things in your life that come in pairs and that wouldn't be as exciting or good if they were separate.

And in this episode about duos we'll have lots of interesting information for all of you! For instance, you might have heard something about compound nouns and adjectives, but maybe you don't know how to use them. No worries, today we'll share useful tips for you to use them. Also, our idiom dose will come with expressions about partnership. Do not miss our recommended songs of famous duos in music and our historical facts about couples that have made history! Finally, we'll see how much and how fast you can think of vocabulary related to sets of objects that always come together.

We'll see double after this episode! 🤣🤣 Now it's your time to have your say and let us know what you think of the topic and the show!

• Do you have any person in your life who you consider your perfect complement (your couple, a sibling, a friend, etc.)? And what about people you know who have always been together and make a perfect pair?
• Can you think of sets of objects that you consider absolutely necessary in your life? What two things do you think that should always be together?
• Do you think that opposites attract? In what specific situations do you think this actually happens?
• What famous pairs can you remember in science, entertainment and history?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 28: The 90's

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How not to remember and love the Last Great Decade? Many of our listeners were born or lived their childhood and/or teenage in the 90's, so they're very likely to have very fond memories of those times. And for sure you can't help feeling the nostalgia when remembering some of the games, TV shows, films, songs, fashion and trends of the time that made of this decade a remarkable one (also because it was the end of a millennium). In this episode of In Contact! we'll go retro and see why this period in time will never be equalled.

It's time to go back in time and remember that wonderful decade! To do so, we'll review three of the most important prepositions used to talk about time: in, at and on. We'll also remember some of the most important events in politics, entertainment, science and society that took place in the 90's (for sure you may be familiar with many of these!) and, in case you didn't know them, we'll share with you some cool expressions that became trendy by that time and which many people still use today. Our Top 5 will remind us of a few songs in different genres that were very, very popular some years ago. To finish, we'll challenge our In Contact! presenters to see how much they can talk about the 90's in a minute and what people in our university can remember of this decade.

Of course, we'd absolutely love to know how you experienced the 90's and how you feel about it! Don't forget to leave your message in the comment section and tell us where you are from.

• What are the best memories you have from the 90's? How old you were back then, and what were you doing by that time?
• What popular TV shows, cartoons, films and artists do you remember from that decade? Do you still like any of them today?
• What important national and international events can you recall from those years?
• If you could compare the 90's with today, do you think it was a better or a worse time and why?

Don't forget to keep in contact!

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 27: Literature

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Welcome to a new episode of In Contact! On this occasion we'll talk about literature. There must be at least one book that you really enjoyed reading (in childhood, in school or recently) and that made you dream of fantastic worlds and realities or that made you think of our current world. Novels, poetry, short stories, chronicles, plays... There are so many different options for all of us to enjoy and enrich our mind and spirit by means of the written word! By the way, there are many wonderful pieces of literature that can help you improve your English level and, in addition, help you learn about different times, cultures and ways to see the world and life. 

In this episode we'll share with you some important information about narrative tenses, which you may find useful when telling or understanding a story. We'll recommend you some interesting but simple books that you may enjoy reading to improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension in English. Our Top 5 will introduce you to songs inspired in classic literary stories, and of course we'll share with you some idioms related to books that you may enjoy fun and handy. In general, in this programme you'll find useful advice on how to make the most of reading in order to improve your language level and also to enjoy your time!

How about you? Would you like to tell us more about your favourite books and the experiences you've had with any book? Send us a message and tell us more about you:

• Have you got any favourite book that you would like to recommend other people? What's so special about this book?
• Do you have any literary genre that you prefer? Which one is it?
• How many books do you read in a year, and how enjoyable do you find this activity?
• Do you like reading a book before or after seeing a film based on it, and why? Do you remember any positive or negative example of this situation?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

And here's a recommended video for you in case you're thinking of reading a book in English. Have a great time!

In Contact! Episode 26: Sports

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It's time to start the ball rolling and challenge your ability and strength! This episode of In Contact! will be full of adrenaline and stamina because it will be dedicated to sports! Don't worry, even if you don't practise any sport, for sure you can't help feeling great admiration for those athletes who are really good at what they do and enjoying their performances. Anyway, remember that it's never too late to start doing any physical activity that helps you strengthen your body and mind and, of course, help you make the most of very enriching social interaction.

What's coming in the next minutes of In Contact!? We'll learn different ways to talk about abilities (yes, there are more options apart from verb can!) and some idioms related to sports that you may find useful in everyday conversations. We'll take a trip down Memory Lane to remember some of the best athletes of all times, and we'll also travel through time with some spectacular songs that will remind us of the sports spirit and victory. You'll hear the presenters of In Contact! exercising their brain and vocabulary with the Word Tango and, to end with a high note, we'll challenge two of our English teachers to find out how much they know about sports. Certainly this will be a very fun and inspiring episode!

We'd love to hear what you have to say about this topic and about the episode. Please do not forget to post your comment below! Here, some questions you may think of to share your answers with us: 

• Do you practise any sport? How often do you do it, and how did your passion for it started?
• In general, how much do you know about sports and their rules?
• If you don't do any sport but you had the chance to start practising one, which one would you go for and why?
• Is there any athlete you really admire of who you consider has left an important legacy in history?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 25: Transport

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By land, by air or by water, today there are many different ways to move from one place to another, and day after day they're more powerful and faster than they used to be before. Today we'll talk about transport, and for that we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most common methods around the world.
Get ready for a grammar dose in which we'll tell you when to use articles a, an, the or when to omit them. Our programme will also be loaded with useful expressions to talk about transportation, including our typical idioms, and we'll have some information about the benefits of alternative and active transportation means. Don't miss our Top 5 with songs about methods of transportation and our interviews to people in university to know what their favourite means of transport is. All this and much more coming in this episode!

