Listening

[irmamar]

Pablo, would you mind to explain to me what is "an English script and a glossary for hard"?

And I don't understand that "bugaboo" words. Is "to" a bugaboo word? ¿Una pesadilla?

Thanks.

[laepelba]

First of all, when I try to watch the Spanish version of Sesame Street ("Plaza Sesamo", for very small children, "pre-readers"), I understand almost nothing at all! But when I try to watch Spanish noticias, I understand a lot more. Go figure! It doesn't make sense to me, but it is what it is....

Anyway, if you're looking for English audio books read with a British accent, may I recommend the Harry Potter series? The reader is a British actor named Jim Dale, and he does a FABULOUS job. It's very entertaining, and I've found myself engrossed in the stories. If you don't know the stories, I will swear to you that they don't have the "feel" of children's novels, even though that is their intended audience. I don't usually like fantasy novels or children's literature, but love the Harry Potter books. See if you can't find a copy of the first one (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).....

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Pablo, would you mind to explain to me what is "an English script and a glossary for hard"?

And I don't understand that "bugaboo" words. Is "to" a bugaboo word? ¿Una pesadilla?

Thanks.

Oops! Sorry for not being clear... (I should have used hyphens, or quotation marks.)

"Hard-to-find-words" = words you cannot find in common dictionaries, may be specialized for the subject you are dealing with.

Yup, you could say "pesadillas" or "palabras-coco" (que causan terror... por lo difíciles de traducir...)
I don't know "tintinabulation" or some such... (maybe that is an easy one.) (Tintinabulation means when two metal things are banging to gether. Like those wind chimes are making tintinabulation!)


@Lou Ann, I fully agree with you (re: Harry Potter) Jim Dale is just AWESOME! (I had listened the Castilian version of the first book by a Castilian actor, also very, very good... with a very polished style, doing all of the different characters just perfect (published by "Salamandra" Editions, if my memory is right). Then I listened to Jim Dale, and he is just a master. He is so good, you forget you were listening to the thing to "learn English". That is simply "a given", as you are going to practice, no doubt, but you (or at least me and Lou Ann) get engrossed into the story... no kidding!

[irmamar]

Thanks, Pablo. Although I don't understand what is "for hard" yet.

Thanks Lou Ann for your advice, but I can't put up with Harry Potter. Once I tried to read a book in Spanish and I couldn't go on after the fifth page

Lastly I've found a page, librivox, where people offer as volunteer to read a book of public domain. You can find the text anywhere, since it's public. I myself I've thought of offering to be a volunteer for Spanish books (but I don't have enough time ). The worse is that they (the readers, I mean) don't say what accent they have.

[JPablo]

Well, "for hard" it is "hard to understand... but if you try in context, and read my rough translation... that my shed some light...

having an English script and a glossary for hard-to-find words, and that helped me...

...tener un guión en inglés y un glosario para palabras difíciles de encontrar, y eso me ayudó...

(If you don't take Harry Potter... I would look for any word or symbol you misunderstood before the fifth page...) But other professionally recorded books, are highly advisable...

[irmamar]

Thanks, Pablo.

And well, I don't like that stories about wizards and such things. I prefer another themes. I find mistery stories interesting, for instance. But I can't find interesting H.P. stories (these initials remind me H. P. Lovecraft, who I like much more).

[Perikles]

Here is a nice piece of practice listening to English (I think). It is a short film about the life of the artist Paul Gauguin, and the script is extracts taken from his diary. You should maximise the picture to be able to read some text, and remember that Vincent van Gogh is the crazy painter, but Theo van Gogh is an art dealer.

The subject matter and vocabulary are not easy, but it is spoken very slowly and clearly. I shall test you all on it later.....

[irmamar]

Glupsss...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Glupsss...

A little more difficult than Geronimo Stilton

[irmamar]

I agree. But let me find a video with an accent that I know and you guess...

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks, Pablo. You're welcome.

