892. You're not a LEPster, by any chance, are you? (July 2024 Ramble)
10Digest
Luke welcomes listeners to episode 892 of his podcast, Luke's English Podcast (LEP), and introduces the concept of "lepsters" - listeners of the podcast. He encourages listeners to engage by leaving comments and answering questions. The episode focuses on the use of hedging language in English, exploring its various applications and implications. Luke explains the concept of hedging, providing examples of hedging expressions like "happen to" and "I think." He discusses how hedging can be used to make questions more polite and indirect, and how it can influence the effect of communication. Luke also explores the use of hedging language by psychics, suggesting that they employ negative statements with positive tag questions to avoid being wrong. He uses this example to illustrate how language structure can influence the effect of communication. The episode delves into the subtle linguistic differences in English that contribute to politeness, such as using question forms to avoid imposing and employing modal verbs like "might" and "could" to soften statements. Luke presents two scenarios of a bank robbery negotiation, one using direct language and the other employing hedging language. The second scenario, with its more indirect and polite approach, is portrayed as more successful. The speaker compares two versions of a conversation between a hostage and a bank robber, highlighting the difference between direct, potentially rude questions and indirect, more polite inquiries. The speaker presents a fictional screenplay extract featuring Robocop, where the use of hedging language in a hostage situation is contrasted with the direct, forceful approach of Robocop. The episode concludes with a discussion of the 2024 UK general election, highlighting Labour's landslide victory and the Conservative Party's significant defeat. The speaker also recounts the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July 2024, detailing the incident, the attacker's actions, and the aftermath. The speaker also offers commentary on the event's significance and its potential impact on American politics.
Outlines
Introduction and Welcome, Hedging Language in English
Luke welcomes listeners to episode 892 of his podcast, Luke's English Podcast (LEP), and introduces the concept of "lepsters" - listeners of the podcast. He encourages listeners to engage by leaving comments and answering questions. The episode focuses on the use of hedging language in English, exploring its various applications and implications.
July 2024 Ramble: A Podcast for English Learners
Luke explains the format of the episode as a "ramble" and emphasizes its purpose: to provide authentic English listening practice for learners around the world. He shares his background as an English teacher, podcaster, and stand-up comedian.
Engaging with Lepsters: Questions and Call to Action
Luke poses a series of questions to his listeners, encouraging them to share their experiences with LEP, their English learning journey, and their preferred listening methods. He also promotes his episode archive and a specific episode on learning English.
Grammar Lesson: Hedging Expressions for Polite Questions
Luke dives into a grammar lesson about hedging expressions, focusing on the use of "happen to" to make questions more polite and indirect. He provides examples and explains the concept of pragmatics in English communication.
Psychics and Pragmatics: A Skeptical Perspective
Luke explores the use of hedging language by psychics, suggesting that they employ negative statements with positive tag questions to avoid being wrong. He uses this example to illustrate how language structure can influence the effect of communication.
Episode Overview and Upcoming Content
Luke provides an overview of the episode's content, including updates on his podcast, a comedy show, and a live podcast recording. He also mentions upcoming episodes on true crime, health and diet, and a trip to a Medieval Museum.
Teaching and Holiday Plans
Luke discusses his teaching experience at the British Council and his upcoming summer holiday. He shares his thoughts on the benefits of teaching and his plans for podcasting during his break.
Podcast Schedule and Premium Content
Luke outlines his podcast schedule for the next few weeks, explaining his need to prepare episodes in advance due to his upcoming holiday. He also provides details about the latest premium episodes, including a series on phrasal verbs and an upcoming episode on vocabulary.
Stand-up Show and Live Podcast Recording
Luke recounts his recent stand-up show with Charles Pelagrin and the subsequent live podcast recording. He describes the audience's response and the unique experience of recording a podcast in front of a live audience.
Grammar Question: Polite Language and Hedging
Luke addresses a grammar question from a listener about the sentence "Did you happen to hear what the little girl said to Miss Stevenson earlier?" He explains the use of "happen to" as a hedging expression to make questions more polite and indirect.
Subtle Differences in English Politeness
This segment explores subtle linguistic differences in English that contribute to politeness, such as using question forms to avoid imposing and employing modal verbs like "might" and "could" to soften statements.
Hedging Language in Action: A Bank Robbery Scenario
The speaker presents two scenarios of a bank robbery negotiation, one using direct language and the other employing hedging language. The second scenario, with its more indirect and polite approach, is portrayed as more successful.
Direct vs. Indirect Questions: Hostage Situation
The speaker compares two versions of a conversation between a hostage and a bank robber, highlighting the difference between direct, potentially rude questions and indirect, more polite inquiries.
