Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast. My name is Anna and you're listening to Week 51, Day 5 of Your English Five-a-Day. This is the series that gives you a healthy daily dose of English vocabulary so that you can expand your knowledge of English as well as improve your listening skills and overall communication. It's Friday, which means that you have to listen closely. Why? Because I'm running a competition every Friday and I want you to take part. If you win, then you'll be winning access to an exclusive Pronunciation class. These classes I hold every fortnight in my Community for Community Members. So, if you're not a member, then this is an excellent opportunity for you to gain access to one of those classes. All you have to do is listen out for something specific in the podcast. When you hear it, select the correct answer using the form below and you will be entered into my prize draw. The winner will be contacted and announced in my newsletter. So, are you up for the challenge? In today's episode, I want you to listen out for the name of a performance group. So, in this episode, I will mention a performance group and their name. This is a made-up one, by the way, not a famous performance group. And I want you to hear the name. And as soon as you do head to the form, select the correct name and enter the prize draw. And who knows you could be a winner. So, let's get started. We begin today's episode with the noun touchstone, touchstone. We spell this T O U C H S T O N E, touchstone, touchstone. A touchstone is something that provides a standard against which others can be compared or judged. So, it's like setting the bar if you're familiar with that phrase. It's saying, this is the standard that everyone should aspire to. This is the touchstone, so you should all try to reach this level, whatever it is. Here's an example,"His first and only novel became a touchstone for an entire generation of writers." Next on the list is the idiom of every stripe, or you might hear of all stripes. Let me spell this for you, of every. O F, of. Every, E V E R Y. Stripe, S T R I P E. Of every stripe. Or the other version, of all stripes. All, A L L. Stripes, S T R I P E S. Notice that the first version has no S, the second version does have an S. So, of every stripe, or of all stripes. Now, this phrase means of all types. So, it's like a mixed variety, of all types of every kind, the variety, the range, basically. This is often used when talking about people. So, you might say,"There were people of every stripe." So, there's every type of person. For example, I went to a business conference and there were people of all stripes there. So, there were academics and labourers and bankers and all sorts of different types of people, types of workers, different types of professionals at this particular event. Here's another example,"The conference attracted scientists of all stripes, from biologists to physicists". Next on the list is the adjective heartfelt, heartfelt. We spell this H E A R T F E L T, heartfelt, heartfelt. If something is described as heartfelt, then it is strongly felt or it's sincere. So, it just means that it's true, it's honest, and genuine. It really meant. So, if someone says thank you for something, there's many different ways they can deliver that thank you. They could just brush you off with a quick thanks, which actually could be perceived as quite rude."Oh, thanks." Or they might genuinely look at you with a beaming smile and a glint of gratitude in their eye and say,"Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Honestly, it's made the world of difference to me. Thank you." That last example was a heartfelt thanks. Here's another example,"Our many honest and heartfelt conversations helped to save our marriage." Next on the list is the noun rallying cry, rallying cry. Two words. Rallying, R A L L Y I N G. Cry, C R Y. A rallying cry. A rallying cry is a phrase or an idea that is used to encourage people to support someone or something. So, for example, I support a charity that helps lost, abandoned, and neglected cats and kittens, and I support them. And occasionally, when I can see they're really struggling and they need more support, I will give out a rallying cry. So, I will spread the word on social media, talk to my friends and see if I can drum up some additional support to help this charity. Here's another example,"Throughout history, powerful slogans have served as rallying cries for social movements, uniting diverse groups under a common cause." Last on the list is the adverb vibrantly, vibrantly. We spell this V I B R A N T L Y, vibrantly, vibrantly. This means that something is done in a way that's energetic, exciting and full of enthusiasm. Here's an example sentence,"The dance troupe called'Street Beats' danced vibrantly to the beat of their drums." This reminds me of the time when I worked on the cruise ships as a singer. I