Learn English through Art & Design

In today’s episode I talk about two community art projects that are making connections between artists and the community. You can find the transcript for today’s episode as well as links to discover more about the two projects at www.artyanglais.com/podcast

In today's episode I talk about my the top 5 landscapes/gardens and buildings I've visited in my travels. You'll hear me talk about vocabulary for giving opinions, describing things I'm inspired by, describing places and my travel experiences in the past. You can find the transcript for today's episode as well as links to discover more about these places at www.artyanglais.com/podcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the secret of being a better designer (and a better language learner)- by noticing more. This is based on a video I watched by Tony Fadell: The First Secret of Design is Noticing. I really liked a lot of what he said so I'm going to discuss some of the things he talked about in relation to being a good designer but also how you can take some of the things he discussed can also apply to your language learning. In today’s episode I’m also going to give you some good examples of expressions and phrasal verbs related to noticing. You can find the transcript for todays episode at www.artyanglais.com/podcast You’ll need to sign up as a member but it’s free to do so.

In today’s episode I am talking about the importance of friendships, companionships, and rivalries amongst artists. You can find all the links and transcript for today’s episode at www.artyanglais.com/podcast You’ll need to become a free member to our access all the transcripts to the episodes.

Today I’m charging things up and bringing you an unplanned Episode from outside in the sunshine. I’m a little sick of staring at my computer so today I’m bringing you an Episode from the river next to my house. Today I’m talking about my top 5 tips for staying motivated when learning a language. These are 5 things I do to keep my eye on the prize! You can find the transcript for today’s episode www.artyanglais.com/podcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about five projects or artists that are raising awareness about important social and cultural issues. I believe artists have a unique perspective and have the power to be able to raise awareness about inequality and bring to light the things we might sometimes ignore.Today I'm going to talk about:Illustrators Celebrating Diversity particular an article I read on Deezeen. Pride Month - the 21 Day Challenge Outings Project Comic Book Route in Brussels The Artist - ChristoYou'll find the transcript, vocabulary and links with this website at www.artyanglais.com/podcast

In today’s episode, I’m using a short video for today’s topic question: When is art design and when is design art? See the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UxZehKGMrAI ask the question: does it really matter? I also share examples of artists, designers and design movements that 'blur the boundaries' between disciplines. You can find the transcript and key vocabulary for today’s episode on our website. www.artyanglais.com/podcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about being bilingual and if it makes you more creative. I think it does, but I wanted to find an article with real research to back up my beliefs! What do you think?  You can find the article that I talk about in today's episode here.  You can find the transcript and vocabulary from today's episode here: www.artyanglais.com/podcast  You'll need to sign up as a free member of the site to access the transcripts.

In today's episode, I'm talking about how flow brings out your potential. We talk about how being in a state of flow allows you to show your skills.  You can find the article from the BBC that I talk about in today's episode here.  You can find the transcript and vocabulary from today's episode here: www.artyanglais.com/podcast  You'll need to sign up as a free member of the site to access the transcripts.

In today's episode, I'm talking about How art during the global pandemic has brought us closer together. This was inspired by an article I read on the UNESCO website: Even during COVID-19, art ‘brings us closer together than ever’ – UN cultural agency I'm going o share with you my own thoughts on what I have experienced during this time and read parts of the article.  You can find the transcript and vocabulary from today's episode here: www.artyanglais.com/podcast   You can see an example of this togetherness above. Wetransfer is donating 30% of their advertising space to creatives they admire and causes they care about.

Episode 21 A Pecha Kucha Presentation - Why I like Street Art and Graffiti Welcome to Episode 21 of the Arty Anglais Podcast, the podcast where we talk about art culture and society to help you learn English naturally. You’ll hear me talk about art and English in a different way so you can learn English in context.Hey everyone, and welcome back to Episode 21 of the Arty Anglais podcast. I hope you enjoyed the last episode where I talked about my top 5 tips for giving good presentations.I talked about Pecha Kucha and a style of presentation with only images. You can listen to Episode 20 if you want to find out more. Today I thought I’d do one myself. I decided to talk about why I like street art because it’s something I'm passionate about. Today’s episode has quite a few expressions and you’ll find the vocabulary, the transcript and the presentation of the image that goes with the words here: www.artyanglais.com/podcastRemember to access the transcript it's free to do so but you just need to sign up to be a free member of the site.

In today's episode, I'm talking about my top 5 Tips for Giving Good Presentations and How to do a Pecha Kucha style presentation. This was inspired by a question from Conversation Starters World: Have you ever given a presentation in front of a lot of people?  I'll talk about a few of my examples as well as what a Pecha Kucha style presentation is. If visual presentations are your thing, you'll find this episode useful.  You can find Vocabulary and Transcript in Episode 20 on the Arty Anglais website. www.artyanglais.com/podcast as well as all links mentioned in this podcast. If you're an ESL teacher or you just want to find some prompts to practice you're writing, you'll also find a list of discussion questions based on this episode. You'll also have the opportunity to see if you can find out the meanings to some expressions I found in a number of Petcha Kutcha style presentations.  discussion questions if your an ESL teacher or if you just want some prompts to practice your writing. Links mentioned in today's episode:  Pecha Kucha  How to make great presentations the Pecha Kutcha Way  ToastMasters