You are the main reason for this show to be, therefore all your comments and contributions are always welcome. Can you answer a few questions regarding the topic of our episode? Don't forget to post them in the box below!

• What methods of transportation do you usually use? What are some advantages and disadvantages of these?
• What is transport in your city like, and how would you change it to make it better?
• What is more important to you when having a vehicle: comfort, speed, costs or convenience? Please explain your answer.
• If you could invento or propose another method or system of transport in your city, which one could it be?

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In Contact! Episode 24: Law and Order

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Laws are created to keep a society in order. However, laws are always broken, and therefore there's always the need of justice to be done - the thing is, justice is practised in different ways all around the world, even though there are some principles and values we all believe in. Today we'll discuss the importance of laws, justice and order, and we'll also consider some laws that are considered controversial and even bizarre. 

To talk about law and order, we'll give you some vocabulary you can use to talk about crimes and sorts of punishments, and we'll have some information about some controversial laws and the way they are practised in different places of the world; we'll share with you some nice expressions you can use in everyday conversations when discussing justice and laws, and you'll get to know 5 songs related to real events involving crime; you'll have very useful recommendations to learn English through the news, and we'll come with a very witty challenge for people in university to see how much they know about some strange laws around the world.

Now it's your time to have your say! Please leave a comment telling us your opinion about this episode and answering some of the following questions:

• What's the most serious crime a person can commit in your opinion, and how do you think it should be punished?
• Do you think that there are certain minor crimes that should not be punished, and which ones are these?
• Is the justice system effective in your country? How can you describe it?
• What's your opinion about laws regarding capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia and some other controversial topics?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 23: Growing Up

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You may remember when you were a kid and wanted to become bigger to make your dreams come true. Now that you are an adult, maybe you want to stay younger for ever or, why not, turn the time back to be younger and live the good old times again. Being a child, a teenage, an adult or an elderly always comes with their pains and their glory. That's why in this episode we'll discuss growing up and growing older.

Do you think being an adult is better than being a child? To say you agree or disagree with this idea, we'll help you with some common forms used in conversational English to express so. We'll also go on a journey through the stages of life and explore some of the things they come with. Our idioms for this episode will remind us of the good and bad things of growing up with some hilarious expressions. Talking about our Top 5, do you think our invited artists are happy or unhappy about growing older? We'll also listen to people talking about life stages and some advice to use English correctly when talking about age. All this and more will be coming in this nostalgic episode!

No matter how old you are, for sure you can contribute with your answers to these questions as you listen to the show:

• What are the dearest memories of your childhood?
• Was your teenage a difficult time of your life? What do you remember most of it?
• How do you feel about your adult life? Is it what you expected from it?
• How do you see yourself in 30 years?
• What piece of advice would you give to younger people?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 22: Regrets

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One feeling everyone has had at least once in their lives is regret. Yes, we know, it can be an awful feeling. And even though some people feel it more often than others, there are many situations in life in which we may repent the choices we've made and want things to be different. But don't worry, even mistakes or unfortunate situations can help us learn and improve!

In this episode of In Contact! we'll have some valuable information to help you express yourself when you're sorry: in fact, our grammar dose will give you some useful expressions you may consider using to express your regrets, and the idiom dose will come loaded with conversational expressions about the topic. We'll be in contact with the world and with some information about some of the greatest regrets in modern history, as well as some recommended songs related to this feeling. We've also invited two people from our university to tell us about their regrets and about the things they'd never feel sorry about.

Now, as you listen to the show, we'd like you to answer some of these questions (don't forget to post your answers!):

• If you could turn back the time, what event would you change in your life and why?
• Would you study something different or go for a different occupation if you had the chance? If so, what decision would you make?
• What's the biggest regret you have now? How did that decision change your life?
• Is there anything in your life you don't feel sorry about, even though other people may think it is wrong?

We're sure you'll like this episode and you'll feel no sorrow for listening to it. Have a wonderful time, and don't forget to be in contact!

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here! 

In Contact! Episode 21: Australia

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What comes to your mind every time you hear 'Australia'? Maybe you may know little or nothing about this wonderful country, or maybe things like kangaroos, koalas, wildlife and stunning beaches come to your mind. There are so many things to learn about this amazing place, so today we'll dedicate this episode to the lucky country, Australia.

And in order to make you more familiar to this wondeful island in Oceania, we'll share with you some information about the culture and people of this country, the particularities the Ozzie (Australian) accent has and some expressions that are widely used in conversational situations. Also, we'll listen to music of famous singers and bands which maybe you didn't know come from Australia. Of course we won't miss this chance to test people's knowledge about the Never Never and the dexterity of our two presenters of In Contact! to talk as much as they can about Australia without hesitation, deviation or repetition. You'll definitely love this episode!

Before you start listening and as you listen to the episode, Please answer the following questions:

• What do you know about Australia (location, capital city, culture, etc)?
• What makes Strine (Australian English) so special and different from other types of English? Do you find it easy or difficult?
• What animals species from Australia are well know (here we'll see if you're an Anital Planet fan!)?
• Would you be interested in travelling to this beautiful country? And what do you find most appealling of it?

 WANT THE TRANSCRIPT? Click here!