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Terms apply. Hello lovely, I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory, and we're the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast.
A podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills along the way.
We've started this podcast to give you gorgeous grammar and fabulous vocabulary for a high IELTS score.
Your bad night score.
Oh sorry Maria. I was reading this really interesting story.
Oh, an interesting story.
Shall we talk about stories?
Stories? What a coincidence, dellysoba.
Yes, stories. Part one.
We're going to talk about stories.
Do you like stories?
I mean, doesn't everyone?
A little escapism is always a fun break from everyday life.
Do you prefer reading or listening to stories?
Well, usually I like reading them but I've listened to a few audiobooks and podcasts and those were good to have on when I was doing other things at the gym or just as background noise while I'm working.
What stories did you like in your childhood?
I used to love adventure stories like The Famous Five and Secret 7, anything by Eenid Blyton really.
Which makes sense since I was the target audience, even though they were written decades ago they have this sort of timeless quality which is very engaging.
Have you ever written a story or stories?
I have indeed. I've published a few science fiction novels over the years and sometimes I write in my free time when I have the urge to.
I don't think I'd publish most of the stuff I'd written though it's mostly just drivel.
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Stories! So the topic is stories.
So it's pretty much about any stories.
From books. From stories that people tell you and we tell stories.
So tell me a story.
Rory. Story! Tell me a story.
I'll save that for speaking part two.
Yeah, exactly. So do you like stories, you know, like, yes?
Like, I mean, who doesn't...
And you can ask this question which is not actually a question.
It's kind of like, who doesn't like stories?
Like, everybody loves a good story, right?
And Rory tells us, like, I mean, doesn't everyone?
Like, doesn't everybody like a story, a good story?
Sorry, it's okay. Like, doesn't everyone and everyone has everyone loves so everyone is like he or she okay that's why we say doesn't everyone like stories not don't everyone yeah doesn't everyone what's escapism escapism is very true what is escapism if I know what it means but if I had to define it in a sentence.
What would I say? An educated 90 speaker, go go.
It's like an escape from the boring parts of life.
So you're a sort of escape into these fantasy worlds.
Exactly. Escapism. Okay, from escape.
A way of avoiding an unpleasant or boring life, especially by thinking, reading, watching some movies, listening to IELTS speaking for success podcast.
Premium the link is in the description about more exciting but impossible activities.
So you watch, think or read about something exciting usually impossible for example adventure movies are pure escapism right.
Or for many people going on holiday is a form of Escapism.
Alright, Rohi, give us another sentence with escapism.
It's only really used for talking about stories.
Mmm, hmm. But books, books, movies...
I indulge in a little bit of escapism every day, because I read every day.
Hmm, but what about scrolling?
If we go on Instagram, on Facebook, so is it a form of escapism?
Um... no. I suppose it could be, although escapism is about delving into a fantasy world really.
Supposedly social media is about real people, but that's a matter for debate, I suppose.
Yeah, so a very good point.
So if you use this word escapism, you kind of escape real life and you go to a fantasy world.
For example, The Lord of the Rings, The Game of Thrones and you're just there.
Yeah, you are in this fantasy world.
Impossible things but not in real life.
We can read, listen to stories.
And here we can talk about audio books which are becoming more and more popular these days.
For me for example, I listen to books, I rarely read anything.
I prefer to listen to books.
So you can say that I like reading, I like reading stories, I enjoy listening to stories, to audiobooks and podcasts.
So there are stories in different podcasts.
And when does Rory listen to audiobooks and stories?
When he was doing things at the gym or as background noise while I'm working?
Here you can say that I enjoy listening to stories as background noise while I'm working.
so you're working and somewhere in the background there are people speaking English or Japanese for some people it's really disturbing so they can't do it, but if you are at the gym or if you're doing some housework so why not have some background noise.
I don't think most people can I think you probably tune it out when you're or as you're working.
Yeah but some people prefer to listen to music right?
Yeah but, again if you're focused on a task do you really enjoy the music in the same way?
No, it depends on the music.
If you hear some meditation music without words?
Yeah! Well that's true actually, yeah!
Yeah! And also like classical music, they say that when you're learning a language some certain classical music is good but, again, you need to know the songs.
Not the songs but what do they call them?
Classical music pieces?
But rock music. We have different kinds of stories.
