Are you a spender? Today I’m gonna talk about the tricks that supermarkets use to make you to buy more than necessary. You’ll also improve your speaking with a funny mini-story.  &nbsp; Ok! Let’s start! &nbsp; When you leave the supermarket, have you ever wondered why you spent more money than you originally planned? &nbsp; I do :) If it happens to you, you may think that you don't know how to manage money, that you are a spender or simply that you don't have enough discipline, but don't worry, because supermarkets follow a whole series of very powerful marketing strategies that induce the buyer to buy, so don't feel too guilty :) &nbsp; By the way, a spender is someone who spends money unnecessarily. And another interesting expression: "overspending," which means spending more than planned or necessary. &nbsp; These supermarket strategies can simply be called tricks. The truth is that supermarkets have more tricks than a magician. &nbsp; Let's take a look at a few of them, and learn some vocabulary on the subject. &nbsp; The size of the cart matters. The shopping cart is the element we push to add the products we want to buy. These trolleys, with time, have been increasing in size. The logic is simple. Psychologically we feel more satisfied if we can fill the cart and, therefore, with a slightly larger cart, we tend to put more products inside. The products they want to sell the most, are placed right at eye level. We are lazy by nature, and therefore, all products that are visually easier to see, but overall easier to access, are also easier to sell. &nbsp; Prices with decimals. This is another classic seller's trick. For some reason, $9.99 seems a lot, much cheaper than 10 dollars. We save 1 cent! Wow! If we do this 100 million times, we'll save a million dollars :) &nbsp; Read the TEXT here: www.speakenglishpod.com

#101 English podcast - Shopping at the Supermarket ESL (rep)

Welcome to the Speak English Now Podcast, your resource for practicing your English speaking and listening. You will also learn about lifestyle and culture, language, vocabulary and how to learn English more effectively. Transcript: Hi, everybody! I’m Georgiana, your online English teacher. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques.  In the first part of today’s episode, I’ll show you how you can benefit from creating habits that help you with your English.   And in the second part of this episode, you’ll learn English grammar without studying any rules with an exclusive point of view story.  All right, let's get started! The first thing we have to keep in mind is that willpower is not as important as it seems. In fact, it’s quite limited. It's impossible to do anything consistently with willpower alone. We are not designed that way. We are creatures of habit, and essentially our life consists of a sum of habits. For example, think for a moment what you do when you wake up in the morning. Maybe you brush your teeth, make a cup of coffee and turn on your cell phone to check the social networks. I'm sure that I have mentioned in one of the previous episodes that I speak different languages. Let me tell you now what I do to maintain and improve different languages through habits. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy taking a walk every day. And every time I open the door I put on my air-pods, I press play, and I start listening to an audiobook or a podcast in German, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese. If I don't like what I hear, I simply select another content.&nbsp; What’s important is that I do this action almost without thinking, automatically. Of course, I don’t always listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Sometimes I just wanna relax and listen to music or not listen to anything at all. :) And I don’t only listen when I go for a walk. I also listen to audiobooks or podcasts while I drive my car or even when I'm doing my chores at home. Recently I realized that in the last few years I've have been listening to about 2000 hours of podcasts and audiobooks in several languages. That’s amazing! Right? (END OF THE EXTRACT). Get the transcript here: Speakenglishpod.com &nbsp;

