Podcast del mes anterior:
 

Moraira, on the Spanish Costa Blanca, has been a small fishing village since the end of the 18th century. With a population of less than 10,000, Moraira is very popular with non-Spanish residents. But why? And why do so many people come to live in Spain? We decided to ask some of them.

Why did you come here?
-Why? Because the weather is..er.. so..er.. comfortable
-Because my husband’s a very sad person and he’s got to have the sun all the time.
-The weather.
-Errr… the better..the weather is better. There are not so many rules as in Holland.
-Umm… well, my husband’s health, really. And..er.. to hopefully get a better life.
-And why did you decide to come to this particular part of Spain?
-Err…’cos (because) our grandkids were here originally. But in the meantime they’ve gone now back to the UK, so…
-And at the end we decided..er.. for the Costa Blanca because this is a living area, not..not ghost town.
-We’re stuck, really!
-I just come out to Spain, and Michelle lived in Spain for the last five years, so I thought I’d just move out and try and start a career over in Spain, and live in Spain. In the sun!
-I saw many parts of the world. And when I came here, I…for me it was one of the nicest..er.. parts in Europe. And..er.. so we are here.
-I am in this restaurant. I run a restaurant.
-And the name of the restaurant?
-Pizza Tiger
-In Moraira?
-In Moraira, yeah.
-Okay.
-To this particular part of Spain because of the good schools. English schools, although I have one child at Spanish school and one at the English school. And..it’s a lovely area.

What are Spanish people like?
-Lovely. The people in this village are lovely.
-Er..nice. Yeah. Quite friendly, I think, yes.
-Yeah?
-When you get to know them a little bit better, they are nice, and when you are trying to speak Spanish, erm.. they appre…appreciate that.
-Very nice. Very friendly, yeh.
-What are…what are Spanish people like?
-Lovely, yeh, very nice. Erm..very caring about their children. Erm…and very helpful.
-And..erm..I think the Spanish people are very nice.
-Erm…I think they’re fantastic, to be honest. Er..
-Patient.
-Patient, laid-back. They just take every day as it comes, really. I like that.
-Lovely, very friendly. Very like the Scots. Very hospitable, friendly.
-Most..yeah…most of all they are kind people.

What do you miss about your country?
-My family.
-Not a lot. Nothing really.
Erm..what do you actually miss about your own country?
-Well, nothing really. We go back to..to Scotland for a couple of months every summer, so we see friends and family, and they come out and visit us here, so…I really don’t think there’s much I miss about Scotland. I love going back. I enjoy my two months there, but I’m very happy to be here.
-Nothing. I don’t miss anything.
-Nothing!
-Erm..me, since I’m stupid, erm…I miss a lot of cider drinks, and..er..carpets. Yeah, I do miss my carpets in the morning.
What do you miss most about England?
-That’s a very difficult question. I suppose really family and friends. Although,..erm..I’ve..I’m very lucky that I’m musical, so I belong to the English choir. And I sing in the local church. I think that you do need to meet people and join in activities.
-Erm……she said ‘tell them my mother’.
-I’m missing nothing. You…I..I..have everything I want here. I can buy everything..er..er..and I have the occasion with the German TV, and..er…if I want German radio..erm..it’s everything..er.. I want. I have..er.. more than in Germany.
-Erm…friends, but..that’s it.
-Not much, because here is the same weather, the same things.
-You don’t miss the food?
-I am every day Italian food!
-And finally, what do you miss most about the UK?
-Nothing!

Break

In English, questions are normally formed by putting an auxiliary verb before the subject.

Listen: Have you been to Holland?
Have (aux. Verb) you (subject) been to Holland? (NOT You have been to Holland?) (wrong tone)

Hay que cambiar el orden del sujeto y el verbo auxiliar.

Listen: Where can I get a taxi? (NOT Where I can get a taxi?) (wrong tone)

Why are you waiting here? (NOT Why you are waiting here?) (wrong tone)

Listen and repeat:

  Have you been to Holland?
  Where can I get a taxi?
  Why are you waiting here?
  Where would you like to go?
  What would you like to drink?

If there is no auxiliary verb, use the verb do.

Listen: What do you want? (NOT What you want?) (wrong tone)
            What does avoid mean? (NOT What means avoid?) (wrong tone)

Listen and repeat:

  What do you want?
  What does avoid mean?
  Where did you go for lunch?
  What does your husband do for a living?

The auxiliary verb goes before the subject, NOT before the verb.

Listen: Is your sister making lunch? (NOT Is making your sister lunch?) (wrong tone)

Where are your parents living now? (NOT Where are living your parents now?) (wrong tone)

Listen and repeat:

  Is your sister making lunch?
  What does your husband do for a living?
  Where are your parents living now?
  How much did your car cost?

After the verb do, use the infinitive without to.

Listen: Where does he work? (NOT Where does he works?)
            Where did you go yesterday? (NOT Where did you went?)

Listen and repeat: Where does he work?
                                Where did you go yesterday?

Do not use do with other auxiliary verbs or with the verb to be.

Listen:

Can you speak Spanish? (NOT Do you can speak Spanish?)
Are you Scottish? (NOT Do you are Scottish?)

Listen and repeat:

  Are you Scottish?
  Can you speak Spanish?
  Will you phone me tomorrow?
   Is she married?

We do not use do when the subject is a question word (who, what, which, how etc.)

Listen:

  What happened? (NOT What did happen?)
  Who lives in that flat? (NOT Who does live in that flat?)
  Which team won? (NOT which team did win?)

Listen and repeat:

  What happened?
  Who lives in that flat?
  Which team won?
  How much is it?
  What’s you name?

Use do if the question word is the object.

Listen:

  What did you do yesterday?
  Where does your brother live?
  What do you usually have for breakfast?

Listen and repeat:

  What did you do yesterday?
  Where does your brother live?
  What time does the train leave?
  What do you usually have for breakfast?
  When did you move to Spain?