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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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In this series, we take a look at some of the key ideas that underpin effective teacher training with some help from the seminal titles in the Cambridge back catalogue, including the work of world-renowned experts in teacher training such as Jack Richards, Tessa Woodward and Scott Thornbury.

What is language awareness?

There's a proverb that says, "if you want to know about water, don't ask a fish". Similarly, if you want to know how a language works, you generally won't get very far if you ask someone who speaks it as their first language. We all interact in our first language(s) without having to think about their grammar, morphology, phonology, etc., so most people are, quite understandably, not aware of the 'rules' governing how they speak.

That ability to interact freely is what we might call language proficiency. But knowing about a language and being able to articulate that knowledge are different skills, and we describe them as language awareness.

Both students and teachers can and should develop language awareness, but when teachers do it, the question they look to answer is simply "what is it that a teacher needs to know about English in order to teach it effectively as a second language?" (Thornbury, 2017, p. xiv). Developing language awareness doesn't involve making value judgements about language - it's not concerned with deciding what is 'good' usage or with examining great literature. Nor does it mean being an expert in linguistics. It's about developing knowledge of language that is of practical use in teaching.

Why is it important?

"In an ideal world, the language teacher will be both language proficient and language aware" (Thornbury, 2017, p. xv). Separating these two qualities means that English teachers who speak English as a first language need to develop their language awareness just as much as teachers who speak it as a second (or third, or fourth) language (L2). In fact, teachers who have had to learn English as an L2 probably have an advantage in terms of their language awareness over teachers for whom it's a mother tongue.

Effective teachers draw on their language awareness in many ways. For example:

anticipating problems that students might have with new language and finding ways to support them

pitching lessons at the right level

effectively working with coursebooks, adapting them if necessary

recognising the limitations and appropriacy of language tests

giving feedback and dealing with errors (as well as recognising what is not an error)

answering questions from students

selecting and presenting authentic texts to students

It's natural, then, to suppose that "the language-aware L2 teacher is more likely to be effective in promoting student learning than the teacher who was not language-aware" (Andrews, 2007, p. ix). Language awareness is the subject matter of language teaching, and any good teacher needs to know their subject.

How should we help teachers develop it?

One thing that we need to do as trainers is to warn teachers of the pitfalls associated with language awareness so that they don't fall into familiar traps. These include:

Using coursebooks as the only source of language awareness. Coursebooks are designed to support student language awareness, and teachers need to develop language awareness on a deeper level.

Forgetting that our students' end goal is language proficiency, not language awareness. They need much more than just knowledge about language in order to communicate effectively (e.g. extensive input, opportunities to interact, and so on).

Focusing too much on accuracy in students' speaking and writing. Students need to be able to develop fluency and don't benefit from excessive displays of teachers' language knowledge.

Forewarned in this way, teachers need to be supported in developing language awareness in two steps. The first step is to acquire a foundational understanding of how language works. English teachers can do that by reading, for example, the Cambridge Grammar of English cover to cover(!), but a more fruitful approach might be the guided language analysis tasks of books like About Language and Alive to Language. The second step is to keep that basic language awareness up to date, since language is always changing. Teachers can do that by taking time to analyse the texts that they come across in daily life, perhaps working collaboratively with colleagues.

References

Andrews, S. (2007). Teacher Language Awareness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thornbury, S. (2017). About Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
We're here to support teachers build their knowledge, skills and confidence. If you would like to read more blog articles from our teaching experts, click here.

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Teacher Training: Language Awareness | World Of Better Learning

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In this series, we take a look at some of the key ideas that underpin effective teacher training with some help from the seminal titles in the Cambridge back catalogue, including the work of world-renowned experts in teacher training such as Jack Richards, Tessa Woodward and Scott Thornbury. What is language awareness?

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This ESL lesson plan is designed around an animated short film and the theme of refugees. Students practise vocabulary related to refugees, speak about refugees, watch a short film, retell a story, answer comprehension questions, talk about a short film, empathise with refugee children, reflect on the lesson and write an account of a refugee child fleeing their country.

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This ESL lesson plan is designed around an animated short film and the theme of refugees. Students practise vocabulary related to refugees, speak about refugees, watch a short film, retell a story, answer comprehension questions, talk about a short film, empathise with refugee children, reflect on the lesson and write an account of a refugee child fleeing their country.

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"Can I just tell you how much my students and I LOVED some of the songs that you share? I'm forever hunting through library books and always looking for songs that incorporate movement. Your collection is beautiful. I must say thank you!"."

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"Can I just tell you how much my students and I LOVED some of the songs that you share? I'm forever hunting through library books and always looking for songs that incorporate movement. Your collection is beautiful. I must say thank you!"."

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During the school year, students are expected to listen to and absorb vast amounts of content. But how much time has been devoted to equipping students with ways to disconnect from their own internal dialogue (self-talk) and to focus their attention fully on academic content that is being presented? Listening is hard work even for adults. When students are unable to listen effectively, classroom management issues arise.

Explicit instruction on cognitive strategies that can help students learn how to learn may have a positive impact on both academic performance and classroom management by emphasizing that students are in charge of their own behavior and learning. Teachers we've worked with find that classroom management issues decrease over time as students begin to master thinking skills that help them become more self-directed learners.

Learning to listen well is a prime example of a skill that many assume shouldn't need to be taught. The Common Core State Standards for Language Arts recognize the importance of listening as an ability that students must master to become college and career ready:

Students must learn to work together, express and listen carefully to ideas, integrate information from oral, visual, quantitative, and media sources, evaluate what they hear, use media and visual displays strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt speech to context and task.

From a developmental perspective, this Common Core standard is interwoven with the acquisition of verbal and social skills that are critical for students' success across many contexts. Listening is a crucial aspect of school and life, but it is often expected of students without ever being taught. As a former teacher, school psychologist and licensed counselor, Donna worked with many students whose learning challenges were rooted in an inability to listen effectively, and with couples and families in distress for the same reason.

The Anatomy and Psychology of Listening

A lesson on listening might begin with how the brain processes the sounds around us. We find that many students and teachers are fascinated by the inner workings of their brains. The process of receiving and decoding spoken words takes place in the auditory cortex, which is the part of the human brain's cerebral cortex that processes auditory input. The auditory cortex is located on both sides of the brain in the upper parts of the temporal lobes. Its job is to receive signals from the ears and to transmit those signals to other parts of the cerebral cortex for decoding sound into meaning. This system is instrumental in both profound and everyday aspects of hearing -- from the language development of infants to the appreciation of a stunning symphony.

The most common obstacle to effective listening is noise. The classroom can be a cacophony of teacher and students talking, chairs scraping across the floor, papers rustling, pencils dropping, doors opening and closing. While the brain's auditory system is capable of blocking out background noises to focus on specific stimuli, nonetheless all these sounds can be distracting.

"Noise" can also arise inside students' minds -- a persistent song stuck in one's head, pleasant daydreams, or unpleasant doubts about one's ability to understand a new concept or complete an assignment. The HEAR strategy described below is designed to help students recognize and block out that noise as they devote their attention to listening.

Teaching Students to Focus and Listen

Explicit instruction on using the HEAR strategy offers concrete steps to focus on and improve listening -- and emphasizes why and how developing this skill is so important. As Michigan teacher Aaron Rohde says, "Just saying that one is going to be a better listener is not enough to make it happen. One must work hard to improve such an essential skill."

The HEAR strategy consists of these four steps:

Halt: Stop whatever else you are doing, end your internal dialogue on other thoughts, and free your mind to pay attention to the person speaking.

Engage: Focus on the speaker. We suggest a physical component, such as turning your head slightly so that your right ear is toward the speaker as a reminder to be engaged solely in listening.

Anticipate: By looking forward to what the speaker has to say, you are acknowledging that you will likely learn something new and interesting, which will enhance your attention.

Replay: Think about what the speaker is saying. Analyze and paraphrase it in your mind or in discussion with the speaker and other classmates. Replaying the information will aid in understanding and remembering what you have learned.

Credit: BrainSMART
Initially, teachers may need to lead several demonstrations of using the HEAR strategy and remind students when it is time to HEAR, but over time, listening should become more automatic. When Mr. Rohde taught this strategy to his third and fourth graders last fall, he wore a hardhat to emphasize that learning how to listen well is hard work. But he also tells his students, "Being a 'listening genius' will be beneficial in all areas of life -- in school, in personal relationships, and in professional work situations." We wholeheartedly agree!

A Few Words in Your Ear

We leave you with three questions.

1. Is teaching cognitive strategies, like effective listening, part of your school's curriculum?

2. What would happen to learning in your classroom if students became more effective listeners?

3. How might you use (with modifications, if necessary) the HEAR strategy in your classroom?

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Training the Brain to Listen: A Practical Strategy for Student Learning and Classroom Management

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During the school year, students are expected to listen to and absorb vast amounts of content. But how much time has been devoted to equipping students with ways to disconnect from their own internal dialogue (self-talk) and to focus their attention fully on academic content that is being presented?

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
Sponsored by Raymond Geddes and Kids Discover

This is an excerpt from a letter written to a Charlotte, North Carolina newspaper in 2002 by a first-year math teacher, a man who was vehemently opposed to block scheduling.

