English in a Minute: Living Under a Rock

You might have missed something if someone asks you if you have been "living under a rock!" Find out what this expression means in this week's English in a Minute!

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Planning Powerful Presentations

Editor's note: When teaching public speaking, Professor Charles Lebeau divides presentation into three aspects. The three aspects of a presentation are: the physical message, the visual message, and the story message. In our earlier article, (Improve Your Public Speaking With Body Language) we learned about one aspect of improving public speaking skills, the physical message. In this article, we will look at the visual and story messages.   English is the language of many international conferences.  Sometimes a speaker might use a kind of “World English” that audience members do not understand. This can be true even for listeners who are native speakers of English. For this reason, Professor Charles Lebeau says the visual message is important. The visual message includes pictures, charts and other aids a speaker presents during the talk. A non-native speaker of English can understand a picture. It can help carry the message when the presenter’s words are hard to understand. “The visual message becomes a central part of the communication process because everyone can understand a graph; everyone can understand a flow chart; everyone can see the words on the slide.” When you prepare a presentation, you might want to show how much you know about a subject. But does the audience care how much you know? Listeners more likely want to understand the main point of your presentation. So how do you organize your talk to get that point across? Professor LeBeau says this can depend on the culture of your audience. Cultural styles of presenting ideas American language expert Robert Kaplan studied different cultural thought patterns in the mid-1960s. He helped English language teachers understand the differences between English rhetoric and that of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian. English speakers prefer a ‘linear’ style, which has one main idea. The speaker supports that idea with details or arguments, and then closes the talk by restating the idea. In other cultures, however, speakers may bring in other ideas before returning to the main point. Charles LeBeau says some of his students prepare a speech without thinking of the main idea. “Sometimes the bigger problem is the point that they want to make is not clear. They are not thinking clearly about, “What is the key point in my presentation? And how do I want to say that, where do I want to say it?” For presentations in English, the best time to make that point is at the beginning. Speakers should make a plan to present their ideas in the order that is common in English rhetoric. When we write our ideas down without such a plan, they are not clear and our presentation will not be well organized. “I think they prepare the presentation kind of as a stream of consciousness activity, then finally at the end of this process they figure out, oh, what do I want to say, what is the key point in this? And it ends up being at the end of the presentation.” Professor LeBeau says he often sees the engineers he works with give a lot of technical information in their speeches. They want to tell everything they know. But the audience may have trouble understanding which information is related to the speaker’s main point. We can tell the story with facts and numbers, if they help, and then repeat the point. “In an English language presentation, what we try and do is make it more linear. And by that, I mean, it’s more of a story - we use data, and we use evidence, we use numbers, but only to help us tell the story more clearly.” Five tips for preparing your presentation Preparing the story message helps speakers give a successful presentation. Professor LeBeau gives these five tips for academic presentations, such as those given at professional conferences. 1. Understand the difference between a title and a topic. A topic is general, but a title is more specific. Make sure the title explains the benefit of your subject. 2. Provide an image for those who are not experts in your subject. Explain how your research relates to other fields. 3. Work on transitions (linking words or phrases) as you go from image to image. These should make the connections between your ideas clear. Professor LeBeau says transitions serve as bridges to each new image. 4. Look at each image from the audience’s point of view. What questions might they have about each image? Prepare an extra image that would help explain the most difficult question you expect. 5. Rehearse your presentation with a timing device. At most conferences, there is a time limit. It is disrespectful to take more than your share of the time. Cut your presentation to fit the time you are permitted. Professor LeBeau understands the difficulty many students of public speaking face. “Learning a new culture for presentation is really, really tough for many people, as it is with all language learning. Presentation, or course, is a part of language learning. There’s culture in everything we do in English, as well as in presentation.” Using these tips for improving your presentations in English should help make the process easier.  I’m Jill Robbins. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. The video below demonstrates an academic presentation. It is from the DVD accompanying Speaking of Speech Level 2. Now it’s your turn. What techniques help you to give a good academic presentation?  ​ ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   data - n. (plural) facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something academic – n. of or relating to schools and education title – n. the name given to something to identify or describe it topic – n. someone or something that people talk or write about transitions - n. words that connect between parts of a composition or speech, such as first, second, third, in addition, furthermore, and so on. rhetoric - n. the art or skill of speaking or writing formally and effectively especially as a way to persuade or influence people stream of consciousness - n. the continuous series of thoughts that occur in someone's mind especially when they are expressed in writing as a constant flow of words   ​

