Are you looking for a great way to improve your English language skills while having fun and making new friends? Look no further than Everest English School in Dublin! Our school offers a variety of social activities that will help you practise your English in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Let’s have a look through the first 3 months of 2023.

Workshops and Activities in our English school:

Our experienced teachers organise regular workshops and activities within the school to help you improve your language skills and at the same time to meet new people. These include conversation clubs, pronunciation clinics, and writing workshops. Our teachers are always available to provide extra support and guidance to help you succeed.

Trips to Parks and Museums in Dublin:

We believe that learning English should be an enjoyable experience, and what better way to do that than by exploring some of the beautiful parks and museums Dublin has to offer? We regularly organise trips to places like the National Botanic Gardens and the National Museum of Ireland, where you can learn about Irish history and culture while practising your language skills.

Last Saturday our teacher Nicole brought a group of Everest students around the Phoenix park and enjoyed the beautiful nature with a hot coffee and lots of nice chats.

Gaelic Football and Hurling Matches:

Ireland is famous for its traditional sports of Gaelic football and hurling, and we want our students to experience the excitement of attending a match. We organise trips to matches where you can immerse yourself in Irish culture, cheer on the local team, and practise your language skills with other students. We met at the Spire with our teacher Matthew and the intern Laura and watched two really exciting games in Croke Park!

Social activities in Dublin our school has planned for the months ahead: 

As you can see, it never gets boring in the Everest Language School and we already have some nice socials lined up for March.

We are planning to start a walking tour around Dublin to see all the important monuments. That's the perfect way to train your listening and get closer to Irish history. In addition, we are planning a CV and Interview workshop for our students. These workshops will help all students who will apply for a job in Dublin. Part of the workshop will be working on useful phrases for your next job interview or to have a look on your CV if there are any questions or things we can add.

At Everest Language School, we understand that learning a new language can be challenging, but we believe that social activities are a crucial part of the process. By providing a fun and supportive environment for our students, we help them build their confidence and fluency in English. Best of all, we are a small school that looks after all our students and we work extremely hard to give them the best possible experience in Dublin.

If you're looking for an English school in Dublin that offers a great balance of learning and socialising, Everest Language School in dublin is the perfect choice. Join our Everest family today and start your journey towards language fluency and new friendships.

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If you have booked or are planning to book a course with us there are still some important things you need to know before travelling to Ireland. 

Please see a list of frequently asked questions below

Is there any documentation I need to complete before travelling?

Yes, all passengers travelling into Ireland must complete a passenger locator form before travelling. 

I’m travelling from a country on the list of designated countries, what should I do?

If you are travelling from a ‘designated country’, we strongly advise that you travel with proof of a recognised vaccine (listed below). 

Before you travel to Ireland, you need to also have a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours before you arrive. This is the law. 

You should also have a 2nd PCR test 5 to 7 days after you arrive. 

You can book your test online from 2 days before you arrive and up to 4 days after you arrive.

You can book your test here.

You must continue to quarantine while you await the results of your test or for 14 days after travel. You may only end your period of quarantine if you receive written confirmation of a negative or ‘not detected’ RT-PCR test result taken no less than 5 days after arrival.

You must retain the written confirmation of your test result for at least 14 days.

Once you’ve received your negative result you can start studying with us! 

Please note that as you may have to wait between 1 and 2 weeks, the first week or two (depending on how long you are required to self quarantine) will need to be taken as holiday weeks for your study visa. 

I’m travelling from a designated country with an unrecognised vaccine, what should I do?

We do not advise travelling with an unrecognised vaccine as you may be obliged to enter Mandatory Hotel Quarantine at your own expense.

I’m travelling from a designated country and I’m not vaccinated, what should I do?

We do not advise travelling to Ireland unvaccinated until your country is taken off the list of designated countries. 

I’m travelling from a country that’s not on the designated list or countries, do I need to quarantine?

It depends - if you have proof of a registered vaccination, there is no further quarantining or testing required. 

If you do not have proof of a registered vaccination, you will need to also have a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours before you arrive, have a 2nd PCR test 5 to 7 days after you arrive, and self quarantine until you receive a negative result. 

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to Everest, and if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate ask. 

Before you consider travelling to Ireland, please consult this information carefully:

• Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/coronavirus/general-covid-19-travel-advisory/

• Travel advice from government

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

• Download the Covid Tracker App before arriving:

https://covidtracker.gov.ie/

• Health Service

https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/

• Translated Covid-19 information:

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/covid-19-translated-resources/

DOWNLOAD PDF: International-Arrivals-into-Ireland

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You’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the glossary at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

Podcast: Beginner’s luck

English Vocabulary about Luck

Did you ever play a game for the first time, still unsure of all the rules, and yet manage to win? You’d think it should be the opposite way around, especially if playing against an expert. This is known as beginner’s luck. Is it a real phenomenon or is it all just in our heads? Is this something we can harness and use to our advantage? On this episode, we’ll explore beginner’s luck and the benefits of being a novice every day - even in school!

Story One:

First things first. Beginner’s luck doesn’t actually exist, but we do however perceive that it does. So why do we perceive something that isn’t there? 

