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Lingua Network: One minute language
Forget about learning throughout your lunch hour. This takes just a minute - literally - and will make a change from reading the paper as you eat your sandwiches...
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Dedicated to the traveller who doesn't want to do the typical Brit-on-holiday thing of talking-in-English-but-a-bit-louder, this is great for travellers who want to know the basics of a certain language before they pack their suitcase. By tuning in to each weekly language lesson, which lasts just one minute, the series promises to provide you with the absolute basics you'll need to get by on a break or a business meeting. Feeling ambitious, we had a listen to One Minute Russian... And you know what? To say that this is as easy as it sounds is perfectly true. It's just that it sounds quite difficult...
Okay, so the series isn't perfect: it's actually pretty tricky learning and remembering how to say 'zdrastvuitye' (hello, for the uninitiated) in under a minute. And you really do need to practise these things out loud, so prepare for some funny looks from your non-Russian colleagues. But for those who love to have even a few words under their belt - because, let's face it, it's nice to make the effort - it's a quick and enjoyable way to learn. And since it takes just a minute (literally), it really won't hurt to give it a go.
Bloomberg Radio
Still not sure what to make of the economy? The latest from Bloomberg Radio can help...
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If you're still not sure whether the economic crisis is a mountain made out of a molehill or a real cause for concern, it's a good idea to listen to a range of radio stations in order to get a balanced view. Bloomberg Radio will keep you up to speed with breaking market news, and give you advice on what to do throughout the turbulent times.
Regularly featuring high-profile spokespeople, and representatives from Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and others, this popular US station also gives live market coverage from London. And, when you're just about tired of all the gloomy economic news, the Night Talk show with Mike Schneider discusses sports and entertainment alongside politics and business.
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RadioPick: Big Band Central
It's not the kind of thing you think of tuning into at the office, but it's perhaps the perfect antidote to a grey day in front of an excel spreadsheet....
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For some good old-fashioned fun that'll take you a million miles (and a good sixty years or so) away, Big Band Central is the place for trumpet blasts and trombone slides, a toe-tapping dance hall that'll have you smiling in no time.
With everything from 'King of Swing' Benny Goodman to Old Blue Eyes himself, Glenn Miller to Judy Garland, everything you'll hear is completely classic. When we last tuned in, we were greeted with a full-chorus, swing version of 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' - and, with such a cheerful sound, we couldn't help but agree.
Bloomberg Radio
Still not sure what to make of the economy? The latest from Bloomberg Radio can help...
More...
If you're still not sure whether the economic crisis is a mountain made out of a molehill or a real cause for concern, it's a good idea to listen to a range of radio stations in order to get a balanced view. Bloomberg Radio will keep you up to speed with breaking market news, and give you advice on what to do throughout the turbulent times.
Regularly featuring high-profile spokespeople, and representatives from Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and others, this popular US station also gives live market coverage from London. And, when you're just about tired of all the gloomy economic news, the Night Talk show with Mike Schneider discusses sports and entertainment alongside politics and business.
Search the comprehensive podcast library by genre or language, to find favourites old and new
A Point of View
Thought-provoking audio essays from Radio 4 - a terrific and enlightening way to spend ten minutes
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Recently, Lisa Jardine took a look at the work of JMG Le Clezio, the recipient of this years Nobel Prize for Literature. The news that Le Clezio, a French writer whose writings are not easily accessible in English, had won the prize predictably caused uproar amongst the Anglophone press; but Jardine reveals how his extraordinarily multicultural background (born to an English father and French mother, his family hailed from Mauritius while he divides his time between Brittany and New Mexico) means that his work has a cross-cultural appeal.
Referring to the way Le Clezio regularly uses journeys through different lands and cultures to reveal the human condition, Jardine notes how his novels reflect the dawning realisation of the West that the fate of nations like Britain or the United States might be decided unexpectedly by the movement of a butterflys wing on the other side of the world. It's an interesting concept, and a fascinating way to spend ten minutes on a quiet Friday night.
World Book Club podcast
The writers behind some of the latest best-sellers answer questions from the World Book Club audience about their work...
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This intimate and fascinating podcast from the BBC is a joy for fans of literature, and invites great authors from around the world to talk about their most popular piece of work. Broadcasting monthly, the show also features readings from the guest author – so, you have the chance to hear parts of your favourite novel as read by its creator.
Amongst the prestigious writers that have so far appeared in the series is Khaled Hosseini, author of the incredibly popular tale, The Kite Runner. The novel, which has been translated into 47 languages and sold 15 million copies around the globe, details the story of an ill-fated friendship between two boys in Afghanistan, and it really is a pleasure to hear the author explain how he went about creating what has become one of the most popular and beloved stories of modern times (the tale has also been turned into a Hollywood film, to some controversy).
You can also hear interviews with Annie Proulx, who wrote the short story Brokeback Mountain, and queen of crime Patricia Cornwell. World Book Club is a great way to get even more enjoyment out of your favourite page-turner.