EPISODES 21-30

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EPISODE 21
TIME IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET, YET WE TEND TO WASTE IT, KILL IT AND SPEND IT RATHER THAN INVEST IT  – JIM ROHN
I don’t if you all had the opportunity to watch my live transmission last night but I basically spoke about Time Management focused on English learning.  Since that’s a very important topic in my opinion and I suppose some of you might have missed it, I decided to bring the highlights and share the tips and apps that I use to organize the routine and get my things done in a very productive way.
Like you guys, I also have so many things to do (and I don’t have kids yet kkkk) and I almost go crazy when I see all the things that must be done. Managing your time and prioritizing your tasks, your projects and your goals are really important things. So take note of what you like, put into practice and let me know your favorite ones.
First tip – It’s called POMODORO TECHNIQUE. It’s pretty old and famous but not everyone knows about it. Pomodoro Technique can help you get focused when you have something big and important and you don’t want to do that.
So, first of all, set your timer for 25 minutes and that’s the time you have to stay focused while working on your project. Study verbs, do your homework, listen to a podcast but DON’T check your cell phone, social media, WhatsApp or anything like that. You must be focused for 25 minutes nonstop.
When the timer rings, then you can rest for 5 minutes. You can drink some water, pee, talk to your spouse, check your Instagram, Facebook… 5 minutes ok? Not 10, not 20… 5 minutes and after that, get back to work for 25 minutes more. Repeat the process 3x and the third rest may be longer: 30 minutes.
Guys, you can manage the time you’re keeping yourself focused alright? Focus 20 – rest 10 and so on. The original technique consists in 25 – 5 -25 – 5
But you must be flexible and honest with yourself and see what fits better into your schedule. Again, that’s just a suggestion and to be really honest, it works perfectly for me! It actually helps me a lot when I have to do something, especially when I’m tired. So, give it a try ok?
You can use the chrome extension called Marinara Pomodoro but if you prefer to use your cell phone, I’m pretty sure you can find an App called Pomodoro to help you out. A simple timer works perfectly as well alright?
Tip number 2: Make your ENGLISH LEARNING PROCESS fit into your schedule. If you’re too busy that you can’t even breath, so use your time wisely. You know when you’re doing things that you can’t do anything else, but that activity? For example: taking a shower, driving to work/school, cleaning the house, having lunch, taking the bus or train, washing the dishes…? That’s the moment where ENGLISH should be with you through some listening exercises: podcasts, audiobooks, news, our English Bites, WHATEVER YOU WISH!
I  know you guys are super busy but let me tell you something: WHERE THERE’S WILL, THERE’S A WAY. Memorize this quote. Use it as a screensaver or a desktop picture. But have in mind that, if you wanna improve your English, no one will ever stop you and you’re the only one capable of doing that. Train your ear by listening to some English audios EVERY DAY – even if you are a beginner!
Tip number 3: MAKE A TO-DO LIST and have ENGLISH as your PRIORITY!
You know, I used to be very skeptic about to-do lists some months ago. I used to believe that I could memorize everything I had to do and accomplish but OF COURSE, it’s not possible. We have to write down everything we gotta do, from little and tiny tasks like taking the trash out to huge ones like organizing an event, mainly because some of these tasks, you’ll have to break down in smaller parts to get it done (like organizing an event)
I always start my TO-DO list with my priorities and every day I set 3 priorities. They are usually bigger or more difficult to accomplish so I tend to start my day by solving them as quick as possible. That’s my personal tip for you.
And one more thing: Be flexible and realistic. You won’t be able to do one hundred things in one single day – you’re not a wonder woman or Superman… Or maybe you are, but forget it. Not even Superman would be able to do 100 things in just one day, ‘cause even Superman has his limits kkkk
Oh, and check your list first thing in the morning, so you can have an idea what your priorities are and focus on them and take a look at it again at night. Check mark the tasks you’ve finished. Check out your following day, things you gotta do, if something is going to change if your priorities are going to change that day. Every morning and every night: stick with your to-do list!
Tip number 4: PLAN YOUR TASKS BEFORE EXECUTING THEM. Have a calendar and a planner with you. I like planning my week on Sunday night so I think of every little thing I have to do along the week, how long each task is gonna take…  And I also plan what I am going to need to have that task done: a car? Money? Of if it’s on the computer – what websites I should use, what videos I should watch… I don’t know. What I mean is, don’t plan to study grammar (a general topic) on Tuesday at 9 pm without thinking what grammar you’re gonna study and where you are going to get the information from.
For example, I’m planning to study Grammar – Simple Past on Tuesday at 9 pm, and I’m gonna use this, this and that website to study. For the exercises, I’ll need that website to help me.
Take your calendar, your planner…  write what you’re gonna do each day (listening, reading, grammar…) and where? Which website are you gonna use? What topic of your grammar book? Which audio? Which podcasts? What are you gonna do?
Well guys, tip number 5 and my last tip for today is: USE TOOLS AND APPS IN YOUR FAVOR. Unless you are a paper person like me, there are so many awesome apps that can help you organize all your tasks. I’ll leave some suggestions and you can see which ones you prefer ok?
