Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] Speaker A: Did you know that 79% of travelers decide on a hotel in under two minutes just by reading online reviews?
That's right. Most people don't read every word. They skim and scan to get the essential into info first. So today we are going to teach you exactly how to do that like a pro.
Let's get started. This is Johnny. I'm Johnny. And Matthew. Matthew, how are you?
[00:00:43] Speaker B: Hey Johnny, how you doing?
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Fine. You're listening to the Trainer podcast, your place to learn English. Get your free class with the link that's in the description to visit trainlim.com and so you can learn English with the best online school.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Exactly. And you know, skimming helps you get the general idea quickly, whereas scanning is for finding specific details. And by the end of the episode, you'll know how to read reviews, emails, articles and even exam text much faster.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: That's right. So let us go to our fictional dialogue, Matthew.
Let's see the setting we are planning maybe a trip with our with our wives or friends in a weekend. And we will check the hotels and online restaurants. So let's start. Wow. Look Matthew, at this hotel. 4.8 stars. That sounds perfect.
[00:01:44] Speaker B: Hey, hold on. Let's skim the reviews first.
Skimming is about getting the general overview. We don't have to read every word. We want the main idea before we dive into the details.
[00:01:56] Speaker A: Skim. Well, that sounds too fast. How do we do it?
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Easy. First look at the title and any headings. They usually tell you what the review is about.
Then check visuals, bold or italic words.
They often highlight important points.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: All right, I think I get it. So this review says lovely hotel, but breakfast could be better.
Well, that already tells me the overall vibe. Mostly positive. But breakfast might be an issue.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: Exactly, Johnny. Now that's skimming.
Now scanning. We look for specific info like I don't know, maybe the check in times, the wi fi availability or the price.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: So I just search for keywords like breakfast or numbers like 7 to 10am that's it?
[00:02:48] Speaker B: Yeah, that's it. And don't forget proper nouns like street names or room types, floor numbers. That's going to help us locate details fast.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: I see. Scheme first for the general idea, then scan for what really matters to us. Got it.
Good.
[00:03:06] Speaker B: Exactly. And here's a tip. When skimming, read the first sentence of each paragraph. It often summarizes the sentiment. Then we can scan the headings or the bullet points or any highlighted text to get specific information.
[00:03:22] Speaker A: Right. And sarcasm can be tricky. For example, if a review says the bed Was so soft, I almost fell asleep while checking out.
Well, scanning literally could confuse you. You're right.
[00:03:35] Speaker B: You have to be careful. Context is the key.
If the text is bold or in italics, that usually is important. So scan for that first.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: All right, so today we're combining both. Skimming for general overviews, scanning for specifics. Well, this will save so much time when checking reviews online.
[00:03:54] Speaker B: Exactly. And once you get the hang of it, it becomes natural, even when reading menus, guides, or news articles.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: Okay, I feel ready to practice. Skim first, scan second.
Okay, well, I don't see someone just doing all this work. No, we did it for you. But anyway, just you would go just to check. Maybe the first star, five stars or something like that. Okay, so could we start with.
With the grammar skills? And we start with this.
[00:04:26] Speaker B: Let's dive in with that. Oh, yeah, you've got some slides there if anybody's watching as well. Okay, good. So now we've seen how to skim and scan in the dialogue. We can break it down a little bit in this section and try to practice with more detail. Skimming and scanning, it's not just for hotel reviews. These are really essential reading skills for your exam. Travel, work, even daily life.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: Exactly. And I always get confused, especially with long text. Sometimes I try to read everything and lose track of the main point.
[00:05:00] Speaker B: Yeah, me too, Johnny. So that's why skimming is so. So useful. You know, the purpose of skimming is just to get a general overview of a text and to do it quickly without having to read every word. So we look for titles, headings, anything in bold or italic words and visuals. And often the first sentence of the paragraph is really useful.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: And scanning.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Okay, so that is the opposite.
[00:05:31] Speaker A: The.
[00:05:31] Speaker B: The purpose of scanning is to find specific information, but to do it fast. So we need to focus on keywords, numbers, dates, proper nouns, just like we've got in the slide there that you've shown Jonny. Anything that's related to the question.
Try to ignore everything else.
