Listening to BFBS, today, I was watching myself and noticed something rather curious. I unconsciously was waiting for a translator.
I mean, I?m used to hear a translator when it comes to interviews with people from foreign? nations. As soon as the interviewed person is answerring a translator will be heard in front and the voice of the person you just hear in the back. At least, in German TV that?s the usage. So one problem I have listening to BFBS is that I don?t listen carefully enough.
Hi Michael, if you are used to hearing a translation then it might be a good idea to develop a new habit: Listening to authentic English without any translations. Your English is good enough to understand interviews so why would you need any explanations in German?[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten, thanks for your kind words in your recent reply and also for the correction.
Anyhow there always appears a voice in my mind asking for a translator when there is a word I don?t understand immediately while the conversation is going on. So I?m sometimes not able to follow the ongoing talk, conversation or speech.
Another point is that it seems to depend on the speaking person whether I?m able to follow the interviews or reports. For instance, there is a moderator, named Katie Long, who surely is speaking a good English, but that quick and having lots of breaks, that it sounds rather strange while another reporter, for me, is easier to understand, because he speaks more fluent.
That reminds me to the difference in tongue between George Bush and Tony Blair. George Bush seems to speak more fluent while Tony Blair is talking in good British manner with many sudden stops. Do you think my observations are right?
Hi Michael, what do you mean by “George Bush speaks more fluently than Tony Blair”? Maybe you are referring to the fact that Tony Blair has a tendence to “clip” words (reducing vowels)? Also, it might seem that Tony Blair stops more often to think than George W. But these are just some suggestions.
As for following interviews, there is a very simply trick to it: Concentrate on the words and phrases and you understand rather than the words that are new to you. Many people get nervous or even angry when they hear a word that “they don’t know”. (They think they don’t know this word but in reality it’s their subconscious mind that says “These people speak so fast on purpose, they don’t want me to understand them.”)
Instead of getting stuck when you hear a new word you should be happy that you are making progress. Relax and focus on the main idea of the message. I’m sure that when you are listening to an interview in your mother tongue there sometimes are words or phrases that you can’t make out. So what? The logic is this: Every time you listen to an interview or report in English, your skills improve. If there is a new word, instead of thinking about its possible meaning you should try to remember in which context the word appeared and what it sounded like. Do you know any similar sounding words? How would you spell that new word? Next time you listen to another interview the word will occur again. This time it won’t be completely new. How many times did you have to hear a German word until you could fully grasp its meaning? With English this process happens faster because you already know the concept of all words. You just have to get used to the fact that the same concept can have different ‘labels’.
Let me know what you think.
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten, sorry for being late. From several reasons recently I?ve been - and need to continue being busy, so that I wasn?t able to share my opinion about your latter reply to you. Please don?t consider the following quotes an offend as you raised some interesting points and offered lots of information. I?m not capable a simple answer to your below request.
That is what I was referring to. It seems to be a tongue or dependant on the residence or descent of the speaker. Like I mentioned, the radio moderator Katie Long tends to this behave, too.
Torsten, please be careful! This might be considered an offend. Despite that nobody is able to guess who your favourite is. Just being a bit flippant.
Good advice! I followed it while driving to work and listening to BFBS and need to admit that it works. I also have one great advantage while listening to BFBS: I mean, no matter how quick the people do speak, they certainly aren?t aware that personally [color=red]I am listening
I enjoy every success and progress, just sometimes I seem to be too much impatient.
Michael
By the way, one of the reasons for my being late is the hunting and getting a new job.
Thank you for your best wishes! It helped! In fact, I?ve got a new job as constructor in an engineering office! 8) My first work-day there will be the 15th of November and it seems to be a pretty pleasant work.
Sorry, I?m hurry, but if you like I?ll tell you more about that soon!
As for your question: I can imagine and hope that I need English since one of my defined tasks will be the deliberation of the customers and as my new boss sells his products all over the world I certainly will use the English anytime in the future. But first of all I need to know his products and to join completely to the work-process in the company. Until that point of time and later, too, I?ll continue using this site, enjoy raising my English and also will be grateful if you and all the other members will go on supporting me.
Thanks for that picture. I think your intention certainly was to show me how much you keep your fingers crossed for me. 8) Cool and thanks again.
Just one thing I noticed is that keeping the fingers crossed behind the back can also mean that your wishes and promises aren?t serious! :? :roll: Hm… now I?m confused.
No, Michael. For that it should be a bit different… figure (as I’m aware from my early school time :lol: )
And not behind the back, but ‘in the pocket’
I don’t understand using the word in the context Could anybody explain it to me, please?
As I see it, a business might deliberate (consider) a set of known alternatives. It discusses the pros and cons of each option before making a decision. Employees within the company can consult each other as to what they see as options as well as the pros and cons.
However, there may be further options that a company hasn’t considered at all because they simply aren’t aware of them. A specialist can give advice based on their specialist knowledge and this advice may provide additional options or the advice might also be help rule out options which have proved ineffective elsewhere, etc. An outside consultant is more likely to be unbiased in that if an option includes the elimination of a certain department, for example, the members of that department are likely to reject such an option for no other reason than “self-interest”.
In a nutshell:
You can only deliberate known options. Deliberations are part of the direct decision-making process.
Consultation provides information that is needed for deliberations.
Torsten, please be careful! This might be considered an offend. Despite that nobody is able to guess who your favourite is. 
Just being a bit flippant.
Could anybody explain it to me, please?