آیا شما علاقمندید یا جذاب؟ تفاوت را پیدا کنید

This is an All Ears English Podcast, Episode 185: “Are You Interested or Interesting? Find Out the Difference.”

Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, where you’ll finally get real, native English conversation with your hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the ‘English Adventurer’ and Gabby Wallace, the ‘Language Angel’, from Boston, USA.

Today’s episode is Number 10 in our TOP 15 FIXES. Learn the difference between offending yourself and talking about how you feel about something else.

Gabby, is it true that you’re leaving me here in Boston and you’re moving to Japan?

It’s true Lindsay. But it’s okay. We’re going to continue the All Ears English podcast as normal. And, for you listeners, who are in Tokyo, I want you to come join me in person, in Tokyo, at a live, monthly meetup event.

The only way that you can find out the time, the day, the location, is to get on our signup list at AllEarsEnglish.com/Japan. And if you want to come from outside Tokyo, that’s cool too. Just come sign up and I’ll give you the information.

And if you’re not in Japan, don’t worry, you’re still going to get Lindsay and Gabby four mornings a week on your podcast app.

Hello, Gabby.

Hey, Lindsay. How are you?

Not much. What’s shaking with you?

I said, “How are you?”

Oh! Oh, I’m supposed to answer that. Oh, but I thought we always answer that question, (you know), sometimes I just come back in natural English with a question. What’s shaking?

Oh, nothing much. All right. Well, let’s get into it. Lindsay, what do you think is boring?

(Ugh). The 9-5 is boring.

Oh. Well, how do you feel, (like), when’s the last time you felt bored in a 95?

Well, luckily – because I think the 9-5 is boring ,I haven’t had very many 9-5’s.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

By the way, what’s 9-5?

What’s a 9-5? Yeah, let’s back up. Back up.

A 9 -5 is a traditional job.

In a, (you know), a traditional schedule.

Right. Well, and I think in the US, it’s actually become more like 8-6. Don’t you think?

Yeah, maybe next year it will be down to like 7- Both: 7.

7-7. Yeah, so maybe a traditional job may be in an office Or something like that. Okay.

I think that’s boring.

Yeah.

That’s my opinion

Okay. Okay. So, yeah, you haven’t really worked a 9-5 lately.

Not many, yeah.

So luckily you haven’t felt bored in your work…

Right.

Lately. Right?

I haven’t been bored recently in my work. I feel very excited and, (you know), (crosstalk).

That’s amazing.

I know it is.

Yeah.

What’s amazing to you?

Well, to me what’s amazing is being able to use technology like podcasting and internet to be able to reach you listeners. you know, I come from a background where I’m used to teaching maybe 20 people in a classroom .or less. (You know), I’ve taught classes that were four people.

(Um) or maximum, maybe 20.

And, (you know), I just, I wanted to meet more people

Right.

And so I think it’s amazing that we can reach 20,000 people a day.

And were you amazed when you saw how many downloads we had when we first launched…

It’s incredible.

All Ears English?

Yeah, I felt just blessed and amazed that so many people are listening. So…

I was surprised. I thought it was really surprising.

Yeah, it is, (right). Because I know when, when we started this, we were thinking (like), ‘Is anyone gonna listen?”

Ooh. We thought “Maybe we’ll try a few episodes.”

Yeah.

“And we’ll, maybe we’ll get five people listening.” Gabby: Yeah, I was totally surprised. And I think it’s interesting that there’s such a need for great episodes where, (you know), we talk about how to learn – we talk about life, we talk about language.

And, (you know), I guess you guys enjoy it. (You know), tell us if you do or you don’t. But we do love to hear from you.

Yeah, I think our listeners are interested in learning, (uh), while they’re walking around, like a…

Yeah.

Mobile. They’re interested in mobile learning.

Well, tell us if you are. We don’t wanna (want to)…

Right.

Assume anything.

We don’t wanna assume anything.

Right. But yeah, tell us, when do you feel bored? When do you feel amazed? When do you feel interested?

Yeah.

When do you feel surprised?

Guys we’re talking about these words because we noticed – (you know), there’s, there’s a problem for, for a lot of – a lot of English learners kind of confuse ‘bored’ and ‘ boring’.

It’s so confusing.

This is one of our FIXES, our 15 FIXES.

Right, this is Number 10 Of our ‘Tune Up Your Porsche’ series on…

Yeah.

Tuesdays. (Uh-h).

Yeah, so it’s rarely easy to tell the difference though. You just have to remember that the ‘–ed’ ending: bored, amazed, interested, surprised is for feelings.