Well, as humans, we tend to remember things that are interesting and noteworthy. What is the point of remembering all the times when nothing interesting happened? This however, creates a flaw in our thinking. If you try something new 20 times, but only succeed once, are you remembering the 19 times it didn’t work, or the one time you had success?

We also have a tendency to accept evidence that affirms our beliefs - this is known as confirmation bias, and this can come into play when we see beginner's luck in action. If you were to see an expert lose to a novice, it's easy to buy into the idea of beginner’s luck because it's exciting, but in reality we are probably ignoring the causes as to why the beginner performed so well. 

So why does beginner’s luck happen, (or appear to happen)?

To the Beginner, Anything Is Possible

If you are a novice, you are giving yourself the permission to ask silly questions, to look foolish. You have a naive optimism, anything is possible. Because the beginner doesn't have the experience, they haven’t convinced themselves of the right or wrong moves in a particular situation. This may mean they may try something stupid, but it also could mean they'll find a more creative solution and take worthwhile risks. Whereas the expert draws upon their experience. When an expert tries to analyse a strategy that isn't really a strategy at all, that expert is likely to fail and the beginner is likely to win.

Experts Choke Under Pressure

When you're great at something, you're under a lot of pressure to continue to perform at that level. This can cause you to choke under pressure. Beginners don't have these issues because they don't particularly care how they perform. When you don't care about the outcome, you don’t have the same pressure. 

Experts May Trust Their Intuition Too Much

Just as over-thinking can cause an expert to choke, trusting their gut can cause problems as well. Most experts have some sort of muscle memory for the things they do and that usually works in predictable situations. When up against a beginner, or in an unusual situation, the predictable goes out the window, and it can be a recipe for failure for the expert.

So, want to channel your inner beginner? Well, throw away everything you know for a moment. Think like a kid and imagine how they would look for a solution. Consider crazy ideas and strategies. When you're sure something won't work, consider it anyway. If you have an idea you really like but are afraid to try it, that's probably a good sign. So even as our skills improve, there are some benefits of keeping that spirit of the novice. 

Story Two:

Singer John Legend learned to swim with his kids when he was 40. Many people took to twitter to thank him for showing that it's never too late to pick up a new skill. Learning something new and challenging, particularly with a group, has proven benefits for our brain. Not only that but you’ll gain a boost of confidence too. Our next story comes from the UK, where language classes are improving wellbeing and cognition for those with dementia

Lingo Flamingo was started in 2015 specifically with the aim of providing lessons for older adults. Not in the same way as many language schools, but instead in care homes and community centres across Scotland.

The language classes are the brainchild of entrepreneur Robbie Norval who says his idea wasn't always met with enthusiasm, and many care homes had reservations. But working with Thomas Bak, a psychologist from Edinburgh University, has been key to building credibility.

According to Bak, even for people who aren’t bilingual, learning a language in later life has benefits. He has found improvements among older adults’ attention, verbal fluency and memory. 

Bak believes it is never too late to learn a language and in fact is particularly valuable because of the variety of tasks involved: distinguishing different sounds,  new concepts, grammar. 

Apart from the cognitive research, it increases wellbeing and self-confidence as well. 

The course material has been designed to be accessible, with textbooks printed in a larger font, incorporating colours that those with dementia can recognise, and using sensory learning to include those who might be unable to speak. One group writes postcards to a twinned care home in France, and has held a lesson with local schoolchildren. 

The beauty of being a beginner here is that everyone is on a level playing field. Nobody is any better at speaking the language than anybody else, whether you have dementia or not. For that period of time, the dementia is not there.

Story Three:

The following story is about overcoming the odds. It’s about pride, belief and beginners showing their true colours. It’s time to head to 1988, and you might want to wear an Irish jersey for this one.

If you have ever lived in Ireland, you will have heard of the Green Army. And no I am not talking about a military army, but the Irish soccer supporters. And in 1988, we were all part of Jackie’s army. Jack Charton, that is.

In 1986 something unexpected happened. An Englishman was appointed manager of the Irish soccer team. Unexpected, as Ireland was in the midst of a period of conflict known as The Troubles, and had only gained independence from the UK a little over 60 years prior. To put it lightly, we did not love the English and Jack wasn’t immediately met with open arms.  Not only that but a lot of our national team lived and worked in England but were born to Irish parents. This was a strange setup for an Irish team.

Before his appointment, the team had never qualified for a major tournament. But that soon changed. The Euro 88 qualifying group for the Republic of Ireland soccer team included Bulgaria, Belgium, Scotland and Luxembourg. This was a difficult group for the Irish, but against the odds they fought their way to the European Championships.

The country was going through an economic crisis at the time, and the Irish team qualifying was a symbol of hope we all needed. The Green Army got behind its team, people got loans out to travel to support the underdogs, many of whom had never been abroad before. Excitement was mounting. Ireland was on the world stage.

Then we waited for the group draw: would it be Germany, Spain, Holland? No, the first team we were drawn to play in our group, one who we have a lot of history with, was England - one of the tournament favourites, of which Ireland was not. We were written off by the British pundits before we even began. This wasn’t going to be easy.