Screenplay Extract: Robocop and Hedging Language
The speaker presents a fictional screenplay extract featuring Robocop, where the use of hedging language in a hostage situation is contrasted with the direct, forceful approach of Robocop.
UK Election Results and Political Commentary
The speaker discusses the results of the 2024 UK general election, highlighting Labour's landslide victory and the Conservative Party's significant defeat. The speaker also provides commentary on the political landscape and the challenges facing the new Labour government.
Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
The speaker recounts the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July 2024, detailing the incident, the attacker's actions, and the aftermath. The speaker also offers commentary on the event's significance and its potential impact on American politics.
Euro 2024 and England's Performance
The speaker briefly mentions England's performance in Euro 2024, noting their defeat in the final against Spain. The speaker encourages listeners to check out the FootGlish podcast for more in-depth analysis of the tournament.
Keywords
Lepster
A listener of Luke's English Podcast (LEP). The term is used affectionately and playfully by Luke to refer to his audience.
Hedging
A linguistic strategy used to soften or qualify a statement or question, making it less direct or forceful. Common hedging expressions include "happen to," "I think," "maybe," and "sort of."
Pragmatics
The study of how language is used in context, including the social and cultural factors that influence meaning. Pragmatics examines how speakers use language to achieve specific goals, such as politeness, persuasion, or humor.
Psychic
A person who claims to have supernatural abilities, such as mind reading, communicating with the dead, or predicting the future. Psychics often use language strategies to create an impression of authenticity and to avoid being wrong.
Tag Question
A short question added to the end of a statement, often used to seek confirmation or to soften the tone. Tag questions typically consist of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun, for example, "You're going to the party, aren't you?"
Stand-up Comedy
A form of comedic performance in which a comedian performs a set of jokes and stories in front of a live audience. Stand-up comedy often involves improvisation, audience interaction, and a focus on humor and observation.
Phrasal Verb
A combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb, often with a meaning that is different from the individual words. Phrasal verbs are common in spoken English and can be challenging for learners to master.
True Crime
A genre of storytelling that focuses on real-life crimes, often including details about the victims, perpetrators, and investigations. True crime podcasts and documentaries have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Q&A
What are some common hedging expressions used in English?
Hedging expressions soften statements or questions, making them less direct. Examples include "happen to," "I think," "maybe," "sort of," and "kind of."
How can understanding pragmatics help English learners?
Pragmatics helps learners understand how language is used in context, including social and cultural factors that influence meaning. This knowledge allows them to communicate more effectively and appropriately in different situations.
What are some of the benefits of listening to Luke's English Podcast (LEP)?
LEP provides authentic English listening practice, a variety of content, and opportunities to learn new vocabulary and grammar. It also offers a sense of community and connection with other English learners.
What are some tips for improving English listening skills?
Listen to podcasts and other audio content regularly, focus on understanding the main ideas, and practice listening for specific details. It's also helpful to repeat what you hear and to take notes.
How can I learn more about phrasal verbs?
Luke's English Podcast offers a premium series on phrasal verbs, providing an overview of the topic, examples, and pronunciation practice. You can also find resources online and in English language textbooks.
What are some of the challenges of teaching English in a classroom setting?
Teaching English can be demanding, requiring preparation, classroom management skills, and the ability to adapt to different learning styles. It can also be challenging to keep students engaged and motivated.
What are some of the benefits of recording a podcast in front of a live audience?
Recording a podcast live creates a more interactive and engaging experience for both the host and the audience. It can also help to build a sense of community and to generate new ideas for future episodes.
How can I use Luke's English Podcast to improve my English?
Listen to the podcast regularly, engage with the content, and use it as a resource for learning new vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. You can also participate in the online community and connect with other English learners.
Show Notes
Join me on another rambling episode as I encourage ninjas to come out of the shadows 🥷, touch on some present perfect continuous verb forms 🔁, give some podcast updates, give a report about the stand-up comedy show 😂 & live podcast recording 🎤, teach some polite and diplomatic language with a dramatic bank robbery scenario 🔫, give a summary of the UK's general election results 🗳️ & more...
📄 Download the PDF transcript/notes https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/892.-Youre-not-a-LEPster-by-any-chance-are-you_-July-2024-Ramble.pdf
🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/07/23/892-youre-not-a-lepster-by-any-chance-are-you-july-2024-ramble/
🎧 My podcast episode archive https://teacherluke.co.uk/episodes
🎧 Listen to LEP in a podcast app https://pod.link/312059190
🏆 LEP Premium info and FAQ https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo
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