Crosby’s 9

English from all angles! Transition words are bridges: they take us from one idea to the next. Episode 18 looks at the differences between the transition words “however” and “nevertheless.” “However” is used to transition from a positive idea to a negative one, while “nevertheless” is used to transition from a negative idea to a positive one. In addition to explaining the differences between “howe...

English from all angles! These are words for untidy, shabby and sleazy bars and establishments. The three words pit, dump, and dive describe bars, restaurants or other establishments that are in bad condition: they’re dirty, dark, shabby, run-down, sleazy… And these words are also used in other expressions that Drew discusses in this episode. What are some other meanings of pit, dump and dive? To...

English from all angles! The zero, first, second and third conditionals. Learning the zero, first, second and third conditionals is a pretty simple exercise. Memorize the structures and plug in the vocabulary: If I eat too much, I get fat; If I eat too much, I’ll get fat; If I ate too much, I’d get fat; If had eaten too much, I would’ve gotten fat. That’s all folks! Episode 16 note: Like everythin...

English from all angles! In this episode, Drew discusses the differences among the words “dot,” “point” and “period.” “Dot” is used for referring to Internet domains; “point” is for expressing decimals and “period” is a punctuation mark. The words dot, point and period refer to Internet domains, decimals and punctuation, respectively, but each word has so many more meanings. When you learn a new w...

English from all angles! Why are you going to give a presentation? This is the first question you need to ask yourself. It aligns your goals and lays out the design and purpose of your speech. From there, the keys to giving a successful speech require adapting it to your audience, developing your message, determining audiovisuals, practicing your delivery and anticipating your audience’s response....

English from all angles! It’s best not to care what others think about your English. If you care what other people think about how you speak English, it could discourage you from practicing it and, consequently, prevent you from improving. Therefore, when somebody criticizes your English – and even when somebody compliments you on it – it’s best to be indifferent towards what they think. In other...

English from all angles! With today’s technology, there’s no excuse for a typo. There are two primary factors that have led to the increased occurrence of typos: haste and carelessness. With a spell check feature available in every word processing program, there’s no excuse for having a typo in your written work. (Even so, you should still proofread what you’ve written!). And typos reflect very po...

English from all angles! If you’re exhausted from running errands, from running like a chicken with its head cut off or from simply running around, most likely you’re running out of gas or even running on empty. This episode looks at a few expressions that use the word “run.” Along with learning expressions with the word “run,” Drew stresses the importance of learning and using (over and over!) on...

English from all angles! Signatures: they can be forged, illegible, recognizable and artistic. A signature is a handwritten example of your name. This podcast looks at how signatures are used (and misused!), explains the difference between the verbs “review” and “revise” and gives advice on pronouncing acronyms. Find out why we use the term “John Hancock” for the word “signature.” Also, avoid maki...

English from all angles! Format has a big impact on a magazine’s layout. Our kitchen layout affects the way we cook. Our office layout affects how we work. Since most publishing companies allow you to subscribe to both print and digital versions of their magazines, preference for one format over the other depends a lot on the content’s layout. Layout is the key idea here. The way pictures, photogr...

English from all angles! Find out what’s stopping you from using your killer vocabulary. You know all the key words in your field, and tons of expressions and slang too. However, there’s one small problem. Your killer vocabulary is rendered useless because you can’t understand the context in English. Fix that by training your ear to recognize your vocabulary when used by native speakers. When I co...

English from all angles! Avoid complexity and you’ll communicate more effectively. This episode highlights the importance of clarity and simplicity when communicating in English, or any language for that matter. Don’t fall into the trap of using complex words, jargon or acronyms in order to sound expert and sophisticated. More often than not, it confuses your message instead of clarifying it. It’s...

English from all angles! Use play-on-words to enhance your vocabulary and increase your English level. Depending on people’s accents, the same word in English can be pronounced differently. By detecting the differences you’ll improve your listening compression. In American English, the words “petal” and “pedal” sound exactly the same. Drew teaches the expression “pain in the neck” (and says that h...

English from all angles! Little tricks for stressing what you want to say and how you want to say It. Drew gives advice on how to be consistent when you say the date so that you stop making mistakes. Also, learn how to use “do/does/did” to emphasize what you want to say. When faced with a choice, avoid confusion by picking one way to say the date. In Episode 5 you also learn the expression “as we...

English from all angles! Learn to use the verb “to be” with agility right from the start. Using the verb “to be” with dexterity -in other words, without having to think (and without making mistakes!) - in all tenses means that you dominate the foundation of the English language. Do yourself a favor and take extra time to really master the verb “to be,” otherwise it will soon serve as an impediment...

English from all angles! Relax and Repeat: The Route to Understanding. Learn English the easy way, just like children do. Imitating what Drew says will quickly improve your listening skills (and speaking) skills. When listening to native English speakers talk, relax! Because getting rid of your fear of not understanding will actually increase your concentration and improve listening comprehension....

English from all angles! The Psychological Component of Learning English. Drew discusses how you can benefit by making mistakes when learning English. We look at how repetition and imitation are two key exercises for improving your speaking and pronunciation skills. The episode also includes the expression “mind over matter,” the phrasal verb “to get over,” the expression “stand your ground” as we...

English from all angles! Introduction and Tips for Using Crosby's 9. Use the podcast to expand your vocabulary, practice phrasal verbs and learn expressions as you improve your listening and speaking skills. In this, the very first episode, Drew introduces the podcast and welcomes listeners. He explains how English language learners will improve their listening comprehension and speaking skills (y...