So now it’s crunch time. It's about 28 degrees in Stuttgart that day, people are nervous with how the match will go, there is concern as well with how fans in the stands will react to each other. There is tension in the air. The whistle blows. 

Within the first 8 minutes, the smallest man on the pitch, Ray Houghton jumps up, and with a header scores the first and only goal of the match. Ireland leads against England and now spend the next 82 minutes holding on against their old enemies. The Irish singer song writer Christy More sums it up well in his song ‘That day will be the highlight of many people's lives’.

In his time in charge, Charlton took the country to Euro 88, and two World Cups but more importantly, he created great memories for supporters, boosted the country’s confidence and became a national hero.

Beginner’s luck? I’ll let you decide...

English Vocabulary from Podcast:

These English phrases and vocabulary about luck accompanies Episode 10 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Story One:

• noteworthy - significant
• a flaw - an imperfection, it makes something not perfect
• evidence - proof
• affirms - supports or confirms
• to buy into - to accept that something is true
• naive - an adjective to mean that someone has a lack of experience 
• the right or wrong moves - the right or wrong strategies/tactics 
• to choke under pressure - don’t perform as well as expected because of expectations
• trusting their gut - trusting their intuition, their feelings
• muscle memory - when your body remembers how to do something automatically
• up against - in competition or conflict with someone or something
• goes out the window - gets forgotten about
• to channel - to transmit or become
• throw away - to get rid of, to put in the bin

Story Two:

• the brainchild - the amazing idea
• accessible - everyone can easily use or take part in something, especially people with different or additional needs
• twinned - matched with another similar place (often used for towns and cities)
• the beauty of - the unique advantage of
• the level playing field - a situation where everyone has an equal chance

Story Three:

• overcoming the odds - achieving something even though you are not expected to
• an Irish jersey - an Irish football t-shirt
• in the midst of - the middle of
• the Troubles - conflict/war in the six counties in the north of Ireland 1960s-1990s
• prior - before that
• to put it lightly - a way of understating something
• a strange setup - an unusual situation
• got behind - supported
• got loans out - borrowed money from the bank
• mounting - increasing
• the group draw - the lottery system to determine which teams will paly each other
• favourites - the teams expected to win
• written off - dismissed as having no chance
• pundits - professional commentators
• crunch time - the most important moment
• the stands - the crowd/audience area in a football stadium
• a header - controlling the ball using your head

The post English Vocabulary about Luck – Podcast appeared first on Old.

English vocabulary about Kindness

In episode nine, we’ll be thinking about kindness and how it can help us in our daily lives. We’ll listen to a story about the power of laughter, hear some good scientific reasons for being kind and we’ll get some tips for how to incorporate kindness to yourself into your life.
You’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the glossary at the end for English vocabulary about kindness you may not have encountered before.

English vocabulary about Kindness

I came across a positive news story recently about a random act of kindness that inspired others to continue with the generous turn. One person at a drive through restaurant decided to pay for the meal of the car behind them. The person was so amazed by their generosity, they decided to surprise the car behind them and pay for their meal. And so this chain continued. Strangers surprising strangers. In the end more than 900 cars continued this good deed. Can you imagine the surprise of the staff who worked there? This episode is all about kindness.

MUSIC: Make ‘em laugh

Story One:

You might have heard of the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders. But ever heard of Clowns Without Borders? Their mission is to help spread laughter among children in refugee camps, conflict zones and disaster areas.

Clowns Without Borders works with professional artists to create shows that encourage children living through crises to laugh, dance and play. You will find a mix of circus performers, clowns, theatre and street performers, actors and musicians all offering their skills, humour and time on a voluntary basis. They perform professional shows, teach skills and bring laughter to children and their communities.

When we experience positive emotions through laughter and play, endorphins are released, which reduce pain and generate feelings of wellness, and stress relief. Children learn through play. It’s how they build human relationships, trust, and empathy. Children are naturally resilient even through trauma, but without access to laughter, to play, they’re unable to fully develop and heal.

The charity began in 1993, when children in Barcelona raised funds to send a famous clown, Tortell Poltrona, to refugee camps in Croatia. It unexpectedly attracted audiences of more than 4,000 children! Thus Tortell founded Clowns Without Borders.
It now exists in fifteen countries and every year they complete more than 120 projects in around 50 countries, for over 300,000 children and their communities in around 1,500 shows and 400 workshops.

A reminder that laughter can really be the best medicine at times.

Story Two:

Treat others as you would like them to treat you. This was a favourite motto of my old school principal. And I have to give it to her, there are a number of real-life benefits associated with the way we treat others. Here are a few science-backed benefits of being kind.
1. Kindness prevents illness
Kindness boosts our brain’s feel-good hormone Oxytocin. Oxytocin reduces inflammation which is linked to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, and migraines. So boost your supply by doing a simple act of kindness.

2. Kindness releases feel-good hormones

Doing nice things for others boosts your serotonin, responsible for you feeling good and satisfied. Like exercise, being kind to others also releases endorphins, a phenomenon known as a “helper’s high.”
3. Being kind is also good for your heart
Oxytocin also expands blood vessels, which reduces blood pressure which we know is good for your heart.