Remember the Milk (rememberthemilk.com) 
Wunderlist (wunderlist.com) 
One Note (Disponível quando você instala o Office) 
Ever Note (evernote.com) 
Trello (trello.com) 
They are all free apps but in case you like them, theyhttp://www.rememberthemilk.com have premium versions with more options to help you even more.
Guys, I really hope these tips today can help you manage your time. Not only with your time but also with your productivity because you know, being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive and we can always improve for better.
So that’s it for today guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 22
And today is the last episode of PRONUNCIATION – WORDS ENDING IN -OUS. I’m going to explain the meaning and also help you guys with the pronunciation of the last 20 words from that list we had last week. I’m so glad to know you guys liked this type of Bite. My suggestion for this type of exercise is that you guys take note of each word and write an example (your example) to help you memorize the word faster and yes, say the word out loud. Listen to every word carefully and repeat repeat and repeat.
Alright so, so let’s get it started because we have a bunch of words to study today.
ANONYMOUS 
Anonymous is the same as unknown or unnamed. If you don’t want people to know you did something, so you will be anonymous in the situation. If you see something, say something and you can remain anonymous if you wish. I can also say that I received a couple anonymous calls last night and it really scared me.
JOYOUS means extremely happy. Joy and Happy are synonyms, for example, we’re planning to have a joyous celebration of life. Or We’re living a very joyous moment in Europe with our whole family together. 
RAVENOUS You can say you’re ravenous when you’re feeling extremely hungry. A great synonym for that word wouldbe STARVING which I would tell you it’s much more common. An example? Aren’t you ravenous? You haven’t eaten all day. 
PROSPEROUS – I love that word. If you’re having financial success or good fortune you can say, for instance, you’re having a prosperous business or life… You may also say you work in a prosperous place. That’s what I wish you guys: a very prosperous year – for all of us actually. 
HAZARDOUS – Another interesting word but this one I’d say I like the pronunciation itself. Guys, if something is hazardous it means it is dangerous, especially for someone’s safety or even health. It is risky, uncertain… Any simple task or situation may become hazardous like an occupation, a virus, a journey, some chemical products, sharp objects… Let me give you an example: Passive smoking is really hazardous to your health. 
INSTANTANEOUS If something is instantaneous, it means it happens very fast or faster than you imagine. It happens immediately, like, his death was instantaneous. Or he took some instantaneous actions to solve that problem. 
METICULOUS That’s the adjective you use when someone has an excessive care and puts too much attention to details. A great synonym that you guys should actually memorize is the word THOROUGH which is also very common in English. My sister is a really meticulous person about everything. Do you know any meticulous person? Would you say you are a meticulous one? 
MONSTROUS We can use this word in many different situations but they all have a very negative aspect. For instance, if you’re describing something as monstrous, it means it is absurdly big in a way you feel bothered… It’s unpleasant to see. You can have a monstrous acne for instance or a monstrous laundry basket… I don’t know. You can also use monstrous for situations and in this case, it means it’s shocking or even unfair. Those teenagers are having such a monstrous behavior. I can’t believe they were capable of doing that. If something is monstrous, it means it’s frightening because it’s ugly or unnatural like an animal, a character….. 
NAUSEOUS If something is nauseous it means you’re feeling as if you might vomit. 
Could be the stomach flu (because you ate something that was not good) or too much food before a roller-coaster ride. There’s always a sickness bag in airplanes in case you feel nauseous. Some medications may also make you feel nauseous.
CONTAGIOUS Again we can use this word in two different situations. The meaning is the same but the contexts are different. The first one, you use in case someone conducts exciting emotions like enthusiasm, happiness, laughter and so on. Contagious may also be used in situations where people get infected by the transmission of a disease through a direct or indirect contact. For example: be careful, that’s a very contagious disease. 
LUMINOUS That’s a very common word in the beauty world. Shampoo, makeup, hair care or oral care products… They usually bring this word in their label. A great example is the COLGATE MAX WHITE LUMINOUS TOOTHPASTE (I’ll leave a picture in the transcription file so you can understand better what I’m talking about). So first of all, the pronunciation LUMINOUS, not LUMINOUS. Now, the meaning: LUMINOUS means very very bright or depending on the case, clear or enlightening like an explanation or a presentation. We can say a cat has luminous eyes, that the room was luminous with the sunlight…. 
NOTORIOUS – Be careful here. If something is notorious, it means it is famous for something bad like a notorious criminal or a gangster for instance. One more example? I can say this place is pretty notorious for drugs, crime and violence so be careful here. 
You should say something is numerous when it is present in large numbers. For instance, she tried numerous attempts to diet but they all failed because she was not focused. If something consists of many parts, you can also use numerous, like a numerous collection, a numerous group and so on…. 
PROMISCUOUS – A promiscuous person is someone who is not restricted to one sexual partner. It is someone who decides to have a lot of sexual relationships with different partners. We also use this word for situations when we don’t restrict a specific class or person like, that was a very promiscuous selection of songs for the event. But regarding the first meaning, you can say: Your cousin was so promiscuous in her youth. Thank God she changed this behavior. 
