Woodside Weekly Newsletter Podcast

The longer I live in Spain, the more peculiar I realise we Brits must seem. Especially when it comes to how we speak. We rarely say what we mean and it can be charming, confusing or downright maddening depending on who’s listeing. In today’s edition of Woodside Weekly I want to take you inside that very British habit of indirectness and help you decode what’s really being said. Learning a language...

If you say the word siesta to any British person they will automatically think of Spain, sunshine, and a little post-lunch nap. The word, of course, comes from Latin and we can actually use it in English too. Where did the word “siesta” originate? The Romans divided the day into twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. The sexta hora   or sixth hour fell around midday. It was the hot...

Christmas Edition!  The other week a student of mine told the group about a typical Christmas tradition in Catalonia, Spain. Despite living here for donkey’s years, I had never heard of this tradition and funnily enough neither had the rest of the students in the group. This conversation inspired me to think about the weirdest Christmas traditions from around the world. So, ladies and gentlemen, s...

What is a phrasal verb? A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb. When used together they have a different meaning to the original verb when it’s alone.  They can actually be a nightmare for English learners. Learning something that doesn’t exist in your own language can be tough! (I remember! ) and actually,  until I started teaching  English and listening to myself t...

A witch is defined as being a woman with magical powers. Throughout history, they have been portrayed in many ways. At times, in the past, they have been seen in a good light, often as healers and wise women. However, through many periods of history, they have been linked to the occult, considered malicious, wicked women sorcerers who practice Black Magic.  The image of a witch for many is an old...

Body art is a way to stand out from the crowd and although it might seem like a modern thing, it’s actually been around for donkey’s years , we are going to be talking about tattoos.  The word Tattoo comes from the Samoan word “tatau” which imitates the sound of the tools when doing a tattoo on someone.   Tattoos throughout history have been used to mark and identify social status, rank, skills, ...

When we compare modern-day life with the past I think we can almost certainly say that we've become more image-conscious than ever before. This is probably thanks to shifts in society and the excessive use of social media and our constant access to photos, both taking and scrutinising them.  We all want to look our best, and that desire has set the bar quite high . Some folks spend countless hours...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Heads up challenge! Listen or read the article and find all the ways I use to refer to “having a sleep”. There are quite a few. Here's the scenario: It's lunchtime, and you've just powered through a string of never-ending meetings. You've been crushing it this morning, ticking off tasks left, right and...

Before we begin, here’s a little quiz to get you thinking… * Think of 3 verbs: things you can do with money. * Do you think money is important? Why? * Think of all the adjectives you can associate with money/people. * What books and songs do you know whose common theme is money?  Money. It powers our daily lives, it’s woven into the fabric of our society. For many people, it is why they get up in...

Last week, we looked into how habits are formed and how to substitute bad habits for good ones. We got an insight into habit loops and how they form and the 4 part process that leads to making a habit and repeating it day in and day out on autopilot.  Today, I wanted to delve into the world of sticking to the good habits you make and acquiring good ones, and motivating yourself to create new ones....

When people think of Spain, the sun, flamenco, sangría, siestas, and chorizo often come to mind. However, if there's one thing that truly embodies the essence of Spanish cuisine, I think it's tapas. Tapas have gained international recognition and they have even been declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. In today’s issue, we will explore the tapas culture in Spain, its region...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com What do the words, disaster, salary, deadline, avocado, nightmare, and mortgage have in common? Think about it for a moment.  Actually, they don’t have something specific in common but they all have fascinating origins. Culture and historical events have greatly influenced the tapestry of our language...

When I moved to Spain, one of the things that really opened my eyes was the difference in humour between the British culture and the Spanish.  It made me realise that what is funny in one country and is considered “the norm” is far from being so in other countries. Sometimes, humour just doesn’t translate.  I know that the British sense of humour comes across as downright peculiar to most other na...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com In today's issue, we will be painting a vivid picture of the past and present of lipstick! If you want to know more about the ancient origins and the modern-day formulations of lipstick, some related idioms and expressions, then pucker up! Today's lesson will have you wanting to kiss the pages for more...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Going away and switching off from your day-to-day is a must from time to time. When away in a place you don’t know when on a trip, it can be a bit of a risk choosing somewhere to eat if you decide to eat out…  We all know the drill: find somewhere that looks busy and clean. The more people there are, t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Let’s start with a simple question: Where do you think the first hamburger originated?  If you said the US then you wouldn’t be alone. But did it really originate in the US?  Why is it called a “ ham” burger - it hasn’t got any ham in it….so? It’s all very confusing.  Hamburgers are so popular nowadays...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com King Charles III: Long Live the King! The British Monarchy is an institution. Ask most people foreign people about what they think of when we say “Britain” and one of the top ten things they always say is “The Queen”. That, of course, is now going to change to the King, but The Royal Family is always r...

UNESCO decided that the pleasures of books and reading should be celebrated and World Book Day was first held in 1995 and has been celebrated every year since on the 23rd of April. More than 100 countries worldwide take part in World Book Day. It is a fun way of encouraging people to read and makes it more appealing to younger audiences.  World Book Day is held on the 23rd of April. Do you have an...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com With so many places available at our fingertips, there are always a few nerves when booking your accommodation for a getaway. You go through websites looking for the best deal, the nicest places that are available for your dates, and prices meet your budget. You check out the location, the facilities a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Easter, for many, is a traditional time of year. Whether you are religious or not, there are traditions and customs that you can participate in.  Thinking about Easter recently, I was transported back to the time, many moons ago, when I had my very first experience of a Spanish Easter. I was 17 years o...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Has someone played a prank on your recently? How did you take it? Do you prefer to play jokes on people? It’s great to have a laugh and the 1st of April in some countries is the “official” day to do it.  Did you know the 1st of April is April Fool’s Day in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK? April Fo...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com Do you look in the mirror and wince at the sight of a new wrinkle or grey hair?  Is your hair starting to fall out? Are you going bald? Are you having trouble recognising the person staring back at you? On the inside you feel, 18 but what you see in the mirror is light years away from that. Unfortunate...

I am going to be doing a series of newsletters called “Natural English”. I will publish one of these newsletters every four weeks so that you get the opportunity to see real-life conversations, phrases and vocabulary in everyday situations in English. You will also be able to learn about what mistakes not to make in these situations. This week we are going to talk about going somewhere for the wee...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner I want you to think of all things Irish. What springs to mind when I say Ireland / Irish?  The colour green, shamrocks, red hair, fair skin and freckles, Irish music and Irish dancing, Molly Malone,  leprechauns, and… What about the black stuff? Did that...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit woodsideenglishonline.substack.com In Britain, we may not be renowned for our culinary skills, but I am sure that no one can deny that as a nation we have had quite a huge impact on sport (football) and music. Today, we will be dedicating this newsletter to the legendary music group: The Beatles.  Before we begin, let’s see if you can a...