"I am...a first year high school math teacher. (My school) operates on a block schedule - a concept I had never even heard of until I accepted (this) teaching position. My observations of block scheduling have been a shocking education for me. Block scheduling has resulted in less emphasis on core content and more on gimmickry. Classes used to be places where serious learning took place. No more. Under block scheduling, they have become little more than glorified playtime periods. Classes used to consist of core subject material being communicated to students by individuals rich in knowledge and experience. Now teachers are no longer teachers, but merely guides - glorified baby-sitters, if you will. Under block scheduling, the students are now in groups trying to "discover" facts that used to be communicated instantly when teachers actually taught. It's obvious that this format wastes valuable class time - and that doesn't include the time students waste by talking, singing, and becoming restless all-around as a result of the lengthened class periods."

This letter articulates the concerns some teachers, parents, and even students have about block scheduling, where class periods last 80 to 100 minutes and only four classes are held each day. This type of schedule became popular in middle and high schools in the 1990s as an alternative to the traditional schedule, where students attend the same six to eight classes, 45 to 50 minutes each, every day. The idea behind the change was that with less transition time between classes, fewer instructional minutes would be wasted, and the kinds of behavior issues and bullying that can crop up during class transitions would also be cut down. On top of that, having extended blocks of time would give teachers the opportunity to dive more deeply into their content.

And in many cases, schools have been successful with block scheduling. They've even found solutions for some of the problems it presents, like offering shorter periods for classes like math and band, where consistent daily practice is more important. But one issue with block scheduling seems to persist, a problem that is highlighted in the letter above, a problem that is still voiced by teachers and students today: The ineffective use of the longer block of instructional time.

So that's what we're going to focus on here. We'll start by looking at the mindset that causes a lot of block scheduling's biggest problems. Then we'll quickly review some best practices for teaching in the block. Finally, I'll walk you through five specific structures you can choose from to plan solid, interesting instruction for an extended class period, the kind of teaching that will make those 90 minutes fly by.

The Big Problem: A Lecture-as-Teaching Mindset

Some of the challenges associated with block scheduling boil down to logistics, like needing more time for AP courses. These issues can often be solved with creative scheduling tweaks.

But the rest of it, the criticisms lobbed at block scheduling and the problems that can crop up with it, can almost all be traced back to one mindset, a single strong, pervasive belief about teaching, and that mindset is this:
teaching = lecture
This mindset, the belief that lecture is the only "real" way to teach, causes all kinds of trouble in block scheduling.

Let's go back to the math teacher who described the extended classes in block scheduling as "glorified play periods" in his letter. One likely reason he felt that way was because he saw his co-workers doing something besides straight-up lecturing. Here's a line from his letter again, where he longs for the good old days of traditional scheduling: "Classes used to consist of core subject material being communicated to students by individuals rich in knowledge and experience." What could he possibly mean besides lecture?

In this teacher's mind, anything that wasn't lecture couldn't possibly be "serious learning," and therefore all the other non-lecture-based activities he observed in his colleagues' classrooms were a waste of time.

And to an extent, he may have a point. We don't know what was going on in his colleagues' classrooms. Maybe the other teachers were using some highly effective techniques that he was just unfamiliar with. Or maybe, if his school was like some who don't invest enough in training teachers in different methodologies, they really were just screwing around. Because if teachers don't have a well-rounded repertoire of instructional strategies, methods that they know are effective, they will only use lecture to teach, and that gives them one of two choices:

1. Lecture for the full 90 minutes, which bores students to tears, can lead to behavior problems, and ultimately has a negative return, since student attention spans can't be sustained for longer than about 15 minutes. So in this case, you're "covering" a lot of material, but students aren't learning it.

2. Lecture for half the period, then give students the second half for "homework time." This is also ineffective, because that means students are actually learning only half the material over the course of a semester or year. This is typically the reason why some teachers object to block scheduling: They say they can't "get through" as much material. But if these teachers knew more strategies, that remaining time could be used for instruction that would actually hit more learning targets.

Best Practices on the Block

Do not rely solely on lecture.
This advice comes from every teacher I have talked to and every piece of research I have read about successful block teaching (for a good summary, see Queen, 2002). Although I do believe a brief, dynamic lecture every now and then is an efficient way to deliver instruction, and does not need to be abandoned entirely, teachers who lean too heavily on it are doomed to failure in a longer class period. Instead, use a variety of instructional strategies, many of which we will get to in a little while.

Switch activities every 15 to 20 minutes.
Students get restless when they are required to sit still or do the same thing for long periods of time, so unless they are working on a task that will truly engage them for a full hour (and we'll get to these later on), look at your class period as a series of 15- to 20-minute chunks of time and switch activities in each chunk.

Overplan.
If you've ever finished your planned activities in a 50-minute period and found yourself with ten awkward minutes to kill, imagine how much worse it is when you have 30. So plan for the essential activities, but also build in some extras that would be nice to get to, but aren't essential. Meagan Brockway, a high school history teacher in Greencastle, PA, says, "Block scheduling requires planning for more than you can accomplish and then continually readjusting based on student needs." This readjustment may vary from student to student and class to class. "If I have a class that is tremendously behind, then it is a matter of looking at the 'extras' and either cutting those out completely to get to the content needed OR if it is a class that is up for a challenge, then I give them extended time to complete it on their own."

Use a smart pacing guide.
One of the challenges of block scheduling is "fitting in" all of the content you might be used to teaching on a daily schedule. Pacing guides, which are used to map out when you will address each learning target or standard throughout the year or semester, are essential to make sure you use class time wisely. But these often value "coverage" over actual learning. The late educator Grant Wiggins, who always offered incredibly insightful ideas on authentic learning, wrote a great post on designing pacing guides that help teachers hit the most essential standards but also build in time for re-teaching and extension when necessary.

5 Structures for a Block Class Period

To make the most of your extended class period, consider one of these five structures, which you can mix and match over the course of a marking period, depending on your instructional needs. For the sake of convenience, I'm going to assume we're talking about a 90-minute class period, but you should obviously make slight adjustments if your block is longer or shorter than that.

The Classic

This would look the most like a typical lesson, except you would have time to do it right and include ALL the bells and whistles that we all know a good lesson should have:

(10 min) An engaging anticipatory set to pique students' interest, build relevance, bring concepts out of long-term memory or just set the stage for learning. This is a step we often skip over when we are pressed for time. (For ideas, see my post on anticipatory sets or this one on How to Approach Your Teaching Like a Master Chef.)

(15-20 min) Some kind of direct instruction, where the teacher delivers the day's lesson through a lecture (Yes! In small doses this is okay!), doing a demonstration, showing a video, having students read through some kind of text or do an interactive online lesson.

(30 min) Student application of the content. This might take the form of individual practice, reciprocal learning, or some other kind of group work.

(15-20 min) An assessment of the content or skill, followed perhaps by re-teaching to those who need it and an extension activity for students who met the standard.

(10 min) A reflection or other kind of wrap-up, where the value of the lesson is reinforced.

Whitney Schultz, who teaches 80-minute blocks of English at a high school in Baltimore, MD, uses this kind of structure on most days, mixing up the activities within each of the segments. "That 10-15 minute review and 10-15 minute introduction might instead be a 20-30 minute quiz followed by self-grading; or, in my AP class, it might be 20-30 minutes of daily AP practice followed by 40-50 minutes of text discussion/analysis. I've found it's easier to fill 80 minutes than try to trim down what I cover each day!"

The Workshop

In this structure, students would spend the majority of time working on their own projects. The class period might start with a brief (10-minute) mini-lesson, and it would ideally end with some kind of a wrap-up, sharing, or reflection time, but at least a full hour would be spent working independently or in groups on a long-term, hands-on project. Meanwhile, the teacher would circulate, conferencing individually with students as needed or using an appointment system like the one used at the Apollo School.

In an English language arts class, this could be independent writing or reading, or a mixture of both, depending on what each student happens to be working on at the time.

If you are running a self-paced math class, or are delivering instruction through hyperdocs or playlists, where students work at their own pace through a series of lessons, then during the hour, students would just get started from wherever they are in the materials.

In any class that has implemented Genius Hour, this time could be devoted to research, writing, or working on presentations.

The Lab

One big, focused activity takes up most of the class period in this structure. Class may start with some kind of an introduction and end with a reflection or wrap-up, but at least an hour is set aside for an activity where the whole class digs into a single meaty task. In this case, the task itself is designed to be active and engaging, so the rule about switching every 15 or 20 minutes is waived. The big activity could be any of the following:

Simulations or role-plays, which can be incredibly useful in helping students understand complex social studies or science concepts.

A debate, socratic seminar, or some other long-form discussion strategy

A project-based learning activity

A virtual field trip

Jigsaw or another cooperative learning activity

An actual lab (hello, science!)

Sketchnoting: This idea comes from Jana Maiuri, a middle school English teacher in Oakland, California, who will occasionally set aside a whole class period for students to create sketchnotes on a given topic. It starts with "a ten minute rapid-fire warm-up...followed by a kind of 'okay, show me everything you know about commercial fish depletion in a sketchnote in the next 90 minutes.' Then in the next class we do two concentric circles and everyone gets two minutes to present their sketch: three vital facts, the most unique or compelling thought, and one artistic accomplishment or challenge. The movement and the art are engaging and thought provoking." (To get started with sketchnoting, see Vicki Davis' comprehensive post on sketchnoting here.)