Hey everyone, and welcome to Episode 19 the Arty Anglais podcast, the podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. Great news! All my episodes will now be transcribed and you’ll be able to find the transcripts on the website www.artyanglais.com/podcastTranscripts will appear 60 minutes after each episode is published. So check back if the transcript isn't ready. So from now on, all the longer Episodes, Art of Conversation Episodes and Lessons will now all just be in the same place and each episode will be numbered no matter what type of episode it is.Today I’m going to talk about a TEDTalk I saw recently which was from 2016 called:A project of Peace painted across 50 buildings. (Click here to see the video or watch it in the transcript for today's episode).  The video is a presentation by eL Seed who is a French-Tunisian street artist. His work incorporates traditional Arabic calligraphy, a style he calls calligraffiti. Which is a composite term of calli - from the word calligraphy and graffiti.Find out more about el Seed here.I wanted to share this video with you for three reasons:The message behind his story is important - to be aware of and sensitive to cultural difference.The project is very moving and emotional and I think during this in this time it shows the importance of human connection, togetherness and trying to understand othersEnglish is his third or second language. When you watch the video you might need subtitles because at times it is challenging to understand his pronunciation. However, I wanted you to hear it because you will see that despite some little mistakes and some challenges with pronunciation, the audience is so captivated and engaged with everything he has to say. You will see what I mean.So before we discuss anything about the video and before you watch it I want to share with you two things to do while you watch the video. It’s 10 minutes long so not very long so you should be able to watch it a few times.In the video, he shares a quote in Arabic which translates in English to -Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes first. I want you to think about how this quote is linked to this project and what it means to you. Vocabulary in the Video: Anamorphic - Relating to producing different optical imaging effects or illusions. He created an anamorphic piece which means he painted several different buildings so that when the builds are viewed from far away or a vantage point it creates one big image. It’s an optical illusion that looks different from far away compared to close up. unity - coming together as a whole. For example, all the buildings come together to create one image. The people also come together as a community. Perceive something - verb to be aware of something or come to realise something in a different way.Perception - noun - is the way you think about something, your ideas based on your experience and background. neglected - suffering or lack of proper care Isolated - far away from other places, buildings, or people; remote.The key person of the project - the main person who allowed the project to happenThe project moved him - to emotionally affect someone so strongly.Open a dialogue - start talking about a sensitive issue or to start talking about somethingTo relate to something - To put yourself in someone’s shoes - Discussion Questions:  1. What’s the difference between Live from the garbage Live in the garbage 2. What is the difference between ‘shining light on something’ and  ‘bringing light to someone  or something3. If you want to see the real person maybe you should change your angle. What does this mean? Why did he say this?  4. Do you think the artist thought the finished product was more important or the journey? Why?Links Interview in FrenchArts and Culture Panel Discussion

Welcome back to The Arty Anglais Podcast. If you're learning English and you're curious about arts and culture then you have landed on the right place. We teach English in context by talking about interesting and creative subjects. In today's episode we discuss Japanese Woodblock Prints and Ukiyo-e. Transcript available here.https://www.artyanglais.com/post/woodblockprintsToday I talk aboutWhat is Ukiyo-e art ?Who are some of the artists?The process and the materials used for of Ukiyo-eModern-day forms of the artWomen in the Edo Period  To find out more about Ukiyo-e you can read about it on Google Arts and Culture.  You can stay in contact by sending an email to info@artyanglais.com or following us on Instagram  @artyanglais.

Every piece of Art you’ve ever wanted to see up close and searchable Today I wanted to do an extension lesson on a short podcast I did about Google Arts culture. Today's lesson is focused around two videos by Amid Sood.Building a museum of museums on the webhttps://www.ted.com/talks/amit_sood_building_a_museum_of_museums_on_the_webEvery piece of Art you’ve ever wanted to see up close and searchable https://www.ted.com/talks/amit_sood_every_piece_of_art_you_ve_ever_wanted_to_see_up_close_and_searchableDriven by his passion for art, Amit Sood tells the story of how he developed an Art Project to let people all around the world visit some amazing places. This is a video very relevant in today's time. We talk about the accessibility of art for people around the world and how this project is changing how we access art.In the second video, you’ll join Amid Sood and Google artist in residence Cyril Diagne in a mind-bending demo from the Cultural Institute and glimpse the exciting future of accessibility to arts and culture. I think this is also particularly relevant for education today so that for example students in India, has access to some of these artefacts.Who is Amit Sood? He is the director of Google's Cultural Institute. He stresses that he isn’t an artist himself nor is he an expert but he is passionate about making art accessible to everyone (as am I). He and his team work on making art and culture accessible and engaging for everyone. They have partnered with over 1,000 museums, archives and other institutions from more than 70 countries to bring our shared heritage onto the web and connect them with people through new technologies. They have been experimenting with combining art with machine learning algorithms and other advanced technologies to create new ways to explore our cultures.VocabularyPitch an idea - presenting an idea to someoneTo make something more accessible - make it easier for people to be able to use it or see itThe best if yet to come - this is only the start - good things have happened but even more good things are still going to comeDo justice to their artwork - to present or show something in a way that means it is being fairly representing and getting the praise it deservesTo be blown away - a phrasal verb which means you were really impressed with somethingGet a taste of something - you get to experience a little something that helps you to understand what it might be like to be thereVocabulary for giving an optiontheoretically - in a way that relates to the theory of a subject or area rather than experiences. For example, theoretically, all people could walk for an hour without stopping.personally - in my opinionundoubtedly - there is no doubtOtherwise - the contraryWithout a doubt - there is no doubtAs far as I’m concerned - in my strong opinionI’m under the impression that - I thought thatIn my view - in my opinion Do you agree with these statements? If it was free to go to a museum, more people would go.   Britain has many free museums but I read an article recently where the author thought that museums should be free.https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2015/jul/23/museums-should-charge-entrance-feesMost of the world are living without access to arts and cultureBeing able to see a painting up close from the comfort of your own home gives you more time to learn about the painting. Artwork collections should be rotated more often into different galleries so more people around the world can see them. Money made from ticket entries should go into arts and cultural fundingExpression - That goes without saying - meaning that is obvious! Of course, it should.It’s a good idea that museums are accessible online and to everyone?  Do you think Google Arts and Culture replicates the experience of being in a museum? Is going to a museum something you only do when you go on vacation? Everyone should make virtual exhibitionsArtsteps is a a web-based environment that allows its members to