RANCOROUS If you’re rancorous, it means you’re very very angry and you’re full of bitterness like that girl had a rancorous attitude towards the whole situation. People say we shouldn’t be rancorous cause it does more harm than good and I strongly believe it. 
ADVENTUROUS – Adventurous people are usually characterized by not being concerned with the dangers and risks that a situation might offer. It may also be used when you want to seek adventure and discover the new and unknown. Let’s see some examples: Jason is an adventurous businessman, he’s always looking for new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are adventurous people, don’t you think? 
TREMENDOUS – We use that adjective to describe how strong a quality or a feeling is or even, how large an amount is like a tremendous number of people, tremendous problems, tremendous talent, tremendous delay and so on. When someone is really good and what he or she does, you can also use it: He was a tremendous person. 
SCANDALOUS – If something is scandalous, it means it’s considered immoral and shocking. The high price of gas is scandalous in Brazil right now or Don’t tell her this secret otherwise it would be a scandalous situation. 
SCRUMPTIOUS – Another very awesome word I love. Scrumptious means delightful means excellent, delicious…. I made a scrumptious chocolate cake last night. 
And the last word: CRIMINOUS – Guys, criminous is an old word for CRIMINAL which is much more common nowadays ok? But some books or even movies still bring the adjective criminous so have in mind it is the same is criminal alright? What he did to her was not criminous to be really honest. You can check! 
Great job guys! So we’re done working hard on our 60 word-list. It’s a big list, yeah, but you could notice what I did right? 60 words and I broke them into 4 moments: one focusing on the pronunciation and the other three bites, we had each word, meaning, examples and again, pronunciation – 20 words in each list. We are not machines… We need time to process the whole information and actually, we not only need time but consistency and methodology. You need to help your brain stick to the information.
So that’s it for today guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 23
I know you guys were missing a motivational story here, right? It’s impressive, I received hundreds of messages suggesting more motivational stories where I add an extra tip related to our goals. I like to vary our content here so you guys don’t feel bored and more than that, that you’re able to learn and improve your English. Today’s story is really special and my mom taught me that lesson when I was a kid. It’s a very famous story, some of you might have already heard it before and even if you have, I guess it’s important to pay attention to it again and think about what you have been doing to your life, your goals, your dreams, your projects, your plans…
So, pay attention to this story and after that, I’ll give you an exercise alright?
A philosophy teacher walked into a classroom and put a glass jar on the table. He calmly and silently placed 2-inch rocks in the jar until no more could fit. He asked the class if the jar was full and all of them agreed it was. He said: “Are you sure?” and pulled out a bunch of small pebbles, adding them to the jar, shaking it slightly until they filled the spaces between the rocks and he asked themagain, “Is the jar full now?” And they all agreed it was. After that, he added a scoop of sand to the jar, filling the space between the pebbles and then, he asked the question again. This time, the class was divided, some of them were completely sure that the jar was obviously full, but others were afraid the teacher would be playing another trick on them.
So, he grabbed a pitcher of water and filled the jar to the brim, saying, “If this jar is your life, what does this experiment show you?” A bold student replied: “No matter how busy you think you are, you can always take on more tasks.” “That is one view,” he replied. Then he started making eye contact with everyone, “The rocks represent the BIG things in your life – what you will value at the end of your life – your family, your partner, your health, your hopes and dreams. The pebbles are the other things in your life that give a meaning to it, like your job, your house, your hobbies, your friendships. The sand and water represent the ‘small stuff’ that fills our time, like watching TV or running errands.”
And then again, he asked, “Can you imagine what would happen if I started with the sand or the pebbles? The rocks would never fit and that’s exactly what we have to do. We can’t start our day, our week…. Our year without a plan, without having in mind all the small things we gotta do to have our mission, our big and challenging goal and dream accomplished”
No matter how many times I hear this popular story, which is widely circulated and told in so many ways, I am reminded about what is important in my life and work:  if I solve the big issues first, the small ones will fall into place, but the reverse is not the case.
During the past months, I’ve seen so many people focusing on their pebbles and forgetting about their rocks. They stay very busy, counting tactical accomplishments as successes. But at the end of the day, their work begs the question: “Despite all this activity, what does it mean?” I’ve also fallen prey to petty distractions, like sand, that creep into the extra spaces of my life and paralyze me from moving forward. Some sand helps to cement our boulders, but if we let too much fill our jars, we have no room for the BIG things.
Define which rocks you’re gonna put into your jar. Don’t let them out. I know it’s hard, especially when we already have a routine and the same old habits. But I want you guys to think very carefully and define how you guys want your jar, how you want to see it and change some bad habits to some high-performance ones. You’re the one in charge of your life, you’re the one capable of changing anything you want and listen up: no matter how old you are, if you are a man or woman, if you have kids or not, if you have money or not, your religion, where you live… You CAN ALWAYS CHANGE AND DO WHAT YOU WANT. It’s like I always say: “Where there’s will… There’s a way!” – I love this quote and it’s one of my favorites, by the way.
And guys… One last thought-provoking tip: Just because the BIG rocks are heavy, we shouldn’t turn our attention to pebbles and sand.