The Performance

At the end of a learning cycle, students should ideally have some kind of final product to share with peers, or even outside visitors. A 90-minute block class would be ideal for sharing and celebrating this student work. This performance could take many forms:

Student speeches

Film festival

Gallery of physical or digital products

Skits

Poetry or other readings

The Variety Pack

On some days, you might opt to just give students a fast-paced mixture of activities, some that might review previously learned content, some that introduce new stuff, others that do a bit of drill and practice, and even some that are just there for fun and enrichment. These can be handled in a station rotation model, with student-selected learning centers, or just by having the whole class do a a series of smaller activities together. Here are just a few possible activities you could include:

Any kind of skills practice, flashcard work, or retrieval practice

Watching a short video clip

Independent reading

Journal writing

Having a short philosophical chairs debate

A short read-aloud from a book you're reading together as a class

Small group work with the teacher

Games like Kahoot or Crumple & Shoot

So whether you're brand-new to block scheduling or you've already been doing it for years, I hope you've found at least one new idea to help you make the most of that extended class period and never again be accused of running a "glorified playtime period." ♦
References
Queen, J.A. (2002). Block scheduling revisited. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(3), 214-222.

There's more where this came from.
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Whether you're brand-new to block scheduling or you've been doing it for years, these strategies will have you handling those 90 minutes like a boss.

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© British Council
The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).

ICP#: 10044692

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© British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). ICP#: 10044692

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The Big Bang Theory

Sure, everyone tunes into CBS's The Big Bang Theory each weekfor a good laugh, but besides being hilarious, these science geeks thoroughly enhance viewers language-making learning fun.

No one walks away from watching the show without learning new science and math terms, such as topological insulators ("material that is both an insulator and a conductor"), gedankenexperiment ( German for "thought experiment"), and ("a straight line approached by a given curve").

And, in addition to the math and science terms, Sheldon often tells us about language as it is "For the record, it could kill us to meet new people. They could be murderers or the carriers of unusual . And I'm not insane, my mother had me tested."
Download the first season of The Big Bang Theory below:

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TV Shows And Songs That Improved Our Vocabulary

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While some TV shows might not make us smarter (that's right reality TV, we're talking to you), there are others (and popular songs, too) that help enhance our language skills. We take a look at ten songs and shows that help improve our vocabulary.

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The Big Bang Theory

Sure, everyone tunes into CBS's The Big Bang Theory each weekfor a good laugh, but besides being hilarious, these science geeks thoroughly enhance viewers language-making learning fun.

No one walks away from watching the show without learning new science and math terms, such as topological insulators ("material that is both an insulator and a conductor"), gedankenexperiment ( German for "thought experiment"), and ("a straight line approached by a given curve").

And, in addition to the math and science terms, Sheldon often tells us about language as it is "For the record, it could kill us to meet new people. They could be murderers or the carriers of unusual . And I'm not insane, my mother had me tested."
Download the first season of The Big Bang Theory below:

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TV Shows And Songs That Improved Our Vocabulary

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While some TV shows might not make us smarter (that's right reality TV, we're talking to you), there are others (and popular songs, too) that help enhance our language skills. We take a look at ten songs and shows that help improve our vocabulary.

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Enthralled by this wonderful music? Want to learn more about its creator and the music itself? Here's a link to an Encyclopedia Britannica article about Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. The article was written by Professor Betsy Schwarm, who also wrote, and provided the voice for this Ted ED lesson. It includes the full texts of the poems that were published with the music; these tell us what seasonal scenes Vivaldi had in mind for the music. The poems are given both in the original Italian and also in English translations. With the poems in hand so as to have even greater detail, listen again to one (or all) of The Four Seasons, and try to determine when the music has moved on to the next line - or the next verse - of the poem.

Here's a YouTube video of all of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, played in concert by the Dutch violinist Janine Jansen with an orchestra called the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. The entire video is about forty minutes long, as each of the concertos is roughly nine minutes long, and all four are performed. However, Spring comes up first, so let's begin with that; you can go on to the others if you have time. Watch the performance with attention, noticing things such as intensity, body language, eye contact between performers, and so on. How does watching - rather than just listening - bring out more about what's happening in the music?

Additionally, notice the small keyboard instrument in the middle of the ensemble. It's a " harpsichord," which is a predecessor of the piano. Although their keys are laid out in the same way, harpsichords sound different from pianos due to having a different mechanism. The strings inside the instrument are plucked, rather than being punched, which gives the instrument a rather light sound that can be hard to hear in louder music. By watching the Jansen video again, you can likely pick out the sound of the harpsichord, at least occasionally; he doesn't play every single moment, but it's there. This was a very popular feature in most music of Vivaldi's time in history, which in music is called the Baroque Era.

Here's a YouTube video of a composition by one of Vivaldi's contemporaries. Take some time to listen and compare. It's the Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 by Johann Sebastian Bach, and it has some commonalities with Vivaldi's Spring. Both have three movements - a fast one, then a slow one, then a fast one - and both begin with a "ritornello" form. However, the instruments are not all the same, and the Bach piece isn't "program music", so there's no story to be told. Also, the two composers had different reputations in their time; one was a major pop star, the other a composer with a more intellectual reputation. Can you theorize as to which was which and why? What do you see and hear that's different from one piece to the other? You might especially compare the third (last) movements of the two concertos, as the differences are most noticeable there.

The version of The Four Seasons played throughout this video comes from the European Archive, which you download here.

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Why should you listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"? - Betsy Schwarm

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Light, bright, and cheerful, "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi is some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music, featured in numerous films and television commercials. But what is its significance, and why does it sound that way? Betsy Schwarm uncovers the underlying narrative of this musical masterpiece.

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"Quando ouço música, a minha imaginação compraz-se muitas vezes com o pensamento de que a vida de todos os homens e a minha própria vida não são mais do que sonhos de um espírito eterno, bons e maus sonhos, de que cada morte é o despertar."
-Arthur Schopenhauer, em "'Dores do Mundo' - capítulo referente à arte".

15 documentários sobre o samba e sambistas: Bezerra da Silva, Cartola, Geraldo Pereira, Heitor dos Prazeres, Jards Macalé, João da Baiana, Nelson Cavaquinho, Noel Rosa, Paulinho da Viola, Pixinguinha, Saravah, Os avôs do samba, Partideiros, Partido alto

"Quem não gosta de samba bom sujeito não é/ É ruim da cabeça ou doente do pé / Eu nasci com o samba no samba me criei / E do danado do samba nunca me separei."
- Dorival Caymmi, em "Samba da minha terra".

BEZERRA DA SILVA
(Cantor, compositor e instrumentista)

Documentário: Onde a coruja dorme
Sinopse: O cantor Bezerra da Silva tornou-se uma estrela nacional nos anos 80 durante a chamada "explosão do pagode". Classificado inicialmente pela crítica como sambandido, sua música encantou o público brasileiro com crônicas cáusticas e extremamente bem humoradas sobre o cotidiano das favelas cariocas e da Baixada Fluminense. Poucos sabem o segredo do sucesso de Bezerra da Silva: sua equipe de compositores - pedreiros, trocadores de ônibus, carteiros, técnicos de refrigeração e biscateiros em geral. Sambistas genuínos escolhidos a dedo por Bezerra. Trabalhadores anônimos que cantam como ninguém o universo da malandragem carioca.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 2012
Duração: 1h12min.
Direção: Simplício Neto, Márcia Derraik
Produção executiva: Rodrigo Letier, Roberto Berliner e Marcia Derraik
Coordenação de produção: Lorena Bondarovsky
Direção de fotografia: Mauro Pinheiro Jr. ABC
Som: Pedro Moreira / Luis Eduardo "Boom"
Edição: Leonardo Domingues
Edição de som e mixagem: Denilson Campos
Produção: TvZERO e Antenna
Co-produção: Teleimage
Site do filme: Onde a coruja dorme

CARTOLA
(Compositor, cantor e violonista)

Documentário: Cartola - Música para os olhos
Sinopse: A história do samba segundo um dos seus expoentes mais nobres. Utilizando linguagem fragmentada, o filme descreve um painel da formação cultural do Brasil.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 2006
Duração: 85 min.
Direção e Roteiro: Lírio Ferreira e Hilton Lacerda

GERALDO PEREIRA
(Compositor e cantor)

Documentário: Geraldo Pereira, o rei do samba
Sinopse: É um filme musical que retrata parte da vida e da obra do compositor, cantor, ator, malandro e sambista Geraldo Pereira. Amigo de Cartola, o juiz-forano criou o samba sincopado, que influenciaria a bossa-nova anos mais tarde. Uma de suas mais conhecidas composições é "Falsa Baiana", gravada por Gal Costa. Outros sambas importantes de sua autoria são: "Acertei no milhar", "Escurinha", "Sem compromisso", "Pisei num despacho" e "Bolinha de Papel".
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 1999
Duração: 1h12 min.
Direção e roteiro: José Sette

HEITOR DOS PRAZERES
(Compositor, instrumentista e artista plástico)

Documentário: Heitor dos Prazeres
Sinopse: Memórias do sambista popular e pintor naif Heitor dos Prazeres em seu atelier na Cidade Nova, bairro decadente do Rio de Janeiro. No fim da vida, Heitor sobrevivia de seus sambas, seus quadros e suas recordações.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 1965
Duração: 13 min.
Direção e Roteiro: Antônio Carlos da Fontoura
Narração e música: Heitor dos Prazeres
Fotografia e Câmera: Affonso Beato
Montagem: Ruy Guerra
Produção: Canto Claro