Does music help us work better? Today’s episode is based on an article I read on the BBC. You will be able to read it here: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200317-does-music-help-us-work-it-dependsI was desperately trying to find something a little more interesting and more positive amid all this talk of coronavirus. So today we are going to discuss the topic of the article. Firstly, I’m going to share my opinion based on my own anecdotal evidence. Then I’m going to invite you to read the article and tell me what you think.I’m going to talk about some vocabulary items you’ll encounter and some interesting expressions.Then I’m going to talk about what my opinion was after reading the article.Vocabulary:arguably - it may be argued (used to qualify the statement of an opinion or belief)Arguably it’s better to listen to classical music than rock music at work.bespoke - made for a particular person in a personalised wayproductivity - the state or quality of being productive such as getting a lot doneperception - noun the way in which something is regarded, understood or interpreted.detrimental - adjective to describe something which means tending to cause harm.beneficial - adjective to describe something (opposite to detrimental) resulting in good; favourable or advantageous.reportedly according to what some say and it is used to express the speaker's belief that the information given is not necessarily true).getting into the zone - being in kind of a certain state of mind with which one is feeling focusedthere’s no one-size-fits-all recipe - one size fits all is an adjective to describe something that is or isn’t suitable for everyone or every purpose. An individual person’s response to music is based on so many factors that it’s almost impossible to study. Questions after reading the article Do you think music can have an impact on your productivity at work? Do you think it depends on the type of music you listen to? What type of music disrupts your concentration? What type of music gets you in the zone? Arguments that suggest music is good for productivity:Increased productivity by 12-15% in the factory during the time of the warIncrease productivity and motivation in some officesMusic makes us feel good and therefore helps us to plod on with otherwise boring tasks.Mozart Effect - listening to Mozart for 10 minutes can help your performance on certain tasksKeeps you active during boring tasks, so listening to music can increase your attentionMakes you more relaxed which is what increases productivity, not the music itself Arguments that suggest music isn’t good for productivity: Some scientists believe our perception is skewed. Music is seen as a reward and therefore we might work harder in these conditions.Music can be detrimental to our brain functions during complex tasksThere is no 'one-size-fits all' explantation.

Today’s English lesson episode is about how Street Art can end up in a Gallery. I’m specifically going to talk a little about a video I watched about the Urban Nation Gallery in Berlin.You can find the video I’m talking about in today’s episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGzwWzeL0m4I’ve spoken about this gallery before on the podcast. But first, let’s do something I sometimes do as a warm-up. As a warm-up, I give my students some newspaper headlines and they have to guess what the missing word might be. Let’s have a look at two different ones from the BBC and if you’re interested, I’ll put the link to the article in the show description.Newspaper headlinesCan you guess the missing word? Does __________ help us work better? It depends?What do you think?Actual Article here Why we need to ________ more?Actual Article here I’m going to use the first article in a future lesson episode but now, let’s look at today’s video about Urban Nation Gallery.VocabularyEphemeral - not permanent or lasting for a short amount of timeTransitory - not permanentStreet art is something we describe as being ephemeral or transitory because it doesn’t always last long. What other things can you think of that are ephemeral or transitory?Physical things like waves and the flow of water are ephemeral because they are always changing. I also think that social media is very ephemeral. For example, different hashtags and trends are always changing with current events.Aesthetics - a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty.Showcase - a place or occasion for showing or presenting a collection of things Indescribable - too unusual, extreme, or indefinite to be adequately described.Posterity - future generations of people. For example Every attempt is being made to ensure that these works of art are preserved for posterity.Curated - selected, organised, and presented using professional or expert knowledge Questions before watching the video Favourite art style or art? Maluda (a Portuguese artist) https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Maluda/51C4DA4DD8E6A65AMichael Murphy https://www.supersonicmodern.com/How often do you go to museums or galleries? What artists/designers do you admire? Jo Di Bona https://jodibona.com/bio/Is graffiti art? What do you think it means - Street artists are getting their due now because people have started to think of them as real artists. - Praised even though criticised normally. Can Street Artwork in a museum also? Why and Why not? Questions for After watching the video:Know of any other galleries showing street art?Would you go to a gallery for street art?Would you go to the gallery in Berlin?Any questions - get in contact info@artyanglais.com

