The Vivaling English Podcast: Recent Episodes
VivaLing
This podcast is designed to give English students extra practice by discussing events, history, culture and language.
Maybe you noticed we have paused for a while - the reason is that we are re-organising the podcast to make it match our listeners' needs.
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The gerund finishes with -ing - but it is not a verb. What is it and how can we use it?
Find out with Kari and Tom in this excellent podcast.
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Last week we were talking about the passive voice - this episode is an extension of that - looking at a specific passive voice structure that many students have difficulty with 0 the causative!
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It's important to be able to use a variety of grammar when you are speaking and writing - Kari and Tom give some excellent tips on the difference between the passive and active voices.
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In British and American English we have different words for different meals and courses. Join Kari and Tom as they steer through this minefield to help you undertsand which words to use.
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Not only will you learn how to cook vegetable stir fry with Kari's recipe, but you will also learn new words for food and cooking techniques. What could be better than that?
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Have you ever wondered what collocations were - and why you should study them. Learn some examples of adjective/noun collocations and see if Kari and Tom can fit them into a short story!!
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February 14th is a romantic day - it is Valentine's Day but what do British and American people actually do, and what do you know about the culture and history behind this tradition. Join Tom and Kari to find out more!
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The difference between make and do can be tricky but there are good explanations and examples here to help you understand.
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Tom and Kari follow up last week's episode on suffixes with an episode on the opposite - prefixes!
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Join Kari and Tom on their mission to help you improve your vocabulary - not by learning new words - but by adding prefixes and suffixes to the ones you already know. This week - suffixes.
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We're back! And as this is a new year it is also a new season.
Our first episode in 2024 is an excellent chance to check how much winter vocabulary - you know.
Join Kari on her tour of a winter wonderland!
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Join Kari and Tom as they introduce our listeners to 6 idiomatic expressions related to animals - a horse, a dog and a bee!!
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Many people are aware that the Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week. But what do you know about the origins of this festival, and what can you do to respect its traditions?
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Next week is a very special week for VivaLing - we will be celebrating our anniversary - find out which by listening to this podcast, You will also learn more about the history of birthday and anniversary parties with Kari and Tom.
Would you like to join us for our anniversary celebrations? - register with this link https://vivaling.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vf-2hrDkiE9XUlpNX-_DeL9T9HTT4XdPr#/registration
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Prepositions are small and annoying words - they are responsible for many mistakes in English, but why?
Join Tom to look at some key dependent prepositions and prepositional phrases and use his simple exercise to get more practice. Don't forget to check the transcript to see the prepositions used in this podcast.
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This is the first VivaLing Podcast from 2019 - re=released to finish our mini series of Halloween Podcasts! if you have bever heard it, you will love it - if you remember it from 2019 pay attention to how much more you can understand now - you will see how much your English has improved!
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Four different countries - and 4 different traditions - listen carefully to see which tradition you think comes from which country.
Abd don't get too scared!!!
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Why are people afraid of Friday the 13th? Do people behave differently on this day? What is the history behind this superstition?
Find out the answers to these questions and more with Kari and Tom, and continue to improve your listening skills in English.
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One of the most haunted places in the world is Bhangarh Fort in India.
Find out what happened when Tom visited it last year and answer the question - would you have the courage to stay the night in Bahngarh Fort?
Check out the transcript for vocabulary and comprehension exercises.
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Wednesday September 27th is world tourism day. But what is dark tourism. Listen to Tom explain this new (or not so new) phenomenon and make up your own mind. Is it a good or bad thing?
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Last week we taught Kari the basics of rugby - a sport she knew nothing about. This week she has actually seen a game so she was able to ask more questions. Learn more vocabulary and practice your comprehension with the exercises on the transcript.
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Have you ever tried to describe a sport to someone who knows nothing about it? That was the challenge Tom faced with Kari - who has never seen a rugby match and wanted to find out more. Listen out for specialist sport and rugby vocabulary!
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Do you know what a tall tale is? Have you ever heard of Paul Bunyon? And Babe?
If not - you will definitely learn a lot in this new podcast. Join Kari for an excellent lesson in American culture and improve your listening skills!
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We all know about maths, science, English and history, but some schools and universities have some crazy subjects.
Find out with Tom if these are true or false .
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As people's thoughts start turning to school again - this podcast revises superlative adjectives and discovers the biggest, oldest and coolest schools in the world.
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Now - it's Kari's turn to tell us about her memories of camping - and Tom's turn to help out with the vocabulary.