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Woman, Born in 1972, Celebrates 11th Birthday

Tammy Radencic was born in 1972. She will be celebrating her 11th birthday on February 29. What? “Hi, I’m Tammy Radencic. And I’m a Leap Year baby.” Leap Year happens only once every four years, on February 29. Babies born on February 29  have to wait four years before they see their next birthday on the calendar. About 200,000 people in the U.S. celebrate a birthday on February 29. Around the world, there are about 5 million, says Reuters. Radencic is one of them. She lives in South Carolina. Radencic is not yet 50, but she has passed some other milestone birthdays, like 16, 21 and 30. Some birthdays come and go without much fanfare. But in a Leap Year, she says, the birthday is extra special. “For the Leap Year babies, when you actually know that day is coming, you’re going to wake up and say ‘Oh, today is actually my birthday.’ I’ll tell you, it is a very special feeling. Unfortunately this year the 29th is on a Monday. I have dentist appointment, I have calls with clients, so unfortunately I’m not going to have anything that’s really celebratory on the fact that I do have an actual birth date this year.  But it still will be very special to wake up and know, you know, that today is actually my birthday.” The reason these people only get to celebrate the exact anniversary of their birth every four years has to do with the difference between the calendar year and the solar year. It takes the Earth about 365.25 days to circle the sun. So how do you factor in the extra quarter of a day? You add in an extra day every four years to catch up. That is where February 29 comes in. Sherri Riddle lives in New Jersey. She was born in 1968. “OK, my name is Sherri Riddle and I’m a Leap Day baby. I’m turning 12.” Riddle says she did not understand that something was different about her birthday until somewhere between her fourth and eighth year. She did know one thing: she had a bigger party for her fourth birthday than any of the years before. As an elementary school student, other kids teased her about not having a “real” birthday each year. That’s one reason why her birthday was extra special every fourth year. “They had a bigger party for me that year and I have pictures. And I remember that day. I remember things that happened that day. And I knew it was more special, but I didn’t know why. And then for my eighth birthday, they had a bigger party again. Mostly, it’s been a really good experience.” Some people born on February 29 say the quirky birth date is not always easy. Radencic says her father tried to bribe the doctor with $200 when she was born. He wanted her birth certificate to read February 28 instead of February 29. And the unique birthday does cause some headaches when it comes to filling out forms on computers or applying for official documents. Some computer programs that require dates are not set-up for an entry of February 29 as the birthday. Radencic says for a while, her driver’s license and birth certificate had different birth dates. She grew up in North Carolina, and that state did not let her put February 29 on her license. So whenever she had to travel to a place like Canada, where you did not need a passport, she would always get questioned at the border about the difference between the two documents. “It’s really been problematic for me. And I know that those things may seem minor, but it’s things that nobody ever would understand. Or even think you’d have to go through without having that particular birth date. So it’s yeah, not been fun.” Everyone knows what it is like to get birthday wishes from friends on Facebook. The social media site reminds people that it is your birthday each year, and you get a cascade of well-wishes. But what if your birthday is February 29? Radencic says on the off years, she does not get many birthday greetings on Facebook, because the service does not send out a reminder. Only her true friends know it is her birthday. Janet Murphy of California has a 21-year-old granddaughter. She likes to joke that she and her granddaughter will be the same age this year. Murphy was born 1932. When Murphy turned 4, she lived in Ohio. The local newspaper had a big party for leap year babies, and she attended. “I wore a pretty blue dress that my great aunt made for me. I felt very special,” Murphy says. “My parents made me feel quite special every leap year.  For many years my mother sent my picture to be published in the local newspaper. It turned out to be a page full of happy faces celebrating each leap year.” Murphy says she has enough good friends who help her celebrate her birthday on “the last day of February” every year. She plans to have two celebrations this year. One on Sunday, and one on Monday. Since her name was sometimes in the newspaper as a Leap Year baby, a man who was on his way to serve in the Korean War found out about her in 1952. They became pen-pal friends. Then four years later, Murphy received a special surprise from the man – 12 red roses! Heidi Herman lives in Arizona. She was born in 1968. She says she does not celebrate her birthday when it is not a leap year. “So yeah, I’m very excited there is an actual day for it.” This year she will celebrate her birthday with a trip to the Grand Canyon. She is even more excited that in 2020, February 29 is a Saturday. So she will have an even bigger party that year. On her second birthday, Herman says she understood her birthday was something special. In the United States, when people turn 21-years-old, they like to have a big party. That is because a person is legally allowed to drink alcohol at 21. Their friends will take them out to a bar or restaurant to have a good time. Herman remembers what happened in her 21st year. “Every leap-ling would say their 21st birthday is difficult. I remember (be) cause mine, that I did go out to celebrate obviously, because being 21. But my birthday is the last day of February and I am adamant about that. If you insist on celebrating each year it’s gotta be the February 28. I wasn’t born in March. So I went out on February the 28th. Half the bouncers had a good time about it and they laughed and let me in. But a couple of them really gave me a hard time. And one of them said fine, if you want to go to the back door and try it there, good luck with that. Otherwise we can go ahead and call the cops. They get a little harsh on some of that.” February 29 is not just for birthdays. Some people get married on February 29 or they get engaged on February 29. There is a legend that if a woman asks a man to marry her on February 29, he cannot say no. People have their first dates on February 29. Important moments in history happen on February 29. Did you know Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American woman to win an Oscar for her performance in “Gone With the Wind” on February 29, 1940? There are some small difficulties that come with being born on February 29. But for the most part, these women do not mind. After all, for people like Herman, it is the only birthday they know. “I never really had a problem with it. I’ve always felt like my birthday is super special.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you know someone born on February 29? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fanfare – n. a lot of talk or activity showing that people are excited about something tease – v. to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind quirky – adj. unusual especially in an interesting or appealing way unique – adj. very special or unusual cascade – n. a large number of things that happen quickly in a series adamant – adj. not willing to change an opinion or decision : very determined harsh – adj. unpleasant and difficult to accept or experience legend – n. a story from the past that is believed by many people but cannot be proved to be true