Hello everyone,In today’s episode I’m going through a lesson plan I have used with some of my students before to talk about a video I found on TED talks called - How painting can transform communities. I suggest you watch the video first here or pause this podcast episode to watch the video when you have a chance. The video has subtitles to make it easier to understand anything you might not be sure about.On the video, the two Dutch Artists Koolhaas and Urhahn talk about how they create community art by painting entire neighbourhoods and involving those who live there -- from the favelas of Rio to the streets of North Philadelphia. You’ll see how the projects they were involved in transform the communities into art projects which captured the attention of the world.If you’re interested you can find out more about their projects at the favela painting projects website. https://favelapainting.com/PROJECTS-HOME I’ll talk a little about the vocabulary you will hear in the video: 4:50 Vocabulary Favela - Neighbourhood in RioShoot a video - recording a video master plan - it’s usually a plan showing what things will happen and at what time scale so everyone knows what will happen. Favela is a neighbour which is planned over time without a master plan s it develops more organically.Work in progress - an unfinished project that is still being added to or developed.NGO - Non- governmental organisation An NGO is an organisation, usually non-profit, that operates independently of a government.What struck us - causes someone to think about somethingSome of the ideas stuck - they were good ideas and they decided to go ahead with themWe lost count - to fail to be able to count someone or something, especially because there are so many.Our crew - a group of people working togetherNotorious slum -  overcrowded urban street or district inhabited by very poor people.See the newspaper article here:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/09/artnews.brazilLittle did we know -  It is used to remark on the fact that a person committed some action while entirely unaware of what was going to happen nextThrow a bbq - put on or hold a gathering/BBQFigured something out - resolve it or find a solutionbuild something from the ground up with no plan - starting with the basics 14:20 True/False questions:The two people giving the talk are ItalianThe first project was in RioWhen they first thought about the first project they thought about it as being one big work of artWhen the two artists suggested the project to their friend Nanko who worked for an NGO he said everyone would hate the idea.When the artists first painted the building blue, the people loved it.The kids loved the picture of the boyThe local newspaper wrote about itFor the second project in Rio, they painted a concrete road in the Japanese style.From this project, they learn that the next project should be detailed.Discussion questions: What other places in the world do the colourful buildings remind you of?When they did the project in North Philadelphia, who did they start BBQing?Why do you think it’s important to do the projects by working with the local people and the local artists?Why do you think they chose to paint the buildings using colour? Do you think it would have the same impact without colour?Would you like it if this happened in your neighbourhood?Want to have a go at answering any of these discussion questions? Send me an email to info@artyanglais.com and I'll correct it for you if you like. Thanks and I'll see you next time for another lesson, this time about Street Art in Galleries.

Hello everyone. Today I’m bringing you a short episode about the Google Arts and Culture App or website and why I think it’s a great resource for exploring art (especially now that we are in lockdown). It’s also a good way for you to explore some of the paintings I am going to talk about in my next Arty Anglais Episode which will come with a transcript).You can find the Website here. https://artsandculture.google.com/I’ve suggested a few examples of things you can do on this website: my favourite part of this website is the zoom feature. I use this sometimes to show my students close up images of paintings like Van Gogh’s Starry Night.I invite you to have a look at the Art Movement: Ukiyo-e before I release my episode on Japanese Art this week. See if you can find my favourite painting of a waterfall. What are your favourites from this page?https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/ukiyo-e/m0bwbv?categoryId=art-movementTomorrow I’ll be doing an episode about a video I found on TedTalks called: How painting can Transform Communities. If you want to watch it beforehand that might help with understanding and talking about the episode. I’ll talk about vocabulary, expressions and some discussion questions from the video.I look forward to sharing it with you and keeping you learning English during this time.If you have any questions don't hesitate to send me an email to info@artyanglais.com

Hello everyone. With such worrying times and the Coronavirus, we are confined to working from home. For those of you working from home, today I have 6 tips for you. For a list of the expressions, I used in today’s episode see below. My 6 tips for working from home:Wake up with a normal routineMake a space in the house where you will workWrite a list of what you’ll do for the day and stick to itTake regular breaks away from your spaceMake sure you know how to use Skype or know how Google Hangouts worksSet boundaries between work and things that need to be done at home such as the cleaningHow can you keep talking to people in English (especially now that we are confined to our houses):Conversation ExchangeHello Talk AppiTalki Or try a teacher who gives skype lessons. I can help you out with skype lessons if you’re interested too. See my website and send me an email if you'd like to try www.artyanglais.com Expressions: getting the hang of it - to learn to handle something with some skillstick to a routine/ or stick to it - keep doing things as a routine go about your daily things - 'go about' is a phrasal verb which means begin or carry on withsporadically - occasionally or at irregular intervalsdesignated space - space especially for something stay in contact/stay in touch - contact people and talk to them set boundaries - the limits we set with people  Stay tuned this week for my Podcast English Lessons - something I wanted to give to my students as a way to keep learning English

Hey everyone, welcome to the Art of conversation with Arty Anglais. Today I'm talking about my top 3 travel experiences. Maybe it will give you some ideas too! Today's question comes from Conversation Starters World. I’ll talk about 3 places I have loved during my travels. I talk about my top three travel destinations:Oaxaca in Mexico Iceland The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island in AustraliaI'll tell you all about why I loved them and what happened during my trips. Links for each of the places:Oaxaca, Mexico The travel company I went through to visit the Sierra Norte and the Pueblos Mancomunados on a Sustainable Eco Tour. Don't judge me for my pronunciation of Pueblos Mancomunados! :(http://tierraventura.com/Iceland https://www.bluelagoon.com/https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/northern-lights-tours-icelandPenguin Parade https://www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade/Expressions in Today's EpisodeSome of the expressions I used include:take someone up on something (advice) - listen to and follow someone's advice about something make the most of something - to do something or enjoy something as much as possibletoo much for me to handle - it was too hard (to eat)it was really too much - it was too hard (to eat) stopover - when you stop at a city between two flights make the most of something (the day) - to as many things as possible to enjoy it as much as you can close to my heart - dear to someone/to really like something

Hey Everyone,Welcome to a new episode of the Art of Conversation. Today I'm talking about the art of listening and why I think it's a winner for language learning! Firstly, listening provides you with the perfect opportunity to 'kill two birds with one stone' which means you'll be able to do two things at the same time while trying to improve your English. I tell all my students how important I believe listening is when it comes to learning a language. Of course, I think there are other aspects of language learning which are important too, however listening is the one thing you can do even if you think you don't have the time. I can guarantee you that you will find at least 10 minutes because there is always the option to do it while you're doing something else.   What are some of your favourite things to listen to in English?