JARDS MACALÉ
(Compositor, cantor, violonista, arranjador, produtor musical e ator)

JOÃO DA BAIANA
(Compositor e pandeirista)

NELSON CAVAQUINHO
(Compositor, cantor e instrumentista)

NOEL ROSA
(Compositor, cantor e violonista)

Documentário: Noel Rosa o poeta da vila
Sinopse: A trajetória de Noel Rosa, um dos maiores compositores da história da MPB, que trocou a faculdade de Medicina pelo samba e pela boemia carioca, na década de 20, tornando-se ídolo do rádio, aos 19 anos, com o enorme sucesso alcançado com a canção Com Que Roupa. O filme acompanha não apenas a carreira musical de Noel, como também sua vida afetiva que, até morrer prematuramente de tuberculose, dividiu-se entre dois grandes amores: Lindaura, jovem operária com quem se casou, e Ceci, dançarina com quem manteve um caso tempestuoso.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 2006
Duração: 100 min.
Direção: Ricardo Van Steen
Roteiro: Pedro Vicente
Elenco: Camila Pitanga, Flavio Bauraqui, Jonathan Haagensen, Paulo César Peréio, Rafael Raposo, Roberta Rodrigues, Supla
Produção: Paulo Dantas
Fotografia: Paulo Vainer
Trilha Sonora: Arto Lindsay
Classificação indicativa: 14 anos

PAULINHO DA VIOLA
(Compositor, cantor e instrumentista)

Documentário: Paulinho da Viola - meu tempo é hoje
Sinopse: O cantor, compositor e instrumentista Paulinho da Viola apresenta seus mestres e amigos, suas influências musicais e percorre sua rotina peculiar e discreta, apresentando hábitos e costumes desconhecidos do grande público.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 2003
Duração: 83 min.
Direção: Izabel Jaguaribe
Roteiro: Izabel Jaguaribe, Joana Ventura, Zuenir Ventura
Elenco: Elton Medeiros, Marina Lima, Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, Zeca Pagodinho
Produção: Beto Bruno
Fotografia: Flávio Zangrandi

PIXINGUINHA
(Instrumentista, compositor, orquestrador e maestro)

Documentário: Pixinguinha
Sinopse: Depoimento intimista. O compositor fala de sua iniciação musical, dos velhos amigos e de seu ambiente caseiro - o piano, as partituras, os remédios. Na varanda, os cascos de bebidas vazios, resultado de reuniões com amigos. Começou no cavaquinho, tocou flauta e saxofone. Os antigos sucessos são relembrados no saxofone que Paulo Bitttencourt lhe deu de presente. Pixinguinha toca Carinhoso.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 1969
Duração: 13 min.
Direção e roteiro: João Carlos Horta
Técnico de som: Gianni Amico
Montagem: Gianni Amico e Geraldo Veloso
Produtora: Tekla Filmes Ltda

OUTROS DOCUMENTÁRIOS SOBRE O SAMBA E SAMBISTAS
Documentário: Saravah
Sinopse: Foi no mês de fevereiro de 1969 que o diretor de cinema francês Pierre Barouh desembarcou no Rio de Janeiro disposto a registrar em película momentos de uma música que, embora conhecesse pouco, o fascinava intensamente. O olhar do estrangeiro, de coração aberto para a música brasileira, capturou imagens que durante 36 anos permaneceram desconhecidas no país. Aqueles momentos registrados viraram o documetário Saravah, resultado das sessões de filmagem de Barouh com os ancestrais Pixinguinha e João da Baiana, então octagenários, os jovens Maria Bethânia (aos 21 anos) e Paulinho da Viola, tendo Baden Powell como elo de ligação entre gerações tão distantes e fundamentais da arte brasileira. Interessado nas intervenções culturais e religiosas da presença da África no Brasil, Barouh entrevista João da Baiana que, acompanhado por Baden ao violão, sapateia e toca prato e faca, enquanto entoa "Okekerê", de sua autoria, e "Yaô", de Pixinguinha. Um momento em que a história atemporal do Brasil é materializada em imagens pelas lentes de Barouh.
País/ano: Brasil, 1969
Duração: 91 min.
Direção: Pierre Barouh

Documentário: Os avôs do samba
Sinopse: Documentário gravado em 1978 com depoimentos de Carlos Cachaça e sua esposa, Dona Menininha, Nélson Cavaquinho tocando bandolim, Adoniran Barbosa, Demônios da Garoa, Mano Décio, Cartola e Dona Zica.
Ficha Técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 1978
Duração: 23 min.

Documentário: Partideiros
Sinopse: Produzido em 1978, o documentário "Partideiros" reúne os grandes compositores do partido alto na década de 1970. Entre eles, Grupo Vissungo, Pandeirinho, Campolino, Casquinha, Argemiro, Osmar do Cavaco, Clementina de Jesus, Giovana, Xangô da Mangueira, Martinho da Vila, Geraldo Babão, Guará, Wilson Moreira e Aniceto.
O roteiro de Nei Lopes, Rubem Confete e Clóvis Scarpino, que também dirige o filme ao lado de Carlos Tourinho, agrupa depoimentos de ícones desse gênero, que surgiu no início do século XX ao longo do processo de modernização do samba urbano carioca. Como há discórdia entre estudiosos para definir o que realmente seria o partido alto, o curta-metragem percorre pelas memórias dos músicos ajudando a traçar a identidade dessa vertente. Guará dança o partido, da forma como aprendeu com o pai. Bucy Moreira relembra figuras como Pixinguinha, João da Baiana e Donga tocando na casa de sua avó, Tia Ciata. Ao som de pandeiro, flauta ou instrumento improvisado, Aniceto conta que esse estilo era o mesmo que a chula, música sem letra, feita somente do solo das instrumentações.
Ficha técnica
País/ano: Brasil, 1978
Duração: 13 min.
Direção: Carlos Tourinho e Clovis Scarpino
Roteiro: Nei Lopes, Rubem Confete e Clóvis Scarpino

Mais sobre música: :: Música brasileira: o choro e seus chorões. Acesse :: Música tradicional - folguedos e danças populares: o nosso patrimônio imaterial. Acesse :: Patrimônio cultural imaterial brasileiro. Acesse
AQUI!
:: Música brasileira: o samba e os seus sambistas. AcesseAQUI!
AQUI!
AQUI!
:: Pixinguinha - o mestre do Catumbi. Acesse !

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15 documentários sobre o Samba para assistir e estudar - Revista Prosa Verso e Arte

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"Quando ouço música, a minha imaginação compraz-se muitas vezes com o pensamento de que a vida de todos os homens e a minha própria vida não são mais do que sonhos de um espírito eterno, bons e maus sonhos, de que cada morte é o despertar."

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Who says TV is a waste of time?

With the right shows and the right learning techniques, TV can be an awesome tool for learning English.

Not sure you believe me?

Then just look at the research!

There are lots of language studies that have found unique, effective ways to improve the language learning process that you can apply while watching your favorite TV show or movie.

Whether it is reviewing a show's vocabulary at regular intervals or simply turning on the subtitles, you can supercharge your viewing sessions with science-backed learning methods.

So grab the remote and get learning!

What TV Offers to English Learners

TV can help English students improve various skills, including listening comprehension, vocabulary building and even conversing.

When you watch a movie, for example, you practice listening to words and phrases in context. The visual elements provide clues to help you understand unfamiliar vocabulary and expressions. As your vocabulary increases and you get more exposure to native speech, you can level up your own verbal abilities, too.

Another great thing about TV is that there is a wide range of engaging material for you to learn from. Here are just a few examples of the different series, movies and genres you can explore:

Now that we know what to watch, here is what the research says about how to watch.

1. Use the Spaced Repetition Technique with Your Favorite Shows

Research on language acquisition like this study in the Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior supports a popular language learning technique called "spaced repetition."

In a nutshell (just a few words), spaced repetition involves reviewing new material (like a vocabulary list, for example) at regular intervals over a period of time. Typically, the intervals between reviews get longer and longer each time.

And in fact, the study above found that language learning is directly tied to both repetitive practice and the space between repetitions. More space between repetitions led to better retention (remembering) of the language concepts.

So instead of cramming (memorizing all at once) 100 new words every day, learners should space out their training sessions across a week or even a month.

For example, if you see a phrase you do not know today, look it up in the dictionary and make a flashcard to review again at the end of the day. Afterwards, you should review the phrase within the following three days, six days, etc. As the above-mentioned research indicates, this process helps to embed (fix) the phrase into your long-term memory, which means you learn more efficiently.
How to watch TV with the spaced repetition technique:
Step 1: Pick an episode (or a scene) in your favorite show.

Step 2: Watch it once and write down new words or expressions.

Step 3: Watch it again after one day, three days and six days, until the new phrases and their sounds stick. It is best to have the subtitles on each time, so you see the words in repetition while recalling their sounds.

Step 4: If you are looking to take your spaced repetition viewing to the next level, try out a tool like FluentU. Available as a website or mobile app, FluentU transforms authentic English content, such as TV shows and movie trailers, into language learning experiences.

There are interactive captions that provide in-context definitions, so you can boost your vocabulary while getting exposure to real-world, entertaining TV and videos. Plus, with FluentU's "learn mode" feature, you can practice what you learned through activities and quizzes. FluentU also remembers what you have learned and suggests new, relevant clips, creating a truly personalized learning experience. It is like watching English TV with super learning powers.

