Gareth Bale - Listening Exercise in English

Question

I find listening and speaking much more fun than writing so, after seeing Polenta's excellent thread re Italian Cuisine, thought I'd do one in English!

Gareth Bale

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been 1..... out of Wales' last two World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland with a 2....... strain. The 28-year-old could be out for a month and that would also rule Bale out of the 3......... on 9-14 November. Wales are second in Group D and if they keep that 4....... it could be enough to earn them a place in the play-offs. Bale joined the Wales squad on Monday and, 5........ sitting out training, it had been 6....... he would be fit. But a 7...... revealed the severity of the injury and 8...... Bale will not travel to Georgia for Friday's 9....... in Tblisi and will play no part in the Cardiff 10...... with Republic of Ireland three days later.

I had to listen carefully to a few words, but I didn't have the written part in front of me .... - Mardle, Oct 4, 2017

If you get this wrong I will be worried Pat..... that was my best BBC voice hahaha ;-) - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

No need to worry! - Mardle, Oct 4, 2017

I understood it. - rac1, Oct 4, 2017

did you know that Bale is called "vale" here;) - 006595c6, Oct 4, 2017

Haha really! - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Ambs do you mean the English or Spanish? Lol. As an English speaker I should hope you understand the English haha! - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Answer 1

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been 1 ruled out of Wales' last two World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland with a 2 calf strain. The 28-year-old could be out for a month and that would also rule Bale out of the 3 play-offs on 9-14 November. Wales are second in Group D and if they keep that 4 spot it could be enough to earn them a place in the play-offs. Bale joined the Wales squad on Monday and, 5 despite sitting out training, it had been 6 hoped he would be fit. But a 7 scan revealed the severity of the injury and 8 means Bale will not travel to Georgia for Friday's 9 game in Tblisi and will play no part in the Cardiff 10 clash with Republic of Ireland three days later.

I paused & played 10 times, hopefully this correct.

Thanks for taking part mate. So as not to spoil it for anybody else I'll let you know how you did later. - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Well done! All correct - billygoat, Oct 5, 2017

Thank you! - NKM1974, Oct 5, 2017

Answer 2

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been 1 ruled ..... out of Wales' last two World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland with a 2..calf.... strain. The 28-year-old could be out for a month and that would also rule Bale out of the 3...pay-offs ...... on 9-14 November. Wales are second in Group D and if they keep that 4..spot..... it could be enough to earn them a place in the play-offs. Bale joined the Wales squad on Monday and, 5.despite....... sitting out training, it had been 6....ruled... he would be fit. But a 7..scan.... revealed the severity of the injury and 8..means.... Bale will not travel to Georgia for Friday's 9...game.... in Tblisi and will play no part in the Cardiff 10...clash... with Republic of Ireland three days later.

I mean, cmon billy, will you please pronounce the freaking "h"!!!!!

I didn't get hoped...seeeeeeeeeeeeee, all your fault

The spanish: coRta, DE un periódico, verificaré...the rest great :) - 006595c6, Oct 4, 2017

Lol crazy isn't it but I sometimes pronounce the h in spanish haha. Thanks for the spanish corrections ! - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

9/10. Your English is still better than mine though lol - billygoat, Oct 5, 2017

Answer 3

I first heard your Spanish part.

Buenos días mis amigos. ¿Qué tal? Ok ¿Quién se anima a intentar está corta prueba? Voy a leer desde un periódico de Inglaterra y rectificaré más tarde .ok.

I will try the English part later. It Is not easy for me. I had to listen several times.

Is the Spanish ok?

Yay! The Spaniard is all goods apart from esta .....ie no apostrophe. - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Grrrrr sorry I'm on my phone atm and it autocorrects ..... badly haha . I meant Spanish not Spaniard ! - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Oh and you missed las respuetas from the end. - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

Answer 4

I heard

1 ruled
2 cod or cold but of course it made no sense
3 play-offs
4 sport or something I didn't understand
5 despite
6 oped but I didn't understand
7 scan ( I suppose it's tomografía, , right? )
8 means
9 game
10 clash

I think it is 7 out of 10. It was very difficult for my ear. I went back to Bosque's audio and there I understood everythin. His kind of English is the one we were taught at the American Institute I went to long time ago. I also listened to Alba's recording in English and I also understood very well, though there was a southern twang that we didn't learn.
What kind of English do you speak Billygoat? Is it similar to Irish? I suppose I would finally catch the accent of the area. But if I went there, I would be lost for a couple of days. I understand when you write perfectly well. Thanks for the audio. It was a great challenge.

When I told Billy I had to listen to a couple of words carefully, 2 and 4 were the ones I thought would be difficult. In Billy's accent he sometimes leaves out some letters - like an inglés Andaluz. - Mardle, Oct 4, 2017

Billy Is the British andaluz lol - Polenta, Oct 4, 2017

Billygoat's accent is between Midland or northern English accent. - NKM1974, Oct 4, 2017

You are moving up the country. You said he had a Southern accent. - Mardle, Oct 4, 2017

Definitely it's not Received Pronunciation. Don't accents in southern England have slight variations? - NKM1974, Oct 4, 2017

Well done polenta. With you being so used to US English a northern England accent must be very difficult. I'll do corrections tomorrow as I'm away from home atm and my phone is rubbish lol - billygoat, Oct 4, 2017

I'm familiar with the London accent especially Received Pronunciation. I have difficulty comprehending with the other regional accents of Britain. - NKM1974, Oct 4, 2017

I used to lived with expats from London and lived in that city in the 1990s. - NKM1974, Oct 4, 2017

I actually had to listen to this twice to totally understand it. I don't think I've ever heard a northern English accent before Billy's recordings. It would take me a while to get used to if I visited there. - alba3, Oct 5, 2017

8/10 .... I'm going to give you hoped because you got the right sound. Yes we do drop the h in this part of the world. Well done Polenta!! - billygoat, Oct 5, 2017

Answer 5

I remember

The rine is Spine falls minely in the plines.
The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plines.

Do you remember?

In England only the Queen and Mardle speak perfect English ;) - billygoat, Oct 5, 2017

Jeje - Mardle, Oct 5, 2017

Answer 6

6 oped but I didn't understand

¡¡exactamente!!! en vez de Hoped

Esos tipos, poli, no pronuncian la h...indignante...a que sí

I say my 'h's - Mardle, Oct 4, 2017

Here's a British English word with phonetic that is h-less: forehead /fɒrɪd/. - NKM1974, Oct 5, 2017

there are many words where the h is not pronounced...but billy never ever pronounces them :P - 006595c6, Oct 5, 2017

Answer 7

In England only the Queen and Mardle speak perfect English

Indeed, Saffron has read many articles for my students, she does have "Queen's English "