So, what I would like to ask you to do is: DRAW HOW YOUR JAR IS TODAY. How many big rocks do you have? What are you doing to keep them in the jar? Are they useful rocks or they’re just taking up space in your jar? How much sand is there in your jar?
After that, draw your jar how you would like it to be. More rocks? Less sand? What about the pebbles? Should you move any pebble? You don’t have to answer me anything. This is your homework for life. It’s just you and yourself. There’s no right or wrong. But do it. I’m pretty sure your future self will appreciate and thank you a lot.
So that’s it for today guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 24
Is it Carnival in Brazil today right? What have you guys been doing? Resting? Having fun? Traveling? Working maybe? Well, I guess you guys might already know that but Americans don’t celebrate Carnival. Most of them, at least here in the countryside, they don’t even know what Carnival is. Well, but I’m here to tell you what you should do today, tomorrow or the whole week if you took some days off.
Tell me what I should do, Erika? Are you crazy? I’m so tired, that’s a long weekend, I love Carnival and you’re not gonna tell me to study, learn phrasal verbs or anything like that cause I’m going to have some fun.
That’s perfect!!! I came here for some minutes, less than 10 minutes, by the way, to share some thoughts, ideas and why not, some tips. I also wanna leave a message, something you can think about this week.
Today I wanna talk about the way we face our goals, limits, frustrations… and I say we because we are in the same boat. I always get tired of doing things that might not seem to work, I also get really frustrated and I feel like giving up when things don’t go as I expected.
Well, it’s holiday in Brazil and it’s not just a simple holiday. Carnival is the one where most people have fun, travel, go to parties, swimming pools or if you’re just like me, you do nothing. You simply sleep in, binge-watch, relax, walk your dog, visit friends and family… what I mean is: during some days like these, our mind is driven to do nothing but what we want, what we feel like…. No obligations, boring things, difficult or unpleasant tasks.
And it’s ok! I know you all have your goals and projects but sometimes our mind and body need a break from our responsibilities. Don’t punish yourself if you’re not studying as you should, eating or exercising as you planned…
If during these days your inner self, tells you to breathe, have fun, wake up late, have some booze and do nothing but winding… RESPECT your limits, your wishes and your time. I’ve already said that a million times and I’ll say it once again: we are not machines, we are not robots and we do have limits. We need some time for ourselves, for leisure, for our family and beloved ones…
I imagine you all have a very tough and busy life: work, kids, family, home, boss, chores, deadlines, demands, pressure… and you have to pay your bills, workout, study English or any other language, keep your house neat and tidy, accomplish your daily tasks, every day, all day, you have to look good because of your job, your SO (significant other), your kids or because you feel you have to because that’s what our society imposes all the time… and with so many things happening at the same time, we just wanna say: STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF.
You don’t have to study English these days if you don’t feel like. That’s right, I’m encouraging you to stop for some days and do what you want, what pleases you the most. Hey, we are human beings, no one is perfect (despite seeing so many people faking perfection nowadays on the social media). If you want to succeed at something, you gotta learn how to rest, not to quit.
Ok, so some seconds left for those who want to study English: I’m gonna share some of the things I love doing the most when I’m not in the mood for partying or going out: Tv shows (I love MasterChef USA with Gordon Ramsay, Law and Order, Blue Bloods, Black Mirror, Suits – uhhh Harvey hahaha and the old and awesome House). I love listening to music and I always, always and always take the lyrics and sing along cause it helps me improve my pronunciation and learn new words… what else?! Oh, and I love journaling as well. It’s like a diary where I write my thoughts, plans, feelings and wishes. Besides improving my writing skills, it boosts my creativity and also helps me focus on the most important things.
My suggestion: list some of your favorite activities where English is involved: maybe a lecture? Speaking to yourself? Singing? Exercises? Multiple choices? Compositions? English Bites? Haha, there’s no time limit – 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 2 hours: if you’re havingfun, if you’re enjoying the process keep going! When I’m cleaning my house, I listen to the latest audiobook for at least 5 hours nonstop – all in English and I do it at least twice a week so that makes 10 hours of listening practice every week. Don’t you have all this time? Do what you can! Again, respect your limits but don’t use your lack of time as an excuse ok?
Just one more thing: enjoy your holiday the most and as soon as it ends GET BACK ON TRACK. We are the in the mid of February and what have you done so far to accomplish your goals and speak English fluently? Again, learn how to rest, not to quit.
Your goal (bearing in mind you’re here with me) is to learn and improve your English. Mine (among other ones I have) is to eat clean, exercise and meditate every single day. I know and I’ll respect my rests because balance is important, but I will not give up and I’ll take you guys with me on this journey. I will fall, slip, forget, feel lazy (especially about exercising) so will you… I’m with you guys!
But for now, go have some fun, enjoy and relax because in a few days I won’t be that nice haha
So that’s it for today guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
 EPISODE 25
Hey guys, Happy Valentine’s Day. And today I’m going to share with you the whole story of what, why and who celebrate Valentine’s Day in the US. It’s pretty common for us, Brazilian people, to refer to Valentine’s Day as Dia dos Namorados because we always see a lot of hearts, flowers, everything is red and pink, cards (lots of cards), cupids, teddy bears… but the truth is: ok, couples do celebrate Valentine’s Day with all these things, plus jewelry, lingerie, dinner and expensive gifts but it’s important to emphasize that not only couples celebrate it, but also kids, teachers, relatives, friends….
