SPEAKER_02 0:05

Hello and welcome back to your English Five a Day on the English Like a Native Podcast. This is your daily dunk into the English language so that with a little effort over a long time you can slowly but surely increase your active and passive vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and generally start to feel more confident with the English language. My name is Anna, and today, well, we're finishing the penultimate week. We are on week 11, day five of our story following Gabriel. And as it is Friday, it means that it's time for our full episode where I bring everything from this week back together. As always, supporting materials for this season are available at www.joineelan.com forward slash plus. All right, are you ready to hear the whole of chapter eleven? Let's go. Sophie left for Lyon early in the morning. A hug at Temple Meads, a promise to message, then back to lectures, deadlines, and real life. Gabriel suddenly has two free weeks in the UK before his own return, and he still has no fixed plan. That's how he finds himself stepping off a small local train into the Somerset village of Freshford. It looks unreal. Ivy covered stone cottages line the narrow street, the green leaves climbing up the walls. Gabriel can't believe how picturesque it looks, as if it were something staged for a film. After a while he goes up to a passer by. He walks past the bakery, the post office, and a quaint pub with hanging flower baskets. Then he comes across the galleries. The outdoor seating seems full, so he goes inside. It's a cozy place, friendly and community oriented. Gabriel goes to the counter to order.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

Hello again, Monsieur. Quiche Lorraine for you It's the passerby.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

You didn't tell me where the cafe was.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Gabriel laughs. You just are too follow your nose, the server replies. Gabriel takes a seat and his quiche is served. It's well seasoned, the short crust pastry is perfect, and most importantly, there's no cheese. Sophie would approve, he thinks. She's on her way back to her culinary studies in Lyon. But the question for Gabriel is what will he do when he gets back home? Just then, his mobile buzzes. His roaming data should be off though. Ah, maybe I've automatically been connected to the cafe Wi-Fi. He draws his password on the screen and stops. It's a calendar notification. Oh no! How could I have forgotten? Gabriel feels a churning in his stomach that has nothing to do with his quiche. The travel writing competition finalists are meeting online for a live chat and Q ⁇ A in fifteen minutes time. Somehow, in amongst the megaliths, spark plugs and coffee crusts, it had completely slipped his mind. He has only one option. He goes to the counter.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

Excuse me, do you mind if I use my laptop here?

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Gabriel asks. Of course not, the server replies.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Thank you, and could you tell me where the bathroom is?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

I wouldn't take your laptop in there. The woman at the counter laughs, pointing the way. The joke doesn't register with Gabriel, though. He turns quickly in the direction of the woman's finger, but gets to the door at the same time as an elderly gentleman with a walking stick. After you, he says politely but softly. replies the gentleman. Gabriel repeats, this time with an encouraging and exaggerated hand gesture.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Would you mind opening the door for me?

SPEAKER_02 6:04

The gentleman asks. Gabriel is starting to think that he's not going to be ready in time. Well, relax, it's not the end of the world. But what was that idiom? Oh yes. Throw a spanner in the works. Gabriel smiles to himself. But the gentleman is still waiting to go in.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

You a bit deaf, son like me?

SPEAKER_02 6:30

He growls at Gabriel. Oh so sorry, please go in, Gabriel says quickly and opens the door. Gabriel waits to make sure that the man is all the way inside before following him. But before he can let go of the door, another man squeezes past, cheerfully thanking Gabriel for holding the door open for him.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Much obliged, he says.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Gabriel relieves himself, washes his hands, and heads back to fire up his laptop. He's just finishing his quiche as he joins the meeting. Faces appear on the screen. Other finalists, he supposes. He wipes the last bit of short crust pastry from his face and turns the camera on. 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 8:40

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

SPEAKER_03 8:46

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

SPEAKER_01 8:56

I wasn't planning to be. Why?

SPEAKER_03 9:00

replied Gabriel. As you're from Leon, I'd like you to judge the baking competition. Baking 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_02 9:24