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BBC 'Culture of Fear' Led to Sexual Assaults

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was found guilty of “serious failings” that allowed television celebrity Jimmy Savile to sexually abuse nearly 100 people. Savile was one of Britain’s top celebrities from the 1960s until his death at age 84 in 2011, reported France 24. A report released Thursday after a long investigation found that Savile assaulted 72 people and raped eight. BBC commissioned the report after victims came forward after Savile died. Police launched Operation Yewtree, an investigation into Savile and other celebrities from the same era. Five celebrities were convicted and imprisoned, including children’s TV presenter Rolf Harris and 1970s rocker Gary Glitter, reported the Times of India. The allegations claimed Savile used his celebrity status to assault women, and even children as young as eight years old. The abuse started in the 1950s and continued for five decades, according to The International Business Times. Dame Janet Smith, a former High Court judge, led the inquiry, which produced a 793-page report. Nearly 120 witnesses who worked at the BBC told the inquiry that they had heard “rumors and stories” about Savile’s sexual conduct, according to France 24. Savile hosted a popular music chart show on BBC called “Top of the Pops.” He used his celebrity status to abuse young people, the investigation found. His usual tactic with young girls – and in some cases boys – was to invite them to watch him perform and then make a sexual approach on them in his dressing room, the report said. The Smith report said the BBC staff knew about the complaints of sexual abuse by Savile. But they did not alert senior management because of a “culture of fear.” Smith said BBC’s culture was “deeply deferential,” and the staff were “reluctant to speak to managers about complaints,” reported Radio New Zealand.  However, the Smith report said there was no evidence that the BBC as a corporation knew about Savile’s sexual crimes. So the company cannot be convicted of any offense, reported The International Business Times. BBC director-general, Tony Hall, said he accepted the report’s conclusions and “would launch an independent audit of the organization’s whistle-blowing and child protection policies,” reported France 24.  Savile died without facing prosecution. I’m Mary Gotschall.           Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. Her report was based on information from The International Business Times, Radio New Zealand, France24 and the Times of India. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   celebrity – n. the state of being famous imprison – v.  to put (someone) in prison  allegation – n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal inquiry – n.  an official effort to collect and examine information about something  rumor – n.  information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true tactic – n. an action or method that is planned and used to achieve a particular goal deferential – adj. a way of behaving that shows respect for someone or something offense – n.  a criminal act whistle-blowing – n.  the act of revealing wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority prosecution – n.  the act or process of holding a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty  

