Audio Time: 7
min and 17 sec
Level: Intermediate
and up
Vocabulary: Vocab probably unknown to intermediate
speakers is provided to help with comprehension of the text. Vocab in bold is more useful for the intermediate to
upper-intermediate level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the
report (in general, most learners should try to study no more than 8-10 words
per day for optimal learning)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: (Mormonism) Christian
church that was founded by Joseph Smith in the U.S. in 1830.
Missionary: a
person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work (such as to
convince people to join a religion or to help people who are sick, poor, etc.).
Institute: an
organization created for a particular purpose (such as research or education).
Enthusiastic: strong
excitement about something: a strong feeling of active interest in something
that you like or enjoy.
Gospel: the teachings of the Christian religion — usually used
with the; any one of the first four books of the Christian Bible that tell of
the life of Jesus Christ.
Roughly: not
exactly but close in number, quality, meaning, etc.
Hymn: a
religious song: a song that praises God.
In the
context: the situation in which something happens: the group of
conditions that exist where and when something happens.
Recite: to read
(something) out loud or say (something) from memory usually for an audience.
To have
something down: to learn in a complete way.
Pair off: to form
pairs: groups of two people.
Role-play: an activity
in which people do and say things while pretending to be someone else or while
pretending to be in a particular situation.
Potential: a
chance or possibility that something will happen or exist in the future.
Convert: a person
who has changed to a different religion, belief, political party, etc.
Flashcards: a card
that has words, numbers, or pictures on it and that is used to help students
learn about a subject.
Oh, my
goodness: (idiom) Used to express surprise, shock, or amazement.
Deer in the headlights: (idiom) Used to refer to a state of
fear, panic, or confusion so extreme that it is impossible to act or think
normally.
Motto: a short
sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular
person or group.
Traction: the force
that causes a moving thing to stick against the surface it is moving along.
Act out: to
perform (a play, a character in a movie, etc.).
Provost: the head or an official of high rank at a university.
Conjugate: to list
the different forms of a verb that show number, person, tense, etc.
Dropout: a person
who stops going to a school, college, etc., before finishing: a person who
drops out of school.
Efficiency: the
ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time,
or energy.
Replicate: to
repeat or copy (something) exactly.
Language Tips:
Useful phrases:
In the context: 1: the words
that are used with a certain word or phrase to explain its meaning. 2: the
situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where
and when something happens.
In the
context of this sentence, this idiom can have different meanings.
To
have something down: to learn something in a complete or total
way.
Wow! You
really have your knowledge of verb tenses in English down. You hardly ever make
any mistakes.
Whole
thing: all of something; everything.
Let’s
just forget the whole thing and start again.
Discussion
questions:
1. What are some language learning tips you’ve gotten from
this story?
2. What’s the best way to learn a language?
3. What is your main goal or motivation to learn English?
4. What the best way for you
to learn a language?
5. How important is it to learn grammar when learning a
foreign language?
6. How important is the context-based method (trying to learn
language by using it in real life situations)?
7. One of the best ways to study a language is to visit a
country where it is spoken, but not everyone can do this. What are some alternatives
for people that cannot do this?
8. How important is it to have a supportive environment to
learn a language?