#103 Learn English Every Day

Hi, everybody! I'm Georgiana, your online English teacher. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques. Since it's September, we're going back to school. At least in this episode, you will remember how exciting it used to be to start a new school year. We're going to check out vocabulary related to the school supplies that kids need when they go back to school, after the summer vacation. And in the second part of this episode, you'll learn English grammar without studying any rules with an exclusive point of view story. Before I go any further, I'd like to thank you for listening. Did you know that there are over 10 million downloads of the Speak English Now podcast? I'm very excited because that means that my method really helps you improve your English speaking and listening skills. Thanks again for listening and remember to share the podcast with your friends and family. &nbsp; All right, let's get started! &nbsp; We could use the expression "back to school" as a metaphor for this episode that kicks off this new season. You will continue to improve your English skills with my mini-stories and point of view lessons. But don't worry because you don't have to study or memorize anything, just listen and learn as children do with their mother tongue. &nbsp; Each year, parents face significant challenges when purchasing school supplies for their children. Since there's a wide range of vocabulary related to this topic, next week, I will continue talking about the same thing, though I’ll introduce more vocabulary. In any case, don't worry if you can't remember everything.&nbsp; You can listen several times to learn new words and expressions. Well, here we go: Notebooks Basically, a notebook is made up of several sheets of paper which are joined together. Notebooks can be handy to use in the classroom. You can write exercises, copy things the teacher writes on the board, etc. In some cases, instead of notebooks, you simply use sheets of paper. The advantage of sheets of paper is that you don't carry so much weight. The disadvantage is that you can easily lose them. I remember that in the first year of high school, I started with notebooks, but in the second year, I only used sheets because the notebooks weighed a lot. &nbsp; Clips But if you want to organize the sheets of paper a little better, you can use some clips. Really a very useful invention. &nbsp; Pens, pencils, and eraser. Obviously, if you want to write, you're not going to do it with your finger. A pen is a good choice. The disadvantage of the pen over the pencil is that you can't erase what you write. On the other hand, if you write something down with a pencil, you can easily wipe it with an eraser. Many students like to use different colors of pens. The most common colors are black, blue, and red. &nbsp; As for pencils, most students use mechanical pencils. If you use classic pencils, you need a sharpener, also called a "pencil sharpener." That's how you sharpen your pencil. &nbsp; Felt-tip pens Felt-tip pens are like pens but are usually available in a variety of colors. They have many uses, from painting to highlighting. We don't generally use them for writing, although some children may like doing that. Teachers use red markers to correct exams. &nbsp; Marker When you study a text and find a relevant phrase, what you want is to remember it. You can use a marker for this. There are markers in several colors, so you can always create categories. In my opinion, you don't have to overuse colors, because otherwise, you leave the text like a rainbow. :) If you don't have markers; what you can do is underline. Underlining is simple. You just have to make a roughly straight line below the text you want to stress. You can do it with a pencil or a "pen." I like to underline more than to mark, and I almost always do it with a pencil. This way, if I have underlined too much, I will...

#104 Back To School part #1

Listen to a new episode of Speak English Now Podcast, your favorite material for practicing your spoken and heard English. You will also learn about lifestyle and culture, language, vocabulary and how to improve your English more effectively. Transcript: Hi, dear listener! I'm Georgiana, founder of the Speak English Now podcast. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques. In this episode, we continue learning more vocabulary related to school supplies. And with an exclusive point of view story, you’ll learn grammar without memorizing any boring rules. Ok. Let’s continue. If you love this podcast, please&nbsp;share it&nbsp;with your friends and family. That would make me very happy! The show is available everywhere on the internet! However, you can also find the podcast on different apps like&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;iTunes,&nbsp;Youtube,&nbsp;Facebook,&nbsp;Soundcloud, etc. Just look for "Speak English Now with Georgiana," and start learning English with me!" Ok! Let’s start today’s lesson by going over the vocabulary used last week in episode #104. In the previous episode, we talked about going back to school, focusing on the necessary material. We learned some new words. Let’s listen to them one more time:  notebook clips paper sheets pens pencils eraser felt-tips markers ruler  Now it’s time to learn new vocabulary: Let’s start! Agenda I think it's the most crucial element for a student. An agenda contains the days of the year and the holidays. So, the student can write down the dates of exams, activities, etc. In this way, in theory, everything is under control. I say this in theory because many times kids forget to write things down and it's chaos. I remember when I was little, I was a bit absent-minded and rarely wrote anything down. I once lost my agenda, and I still don't know how I passed the different courses. Textbooks One disadvantage of textbooks is that they are really heavy. This is something I didn't like when I was in school. Although I loved the way textbooks used to smell when they were new. (END OF THE EXTRACT). &nbsp; READ THE FULL TEXT here: speakenglishpod.com