2. Schedule Listening Practice with TV Before Bedtime or Naps

Research carried out at the University of California, Berkeley, showed that an hour nap can significantly boost and restore brain power.

The research involved two groups of people who were given a difficult learning task. One of the groups was permitted to take an hour nap in the middle of the day; the other group had no nap. Researchers found that people in the nap group did much better on the learning task and actually improved their ability to learn.

These results support the hypothesis (idea or guess) that sleep helps clear our short-term memory storage to make room for new information.

The implication of this study goes beyond the advice that we should get enough sleep at night and take naps during the day. English learners can actually adjust their studying habits to be more efficient based on this study. Specifically, you can schedule listening practice with English TV around your bedtime or naps.
Here is how you can do it:
Step 1: Half an hour before you plan to go to bed or take a nap, turn on an English-language TV show that you find interesting.

Step 2: Listen actively, taking notes or repeating what you hear out loud.

Step 3: Write a brief summary of the content as well as new things you have learned in English.

Step 4: Set the note aside and get to sleep. Let sleep work its magic.

Step 5: Review your notes the next day. Pay attention to your ability to recall new words. Keep a record of the new information you successfully recall and make flashcards or notes for the information you do not remember.

3. Use Subtitles While Watching TV

According to this study published in PLOS ONE, watching subtitled English-language content has a positive impact on English listening skills.

In the experiment, a group of intermediate Spanish-speaking English learners watched a one-hour TV drama with subtitles, while another group watched it without subtitles. After watching, they all took a listening test, and the results from the first group were significantly higher than those of the second group.

The study shows the benefits of reading subtitles as a tool to improve listening skills.
Thus, you can benefit from watching subtitled TV in the following steps:
Step 1: Find a TV show that is suitable for your English level. If you are a beginner student, start with recorded shows that you can pause and rewind with ease. Choose something that is short with relatively slow speaking or narration. Children's TV can be particularly useful.

If you are an intermediate speaker, you can watch longer programs like a movie or a documentary.

As an advanced learner, you can enjoy learning from the news with in-depth reports on a particular topic like the economy or politics. For something a little more entertaining, you can try the fast-talking, slang-filled drama of reality TV.

Step 2: Make sure subtitles are available for the chosen material. The good news is that major American channels like CBS, NBC and ABC typically offer captions of their content.

If you use a streaming service such as Netflix, English subtitles are available for many shows. You just need to go to "options" or "settings" and turn them on.

Step 3: Time to watch the show! Read along with the subtitles even when you think you understand exactly what is being said. Pause the video and take notes when needed.

Step 4: Review your notes. Do this repeatedly and regularly until you commit the new information to your long-term memory.

4. Watch Educational Content (on Any Subject!)

According to a study published in Cambridge University's Studies in Second Language Acquisition journal, language students can learn faster when they are learning in the target language, rather than about the target language.

In other words, if you enjoy history, you might learn English faster by taking a history course in English, as opposed to taking a formal English language course.

The study compared two groups of French language students: one group was in a traditional French class and the other was in a non-language course that was taught in French. Researchers found that not only did the first group become much better at speaking French, they also had a much more positive attitude about learning French.

What the research means to you, as an English learner, is that you can improve your speaking abilities faster if you opt to learn a subject in English. I am not saying you should totally abandon traditional study methods-in fact, the research indicates that traditional language courses are crucial for writing skills. However, learning outside subjects in English can be awesome additional practice for your English speech, as well as for your motivation to keep learning.

Consider this the next time you choose something to watch on TV! Putting on educational material in English will get you engaged with the language and boosting your speaking skills without even realizing it.
Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Pick an educational TV program that interests you. Again, it can be on any subject, as long as the show itself is in English. If you like cooking, watch "MasterChef." If you are interested in the outside world and looking for ideas for your next vacation, consider a travel show. If you like cars, try "Top Gear."

There are many other subjects you can learn from TV, such as natural science, economics, politics, art and more. What matters most is that the show has something to teach that you are interested in learning.

Step 2: Watch and learn! Pay close attention to the vocabulary. Learning the jargon first will help you build the foundation to converse more fluently and understand the content when it gets more complicated.

However, as the above study indicates, the simple act of learning about a new topic in English will help boost your English skills without you even consciously realizing it.

5. Turn on the TV as Often as Possible

According to a study by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center and the University of Illinois, you can learn a language more quickly-and think more like a native speaker-through immersion training, rather than classroom exposure.

Researchers invented a small language and tested a group of adults on their ability to speak and understand it. Some learned the language in a classroom and others learned through immersion (constant/informal exposure to a new language).

The group that had undergone immersion training showed a more "native-like processing" of grammar in the brain, compared to the other group that learned the language in the classroom.

The study's result implies that you do not need to always sit at your desk to learn English. Just surround yourself with the English sound (e.g., turning on the TV).

If the sound of English, be it a report or a song, is always in the background, your brain absorbs it, learns the patterns, rhythms and even words and grammar rules that you do not know. It is just like a child learning to speak their mother tongue in their early years.

So, listen to English as much as possible!
Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Turn on the TV while you are cooking, cleaning, doing laundry or exercising. You do not need to stop what you are doing if you miss a word or some information. Let the sound wash over you while you get on with your chores.

That's it!

You can also stream online music shows in the background while working or studying other subjects. That helps, too!

No matter what you want to learn and which skills you want to improve, there is a technique for you. Try turning on the subtitles for your favorite film or switch on the TV while cooking. Schedule language sessions before taking a nap and review what you have learned over a span of time. The best thing to do is to try out a new method, keep a record of your progress and draw conclusions about how it works. Just like a scientist!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos.
Experience English immersion online!

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5 Science-backed Methods for Learning English with TV

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Who says TV is a waste of time?With the right shows and the right learning techniques, TV can be an awesome tool for learning English.Not sure you believe me?Then just look at the research!There are lots of language studies that have found unique, effective ways to improve the langua

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This is a short documentary that gives some of the history of the Great Wall and facts about it. Students watch and complete gap-fill sentences and open ended questions.

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In this lesson plan, students learn and practise how to use the 'schwa' sound. There are audio activities for learners to recognise the sounds in words and as part of sentences, and to practise creating the sound.

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The schwa 1: ESL/EFL Lesson Plan and Worksheet

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In this lesson plan, students learn and practise how to use the 'schwa' sound. There are audio activities for learners to recognise the sounds in words and as part of sentences, and to practise creating the sound.

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Listening is usually the slowest skill to improve. For most language learners, listening is their ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtKX_H5wr5o

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Have you ever wondered how some of the more unusual sounding tube stops in London got their name? Taking a look at the origins of London Underground stations' names is, of course, pretty much the same as exploring the origins of place names: almost all of them are named after the areas they serve. Locals might well know these, but we're willing to bet at least some of them will be new to you - especially if you're a tourist. So now, while travelling around underground, you'll have a few language facts to while away the time. Sorry we couldn't manage to do all of the Tube stops - there are currently 270 of them - but we've chosen the most linguistically interesting, we hope.

Angel

This tube station is named after the Angel area of London, but if you're thinking that the residents of the locale are particularly saintly, we're sorry to disappoint. It's named after a former coaching inn on the Great North Road called the Angel, dating from the 17 th century.

Baker Street

The most famous resident of Baker Street is, of course, Sherlock Holmes. You might think that it was named after a maker of cakes of pastries, but its namesake is actually William Baker, a builder who laid out the street in the second half of the 18 th century.

Bank

If you're anything like me, you may have wondered whether Bank station was named after a riverbank or a money bank. Well, it turns out I'd been getting confused with Embankment: Bank is nowhere near the river, and is named after the Bank of England. Incidentally, it was voted the most disliked tube station in 2013.

Burnt Oak

Burnt Oak, now the name of a suburb in Barnet, first appears in the name of a group of fields on a map of 1754. In the mid-19th century, these fields became part of the Victorian suburb of Red Hill, giving their name to a small estate built on the site. The tube station constructed here in 1924 was also known by the name of Burnt Oak, which soon eclipsed Red Hill as the name of the suburb. And the eponymous tree? This was presumably a distinctive oak tree that had been struck by lightning, and came to be used as a boundary marker

Canada Water

This tube station is named after a lake and wildlife refuge called Canada Water which, in turn is named after the former Canada Dock. It was chiefly used by ships docking there from Canada, but was closed in the 1970s and turned into the lake, refuge, and... a shopping centre.

Canary Wharf

Opened in 1999, Canary Wharf tube station shares its name with the business district in Tower Hamlets. What have canaries got to do with it, then? Canary Wharf takes its name from a warehouse on the West Wood Quay of the Import Dock, built for the Mediterranean and Canary Islands fruit trade. Those Canary Islands, in turn, are actually named after dogs rather than birds: their Latin name was Canariae Insulae, as (according to Pliny the Elder) the Mauretanian king Juba II said the island was full of dogs.

Chalfont & Latimer

Chalfont and Latimer may sound like a fictional legal practice, but it's named after the three picturesquely-named Chalfont villages (Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter, and Little Chalfont) and Latimer, another village. Chalfont, in turn, means 'chalk spring' - which brings us on to...

