SPEAKER_04 0:06

Hello and welcome back to your English Five a Day. English Life Native Podcast. This is your daily dip into the English language so that with relative ease you can feel more comfortable with English, expand your passive and active vocabulary, and improve your listening skills. My name is Anna and today is week eleven, day three of our story Following Gabriel on his journey across the UK. Why are we following Gabriel? Because learning through stories is probably the best way to learn. Yesterday Gabriel rushed to join an important online meeting, navigating polite British expressions along the way. Today that meeting leads to something unexpected. A chance to take part in a traditional English village event. Now supporting materials for this season are available at www.joineelan.com forward slash plus. Now let's begin with a snapshot of what's to come. After his online meeting, Gabriel is invited to a village fate where locals set up food stalls, offer a taster of homemade chutney, and organize a raffle. To his surprise, he's asked to judge a baking competition, helping decide which treat deserves the prize for best in show. Okay, let's head into our vocabulary breakdown. First we have the word fate fate F E T E This is a small outdoor community festival often held in a village. For example, the village fate included games, food and music. Next stall stall S T A L L This is a small stand or table where goods are sold. For example, she bought homemade jam from a local stall. Next we have raffle raffle R A F F L E A raffle is a competition where people buy tickets and winners are chosen randomly. For example he bought a ticket for the raffle. Next we have taster taster T A S T E R A taster is a small sample of food or drink. For example, they offered a taster of the chutney. And finally Best in Show Best B E S T I N Show S H O W. Best in Show means the top prize in a competition. For example, the cake won Best in Show. Were any of those items new to you? I do hope so. Either way, listen out for today's vocabulary as they appear quite naturally in today's story. During the video meeting, Gabriel and each of the nine other finalists had sixty seconds to say something interesting about themselves. Gabriel felt like he hadn't prepared, but of course he had. He'd been speaking nothing but English for the past ten weeks. He started from where he was, telling the other finalist that he had followed his nose to a cozy cafe in a picturesque village and found the perfect spot to join the meeting, motioning towards the beautiful green countryside visible through the window behind him. It was a great setting for a travel discussion. After the meeting finished, Gabriel felt that it had gone well. He had been able to get his experiences across and engage with some of the other attendees. How did it go? asked the cafe server, as he went up to pay.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

I enjoyed it. One reason I came here is for new experiences.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

Oh I'm glad you said that. Listen, I was wondering if you'd be here tomorrow, the server said.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

I wasn't planning to be. Why?

SPEAKER_03 5:31

Village fate tomorrow. As you're from Leon, I'd like you to judge the baking competition.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Baking?

SPEAKER_03 5:41

There will be all sorts of stalls everywhere. Here, have a taster of this apple chutney. If you like it, you should come. Gabriel tried the chutney.

SPEAKER_04 5:54

It was sweet at first, then tangy, with a gentle spicy warmth at the end.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

That's delicious, he said.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

You've got good taste then. Will you be the judge for us? Gabriel had nothing else to do, and nowhere else to be. He was just cruising through these last couple of weeks.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

Let me introduce you to Bert. He's the main organizer, and also judge of the best in show for all the dogs in the country. He's also in charge of the raffle, so you'll probably try to sell you a ticket all three. Bert, here's our bakery judge. He's from Lyon, the culinary capital of France.

SPEAKER_04 6:43

It seemed very much to Gabriel like a fe accompli. He couldn't wait to tell Sophie that he was going to be a judge at a food competition. All right. Let's pause our story there and bring today's vocabulary back into focus. As always, I will say each item twice, leaving a small gap for you to repeat each item out loud after me. Then I'll remind you of the definition. Here goes. Fate Fate. This is a small outdoor community festival often held in a village. Next, repeat after me, stall. This is a small stand or table where goods are sold. Next, repeat after me, raffle. Raffle. Wonderful. This is a competition where people buy tickets and winners are chosen at random. Next we have taster. Taster. This is a small sample of food or drink. And finally, best in show. Best in show. This is the top prize in a competition. Fantastic. So Gabriel has gone from being a visitor to being part of the village. Tomorrow the fate begins, and Gabriel finds himself fully immersed in the event, tasting, judging, and mingling with the locals. That's all from me for today. I do hope you have enjoyed today's podcast and found it useful. If you have, then I would greatly appreciate if you could take just one second to leave a like if you're watching on YouTube, or a rating or review if you're streaming from any other platform. Thanks in advance. I will tickle your eardrums again tomorrow. Until then, take care and goodbye.