4. It can help you live longer

According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you’re kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships.
5. It reduces stress
When we focus on the joy we are bringing to someone else, we give our brains a much-needed break from figuring out our own problems. This is one of the amazing benefits of being kind. By focusing on someone else’s happiness, we forget about our problems for a while.

Story Three:

The art of self-kindness.

The global pandemic has had a powerful effect on our mental health as people isolate, restrict movements and are prohibited from contact with friends and family. It has been a trying time for many. Practising self-kindness and self compassion can give our mental health a well-deserved boost and help us navigate future stressful situations.

Give yourself a break. Put away your laptop and your work after work or school! Make sure you take that lunch break. If you’re sick then take time off. It allows us to be more focused and happier in what we do.

Keep a gratitude journal. Write down three things you’re grateful for each day. The more specific the better. Being in the here and now and noticing the smaller things helps us to foster a more positive mindset.

Control your social media feeds. Social media can make you feel worthless about yourself. But it seems very difficult to avoid. Instead of completely shutting it out, take digital detoxes. And filter out anything that could be damaging to you.

Don’t forget to play - this is something we can easily allow to slip away as adults. Whether it’s a board game, sports, finger painting or even having a good old pillow fight - have some fun!

English vocabulary about Kindness:

This glossary accompanies Episode 9 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Intro
random - by chance
a good deed - something positive and generous that you do for another person
Story One:
resilient - strong enough to be able to survive something bad
heal - get better
thus - as a consequence
Story Two:
motto - a short phrase that explains your beliefs
I have to give it to her - I have to admit that she is right
figuring out - trying to understand
Story Three:
trying - adjective that means difficult or annoying
the here and now - the immediate present
to foster - to look after and help to grow

The post English vocabulary about Kindness – New Podcast Episode appeared first on Old.

In this week's episode you can learn English vocabulary about sleep

Learn English with Everest - Podcast

In this week's episode, we’ll be talking about the importance of sleep and how it affects our brains. You will have the chance to learn lots of English vocabulary about sleep  There will be an article about the benefits of napping, we’ll hear a story about how one man’s afternoon nap may have changed the world, and there will be some tips on how to get a good night’s rest.

You’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the glossary at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

English Podcast about Sleep

Intro:

How much sleep do you get a night? A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research shows that poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function. But fear not, if you are not getting your 7+ hours’ sleep each night, maybe a nap can help balance things out. This episode is all about sleep...

Story One:

The afternoon nap gets a bad rap. Some see a siesta as a sign of laziness, low energy, or even illness. A recent study however has found that taking a "regular" afternoon nap may be linked to better mental agility.

The study, published in online journal General Psychiatry, examined the sleep patterns of 2,214 healthy people aged 60 and over in several large cities in China.

Of those who took part in the study, 1,534 took a regular afternoon nap of between five minutes and two hours, while 680 did not.

It was found that in addition to reducing sleepiness, naps can offer a variety of benefits such as  better working memory, better verbal fluency, and can aid learning. A short afternoon nap can leave you feeling alert and ready to tackle the rest of the day. When napping, your brain clears out unnecessary information out of your brain’s temporary storage areas to prepare it for the new information to be absorbed.

So if you get caught having a nap at work, this time you have a valid excuse.

Story Two:

Still not convinced that napping is for you? Well our next story takes us back to 1869, where one man’s nap helped revolutionise the world of science. Get your duvet ready!

We all remember it from school science books, you probably had to learn it off for an exam. The Periodic Table. Did you know that 2019 marked the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements?

Let’s go back to 1869, to St Petersburg to be precise, where Dmitri Mendeleev's discovery was to transform chemistry from a tangle of disorganised facts into a disciplined science. His table would arrange 63 elements, into a recognisable and repeating pattern that all the other 58+ elements, yet to be discovered, would follow.

One morning in 1869, Mendeleev wrote the name of each of the known elements on separate pieces of card, added the atomic weight, a few physical properties and the formulae of its products when reacted with hydrogen or oxygen.

He began to play with these cards, eventually arranging them in rows from left to right. Happy with his morning’s work, he wrote it down on the back of an envelope. He then took an all important afternoon nap. Once he woke up, he was inspired to instead arrange the cards in eight vertical columns instead of horizontal rows and this is the format of the Periodic Table that exists today.

Is the afternoon nap the key to the discovery? I’ll let you sleep on that…

Story Three:

If you are not getting enough sleep at night, it can feel like torture. Maybe you have trouble falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night, or maybe you have a baby that is wreaking havoc on your sleep pattern. Either way, not getting enough sleep is cruel. Keeping your bedroom dark and at around 18.5ºC and taking regular exercise can help, as well as the following alternative remedies. As always, make sure you’ve done your homework and always consult an expert. Any tips of your own - be sure to let us know!

The following has been recommended by organic natural health experts:

Herbs

Certain herbs can relax the mind, help induce sleep and reduce disturbed sleep patterns. These include: Valerian, Hops, Passionflower, Wild lettuce.

Essential oils

Some essential oils, such as lavender, have been proven to promote a restful night’s sleep. Roman chamomile is a calming oil and Vetiver is helpful for relieving stress and tension.