Yeah, Valentine’s Day is much more than a simple romantic relationship date. Ok, do you wanna know why this name? Why Valentine? Who was Valentine? Let’s check the story and just for the records, I got it at kiddyhouse.com/valentines ok? It was the easiest and most interesting story I’ve found:
Legend has it that Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D (guys – A.D. stands confusingly for a Latin phrase: anno domini – in “in the year of the Lord”—the year Jesus was born), so, in about the year 270 A.D. a time when the early Christian church was subjected to significant persecution.
Valentine’s role as a Priest was to help Christians to escape persecution, and to provide them the sacraments, such as marriage, which was outlawed by the Roman Empire at that time.
While records are scarce it seems that Valentine’s persecution as a Christian included his interrogation by the then Roman Emperor, Claudius II. Finding Valentine an erudite, intelligent man, he attempted to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to not only save his life but then use him as a powerful foe for the rapidly growing Christian movement. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed.
It’s fair to ask at this point: “Why was Valentine made a saint?” Well, while he was jailed awaiting execution, the legend was born that he performed a miracle by curing the blindness of Julia, the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Julia and all of her father’s household, family and servants, came to believe in Jesus Christ and were baptized by Valentine.
Father Valentine is said to have secretly performed many Christian weddings for Roman soldiers, who were actually forbidden to marry. Roman Emperor Claudius II believed that married men made bad soldiers.
Another legend according to St Valentine is his wish to remind the soldiers of God’s love and to encourage them to remain faithful Christians, he is said to have cut hearts from parchment, giving them to the soldiers. This is possibly the origin of the modern tradition of hearts representing love, and especially used on cards and gifts for Valentine’s Day on February 14th, his Saint’s Day.
The further folklore surrounding Saint Valentine has it that on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the very first Valentine’s card himself, and gave it to the daughter of his jailer Asterius, who was now no longer blind, signing as “Your Valentine”! This, of course, is the expression we now use today, usually when sending an anonymous card.
As stated earlier, records are scarce and quite a number of other explanations have been given for the origins of Valentine’s Day.
Ok, guys… but why do kids, teachers, relatives, friends… also, celebrate Valentine’s Day? Because that’s actually a wonderful opportunity you have to show appreciation for other people you love. It’s never too early to help kids express their love and friendship in ways that transcend materialism. Teachers usually encourage them to draw nice things, write cards or send a message to someone they love.  Teaching the meaning of love, creating loving memories with children, and spending unhurried family time together is truly more valuable than any gift you can buy. Valentine’s Day is a good place to start.
So that’s it for today guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 26
And today we’re gonna have a grammar lesson. I guess that’s the first time I’m gonna teach some grammar in our English Bites so again, like every new thing I bring you guys, I’d like you to share your most sincere opinion. English Bites are tailored-made for you so if you really like it or not, I’d love to know so I can bring more of it or not kkkk
Ok, so I decided to share and teach a very common mistake we have among English learners: mixing two question structures into one. Wait, I’ll explain.
When you hear the question: What time is it? It does not only sound correct but it is correct because we are using the structure of the verb TO BE perfectly. In other words, every time we wanna ask a question, we have to invert the verb and the pronoun, right?
If I say: She is nice: 
The interrogative must be: Is she nice? 
The book is on the table 
The interrogative goes like: Is the book on the table? 
So that’s why when we ask a question using the verb TO BE, the verb comes first like in the first example: What time is it?
Ok here?
Alright! What happens if it’s not the verb TO BE? If it’s a verb like TO DRINK, TO TALK, TO KNOW, TO PLAY, TO CONTROL… remember we have to use the auxiliary DO or DOES in the beginning of our sentence (if it’s in the present tense, of course) or DID (if it’s in the past). Well, I’m not going to give you all the details about the interrogative form now cause that’s not our topic today but I would like us to be on the same page, so that’s why I gave you a quick explanation about it.
So, an example:
You like chocolate. 
My question would be: Do you like chocolate? 
She understands English. 
My question: Does she understand English? 
The point now is: if you have a single question like the ones I mentioned before, that’s it! End of discussion. But there are some situations where we mix two questions into one and that’s where you must be careful.
What time is it? – It’s perfect! 
Do you know bla bla bla – It’s perfect! 
But “Do you know what time is it?” – That’s totally wrong. So how can we fix it? The first block is your main sentence so we gotta work on the second sentence. We’re gonna turn our second part into an affirmative sentence.
Do you know… what time it is? And not “is it”? 
Do you know what time it is? 
We can’t have two interrogative structures into one. So we have to keep the first part and make the second part, an affirmative one.
“Do youknow what time it is?”  was just an example. Let’s check other examples:
Do you understand what I need? 
Does he know where she went? 
Did he realize what he bought? 
Do you know where she lives? 
So guys, don’t forget about it ok? I don’t want you, my sweet and hardworking migos and Bite members to make this mistake again alright? So my suggestion is: write some examples (your examples) and read them out loud. Think of your daily routine context. How would you use this type of question? That’s just a simple exercise that might help you memorize even faster alright?
