Hello, dear listeners.
Back again here, Mike Bilberer with a new podcast, B1 Level, today.
And before I start, I'd just like to tell you that I've left an extract of the book which I published recently.
B1 English Vocabulary Builder.
If you go to the application where you find this podcast, underneath the text there's a link to a PDF and you can download that PDF and You'll see how the B1 language is presented to the reader and an extract from part of the story.
And also there's a link to the audio, which you can listen to as well.
And the different vocabulary tests.
OK, so that's something which I've put there for you.
If you want to download it for free to have a look at how the book works, okay.
Okay, so I'll go on then with this story.
No, it's not a story.
I thought it might be useful, actually, for you to have other types of texts, not just stories.
And this is a request that I've had as well for those who are taking the B1 exam to have audio texts of articles emails, for example, at the B1 level.
And so I've done an article today.
OK, I'll read it to you.
And I'll show you the words which I think are keywords.
Keywords, that means important words which help the article read easily and clearly.
So, I'm going to read it to you first of all.
I'll read it and I'd like you to think what the title of the article was.
Okay?
Here we go.
Hello and welcome to Practicing English.
My name is Mike Bilbre and these are podcasts for students of English at B1 or B2 levels.
For transcripts, please go to practicingenglish.com.
Many people enjoy playing games in their free time.
Some prefer board games like chess or Monopoly, while others like video games such as Minecraft or FIFA.
But which type of game is more interesting to play?
Board games are great for spending time with family and friends.
You can sit together, talk and have fun face to face.
These games often need players to think carefully and plan their moves, so they help improve memory and problem-solving skills.
They also teach people how to be patient and work as a team.
Video games, on the other hand, are exciting because of their fast action and colorful graphics.
They can take you to different worlds and let you do amazing things like flying a plane or saving a city.
Some video games help you think quickly and make decisions under pressure.
Online games can also connect you with players from around the world, which is a great way to make new friends.
In my opinion, both types of games are interesting in different ways.
Board games are better for real social time, while video games are more exciting and creative.
From playing games people can learn teamwork, problem solving and how to think in new ways.
No matter which type you choose, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the game.
Right.
My question was, what was the question for this article?
And it was...
People like playing different types of games, video games and board games.
Which do you think is the better type of game to play?
That was the title.
That was longer than the Cambridge article needs to be, which is just 100 words.
This is double that.
It's 200 words, but it's really just a longer example of the same thing.
Okay, so now I'm going to go through it and then there'll be a short test afterwards on some keywords in the article for you to guess.
All right, so let's go through the article.
So you can say perhaps board games are better or video games are better, but you must say your reasons, express your reasons.
In this case, the writer has said that both have advantages.
So board games, by the way, as it says, are like chess or they're like Monopoly.
Those games which we play on a board, which we put on the table and there may be physical pieces to move, and a dice, that little square cube with one to six on it, which you throw.
That's called a dice.
So those are board games and video games.
I'm sure you're very aware of what video games are.
The first thing then, when you're writing which you can't see because you're listening to this, but there is a copy of it at your favorite podcast app.
And what's important is to try to separate your article into different parts paragraphs, to have an introduction and a conclusion, and then two paragraphs is usually enough for the body of the article.
So, the introduction reads, Many people enjoy playing games in their free time.
Some prefer board games like chess or Monopoly.
So, the word like we can use which means for example.
Now, we could say for example, but it's possible that in the article we might be giving lots of examples.
So we don't want to repeat for example all the time.
And it's easier and it sounds better if we use the word like.
So this like is used to present the examples.
Some prefer board games like chess or Monopoly.
Then I put a comma and while others like video games such as Minecraft or FIFA.
This word while is a word we use to contrast to situations while, W-H-I-L-E.
It's a nice word to use because, as you are asked to choose between two things, usually perhaps, and say which you think is better, the word while is a very important word we can use.
But which type of game is more interesting to play?
So notice there I've used a question in the introduction.
That's a good idea to use in your article.
It makes your article sound more interesting and it attracts the reader more by asking a question, because then the reader wants to find the answer.
So that's something you can do, a technique you can use to ask a question.
But which type of game is more interesting to play?
Second paragraph.
Board games are great for spending time with family and friends.
So I've got two things to talk about, board games and video games.
So I'm going to write one paragraph for board games and another paragraph for video games.
Board games are great for spending time with family and friends.
So these little collocations like spending time are something which the examiner will be looking for.