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Camping is a fun way to enjoy nature and spend time with your family or friends. But what about the vocabulary? In part 1 Tom shares an anecdote and tests Kari to see what camping equipment vocabulary he uses. Next week it will be the other way round.
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People love talking about the weather. And at this particular moment some people think the weather has been quite extreme in some places.
Brush up on your vocabulary to describe extreme weather events and learn a classic English poem about the weather.
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VivaLing English coaches live all around the world. Kari takes us on a whistlestop tour of the USA, Romania, South Africa and Colombia to introduce features of traditional barbecues in these countries.
Excellent for planning your own barbecues and for learning even more English vocabulary!
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Kari and Tom discuss events they wish they could go to from their home countries - catch up and improve your listening skills in the latest VivaLing short and sweet podcast!
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Learning English proverbs is a great way to use the language creatively, understand cultures and of course - have fun!
Join Kari and Tom for the latest of our short but sweet podcasts.
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Join Tom and Kari as they discuss differences between Britain and America - 2 cultures separated by the same language.
It's not just words that change, it's behaviour, grammar and expressions too!
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Listen to Kari discussing what movie to watch at the weekend. Tom and her use a number of positive and negative adjectives to describe movies. See if you can catch them all.
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There are many words that we already know in English - but to be a good communicator it helps to be able to understand how versatile they are. In this podcast Kari and Tom teach you some surprising uses for the word SPRING.
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We've had royal weddings, a funeral and now we have a coronation.
It seems like the Royal Family are always in the news,
Listen to Tom Arianne and Kari give their opinions about the Royal Family and notice the way they express a balanced argument using sequencers and linking devices.
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English is a dynamic language which is changing all the time. Felicity talks about some fun expressions which she likes to use, and also gives you tips on how to learn more informal expressions yourself!
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Sarah is an English coach with VivaLing. But she also speaks another language herself - listen to her lamguage learning tips based on her experience as a coach and a student.
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This is a new season of short and topical English listening - every week we will be answering questions on a different theme - this week - it is EASTER!
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Maybe you already know the story of Milunka Savic. Maybe you don't. Either way - you will learn some new words and expressions, and improve your listening skills with this new podcast.
Ceebrate International Women's Day by learning about a great heroine.
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It's a challenge for a chatbot and a challenge for you too.
Tom was too tired to write the latest podcast so he asked ChatGTP to do it instead. Your challenge is to see if you really think it was possible for a chatbot to create this podcast.
And of course to practice your listening skills in the company of VivaLing.
Attributions
ambulance, female sigh, flushing the toilet, pig oinking, robot machine, strange noise all from soundbible.com
cha ching register Muska666
old car engine Daniel Simion
robot blip, robot blip 2 Marianne Gagnon
sad trombone - Joe Lamb
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Telling stories, and listening to stories is one of the best ways to improve your English. Listen to this story and re-tell it with your family - everyone's English will be so much better - and you will hear a nice story in the company of a fox, a bear, a squirrel - and the very rare snow monkey!!
Attributions
angry squirrel / chimpanzee / coyotee call / Neck breaking / River noise / Scary Titus Calen / Ta Da/ Wind Blowing - all soundbible.com
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The letter H is important to pronounce correctly. But where does it come from? And what is aspiration? Find out this and more with Tom's excellent tips and a little but of history and culture - all related to this letter of the alphabet.
attributions electronic chime KevanGC
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We have all heard of Cambridge.
Join Tom to learn more about the city of Cambridge, its famous university and the Cambridge English exams.
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This podcast gives you a snippet of advice about uncountable nouns, expressions you can use and of course some historical trivia and fun games.
All delivered in the friendly tone of our host Tom.
Attributions
Electronic chime KevanGC
cha ching register Muska 666
Drum roll soundbible.com
News Intro Maximilien
Small crowd applause Yannick Lemieux
TaDa soundbible.com
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Is English a lingua franca? What is a lingua franca? Or is English becoming a pidgin language? What words in English originally come from other languages? Join Tom to find out the answers to these questions and to improve your English listening skills
Attributions
Ticking clock and electronic chime KevanGC
Pigeon Vjahir Vorkuet
Tornado siren 2 Delilah
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Join Tom to learn more about one of the trickiest elements of learning English. Phrasal verbs. Pay attention to see if he can succeed in the challenge. What is the challenge? Listen to the podcast to find out more.
Attributions
falling down stairs creative commons
ticking clock and electronic chime KevanGC
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The VivaLing English podcast is back! Welcome to season 2 and what better way than a road trip round England.
