This is a natural conversation between two English teachers, made without any preparation. We haven’t changed the speed that we speak to make it easier for English students to understand. This is real English conversation.
 
 

 
In this podcast, we have Adam and Bren. Adam is an English teacher at the SGI sister school in San Sebastian, Spain: even though their accents are very different, they are both mother-tongue English speakers, so you should try to understand what both are saying.
 

Pod Subject: Advantages of living in Scotland, including whisky.

Pod People: Adam & Bren

 
Which accent is clearer for you: Scottish or English?
 
 
Click below to hear more native-speaker accents…
 
1. Irish accent
2. Northern accent
3. Colonial Received Pronunciation
4. Received Pronunciation
5. Australian accent
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
Go to itunes to DOWNLOAD ALL OUR PODCASTS FOR FREE
 
 

This is a natural conversation by English teachers about how an Australian visitor has to adapt to life in the UK. How is life different in the two countries?
 
 

 
In this podcast, you can hear Bren and Lauretta… She is an English teacher at the SGI sister school in San Sebastian, Spain: both are native speakers of English.
 

SGI-030-Australian-Accent-Living-in-England

Pod Subject: An Australian living in the UK

Pod People: Lauretta & Bren

 
Which accent do you find the easiest to understand here: English or Australian?
 
 
Click below to hear more native-speaker accents…
 
1. Irish accent
2. Northern accent
3. Colonial Received Pronunciation
4. Received Pronunciation

 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
Go to itunes to download all our podcasts for free
 
 

This is a natural conversation by English teachers about British comedy. Monty Python, Benny Hill, Mr Bean, The Office all get a mention. Plus we even talk about Norman Wisdom and Dinner For One. What do people in the UK like now when they sit down to watch some English comedy? How is it different than the humour that we export to other countries?

 
In this podcast, you can hear Charlie and Bren, who are SGI English teachers and Mark, who is the school CEO. All the people that you hear are native speakers of British English.
 

SGI-029-British-Comedy

Pod Subject: Comedy in the UK

Pod People: Charlie, Mark & Bren

 
 
 
To hear Mark, Charlie and Bren in another podcast talking about the Royal family, click here
 
Click below to hear more from Charlie, talking about…
 
1. Clothes
2. English Gentlemen
3. The Olympics
4. British weather

 
Do you like British comedy? Tell us about your favourite show in the comments

 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
Go to itunes to download all our podcasts for free
 
 

 
Paul is back in the pod today. If you heard his last podcast, you will know that he is a very experienced English teacher, specializing in the Cambridge FCE exam. He also grew up in a very small English village near the Lake District in Northern England.

SGI-028-English-village-life

 
Pod Subject: Growing up in an English village
 
Pod People: Paul Greening & Bren Brennan

 
 
 
You may also like some of our other ‘accent’ podcasts…

1. Northern accent – Paul again talking about Xmas day traditions

2. Irish accent – Teacher Dave talking about Boxing day in Ireland

3. Colonial RP accent – Teacher Naz talking about her historical hero

4. Received pronunciation accent (male) – Charlie talking about English gentlemen

5. Received Pronunciation accent (female) – Melissa talking about her love of books
 
 

Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
Dave O’Hanrahan is from Dublin in Ireland. He’s an English teacher at SGI sister school, The British Centre in San Sebastian, Spain. He’s got a great Irish accent for you to listen to. Remember that to really improve your English listening skills, you should listen to as many different accents as possible.
 
Also, remember that until Dec 21st TOMORROW, as an early Xmas present celebrating 50 years of SGI, you can get a 25% discount on any SGI course in London during 2013. Click here for 25% discount details.
 
 
Don’t forget to enter our easy Xmas competition with a chance to win a week of free English lessons at SGI London in 2013.
 
 

SGI-027-Irish-Accent-Irish-celebrations

 
Pod Subject: Irish festive season

Pod People: Dave O’Hanrahan & Bren Brennan
 
 
 
 
 
You may also like these posts…

1. Northern Accent – British Xmas Day Traditions

2. Christmas traditions in the UK

3. Boxing Day: Used to

4. New Year’s Resolutions
 

Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
Paul joins the pod today. He is the owner of an SGI sister school, The British Centre in San Sebastian, Spain. He is also a very experienced English teacher that has successfully put hundreds of students through the Cambridge FCE exam.

