Hear You Go

It’s about time I talked about accents | English Listening Practice

Sorry. Mum. Pasta.
These are three words I don't pronounce in English the same way my New Jersey friends do. My Canadian friends say them like I do, but my French Canadian friends say them a little differently. Accents are everywhere, and they're not something to be ashamed of. Not at all. 
Accents can be a controversial topic, and by that I mean they're related to the issue of native-speakerism. I do not believe that "native" English speakers are better English language teachers, and I don't believe that accents are a problem. In fact, I think accents are fascinating. 
Do you feel badly about speaking your English? 
Are you nervous people will make fun of you when you speak English?
Some people are jerks, but most just want to connect with you, no matter how you speak English.
What do you think? I would love to hear from you about this important topic. 
Here's the link to the Modern Family clip I mention in the episode: all the mispronunciations of Gloria.
Also, here's a link to the book I quote: "Son of Elsewhere", by Elamin Abdelmahmoud. I recommend it.
Thanks for listening! 
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If you continue to listen to and love Hear You Go, I would appreciate it if you would subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. It really helps to promote the podcast so that more people can listen. You can do this on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts -- thank you!
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Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram.
And as always, please enjoy the music of Amos the Transparent, who provide the theme music to the podcast.
 

The Sugar Maple Tree | English Listening Practice

If you open a book about trees or google "maple trees", you will see that there are many varieties of this tree. In fact, there are over 100 different species of maple around the world, and in Canada, we have about 10 of those species.
 
What's the most important one? The most famous one? For us in Canada, I'd say yes, it's the sugar maple, the one that gives us that delicious liquid gold we call maple syrup. How does it do that? Listen to find out.
I worry though that our ability to enjoy this sweet treat is going to disappear one day as climate change affects the weather and the health of these trees. But for today, I hope you will enjoy listening to this advanced English episode, and learning about these trees while keeping in mind that one day, they might be unable to make syrup, or even worse, become endangered or extinct. 
 
And join the newsletter so that you never miss my news and updates. Reading the newsletter and getting the transcript can help you with your English reading skills as well.
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Thank you for continuing to listen to and love Hear You Go.
Do you subscribe to the podcast?  Can you leave a review? I'd really appreciate it! It really helps to promote the podcast so that more people can listen. You can do this on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts -- thank you!
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To learn more about the Sugar Maple, make sure to follow me on Instagram, and on my website. I'll be sharing some pronunciation tips and idioms in the days to follow.
As always, I recommend you follow the band Amos the Transparent. 

Fearless Girl | English Listening Practice

Fearless Girl. Do you know about her?
She's about 4 feet tall and 250 pounds. She's a tiny sculpture who made a huge splash, a big impact, in March of the year 2017. I adore her, and fully endorse and support the message she sends about the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of young women.
Of course, I do! I'm a woman and the mother of a daughter. I'm a feminist because who doesn't support the equal rights of all people?!  I'm worried about the current trend to roll back, to take away, the human rights of women in countries around the world. In my lifetime, there has been great progress, but not enough. 
Let's celebrate International Women's Day with this intermediate English listening episode, where you'll learn about Fearless Girl and some other important public art that is making an impact in New York City. 
You'll also learn some new expressions and advanced English vocabulary. 
Sign up to receive my newsletter and practice your English reading skills too. 
 
I can't wait to hear what YOU think about Fearless Girl! Send me a message and let me know.
Thank you for listening xoxo, Catherine
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If you continue to listen to and love Hear You Go, I would appreciate it if you would subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. It really helps to promote the podcast so that more people can listen. You can do this on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts -- thank you!
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To learn more about Fearless Girl, make sure to follow me on Instagram, and on my website where you can see photos of these sculptures and videos too. I'll be sharing some pronunciation tips and idioms in the days to follow.
As always, I recommend you follow the band Amos the Transparent. 
 

Peace by Chocolate with Emma Waverman | Intermediate English Conversations

Peace by Chocolate is a movie that tells the story of a Syrian family who found community, and re-built their lives and business in Canada. It's a beautiful movie that shows how difficult it is to leave your home country and start all over again. 
It's a great movie to practice your English listening! 
 
