Wonderful Destinations: Peru and Canada (part 1 of 2)

Dear student, this is a series of two postings related to our Travel English conversation studies. 
On the first part we will show you 4 videos of Peruvian travel destinations together with their corresponding audio transcripts so that you can watch the video scenes and also read along for better comprehension. 
We recommend that you watch the video first without reading the text, then read the text and watch the video again.  Afterwards you may wish to listen as you read for a few  times and finally read the text as if you were the announcer yourself!
We will show you places in Lima, the Inca trails, Machu Picchu and the famous Santa Catalina convent in Arequipa.
On the second part of this series, we will take a long jump across the skies heading north and land in British Columbia, Canada! Likewise the transcripts will be there for you to read along and practice your English.
Please visit our video corner on our website; there you will find a collection of similar videos to help you improve your English! Here is the link: 

http://www.englishmindset.com/apps/videos/

Please fasten your seat-belts and let your imagination take you to the wonders of Peru!   
Lima-Peru

Script from the YouTube site.
Lima, Its the capital city of Peru, and the only large city on the Pacific coast of South America.
With 8 million people living in the rain shadow cast by the Andes mountain range, Lima is the second largest desert city in the world, behind Cairo in Egypt.
Its now considered the gastronomic capital of the continent, with Peruvians proud to show off their unique cuisine.
Dozens of restaurants serve the national dish ceviche, using lime juice to cook raw fish and seafood.. Its also the birthplace of the novo andino movement that combines ancient Inca ingredients with the latest trends in high cuisine, and Lima now has the most cooking schools of any city in the world, with trainee chefs eager to learn the trade.
A string of gardens connect the financial, cultural and tourist areas of the city, leading down to the Parque del Amor at the top of cliffs overlooking the beaches and rolling surf of the Pacific coastline.
Paragliders float over the heads of surfers and fishermen who brave the rich cool waters of the Humboldt current for its abundant seafood.
Located on Perus central coast, Lima was founded by Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and was originally known as the City of Kings.
Colonial and Republican architecture adorn its streets plazas and churches, from the Cathedral and Presidential Palace on the main square, to the convent and catacombs of nearby San Francisco.
UNESCO declared Limas historic center a World Heritage Site in 1988.
The city guards its pre-Columbian past. The pyramids of Pucllana seem to sprout up from the heart of a wealthy suburb, and the mud city of Pachacamac lies a short distance away on the southern edge of Lima.
These ancient monuments stand in contrast to the cutting edge skyscrapers in the financial district.
The Inca Trail-Tambomachay, Peru

Script from the YouTube site:
ot far from Puca Pucara, on the road from Cusco to the Sacred Valley, Tambomachay combines intricate stonework with the Incas devotion to water.
Known as the Baths of the Incas, a number of aqueducts and channels run through the site. But the focal point is a string of carefully designed waterfalls, which split spring water into a series of cascades
that fall in such a precise and delicate manner that its believed they were built as part of a water cult. 
The trapezoidal niches on the high terrace and off to the side of the waterfall are among the most highly crafted stone constructions left by the Incas. 
The precision of the falls is matched by a similar water feature at Ollantaytambo, but the Incas also showed great control over water for more practical purposes.
Their use of stone irrigation channels to feed agricultural terraces around Cusco and the Sacred Valley allowed them to grow abundant crops at high altitudes, something previous Andean cultures never achieved.
Fertur Peru Travel.
A full service travel agency and tour operator dedicated to making your journey to Peru a dream come true.
Machu Picchu - Cuzco, Peru

Script transcribed by Cesar Macher
Invisible from below and completely self contained in the Andes Mountains of Peru, few words can capture the beauty of Machu Picchu.  This travel video postcard was contributed by Venessa Velles. 
Perched on a mountain ridge at almost 8,000 feet the ancient Inca site is enigmatic and spectacular.  Climb the steep Inca Trail to Machu Picchu if you are up to it, or ride the tourist bus that wines from Aguas Calientes.  If you descend by foot don’t forget to stretch when you reach the bottom, your legs will thank you the next morning.  Arrive before dawn and don’t be disappointed by the fog. The ruins and surrounding peaks reveal themselves as the fog lifts and steal your breath away! Marvel at the genius of the ancient builders, in truth no cam or camera can do justice to Machu Picchu.  Inspiring and timeless yet almost forgotten until its rediscovery in 1911, this magnificent site, is a place not to be missed.
Santa Catalina Convent - Arequipa, Peru


Script from the YouTube website.
Santa Catalina Convent is one of South Americas most prominent religious establishments, a city within a city famous for its astounding architecture and its brightly painted walls, murals and religious artworks.
Located in Perus second largest city, Arequipa, the convent was founded in 1580.
During its first 300 years, Santa Catalina was a refuge for unmarried daughters of wealthy Spanish families who paid a dowry for inclusion into the Catholic order. 
But instead of keeping to vows of poverty, the nuns kept servants and slaves and lived lavish lifestyles. In 1871, the Pope sent Sister Josefa Cadena to put things right. She did so by sending most of the daughters of nobility back to Spain, setting the slaves and servants free and giving them the choice of staying on as nuns. 
The walled-in convent, covering an area of almost 30 thousand square meters, was opened to the public in 1970. Visitors can stroll the streets and cloisters and appreciate this masterpiece of colonial architecture.