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

SPEAKER_01 9:32

That's delicious, he said.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

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 9:49

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_02 10:12

It seemed very much to Gabriel like a fait accompli. He couldn't wait to tell Sophie that he was going to be a judge at a food competition. The village fate featured all kinds of homemade goods, from cakes to cushions, from jewellery to juice, and from paintings to pottery. Gabriel really wanted to sample some of the amazing looking scones and pastries, but he had to make sure that his palate was clean for the judging session. Gabriel saw Bert and some other locals gathered slightly away from the stalls, engaged in conversation. At first he thought they were just chatting away cheerfully, enjoying the atmosphere of the day, but it quickly got the impression that something was wrong. He went across and politely interrupted, asking if they had any instructions for him. Bert introduced Gabriel to the others and explained that they had a last minute problem. A landlord who had originally offered to host the evening party at his pub, had pulled out and would no longer provide the venue as promised. I wonder if you could use the cafe, Gabriel said, without missing a beat. Someone in the group commented in typical reserved British fashion that it wasn't the worst idea they'd ever heard. And Gabriel returned to mingle with the crowds. There were lots of workshops too, and he promised himself he would come to more of these types of events in the next few days. It was as if he didn't want his visit to the UK to be over. The judging time came. Buttery scones, golden pastries, jam tarts, cinnamon swirl buns, victorious sponge cake. He had to taste all of these? It was too good to be true. Bert had told him to take a sip of water and a small bite of a plain cracker between each tasting. That way he'd look more professional. Gabriel tasted each treat with pleasure. Bert did the same for what he called reasons of transparency. At the end they briefly compared notes before announcing the winner. The jam tarts. Gabriel asked if he could take the recipe back to Lyon, but the winning baker said she would give it to him only if he took her back to Lyon too. Everyone roared with laughter. Gabriel blushed and presented her with the winner's rosette. The fate carried on until nightfall, ending up at the cafe, as Gabriel had suggested. For the rest of the week, Gabriel visited more famous towns in Somerset. He went to Wells, which, with a population of only around twelve thousand, is the smallest cathedral city in England. He had a lot of fun at a medieval craft workshop at the Bishop's Palace there. Imagine writing a blog with a quill pen like Shakespeare or Rabelais, he thought. Another day he went to Cheddar where real cheddar cheese is produced and matured in local caves. The word cheddar refers to the style of production. So although he'd come across this name before, the cheese he tried in the village of Cheddar was quite different. The locals told him that the main difference was that here they put flavour first rather than mass production. He also discovered that the town of Glastonbury has much more to offer than just the internationally famous music festival. The legendary King Arthur is said to be buried at Glastonbury Abbey, and the town itself has a history of fascination with healing techniques and spiritual retreats. At a street market he bought several different coloured precious stones with healing and protective properties. Gabriel couldn't fail to enjoy all that was around him, yet he felt a little bit as if he weren't really there. The closer you come to the end of something, the more your engagement tends to fade away and your thoughts drift elsewhere. It's a bit like getting older, he supposed. During your teenage years and early adulthood, your experiences are more intense and they stay with you in a way that they don't generally tend to when you get into your thirties and beyond. When Gabriel got to the ancient Roman city of Bath, though, he would have some experiences that would stay with him forever. All right, that wraps up chapter eleven. But we haven't finished there because now we're going to take a look through our language lens. Yes, it's time to get technical and look at indirect questions. This week Gabriel has moved through cafes, conversations, and community events, and one language feature quietly supports his interactions the whole way. Indirect questions. These are questions that are framed inside a longer, softer structure. They're everywhere in spoken English and especially common in British social life. On day one, Gabriel arrives in Freshford and approaches a stranger. Instead of asking directly is there a cafe here? He says I was wondering if you could tell me whether there is a cafe here. This is a classic indirect question. The speaker doesn't jump straight to the point, he cushions the question with I was wondering if. On day two, indirect questions become even more practical. Gabriel is anxious about time and needs help quickly, but he still uses polite forms. Do you mind if I use my laptop here? Could you tell me where the bathroom is? These examples show two key features. First, indirect questions are often used to ask for permission. Second, once a question becomes indirect, the word order changes. We say where the bathroom is, not where is the bathroom? This shift from question order to statement order is essential and very noticeable to native speakers. Later that same day, Gabriel hears an indirect question used as a request rather than a query. Would you mind opening the door for me? Here the elderly gentleman isn't really asking whether Gabriel minds, he's asking for a favor, but in a way that sounds respectful and considerate. On day three, indirect questions help build relationships. When the cafe server says wondering if you'd be here tomorrow. This isn't something private, it's an indirect yes or no question using if and it is directed at the listener. It's a gentle lead in to an invitation. Indirect questions are often used when the speaker wants to leave space for the listener to say no without embarrassment. Finally, on day four, indirect questions are used to manage group dynamics. When the fate organizers discover that they've lost their venue, Gabriel doesn't make a blunt suggestion. Instead, he offers his idea carefully. I wonder if you could use the cafe. This is an indirect question functioning as a polite proposal. By phrasing it this way, Gabriel avoids sounding pushy and shows sensitivity to the group. In English, especially in meetings or social problem solving situations, this kind of phrasing is extremely common. Throughout the week, indirect questions help Gabriel sound polite, thoughtful and socially aware. They don't just ask for information, they open conversations, soften requests, and keep interactions running smoothly. Now it's your turn. Listen again or reread chapter eleven and think of four to five indirect questions that you might naturally ask during a holiday abroad. Aim to include at least one indirect question asked to a stranger, at least one indirect question asking for permission, one indirect question used to make a suggestion or invitation, and one indirect question with a question word where, when, how, or what. For an extra challenge, you could try to take one direct question from the story and rewrite it as an indirect question, keeping the meaning the same. Feel free to share your response in the comment section so we can all learn together. And that brings us to the end of week 11. If you have enjoyed the story so far, then please take a second to let me know by leaving a like, a rating, a review, or comment. And I do hope that you'll be back again next week for the final week of Gabriel's story. Until then, take care and goodbye.