My friend Emma, and a group of her friends in Toronto, sponsored a family from Syria in 2017, and she joins me in this intermediate English conversation to share that experience and tell us about how the family is doing today.
 
We recorded this episode before the horrific earthquake in Syria and Turkey earlier this month. Now, as in 2017, there are people who will need to relocate and rebuild their lives. Let's do all we can to help them.
 
I hope today's English conversation and the movie Peace by Chocolate will help you understand better what it's like to be a refugee, and how empathy and community can help.
I dedicate this episode to everyone who has re-built their lives. You are brave and heroic. 
Thank you for listening.
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To learn more about the Hadhad family and Peace by Chocolate, visit their webpage. 
 
You can contact me on my website, and do sign up for the newsletter to receive the transcript, English with Catherine.
 
Follow me on Instagram.
And as always, please enjoy the music of Amos the Transparent, who provide the theme music to the podcast.

What’s your love language? | English Listening Practice

Roses and chocolates?
My Instagram feed is full of ads showing beautiful bouquets of flowers, and delicate, tasty chocolates and desserts. Pink and red everywhere. I like flowers and chocolates, but I don't really like Valentine's Day. 
So let's avoid it, and talk about "love languages" for our English listening practice today instead.
Have you heard of "love languages"?
I hadn't until I read a funny news story about them a year ago. I've included the link to it below, as well as a quiz you can take to figure out your love language.
I wonder if it's easier to learn a love language than to pass the advanced English exam? LOL.
Today's episode is a shorter one, but I encourage you to listen a few times, and think about the topic and the language used.
Practice your English writing by taking some notes on your opinion of "love languages". Do you speak the same love language as your partner?
Whatever your love language is, my wish is that we are all generous with our love, today and every day.
Here are the links: 
My Husband and I Don't Speak the Same Love Language.
The Love Language Quiz.
Do you know the 5 love languages? Here's what they are -- and how to use them.
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Thanks for listening! 
Please subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you like the podcast, please rate it and review it. I really appreciate it.
 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, and to visit my website for more information about me. Sign up for my weekly newsletter that includes   a link to the transcript.
You can link to everything from here: Catherine Angus.
 
And please follow my number one band, Amos the Transparent, who provide the music to the podcast.
 
 

How to survive winter | English Listening Practice

Winterlude is a celebration of winter here in Ottawa, and with luck and good weather, it will take place in February. It's like a cold weather carnival! There are skating, hot chocolate, and ice sculpture competitions. But Canadians aren't the only people who experience and enjoy winter.
 
In this episode, I'll share my thoughts about winter in Ottawa, as well as some good advice from the Danish and Norwegians who are also experts in all things winter. What do you like about winter? How do you stay active and happy in these colder weeks of the year?
 
Winter can be difficult for some people, such as the elderly who find it hard to get around, and for many of the students I've taught over the years, who come from much warmer climates. And if winter is affecting your mental health, please talk to someone. Here are some resources in places where my listeners are located:
In Canada: Mental health support.
In the New Jersey, USA: Mental Health Resources.
For your English listening practice, there are some good expressions and idioms in this episode. Listen for the sounds of spoken English too. For example, how do I say "for" at different parts of the episode? What is the difference between "wind" and "to wind" or "close and clothes"? 
Cozy up under a blanket, drink warm tea, and rest, and maybe try a fun winter activity. Before you know it, the spring flowers will be blooming again. 
Thanks for listening. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter where you can get a link to the transcript to practice your reading in English: English with Catherine.
Follow me on Instagram too.
Listening to music is also a good way to enjoy winter, so why not listen to Amos the Transparent, the band who provide my podcast theme song? 
 