Welcome back to The Arty Anglais Podcast. I'm so happy to be bringing you my first Episode for 2020. Happy New Year! In today's episode, I'm talking about women in art. I talk about the gender gap but  I try to talk about the positives also. You can find the transcript here.  So today I'm going to talk a little bit about: - An organisation who is promoting females in art called AWARE - A little about the reality for females in the art world (the statistics)- Some things that have been happening recently (so things that happened last year) to increase female artist exposure- My list of 6 female artists to share with you that I think are great and I feel need to be found by other people- Female artists in history and why they were underrepresented. As I have been doing at the start of the last few episodes, I'm also going to start with an artist statement from a street artist in Montpellier called Noon.See her facebook page here.  I really want to keep the trend going so after you listen to the episode I would love it if you could share with me your 5 women in art by tagging my Arty Anglais Instagram

Hey everyone, welcome to the Art of conversation with Arty Anglais. It’s been a while! I’ve been anywhere and everywhere the last two months and quite frankly I'm tired! I had ambitions to keep the podcast going, but time and resources were not my friends and I wanted to spend precious moments with my family. Then I got sick and that is definitely a wake-up call to be kinder to yourself! But here I am back again for 2020! Happy New Year everyone. I've missed you and of course, being in front of the microphone! Since I’ve been back in France I have lots to tell you but I’m going to keep it brief. What do I tell you today:What is happening in Australia with the fires and what I’m doing for Fundraising What I did when I was in Australia and some of the creative art and artists I saw:Mike Makaton, Adnate, The Keith Harring & Jean Michel Basquiat exhibition and I forgot to mention the amazing Silo in Fynsford, Geelong I saw by the very talented artist Role. Christmas in AustraliaHow my year startedGoals for 2020 with the podcast and my own French learningHow you can contribute to my fundraising with @tussockstudioHappy listening and I hope you have a wonderful year.Catch you all soonTara

Hey everyone, welcome to the Art of conversation with Arty Anglais. Since I’ve been back in Australia, I’ve been a little sick and I lost my voice! It’s only just come back without out me coughing. Today I decided to make an episode all about My motivations for another language (French) and what I do to learn it every day. Maybe it will give you some ideas too!Since I’ve been back in Australia for holidays, the most common questions people ask me is ‘How’s your French going?’ and then they ask me to say something in French! So I decided to make an episode about all the tools I use to make learning the language a part of my day.I’ll talk about:Having a teacher on Skype and why it’s important to find someone who you trust and knows your interestsUsing italkiHow I use podcastsHow you should make the most of every spare moment you have to listen to the languageHow I mix learning French with my Australian home in MelbourneWhy reading is a great way to build vocabulary and the types of things you can read; andUsing the Readlang app and reading blogsWhy you need to stop being a perfectionist!Some of the expressions I used include:doing something on a daily basis - doing something every daydoing bits and pieces - small fragments of something or a miscellaneous assortment of thingsin the meantime - until something expected happensmisconception - an idea that is wrong because it is based on a failure to understand a situationfew and far between -  not happening or existing very oftendowntime - time when you relax and do not very muchput that down to - if you put something down to a particular reason, you think it has happened for that reasonon top of that - in control of something and aware of changesto catch up for lunch - to see someone you haven’t seen for a whileeasier said than done - be more easily talked about than put into practice.You can listen to this podcast with the subtitles on youtube here.

Welcome to Episode 16 of The Arty Anglais Podcast. A podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. You'll hear me talk about interesting topics, English expressions and English grammar in a different way so you can learn English in context.  My name is Tara and I am an English and Art teacher and I teach English and Art together to kids and teenagers, and I teach English to adults also. I love everything to do with art. I am a curious and creative teacher and an artist myself, so I love being able to bring these curiosities and fascinations with the creative world to my students. I also love speaking to artists and creative people about their stories and what they do.  I don't talk about just art history or the old art masters, the painters. Here I talk about what's going on now in the world around me about art.  Today I'm excited to share the second in a series of a few episodes about comics. In this second episode, I talk to Will Pleydon the artist of the comic Cul-de-sac. I spoke to the author Andrew in the previous Episode so if you haven't already heard it, check that one out too.  CuldeSac links : Comixology Facebook page I also share an artist statement from Will Pleydon and you can find his links here  Will Pleydon ArtWill Pleydon Instagram Will Pleydon Etsy   In the interview with Will I talk about his: History with comics and background in drawing Inspirations for drawing including some of the artists that have inspired him The materials he uses How he stayed motivated while making the comic  The characters and the process between the artist and author Some of the other art he creates You'll find the transcript for today's episode here along with vocabulary and a downloadable PDF booklet with some sample images from the comic and the full list of expressions and vocabulary. You'll need to sign up to be a member of the site but it's free to do so and we'll keep all your private information safe. Next time, we'll talk to Will Pleydon, the artist from the Comic. You can Follow Arty Anglais InstagramFacebookiTunesSpotifyYouTube (Podcast Episodes)

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website: I use this very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms. Today's question was inspired by thinking about how long it took me to fly to Australia! It's long guys! More than 24 hours! In this episode I'm going to answer the question: What is the worst place you've been stuck for a long time? jetlagged - when you have a temporary disruption of the body's normal biological rhythms after high-speed air travel through several time zones.stopover/layover - when you stop at an airport between two planes all up - all together I'm used to it - means you are still used or accustomed to doing it booked a trip/booked flights - bought tickets for travelling travel agent - a person who can book your flights figured something out - solve or discover the cause of a problemlittle did I know - used to say that there was something I didn't realise stress out - feeling stressed