To spend time.
So you spend time with family and friends.
Board games are great for spending time.
And spending with ing because it comes after for. which is a preposition.
And when we have an infinitive after a preposition, we always use ing for spending time with family and friends.
You can sit together, talk and have fun face to face.
Face to face means talking to people in the same room, rather than by video conference or by telephone.
Okay?
These games often need players to think carefully and plan their moves.
So it's nice to get some adverbs in there.
How do people think?
Carefully.
L-Y at the end. and plan their moves.
So they help improve memory and problem-solving skills.
So that's a comma.
And I'm saying, really, what is a consequence of that?
So these games help people improve memory and problem-solving skills.
And we use the word so. which is a nice linking word.
It's important to try to use linking words in the article, so you have sentences which are really two sentences in one.
These games often need players to think carefully and plan their moves, so they help improve memory and problem-solving skills.
They also teach people how to be patient and work as a team.
So the important word there is as to do something as something, to work as a teacher, to study as a student in a university or a school.
Next paragraph, video games on the other hand.
So this is another way of contrasting, of comparing the two situations, on the other hand.
And that's a nice expression to use at a B1 level.
Video games, on the other hand, are exciting because of their fast action.
So there we've got another linking word or words, because of.
It's showing the reason why are they exciting because of their fast action and colorful graphics.
So we've got some good language there, which is talking about video games, fast action, colorful graphics, all very relevant language.
They can take you to different worlds and let you do amazing things.
Like, so here's that like again, all right, for giving examples.
Like flying a plane or saving a city.
Some video games help you think quickly.
Another adverb in there, quickly.
And make decisions under pressure.
That's lovely, isn't it?
So to make a decision is another collocation.
Those two words go together.
You make decisions.
And under pressure is another collocation.
Under pressure, meaning that the situation is very tense and you're nervous.
Under pressure.
Online games can also connect you, another good word there, with players from around the world.
So, if you're talking about video games which are online, you're maybe playing with people from different countries around the world, which is a great way to make new friends.
That word way, one of the most common words in the or nouns anyway, in the English language, way.
We use it a lot.
It's a very useful word, especially if we can't think of a word which is more specific, which is a great way to make new friends.
And you make friends, of course, another collocation.
Conclusion.
In my opinion, this paragraph now is going to talk about your final thoughts about the whole thing.
What you think is the most important thing to conclude as a conclusion to this subject and answer the question which are better video games or board games?
This is the final answer in the conclusion.
In my opinion, both types of games are interesting in different ways, so you've got that word way again in there.
In different ways, board games are better for real social time while comparing word, a contrasting word, while video games are more exciting and creative.
I've just said that, haven't I really?
What I'm doing, I'm saying what I've said before in a much shorter way.
From playing games, people can learn teamwork and how to think in new ways.
That word way again.
No matter which type you choose.
So that's an interesting structure there.
No matter which.
It means it doesn't matter.
It's not important which.
No matter which type you choose, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the game.
The most important thing.
All right.
So it's nice to finish there because I'm saying really both types of games are useful and have advantages.
There's another little idea there at the end as well, that enjoying it is important.
I'm going to read the article again and I'd like you to listen for the, and when you do, I'll leave a space and you can say the word which is missing.
Here we go.
Many people enjoy playing games in their free time.
Some prefer board games.
Chess or Monopoly, Like Others, like video games such as Minecraft or FIFA While, But which type of game is more interesting to play?
Board games are great for time with family and friends.
Spending.
You can sit together, talk and have fun face to face.
These games often need players to think carefully and plan their moves.
They help improve memory and problem-solving skills.
So.
They also teach people how to be patient and work a team.
As.
Video games on the other hand are exciting.
They're fast action.
Because of and colorful graphics, they can take you to different worlds and let you do amazing things.
Flying in a plane or saving a city.
Like.
Some video games help you think quickly and decisions.
Make.
Under pressure.
Online games can also connect you with players from the world.
Around.
Which is a great to make new friends.
Way.
In my Opinion Both types of games are interesting in different ways.
Board games are better for real social life.
Video games are more exciting, wild and creative.
From playing games people can learn teamwork, problem solving and how to think in new ways.
Know which type you choose.
Matter.
The most important is to have fun and enjoy the game.
Thing.
That's the end of the podcast.
I hope you found it useful.
Thank you very much.
And tomorrow there'll be a B2 podcast.
Until tomorrow then, goodbye for now.
