Hi, I'm Georgiana, your English teacher.
Thanks for joining me for a new episode of the Speak English Now podcast.
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Before we start, visit my website, speakenglishpodcast.com and subscribe to my free mini course.
Okay, let's start.
Have you ever listened to the Beatles?
Actually, let me rephrase that.
When was the last time you listened to a Beatles song?
The Beatles are probably the most popular band in the history of music.
They are considered by many to be the best band on earth.
The band was undoubtedly the most successful, with global sales exceeding 1.1 billion records.
They were initially famous for their light pop music, although their later works achieved the combination of popular and critical acclaim perhaps unprecedented in the 20th century.
Beatlemania was began in the UK and exploded after the Beatles appeared on a popular TV show in the US in 1964.
The band became a worldwide phenomenon with adoring fans and hysterical adulation.
The members of the group were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, all from England.
John Lennon was a singer-songwriter and a peace activist who co-founded the Beatles.
Paul McCartney is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer.
He had gained worldwide fame as a bassist and singer.
George Harrison was a musician singer-songwriter, music and film producer who achieved international fame as the Beatles' lead guitarist.
He was often referred to as the Quiet Beatle.
Ringo Starr is a musician, singer-songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as a Beatles drummer.
But have you ever heard of the fifth member of the band?
I believe not many people know this, yet the Beatles had a fifth member named Stuart Sutcliffe.
He was a Scottish-born painter and musician, and he left the band to pursue his career as a painter.
He and John Lennon are credited with the inventing of the name Beatles.
He is sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle.
The really extraordinary thing is that the Beatles were constantly releasing new albums and they got to have the same of these songs on numbers 1, 2 and 3 at the same time.
Despite the popularity of the name of the band in recent years, is being debated about its correct spelling.
For some years, editors from Wikipedia have been debating whether the article the should be uppercased when referring to the band.
Is it the Beatles or the Beatles?
All that really matters, I think, are the songs that have inspired millions of people all over the world.
And these are my favorite songs from the Beatles.
Help, Hey Jude, Yesterday, Here Comes the Sun, She Loves You, Drive My Car, We can work it out.
Get back.
Twist and shout.
Can't buy me love.
Please, please me.
A hard day's night.
Ticket to ride.
I want to hold your hand and let it be.
And now I'm just curious.
What are your Beatles' favorite songs?
And now I'm gonna tell a story, but with questions.
I use this technique in my courses.
It's very effective.
This is how it works.
First I give some information.
Listen to it carefully.
After that I start asking questions.
After every question, there will be a few seconds of silence.
It's your turn to give a quick answer in English.
The answer can be short yes no, a name, etc.
After a moment of silence, I will provide a correct answer.
The goal after some practice is to be able to answer quickly and automatically.
Here are some helpful hints.
You can check the transcript if needed.
Pause the audio to answer if necessary.
Give short and easy answers quickly.
It's better to give a short and quick answer than a complicated and hesitant one.
And it's okay if you answer with just one or a few words.
Don't worry about making mistakes.
You'll always hear the correct answer after the question.
Try to answer out loud most of the time.
When you listen for the first time and the question seems too complicated, it's okay to listen without answering.
Sometimes the questions may seem very easy.
They are designed like that on purpose, to build the foundations of your English.
The point is not only knowing it, but automating it.
Let's get started.
Paul McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time.
Is Paul a composer?
Yes, he's a composer Do you think he's a performer?
Yes, I think he's a performer also Is Paul successful or unsuccessful?
Successful Paul McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers.
Who is a successful composer and performer?
Paul McCartney.
He is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time.
Paul McCartney.
Gained worldwide fame as the bass guitarist and singer for the band The Beatles.
Was he a bass guitarist?
Yes, he was a bass guitarist.
Did he gain or lose worldwide fame?
He didn't lose worldwide fame.
He gained it.
Was he a singer for the band Queen?
No, no.
He wasn't a singer for the band Queen.
He was a singer for the band The Beatles.
Who was a singer for the band The Beatles?
Paul McCartney.
He was a singer for the band The Beatles.
Was he a bass guitarist?
Yes, he was also a bass guitarist for the band The Beatles.
On one occasion, he collaborated with Cain West on a new song.
Did he collaborate with Cain West?
Yes, he collaborated with Cain West.
What did he collaborate on?
He collaborated on a new song.
He ignored Cain West, right?
No, no.
He didn't ignore Cain West.
He collaborated with him.
How many times did he collaborate with Cain West?
On one occasion.
He collaborated with Cain West on one occasion.
With whom did he collaborate?
He collaborated with Cain West.
Cain West is a well-known American rapper.
Is Cain West an actor?
No, no.
He's not an actor.
He's a rapper.
Is he from Russia?
No, he's not from Russia.
He's an American rapper.
Is Cain West a rapper?
Yes, he's a well-known American rapper.
Is he unpopular?
No, no.
He's not unpopular.
He's well known.
Who's a rapper?
Paul McCartney?
No, no.
Paul McCartney is not a rapper.
Cain West is a rapper.
Surprisingly, some of Cain West's fans said they didn't know who Paul McCartney was.
Was it surprising that some fans didn't know who Paul McCartney was?
Yes, it was surprising that some fans didn't know who Paul McCartney was.
Who didn't know who Paul McCartney was?
Some of Kane West's fans didn't know who Paul McCartney was.
Other fans were convinced that Kane West would help Paul McCartney in his musical career.
Were other fans convinced that Kane West would help Paul McCartney?
Yes.
Other fans were convinced that Cain West would help Paul McCartney.
What would Cain help Paul McCartney with?
Cain West would help Paul McCartney in his musical career.
What were they convinced of?
They were convinced that Kane West would help Paul McCartney in his musical career.
Who would help Paul McCartney?
Kane West.
Other fans were convinced that Kane West would help Paul McCartney in his musical career.
Although this mini-story sounds like a joke, Some Cain West followers posted on Twitter saying that they didn't know who Paul McCartney was.
They even thought that Cain West would help Paul McCartney to have a better musical career.
Maybe it would have been wise of them to Google Paul McCartney before posting on Twitter.
Great!
This is the end of this short exercise.
As you can see, answering many simple questions can improve your speaking, just like in a real-life conversation.
Today, you've only seen a small example of how the question and answer technique works.
Do you want to unlock this full potential?
I have a huge announcement.
A new course is now available to help you with your pronunciation.
And it's for all levels.
Visit pronunciationcourse.com and get it now for a special price.