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website: I use this very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms.  In this episode, I'll answer one question to give you some expressions and ideas to do with describing your plans. I'm going to answer the question: What are your plans when you go to Australia? Expressions to describe your plans:I'm looking forward to I hope to I might I'm thinking about I can't wait to I'm determined to Some expressions I used in this episode: Up in the air: things are still to be settled and are unresolved.take a raincheck: when you want to say you cannot accept the invitation now, but you will do it at a later time making loose plans: I have some idea of what I am doing but nothing is certain nothing is set in stone/set in concrete: I haven't made any plans that are certainplay it by ear: take things as they come and be more spontaneous and live in the moment

Welcome to episode 15 of The Arty Anglais Podcast. A podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. You'll hear me talk about interesting topics, English expressions and English grammar in a different way so you can learn English in context.  My name is Tara and I am an English and Art teacher and I teach English and Art together to kids and teenagers, and I teach English to adults also. I love everything to do with art. I am a curious and creative teacher and an artist myself, so I love being able to bring these curiosities and fascinations with the creative world to my students. I also love speaking to artists and creative people about their stories and what they do.  I don't talk about just art history or the old art masters, the painters. Here I talk about what's going on now in the world around me about art.  Today I'm excited to share the first in a series of a few episodes about comics. In this first episode, I talk to Andrew Shaw about the comic he made with Will Pleydon called Cul-de-Sac.   CuldeSac links : Comixology Facebook page Will Pleydon ArtI also share an artist statement from a collaborative artist team called Canned: you can find their links here:  Canned:  WebsiteInstagram  In the interview with Andrew I talk about his: History with comics in Australia Inspirations for the comic The artistic style of the comic The characters and the process between the author and the artist You'll find the transcript for today's episode here along with vocabulary and a downloadable PDF booklet with some sample images from the comic and the full list of expressions and vocabulary. You'll need to sign up to be a member of the site but it's free to do so and we'll keep all your private information safe. Next time, we'll talk to Will Pleydon, the artist from the Comic. You can Follow Arty Anglais InstagramFacebookiTunesSpotifyYouTube (Podcast Episodes)

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website: I use this very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms.  In this episode I'll answer one question: How should success be measured? And by that measurement, who is the most successful person you know? I think this is so subjective and it depends on what you value as a person.In this episode, I talk about a video I recently watched with Jane Goodall and Guy Kawasaki because to me Jane Goodall is someone who is very successful. You'll understand why I believe she is so successful when you hear about some of the things I value. See the video about Jane Goodall here:Vocabularysuccess - the achieving of the results wanted or hoped for subjective - influenced by or based on personal beliefs or feelings, rather than based on fact. to value something - (verb) to consider something important values - (noun) the principles that help you to decide what is right and wrong, and how to act in various situations:being generous - willing to give money, help, kindness, etc., especially more than is usual or expectedbeing open - being honest and willing to be convinced by something. eg. not being rigid in your opinions. volunteering - doing something without being paid for it donating money to a cause - giving money to an organisation PhD - doctor of philosophy. The highest university degree you can achieve  Some expressions I used in this episode: off the top of my head: saying something unplanned In my opinion: something you use to denote giving your opinion make time for my family: making sure you spend time with your family I have been able to/I've been able to: reflecting on (something): thinking deeply about something at the same time: on the other handfocusing internally: thinking about myself/ my own situation/reflecting stuck to her guns: to continue to have your beliefs or continue with a plan of action, even if other people disagree with you.

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website: I use this very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms. In this episode I'll answer one question: What is your favourite Season and Why? I've also been talking about Seasons in my classes so I shared some of the artwork we've been working on in class. This week I also shared examples of when to use certain prepositions with verbs and how to use them. I tried to use a few in today's episode so you can see how I use them. Look out for examples of: choose from think about reminds me of forgotten about influenced bygiving to attribute tochoose from agree with prepare for prefer to Some expressions I used: the norm - normal or usual it would have to be - it's definitely the ultimate - the best think back to/ remember back to - remember an event the thing is, right - can also mean (in my opinion) don't get me wrong - said when you think someone might not understand what you say Find the video of this episode on the Arty Anglais YouTube Channel.

Welcome to episode 14 of The Arty Anglais Podcast a podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. You'll hear me talk about interesting topics, English expressions and English grammar in a different way so you can learn English in context.   My name is Tara and I am an English and Art teacher and I teach English and Art together to kids and teenagers, and I teach English to adults also. So I love everything to do with art. I am a curious and creative teacher and an artist myself, so I love being able to bring these curiosities and fascinations with the creative world to my students. I don't talk about just art history or the old art masters, the painters. Here I talk about what's going on now in the world around me about art.  Today I discuss a few different things:  Applications:  Street Art App Flash Invaders. Invader the Street Artist Space Invader Map (for finding invaders)Street Art Cities Map Crying Sailor (Street Artist from Montpellier)  Crying Sailor Website Crying Sailor Instagram The main topic for today's episode is all about colour so I'll talk about: English expressions with colourWhat is colour psychology and how it can change our moodHow we perceive and see colours differently, including cultural differencesHow artists used colourHow it impacts on brandingColour associations Some interesting books about the psychology of colour and some ESL lessons that you might be interested in that you may be interested in reading.You'll find the transcript for today's episode here along with vocabulary and a downloadable booklet with colour expressions. You'll need to sign up to be a member of the site but it's free to do so and we'll keep all your private information safe. You can Follow Arty AnglaisInstagramFacebookiTunesSpotifyYouTube (Podcast Episodes)