As usual - Tom will delight you with questions, facts and curiosities - and who knows? inspire your next trip to England.
attributions
TaDa soundbible.com
Horn honk sounbible.com
Traffic jam Yo_Mama
Beach soundscape 3 soundbible.com
Evil Laugh 6 Hi man
Electronic chime KevanGC
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What sports are popular in the UK and USA? Practise your listening with Brittany and Irene.
attributions
fish splashing soundbible.com
sad trombone Joe Lamb
electronic chime Kevan GC
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We all know about Halloween and Thanksgiving, but there are some festivals we know very little about. Listen to the Vivaling English Podcast to find out about these unusual festivals and improve your vocabulary!
Attributions
jump snottyboy
swords clashing - mike koenig
evil laugh himan
strange noise and sound at carnival - soundbible.com
electronic chime - kevanGC
Sakura 2020 by Roa Music | https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Listen to Brittany and Josiah talking about a typical day at school in the USA and try to answer Brittany`s trivia question.
Attribution electronic chime Kevan GC
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The world of education is changing. Listen to descriptions of three different schools and check your understanding.
Attributions
Electronic Chime Kevan GC
Sad trombone Joe Lamb
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Whats the difference between global warming and climate change? Check your comprehension with Brittanys latest podcast and learn new words to talk about the environment.
Attributions
Water drop soundbible.com
Tornado siren II Delilah
Thunder and crisp ocean waves Mike Koenig
sawing wood, party crowd and old car engine - Daniel Simon
electronic chime KevanGC
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Many bad things have been happening with the environment and we all need to do more. But let`s not forget that there is also good news. Theses stories will inspire you to believe in conservation and improve your English listening skills.
attributions
meadowlark Daniel Simion
service bell Daniel Simion
Zombie Horde Mike Koenig
Fire burning JaBa
Warning Siren and drumroll soundbible.com
Helicopter approach Mike Koenig
sad trombone Joe Lamb
statistics and stories adapted from
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-53581028
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/11/forest-size-of-france-regrown-worldwide
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Brittany will teach you about a typical American family and their hobbies. Learn new words and improve your listening with this excellent new episode.
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Noodles?
Dancing?
Words and Expressions?
Learn more about this fascinating country and improve your English listening skills with the Vivaling English Podcast
Attributions
air horn soundbible.com
Chinese Music Imperial Dynasty
ie shot gun luminalace
chinese gong daniel simon
electronic chime KevanGC
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Brittany introduces three new dialogues on the theme of summer for you to improve your listening and learn more about many people`s favourite season.
Attributions Cha Ching register Muska 666
flock of seagulls Daniel Simion
Sunny Day soundbible.com
Electronic Chime KevanGC
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What is the most common soound in English. Why is it referred to with a Hebrew word? What other words in English orginate from Hebrew> How can you sound more like a native speaker?
For the answer to these questions and many more - listen to the Vivaling English Podcast.
Attributions
Electronic chime Kevan GC. Dinosaur roar soundbible.com.
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Music is popular all over the world - learn more about the five most popular genres and test you knowledge of some curious facts related to music. You will learn something new and your listening will improve!!
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Tired of the same old voice on the VivaLing English Podcast? Fear not.
Tom will be joined on some episodes by our new co-host, Brittany.
This is a preview of some of the things you might expect.
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When a team works well together, spectacular results are possible.
Listen to these 2 stories about teamwork and check your understanding with comprehension questions.
Attributions
neck breaking soundbible.com
button click off soundbible.com
river noise soundbible.com
Electronic Chime KevanGC
Support the show (https://vivaling.com/fr/ecouter-un-podcast/)
Not only did William Shakespeare write amazing poems and plays. He also introduced words and expressions into the English language - find out more by listening to the Vivaling English Podcast.
attribution
Cartoon birds 2 - Daniel Simon
Drum roll - soundbible.com
Electronic Chime KevanGC
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Have you ever wondered why spelling and pronunciation in English do not always connect logically?
Learn some curiosities about English pronunciation and some tips to help you with the letter I.
Attributions
Magic wand noise sounbible.com
Soldiers marching sounbible.com
Electronic chime KevanGC
La Marseillaise and Land of Hope and Glory public domain
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Listen carefully to learn more about the history of sport and some lesser known facts.
Make your own predictions about the way sports might change in the future.