Paul comes from the Lake District region in the north of England, so you will notice that his northern accent is very different to Melissa’s received pronunciation accent for instance. But Paul is a native speaker, of course which means that his English is as valuable as anyone else’s. To improve your English listening skills, you should listen to as many different accents as possible.

 
Don’t forget to enter our easy Xmas competition with a chance to win a week of free English lessons at SGI London in 2013.
 
 
Also, remember that until Dec 21st, as an early Xmas present celebrating 50 years of SGI, you can get a 25% discount on any SGI course in London during 2013. Click here for 25% discount details.
 

SGI-026-Xmas-Day-Traditions

 
Pod Subject: Xmas day traditions

Pod People: Paul & Bren Brennan
 
 
 
 

Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
You may also like some of our other Christmas posts…

1. Christmas Eve comparatives

2. Christmas traditions in the UK

3. Christmas hates & Christmas loves

4. Boxing Day: Used to

5. Queen’s Xmas Message 2011: Often in Received Pronunciation
 
 

 
Naz joins the pod today. She is an extremely experienced and highly respected English teacher.

As with all our Real & Relevant podcasts, we didn’t prepare anything before we sat down to talk. This is natural English conversation between two native speakers without any modifications (like slowing down, using easy vocabulary or artificially including certain grammar or phrases)) to help English students – this is the real thing!

SGI-025-My-Hero

 
Pod Subject: My Hero from History

Pod People: Naz & Bren Brennan
 
 
 
 
You may also like our other ‘My Hero’ podcast…
Shakespeare, my hero
 
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
Have you seen our latest competition about James Bond? You could win a week of free English lessons at SGI London by answering 2 easy questions about the world’s faourite secret agent!
 
This is a natural conversation – real English, not actors reading from a script, so you will hear lots of pauses, stops and starts, interruptions

SGI-024-Best-James-Bond

 
Pod Subject: James Bond actors & movies

Pod People: Ben Nicholas & Bren Brennan
 
 

Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 

NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

 
The Pod welcomes Rob and his Received Pronunciation accent. This is what you sound like if you have been publicly-educated in England! Although Rob has a “Queen’s English” accent, he can also do a very good impression of a South African English accent because he is studying at university there.

SGI-023-Received-Pronunciation-v-South-African-accent

 
Pod Subject: South African English

Pod People: Rob Jenkin & Bren Brennan
 
 
You may also like some of our other blogs on the RP accent…

1. Shakespeare’s Accent
2. Accent Reduction Training
3. HRH The Queen’s RP Accent
4. Speak like The Queen
5. Prince Charles the weatherman!
6. All of Melissa’s Podcasts – she’s speaks with a ‘BBC Accent’ too
 
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

 
Two English teachers with two types of English accent.

Melissa is back in the pod and talks about the things that she has been missing while she has been teaching abroad. Melissa has a received pronunciation accent and speaks very clearly. Listen to her clear English pronunciation and then in tomorrow’s blog we will examine her speech patterns, so that you can try and improve your accent when you are speaking English so that you sound more natural.

By the way, we didn’t prepare anything before we made this podcast, which means that this is real English as it is spoken in 2012. This is not actors reading from a script.

SGI-022-Missing-England-English-Accent

 
Pod Subject: Missing England

Pod People: Melissa Humphreys & Bren Brennan
 
 
You may also like Melissa’s other podcasts…

1. Books
2. English stereotypes
3. Shakespeare, my hero
 
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

Have you seen our latest competition about Shakespeare? You could win a week of free English lessons at SGI London by watching a 1 minute funny video and answering 3 easy questions – not bad, eh?

This is a natural conversation made without any preparation, so this is real English as you can hear it being spoken in the UK today.

SGI-021-Shakespeare-my-hero

 
Pod Subject: Shakespeare

Pod People: Melissa Humphreys & Bren Brennan
 
 
You may also like Melissa’s other podcasts…

1. Books
2. English stereotypes
3. Missing England
 
 
You may also like our other Shakespeare posts..

You may also like our other Shakespeare posts from this week...

1. WIN free English lessons at SGI London in our September Shakespeare Competition

2. Did Shakespeare write his plays?

3. Shakespeare facts (you probably didn’t know)

4. Shakespeare’s accent
 
 
 

Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

 
In this podcast, Charlie and Bren talk about different aspects of donating money to charitable causes.

In English textbooks, CD recordings usually don’t sound authentic because they are recorded with actors in recording studios – a completely unnatural environment. With this podcast, you will be able to hear the difference straightaway, as it’s just two friends having a chat in completely natural English without any plan or script.

