Speak with Nick

Hi, I’m Nick Simcock, an English Language coach. I help Italians to unlock their English. A transcript of this podcast can be found in the description.
“Go out and get some fresh air”, my Mum would often say when I was a kid. I didn’t think about it much at the time I simply went outside to play. Today when I want to suggest going out for a walk with my family I say, “shall we go and get some fresh air?”.
Fresh air is considered to be clean with a normal oxygen content which is around 21%. Our bodies need oxygen for many functions like digesting food, flexing muscles, or even just using our brain to think. When these processes happen and oxygen is consumed by our body, a waste gas is produced called carbon dioxide. When we breathe in our lungs introduce precious oxygen into our bloodstream and when we breathe out we get rid of the carbon dioxide.
Fresh air is normally found outside. The longer you stay in a small enclosed space the more you consume the oxygen in the air around you and the more you breathe out carbon dioxide. A small room can start to get pretty stuffy, making you feel tired and drowsy. Obviously, opening a window can help, as long as you don’t live in a polluted area. If you are lucky enough to live near to the countryside and green spaces then the best thing to do is to get out there and get some fresh air!
Walking among trees in a park or a wooded area will fill your lungs with fresh air. Trees not only filter out noise and air pollution, but through photosynthesis they consume carbon dioxide together with water and produce oxygen!
Here’s an interesting thought: According to the US department of agriculture, one large tree can provide one day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. So the next time you're next to a tree don’t forget to say thanks and why not, give it a hug!
If you can, do your exercise in nature, even one short gentle walk a day will reap benefits. Deep breathing has been proven to increase the level of serotonin in your brain (the feel good chemical). So get out into nature, and take deep breaths of fresh air! Big, slow, deep breaths down into your diaphragm.
There’s a growing body of evidence and research that connects regular time in green spaces with health and wellbeing. I’m convinced it’s true. Nearly everyday I walk in nature for around 30 minutes and I’m sure that it helps me to maintain my mental and physical health.
In my next podcast I’m going to talk about the importance of breathing. 
In the meantime, get out into nature, hug the trees, and get some fresh air! 
You can find out more about me on my website - speakwithnick.it
Ciao for now!

Hi, I’m Nick Simcock, an English Language coach. I help Italians to unlock their English. A transcript of this podcast can be found in the description.
I’m recording this podcast on a Sunday Morning. The house is quiet and I have some precious time to myself. 
In most Western countries, whether you’re religious or not, Sunday is known as a day of rest, but maybe things are a little different nowadays.
I grew up in England and I remember when shops were not allowed to open on a Sunday. The Sunday Trading Act of 1994 governs the right of shops in England and Wales to trade on a Sunday. Prior to 1994 buying and selling on Sunday had been illegal. I was 23 years old in 1994 and when the law changed I remember thinking, great I can buy stuff on Sunday! But I also remember other people weren’t so happy, and now I have to say I understand why, we need a day of rest!
As someone who grew up in England I always consider Sunday to be the last day of the week, after Saturday the second and final day of the Weekend. But that’s not the same in other parts of the world.
According to Wikipedia on their page entitled Sunday: The International Organization for Standardization’s recognizes Sunday as the seventh day of the week, while in the United States, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, and most of South America, Sunday is recognised as the first day of the week.
That’s why on Western digital calendars there is the option to set Monday or Sunday as the first day of the week. 
The name for Sunday (according to dictionary.com) stems from the [15 Century] Middle English Language word sunnenday, which itself comes from the [5th Century] Old English word sunnandæg, the translation from the Latin diēs sōlis day of the sun.
To conclude I’d like to suggest that Sunday is the perfect time to stop and reflect on where you are and where you want to go in life. One step at a time.
If you’re here because you want to improve your English, then I suggest first going for a walk (preferably in nature) to clear your head, and then set yourself a simple task for the week. Put pen to paper, write it down - if it’s only in your head it’s just an idea or a dream and it can float away - write it down now in your diary or in a notebook and make it real!We are habitual creatures, our habits create our lives. So, one great new habit could be to talk in English OUT LOUD by yourself for 5 minutes everyday about something you are doing, something like cooking, getting dressed, or your work. Start with the English you know and make notes about what you need to add. This is a great way to practise your English, because we learn by doing and this practice everyday will normalise the use of English for you. Remember mistakes are a normal part of the learning process, just start speaking!
Whatever you plan to do today, and whatever day it is for you today, I wish you positive, peaceful and relaxing Sundays!
You can find out more about me on my website - speakwithnick.it
Ciao for now!

Hi, I’m Nick Simcock, an English Language coach. I help Italians to unlock their English. This podcast is an extract from my free email entitled “Unblock the words, May 2023”. To receive my emails visit speakwithnick.it.
Hi, Nick here from Speak with Nick. I hope you are well and practising your English. If not, don’t feel bad, because today is a great day to start!
Unblock the words, unlock your English!
If you, like many Italians that I help, are good at reading and understanding written English but you haven’t done enough listening and speaking out loud you will have many blocked words.
A blocked word - is a word that you can read and understand but you don’t know how to pronounce it, this creates a mental block in your speaking. You are unsure how to say it and so you avoid speaking.
If you want to speak confidently in English and also understand what other people are saying, you must actively practise pronunciations out loud to unlock the words you want to use. This means using wordreference.com or other online resources to listen to and repeat the correct pronunciation.
The correct pronunciation doesn’t always come instantly, sometimes it takes many attempts to get it right. Just like anything, practice makes progress, so don’t give up at the second attempt!
TOP TIP: When practising your pronunciation, occasionally place your fingers in your ears so you can hear your own voice in your head to check if it's similar to the original! If not, don’t worry, experiment like a child to find the right sounds - have fun and remember it doesn’t have to be perfect!
As well as the essential act of speaking out loud, you will make stronger connections in your memory if you write out the word by hand, also breaking it down into syllables. A quality website like wordreference will also place a small apostrophe before the stressed syllable.
Last but not least, you must remember that your memory needs to connect words and phrases to meaning or it will simply forget very quickly. So make sure you put your blocked word into a phrase that is super meaningful to you, and if you can do the phrase while you practise it out loud all the better - we learn by doing!
Do you have blocked words? Do you have any questions for me? I’d be delighted to hear from you!
Speak to you soon,
Ciao for now!
This podcast is an extract from my free email entitled “Unblock the words - May 2023”. To receive my emails visit speakwithnick.it
Thanks for listening!