Chalk Farm

Was there a place farming chalk, or (who knows) a farm made of chalk? Nothing so unusual, unfortunately: Chalk is in fact derived from the former name of the settlement, Chaldecote or Chalcot; the soil in the area is, in fact, clay.

Cockfosters

Serving the Cockfosters area, this name dates back to the 16 th century and is thought to have originally been the name of the residence of the cock (that is, chief) forester.

Elephant and Castle

You may have heard that Elephant and Castle is a corruption of 'La Infanta de Castilla', being a reference to various Spanish princesses. That explanation is just folk etymology, however. The actual derivation is a little more prosaic: it comes from an inn of that name, and from an old heraldic sign used, for example, as the symbol of the Cutler's Company. The Elephant inn even gets a mention in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ("In the south suburbs, at the Elephant, is best to lodge.")

Golders Green

What is a golder, and why do they have a green? Well, Golders probably represents a local surname, while the Green was simply land on which the settlement was built.

Hainault

What is the link between Hainault tube station and Hainault in Belgium? It's a bit complex. Residents of Hainault might be surprised to learn that this unusual name comes from the Old English 'Hyneholt or 'Henehout' and means 'wood belonging to a religious community'. The spelling change came about in the 17 th century, influenced by a fictitious connection with Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III.

Hanger Lane

This one sounds a bit ominous; is your neck in danger in this neck of the woods? Well, no: the lane is named after Hanger Hill, the hill over which it travels, where hanger comes from the rather more innocuous Old English hangra, 'a wood on a slope'.

King's Cross St Pancras

This tube station services King's Cross and St Pancras National Rail stations. The former is now perhaps best known for being Harry Potter's entrance to Hogwarts, but the king in question is King George IV (who reigned 1820-1830), and the cross, a monument that was demolished in 1845. St Pancras was born around 289, and beheaded for his Christian faith when he was 14 years old. So many people say and write Pancreas instead of Pancras that a pancreatic cancer charity teamed up with St Pancras International on 11 March 2014.

Maida Vale

Astute visitors to Maida Vale will have observed that it is nowhere near Maida in southern Italy. The unusual sounding district served by this tube station is named after the Hero of Maida inn. When this inn stood, it was named in honour of General Sir John Stuart, who was made Count of Maida after the Battle of Maida in 1806.

Mile End

What puts the mile in Mile End? Well, it's actually originally recorded as La Mile ende in 1288, and means 'the hamlet a mile away' - in this instance, about a mile away from Aldgate.

Monument

London is nothing if not replete with monuments, so which of them gave Monument its name? It's one which is actually most commonly known simply as Monument, but its full name is 'Monument to the Great Fire of London', finished in 1677 on the site of the first church to be burnt down by the Great Fire in 1666.

Oxford Circus

If you're getting out at Oxford Circus hoping to see some clowns and acrobats (or, indeed, Oxford) then you're going to be disappointed. The oldest sense of circus is 'a large building, generally oblong or oval, surrounded with rising tiers of seats, for the exhibition of public spectacles' - thus not entirely different from today's most common use - but, in this instance, it is simply a 'circular open space at a street junction'.

Pimlico

Pimlico almost certainly takes its name from a well-known alehouse in Hoxton, also called Pimlico, named after its owner Ben Pimlico. It was a favourite haunt of theatrical folk, and is referenced in plays by Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, and others. It has been argued that this surname was transferred from the Pamlico Indians of North America, and thus is almost certainly the first native American place name to have been introduced into England.

Seven Sisters

There are various places or things called Seven Sisters around the world (and, indeed, out of it), from the Pleiades star cluster and the Greek mythological characters they are named after, to the group of American women's colleges. The area served by this tube station, though, has rather more humble aspirations: the seven sisters were seven elms planted in a ring around a walnut tree on an area of land called Page Green. The trees were moved and then cut down; a circle of seven hornbeam trees were planted in 1997.

Shepherd's Bush

Although connections with Moses' burning bush have been mooted over the years, the truth is a little less abstract. It's thought that it is either named after somebody called Shepherd, or that the land here was once a resting place for shepherds on their way to Smithfield Market.

Sloane Square

Though Sloane now has its own meaning and punning epithet - 'a fashionable upper-class young woman'; Sloane Ranger - this came, unsurprisingly, after the place. Sloane Square itself is simply named after the noted physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, who once owned the land.

Swiss Cottage

As with Elephant and Castle and various other tube stations, this area owes its unusual name to a local inn. The Swiss Tavern, built in 1803-4, was in the style of a Swiss chalet - later renamed to the humbler Swiss Cottage.

Temple

When it originally opened in 1870, Temple was known as The Temple - named after the Temple area, after the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple. These religious-sounding buildings are actually two of the four Inns of Court, which are professional associations for barristers in England and Wales.

Tooting Bec

Tooting Bec is perhaps the most amusing name given to a tube station, but its origins aren't too mired in mystery. Bec comes from Bec Abbey in Normandy (which owned this land after the Norman Conquest), while Tooting is a little less clear; it may have referred to 'the people of the lookout place'.

Turnpike Lane

This station (and the road) gets its name from the local turnpike - but what is a turnpike? It's a historical term for a toll gate, though was originally a spiked barrier - thus a sense of pike meaning 'a spiked staff or stick'.

White City

Why White City? Well, this area got its name from the white-stuccoed walls of the stadium and exhibition opened here in 1908, originally as the venue for the Franco-British Exhibition and the 4th Olympic Games.
For many more details about the origins of London place names, you can explore Photo credit: cesc_assawin / Shutterstock.com. A Dictionary of London Place-Names (2nd edition; 2010) edited by A. D. Mills.

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London Underground: the origins of some unusual names - OxfordWords blog

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Have you ever wondered how some of the more unusual sounding tube stops in London got their name? Taking a look at the origins of London Underground stations' names is, of course, pretty much the same as exploring the origins of place names: almost all of them are named after the areas they serve.

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Listen to the weather forecast and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

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Have you ever been in a rush to finish up a grammar lesson plan so that you can squeeze in all that curriculum content? Scoured the web for worksheets that make grammar content a little less dry for your students? It's such a chore, right?

I hear you! In fact that's why I'm writing today's post. Making grammar fun is one of my main objectives when I teach, whether it's one-on-one tutoring, a group of kids, or a university English class.

Why Students "Hate" Grammar

Why do you think students groan at the words "grammar lesson"?

Well, it's quite simple:

Despite research telling us traditional teaching methods don't work as well as communicative approaches, schools seem to be filled with grammar worksheets. At least here in Spain, English as a second language classes seem to be full of the same old worksheets, verb conjugations with little interactive content. Usually, parents of kids I teach want to ensure that that's not my plan (don't worry, it's not!)

Actually, come to think of it, I remember copying down pages of notes of verb conjugations in my first year university French class in Canada, way back in 2002, as well.

So, how can we make grammar fun then? If you missed my post on 3 Ways To Teach Adjectives, you could check that out, too. Read on for specifics!

3 Ways To Make Grammar Fun

It's all about the games - Anyone who has met me knows I'm all about teaching games. They are so much fun, liven up your class, keep university lectures interactive and help students learn. My free speaking board game is in the printables library, so sign up at the end of this post to join. If you missed my post about Linguapolis, an awesome language game, be sure to check it out!

So, in one of my English (ESL) classes this year, the curriculum guide tells us we have to hold four Communicate (throw away those worksheets!) - mandatory speaking sessions each semester. I tell students on the first day that we will be speaking every class, so they can feel more confident speaking their second language.

Teach with Songs! - Of course, this wouldn't be a post about teaching with songs if I didn't love it. Read on for more details!

Why I Teach With Songs: An Avril Lavigne Lesson Plan

I love teaching with songs, something quite recent in my repertoire. Now, don't get me wrong, the idea has been around for ages and I had been advised to do so before, but it didn't seem like a good fit for me. Mostly, I was afraid that not being able to sing would ruin it for kids, and that adults might find the overall idea a bit juvenile.

That's what I thought.

Until I tried it last year.

A teacher friend recommended using Beyonce's If I Were A Boy to teach conditional tense and I've been a huge fan ever since. First, I used it with a 12 year old private tutoring student, and then I adapted it for my first year university ESL class. They loved it! One Stop English has some more ideas on teaching grammar concepts such as modals, which is where I got the idea to use an Avril Lavigne song.

Teaching modals using the Skater Boy song was a real hit with my university class. My (now 13 year old) private student loved it, too. You'd be surprised how much a short activity with a song can liven up your class!

Last year, I saw the movie La La Land and loved it so much that I made a lesson plan from one of their songs.

ALL THREE of these lesson plans are available FREE in my printables library!

(Pssst...Love my free stuff and want to help support this site? If you shop on Amazon.com, use this link (my affiliate link) to get there before you buy any product (For Amazon UK, click here). It doesn't cost you a cent, but I'll receive a small commission that will help pay for site maintenance costs).

So, there are three ways I use songs to teach English:

3 Ways To Use Songs In Class

Grammar and Vocab Search

Rather than using a gap-fill, have advanced students listen for the words without the guidance of the lyrics. To make it easier, you can provide them with the lyrics and have them circle words that relate to the grammatical form or vocabulary concept you are teaching.

Extension Activities - Find Your Own Song

While it's great to use songs you like, having students choose their own songs is even better! Unfortunately, I didn't have enough class time to try this one out for the modals activities (we lost a lot of class time due to political events here in Barcelona!). However, my plan was to have students bring songs to class, find the phrasal verbs and expressions, and share what they learned with their classmates.