 
Pod Subject: Giving to Charity
Pod People: Charlie Allen & Bren Brennan
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
If you want to hear Charlie talking in another pod (about English Gentlemen), click here
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you want to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills and you can’t speak with native speakers all the time, this is a good way to hear normal British English as it is really spoken.

In the final podcast about the Olympics, SGI English teacher, Bren Brennan, speaks with his student Zsuzsanna about the closing ceremony and their overall thoughts about the last 2 weeks of sporting events.

SGI-019-Olympic-Summary

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Closing Ceremony and Olympic Summary

 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.

 
 
Highlights of the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony

Check out our other Olympic blogs….

Olympic Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
4. Swimming Scandal
5. Greatest Olympian Ever
6. Sport = Patriotism
7. Female Olympians
8. Crying Olympians

Olympic Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
4. Farcical
5. Relief
6. Lightning
7. Overwhelmed
8. Mobot
These Olympic podcasts are shorter versions of The Natural Conversation: Real & Relevant podcasts. In those unscripted discussions you get longer conversations between 2 or more native English speakers from the UK. This is a very good (and free) way to improve your Engllish listening skills if you don’t normally have the chance to speak to native speakers.

Today, English student Zsuzsanna turns the tables and asks Bren Brennan, the English teacher the questions.
 
 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Crying in medal ceremonies

 
 
 
 
 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 

 
You may also like….

Olympic Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
4. Swimming Scandal
5. Greatest Olympian Ever
6. Sport = Patriotism
7. Female Olympians
 

Olympic Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
4. Farcical
5. Relief
6. Lightning
 

 
These Olympic podcasts are shorter versions of The Natural Conversation: Real & Relevant podcasts. In those unscripted discussions you get longer conversations between 2 or more native English speakers from the UK. This is a very good (and free) way to improve your Engllish listening skills if you don’t normally have the chance to speak to native speakers.
 
 

These Olympic podcasts are shorter versions of The Natural Conversation: Real & Relevant podcasts. In those unscripted discussions you get longer conversations between 2 or more native English speakers from the UK. This is a very good (and free) way to improve your Engllish listening skills if you don’t normally have the chance to speak to native speakers.

Today, native English speaker and teacher Bren talks to student Zsuzsanna about women in the Olympic Games.

 
 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Women in the Olympics

 
 
 
 
 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 

 
 

 
You may also like….

Olympic Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
4. Swimming Scandal
5. Greatest Olympian Ever
6. Sport = Patriotism
 

Olympic Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
4. Farcical
5. Relief
6. Lightning
 

These Olympic podcasts are mini-me’s of their big brother, The Natural Conversation: Real & Relevant podcasts. In those unscripted discussions you get longer conversations between 2 or more native speaker English teachers: A really great way to work on your listening skills if you don’t normally get the chance to interact with native speakers.

Today, native speaker and teacher Bren talks to student Zsuzsanna about whether sporting achievement makes you patriotic or not.

 
 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Sporting achievement makes you patriotic

 
 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 

 
You may also like….

Olympic Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
4. Swimming Scandal
5. Greatest Olympian Ever
 

Olympic Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
4. Farcical
5. Relief
 
 
The cheesiest song ever about sporting achievement – A guilty pleasure… Here, it’s a good listening skills activity because it comes with the lyrics…. so that you can learn the words and sing them in the shower!!!
 

 
 

A very short conversation to help you improve your listening skills and broaden your vocabulary. Remember to learn a language, you should do some work on it every day! Don’t try to make up for lost time at the weekend with hours of study. It’s better to do a little bit of daily work, rather than long hours of study and then nothing for long periods.

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Greatest Olympian Achievement

 
 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 

 
You may also like….

Olympics Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
4. Swimming Scandal
 

Olympics Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
4. Farcical
 
 

You can hear how my student, Zsuzsanna has a great level of English after a great deal of practice and work. There’s no reason that you can’t get to that high standard too! Think of it as your own personal Olympic challenge.

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Swimming Scandal

 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 
Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
You may also like….
 

Olympics Podcasts

1. Expectations
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Gymnastics
 

Olympics Word of the Day

1. Olympomania
2. Bonkers
3. Unbelievable
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/swimming-scandal-olympic-daily-pod-4/feed/ 2 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-pod-3-gymnastics-talk-with-non-native-speaker/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-pod-3-gymnastics-talk-with-non-native-speaker/#comments Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:41:03 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6466 As an extension to our Real & Relevant Podcasts of completely natural conversations, here is the third of our Olympic mini-podcasts

The Real and Relevant podcasts are normally only with native speaker English teachers. However, for the Olympics mini-series I am talking with Zsuzsanna from Hungary, who is a non native speaker, but practically fluent. Listening to her, you can hear how it’s possible to get to an extremely high level of English as a second language after study and practice. You can do it too!