#105 Back to school part #2 - ESL

Hi, dear listener! I'm Georgiana, founder of the Speak English Now podcast. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques. Do you have a hard time using the words Already, Still and Yet?&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, today I’ll help you to understand how to use these three words. And with a point of view story, you will learn grammar without memorizing any rules. As you know, I don't teach grammar to my students. However, many of you have difficulties using the words:&nbsp;already,&nbsp;still,&nbsp;and&nbsp;yet. So in this episode, I'm going to explain how to use them. Before I go any further, I want you to know that native English speakers do not learn these words by studying grammar. Not at all!&nbsp; What’s the secret then? Well, they learn new words and expressions&nbsp;in context. And that's exactly the way you learned your own language. Let's see some examples: My idea is to give you a general sense of how to use these words. So I won't go into details, exceptions, etc. Because the only effective way to learn these subtleties is to&nbsp;listen and read in context.&nbsp; Let's start with an&nbsp;example: "It's 11 o'clock in the morning, and Finn is&nbsp;still&nbsp;in bed."&nbsp; So here we have Finn. It's 11 o'clock, but Finn is&nbsp;STILL&nbsp;in bed. Here we emphasize the idea that&nbsp;the situation hasn't changed&nbsp;(Finn didn't get up.) even though it's late (it's 11 o'clock). Now, let's say that Finn is a responsible guy and doesn't want to oversleep because he has many things to do.&nbsp; &nbsp; For&nbsp;example: "It's 6 o'clock in the morning, and Finn is&nbsp;already&nbsp;up and ready to go."  See?&nbsp;It's very early&nbsp;(6 in the morning), and Finn is&nbsp;ALREADY&nbsp;up. Since it's so early in the morning, we didn't expect our friend Finn to be awake. Now back to the first example. This time I'm going to use the same example to explain how to use "YET." "It's 11 o'clock in the morning, and Finn is&nbsp;still&nbsp;in bed." (this was the first example) If I want to use "YET," it will be something like this: "It's 11 o'clock in the morning, and Finn's not up&nbsp;yet." See? If we compare these two examples, they look very similar.&nbsp; &nbsp; READ THE TEXT here: www.speakenglishpod.com

#107 Already, still and yet in English

Hi, dear student! I'm Georgiana, founder of the&nbsp;Speak English Now&nbsp;podcast. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques. I'm here to tell you to&nbsp;stop using the word "look"&nbsp;repeatedly. There are many more alternatives, and depending on the context, I will help you to choose the right one. This lesson is intended to help you enrich your vocabulary and sound more like a native English speaker.&nbsp; And with a mini-story, you will practice your English speaking. But first, I would like to share with you a comment on Facebook from one of my students called Fernando Romero:&nbsp; "Hello Georgiana, I'm fascinated by your method. I have improved my spoken English. Your podcasts are incredible... congratulations. Thank you!"&nbsp; By the way, if you are new here, visit my website to get the&nbsp;transcript&nbsp;of today's episode. Go to:&nbsp;speakenglishpodcast.com If you're already familiar with this show, please share it with your friends and family. That would make me very happy! Tell your friends that my podcast is available everywhere on the internet. You can find it on my website and many podcast apps like&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;iTunes,&nbsp;Youtube,&nbsp;Facebook,&nbsp;Soundcloud, etc. Just look for "Speak English Now with Georgiana," and start learning English with me!" Do you know the difference between "glare" and "glance"? What about the difference between "looking" and "seeing"? For a native English speaker, these words are different, although I know this is complicated for an English learner. Ok! Let's learn some new words that replace the word "look." #1) To glare If we&nbsp;glare&nbsp;at someone, we usually show them that we are angry because we often frown, and have a dark look on our faces. People may glare at us when we do something they disagree with. Examples: "Georgie&nbsp;glared&nbsp;at her dad every time he asked her to tidy up her room." "She gave me such an icy&nbsp;glare&nbsp;I almost froze." "Don't&nbsp;glare&nbsp;at me like that; you deserved to be scolded." #2) To glance However, when we&nbsp;glance,&nbsp;we take a quick look at something, but we don't concentrate on it for too long. Usually, that happens when we don't want people to know we're seeing something or someone, so we "look" at it, in a natural way, but without making it self-evident. Examples:&nbsp; &nbsp;"During a meeting, Jim&nbsp;glanced&nbsp;at the clock on the wall."&nbsp; &nbsp;"We fell in love at first&nbsp;glance." &nbsp;"He could tell at a&nbsp;glance&nbsp;something was wrong with her. #3) To catch a glimpse When we "catch a glimpse,"&nbsp;we barely see something, we see it for a brief time, as it goes by quickly. Examples: "Millions of people had gathered to&nbsp;catch a glimpse&nbsp;of her Royal Majesty. "Did you&nbsp;catch a glimpse&nbsp;of that beautiful woman who just walked by?" "We were hoping to&nbsp;catch a glimpse&nbsp;of the superstar." &nbsp; READ the TEXT here: www.speakenglishpod.com