Food

Cherries, goji berries, tomatoes, chillies, white or black mustard seeds, sprouted seeds, corn, rice all provide melatonin which aids sleep. Try to avoid junk food, which studies have shown can disrupt restorative sleep.

Supplements

There are certain nutrients that have been specifically linked to improvements in relaxation and a reduction in insomnia.These include: Omega-3 , Magnesium and Vitamin D

Hopefully some of these can help you drift off to the land of nod.

English Vocabulary about Sleep:

This glossary accompanies Episode 8 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Intro

• fear not - don’t worry
• a nap - a short sleep during the day, similar to a siesta

Story One:

• gets a bad rap - has a bad reputation
• mental agility - ability to think quickly and easily
• Tackle - to manage or deal with something (often something difficult)

Story Two:

• duvet - something that covers you in bed - also known as eiderdown, comforter, quilt, covers
• a tangle - a confused mix of things, for example, long hair can get in a tangle 
• sleep on that - to sleep on something means to give yourself time, usually overnight, to think through and process an idea 

Story Three:

• wreaking havoc on - destroying
• alternative remedies - non-pharmaceutical medicine, ways of healing people with local or traditional use of plants, herbs, methods
• done your homework - a way of saying do your own research, find out about things yourself
• drift off - fall asleep
• land of nod - another way to say sleep

The post English Vocabulary about Sleep – Podcast Episode appeared first on Old.

Discuss both these points of view and give your own opinion.

In the IELTS exam you are given two academic texts to write. Task 1 is very technical (describing processes, trends, charts, tables, graphs, etc.), task 2 is more based on your opinion and deals with more abstract topics (health, sport, cultures, media, etc.)

In IELTS Writing Task 2 you can be asked to "discuss both these points of view and give your own opinion." While there are many ways to complete this task, we believe that the format below will help you achieve a good mark.

Remember that in order to achieve the highest possible mark you must write a text which...

Our suggested IELTS task 2 structure

Remember you can prepare for the IELTS in Dublin with Everest - IELTS Dublin: IELTS Courses

The post IELTS Writing Task 2 – Updated 2021 appeared first on Old.

In this week's podcast you will learn English vocabulary about ageing and longevity.

Welcome to the seventh episode in our podcast series. This week we’ll be listening to stories about older people. Do you think about growing older yourself? Listen to how attitudes towards ageing are changing and hear from people who lived to be over 100 years old on how they lived happily and healthily into old age.

You’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the vocabulary about ageing at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

Episode 7: Growing Old (dis)gracefully

Intro

When I was growing up there was a programme on TV called Supergran. As you can imagine from the name, it was about an elderly grandmother, Granny Smith, who gains superpowers when she is accidentally hit by a magic ray. She then takes on the persona of Super Gran and helps protect her local town from baddies. I liked the idea of the show, and imagined that my nana could have an alter ego too and fight bad guys... The reality is of course that my nana was a super human regardless of whether she had been hit by a magic ray. This episode is about growing old gracefully or disgracefully - your choice, and to start us off, here is a poem for you by Judy Ball.

Story One:

Growing Old Disgracefully by Judy Ball

All my life I worried 'bout,

What others thought of me.

I always tried to watch myself,

And act as I should be.

Mind my manners, stand up straight,

And try to be a lady,

But we all knew that in my heart,

I was a little shady.

There was a wild thing lurking there,

Just below the surface,

Aching just to be set free,

And have myself a circus.

Now I'm old and just don't care.

You get just what you see.

I'll dress the way I want to dress,

Be what I want to be.

I'll ride my horse, run with my dogs,

Climb hills and even trees.

If folks don't like the way I look,

Too bad, 'cause this is me.

Story Two:

What comes to mind when you think of old age? Walking sticks? False teeth? Or do you think retirement? Freedom? Wisdom? Research has shown that stereotypes can become self-fulfilling prophecies, as they can affect how people view themselves, and their abilities. This next story is about age positivity.

You might be familiar with a road sign that shows two old people crossing the road. They have walking sticks, and are hunched over. But is this really an appropriate and fair representation? 

This question was asked by the charity Centre for Ageing Better, and was the starting point for a competition they launched which asked designers to submit ‘age positive’ alternatives. 

More than 120 entries were received of illustrations that depict the diversity of people in later life. The winning entry gave the original symbol of the couple crossing the road an energetic spin. Instead of hunched over with their walking stick, it depicts two people with a dancing cane, in the middle of a dance move. It’s very uplifting to look at.  

The new design will be used in reports and other materials to represent older people in a positive way. The winning icon will be made publicly available for unlimited use.

Perhaps something as simple as changing the way elderly people are presented to us will cause us to challenge the assumptions we make about ageing.

Story Three:

Studies claim that to live a very long life, it’s important to maintain friendships, to keep a positive attitude, to get some exercise, not to stress out too much, and to have really good genes (the genetic kind that is, not the denim kind). Some centenarians however have also added their personal secrets for living so long. 

1. USE A LOT OF OLIVE OIL.

Jeanne Calment died at the age of 122 years and 164 days old, she is the current Guinness world record holder. She credited her long, long, long life to drinking port every day, eating just under 1kg of chocolate every week, and keeping a sense of humour. She also consumed a lot of extra virgin olive oil which she put in everything but milk, and also rubbed on her skin.

2. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

Besse Berry Cooper-Brown was a retired school teacher who lived to be 116. She took pride in her mostly spotless voting record - since 1920, when the 19th Amendment was passed allowing women to vote, she had only missed voting twice. Cooper-Brown credited refusing to eat junk food as one reason for living so long, but she also "said that her secret was staying out of others' business."

3. EAT BACON.

"Miss Susie" Jones was the oldest living resident of New York until she died in 2016 at the age of 116. She never smoked, drank alcohol, wore makeup, or dyed her hair, but did enjoy eating four strips of bacon every morning, alongside scrambled eggs and corn porridge. 

4. DRINK BOILED WATER AND SMOKE CIGARS.

Christian Mortensen passed away at 115 years and 252 days old. He gave credit to living for so long to friends, no alcohol, staying positive, singing, a good cigar, and drinking lots of good water - specifically, boiled water. 

5. EAT UNTIL YOU’RE 80 PERCENT FULL.

Jiroemon Kimura lived to be 116 years and 54 days old. A former post office worker, Kimura ate a breakfast of porridge and miso soup with potatoes and vegetables every day, kept a positive attitude, and always paid attention to contemporary politics in his native Japan. His motto was “to eat light and live long," never smoking, only moderately drinking alcohol, and eating until he is 80 percent full. 

6. PLAY BOARD GAMES

Kane Tanaka is currently the oldest living person at 118 years old. She likes to keep her mind active, and on a normal day at her nursing home, she wakes up at 6am and in the afternoon often studies subjects like maths. One of her favourite pastimes however is a game of Othello and she's become an expert at the classic board game, often beating the staff.

END

Vocabulary about ageing

Learn English with Everest Podcast: Vocabulary about ageing:

This glossary accompanies Episode 7 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Intro:

• gains - obtains or achieves or gets
• ray - a beam or a long piece of light
• an alter ego - an alternative personality, a second separate identity

Story One:

• mind my manners - be polite, follow good etiquette 
• lurking - hiding
• aching - hurting, but also, wanting something so much that it hurts
• too bad - something you say to mean “I don’t care” and/or that a problem can’t be fixed

Story Two:

• self-fulfilling prophecies - a prediction that comes true because you expect it to happen
• hunched over - with your back bent over, not standing or sitting up straight - you can be hunched over while walking and, for example, while working at a desk
• cane - a walking stick
• uplifting - something that is uplifting will make you feel happier
• ageing - getting older

Story Three:

• centenarians - people who have lived to be 100 years old
• porridge - usually a breakfast food of a type of cereal (in Ireland - oats!) cooked in milk or water
• spotless - clean, with no mistakes or missing information 
• pastimes - hobbies and activities that you do in your free tim

The post Learn English with Everest – Podcast: Vocabulary about ageing appeared first on Old.

Welcome to our final episode in our current podcast series. We hope you’ve enjoyed the stories we’ve told and we’re delighted to dedicate our final installment to the topic of climate change. We’ll hear a personal story from an Irish person making a real difference, we’ll listen to ten tips for making a difference in your own life, and we’ll hear about teenager Greta Thunberg and the protests she inspired around the world.

As always, you’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the English Vocabulary about Climate Change at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

Episode Six: Vocabulary about the climate crisis

English Vocabulary about Climate Change

When it comes to tackling climate change, people often think, I am only one person, how can I truly make a difference? But the answer is: a lot. Not only can your small actions make an impact, it can also serve to inspire others. This episode is about climate action, and our first story is about Treasa, a 21 year old from Cape Clear Island.

Story One:

My plans for 2020, like everyone else’s, took a big turn back in March. From planning an internship in Vietnam working with a fair trade cooperative for five months to living at home for seven months with my parents. 

I’m from Cape Clear Island in West Cork. It’s just 3 miles long and one-mile wide, and has a population of about 120 people depending on the time of year. On Cape Clear, like on any island, the most basic of tasks aren’t that easy because everything has to go in and out on the ferry. Living here has shaped and strengthened my passion for sustainability.

Throughout the year, I took part in several climate actions. One of my personal favourites was the conservation project with my uncle and cousins. We repaired over 400m of dry stone wall on our family farm. This was an amazing experience. I learned a traditional skill which has been around for hundreds of years. This has given me a whole new appreciation and perspective for the land and the importance of preserving our natural habitats. I also organised a couple of beach clean-ups during spring and summer and received great support. 

It was also during the lockdown that I worked on my main action: co-founding the first ever Cape Clear farmers market. I strongly believe in buying local, and in-season food, to the best of our abilities, so while I was home I realised we were importing all our food from the mainland. Living on an island in a rural area where agriculture is our biggest industry I questioned this. Why could we not buy at least some of our food from local producers on the island? It was in the weeks that followed that I came up with a solution with support from others, and we launched the first ever farmers market in July. It ran every week until mid September. The market gives farmers and producers a place to sell their produce locally and for locals and visitors to buy in season and local produce. We estimate that you can do around a third of your weekly shop at the market whilst also increasing the community’s awareness of their food system. At the market, there was a large emphasis put on packaging for both the stallholders and the customers as we encouraged them to bring their own containers. 