 

”This is really about your journey” with Dan Hay | Intermediate English Conversations

Hello everyone!
Today, I'm offering you something a little bit different. Here's an intermediate English conversation for you where you'll work hard at your listening practice.
My first guest is Dan Hay, the sound engineer and producer of the Hear You Go podcast.
Dan is an accomplished musician who plays in the band Amos the Transparent, the band responsible for the soundtrack to the podcast, a song called Change my Mind. 
Dan is also a music teacher who owns his own music school called The Spark Music Academy  He teaches at a local elementary school as well. 
You'll hear us talk about:
how we make the podcast
music
our approach to teaching
how to motivate students
how teachers stay energized
I hope you will hear the excitement we have about teaching and learning. Like Dan, I believe that learning English is your journey: I'm here to help you speak English the way you dream of speaking it, but you are the leading the way, not me. It's a partnership.
P.S. You might also hear my nephew bouncing a ball, and that's life! Some things just can't be (or shouldn't be) edited out :)
 
If you need someone to help you produce your music, or a podcast, or if you are a teacher making recordings for a course, reach out to Dan at The Spark Academy
 
Thanks for listening! Remember to follow me on Instagram to get more information about the language used in the podcasts, and some pronunciation tips as well. Check out my website for more information on the podcast and English language lessons: English with Catherine.

Tourtière: A French-Canadian meat pie | English Listening Practice

What do the winter holidays smell like to you?
Do you eat something special over the holidays?
I just spent last weekend making latkes with a friend who celebrates Hanukkah. I also recently made tourtière. Have you ever heard of it? It's a French word that means meat pie in English.
 
Listen here to learn more about this French-Canadian specialty, and when you’re done, send me a message about the foods you eat during the holidays. You can contact me on my website: English with Catherine.
You can find the recipe for tourtière there as well, and the transcript. 
If you like to cook, why not read recipes in English to practice your reading in English? Or watch cooking videos to practice your English listening?
 
Sign up for my newsletter to never miss an episode or transcript. Transcripts help you with reading in English.
 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram where I share some language used in the podcast: definitions of vocabulary, the meaning of expressions, as well as tips for listening to all those sounds in English that are messy and hard to hear.
I’m excited to attend a holiday party on Friday, where I’ll see Amos the Transparent.  Amos is the band you hear on the Hear You Go podcast. Make sure to listen to their music over the holidays.
Thanks for listening! Best wishes for the holiday season, and stay tuned for more episodes of Hear You Go in January 2023.

Taylor Swift: Taking Us to the Past using the Present | English Listening Practice

I will love Taylor Swift until I die. In fact, I want her music playing at my funeral. I'm not kidding. That woman saved my family.
 
In 2020 and 2021, her voice and music filled our home and soothed our pain. This is a very personal episode, kind of a love story. But, it's also about the English language. It's about English grammar. It's about how verb tense and time in English are flexible.
 
Taylor Swift's music is not only beautiful, but her lyrics are great tools for practicing English listening and reading. You can learn a lot about how to speak (sing!) English and how to write in English if you listen to her music and notice the language she uses. 
Do you want to know more? 
Listen and share your thoughts with me. You can contact me from my website: English with Catherine.
Here is a link to the article I talk about in the podcast: The Paris Review.
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram where I share some language used in the podcast: definitions of vocabulary, the meaning of expressions, as well as tips for listening to all those sounds in English that are messy and hard to hear.
 
Music is a big part of our lives, isn't it? It's important to support the talented musicians we love. Go listen to the band that provides the theme song "Change my Mind" to the Hear You Go podcast. They are Amos the Transparent.
 
Thanks for listening! Stay tuned for the next episode of Hear You Go.

Do children have rights? | English Listening Practice

The famous children's writer, Dr. Seuss, wrote that "A person's a person no matter how small". He liked kids and treated them with respect. Kids are people, just small people.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is 33 years old, and it was created to make sure that governments around the world treat children as people with human rights. 
In this episode, I'll share a little history about the convention, and why it was and is necessary, as well as some good news that I hope will inspire us to keep working and make life better for all kids. 
Thanks for listening. Can I ask a favour? I would love it if you followed or subscribed to the podcast and left a review. You can listen here on Podbean, or on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Share it with your friends to help grow our listening community.
Remember that transcripts and extra materials are available on my website: English with Catherine. Sign up for the newsletter to never miss an episode or transcript. 
Follow me on Instagram for listening and speaking challenges.
 
My theme music song is by Amos the Transparent.