Experience English: Video Discussion

Showing posts with label Video Discussion. Show all posts

Video Discussion: One Moment In Time

For three months, I took photos of nature, people, and objects that captivated me. The video below is a compilation of photos that I call, "One moment in time." (There is music, so please be sure your sound is on.)

Why "One moment in time?" I feel that to enjoy each moment, you must be in the present. The present is a gift to enjoy.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

When do you take time to enjoy life?

When are your best moments in life?

When are your worst moments?

Did you take a photo that captured a precious moment in time?

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

Video Discussion: Smile

When you smile, an entire chemical change happens in your mind and body. Research shows that smiling can help reduce stress, improve your mood, and reduce your blood pressure. Moreover, research finds that smiling changes the perception of how other people see you. When you smile, people can perceive you to be good-looking, competent, likable, and courteous.

In the video below, Nat King Cole sings a lovely song called Smile. Here are the lyrics to read before you watch the video:

Smile though your heart is aching (suffering, in pain, hurting)
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by (manage, survive)
If you smile through your fear and sorrow (sadness)
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness (happiness)
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on (continue) trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile (important, beneficial, advantageous)
If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Here is a touching video about smiling:

Source: Smile on Vimeo

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

"Nothing is permanent in this wicked (severe, mean) world - not even our troubles."

What does the quote above mean to you?

When was the last time your smile helped a person or made a difference?

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

Video Discussion: Life is . . .

About three months ago, I had the urge (desire) to start taking pictures again. So, I took my smartphone (a Sony Ericsson mobile phone) and took photos of objects, people, and nature. I made a conscious effort to take time during my day to stop, listen, and feel life around me.

The video below is a result of an album I created called "Life is . . ."
(There is music, so please be sure your sound is on.)

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

What is life to you?

21 Accents: What Do You Think Of Your Accent?

The woman in the following video, Amy Walker, is an actress, writer, singer, and dancer. She amazingly imitates 21 different English accents from around the world.

After I watched the video, I was impressed by her performance and ability to mimic (copy) the various (different) English accents. I was also fascinated by the native-English accents that exist in North America and the United Kingdom.

My trainees and students often ask me if they have a good accent. I am surprised to hear how they degrade (humiliate, reduce) themselves because they think their accents are horrible.

We all speak English, but differently. Our accents add charm and character to the language.

My answer is that I think their native French or Asian accents add personality to their English communication. In my opinion, the most important aspect of their English is to be comprehensible. I do my best to reinforce that point during my English lessons to break their negative complexes and increase their self-confidence.

(Click here to read an article on speaking clearly to be comprehensible and confident.)

If you articulate, people will understand you. Do not be afraid to speak and enjoy the language!

American English Slang: The Use Of Awesome And Suck

If you listen to songs and watch American movies or TV series, you have probably heard people use the words awesome and suck. These two words are common in American English slang. As you will see below, the words have completely different meanings.

In a nutshell (to sum up, in brief), someone or something is awesome. Awesome means:

Remarkable
Outstanding (excellent)
Amazing
Wonderful
Superb
Marvelous
Sublime
Exciting

On the contrary, suck has a different meaning. Similar to how we use awesome, someone or something sucks. Suck means:

Horrible
Awful
Terrible

We also use suck as a phrasal verb:

To suck it up means to deal with a difficult situation without complaining or creating problems.

For example, "Despite my anger during the meeting, I sucked it up because I did not want to insult my colleagues or cause any problems.

To suck up to someone means to agree with someone because of his or her position or power (and for his or her approval).

For example, "Being married for 17 years has taught me when to suck up to my wife. I know exactly when to agree with her and when to suck it up."

The video below provides awesome explanations of how to use suck in English.

Source: engVid

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

When was the last time you had to suck it up?

Have you ever sucked up to a person to get his or her approval?

When was the last time you saw an awesome movie or read an awesome book?

When did you go on a holiday that sucked?