We received great media reaction to this as I was involved in two United Nations’ events at the time speaking about food systems. It just goes to show how one small action can lead to great change. A few things I’ve learnt, 

1. is to question things. 
2. To take opportunities as they come along. 

And finally 3.to make small changes. Because if not you, who, if not now, when.

So have you been inspired by Treasa’s story?

Well here are ten ways you can take Climate Action, and remember, you can just start with one.

1. Limit your amount of fossil fuel:

Have a car-free day a week. Walk and cycle for short trips. Reduce your heating thermostat. Change to energy-efficient light bulbs. 

1. Climate conversations

Talk to family and friends about climate change, listen to them and through conversation we can help bring everyone along with us. Talk to your politicians and ask them what climate action they are taking to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies.

1. Eat a more plant-based diet

Save money and improve your health. If cattle were their own nation they would be the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases!

1. Reduce air miles

By taking less flights throughout the year you reduce your carbon footprint. Think before you fly.

1. Refuse, reduce, recycle and rot

Prevent the waste from entering your home in the first place and refuse what you don’t need, especially single use plastics. Reduce the amount of waste you are producing by reducing the amount you are buying. Recycle what you can’t refuse, reduce, or reuse, and finally rot, or compost! Does your community provide a food waste bin, or a composting program? If not, welcome to the wonderful world of home composting!

1. Shop local, organic and fair trade. 

Look out for your local farmer’s market. By shopping for local grown food not only are you supporting local producers but also reducing how far your food has had to travel.

1. Grow your own food

Even if you have a small garden, or just a balcony, you can have fun watching your delicious, fresh food grow, or why not try your hand at growing a few herbs!

1. Avoid food waste

One third of all food currently goes to waste. So instead of throwing out your food, why not cook up meals in advance and put them in your freezer. 

1. Plant trees

Planting native trees in your area is an excellent way to help remove carbon from the atmosphere, benefiting your locality and the environment.

1. Consume less, waste less

When you buy less, you in turn are wasting less. This gives you more time to go outside and connect with nature, and can make you feel much better than buying stuff.

Story Three: Greta Thunberg

Intro:

If you are looking for more inspiration, then look no further than Greta Thunberg who has become a leading voice when it comes to climate change. Not only did she spark an international movement, but she inspired millions to join protests around the world. This is only part of her journey so far.

Story:

Aged just 15, Greta started protesting in front of the Swedish parliament building, and vowed to continue until the government met the carbon emissions target agreed by world leaders in Paris, in 2015. 

Every Friday she would sit and hold a sign that read "School Strike for Climate". It started small but soon her protests went viral spreading with the hashtag #FridaysForFuture. By December 2018, more than 20,000 students around the world had joined her in countries including Australia, the UK, Belgium, the US and Japan. She joined strikes around Europe, choosing to travel by train to limit her impact on the environment.

Greta then decided to take 2019 off school to continue campaigning, and attended key climate conferences, and joined other student protests around the world. She even addressed the UN climate conference where she scolded politicians for relying on young people for answers to climate change. She was later named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. 

Thanks to Greta millions of people around the world have woken up to climate change. Sir David Attenborough summed it up well when he told her she had achieved things many others had failed to do, saying: "you have aroused the world. I'm very grateful to you."

Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed today’s episode and the stories you heard. That’s it for now. Goodbye from all of us.

English Vocabulary about Climate Change:

This glossary accompanies Episode 5 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Intro:

• tackling - dealing with or trying to manage

Story One 

• dry stone wall - an ancient way of building walls in Ireland without using wet products, such as mud or cement
• in-season food - food that is available and at its best in a particular season, for example, in Ireland, in-season food in January would include kale, broccoli and carrots, but not tomatoes!
• stallholders - people who sell things at a stall (a temporary outdoor shop at a market)

Story Two

• fossil fuel - fuels such as coal, gas, oil or peat
• rot - the process by which plant and animal materials break down (decay), adjective: rotten
• composting - a process which uses rotting plant material (from, for example, household rubbish) to create new material for growing plants

Story Three

• spark - to start
• vowed - promised
• scolded - how you speak to someone (often a child) who has done something wrong. In Ireland we use the phrasal verb “give out to someone” to mean the same thing

The post Climate Change Podcast appeared first on Old.

In this week's podcast, we are dealing with fear! This episode will present us with a personal story about a spooky situation, we’ll hear about the physical effects of fear on our bodies and we’ll listen to an article about the Irish connection to everyone’s favourite vampire.

You’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the glossary at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

English Language Podcast - Episode Five: Fear Factor

Are you a fan of horror movies? Do you relish in scary stories? Do you believe in ghosts? There is no denying it, some people love being scared. Horror films made worldwide currently gross as much as 1 billion dollars annually. So our first story today is a young man’s account of performing in an old Irish castle...listen if you dare. This episode is called the fear factor.

Story One:

FX: Old harpsichord style music 

I was lucky enough to be asked to perform my one-man-show as part of Heritage Week in Roscrea Castle in Co. Tipperary. The castle was built in the thirteenth century and  is steeped in history. I performed in the castle itself and used the central fireplace as part of the set for my play. 