#108 Stop using the word Look - part#1

Hi, everyone! I'm Georgiana, founder of&nbsp;SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help YOU to speak English fluently. In today's episode: I'll be talking about one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States:&nbsp;Halloween.&nbsp;After that, you'll practice your&nbsp;speaking&nbsp;with a new mini-story, while enjoying my new Question &amp; Answer story. Very well. Let's get started!&nbsp; Halloween&nbsp;is a holiday celebrated on the last day of October. I would say it's very popular because everybody's excited about it, especially children. The word Halloween comes from an old English expression, "All Hallows' Eve," and it means&nbsp;the day before All Saints' Day.&nbsp;&nbsp; Children of all ages really love Halloween because they can&nbsp;dress up&nbsp;in&nbsp;funny costumes&nbsp;and knock on their neighborhood doors shouting&nbsp;"Trick or Treat!". The neighbors usually give them candies. The meaning of the phrase&nbsp;"Trick or Treat"&nbsp;is interesting. In this context,&nbsp;"treat"&nbsp;means&nbsp;getting the candies, and&nbsp;"trick"&nbsp;implies the&nbsp;consequence of not getting the sweets. It's like an innocent&nbsp;threat&nbsp;children make. Of course, kids get really excited when they knock on stranger's doors in their neighborhood. Since Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits, the most common symbols are&nbsp;witches flying on broomsticks,&nbsp;ghosts,&nbsp;skeletons,&nbsp;black cats, etc. The&nbsp;black color&nbsp;is one of the traditional Halloween colors. Of course,&nbsp;pumpkins&nbsp;are also a Halloween symbol. I'm sure you've seen them in movies. People empty pumpkin and put a candle inside to make a lamp. &nbsp;How do you make a&nbsp;Halloween pumpkin?&nbsp; · The first step is hollowing out the pumpkin. · After we use a keyhole saw to cut the hole.&nbsp; · When using a&nbsp;candle&nbsp;for illumination, you can cut the hole in the pumpkin's&nbsp;top. · For&nbsp;electric lights, make the hole&nbsp;in the bottom or side&nbsp;so you can hide the cord. &nbsp; READ THE FULL TEXT HERE: www.speakenglishpod.com