And in your childhood, when I was a child I preferred adventure stories for example.
And stories about adventures, I can't think of another way to describe that.
or perhaps fantasy stories?
It's like Harry Potter or maybe romantic stories What stories did you like in your childhood, Maria?
Oh, fairy tales. That's a good one to have actually.
Yes, mmm. Yeah, different fairy tales like folk fairy tales, traditional fairy tales.
Like the grim fairy tales, which are really grim, apparently.
And the Rotary. They're super dark compared to the sanitised versions we have nowadays.
You know, the Green Brothers wrote some stories.
I think they're still popular all over the world.
They are, but how filtered they are depends on the culture.
I think Russian and German children have a much… How should I say this?
A much more violent version compared to… Oh really?
Children in my country?
Oh yeah. Yeah, like Hansel and Gretel is quite a brutal story.
Well, I know some British stories for children.
You know, like, oh this catapilla, ta ta ta, ate this, ate this, yum yum, oh she's dead, of course.
She's eaten so much.
Ha ha ha ha, oh the old lady, yes ah ha!
Oh yeah, the story about the old lady, can you imagine, it's for children, children's book.
So the old lady was hungry, she ate this and that and that and she ate like, I don't know – animals, people, objects and, like, Wow she's dead of course.
She was like, wow. Maria's not a fan.
No, it's strange… Yes.
For children, I think.
That's probably a bit inappropriate, yeah.
So we have fiction stories and non -fiction stories.
Fiction stories involve imagined worlds and characters.
So you can say fairy tales, folklore.
Non -fiction stories are real -life stories.
So there are stories about nature, history, family, personal experience...
So, Rory, which stories do you prefer?
Fiction or non -fiction?
Oh, that's not fair!
I like to read a fiction book and a non -fiction book at the same time.
If I had to choose one what would I choose?
I want to say nonfiction because it's important to be well informed.
But really I'd like a good made up story.
Nice. No, I probably would choose fiction I suppose.
You can also say that I enjoy narratives about history, nature.
Narratives like stories.
But it's a good narrative, it's a good story.
Ross. RQU give us an example of an adventure story like The Famous Five.
They were written ages ago or decades ago.
A decade is ten years.
I can't remember when the famous five were written but it is a really long time ago.
The Famous Five. Can I remember all of their names Julian, Anne, Dick, George and Timmy the dog I think.
Am I right? Oh yay.
Oh yes, yes Annie, ah -ha George.
The Famous Five is a series of children's adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blayton.
Yes, like books, novels...
about a group of young children.
One, two, three, there are four of them and their dog.
Very nice. Very cute.
So if you want to read something that English children read.
So The Famous Five.
And Scottish children...
Is it still popular?
I couldn't say, actually.
I don't know. I mean, I want to believe that they are still popular because, like I say, those stories are timeless, they're amazing.
So every child should have a chance to enjoy this sort of magic.
You can say that I liked fairy tales when I was a child about myths, legends that are passed down through generations, something like a Little Red Riding Hood, actually.
It's kind of like a fairy tale.
It's another horror story.
The Wolf ate people, so pretty much.
Yeah, but the happy ending.
They kind of kill the wolf.
You know the drill.
You can say that I liked novels.
I don't know. Maybe you read Shakespeare.
But also you can say that I read stories about history, stories about family stories.
and some stories have timeless quality for example this Green Brothers little Red Riding Hood it's you know it's timeless it was written I don't know a long time ago but still like people read these stories and the final question have you ever written a story and Rory huh yes I've written a couple of books Oh, a couple of novels.
Nice. A little bit of self -promotion.
But I don't think most people have so we should consider alternatives.
You could say I wrote some in elementary school or primary school, but I haven't since then.
Then you have the complex grammar.
Or you can lie, dear listener!
You can, yes! Actually I'm an author and I've just published two novels.
Oh yeah! In Japanese.
is. There you go. Feel free to lie, like why not?
You heard it here first folks, Maria says it's OK to lie.
Yes, absolutely. Rory was specific.
He said that I've published a few science fiction novels.
See, so like they are also stories.