I rehearsed the show during the day, and practised singing with my CD, and it all went perfectly.The night of my performance however, I waited in my dressing room for my entrance music to come on. After about ten minutes of waiting, I sneaked out to the sound operator who said he couldn’t get the CD to play. He offered to run home and grab his own CD player, and so I waited with the audience for him to return.

When he got back he plugged in his CD player. We put my CD in and it played perfectly. We announced to the crowd that we were now ready to go but when he pressed play again, and nothing happened.

Thinking maybe it was the CD, I grabbed the backup CD. We put it into the player and once again it played perfectly. We announced to the audience that now we definitely were ready to go but, when he pressed play again, nothing happened.

At this point, I had no choice but to perform the play without music, singing thirteen songs acapella. The audience seemed pleased with this decision and everything was going fine until, in the middle of the show, a tall, dark form appeared in the middle of the audience. The figure moved to the left and, then, vanished before my eyes. I did my best to continue my performance as if nothing had happened.

Later that night an official with Heritage Ireland asked how the show went. When I told her what had happened, she gave a look of concern and, without missing a beat, said, “The ghost of Damer!”

John Damer was a wealthy Englishman who, back in 1722, bought the castle and the entire town of Roscrea. He was a member of the English Ascendency and if he had watched me rehearse earlier that day, he would have heard my songs with their pro Irish independence theme. I don’t think he would have been happy. It was easy for me to understand why he would have wanted to stop me from performing it that night, and he almost succeeded!

Story Two:

Intro:

I remember going to visit one of those scare experiences near London Bridge with my best friend. She was excited, I was terrified. I knew that it was going to be dark rooms with actors in them, and no one actually was going to be murdered, however, I did not stop screaming from the second we went inside. I was exhausted by the end of it and yet fuelled with adrenaline. So here are some reasons we like being scared:

1. The Safety Net

When we get scared, our bodies will go into fight, flight, or freeze mode and our brains will quickly evaluate the situation. If we are sitting at home or in front of a cinema screen, it tells us we’re free from risk. Our bodies calm and many of us enjoy the experience, because we know we are safe. 

2. The Flood

When we get scared, we experience a rush of adrenaline and a release of endorphins and dopamine. This can result in a pleasure-filled sense of euphoria. Coupled with this, when we are reminded of our safety, the fear factor is reduced, and we are left with a sense of relief and well-being.

3. Self-Satisfaction

Some people enjoy seeking thrills and the sense of self-satisfaction that  is often experienced after. You might also gain a bit of confidence after too!

4. Curiosity

Many people are curious about the "dark side." The fear of the unknown is one of the most natural and instinctive fears that we have — and it is also one of the oldest curiosities. 

Story Three: Bram Stoker

Intro:

There are countless tales of vampires and blood-sucking demons but few are as famous as Bram Stoker's Dracula. Dracula is a late Victorian novel that created one of the most popular characters in literature. But did you know that Bram Stoker was actually Irish?

Story:

“When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demonic fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away, and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there."

Bram – short for Abraham – Stoker was born in 1847, in Clontarf, Dublin. He graduated from Trinity College and became a civil servant, working for the Irish court’s service for 13 years and later emigrated to London.

His book Dracula was first published back in 1897, and tells the terrifying tale of Count Dracula and his attempts at breaking out of Transylvania and escaping to England. It is a gothic masterpiece. 

Stoker was notoriously private and was careful never to divulge what inspired the plot of the book. He told his son that the story was inspired by a nightmare he had after a supper of crab salad, however it has been rumoured that Ireland provided some inspiration...

Stoker was born in 1847, which was the very height of the Great Irish Famine when around a million people died of starvation and another million emigrated. It is thought he incorporated the hardship of the Irish and the real-life disturbing scenes he witnessed into his book.

Not only that but his mother lived through a cholera epidemic in Sligo in 1832. It killed around 1,500 people in the small town in less than two months. She explained how people at that time believed cholera came from the sea and travelled overland like a mist, just like her son would later write off Count Dracula.

It has also been written that Stoker had an interest in Irish folklore and the character of Dracula was based on a Celtic chieftain called Abhartach.

Not only that but some people believe that Dublin Castle, where Bram worked as a clerk, inspired Dracula’s castle. Legend has it he suffered nightmares while working there and it wasn’t until the late 20th century, that archaeologists discovered many decapitated skeletons from the medieval period buried underneath.

Today, Dracula is the most portrayed movie character, having appeared in almost 300 films and inspired countless similar vampiric characters and stories, and you have an Irish man to thank for that!

Glossary for this week's English language podcast:

This glossary accompanies Episode 5 of the podcast series and will provide short definitions of words and terms you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Introduction:

• relish in - to really enjoy something
• There is no denying it - it’s obvious that it’s true 

Story One

• One-man-show - a performance by one person
• Backup - extra or support
•  without missing a beat - immediately and without any uncertainty

Story Two

• a rush of adrenaline - a sudden surge of adrenaline, the term “a rush” can also be used on its own to mean something similar
• seeking - looking for or trying to find

Story Three

• drew away - moved away 
• breaking out of - escaping 
• Divulge - reveal, usually secrets or important information
• Supper - an evening meal, usually light

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