The Talking People Podcast

Welcome to the TP Podcast!
This time I’m going to read one of the most human poems ever written, a poem that can be understood even if we don’t share the same its author’s time space and culture. I’ll read Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Then I’ll tell you my pacifist version of the first five lines, which was what I declared when I was arrested after taking Direct Nonviolent Action (DNVA) at Greenham Common in 1990. (I have to add here that the Sergeant was quite enthusiastic about my statement. I was released about half an hour later!)
Read “To be or not to be”. Here is the pacifist version, also in Spanish.
Here is the Talking People webpage devoted to Shakespeare, who we love!
If you’ve never thought about what the to be or not to be question is, I suggest you think about it now, and if you can, discuss it with more people – you will be surprised.
Thank you for listening and have a nice day!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:36 — 2.4MB)

Read the story (for intermediate students, there is an abridged version – by me!).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:09 — 7.5MB)

Second episode of language we fin on TV series! — a more everyday kind of language than that in textbooks.
Post the language you learn on the TP Forums here! Thanks!
Read the sentences in this audio.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:11 — 11.1MB)

The Demon Lover. On the Sexuality of Terrorism, by Robin Morgan (1989). A Food for Thought text, with comments on what feminism is by your host.

Check out the TP page where you will find these excerpts.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:42 — 8.0MB)

Read the sentences here.
Listen and repeat by clicking below. You can also download this episode, supposing you don’t want to subscribe.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:17 — 14.0MB)

Read the quote and learn more about June Jordan.
Listen to her beautiful very intelligent thought!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11 — 1.1MB)

Read the transcript.

Happy March 8, International Women’s Day!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:26 — 8.6MB)

This audio includes some language tips, too: on the uses of “will” and the good context for practicing comparatives here, the use of the present perfect + “ever” in the UK and of the past simple + “ever” in the USA, plus a language note, on the use of How …? &What … like?

Read the sentences on the TP website.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:22 — 9.5MB)

Read the story and learn about how to exploit literature to keep learning the language!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:32 — 16.1MB)

This audio includes “sorry” sentences you can use in conversations and in notes and letters/emails. It also includes some language comments, like the comment about the three different “that” words you can find!
Read the sentences in this episode. More: Apologies Accepted at TP and some sorry letters at the TP Writing section.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:08 — 20.3MB)