And sometimes I write in my free time when I have the urge to write so when you have the urge what happens hmmm I want to do something it's a strong desire to do something for example well you might have the urge to write a story or to change your job can I have the urge to work or you might lack the urge to work it's more likely Hmm urge actually see two words proficiency by nine a strong wish especially one that is difficult or impossible to control See you know like when you get up at the middle of night, and you just wanna party Or I don't know you want a massage Or I don't know what do people
want in the middle of the night to sleep?
But what about if I want McDonald's?
I just feel that I want McDonald's so much.
Is it an urge, or is it a craving?
Mmm, OK. An urge to eat McDonald's or a craving for McDonald's?
McDonald's, thank you very much for sponsoring us and giving us advertising money.
Yes, free McDonald's for us.
So, yeah, people, the urge to do things, You can say, like, ooh, I felt an urge to tell my friends about this, or I can't resist the urge to laugh.
Resist? Like, you shouldn't laugh, but you just can't control your laughter.
Yeah. Or I had a sudden urge to hit him, or a sudden urge to kiss him?
No, no. Yeah. Oh, my, yeah, I know.
So, yeah. When I have the urge to write, you can also talk about block posts.
Maybe you write something on social media.
This is also a story, by the personal story.
When I was in school, I used to write horror stories, Rory.
Oh. What do you call this?
Did you publish the collection?
Horror stories, yes.
Oh, nice. It's only just...
Come on, Maria. Do it.
I believe in you. Yeah, it was comics.
That's cool. I didn't know this Hora comics about teachers who killed each other.
Aha! Okay, now I can believe this.
There was a lot of blood and they were like killing each other and I used teachers' names.
So if a teacher just, you know, took these little books and I drew them myself.
So there was some text and horrible pictures of teachers and blood.
And I designed the little books, you know, like from paper and drew some stuff.
Yeah, they were quite popular among the classmates and they respected me, even the bullies.
And once the bullies took all of the books from me, read them all, laughed out loud and gave them back.
You see, they didn't destroy them.
So which was very nice.
Oh, I love a childhood story.
Yeah, they were pretty horrible, though.
It's murder, blood...
Do you listen? Yeah, they came.
Such a lovely marie.
Some parental advisories on Maria's stories.
Yeah. Luckily... Those books were never found by teachers.
Right, do you listen?
Stories! Okay, choose your favorite stories.
Lie! Alright, now you know.
Things about different types of stories.
Okay? We will see you in our next episode.
Oh my gosh, Maria almost forgot the quiz.
How dare you. Vories, vocabulary quiz.
So the first question was do you like stories and I used a word to describe this idea of getting away from reality because it's boring.
But what was that word I used Maria?
Escapism. Yes. The second question was about reading or listening to stories.
And I talked about having stories on, but not listening to them specifically, they're just to have a noise to fill the air, but it's a specific kind of noise.
What is that? To have stories as background noise.
Excellent. Then I spoke about the kind of audience that was the focus of a particular book, that's who it's for.
But what do we call that?
The target audience.
Nice. Almost there, Maria.
The last one. I described a particular genre of story when I was asked if I had ever written a story or stories.
But what is that called?
Science fiction. 4 out of 4.
That means there's a 5th Bonus Question for you.
And a final question, a final bonus question, because Maria got all of them right.
I have published stories.
But there are some I did not publish.
Because they are unpublishable.
They are just nonsense and no one would want to read them or listen to them.
But I used a special word to describe this idea of poor quality stories.
...drivel. Hey, drivel!
Nice. Drivel is like negative.
Drivel is nonsense, boring, and messy information.
So it's just like, ahh, all the drivel you read on the Internet, so like, these stories are just drivel nonsense.
But our podcast is not drivel, so thank you very much for listening.
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Do you like stories?
I mean, doesn't everyone?
Uh, a little escapism is always a fun break from everyday life.
Do you prefer reading or listening to stories?
Well, usually I like reading them, but I've listened to a few audio books and podcasts and those were good to have on when I was doing other things at the gym or just as background noise while I'm working.
What stories did you like in your childhood?
I used to love adventure stories like The Famous Five and Secret Seven, anything by Enid Blighton really, which makes sense since I was the target audience even though they were written decades ago they have this timeless quality which is very engaging.
Have you ever written a story or stories?
I have indeed. I've published a few science fiction novels over the years and sometimes I write in my free time when I have the urge to.
I don't think I'd publish most of the stuff I'd written though, it's mostly just drivel.