Attributions:
astronaut breathing, count of three, crowd boo and heckles and bird poop splat- Mike Koenig soundbible.com
shotgun blast - Jim Rogers soundbible.com
sports crowd - GoGo soundbible.com
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Singapore is an amazing place. Practise your English by listening to facts, tips and cultural information about this unique city state which hosts Vivaling`s head office.
Attributions metal gong - soundbible.com Chinese gong - Daniel Simon. flushing the toilet - soundbible.com
Thanks for the participation of Elie and Loh Waihong.
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There are many things that make learning a language difficult. Take inspiration from stories of persistance and follow 3 tips to improve your resistance and reach your goals!
Audio attribution - sad trombone by Joe Lamb, barking labrador by Daniel Simon drum roll and door close by soundbible.com
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Slang is informal language - it changes all the time.
Learn some interesting slang words and also some notes of caution about how (and how not) to use them.
attributions
TV static - Mike Koenig soundbible.com
Traffic jam - Yo mama soundbible.com
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Learn some facts about this amazing country where many Vivaling English coaches come from.
Listen to recommendations for cool places to visit in South Africa and about curious expressions used in South African English.
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Being polite shows respect for others and makes people happy.
But how polite should we be?
What language should we use to be polite?
Learn how to be polite in English with 5 handy tips.
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Spain is one of the most popular destinations in the world.
It is also home to one of the most important languages and cultures in the world.
Find out more about Spain and improve your English with the Vivaling Guide to Spain.
Attribution cow moo Mike Koenig.
Ole Matador soundbible.com
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Have you ever wondered which greetings are appropriate in which situations?
Have you ever wondered where the words hello and goodbye come from?
How do people greet each other in other countries?
The answers to these and many other questions are in this podcast.
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What do you know about the American food that real Americans eat?
Find out about three famous American dishes and what three of our Vivaling American coaches enjoy eating.
There might be some surprises for you
attribution The Star Spangled Banner John Stafford Smith / Public domain
Drum sound effect - The Sound Laboratory
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The French and English have a long common history. Lots of rivalry, lots of wars and lots of friendship too. Hardly surprising that the two languages have so much in common. Find out more by listening to this podcast.
French accordion music with thanks to Dar Golan (dargolan-free.com) Royalty free music New York Baguette.
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So many things in common - but so many differences too.
Listen carefully to see if you can notice the differences between American and British English.
Ship Brass bell sound recorded by Mike Koenig.
Seagulls recorded by Daniel Simion.
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It`s important to learn more about strange animals all over the world. The more we know, the more we can help them.
Find out more about the mysterious aye-aye from Madagascar and listen to some ideas about how you can help endangered animals.
Attribution to Caroline Ford for the sound effect "sound of someone eating" attribution 3.0 licence. http://soundbible.com/976-Eating.html
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There are many places you can travel to if you want to improve your English.
Learn more about Ireland in this podcast and check your understanding qith 5 simple questions.
attribution - some sound effects courtesy of Mike Koenig and Daniel Simion on SoundBible.com
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Learn more about Black Lives Matter and why it is so important to fight against discrimination.
Listen to Vivaling coaches talk about their experiences!
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Watching tv series and films in English is an excellent way to improve your English.
These tips will help you to benefit more from the experience.
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Have you heard of the Loch Ness Monster?
What do you think?
Could he exist?
Listen to these experts discussing the possibilities and see who you agree with.....
But don`t be afraid - Loch Ness is a long way away.
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Find out about 2 famous scientists, 3 strange medical practices from the past and practise medical vocabulary. All in the same podcast!!
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These are difficult times.
Listen to these tips. They will help you organise your time, and hopefully stay positive.
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IELTS, Cambridge, TOEFL or the French BAC speaking tests can be intimidating. This podcast will help you to prepare and feel more confident.
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It can be tricky to introduce yourself with confidence in another language. Follow these tips in this new podcast!
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Have you wondered about how people followed the news in the past?
What is fake news? Is it something new?
Find out more about the news and improve your English with the Vivaling English Podcast.
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Practise your listening and learn more about Christmas with the second Vivaling Christmas podcast.
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There are many different Christmas traditions around the world. In this podcast we look at four traditions. One in France, one in China, one in Germany and one in Spain. Try and guess which is which.
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Thanksgiving is a very important festival in the USA. But why? When? ....and how do they celebrate it? Find out more and improve your listening with this new Vivaling podcast..
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Why do people in England celebrate with big fires and fireworks in November? Listen and find out why with the Vivaling English podcast.
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Have you ever wondered why people make Jack o`Lanterns for Halloween?
Listen to the Vivaling English Podcast to find out more about this popular festival.
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