A Short Story about Tulips and a Royal Baby | English Listening Practice

Tulips everywhere, in yellow, red, pink, white, orange, and even purple and black. They line the streets and the canal. They attract hundreds and hundreds of people to admire them and post their beauty on Instagram. Where? Right here, in Ottawa, Canada, every May.   It’s the annual Tulip Festival, and it’s a sight to behold. The Tulip Festival in Ottawa has historical significance, and I’d like to share that with you in today's English listening episode, to share some pride in my city and my country.   We’ll: take a brief look at what tulips are and where they originate (it’s not Holland) we’ll explore the importance of tulips in Ottawa and its special tulip history (it involves a princess), and  we’ll wrap up by looking at flower festivals and their pros and cons in today’s social media landscape English listening challenge: 🛑In this English listening episode, I draw your attention to connected speech specifically. Listen carefully for where words are dramatically reduced and/or connected.    Sign up for my newsletter to receive the colour-coded transcript of each episode. It includes links to other resources and highlights language to notice, such as:  advanced English vocabulary  collocations and phrasal verbs  idioms interesting pronunciation features Transcripts are available in my newsletter. Sign up here: English With Catherine. Thanks always to Amos the Transparent for the theme music.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram. Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge! Catherine