How do you use songs in your class? Do you have other grammar teaching tips you'd like to share with us? Let us all know in the comments below and help the whole community of teachers grow. I read and respond to every comment 🙂

Happy Teaching!

P.S. Photography fans, the photo for today's post is one I took about a week ago on a tour of the old town in Zagreb, Croatia

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3 Ways To Make Grammar Fun: Teach With Songs - The Teaching Cove

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Have you ever been in a rush to finish up a grammar lesson plan so that you can squeeze in all that curriculum content? Scoured the web for worksheets that make grammar content a little less dry for your students? It's such a chore, right? I hear you!

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Listen to the radio programme about Being a Beast by Charles Foster and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

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The students are going to improve their listening skills and revise London sights.

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Students have to watch the video and solve some comprehension tasks, like filling in the gaps and put the words in order.

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While there are many great tools which can help you teach English easier as well as increase the retention of the lessons, the best and most proven techniques by far is Learning English through Songs, games and even movies. Movies are a fun way of teaching English to a student and can really get them involved with the entire concept.

How Movie and Songs can Teach English

Let's face it, there are so many movies out there that only come in English and are also very enjoyable to watch. They are really easy to come by as well as being available in a wide variety of possible formats depending on your region. Furthermore, you know how long the movie is so you are able to pick ones that the students will be able to watch the entire thing during one class.

The students will learn English a lot easier when you use movies as a teaching tool. Anyone can remember back when they were in school, those days when the English or grammar teacher would be in a good mood and upon arrival in the classroom that big television or even projector was sitting in the classroom already which only meant one thing; movie time.

Back then when you saw this movie in class, all you saw was something fun to do that was not a class based activity. On be known to you, your teacher had an ulterior motive behind the movie and you may not have realized it then, but it did work. Just like your teacher used this technique on you, you too can now utilize it to teach your students the English language.

Nothing beats movies like White Fang, Old Yeller and many of the other greats that were also works of literary art before they were turned into movies. The compelling story lines and the action one watches in these movies compels you to stay in your seat and pay attention. When it is all said and done, you are in fact teaching the students English without having to actually teach it. Just make sure that you pick a good enough movie that will entrance your students into wanting to see more and more movies.

Then when you combine the movie with a game styled quiz, you can make sure that your students will retain vast amounts of the English language without even knowing that they did.

We all know the impact a song can have on us - we not only start murmuring it, we learn the song by heart after listening a couple of times. Music helps human beings not only remember but retain information for a longer time. You can learn anything easily at a higher speed if you have learned it through music. The same rule applies if you are planning to learn Spanish through music.

Music is a fun and exciting way for one to teach English as a second language. One of the biggest examples of this concept can be seen in various Asian countries who have such a desire to learn English that the karaoke machine was born. There is not a single street corner you could go to in some countries where you will not hear the sounds of one signing in a karaoke machine.

Music and English teaching can be a great addition to the curriculum next to teaching English through games. The whole concept behind it is that music makes learning English more fun and when the student is having fun, they do not see it as learning which in turn results in some amazingly high retention rates.

There is no point in having to constantly re-teach a student the same lesson over and over again when you use music as a teaching aide. If the student is having fun, it just makes the class more interesting and not only will you have fun as well, but your students will be thanking you for teaching them in this manner.

Just like when you were younger and attending preschool or even kindergarten, the use of music to teach you the English language was an important part. Granted you cannot teach an older student the same nursery rhymes and songs that you would teach a young child, but that does not in any way shape or form limit your abilities.

Teaching them by taking songs from the top hit lists, get the lyrics for the song, and when they first come in for class, pass the lyrics out in the form of a poem. Then you will want to tell them, "Class, today we will learn this entire poem!" Their eyes will get all crossed and the sweat will begin pouring down their foreheads and while they are mumbling the words to themselves and not paying attention, you will be pulling out the radio and playing the song in front of them. They will simply love you for teaching them in this manner and the first moment that they hear the song being played, all of their tensions will ease away into an oblivion.

Before you know it the class will be over and they will be able to sing a vast majority of the song you have given them. So much in fact that they will most likely try to learn the rest of the song over the night which makes for a perfect "recital" quiz at the beginning of the next lesson

English Music and movies Resources

If you decide to learn English through music and movies, you have many options to start with. The internet is sprinkled with tutors ready to teach you English through their music and movie lessons. You can opt for exclusive CD's containing various English musicals and movies. Alternatively, there are books tied with music CD's and movies. You can start learning with the CD's as well as reading the books. These audio and video CD's contain different types of songs and movies for different levels of learners. Some of the CD's are available on the net (in the downloadable form) and include the other languages equivalent of the English vocabulary.

Conclusion

You can learn English through Songs and movies. Yes, that's true. Learning English through the musical and movie route can be great fun and make the learning very fast. As we all know, music and movies can change your mood. They have great effects on the listener and viewer. If it can change your mood, why not then use it to learn a language, especially English? Learning English through this medium can not only be a good idea to start with, but will also make the whole exercise great fun.

Comments

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How to Learn English Through Songs and Movie

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While there are many great tools which can help you teach English easier as well as increase the retention of the lessons, the best and most proven techniques by far is Learning English through Songs, games and even movies. Movies are a fun way of teaching English to a student and can really get them involved with the entire concept.

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1. Home

2. Video lessons

3. St Valentine's day traditions around the world

St Valentine's day traditions around the world

TatianaSkyeng February 13, 2018

FILM-ENGLISH.COM: A TREASURE TROVE OF FREE FILM LESSONS

We are proud to announce Kieran Donaghy as the first member of our Advisory Committee. He will be advising iSLCollective on developing our video quiz platform.

He is the author behind the famous Film Englishwebsite,which has hundreds of high quality and free ESL/EFL lesson plans created around short films. Click here to visit his well-crafted film lessons.

Task description & scene summary

Listening comprehension, listening for gist, grammar and multiple choise questions.

Most countries have a specific way to celebrate the day of love. Jordyn Rolling (@jordynrolling) has the details!

Lesson type: Basic listening comprehension - Hearing check ("Can you make out the words being said?")

Copyright license: Creative Commons Attribution License

First published: 2018-02-13, 11:10:08 (GMT+1)

We highly recommend this award-winning e-book by Nik Peachey about how to use video in your teaching.
Includes practical tips for engaging classroom activities.

iSLCollective is a member of The Visual Arts Circle, a community of practice made up of language teaching professionals, teachers, teacher trainers, writers, editors, researchers, designers, illustrators, artists, photographers, and filmmakers, all with a shared belief that visual arts - drawing, painting, sculpture, design, crafts, photography, video, and filmmaking - should have a larger role in language education. Click here to visit the website.

Video quiz questions (printable)

1)

Put the words in order: To day 100% is this origin the day clear. not Valentine's of

2) The Danish give their friends and lovers white flowers called ...

snowwhite.

snowdrops.

snowhills.

snowfalls.

3) French people were the originators of sending ...

candies.

flowers.

love cards.

perfume.

4) What do the lonely do on April, 15?

Send themselves cards.

Find new partners.

Eat in comfort.

Flirt with strangers.

5) In Philippines it's extremely popular to ... on this day

to get divorced

to get married

to have children

to start dating

6) In South Africa women write the names of the men they like on their ...

hats.

socks.

sleeves.

shirts.

We highly recommend this award-winning e-book by Nik Peachey about how to use video in your teaching.
Includes practical tips for engaging classroom activities.

iSLCollective is a member of The Visual Arts Circle, a community of practice made up of language teaching professionals, teachers, teacher trainers, writers, editors, researchers, designers, illustrators, artists, photographers, and filmmakers, all with a shared belief that visual arts - drawing, painting, sculpture, design, crafts, photography, video, and filmmaking - should have a larger role in language education. Click here to visit the website.

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St Valentine's day traditions around the world

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Home Video lessons St Valentine's day traditions around the world St Valentine's day traditions around the world TatianaSkyeng February 13, 2018 FILM-ENGLISH.COM : A TREASURE TROVE OF FREE FILM LESSONS We are proud to announce Kieran Donaghy as the first member of our Advisory Committee.

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Do you take the good things in life for granted? You're not alone, and studies show it's very human. But here's a way to find more joy in the everyday.

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Students frequently complain that they don't remember what they read. In the past, when I would ask about their reading practices, they often recounted that they would get to the bottom of a page of text and realize they had no clue about what they had just read.

I sought strategies to address this problem: What could students do to stay engaged with the reading, find it more pleasurable, and effectively remember what they read?

Storing Memory With Patterns

Understanding and remembering texts, as with all new memory construction, involves connecting the new to the known (i.e., using existing memory networks). The brain does this linking through its system of storing memory in neural networks based on relational patterns. When exposed to new information, the brain evaluates it using patterns it has developed through time and experience. Optimal brain engagement, understanding, and storage occur when new information is identified as being related to an existing memory pattern such as a category or schema.

Engagement and Memory

Successful reading comprehension makes use of pattern linking strategies. These include activating prior knowledge, making predictions, and recognizing personal relevance to interests, past positive experiences, or goals.

Discussing purposeful reading goals before assigning a reading task helps students recall prior related memories in long-term memory storage and increases awareness of how the reading may be personally relevant. Making predictions enhances students' interest by encouraging curiosity. Making predictions also encourages the brain to stay attentive and engaged as students actively think about what they read, and construct meaning, understanding, and linkages to durable memory circuits.

