Claim OwnershipThe British Whisperer
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The right weekly news for your English learning. A weekly newspapers' wrap-up from Britain and beyond for English learners in Italy with audio storytelling on news you care about, trends you should know, stories that don’t tell you at school, to listen at home or on the go. Stay informed about the world, while practicing your listening skills and learning new vocabulary.
32 Episodes
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Top marks in your writing exam is the dream, right? Well, actually it can be reality.If you know how, you really can get top marks. Here’s how to get better at Cambridge Writing! In this episode I am going to share free online tools which will help you to practise your writing and build your vocabulary while getting informed about current affairs.I will also share how writing a letter to your future self is a good way to identify the things in your life that matter.Ready to get better at writing in English?
1Wonder why we call it making a “toast”? Read a history of the word from The New York Times. As we raise a glass to the past year and the one ahead, let’s explore the history of the tradition and what are the reasons behind the use of this name. Cheers everyone!
How do you learn a language? ChatGPT’s way with words raises questions about how humans acquire language. A debate about what the machines are actually doing internally, what it is that humans, in turn, do when they speak— and, inside the academy, about the theories of the world’s most famous linguist, Noam Chomsky. Listen to know all!
I'll talk about the trend among almost all newspapers and magazines (the latest one is The Wall Street Journal) to drop courtesy titles as editors have concluded that the titles in news articles are becoming a vestige of a more-formal past, and that the flood of Mr., Ms., Mx. or Mrs. in sentences can slow down readers’ enjoyment of writing. Also, The New York Times has introduced “enhanced bylines” that tells readers more about how journalists did the reporting. Curious to know more?
A guide to Translation made by Italian writer Italo Calvino as extracted from The Written World and the Unwritten World by Italo Calvino, by Ann Goldstein. ‘Translation is the true way of reading a text’ wrote Calvino on translations of his work from the Italian adding: 'In English, I may not recognise myself at all': Italo Calvino. How do you usually translate? Listen to know more.
What do the most coveted press award and English learning have in common? Well, it seems a lot actually given that the latest Pulitzer for drama has been recently awarded to "English", a play by Iranian-American playwright Sanaz Toosi, which features four Iranians preparing for Toefl and finding second selves in another language. Discover more by listening to the episode!
The Crowning of King Charles III, (and Queen Camilla!) on May 7th, a coronation FAQ: all the questions you have dared to ask finally have an answer! From the official playlist to who will perform at the Concert, from Operation Golden Orb to where is the Stone of Destiny, everything you need to know!
An alternative coronation tour in London and beyond, that explores the psyche and history of the new King, Charles III, from the gardens he created to the London hotel he used as the backdrop for his coming out with the new Queen Consort. In London alone,there are plenty of royal spots to visit, royal-themed exhibits to explore and coronation-themed walking tours through this most inviting of cities. Curious to know more?
Britain seems to have pre-Coronation jitters …And they have just escalated with the news that Prince Harry will be attending, without Meghan (who will he sit next to? How will he get on with his brother and sister-in-law?) but Britain has got nothing to worry about writes the UK press..are we sure about that?
It's censorship time dear readers and listeners. Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colourful language from works such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda to make them more acceptable to modern readers. Next I will talk about how ChatGPT is threatening Google in the battle for search. What do AI chatbots mean for the lucrative business of searching the internet? And what I really think about ChatGPT.
What will happen to the always and forever "Scotland the Brave"? In this episode the spotlight is on Scotland and precisely on the aftermath that follows the stepping down of Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s prime minister, who stepped down last Wednesday February 15th. Next, I am going to talk about stress and being sleep-deprived, its effects are really severe on our body and mind. Last but not least focus on the quarrel about TasteAtlas list of the world’s best-rated cheeses that was dominated by Italy, with no French or British cheeses among the world's top 10 list.
To BOT or not to BOT..or better to CHATBOT or not to? By now you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT, the new AI bot that has become the fastest-growing consumer app ever. Ask the bot a question and it will come up with an answer, written any way you want. It can also write essays and solve maths problem. Is this new chatbot the end of education as we know it? Or a useful new tool for learning? Listen up to hear more about it.
In this episode I am going to focus first on King Charles's Coronation aka Operation Golden Orb, the codename under which plans for the King's Coronation had been drawn up: are Harry & Meghan going to be there? What is planned so far? Next, I will talk about Fashion and Make up...but the royal way... and especially about lip gloss, and its subtle role in the complicated relationships of teenage girls, in light of the recent revelation of the Great Royal Lip Gloss Snub: Meghan Markle asking Kate Middleton to borrow some, and Kate recoiling. Wanna know more? Listen up!
Are Tea & Biscuits in danger of dying out? It seems that trend prompts warnings that biscuit sales are at risk if younger generation does not establish the traditional British habit. Dry for January? New Bars Cater to the ‘Sober Curious” at least in the US and especially in NY..well, I'd rather go for Damp January! Next, good news for travellers of the UK: holiday boost as EU delays fingerprint checking to late autumn. Last but not least some lessons from the world’s longest-running study on happiness.
All eyes and ears on Spare, Prince Harry’s record breaking book! I am going to give you some juicy curiosities about King Charles as described by Harry! Plus, Kate, The Princess of Wales on the spotlight on the New York Times! Finally I’ll talk about kindness gestures and a life without plastic, is it really possible?
Are the first headlines of 2023 any different than the ones of 2022? And can the Royal family look forward to a happier 2023? Well, quite possibly. While they still face the spectre of Harry’s autobiography Spare being published on January 10, there are reasons to be cheerful. Besides, if you are among the ones who suffer from the January blues there is a successful way to overcome it. Have a listen and get all the details!
Need help with your goals? Try an A.I. life coach! The New York Time' edition of On Tech: A.I., a pop-up newsletter, teaches you about artificial intelligence, how it works and how to use it. For instance, How to Use A.I. as a Shopping Assistant? Doing product research, making grocery lists and booking travel can be easier with tools like ChatGPT says the newspaper. Listen up to find how.
The fourteen episode of the British Whisperer is a special Christmas Show, rightly for my last episode of the year. No Royals this time but I’ll talk about the Queen of Christmas and all Holiday Traditions & Activities to beat the winter gloom and get into the Christmas spirit and solutions for how to manage holiday stress, because indeed we need some!
In this thirteenth episode of the British Whisperer the Royal family is back in the headlines again. First the visit of Prince William and Princess Catherine in Boston and the meeting with President Joe Biden, then the perfectly timed Sussexes bomb: the two Netflix trailers about Harry And Meghan’s documentary promise to create a stir or worse "it is an all-out declaration of war" writes the Times of London. Hear all about the documentary revelations and the "keep calm & carry on" attitude of Buckingham Palace in this episode.
In this twelfth episode it’s almost all about the Royals!! Focus first on The Princess of Wales, Katherine, and her exclusive article published on The Telegraph in which she reveals “I'm determined to nurture our children in their first crucial years of life. They are our future”. Next, Harry and Meghan trashed the monarchy. Can William and Kate win back American hearts? This week the Royal Highnesses are travelling to Boston in the United States, as part of a three-day trip focused on the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize to promote environmental work. Would it be the occasion to get an unanimous consensus from the yankees? Then on a Window on Britain, No more baths for Britons who have been told to reduce their energy bills by turning down boilers, switching off radiators in empty rooms and taking showers instead of baths. Finally, meet Flossie, the world’s oldest cat who lives in UK: according to the Guinness World Records she’s 26 years old, a real record breaker!
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