So that’s it for today guys. I really hope you have enjoyed today’s episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 27
I’m pretty sure this is gonna be one of our most played English Bites ever and I can tell you why: MUSIC. It doesn’t matter if you like pop, rock, country, heavy metal… but I’m pretty sure you do like something, at least a song (hopefully in English kkk) and that’s an awesome start if you don’t like to study English. If you like English, so it’s gonna be much easier.
Well, today’s Bite will be focused on how you can improve your English, learn new words, pronounce them better and have fun at the same time. I may be a little biased but MUSIC is what moves my soul and I mean it. If I’m in a bad mood, mad, upset, feeling down and then I decide to listen to a song I like, I normally get better and I quickly have my good vibe and positive energy back. Just out of curiosity, I’m absurdly eclectic – I love all types of music: pop, rock, classical, samba why not, electronic, blues, jazz, Latin, rap, black, new age, R&B, reggae – yeah I do listen to reggae songs – I’m just not really into funk music (I mean, our Brazilian funk). If I’m in a party or something, I’ll probably dance funk (or any other type of music it’s playing) and you know, just for fun but I don’t think I would spend my day listening to funk music. I do respect those who like, but I’m not really into it.
And guys, I must share something with you: I have learned so much from songs. Much more than any book or any class. I’ve always read the lyrics along with songs being played. I still do it and whenever there’s a new song I like, I get the lyric and I try to memorize it. I’ve always learned new words and how to pronounce them from the songs.
But Erika, what about the mistakes we usually find in some of them? Don’t you think you’re being irresponsible by telling everyone to use music to learn English? Are you sure that’s a good way to improve my English?
No and Yes. No, I’m not being irresponsible by sharing that tip with you guys because not only by my experience this has been such a great and a pleasant way to study but also from my friends and followers’ experiences. Yes, I’m sure you can improve your English by listening to music.
Just for you to know, my best friend’s brother, his name is Sandro btw, learned how to speak English and he speaks English fluently just by listening to Michael Jackson’s songs, watching his interviews, shows and whatever you imagine. He was so obsessed with Michael that we wanted to understand EVERYTHING he was saying. And… mission accomplished. Of course it wasn’t easy, he found difficulty… but he used to study A LOT… I mean, 3 or 4 hours per day… he was insanely dedicated to it.
If I could advise you, learn structure, grammar, verbs, vocabulary, expressions in English while you listen to music. I don’t recommend just listening to music like my best friend’s brother. Everything in life is a balance and it wouldn’t be different here. Use it as one of your possible ways to improve your skills, not the only the main one, ok?
Every time I hear a different and a new word, I write in my notebook and yeah, I have a notebook where I take note of every new thing so I can memorize it better and faster. It’s not something I’m just telling you do it. I do it as well.
Another suggestion: Divide your song into sections or sentences. After you hear it, pause the song and repeat out loud – shamelessly ok? Do it with the whole song and again and again and again… until you’ve memorized it. That’s what I do? Hum…. Stupid maybe? Perhaps, but I’m kind of used to doing that and it works for me so, just sharing! It might be helpful to you guys.
Another exercise I like to do is: FIND THE MISTAKE. Yep, I know. Some songs are perfectly fine and we can’t find any mistake (I mean, grammar mistake) at all. But some singers like Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé… usually, have songs where you can try to find at least one mistake like “she don’t” / “Is you big enough” / “it don’t” and so on!
So list your favorite songs. Build a new playlist on Spotify and keep track of the ones you’ve been working hard to improve your listening, grammar, and vocabulary.
Oh and one more very common question: Is there any genre, singer or song I should avoid? Well, I would say that you have to work with what you have. I listen to rap, like Eminem and I do like his songs but for me, it’s quite impossible to follow, I mean, listen, understand, repeat or sing what he says so I always pick other options. But if you love rap for instance, go for it and take it as a challenge I don’t know.
So that’s it for today guys. I really hope you have enjoyed today’s episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 28
I guess you guys might be really curious about the title of our episode today right? What’s on my bucket list? What the heck is Bucket List Erika? I’ve never heard of it before. If it’s your first time with these words, you’d better memorize it. They’re veeeeery common among native speakers but wait, I’ll explain:
A bucket list is like a “to do” list you make with the things you wanna do before you die, like learn a foreign language, skydive, or travel to exotic locations around the world. Your list should have acts of aspiration, which offsets the more boring facets of life. You don’t need to live each day as though it were your last on the planet before kicking the bucket, but the list instead should encourage you to plan imaginative, colorful, and even daring acts. You should plumb your imagination. What’s more, the list doesn’t need to be devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. Actually, the best lists contain items which enrich the lives of others, too.
Every single American has a bucket list. That’s sort of a tradition you learn when you are a kid so you’re always adding new things to it. And it’s also interesting when you go out with them, they talk about it. If you’ve just met the person, that’s a common question: What’s on your bucket list? I must confess that I started my bucket list a couple years ago cause yeah, it’s not a Brazilian tradition but here in the US there were always asking me these things and I usually had no answer for that. Yep, a bucket list is something veeeeery personal, it’s something you don’t share with everyone and all the details. Americans, in general, are very curious so they wanna know something from your bucket list and they will tell you something from theirs. Is it kind of a way to build a relationship you know?