Talking Back to the Text With Post-it Notes

I developed an interactive reading strategy using Post-it notes and writing prompts to help my students engage with, understand, and remember what they read. The strategy uses the general principles of patterning and linking the new to the known. Because it induces students to activate prior knowledge, make predictions, and relate the book to their lives, it promotes their reading comprehension and memory.

As educators, we know the strategies that make successful readers. However, we also know that even when we suggest strategies such as predicting and making personal connections both before and during independent reading, most students are unlikely to use them.

One way to push students to use these strategies for independent reading homework (or classwork during independent, group, or whole-class reading) is to give them prompts and Post-its in advance of the reading. The assignment is to simply complete each prompt on a single Post-it.

This process is appealing in several ways. There are no wrong answers, and the assignment requires very little writing as it has already been started on each Post-it in class-so this activity is low stress and high outcome as it upholds the general principles of reading comprehension.

Sample Post-it Prompts

In these prompts, the students address the text directly-by calling it "you"-as though they were having a conversation with it.
To be completed before reading for prediction and preview:

I think you'll be telling me...

I already know things about you, so I predict...

To be completed after briefly skimming the assigned pages:

What does the heading for this section suggest about what will come?

What does this picture (graph, diagram, etc.) suggest about this reading topic?

To be completed during reading as a response to what is read:

You're similar to what I've learned before, because you remind me of...

I would have preferred a picture of... (Students can also sketch, describe, or download a picture, graph, or diagram)

This is not what I expected, which was...

This gives me an idea for...

I want to know more about...

This information could be useful to me because I'm interested in...

I think this will be on the test because...

Why This Works

The benefits of reading with an explicit plan for engagement, comprehension, and memory include greater class comfort and participation, greater understanding of what is read, increased memory of the text, and a reduction in the amount of rereading or review needed for test time.

The use of Post-its increases memory pattern linkages, understanding, and the pleasure of reading. As students become more skilled readers through strategies that promote pattern seeking and linking, they build their independent skills about how to think actively about the text-their metacognitive skills.

They will not only have increased pleasure, motivation, curiosity, and engagement, but will also develop stronger confidence in their own abilities as well as resilience, intrinsic motivation, and perseverance. You will be increasing the access of all students to the rich world of written information and imagination that is available in books, newspapers, magazines, online reading, and even on boxes of cereal.

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Aiding Reading Comprehension With Post-Its | Edutopia

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Students frequently complain that they don't remember what they read. In the past, when I would ask about their reading practices, they often recounted that they would get to the bottom of a page of text and realize they had no clue about what they had just read.

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© British Council
The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).

ICP#: 10044692

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© British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). ICP#: 10044692

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1) What is wrong with the shopping cart?

2) What is being sold on the sign as Mr. Bean enters the store ?

3) What is Mr Bean's problem?

4) What might happen if you take a can from the bottom of the pile?

5) What should you do if you can't reach an item on the top shelf?

6) The cart is ... (More than one right answer)

7) The chili sauce is ...

8) What is Mr. Bean going to do?

9) Should you open food at the grocery store before you have paid for it?

10) Why is Mr. Bean screaming?

11) Where is Mr. Bean going?

To the restroom.

To get a drink.

To the frozen foods.

12) Why did Mr. Bean stick his head in the freezer?

13) Mr Bean is in the ...

14) Mr Bean thinks the fish ...

15) Mr. Bean put the fish ...

16) Mr. Bean used the fish to ...

make the floor slippery.

make his cart stop squeaking.

make the store smell bad.

17) The woman is going to ... (More than one right answer)

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1) What is wrong with the shopping cart? 2) What is being sold on the sign as Mr. Bean enters the store ? 3) What is Mr Bean's problem? 4) What might happen if you take a can from the bottom of the pile?

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Films provide more than just entertainment. For many people, watching foreign language films is a way to develop their language skills. Whilst watching a film you are immersed in the language and can pick up new expressions that you might not find in a textbook.

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OMG I could understand 30% of what she said only. But it's ok. I'm gonna study hard. British English is difficult. I really want to do this recipe. It looks like delicious.

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The story...

World's steepest railway line

Learn language related to...

Heights

Need-to-know language

faint-hearted - not confident or brave

steep - rising or falling at a sharp angle

gradient - how steep a slope is

weak at the knees - feeling unsteady or weak due to shock, fright or attraction

descent - a movement downward

Answer this...

What dangers did the workers have to deal with on this project?

Transcript

Up here, 13 hundred metres above sea level, is not a view for the faint-hearted, and transporting people up this steep Swiss mountainside is not without its challenges.

Two years behind schedule, it's taken 14 years of building and with a price tag of 53 million dollars.

But the Swiss are convinced the new funicular on the world's steepest line is worth it.

Reinhold Boiger, Engineer
To construct a tunnel with a 110% gradient has rarely been done before. All the workers have to secure themselves. Sometimes they have to work hanging in the ropes. We have to be very careful with the material. If you drop something, it falls all the way down, and what's even more dangerous - if you drop something, it can fall on the head of a worker further below.

If the breathtaking climb itself doesn't leave you weak at the knees,then standing upright in the carriages shouldn't be a problem either.

They've been uniquely designed to allow the floors to adjust with the gradient as it travels.

Each of the carriages can carry 34 people, at a speed of ten metres per second, meaning the climb or descent lasts no longer than four minutes.

The line replaces an old funicular that had been operating between the valley town of Schwyz to the mountain village of Stoos since 1933.

The new space-age looking carriages have been hailed an engineering success. It remains to be seen whether it will help take the area's tourism to new heights.

Did you get it?

What dangers did the workers have to deal with on this project?

They had to secure themselves and sometimes work hanging in the ropes. They also had to be careful with material. If it dropped, it could have injured a worker below.

Did you know?

The name 'funicular' is derived from the Latin word funis, which translates as 'rope'. Funiculars use ropes or chains and operate on a counterbalancing system. The weight of the one at the top pulls against the one at the bottom, making it move.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / 20 December 2017

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World's steepest railway line Heights faint-hearted - not confident or brave steep - rising or falling at a sharp angle gradient - how steep a slope is weak at the knees - feeling unsteady or weak due to shock, fright or attraction descent - a movement downward What dangers did the workers have to deal with on this project?

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Welcome to our Daily English Listening Practice with this week's series:

Food Vocabulary

We love to talk about food! This week's series, Food Vocabulary, while often informal, is important in a lot of conversations with friends and family. Get used to how we use it in the listening practice.
Please listen to the audio files for explanations.
Notes from the Audio Files Transcripts unavailable.

To be stuffed: to be completely full from eating

Full to burst (UK): maximum capacity

Swollen: bigger than normal size

Meat sweats **super informal: sweating from eating too much meat

To stuff something: to put something into something else

Stuffing: bread crumb side dish during Thanksgiving/Christmas

Stuffed **informal

How to use it: "Oh I would love to eat more, but I can't, I'm totally stuffed."
"We went to a buffet on Sunday, we absolutely stuffed ourselves."

Oh crap: oh no (not super polite, but not offensive)

Wolfing something down: to eat your meal really quickly

Gulping it down: to drink your drink really quickly

Take a big gulp: drink a lot in a short amount of time

Take a swig: similar, have a taste/drink of something

To Gulp/Wolf Something Down **informal

How to use it:"Well, she came in, wolfed down a whole sandwich, then left within 15 minutes."

"He came back from the gym and gulped down his protein shake."

Out of context: A phrase or word that requires more explaining or some background information to make sense

Exaggerated: more dramatic than necessary

Starving: incredibly hungry, usually exaggerated

Make a point: bring attention to something

Up the ante: make it more dramatic

Dying of Hunger ** informal

How to use it: "Guys, if you don't hurry up I'm gonna die of hunger out here."
"The kids said they were dying of hunger, so we stopped by McDonald's on the way home."

I fancy that: I want that

Tide you over: Help in the short-term, enough to sustain you for the moment

"I could eat": I'm not super hungry, but I'll go with you to eat food.

Peckish/ "I could eat" **informal

How to use it: "So I just ate lunch a couple hours ago, but if you're going to that new burger place, I could totally eat."
"I'm only a bit peckish, so I'll just have an appetiser."

Ton: American Spelling Tonne: UK Spelling

Stuffed it into my face: I ate and ate and ate some more.

Overindulgent: too much of a good thing

To Eat a Ton/ne **informal
Food vocabulary can be a very informal affair, as a lot of meals are spent with friends and family. Be sure you use a lot of these phrases in casual situations!
How to use it: "Thanksgiving is a great family tradition: cook too much food, eat a ton, pass out, then eat leftovers.""We usually end up eating a tonne at all-you-can-eat buffets, then getting too tired to go out afterwards."

Kat and Mark

Chat with us!

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Daily English Listening - Food Vocabulary - High Level Listening

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Welcome to our Daily English Listening Practice with this week's series: We love to talk about food! This week's series, Food Vocabulary, while often informal, is important in a lot of conversations with friends and family. Get used to how we use it in the listening practice.

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Guess the simple words. A story of a man and a woman taken from the famous song "Perfect" by Ed Sheran which is a romantic rock ballad. The clip starts with the protagonists when they are young the arrives until they are old. They fall in love, built a home and stay together forever.