not only had to sing, but I had to do some huge dance routines in some beautiful and very eccentric costumes. And sometimes the mood would just take me, and I would move vibrantly across the stage, having a whale of a time, giving my all to the performance. So, I would move vibrantly. I would perform vibrantly for my audience. Okay, that's our five, so let's do a quick recap. We started with the noun touchstone, which is something that provides a standard against which others are compared and or judged by. Then we had the idiom of every stripe, or of all stripes, which means of every kind, of all types. Then we had the adjective heartfelt, which means that something is strongly felt and sincere. We had the noun rallying cry, which is a phrase or an idea that's used to encourage people to support somebody or something. And we had the adverb vibrantly, which is when something's done in a way that's energetic, exciting and full of enthusiasm. Okay, let's do this now for pronunciation purposes. Please repeat after me. Touchstone. Touchstone. Of all stripes. Of every stripe. Heartfelt. Heartfelt. Rallying cry. Rallying cry. Vibrantly. Vibrantly. Excellent. Let me test your memory now. If I say that I went to a party and there were all kinds of people at this party, I could say, there were people...what? What idiom can I use instead of saying there were all kinds of people? There were people of every stripe. Yes, very good. And if I watch a film that is incredible, it's really out there using a new technique, a new way of storytelling. It's amazing. I could say that this is now providing the standard against which all other films are going to be judged. What can I use, what noun can I use to describe this particularly great film? The touchstone. Yeah, very good. Okay, and if I give you an apology because I've done something wrong and I'm genuine in my apology, I'm very sincere, I really feel sorry. What adjective could we use to describe this apology? Heartfelt. Very good. Then, if I am working in a very energetic and exciting way, I'm full of enthusiasm, what adverb could you describe my work with? Vibrantly. I'm working vibrantly. Wow. Anna is really bringing a new level of energy and enthusiasm to her work. Fantastic. And if someone gives a speech and ends the speech with a phrase that really encourages people to support a cause, what noun can we use to describe that particular phrase that encourages people? It's a rallying cry. Yes, fantastic. Like, if at the end of this podcast I say,"Come on guys, I really need you all to please click the like button or leave a rating, a good rating for this podcast, please. This podcast needs your support." That is a very poor example of a rallying cry. Okay, listen out for these items once again in today's storytime. In a cramped apartment overlooking the busy streets of New Orleans, Ella Mae Johnson sat at her old piano, fingers dancing across the keys. The melodies that flowed from her instrument were unlike anything the world had heard before a fusion of jazz, blues, and something entirely new. Ella Mae's music became a touchstone for musicians of all stripes. Her lyrics, heartfelt and raw, spoke of love, loss, and the human experience in ways that resonated across generations. Her approach to creativity was fearless; she broke rules and created new ones, inspiring other artists to innovate too. As her fame grew, Ella Mae's songs became a rallying cry for those seeking authenticity in a world of manufactured pop. Rock stars, classical musicians and indie bands were all drawn to her work, each discovering something unique that spoke to their artistic soul. At music festivals, it wasn't uncommon to hear Ella Mae's influence in the most unexpected places. A punk band might incorporate one of her signature chord progressions, while a country singer could be heard singing her lyrics. Years passed, and Ella Mae's legacy only grew stronger. Music schools began teaching courses dedicated to her innovative techniques. Critics of every stripe hailed her as a pioneer, a visionary who had reshaped the musical landscape. On her 80th birthday, a tribute concert brought together artists from across the globe. As the final notes of her most famous composition were performed by a vibrantly diverse ensemble, Ella Mae stood centre stage, tears in her eyes. She realised that her music had done more than touch hearts it had built bridges between genres, generations, and cultures. In that moment, Ella Mae Johnson knew that her melodies would continue to echo through time, a testament to the universal power of heartfelt music. And that brings us to the end of today's episode, and to the end of Week 51. Remember all the vocabulary that's covered in this Five-a-Day series can be found in The Database. So, be sure to sign up for your access to The Master Sheet. I look forward to tickling your eardrums again very soon. Until then, take care and goodbye.