[00:05:53] Speaker A: All right, but there could be some errors. Right, so, for example, let's talk about skimming errors. Reading word by word instead of looking for headings or titles. No, that slows you down. Or ignoring the visuals like icons, bullet points, charge charts, which can give you key info. And then also maybe missing the typical sarcasm in some comments or exaggerations in reviews. Like we mentioned before, the bed was so soft, I almost fell asleep while checking out.
So we don't have to take this literally, right?
[00:06:35] Speaker B: It's really important. Good, Johnny.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: Perfect.
[00:06:38] Speaker B: Let's talk about scanning errors. Maybe we can look too broadly. So instead of focusing on the question, we start looking at everything and then we're going to. We're going to waste time. Or perhaps we jump, we skip numbers or proper nouns and that means we miss important information like prices, dates. We might just miss them. Or perhaps we confuse similar words if we're reading quickly, breakfast, brunch, room, sweets, we might get them confused.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: All right, so maybe if English is not your first language and you want to leave a comment, for example, avoid overusing literal translation. Like I saw that the WI fi is included. Just the WI fi is included. It's simple and clear.
Or also, just be careful if maybe English is not your first language and you're not very fluent to confuse, check in the check in time and the checkout time when scanning.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: That's why an important mistake. Yeah.
Okay. And if you are a native English speaker, errors to avoid, especially in the exam, you may be skim too quickly. If we're nervous, we do it too quickly. And you can miss qualifiers like for example, mostly or usually, which changes the meaning of the sentence. Or maybe we jump bold or italic cues, which often they're there because it's an exception or a warning. So it's an important point.
[00:08:14] Speaker A: That's right. So from the dialogue, no, we saw a lovely hotel, but breakfast could be better.
So the main idea is possible overall, but breakfast is weak. Or amenities. You can check headings like amenities, rooms, dining, know the sections that contain which information.
And usually the first sentence of the paragraph often tells you the general sentiment.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: That's a really good tip. I like that one. Scanning examples. Question, what time is breakfast served? So we're going to be looking for keywords, breakfast and numbers 7 to 10, for example.
Question how many beds are in the room? We scan again for numbers. We're looking 2, 1, 3, or maybe words like king size.
If the question is WI FI included, well, then we'll be scanning for the exact phrase WI fi.
What floor is the pool on? Well, the word we scan for is pool and looking for a number.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: That's right.
This is a tip. No. Skimming and scanning often require quickly noticing words that you know how to pronounce. So practicing the pronunciation helps you recognize keywords faster.
So let's talk now about skimming and scanning. Questions are important.
Well, the questions help you understand the overall meaning quickly, and the scanning questions help you locate exact information efficiently, as you can see here in the picture.
So how many beds are in the room, for example, and by practicing these questions, you improve reading speed, accuracy and exam performance. And you also get better at finding info online, like menus, schedules, or product reviews. So skimming gives you the overview, scanning gives you the details, and pronunciation helps me recognize keyword, sentence in instantly.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Good. That's it. These techniques you'll be able to navigate like a pro. You're not going to waste any time.
[00:10:15] Speaker A: Perfect. So now I feel ready to tackle any hotel review, Matthew, or any long text online, for example. That's also that way.
[00:10:25] Speaker B: We're set, Johnny. We're set. Okay, so if you've been enjoying what you're listening to, it's your turn to get involved. Here's a question to practice what we've learned today. Okay, so the question, and we'll give it in Spanish. If you're watching, you can see it there on the slide.
Positiva or negativa.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: Okay, very good.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: That's the question. Now, don't forget, if you're enjoying the episode, you know what to do. And there's an extra incentive, Johnny, because as you're displaying, you can get a free class with QR code.
So don't miss an opportunity. Visit the website trainlang.com and you're guaranteed to improve your English.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: That's right. So, well, we. Let's. Let's continue, Matthew, then just with more techniques, let's go to some travel reviews and tools that I know that our listeners use them very often or they might be familiar with them.
So what do you do when you plan a trip, Matthew?
[00:11:34] Speaker B: Okay, so when we plan a trip, I think all of us read reviews. It's really important to do that. Helps us to know what's good and what to avoid.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: Yeah, but there are many websites and sometimes you get lost.