How to Give an Effective Business Presentation

This week you will learn how to make effective Business Presentations and to create a powerful business case. 
The video is a courtesy of Howcast as featured in YouTube, and the slideshow presentation at the bottom from DocStoc.  We recommend both sites to all our Business English students.
Note to our students: you will find the text of the video beneath the video frame; please read the text a few times and then watch the video for better retention. - Cheers and happy learning!



Text:

Keep your palms dry and your audience alert with these tips.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Visuals

Handouts

Practice

And a strong closing statement

Red visuals (optional) (optional)

And tongue twisters

Step 1: Focus

As you prepare, focus on your main points, and illustrate each one with a visual aid, which can be anything from PowerPoint slides to a flip chart to sample products. Studies show that people's minds begin to wander after 10 minutes of passive listening.

Step 2: Clean up your visuals

Go for a minimalist look in your visuals; educational psychologists have found that the fewer words and pictures you have on a visual, the more your audience will remember.

Tip: Use the color red; psychologists say it's the color most quickly noticed and easily remembered.

Step 3: Use handouts

Prepare handouts that list all your main points. This will make it easier for the audience to follow along, and people will pay better attention if they don't feel pressure to take notes.

Step 4: Practice

Practice your speech as much as you can -- in the mirror, with a friend or coworker, or in front of a video camera.

Step 5: Check your surroundings

Before your presentation, familiarize yourself with the room you'll be using. Make sure you have all the equipment you need, that it works properly, and that you know how to use it.

Step 6: Visualize success

Imagine your presentation going well. Research shows that visualizing success can help you make it happen.

Tip: Do some tongue twisters before you take the stage; it's a favorite trick of speech-givers to loosen up.

Step 7: Position yourself correctly

Stand to the left of the screen or your flip chart from the viewpoint of the audience, making it easier for them to see the material.

Tip: Take a step toward the audience when you want to emphasize something; it unconsciously signals them to pay special attention.

Step 8: Have a strong close

Save your most memorable lines for your close, because that is what your audience will remember most when the presentation is over.

Preparing and Presenting an Effective Business Case.

Preparing and Presenting an Effective Business Case Presentation ... -

Playing for Change and the musicians from La Garriga

This post is about the Playing for Change Foundation.
They started their activities about 10 years ago from a group of documentary filmmakers who had the idea to film music from people out in the streets.  What started as a small project today has grown into a global movement; they are dedicated to connect people from all over the world through music.  One of their main objectives is to help people by bringing hope through music and education.  Please visit their site at http://playingforchange.org/ and find out how they make a difference.
By the way, the last video on this post was not  filmed by Playing for Change; instead  it was put together by musicians from La Garriga, a town 35 Km away from Barcelona.  Their intention was not to intentionally copy the initiative from the original filmmakers; they only wanted  to add to their cause through the universal language that anyone understands: music.
Now sit back and enjoy their music - you may want to get involved...

Welcome Ana Maria Beeck

English Mindset is proud to announce that Ms Ana Maria Beeck of Miami Florida has joined our teaching staff.  She is a native speaker of English, however since the age of three she has had the opportunity to enrich her life by living in various countries where she learned Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. 
Her capacity to communicate cross-culturally is second to none; she is a firm believer that the English language has attained a unifying role in its ability to make people around the world understand each other better. 
We are absolutely delighted to have you with us and we hope that you find English Mindset a place where you will find great pleasure helping others improve their English speaking abilities.  


Bio: Ana was born in the US but her journey into living and working in different countries began at the age of 3… She is a native English, Spanish and Portuguese speaker, is fluent in Italian and understands French.  Throughout her career she used her language skills to effectively communicate with nationals of different countries and backgrounds.  After working in the corporate world for many years she now enjoys teaching, transcribing and translating from the shores of Miami, Florida.  She also teaches a self-healing, expansion of consciousness seminar on-line (www.isha.com).  She holds a JD and a Masters in International Management and Finance.
Here is a short video of the Isha Judd System that claims to be a "revolutionary method that creates an internal experience of peace, joy and unconditional love." and from where Ana Maria teaches people to attain internal beauty.