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website: Everything I say is unplanned so you'll hear a native speaker just doing their thing! This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. I use conversation starters very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms. Whatever comes out at the time! In this episode I'll answer three questions:What motivates you? What inspires you?Look out for these expressions in today's episode: Urban Sketching: drawing on-site in the city have a go at tackling (something): try something (in this case it was drawing people).found the missing link: a thing that is needed in order to complete a series, provide continuity, or gain complete knowledge.like-minded people: people who have similar interests Eat, sleep and breath (something): do something all the time heart and soul into something: working really hard at something delve deeper: investigate more run out of steam: to be tired usually at the end of something push yourself: make yourself do something even if you don't feel like doing it put yourself out of your comfort zone: push yourself in a way that is not comfortablewhen someone has your back: someone who has your best interest at heart. Someone who encourages youput pressure on yourself: to make demands on or expect something from yourself put in the effort: try really hard to improve with something to get to where you need to be: to reach your goal If you need the transcript you can find this episode on our Youtube channel. Come and find the Arty Anglais podcast www.artyanglais.com/podcast

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website:Everything I say is unplanned so you'll hear a native speaker just doing their thing! This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions. I use conversation starters very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms. Whatever comes out at the time! In this episode I'll answer three questions:What is something you do every day without fail?Would you rather lose the ability to speak or the ability to read?Somewhere you would recommend others to go in your country. The reading app I talked about is called ReadLang check it out if you want to find something to read with translations and links to WordReference. The other app I'm big on at the moment is Lyrics Training for listening to songs. Check them both out if you're interested. Look out for these expressions in today's episode: Without out fail: something you do often Read between the lines: look for or discover a meaning that is implied rather than explicitly stated. For example, someone's body language might indicate they are angry without them saying it or writing it. You can find this episode on our YouTube channel. Come and find the Arty Anglais podcast www.artyanglais.com/podcast

Welcome to Episode 13 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. You can find the transcript with images for today's episode here. You'll need to sign up as a site member, but don't worry it's free to sign up or you can find our channel on YouTube and put on the subtitles.This week I'm talking about how to write an Artist Statement. I've also included a PDF document to help you which you can download from the episode transcript. This document contains a sample interview and some example Artist statements for you to look at to get an idea of how different artists use language. I have also included an activity where you can look at some examples of expressions and idioms when talking about your work. I'll also talk a little about how to write in the Active voice compared to the passive voice (00:28:00) and in the first person.  Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast so more people can find us. You can get in touch with Tara atwww.artyanglais.com or info@artyanglais.com

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes (today was 13mins whoops!) where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website:Everything I say is unplanned so you'll hear a native speaker just doing their thing! This is to help give you some ideas about how a native speaker might answer questions.I use conversation starters very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students. Each week I'll try to include in my natural speech different examples of grammar points, expressions and idioms. Whatever comes out at the time! In this episode I'll answer three questions:Do movies have the same power as books to change the world?Does technology simplify life or make it more complicated?Which TV series is underrated? underrated: undervalued, underestimate the importance of something. So, after listening to often to my own voice, I've realised I say 'I like' or 'I really like' too much! I need some variation! So today I made a big effort to use some different expressions so explain what I like. Look out for these ways to express liking something: I'm into I'm a big fan of I'm not a big fan ofI'm keen on  What others did I use? Expressions: off the top of my head - means without careful thought or investigation.two schools of thought - two different ideas about a topic keeping it simple stupid - things should be simple and not complicated things going on - things that are happening Come and find the Arty Anglais podcast www.artyanglais.com/podcast You can find today's episode on The Arty Anglais YouTube Channel.

Welcome to Episode 12 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about Art, Culture and Society to help you learn English naturally. You can find the transcript with images for today's episode here. You'll need to sign up as a site member, but don't worry it's free to sign up or you can find our channel on YouTube and put on the subtitles.This week I'm taking a break from talking about Australia and instead I'm talking about how to be creative and some of the challenges I have faced. In today's episode, I'll share some books by Austin Kleon that I have found useful over my years working as a creative person. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast so more people can find us. You can get in touch with Tara at info@artyanglais.com

The Art of Conversation is a series of short 5-10 minutes episodes where I answer conversation topics from the Conversation Starters World website:I use this very often in my 1:1 English conversation classes with my students.In this episode I'll answer three questions:What do you do to improve your bad mood?Who is the person who brings you the most joy?What are you doing at the weekend?

Welcome to Episode 11 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about Art, Culture and Society to help you learn English naturally. You can find the transcript with images for today's episode here.This week I'm talking about some of my favourite places to visit in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. This is the second episode in a series of 3 episodes where I talk about creative places to visit in Australia. In today's episode, I'll share with you some places in Victoria and Tasmania. As I am from Melbourne, I'll spend a lot of time talking about some of the places I know well. We'll take off from where we left off in Episode 10 in Canberra and we'll visit Albury, Benalla, Shepparton, Melbourne, The Great Ocean Road, Geelong, Wilson Promontory and finally, we'll finish in Hobart. Some of the places you'll hear me talk about include:  Albury/BenallaMAMA - Murray Art Museum AlburyWall to Wall FestivalSheppartonMooving Art Silo and Water tank Art Melbourne / VictoriaMelbourne museum Blender Studios Street Art Tours Junky Projects Blindside  Finkelstein GalleryCelia Rosser Art GalleryPowerhouse Museum  The Bendigo Art GalleryPenguin Parade.TasmaniaMONA (Museum of modern and Old Art)Tasmania Arts Guide Street Art guide (Hobart) Art Walls Murals (Self Guided Tour)In the next episode, we'll head to South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast so more people can find us. You can get in touch with Tara at info@artyanglais.com

