Audio
Time: 4 min 14 sec
Level: Intermediate and up
Vocabulary: To help
learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might
be unknown for this lesson’s level is
provided. Vocab in bold
is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8
to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn
no more than 8-10 new words a day).
To
Touch Base: (informal, US) to meet and talk as a way of learning about
recent news.
Americanism: a word or meaning that is common in U.S.
English but is not common in the kinds of English spoken outside the U.S.
Brit: (informal)
British.
Based: Located in a certain place; usually
the place where one is currently living or working or both.
Quiz: a
short spoken or written test that is often taken without preparation.
In
common: shared together.
Twenty-four-seven: (informal,
US) all the time; twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.
Hey, you guys: (informal, US) to call group of people; can be
used for men and women.
My bad: (informal, US) my fault; my mistake or an apology.
To
creep: to move slowly and quietly especially in order not to be
noticed.
Traditionalist: a
person who believes that older ways of doing or thinking about things are
better than newer ways: a person who follows a particular and established
tradition.
To miff: (informal) to slightly annoy or anger someone.
Equivalent: having the same value,
use, meaning, etc.
Gentleman: a man
who treats other people in a proper and polite way.
Thrilled:
very
excited and happy.
Sidewalk: (US) a concrete path along the side of a street for people to walk on.
Lorry: (UK) a vehicle that carries things; a large, heavy
vehicle that is used to move large or numerous objects; (US) truck.
Wardrobe:
(UK/US) a room, closet, or chest where clothes are kept; a collection of
clothes that a person owns or wears.
To bug: to
annoy someone.
Exaggeration: to
think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is.
‘cause:
(informal) because.
Conscientious objector: a person who refuses to serve in the
military because of moral or religious beliefs.
To run
(something): to direct the business or activities of
(something).
Defunct: no longer existing or being used.
To
picture (something/someone): to have a thought, understanding, or idea
about (something or someone)
To be down with something: (informal, US) to be comfortable
or have knowledge about something.
Prim and proper: someone who behaves in a very formal and
correct way.
To fret: to
worry or be concerned about something.
Nay: (old-fashioned) No.
Whinge: (informal, UK): to
complain in an annoying way.
Tidbit: a small piece of food, news or interesting
information.
Tit: a woman’s or animal's breast.
Lexicographer: a person who creates dictionaries.
Enthusiastic:
feeling or showing strong excitement about something.
Beloved: very much loved; dearly loved.
Verve: great energy and enthusiasm.
Vitality: a
lively or energetic quality.
Joyride: (informal,
US) a fast car ride taken for pleasure.
Hoodlum: ( US) a tough and violent criminal.
Deadbeat: (informal, US) a lazy person; a person who does
not work.
Frazzled: (informal, US) to make (someone) very nervous or
upset.
Bluff: to pretend that you will do something
or that you know or have something in order to trick someone into doing what
you want.
Skedaddle: (informal,
US) to leave a place very quickly.
Highfalutin(g): (informal,US) seeming or trying to seem
great or important.
Lift: (UK) a
machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building;
elevator (US).
To
stick: to become difficult or impossible to move from a place or
position.
Apparently: used
to describe something that appears to be true based on what is known.
To make it a thing: To make something popular.
Dispatch: an
important official message.
Cheers: (UK,
informal) goodbye.
Tips on
Learning and Using New Vocabulary:
·
Try to understand the vocab in the context of a
full sentence. Remember that the key to
understanding and using words and especially expressions is to know the
proper collocations (the proper combination of words; for example make money NOT do money). This can be done by paying careful attention to how
words and expressions are used in written and spoken contexts.
·
Make sentences with the word. If you can memorize one simple sentence with the
vocab, it may help you recall the word later. Sentences that use common
collocations or are personally meaningful to you are especially are good. This method helps the student actively use the word, which helps you remember it
as well. Of course, if you can be more creative and make difference sentences,
that is useful too (see ‘make it a game’ below). However, be careful. It can be
difficult for English learners to make sentences with proper collocations
(especially with expressions), so before you decide on a simple sentence to
memorize, confirm that it is correct with an English teacher or educated native
speaker.
·
Use other methods to create associations with new vocab. Making sentences with new vocab is just one way of making
associations between vocab you already know and new vocab. Creating connections
between different things is the way our memories work, so this is an important
concept to understand for language learning. Any way you can make associations between new
vocab and something you already know can help you learn the world. It can even be associations between new vocab and another memory, image, sound, or rhyme. Mnemonics is a method
that helps you find special tricks to make associations with new things, and
can be very helpful.
·
Make it a game. Try to think of different ways you
can make learning new vocabulary fun and interesting. For example, try to use
the vocab at least 5 times a day or try to write a song or poem with new vocab.
·
Use it or lose it. The more you actively use new
vocabulary by speaking and writing, the more it will reinforce the connections
in your brains and help your brain learn that this is important information
that shouldn’t be forgotten. As the Russian proverb goes, “repetition is the
mother of learning”. In order to keep new vocab in your memory, you must
regularly use it. The frequency of repetition can usually decrease with time. For
example, for the first few weeks, you may find it important to review new vocab every day, but after some time, you may need to review less frequently, as the
new vocab becomes part of your long-term memory.
Discussion
questions:
1. What is your favorite expression from the story?
2. Is it important to learn informal expressions and slang?
3. What do you think about Americanisms creeping into
British English?
4. What do you think about Americanism creeping in your
native language?
5. What foreign words or expressions have crept into
American English?
6. What are the positive and negative sides to words and
expressions from one language becoming part of another language?
7. What languages will people speak in 200 or 500 years?
8. Should native English speakers try to speak Global English
when traveling to non-English speaking countries or when working in an
international context?
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