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'Fuller House' Now on Netflix

This is What’s Trending Today… “Full House” was an American television show from the 1980s to the 1990s. It was among the most popular TV shows of its time. The show followed a widowed father who asks his friends to help him raise his three young girls. The last episode of “Full House” aired in May 1995. But on Friday, the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. was “Fuller House.” The new show is the long-awaited sequel series that follows the now-adult characters from “Full House.”  The streaming service Netflix released 13 episodes of the new series at midnight Friday. “Fuller House” trended throughout the night and into Friday morning on Twitter and Facebook. The actors on the show were among the top 10 U.S. Google searches, as well. Longtime fans of “Full House” admitted that they stayed up all night to watch the entire season. ​ Excited fans tweeted about having waited more than 20 years for the sequel.     But…some viewers were not impressed with “Fuller House.” And television critic Hank Steuver of The Washington Post called the show, “a retread,” an “exhumation” and “just dreadful.” He says the show is not “some golden treasure of family-friendly programming.” Although most of the main characters from the original “Full House” have returned for “Fuller House,” the show’s youngest character, Michelle Tanner, did not appear. Michelle was played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The Olsens are now active in the fashion world. The two did not agree to appear in the first season of the new show. One episode of “Fuller House” even joked about their absence. One of her sisters on the show asks where Michelle is. Her father, Danny Tanner, responds: “Oh, she’s busy in New York running her fashion empire.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Have you ever seen Full House or Fuller House? What do you think of these American sitcoms (situational comedies)? Let us know!  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   retread – n. something that uses ideas, stories, etc., that have been used before exhume – v. to revive or restore after neglect or a period of forgetting empire – n. a very large business or group of businesses under the control of one person or company​ dreadful – adj. very bad or unpleasant widowed – adj. used to describe a woman whose husband has died or a man whose wife has died

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Infant Swept From Father's Arms In Fiji Cyclone

After Cyclone Winston blew through Fiji last weekend, 42 people were dead, and four were still missing, including an infant. The winds of Cyclone Winston reached more than 285 kilometers per hour. It was the strongest storm in Fiji's recorded history. The infant's parents told a local journalist that they lost hold of their child in the strong winds and flood waters. The child's father told Fiji One Television that his family ran from the home where they were taking shelter. He said that they were expecting powerful winds, but not the flood waters. The father said that when the winds began to rise, his family tried to run for safety and keep their 10-month-old son above water. "The water level was up to my neck," the father said. "The house began to fall and waves began to pound on us." He said they have not yet found their firstborn son.   Emergency Response "There are Fijians out there who are without water, without a roof over their heads, without food and without essential services," said the Prime Minister of Fiji. Emergency workers faced many difficulties helping people, including power outages, fallen phone lines and road blocks. Government officials have closed schools until Monday. They plan to use the buildings as shelters for the hundreds of people who have been left homeless. The government lifted a curfew that it had put in place. However, it asked people to limit their movements as much as possible. Concerned about an increase in the number of mosquitoes, the government also asked people to not leave standing water. "It is likely that smaller villages across Fiji will have suffered the most, given their infrastructures would be too weak to withstand the power of a category 5 cyclone," said Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for UNICEF in the Pacific. "Families may have lost their homes and crops, therefore leaving them without shelter, food and a livelihood." Fiji, a group of more than 100 islands, is in the South Pacific Ocean. It is around 2,800 kilometers from Australia's east coast. I'm John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The Associated Press and CNN provided information included in his report. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you have cyclones where you live? Tornadoes? Hurricanes? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cyclone – n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very high winds that turn around an area of low pressure firstborn – adj. born first mosquitoes – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood

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'Little Messi' Gets Autographed Jersey

Earlier in February, a young boy in Afghanistan made international headlines showing his homemade Lionel Messi soccer jersey. Messi is a soccer player from Argentina who plays for the Barcelona professional team in Spain. Murtaza Ahmadi, who is five years old, drew Messi’s number, 10, on a blue-and-white striped shopping bag. Argentina’s national team jersey has blue-and-white stripes like the shopping bag. On February 25th, Messi sent the boy a real jersey with his autograph. It said “with much love,” in Spanish. The United Nations Children’s Fund delivered the jersey. Messi also sent a Barcelona team jersey. Many people say Messi is the best player in the world. That is why even a boy in Afghanistan -- who cannot afford to buy a jersey -- knows of Messi. People called the boy “little Messi” after pictures of his jersey spread. The boy’s father told CNN getting the jerseys was one of the happiest moments of his son’s life.  The soccer federation in Afghanistan says it is still working to find a way for “big” Messi to meet “little Messi.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from VOANews.com. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think “little Messi” will ever meet “big Messi”? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   autograph – n. the signature of a famous person

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'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,' by Mark Twain

A gambling man places money on a frog jumping competition only to learn a hard lesson.