So which ones do people actually use?
[00:11:50] Speaker B: I think the ones that I've used, Johnny, and I think probably the majority of people are TripAdvisor, really good Google reviews. And there is. I got to be honest, this one I didn't know. Yelp, also good.
[00:12:05] Speaker A: Yeah, well, you got there many things, no. And why are these useful, Matthew?
[00:12:11] Speaker B: Yeah, because you got opportunities here to skim and scam a scam, sorry, you can skim to get a general impression. So maybe you look at the stars, the ratings, you read the summary and you can scan for specific information like prices, hours, or amenities.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: That makes sense. So TripAdvisor, I think everybody knows this one is great for hotels and attractions. Google reviews is everywhere. And Yelp is more focused on restaurants, right?
[00:12:42] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. And then you've also got booking.com, expedia for hotels. They give you reviews scores. You can filter by the preferences.
Really helpful if you want a hotel, I don't know, with a free breakfast or with wi fi.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: And what about social media?
[00:12:59] Speaker B: So I suppose Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, these are all huge. You can see people's experiences, watch videos, get tips. And when you see it in a video, you get a real feel, a real sense of the atmosphere, more than maybe reading a description.
[00:13:16] Speaker A: So it's not just about numbers or stars, but seeing the plays in action.
[00:13:20] Speaker B: Exactly. And then you've got travel blogs and forums, Lonely Planet, Reddit.
[00:13:25] Speaker A: I love Lonely Planet.
[00:13:27] Speaker B: Yeah, that's your.
There we go.
[00:13:31] Speaker A: Yeah, so I see. So. So scheming helps with a quick overview. Like do I want to go there? And scanning helps with the details. What train do I take, what's the price, etc.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. Johnny, let's look at an example.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: Okay, so I will open the TripAdvisor look, for example, this hotel has 4.45 stars. Scheming tells me the overall impression is good. Now scanning tells me checking time, breakfast hours and even the floor of the pool is on.
[00:13:58] Speaker B: Exactly. And another tool people often forget is Google Maps because it shows you the location, nearby attractions and aggregated reviews. So it's really helpful for planning each day.
[00:14:11] Speaker A: So the keys start broad with skimming to see if it's worth your time. Then scan for details to plan properly.
[00:14:18] Speaker B: Yeah, and compare reviews on different platforms. Sometimes what people say on Instagram is different to what you'll find on TripAdvisor. Maybe due to the kind of person who is posting.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: That's why that makes sense. And now I understand why some people spend hours just reading reviews before booking.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: Yes, using these tools smartly can really save you money, time, time and frustration. And even using skimming and scanning strategies really helps here as well.
[00:14:46] Speaker A: Perfect. So we will try this our next time, not just for a weekend trip idea.
[00:14:53] Speaker B: Sounds good, Johnny. Remember, the tools are helpful, but at the end of the day it's your judgment that matters too. So we have to combine all of these things.
[00:15:01] Speaker A: Very good. Fantastic. So you asked the question at the beginning in Spanish. It was.
Matthew, how would you say this sentence in English?
[00:15:18] Speaker B: Okay, Johnny, well, you've just put it up there for us. That's great. What is the overall opinion of the hotel? Positive or negative?
[00:15:26] Speaker A: Very good. Excellent.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: Yeah, so we can see how skipping really helps Johnny not to identify the general feeling. And scanning gives us the details.
[00:15:36] Speaker A: Yeah, that's good. So let's go then to the interaction question for our listeners.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Okay, it's your turn.
Make a sentence using skimming or scanning. Describe a place, a product or a restaurant you recently researched online.
[00:15:54] Speaker A: And if you're watching this on YouTube, we'll drop in comments and we'll tell us how do you usually schema scan online information? So if you're listening right now, just leave us a comment there.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: Good stuff. Now, Johnny, in the next episode, we're going to learn how to use like and as to compare things in English.
[00:16:14] Speaker A: All right? And remember, you can always practice scheming and scanning at home. Read the reviews articles, even for exams and things like this or articles, you have to make an easier or whatever and try these techniques that we just shared with you.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: Claro.
Academy online.
[00:17:01] Speaker A: Oh, wow.
Ciao.