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Gymnastics

 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 
Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-pod-3-gymnastics-talk-with-non-native-speaker/feed/ 4 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-podcast-2-the-opening-ceremony/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-podcast-2-the-opening-ceremony/#comments Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:04:18 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6459 As an addition to our Real & Relevant Podcasts of completely natural conversations, here is the second of our discussions about the London Olympics.

Unlike our Real and Relevant normal podcasts with only native speakers that are English teachers, I am talking with one of my students, Zsuzsanna, who is a non-native speaker of English (but almost fluent).

The Olympics podcasts are intended to be shorter than normal, but last night’s events were so long that we had a lot to talk about today. Tomorrow, we will return to the shorter version… unless something BIG happens!

Just to let you know, Zsuzsanna is not into sport at all. I am a big sport fan, so obviously we will share different opinions on The Olympics!

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: The Opening Ceremony

 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 
Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/olympics-podcast-2-the-opening-ceremony/feed/ 8 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/london-olympics-mini-podcast-expectations/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/london-olympics-mini-podcast-expectations/#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:45:05 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6445 As an extension of our Natural Conversation: Real & Relevant Podcasts, here is the first of our mini podcasts (much shorter in length) about the London Olympics.

I will be having conversations with one of my students, Zsuzsanna, who is a non-native speaker of English (but practically fluent).
This is to show you that amazing things can be achieved with dedicated English study. There’s nothing stopping you becoming this good at speaking English, apart from some studying with lots of practice!

Zsuzsanna is also not a big sports fan. I am very much into sport, so we’re probably going to have very contrasting opinions about The Olympics!

Today you can hear about what we are expecting from the upcoming Olympics

 
OLYMPIC POD SUBJECT: Expectations

Olympics_Day_1_Expectations

 
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS PODCAST FREE FROM iTunes.
 
 
Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/london-olympics-mini-podcast-expectations/feed/ 6 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/stereotypes-of-the-english-natural-chat/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/stereotypes-of-the-english-natural-chat/#comments Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:47:59 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6422 English native-speaker teachers having a natural discussion about general stereotypes of the British.

In this podcast, you’ve got Melissa Humphreys and Bren Brennan. They have known each other for a long time, so that’s why the conversation is quite lively and jokey

In English textbooks, recordings often sound false because they are recorded with actors in studios – very unnatural. You will be able to hear the difference straightaway with this podcast, as it’s just two friends having a chat in completely natural English.


 

 
Pod Subject: Stereotypes of the English

Pod People: Melissa Humphreys & Bren Brennan
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
If you want to hear Melissa talking in another pod (about her favourite books), click here
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you want to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills and you don’t interact too often with native speakers, this is a fantastic way to hear real English as it is spoken nowadays in the UK.

 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/stereotypes-of-the-english-natural-chat/feed/ 2 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/english-conversation-podcast-native-speaker-girl-loves-books/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/english-conversation-podcast-native-speaker-girl-loves-books/#comments Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:55:02 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6363 British native-speaker teachers having a natural English conversation about books and literature. This is a lot livelier than it sounds

In this podcast, you can hear Melissa Humphreys and Bren Brennan. They have been colleagues for a good few years, so that’s why they are always joking around and teasing each other (“taking the mickey”)

In English textbooks, the recordings can often sound unnatural because they record the audio with actors who read from scripts. You will be able to hear the difference straightaway with this podcast. This is just 2 friends having a normal English discussion. Enjoy.


 

 
Pod Subject: Books

Pod People: Melissa Humphreys & Bren Brennan
 
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/english-conversation-podcast-native-speaker-girl-loves-books/feed/ 6 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-native-speakers-discussion-zombies/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-native-speakers-discussion-zombies/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:08:45 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6279 British native-speaker teachers having a natural conversation about zombies. Does it get any better than that?

This conversation is totally natural. There wasn’t any preparation, so what you hear is a completely normal conversation how native English speakers from Britain do it!

In this podcast, you can hear Josh Round (The Director of Studies at SGI) and Bren Brennan. They have known each other for quite a few years, so this sounds like a normal, matey conversation with some banter thrown in for good measure. This is the real deal!
 
