This is an All Ears English bonus episode.
Special opportunity.
Be a tester and practice your English with us.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 50 million times.
We believe in connection, not perfection.
With your American hosts Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City, USA.
And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglishcom.
Forward slash subscribe.
We are building an app for all ears English today.
Find out how you can become part of the exclusive group of app testers who get special access to us to offer feedback through live conversation sessions.
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Hey, Michelle, how you doing today?
Hey, Lindsay, I am good.
I'm good.
How are you?
Well, I'm happy to be back on the microphone.
I just got back from a nice trip to Maine.
So I'm so excited to be back here.
That's great.
That's great.
Yeah.
But today we're talking about something very quickly and very specific for a bonus episode today.
Michelle, what is the big news?
I feel like we've been releasing a lot of big news this summer.
What's the big news for today? that's what is it yeah it's uh we are going to have an app yes finally we are making an app for all ears english so guys this app is going to give you a chance to go deeper with these episodes right so we get lots of messages from you guys saying that you love the podcast but we think that you maybe you want to take a quiz or you want to do something else after you listen because to make sure that you really understood what you heard.
That's our hunch.
Michelle, what's a hunch?
What does that mean when I say that?
It's like our feeling, our guess.
It's our guess.
It's our guess.
So I mean, Michelle, what is this going to do for our listeners?
Oh my goodness, Lindsay.
This is going to be so great, because when we make an app, it's really going to make our audience.
I think all come together in a different way, right.
We can really go deeper with all the episodes as well.
Exactly.
Exactly.
So the idea today is we're announcing this today because we are looking for testers.
And this is a very, very important position, guys, if you are able to become a beta tester.
And Michelle, what is a beta tester?
What does that actually mean?
Do you know?
Yeah, so it means that it's not like the final product, but you're kind of in a test version and you're seeing how it's going right.
You're going behind the scenes.
Exactly.
So, these special beta testers, you guys, if you apply and if you're chosen, you are going to be able to see this app before anyone else, right?
Before it's actually in the App Store, before normal students get to see it.
So you get to see it first.
And what kind of students are we looking for to be beta testers, Michelle?
Who can be a tester?
Well, anyone who is an iOS user, right?
So any device.
So unfortunately, I could not be a test.
Oh, Michelle, do you use Android?
I do.
Okay.
Well, guess what?
Later on, we're going to do an Android app, probably in the fall.
So you'll be able to test then.
Okay.
Okay.
All right.
Yeah.
So we're starting with an iPhone app and iOS app.
So anyone who has an iOS device, so that could be an iPhone, an iPad, anything but you need iOS 9 or later.
So that's the software on your phone that you need to update to that to be able to test.
Okay.
All right.
So that's the first requirement.
I'm sorry, Michelle, next time around.
Don't worry.
Okay.
Who else are we looking for?
What's another requirement for a beta tester?
You got to be able to talk to us, right?
So you need to be able to give direct feedback over Skype.
Yeah, so that's very cool, guys.
So many of you are going to be able to meet with us.
So that's a huge benefit of being a beta tester.
That's why you might want to apply, because you will get to meet with me or Jessica or Michelle by Skype to give us direct feedback, to describe in English what you think about this app and what we should add to it and take away from it.
Okay, so cool.
And what else, Michelle?
What else are we looking for?
We are looking for someone who uses apps, right?
Maybe even uses other English apps.
Yeah, so it's really good if you are an app user already, right?
So we could also take some testers who don't use apps, because you would have a different perspective than an app user.
But we also want a lot of people who are already app users.
Maybe you already have other apps on your phone.
For English learning, maybe vocabulary apps or quiz apps for English listening.
We want you to apply okay.
And what's the last thing, Michelle?
All right.
So the last thing is you should be able to participate in occasional Facebook group discussions right, Lindsay?
Exactly.
So we don't want people who are away on vacation, you know, in July and August, September.
We want you to be here and available to... jump in our Facebook group.
We're going to create a special Facebook group just for our testers.
And they're going to have access to us to ask questions about the app and give us feedback.
So we want you to be active and participate in this.
Okay.
So Michelle, what's in it for our listeners?
I mean, if they become beta testers, what do they get?
All right.
So guys, if you are a beta tester, as we said, you know you're going to get to meet with one of us on Skype, one on one.
And really, this is a great way to practice your speaking.
Right.
Because you're going to be giving feedback.
So we talk about how can you give feedback?
Well, you're going to get to practice it on something completely real.
Right.
Yeah, actually, that's so true, Michelle.
Like a lot of the skills that we give you guys in this podcast.
You're going to put them into action right away by meeting with us and articulating your thoughts on the app and, you know, giving us your ideas about what you want, for you know, little games you can purchase inside the app, that kind of thing.
So I've already met with a few people when we were just building these screenshots.
The basic design of the app.
And it was a really good practice for a couple of our listeners to challenge themselves on this focus task right.
It's not a general task.
It's a very specific task.
And you're going to challenge your English.
Okay, so cool.
And what else, Michelle?
What else do they get?
Well, as we said, you guys are going to get a sneak peek into a brand new product.
So that's exciting.
That's so cool because no one else is getting this, right?
This is just for our community.
It's only being offered to you guys as All Ears English listeners to...
Not only do you get a sneak peek, you get an early view of what it's going to look like, but you also get to shape the app.
You get to tell us, you know, what do you want in this app?
You can make it yours.
Okay, so cool.
Right, right.
Absolutely.
So it's a real great way for you to like, like make your mark on all ears English.
Exactly.
It's a way for you to shape all ears English and the way that you learn English with us and the way that we look for connection, not perfection.
So cool.
Michelle, are you an app user yourself?
Do you use any apps?
I use some apps.
I use some apps mostly, mostly to get me directions to place.
Yeah, i like to use like, the lyft app to look for a ride.
Oh yeah those yeah, i yep, those are good stuff, So useful.
So useful.
So guys, if you want to go ahead and be an app tester, we are taking applications now.
We'll take a look at your application.
Go over to allearsenglish.com forward slash app.
That's forward slash app.
Okay.
And submit your application and we will get in touch with you and tell you how to move forward if you are chosen to be an app beta tester.
So, so excited to talk to you guys about this app, to meet with you on Skype and to get your feedback.
So cool.
So cool.
Awesome.
I can't wait.
That's going to be great.
It's going to be great.
All right, Michelle, thanks for hanging out for this bonus episode today.
Thanks, guys.
Bye.
See you soon.
Bye.
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