Yes. It’s you.

Yes.

Inside.

Yes.

Get in touch with your inside.

Yes.

How can we remember that? (I mean), I always like to make connections.

So like, (um), “Hi, I’m, (um), I’m Ted and I’m bored,” ‘cause (because) Ted has t-e-d, right.

We’re bored.

“I’m Ted and I’m amazed.”

But you could also be Ted and be boring.

No, no, no, but (I mean) well, yes. That’s true, that’s true. But if you think about the spelling of Ted, it has –ed. And I’m feeling.

Oh, I see, I see. Okay.

Sorry. Maybe that was a bad connection. I’m just trying to make a link.

That’s great.

Maybe there isn’t a link.

I like links. I like links. That’s good. Um…

Okay.

No, yes, so thinking about like you feel bored.

Right.

Right. The feeling.

The feeling is always the ‘-ed’.

Yeah.

Okay. “So I am bored, I am amazed, I am interested,” okay. But the other, the other words with ‘–ing’ like boring, amazing, interesting, surprising, those are to describe things outside yourself.

Right.

Well, looks like there’s – there’s an exception. I could say, “I’m amazing.”

Or “I’m boring.”

“I’m so boring.”

Nah, we’re not boring.

But typically, usually, (like), 99% of the time, you’re not gonna (going to) say that.

Right.

So it’s easier to just remember that things outside yourself or people outside yourself…

Yeah.

Are ‘-ing’, amazing.

Right, it’s the stimulus outside yourself right.

Yeah.

The thing that you’re consuming or That you’re watching, that you’re experiencing is boring…

Yeah.

Is amazing…

Exactly.

Is interesting…

Exactly. Okay. So I’m tryna’ think of some more examples. (Um), “How did you feel, Lindsay, when you heard that, (um)…” Well, well, I was gonna say when Brazil didn’t win the World Cup, but you probably don’t watch the Word Cup.

I don’t care about soccer.

So maybe you were bored.

I was bored. I was bored with the whole conversation.

Okay. So you think soccer is boring?

Honestly, a little bit. Golf is even more boring to me than soccer. I’m sorry guys. This might be disturbing. I’m just not interested in, in soccer.

Okay. Well, what do you think is interesting?

What is interesting? Traveling is interesting.

Okay. So you are interested in traveling.

I am.

Okay.

I am interested in traveling.

Okay. Cool.

And Gabby what are you intrigued by?

Oh, wow, like what am I curious about?

What’s intriguing to you?

(Um), I think expression, communication, (you know), how can we find the right ways to take ideas out of our brains and put them onto paper or into words and have other people understand them.

Yeah, that’s sounds pretty intriguing.

Yeah.

I think that music and arts and the way we communicate, (you know), visually, and, and with music are also interesting, amazing, intriguing.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I think, I think, (um), creating your own path in life can be really intriguing can be really motivating too.

Unfortunately, I’ve had some students when I worked at, (you know), English language schools, had some students come up to me and, (uh), when I worked as a coordinator, said, “(You know), Gabby, I have a problem. I’m so boring in my English class.”

Ooh.

And, (you know), well, (like), that’s your problem.

Was that really the problem?

No, it well it’s funny because, (you know), they meant to say, “I’m so bored in my English class.”

Maybe you say you’re boring guys, it doesn’t, it doesn’t do a good thing for your social status, right For getting dates, or for getting friends.

Yeah, I’m so boring.” That’s so weird to say. You’re saying you’re putting yourself down. You’re saying something bad about yourself.

Yeah.

So, (you know), of course, I helped the student out and said, “Well, also, (you know), you wanna (want to) say I’m so bored.

But you don’t wanna be bored in your English class and you know what, that’s, that’s another topic. I just wanna mention briefly, that’s why we’re here at, All Ears English because gosh, we just wanna help you guys who feel bored in your English class.

And I know you want to improve your English, you love language, you’re an independent learner and, (you know), you only have 28,000 days in life. Why would you waste them in a boring English class?

Exactly. Life is short and we’re, we’re here to help you guys see that learning language is fun and it can blend seamlessly with your life.

Yes, that’s right. So…

It’s about your life.

We want you to have an amazing English experience, an interesting English experience, maybe a surprising English experience.

Not a boring one.

Cool.

Life is too short for that.

Yeah. So bored versus boring. You guys have just heard a really good some really great examples of how to use the two; so don’t get them confused.

If you wanna put your ears into English more often, be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes on your computer or on your smartphone. Thanks so much for listening and see you next time.