 
HOT NEWS: NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.
 
Click on that link OR follow these instructions….
 

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE

 
 
If you don’t have the chance to speak to native-speakers, this is the next best thing – a great way to improve your English vocabulary & listening skills.

 


Pod Subject: Zombies

Pod People: Josh Round & Bren Brennan

 
Go to a list of all our podcasts

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-native-speakers-discussion-zombies/feed/ 1 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/native-english-speakers-talking-about-british-weather/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/native-english-speakers-talking-about-british-weather/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:28:25 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6167 This is a natural conversation with teachers who are native English talking about the weather. It’s important to note that this conversation was recorded in April 2012 after a period of particularly unusual bad weather.
 
We had this conversation without any preparation, so what you hear is a completely normal conversation with native English speakers from Britain.
 
In this podcast, you can hear Charlie (who has a Received Pronunciation accent) and Bren, who are SGI English teachers. Both are native English speakers of course. This is the real deal!

Soon, you will be able to download these podcasts free from itunes. If you can’t interact with native-speakers everyday, this is a great way to improve your English listening skills.
 
 


 
Pod Subject: The Weather
 
Pod People: Charlie & Bren
 
 

 
Go to a list of all our podcasts

 
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE
]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/native-english-speakers-talking-about-british-weather/feed/ 1 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/do-the-monarchy-bring-value-to-the-uk-royal-podcast-part-2/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/do-the-monarchy-bring-value-to-the-uk-royal-podcast-part-2/#comments Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:02:38 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6113 This is a natural conversation by English teachers about the monarchy. Nothing was prepared before we discussed this subject, so everything you hear is just like a normal conversation in the UK with native speakers.
 
In this podcast, you can hear Charlie and Bren, who are SGI English teachers and Mark, who is the school CEO. All the people that you hear are British native speakers of English.

You will be able to download these podcasts free from itunes soon. If you don’t have the opportunity to interact with native-speakers everyday, this is a great way to improve your English listening skills and learn something about what normal Brits think about the monarchy.
 
 


Pod Subject: The Royal Family (Part 2)

Pod People: Charlie, Mark & Bren
 
 
This is part 2 of our conversation as it is too long for just one mp3.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PART 1 OF THIS PODCAST ON THE ROYAL FAMILY.
 
What do you think about the monarchy? Tell us in the comments
 
Go to a list of all our podcasts
 
 
Take a look at our other blogs on Royalty…
1. The Queen opens Parliament
2. Prince Charles the weatherman
3. The Queen’s Xmas message
4. Speak like the Queen
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/do-the-monarchy-bring-value-to-the-uk-royal-podcast-part-2/feed/ 2 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-discussion-brits-discuss-royal-family/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-discussion-brits-discuss-royal-family/#comments Wed, 30 May 2012 22:08:49 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6068 This is completely natural conversation by Brits from London. It’s not scripted or read out by actors like some recordings that you get from English textbooks. You’ll be able to hear the difference immediately.
 
In this podcast, you can hear Charlie and Bren, who are English teachers at the school and Mark, who is the school owner. They are all Brits and therefore, native speakers of English.

Soon, you will be able to download these podcasts free from itunes so that you can listen to them whenever you want. if you don’t live in an English speaking country, listening again and again to these natural conversations can be great for improving your listening skills and learning new vocabulary (as it is spoken normally in everyday conversation in England).


 
 

Pod Subject: The Royal Family (Part 1)

Pod People: Charlie, Mark & Bren
 
 
This is part 1 of our conversation as it is too long for just one mp3. Here is Part 2.
 
 
Please tell us what you think about the podcasts by leaving a comment.
All opinions are welcome!
 
See a list of all our podcasts
 
 
Here are some of our other blogs about the Royal Family…
1. The Queen opens Parliament
2. Prince Charles the weatherman
3. The Queen’s Xmas message
4. Speak like the Queen
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-discussion-brits-discuss-royal-family/feed/ 3 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-english-natives-talk-music/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-english-natives-talk-music/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 12:15:26 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=6018 This is completely natural conversation from the UK. It’s not scripted or read out by actors like some recordings that you get from English textbooks. We think that you’ll hear the difference straightaway.
 
In this podcast, you can hear Dan and Bren, who are English teachers at the school and native speakers, of course.