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about Art, Culture and Society to help you learn English naturally. This week I'm talking about some of my favourite places to visit in Australia. This will be the first episode in a series of 3 talking about creative and amazing places to visit in Australia. In today's episode, I'll share with some places in Queensland, New South Wales and we'll end today's voyage in Canberra. We'll visit The Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland and travel south along the east coast of Australia towards Sydney. I'll explain some of the creative and inspiring places you could visit on a trip to Australia or just to find out more about about this beautiful country. You'll hear me share some galleries, and exhibitions and of course the wonderful natural views which are pieces of art in themselves.  Cairns Indigenous Art FairNgarru Art GalleryMossman Cultural CentreSWELL Sculpture FestivalWhere to see Urban Art in Brisbane Brisbane's SouthbankBrisbane GOMA Vivid Sydney Top 10 Things to Do and See at Sydney's Bondi BeachSculpture by the Sea BondiIn the next episode, we'll head to Victoria and Melbourne and Tasmania! You can find the transcript with images for today's episode here. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast so more people can find us. You can get in touch with Tara at info@artyanglais.com

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. This week I'm talking about reading and I'm happy to share an interview I had with Eli Castelli who wrote the book 'There is No F in ART. I'll talk a little about conceptual art before sharing the interview with Eli. We'll talk about:Why he wrote the book and all about the book coverHis trips to The Tate Modern in LondonWhy he thinks art should be for everyone; and Reverse shoplifting We talk lots about artists and how clever they are and how they provoke their audiences. Some of the artists and places you'll hear him and myself talk about include:The Tate Modern in London Urban Nation in Berlin Marcel DuchampMichelangelo and the Sistine ChapelBanksy (The Street Artists) & The Shredder incident Charles Saatchi Jeff Koons Damien HirstJackson Pollock  You can find the transcript with images for today's episode here. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast so more people can find us. You can get in touch with Tara at info@artyanglais.com

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The Podcast where we talk about Art, Culture and Society to help you learn English naturally. I love storytelling and Pixar and with the release of the latest Toy Story film, number 4, I'm going to talk today about Pixar and storytelling and why I think animations are not just for children.In this episode I will talk about:The History of Pixar and where it all startedPixar's 22 rules for storytelling and 6 of my favouriteMy favourite Pixar movies and why I like them and; How you can use the 22 rules to create your own storyAnother animation company based in Paris in France.In this episode, I have made a number of questions and comprehension activities using some Pixar short films and Trailers which you'll find in the transcript.You can find the transcript for today's episode here.  Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us an evaluation to help grow the podcast.You can get in touch with Tara at info@artyanglais.com

Hello everyone, welcome to Episode 7 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. If this is your first time listening, welcome. I'm Tara an Art and English teacher, occasionally an artist living in Montpellier in France. I use all my passions and skills and my knowledge about the world and teaching to create this podcast. This is a podcast for people who are learning English or people who may have an interest in art, artists, culture and society.Today I have a special episode for you because I'm talking to my first artist and I'm talking to an artist who merges art and science. At first, you might not know exactly what it is but it's both fascinating and captivating. You won't want to take your eyes off it! In the interview we'll talk about:  1. His art style, what he does and a little about his process2. Social media such as Instagram and his advice about how to use it to your benefit 3. We'll talk about how his artwork impacts on people4. Finally, in the end, we'll talk a little about language learning and the differences between accents, in particular, American, Canadian and Australian.  You can find the transcript here.  Get in touch info@artyanglais.com  www.artyanglais.com

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. Today I talk about 2 things. 1. The importance of reading when you're learning a language and how art can exist in so many places. More specifically, I talk about the art you can find on trams! I talk about three places close to my heart, Melbourne, Montpellier and Lisbon. You can find the free transcript for the episode at www.artyanglais.com/podcast If you're listening on iTunes remember to subscribe and leave a review to help me grow the Podcast. Thank you :)

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Arty Anglais podcast. This week I talk about landscapes as a form of art. I talk about two significant urban parks - The Promenade Plantée in Paris and The High Line in New York. I talk about my experience visiting the park and the important public art program funded by the Friends of the High Line. You can find the free transcript on my website here by signing in with your email. www.artyanglais.com/podcast Join the conversation www.artyanglais.com/forum Send me an email info@artyanglais.com

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Arty Anglais Podcast. The podcast where we talk about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. This week's podcast is all about the questions - What is art? What makes something art? In this podcast, I use a lot of examples of language that you might use when you’re expressing an opinion. I asked a lot of people to tell me what they thought and I got some great responses. So today, I’ll be telling you all about the things that were said to me when I asked - ‘What makes something art?' I also talk briefly about being in a state of Flow which was something studied in depth by ‎Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. You can find the transcript for the episode on my website. www.artyanglais.com/podcast

Welcome to Arty Anglais the Podcast where we talk about art culture and society to help you learn English naturally. This is a resource to help you learn English naturally without just talking about the rules of grammar. I talk about relevant subjects including modern art, culture and society. I talk about lots of things including types of art, artists, styles, techniques, personal development, what makes something art, different books you might be interested in reading etc.In today's Podcast, I am going to share with you three different Street Artists who use their art to send a message. I also talk to a Street Art lover about what she thinks about their work.You can find the transcript on our website www.artyanglais.com/podcast

Welcome to the second episode of the Arty Anglais podcast - the podcast where we talk about creativity, art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally. In this episode, I'll be talking to you about Urban Sketching and why I like it. I also explain how watching videos or reading 'how to do' books can help you with your English learning.You can find the transcript and pictures for this episode on the Arty Anglais website at www.artyanglais.com/podcast

Welcome to the first episode of Arty Anglais. The Podcast where I talk to you about art, culture and society to help you learn English naturally.Today we'll talk about why I decided to make this Podcast, why art is a good subject for learning English (or any other language) and ways to learn English if you like learning visually and with creativity. I am passionate about the idea of learning English through the subject of art so I want to share these passions with you. You can find the transcript to this episode at www.artyanglais.com/podcast/ by signing up to be a free member.