Last week, Tuca and I went out with his boss and some co-workers and guess what? One of the topics was about “What’s on your bucket list?” and yeah this time I was more than prepared to share some specific things, some let’s say, sharable things hahaha And ok I bet you’re curious now so I’ll share a couple items from my bucket list. Who knows I can encourage you to do the same? Up to now, I have 35 items on my bucket list. One of them… Hum… Should I tell? Hahaha ok: is to become a mom. Yeah, I do wanna get pregnant and have a baby.And another item is to travel to spend at least a week in Bora Bora. Ok enough hahaha
Now, two awesome tips for you. In case you haven’t heard or watched, there’s a movie called “THE BUCKET LIST” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicolson. The film was about two terminally ill men who were sharing a ward together. Edward Cole was a corporate millionaire; Carter Chambers was a working-class mechanic. The men had nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a room together they decided to leave it and do all the things they had ever wanted to do before they died – according to their bucket list. Certainly, it’s a great movie to watch and I highly recommend it.
Another suggestion I’d like to give you is a very interesting video I found on YouTube (the link is on your WhatsApp message or in the transcription) about “100 people tell us what’s on their bucket list”- Well, you’re gonna have 100 different accents, expressions, ideas… It’s definitely a must-watch video.
Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwM9q2ckK0g
Now, what about you? What would you put on your bucket list? There are hundreds of ideas to choose from. You might be good at sports and decide to try running a marathon. Then again you might want to sail around the world. You could always learn to water ski! What about learning a different foreign language? Okay, you are learning English, but what about another language? Maybe, say hello in 50 languages? You could learn to play a musical instrument like the piano or the triangle! You could learn to yodel or how to write a song.
Perhaps you could learn to dance? Salsa is popular these days but then again you could try a traditional dance like the Waltz. There is always belly dancing! Adventure is probably top of many people’s lists. You might want to climb Mount Everest or go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. You might want to go into space or experience weightlessness. Perhaps you could try bungee jumping or white-water rafting? Some people may prefer to go on a cruise or go on a helicopter ride. There are many places in the world to visit like Machu Picchu in Peru. You might want to visit the Great Wall of China or tour around Australia. You could try island hopping in the Caribbean or take a trip along the Panama Canal. The world is your oyster. Let’s see what you come up with…
In case you wanna start building your bucket list, go to www.bucketlist.net – it’s free and really great! Lemme know if you decide to do it, I’m really curious to know about it.
So that’s it for today guys. I really hope you have enjoyed today’s episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
 EPISODE 29
Today’s Bite is going to be more than special. For so many days of our lives, we procrastinate some really important things that actually should be put first on our to-do list but:
Meh, it’s boring! 
Come on, it’s Friday or… 
Doing that on the weekend? Are you serious? 
I’m tired / I feel lazy 
I deserve to do what I want 
Yeah I know… Important things are usually kind of boring and yeah, you do deserve to do whatever and whenever you want, it’s your life, you’re the boss but, don’t complain or get sad, frustrated… if the outcome of your efforts (or lack of efforts) is not the way you expected. And I’m saying that very kindly and respectfully to all of you and at the same time, I’m also telling all these things to myself as well. 
I really wanna share some tips and thoughts about procrastination but that’s not gonna happen today. What I would like now, is to warn you of the importance of your priorities and even if the laziness show up, you gotta send it away and focus on what is important to you.
Let me share a very famous and interesting story about it: it’s called “The Ant and the Grasshopper”
One summer’s day, in a field, a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to his nest.
“Why don’t you come and chat with me,” asked the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling your life away?”
“I am helping to store up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and I recommend you do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper. “We have got plenty of food right now.” 
But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.
When winter came, the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. 
Then the Grasshopper thought… WORK TODAY AND YOU CAN REAP THE BENEFITS TOMORROW!
Are you an ant or a grasshopper? In other words, do you tend to finish all your work, and then relax, or do you relax first and procrastinate about work? Well, most of us in fact, are somewhere in between. However, different types of personalities behave differently, when presented with a situation where there is an option of working and saving for future and leading a carefree life.
But just be careful. I’m not telling you guys to stop doing what you like, your pleasant moments, your relaxing situations with friends and family to work, work and work. And actually, I’d say it is a sad fact that some people take the ‘work before play’ concept too far and get stressed out eventually. It must be for those that the saying ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ was invented! 
Many studies show that workaholics suffer from mental and physical illnesses so guys, I don’t want you to be like that. Work hard, play hard and rest hard. The key is therefore, to strike a balance between work and play.  
Work well and save for a rainy day. However, remember to take breaks and rest in between. It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.
The Ant in the story is a classic example of the importance of taking preparation seriously. Instead of using a beautiful summer day to play, he was looking forward to a winter day when he wouldn’t have access to the food that was available during the summer. By working instead of playing like the Grasshopper, he was putting thought and diligence into preparing for hard times ahead. The Ant was ‘toiling,’ which means he was working really hard at his task. The Grasshopper, on the other hand, was merely chirping, singing, and lazing about. He had no regard for the future or what he might need to do to prepare for it.