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Infantino Wins FIFA Presidency

Gianni Infantino of Switzerland is the new FIFA president. Infantino won after the organization voted a second time on Friday in Zurich. Infantino takes over world soccer’s governing body two years before the next World Cup. FIFA is stuck in a bribery and corruption scandal from last year. Authorities in both Switzerland and the United States are investigating FIFA’s finances. They are looking at how money is spent and how World Cup tournaments are awarded. Infantino finished ahead of three other candidates. He defeated Sheikh Salman of Bahrain 115 to 88 in the second vote. Infantino will replace Sepp Blatter, another Swiss, who was banned by FIFA’s ethics committee late in 2015. He made unauthorized payments to a colleague. Blatter led the organization since 1998 and served five terms. Infantino is the general secretary of UEFA, the organization that runs soccer in Europe. He is 45. Infantino spoke in Spanish, English, French and Italian during his campaign speech, appealing to FIFA members in their own languages. He promised to restore the image and respect of FIFA, saying “everyone in the world will applaud us.” Infantino will serve the remainder of Blatter’s final term until May 2019. Then there will be another election. FIFA did more on Friday than just vote for a new president. It made some anti-corruption reforms. A president can no longer serve more than three four-year terms. There will be independent spending reviews. And the executive committee will now be called the FIFA Council, and reserve more positions for women. The next World Cup will be held two years from now, in Russia. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The New York Times and the Associated Press provided information used in his report. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think the new FIFA president will help soccer around the world? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   scandal – n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong restore – v. to put or bring (something) back into existence or use  

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VOA English Newscast: 1500 UTC February 26, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA News.       I’m Steve Karesh reporting. U.S. President Barack Obama says if the conflicting parties in Syria halt all violence as agreed, it could be a first step toward ending the chaos. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more. “President Obama said a cessation of hostilities in Syria is scheduled to start Friday at midnight, but acknowledged that even under the best of circumstances, all violence is not expected to end immediately. ‘Everybody knows what needs to happen, and that is all parties that are part of this cessation of activities need to end attacks, including aerial bombardment. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach areas under siege. And a lot of that is going to depend on whether the Syrian regime, Russia and their allies live up to their commitments.’ Obama said the fight to destroy Islamic State will take time, but he said concerted coalition efforts have weakened the group substantially in the past year. Zlatica Hoke, VOA News, Washington.” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for an end to the violence in South Sudan, telling the country's president the government must step in and protect the people.   "My message to the leaders of South Sudan is clear: put peace above politics, pursue compromise, overcome obstacles, establish the transitional government of national unity and do not delay.” On his fourth trip to Juba on Thursday, Ban also announced the U.N. is allocating $21 million in protection and relief funds for South Sudan. Rebel leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir signed a peace deal in August, agreeing to run a unity government for 30 months before holding elections, although after this fighting still continues in the country. This is VOA. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   parties – n. sides; individuals or groups involved in some action chaos – n. disorder cessation – n. stoppage; a halt in some action scheduled – v. planned at some time midnight – n. the middle of the night; 12 o’clock at night acknowledged – v. admitted; confirmed circumstances – n. conditions that affect a situation or event aerial – adj. performed by air allowed – v. permitted siege – n. a situation when police or troops surround a building or city as part of efforts to get control of it regime – n. a form of government commitment – n. promise concerted – adj. done in a planned way, usually by several people or groups substantially – adj. of or involving a large amount, size or number pursue – v. seek overcome – v. to defeat someone or something; to successfully deal with something obstacle – n. something that blocks your progress or path transitional – adj. of or related to change allocating – v. dividing and giving out for a special purpose relief – adj. providing help funds – n. money used for a special purpose We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ​

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Let's Learn English Lesson 4: What is it?

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