I’ve imported the first four episodes of my new podcast into the English library. The podcast is called Dig into English. I discuss everyday topics in English, using simpler phrases and speaking more slowly than usual. I think it would be most useful for intermediate learners and above, so I’ve added it to the Intermediate 2 level.
I’m always looking to improve the podcast, so I would love to hear some feedback from LingQ users.
Here is the link to the course in the library:
I’m excited to be able to share it with you all. I hope it helps you with your English learning!
I like the postcads, maybe it would be better faster, but thats maybe because I can understand It easily. I see really helpful the explanations of some slangs but I don’t see helpful the spellings. I prefere to read the words directly. Anyway good work!
I really appreciate the feedback, Yeray! It means a lot to me.
Thank you for letting me know about the speed. I want to help people understand what I say, but I also don’t want to bore them. It helps me a lot when people say what speed they prefer.
You’re right about the spelling. It’s not really useful with LingQ’s great technology, because you can read the words right on the screen. However, I didn’t make the podcast specifically for LingQ, so I thought I should spell some words for the people who just listen to the episodes without reading the scripts. If lots of LingQers listen to the podcast, then I’ll know that I don’t need to spell the words for my listeners!
THanks a lot, Ben! I appreciate what you have done and can recommend them for other students.
THey are natural and full with humour.
Keep up doing them, Ben!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Evgueny. I’m very happy to know that you’re listening to the podcast and that you would recommend it to other learners.
I try to make the episodes funny, but unfortunately I don’t think I can ever become a stand-up comedian.
Thank you to everyone who has listened to the podcast and especially to the people who have sent me roses and comments. I feel like I’m spending my time usefully if people enjoy the episodes.
THanks for them, Ben!
I also upload some courses for different languages and I know very well how it can be difficult to make new lessons finding new topics and not repeating himself.
Thanks for your podcasts Ben! They’re very entertaining and useful. I really appreciate that you have imported them to LingQ. I agree with Yeray that they could speed up a little, but I understand that it depends on the audience you are targeting.
@ Ben - re your lesson on aussie slang - I’ve never heard of “A man’s not a camel” before! haha! Some expressions are probably used in some states more than others. I laughed when you said that no one uses the rhyming slang anymore - because my parents and their generation still do:) I naturally use everything else you said all the time. I bet you don’t ever say, “He carried on like a broken two-bob watch”, like I do:)
I enjoy checking out some of your podcasts from time to time on your website - they’re fun to watch - even for a fellow aussie.
Evgueny: It can be difficult to think of topics sometimes, but thankfully some nice listeners recommend topics every now and then.
Jose Maria: Thank you for the feedback. I plan to re-record the episodes at natural speed later (so that learners can listen to the faster recording after they understand the slower recording well), but I have a few other ideas that I’m working on first. I’m glad you enjoy the podcasts!
Julz: I’d always wondered what another Aussie would think of those slang lessons. I had a huge smile on my face the entire time I was recording them, and it was difficult not to laugh during the recording!
I’ve never heard of “He carried on like a broken two-bob watch”, but I like “two-pot screamer” for someone who gets drunk and loud very quickly. Maybe it’s just a South Australian thing, but we only really use rhyming slang as a joke between ourselves or as something funny to teach people from other countries. A bit like the feeding habits of drop bears, I guess.
@Ben - re the drop bears - I see you like Fitzy and Wippa’s “Aussie Battler Style” then! It cracks me up every time I hear it. (I have it on my wall in the unlikely event that you haven’t heard it).
The “two-pot screamer” is a scream! I’m South Australian too - you up north of SA? I live near the beach down south, yay. Maybe we’re more “backward” down south…haha! I think your podcasts are brilliant.
Question: when you’re genuinely, enthusiastically, sincerely…(you get the picture) praising someone, do you tend to notice that non-aussies think we’re sucking up or ‘crawling’? Curious.
I hadn’t heard “Aussie Battler Style”, but I watched it and some of the lyrics were pretty hilarious. It reminded me a bit of “Bloke” by Chris Franklin, which I think I only heard once when it came out but it has stuck in my memory for years.
I grew up in the northwestern suburbs of Adelaide, so maybe that’s enough to be a bit “different” from those down south! It might be an urban-regional thing as well.
I haven’t noticed people thinking that we’re sucking up. If anything, I would think some straight-talking Australians might be more likely offend a non-Aussie by being too “critical” (meaning not giving polite but false compliments where they might be expected in other countries). I’d say it depends a lot on the person who’s making the judgement though.