So you may not be thinking about retirement right now, but there’s a good lesson to be learned in this story about ‘saving for a rainy day,’ even though it’s not ‘raining’ in your life right now. Think about it: you’re likely young and have your entire life ahead of you, but one day, you’re going to be unable to work and will need to have some things put back to live on. Without saving for ‘winter’ while you’re still able, you’ll get to that point in your life and be unprepared.
Do you know anyone who procrastinates and puts off work in favor of doing things that are more fun? Maybe you have a big project due at work, but instead of focusing on it, you decide to take a day off. Then, when the project comes due, you’re not really prepared or feeling your most confident. ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’ teaches us about putting work before play because it’s more important to do the things you need to before doing the things you want to.
So again guys, are you the Ant or the Grasshopper? Think about it ok?
So that’s it for today guys. I really hope you have enjoyed today’s episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?
EPISODE 30
Today’s English Bite is a suggestion from some of you guys: Phrasal Verbs!
PhrasalWHAT? LOL
What a common question and intonation – but wait, I’ll explain that to you in a very short and easy way so you don’t forget about it and furthermore, you can be able to use it more confidently.
A phrasal verb is basically a verb with a preposition BUT every time that preposition changes, the meaning will also change. You will understand better what I mean along this audio. The verb that I chose for today is TO LOOK. And be careful with the pronunciation alright? TO LOOK (the letter K is barely pronounced) TO LOOK and the past of this verb is LOOKED (not /lukedi/ but /luckd/. Come on, you have to try. Repeat after me ok? TO LOOK, LOOKED. There you go!
Now let’s check our phrasal verbs with TO LOOK. Today we’re gonna have 8 of them. And the first one is:
TO LOOK AT: When you look at someone or something, it means you are examining something or even considering something before making a decision. For example: “I have to look at those documents before giving you an answer.” or “Why are you looking at her?” (girls, memorize that question, ok? LOL “looking at / examining… You know? Hahaha I’m just kidding) 
Next one: TO LOOK TO: You should use the phrasal verbs “TO LOOK TO” when you trust, when you rely on someone or something for any help or advice. Whitney Houston has a very beautiful song called “I look to you” – you should add it to your playlist to practice this phrasal verb by the way but let me give you other examples now: 
We have always looked to our mother for guidance. 
I always look to him for direction in everything 
Next Phrasal Verb: TO LOOK FOR: When you try to find or search for something or someone, so you can use the phrasal verb TO LOOK FOR. When you don’t know where something or someone is, you are going to look for him, her or it like: “Hey mom, I’m looking for my jacket. Do you know where it is?” or “My friends were looking for some answers regarding the accident.” 
Number four: TO LOOK AFTER: To look after is the same as TO TAKE CARE of someone or something. Do you know babysitters? They look after some family’s kids. You can tell your friends you can’t go out at night because you have to look after your little sister. Another example? “I need to find someone to look after my dogs while I’m traveling on vacation. Got this one? 
One more: TO LOOK FORWARD TO: Be careful with this one by the way and I’ll tell you why but first, the meaning: When you look forward to something or to doing something, it means you’re very anxious or kind of excited about something that will happen in the future. And I told you guys to be careful because, if you add another verb right after this phrasal verb, it must come with ING. 
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you. 
She was looking forward to traveling to California with her friends. 
But if you just add a noun for instance, so it will be like:
I’m really looking forward to Easter this year because my family is coming over. 
He was looking forward to his birthday party. 
TO LOOK OUT. This phrasal verb is very common when you want to warn somebody to be careful. Simple like that! 
Hey look out, there’s a car coming on the other side of the road. 
Mom, look out! There’s a broken glass on the floor. 
Guys, look out! There are fake teachers in the market trying to deceive you and just get your money! I mean it. 
One more: TO LOOK BACK: When you LOOK BACK guys, you think about something in the past. Be careful because this phrasal verb has nothing to do with turning around and checking something out ok? TO LOOK BACK is used for situations in the past. For example: “When I look back on my childhood, I realize how lucky I was to have great memories and experiences.” 
And the last one: TO LOOK DOWN ON: Every time you consider another person inferior than you or believe you’re better than somebody else, so you’re looking down on someone. Well, of course that’s just the explanation because I know you guys don’t do it and if you see somebody looking down on someone else, tell him/her off ok? TO LOOK DOWN ON SOMEBODY is very very nasty. Anyway, let’s check some examples: 
I hate the way that my boss looks down on me; he always treats me as if I was less important than him. 
Hey, don’t look down on me just because I make some mistakes in English. I’m still learning ok? 
Guys, these were just 8 phrasal verbs we have with the verb TO LOOK. We have many other ones but as you know, I don’t like bringing huge lists. Work hard with these ones from today and I’ll bring more phrasal verbs as soon as possible (using other verbs) so you can memorize, improve your vocabulary and not only understand but also speak English better.
So that’s it for today guys. I really hope you have enjoyed today’s episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and for listening to this English bite. If you have any suggestion, anything you’d like to learn from our English Bites, please let me know alright?