#109 Halloween in America 2019

READ the TEXT here:www.SpeakEnglishpod.com Hi, dear students! I'm Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques.  Let’s talk again about the repetitive use of the word "look." Seriously, you gotta&nbsp;stop using the word "look"&nbsp;all the time. There are many more words that you can use instead. I will help you to choose the right one depending on the context.&nbsp; Therefore, today, I will continue to enrich your vocabulary and help you to sound more like a native English speaker.&nbsp; And with a point of view story, you will practice your English speaking and you will learn grammar without memorizing any rules. &nbsp; By the way, you can find my podcast everywhere on the internet.  If you need to read the transcript, I recommend you to listen to the podcast on my website&nbsp;SpeakEnglishPodcast.com&nbsp;  But you can also find it on&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;iTunes,&nbsp;Youtube,&nbsp;Soundcloud, etc. Just look for "Speak English Now with Georgiana," and start learning English with me!"  Ok! Let's learn some new words that replace the word "look."   #1) To watch We’ll start with the word "to watch."  Many students confuse "watch" with "see," so I will take a closer look at the difference between these two terms. Two weeks ago, in episode #108, we saw that we use "see" to express the ability to discern visually. You are aware of your surroundings by using your eyes.  We use the term "watch" when we observe something happening in front of us or on television, for example.&nbsp; &nbsp; However, we don’t need to participate in what we see actively. Examples: "Last night, I&nbsp;watched&nbsp;TV until 2 am." &nbsp;"As a kid, I always liked to&nbsp;watch&nbsp;a plane take off. &nbsp;"My friend Rachel and I&nbsp;watched&nbsp;a movie last night."  #2) To view We continue now with "view." For instance, you can&nbsp;view&nbsp;a presentation or a movie. But if we want to be specific, we'll use "view" mostly when we're looking at something up close and examining it. Examples: "Before you buy a property, make sure to&nbsp;view&nbsp;it a few times." &nbsp; &nbsp;"We’re excited&nbsp;to view&nbsp;your summer collection." &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;"I normally&nbsp;view&nbsp;situations objectively, especially when it comes to business." &nbsp; &nbsp;#3) To Spot We can use the word to spot literally or figuratively.  And what happens when you find something? When you find something you are looking for, we can say that you have&nbsp;spotted&nbsp;it. For example, you may&nbsp;spot&nbsp;a stain on a shirt.  Examples: "I know him so well that I could&nbsp;spot&nbsp;him even among a large crowd." "I’m not sure if it’s easy to&nbsp;spot&nbsp;a cheap imitation." "Unfortunately, you failed to&nbsp;spot&nbsp;the error. "  &nbsp;#4) To Stare &nbsp;Another word you could use in order to replace "look" is "stare."  "Stare" is similar to "glare,"&nbsp;but we don’t necessarily use it in a negative situation. For example, when you have a crush on someone, you might spend all day&nbsp;staring&nbsp;at them.&nbsp; And if you have a pet, you might have already noticed how they stare at you whenever they are hungry. Examples: "Stop&nbsp;staring&nbsp;at me like that! You're making me uncomfortable." "We all&nbsp;stared&nbsp;at the beautiful girl next door." "If you want to&nbsp;stare&nbsp;at him, at least don't make it so self-evident." &nbsp; #5) To inspect When you "inspect" something, you take an active role in examining something. Let's say that you&nbsp;inspect&nbsp;a house before you buy it. You can also&nbsp;inspect&nbsp;your friend's house, to get some decorating ideas. &nbsp;Example: "You must&nbsp;inspect&nbsp;the vehicle before you purchase it." &nbsp; #6) To gaze This is another word you can use to replace the word "look." We use the word "gaze" when we are admiring something or someone. When...