And well, I don't like that stories about wizards and such things. I prefer another themes. I find mistery stories interesting, for instance. But I can't find interesting H.P. stories (these initials remind me H. P. Lovecraft, who I like much more).

I read some Lovecraft long ago... and I remember it as a good author... although... I don't remember which book I read... probably just short stories... like with Poe, what an unbelievable creator...
I like Harry Potter (I've only read 2 or 3 of his books, and some of them listened to in Spanish and in English, which is a good exercise in itself... I believe the first one.) The first time I read Harry Potter, I think I listened to the Audio Castilian version, and with such a good performer 'reading' the book, I fell in love with the story, not one of "wizards" but one of "good and evil" one of honesty and "reality". Then I listened to the Jim Dale versions (I believe a couple of them) and he is a total master...

I think I must have heard all the Dan Brown books, all of them in audio, and the performers are usually very good, Poe is one of the best. (Another current Poe, not Edgar, but an actor.)

Originally Posted by Perikles

A little more difficult than Geronimo Stilton

Never heard of Geronimo, but I see in Wikipedia the original is in Italian... I will check the Italian versions... and then the English...

Originally Posted by irmamar

I agree. But let me find a video with an accent that I know and you guess...

I may be missing the... how you call it...? "internal joke"? Ah, no, it's "inside joke"... (not outside.)

At any rate, I could only listen to the Gaugin video, and it sounds really good... Very interesting and easy to follow...

I like when he says, "...be an impressionist to the bitter end" and the interesting fact that he got 92 Francs... How was that in his day? Something like $1,000 nowadays... taking into account the inflation and these mundane things?

[irmamar]

Geronimo is a mutual () friend from Perikle's and mine. (un amigo en común, I'm not sure the correct word here)

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Geronimo is a mutual () friend from Perikle's and mine. (un amigo en común, I'm not sure the correct word here)

G (of J) is Perikles' and my mutual friend.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

G (of J) is Perikles' and my mutual friend.

Thanks. G/J is our mutual friend or one of our mutual friends'

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

No, lo que he estudiado en inglés no es un filtro para entender, al contrario. Me refiero a que tengo filtros en el sentido de que tengo muchas cosas en la cabeza y poco tiempo para dedicarme a lo que realmente quiero. Y bueno, lo del tiempo pues también se aplica a lo último. Pero claro, es muy diferente. Internet te abre muchas puertas (aunque también cierra algunas ).

Crotalito, I think a video in Youtube is more interesting than news from CNN. So, attention plays an important role.

Yes Irmamar

I have the same kind of true sometimes, because when someone hasn't time for the that really you want it, the learning result very hard, in thus case is the same for me, because all the day I am in the computer, but it's for business motive, and I can't practice as really I want to do it.

In fact, I can't give me time for go to the cinema and I enjoy the new films present in my city.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks Lou Ann for your advice, but I can't put up with Harry Potter. Once I tried to read a book in Spanish and I couldn't go on after the fifth page

De acuerdísimo. Es más que elemental.

Originally Posted by irmamar

I find mistery stories interesting, for instance. But I can't find interesting H.P. stories (these initials remind me H. P. Lovecraft, who I like much more).

I also think Lovecraft's work is interesting, but I find his stories either amazing or extremely boring. The good ones are more than the bad ones though.


This historical document might be a good exercise for listening... It's The War of the Worlds (by H. G. Wells), as adapted by Orson Welles, and which caused hysteria in the people who heard it, thinking the Earth was actually being invaded by aliens from outer space.

[JPablo]

Orson Wells is excellent...

I listened this one few months ago... (Moby Dick)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

¡Qué admirable era ese señor!

@Pablo: Gracias

[irmamar]

Esta chica imita diferentes acentos en inglés. ¿Qué os parece?

[JPablo]

@Angelica, de nada... Gracias a Orson... (¡Estoy de acuerdo contigo! De los mejores actores de la historia.)

@Irmamar... no me funciona el link... así que no puedo opinar.