Shortly, the podcasts will be available to download free from itunes so that you can listen to them anytime, anyplace. Listening repeatedly to natural conversation like this can be really good for your listening skills, which is a difficult thing to practise if you don’t live in an English speaking country.

We will be releasing a transcript shortly, so that you can read everything that you hear. There will also be vocabulary explanations and questions about the conversation to test whether you really understand what we are talking about.


 
 

Pod Subject: Music

Pod People: Dan & Bren
 
 
Please leave a comment to tell us what you think about the podcasts:
Is there any way that we can improve?
All suggestions are welcome!
 
See a list of all our podcasts
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-conversation-english-natives-talk-music/feed/ 5 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-english-conversation-english-gentlemen/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-english-conversation-english-gentlemen/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 14:51:12 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=5977 This is English conversation as it really happens in the UK – totally natural and not simplified to help English students. This is not the kind of recording that you get in an English textbook (actors reading artificially from a script in an unnatural way)
 
In this pod, you can hear Charlie and Bren, who are British native speakers and also teachers at the school.

Soon, the podcasts will be available to download free from itunes so that you can listen on your phone or mp3 players.

We hope that you can broaden your English vocabulary knowledge and develop your listening skills by listening repeatedly to these podcasts.

We will be releasing a transcript shortly, so that you can read everything that you hear…to help your understanding. There will also be vocabulary explanations and questions about the conversation to test whether you really understand what we are talking about.


 
 

Pod Subject: English gentlemen

Pod People: Charlie & Bren
 
 
Please leave a comment to tell us what you think about the podcasts:
Tell us anything that we can improve.
Would you like to hear us discuss a particular subject?
Any suggestions welcome!
 
See a list of all our podcasts
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/natural-english-conversation-english-gentlemen/feed/ 7 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/british-native-speakers-discuss-the-london-olympics/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/british-native-speakers-discuss-the-london-olympics/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 15:10:46 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=5935 The people talking are British native speakers and also teachers at the school. They are chatting about everyday subjects, just like they would normally. That means that the conversation is completely natural and is not artificial in any way to help English students. This is British English conversation as it actually happens….it’s not actors reading from a script like you have with the recordings from English textbooks.

Soon, the podcasts will be available to download free from itunes so that you can listen on your phone or mp3 players.

We hope that you can broaden your English vocabulary knowledge and develop your listening skills by listening repeatedly to these podcasts.

We will be releasing a transcript shortly, so that you can read everything that you hear…to help your understanding. There will also be vocabulary explanations and questions about the conversation to test whether you really understand what we are talking about.


 
 

Pod Subject: The build up to the London Olympics

Pod People: Charlie & Bren
 
 
See a list of all our podcasts

 
Please leave us a comment to tell us what you think about the podcasts:
 
How is the audio quality?
Is it too difficult to follow the conversation?
Do you need a transcript?
Let us know if there is anything that we can improve….maybe you’d like to hear us talk about a particular subject?
 
All suggestions are welcome.
 
 

]]> http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/british-native-speakers-discuss-the-london-olympics/feed/ 10 http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/english-conversation-english-guys-discuss-clothes/ http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/english-conversation-english-guys-discuss-clothes/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 15:24:18 +0000 Bren Brennan http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/?p=5850 These discussions are brought to you by St George International English School in London. The people that you can hear talking are native-speaker English teachers at the school and they will be chatting about everyday subjects. The great thing is that the conversation is absolutely natural and is not modified or altered in any way for English students. This is English conversation as it actually happens in the UK.

The podcasts will also be available to download free from itunes for your smartphone, ipods, laptops or whatever.

We hope that you can develop your listening skills and really broaden your English vocabulary knowledge by listening to these podcasts.

In the future, we will be releasing a transcript, so that you can read everything that you hear…to help your understanding. There will also be vocabulary explanations and questions about the conversation to test whether you really understand what we are talking about.


 
 

Pod Subject: Clothes

Pod People: Charlie & Bren
 

 
Please leave us a comment to tell us what you think about the podcasts. We are doing them for you to help with your English study, so let us know if there is anything that we can improve….maybe you’d like to hear us talk about a particular subject??? All suggestions are welcome.

 
See a list of all our podcasts
 
NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FREE FROM iTunes.

Click on that link OR follow these instructions….

How to download from iTunes

1. Open up iTunes
2. Go to iTunes Store
3. In the SEARCH box (top right) write ‘Real & Relevant’
4. Click on the SGI Symbol
5. Click on SUBSCRIBE FREE
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