#110 Stop using the word LOOK in English part#2

Hi, everyone! I'm Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Today you will learn how to replace the word "look" in a sentence if you want to be more concise. I'll give you an example, depending on the context. In the previous episodes, I gave several examples of terms or expressions that you may use instead of "look". So make sure that you listen to the earlier episodes as well. By the way, if you are new here, visit my website to get the transcript of today's episode. Go to: speakenglishpodcast.com If you're already familiar with this show, please share it with your friends and family. That would make me very happy! Tell your friends that my podcast is available everywhere on the internet. You can find it on my website and many podcast apps like Spotify,  iTunes, Youtube, Facebook, Soundcloud, etc. Just look for "Speak English Now with Georgiana," and start learning English with me!" We’ll start with the word to scan. &nbsp; 1)To scan When we look over something quickly we "scan" it. Let me explain. Imagine you have to get out of the house, and you're in a hurry. Surprise, surprise, you can't find your keys or your sunglasses. By the way, that never happened to me. I was just kidding. Unfortunately, this occurs to me quite often. So what do you do in this situation? You start looking for your keys or your sunglasses. Or you could also say that you're scanning the room for your keys. Can you see? That’s a more precise word to use in this situation. We might&nbsp;scan&nbsp;a room at a party to see if our friend is there. Example: "I scanned the room to see if Mary was there." "I need to scan some diagrams for my PowerPoint presentation." &nbsp; 2)To eye The thing is that whenever we observe something we use our eyes, so this word is quite straightforward. We use the word "eye" to express our interest in something. We might eye the candies on the table even though we don't want the extra sugar. Example: "I have been eyeing that cake for hours now but I must resist, since I’m on a diet. 3)To examine When we "examine" something, we inspect it closely. A doctor might examine your body to make sure that you are healthy. Example: "Whenever I got a cut my mom examined it and then cleaned it for me." &nbsp; 4) To peer When you can’t see something completely because your vision is obstructed, we can say that you are peering at it. &nbsp; Examples: "The girl was jumping up and down trying to peer out the window." "George carefully&nbsp;peered&nbsp;inside the box." &nbsp; 5) To witness This word is similar to "watch". It means that you saw something your own eyes, usually an event. This word is often used in the field of criminal justice to say that someone "witnessed" a crime. Examples: "A friend told me she witnessed a crime last night. "Jane returned to the&nbsp;witness&nbsp;stand.&nbsp;" &nbsp; READ the TRANSCRIPT here: www.speakenglishpodcast.com

#112 How to replace the word Look in English

"Do you love me?" “I love you more than the cookie monster loves cookies.” Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! I am Georgiana, founder of&nbsp;. My mission is to help you speak English fluently. In today’s episode, I will talk about Valentine’s Day in the United States. And with a mini-story you will improve your English speaking. Remember! You can get the transcript at&nbsp;. Ok. Let’s get started! Although it is a very commercial holiday, Valentine's Day has a fascinating history that goes back to ancient Rome! In the United States and other parts of the world, people celebrate February 14 by giving away candy hearts and red roses. Historians believe that Valentine's Day originated in ancient Rome as a pagan fertility festival. But despite its origins, in 1300, it officially became a holiday associated with love and romance. &nbsp; The Roman Pope officially declared February 14, "Valentine's Day." It was then associated with love because many believed that birds began their mating season on February 14. &nbsp; There was more than one St. Valentine. There have been multiple St. Valentines throughout history, like a bishop and a pope. But the most common one was the one who challenged Emperor Claudius II. Back then, Claudius had forbidden marriage because he thought it would distract young soldiers. However, Valentine disapproved, so he illegally married couples until he was captured. After he was convicted, young couples would visit his cell and give him flowers and cards. It’s said that he died on February 14. &nbsp; Let’s see how Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day nowadays. &nbsp; Since 1840 sending cards became a tradition and Americans send out 145 million Valentines' Day cards every year. Americans spend a lot of money on Valentine’s Day About 50% of Americans celebrate Valentine's Day and spend about $19 billion a year, and over $2 billion on candy alone. That’s a lot of money, right? But do you know where most of the money goes? Americans spend almost 5 billion dollars on jewelry on Valentine's Day! They also spend more than $3.7 billion on going out at night, followed by flowers, clothes, and candy. Ok. Now let’s get a bit romantic. Nearly 6 million couples get engaged on Valentine's Day. As it turns out, Valentine's Day was voted the best day of the year to get engaged. Because what better day to propose than a day devoted to love and romance? For me, Valentine's Day is an opportunity to tell others how important they are in my life. And what does Valentine's Day mean to you? Ok! Let’s continue with a mini-story. READ the TRANSCRIPT HERE:

#118 Valentine's Day in the USA

Transcript: Hi everyone! I am Georgiana, founder of&nbsp;. My mission is to help you speak English fluently. In today's lesson, I'll talk about&nbsp;baking. I'll teach you how to bake my favorite blueberry muffins. So if you want to enrich your&nbsp;English vocabulary and try out my favorite muffin recipe, I suggest that you continue listening. And with a point of view lesson, you will improve your English grammar intuitively without memorizing any rules.&nbsp; Unbelievable! Today is episode 120. That means you get over 120 free English lessons. If my podcast helps you, be sure to share it with your friends. That would mean a lot to me. Thank you. Remember! You can get the transcript at&nbsp;. Ok, let's start! &nbsp;I don't know about you, but I love baking. And the easiest recipe I know, and the one my friends like best, is&nbsp;blueberry muffins. People are very used to eating all sorts of pastries that contain an incredible amount of sugar, yet one of the things they love most about my cakes is the fact that I add very little sugar.&nbsp; That's why I started baking. I'm not too fond of pies with a lot of sugar either. So today, I'm going to share with you my&nbsp;blueberry muffin recipe. Are you excited? Oh, I'm sure that if you try these muffins, you're gonna love them. If you've never heard the word&nbsp;muffin, then you probably know the term&nbsp;cupcake. A&nbsp;cupcake&nbsp;is very similar to a muffin, but it is always sweet and often covered with&nbsp;frosting.&nbsp; Wait a minute, what's&nbsp;frosting? It's a sweet mixture that we use to decorate and fill cakes. Muffins, on the other hand, are generally considered healthier than cupcakes. They are usually made with whole wheat flour and loaded with fruit.&nbsp; It is not easy to describe how a&nbsp;muffin&nbsp;looks, but the only real difference between a slice of cake and a muffin is the shape. But just to give you an idea, a muffin looks like an oversized mushroom. It's very easy to make them. It doesn't matter if you're a master chef or if you never set foot in the&nbsp;kitchen.&nbsp; And all you need is 30 minutes, 10 minutes of preparation, and cook for 20 minutes.&nbsp; And don't worry because you won't even need a&nbsp;food processor. A&nbsp;food processor&nbsp;is an electric machine that cuts, slices, and mixes food quickly.&nbsp;&nbsp; But in this case, you will only need a&nbsp;mixing bowl. Before we start cooking, let's take a look at the ingredients we need for the muffins.&nbsp; This is an essential step. You have to make sure you have all the ingredients ready before you start baking. This will speed up the preparation and ensure that no ingredients are missing. This has happened to me more than once. The other day I wanted to make a carrot cake, and I was pretty sure I had some carrots in the refrigerator. It turns out that there weren't any carrots in the fridge, so I had to shop for groceries, and that ruined the moment.&nbsp;&nbsp; Before we go any further, let's get a little better understanding of how we measure the ingredients.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the US, we use&nbsp;cups,&nbsp;tablespoons, and&nbsp;teaspoons&nbsp;in our recipes.&nbsp;&nbsp; To follow this recipe, you'll need some&nbsp;measuring cups&nbsp;and spoons. You can get them online or in your local store. [END of EXTRACT] Read the full transcript here:

#120 Baking cooking vocabulary in English

Hi, I am Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. And I've been helping you speak English since 2011. 

My mission is to help you speak English fluently.

I help people develop their fluency in English using effective and proven techniques, such as mini-story and point-of-view techniques. I am also the creator of several programs used by thousands of students and host The Speak English Podcast, with millions of downloads worldwide.

Why is this podcast so different from any other programs?

With the Speak English Now Podcast:
- you'll master English by listening and speaking without memorizing grammar rules. 

- You will acquire knowledge about the English culture and the language itself. 

- And most importantly, you'll discover valuable tips and tricks on how to speak English fluently.

If there's something you can't understand, don't worry about it! Listen to each episode as many times as you need. You can read the TEXT at SpeakEnglishPodcast.com 

Take advantage of all of my Speak English Now Podcast episodes. Every week there's a new episode.

Start practicing your English listening and speaking skills with the Speak English Now podcast.

#107 Already, still and yet in English

Speak English Now through mini-stories

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