Video Discussion And Vocabulary: "What The Hell" And Other Expressions

In everyday English, we often use the word, "hell", to express surprise, anger, and frustration. The expression we typically use to intensify, or maximize, our surprise or anger is: "What the hell . . . ?"

For example, if something happens that surprises you, shocks you, or makes you angry, you can say:

"What the hell is happening?"
"What the hell is going on?"

In simple language, "What the hell?" is enough. In the past, you would say, "What the hell happened?"

Here are some common expressions we use with "hell":

A cold day in hell: An event that will never happen. For example, "It will be a cold day in hell before you get a raise (an increase in salary)."
All hell broke loose: A great disaster or chaos happened. For example, "All hell broke loose after the bomb exploded in the street."
For the hell of it: To do something for no particular reason, just because it is fun or amusing. For example, "The weather is nice today. Let's go running for the hell of it."
Go through hell: To have a miserable (horrible) experience. For example, "I went through hell during my holiday because my kids were terrible!"
Raise hell: To cause big problems or trouble. For example, "I am going to raise hell if I do not get my raise this year!"
When hell freezes over: Never; not in your life; not a chance.

The following video explains how we use "hell" in different expressions:

Source - engVid

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

What are the expressions you use in your language to express surprise and anger?

Quote Of The Day: Michael Jordon On Success

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed" - Michael Jordan

Vocabulary in the quote:

To miss a shot = Not to put the ball in the basket.
To be trusted to do something = When people trust you, believe in you, or depend on you to do something correctly.

The Video

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Do you agree with the idea that to succeed, you must fail?
When was the last time you failed in order to succeed in doing something?
When was the last time a person trusted you to do something?

Video Discussion: When do you feel free?

When do you feel free?

When do you feel the least free?

What are the constraints in your life that limit your freedom?

How can you get rid of (remove) your constraints?

Vocabulary in the video:

'Cause = Because
To nag someone about something: To disturb someone by constantly complaining or asking for something.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Please watch the video below and then answer the questions above.

Source: Express English - Freedom

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

Best Practices: How to understand native speakers' questions in English

Native English speakers generally speak fast and eat their words. Moreover, they speak as if they have chewing gum in their mouth.

Here are some examples of words we contract in conversation when we speak too fast. You can hear these words in music, movies, and business meetings:

Gonna = going to
Wanna = want to
Lemme = let me
Gimme = give me
Donno = don't know
Gotta = must, have to

The challenge is to understand what native speakers say when they speak fast and eat their words.

In the video below, you will hear a short lesson on how to understand native speakers' questions in English.

Listen to how we contract specific words and form questions.

Source: engVid

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

When was the last time you heard people who spoke too fast in English?
How did you manage the situation?
What strategies or expressions did you use to help your comprehension?

Video Discussion: Who is your hero and why?

In the following video, you will hear two words we often use in everyday English:

To look up to someone means to admire a person. For example, "I look up to my father because he works hard and takes care of his family."
To overcome something is to surmount a challenge or difficulty. It also means to get better during a difficult time or defeat someone or something that causes trouble or difficulty. For example, "After fighting cancer for three years, she finally overcame it and got better so that she could travel again."

Another word you will hear in familiar English is 'cos. 'Cos and 'cause are abbreviations of because.

Heroes

Source: Express English - Heroes

These questions touched me. I am going to answer them and share my hero with you.

First of all, I think you can have many different heroes in your life. It depends on the period of your life and the people and things you experience.

I will explain who my hero is now.

I have two daughters, Alexia and Flora. My current (present) hero is their mother, Emmanuelle. Why is she a hero? I think Emmanuelle is a hero because she has all of the qualities of a hero. She has strong convictions (beliefs) and she stands up for (defends) her beliefs and her children. She does not stop fighting for the things and people she believes in. She perseveres.

Moreover, Emmanuelle is a strong person, even though (despite the fact that) she does not think she is!

To sum up (to recapitulate, to summarize), I think a hero must have strong beliefs and defend them.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Who is your hero and why?
What qualities do you think a hero should have?

Video Discussion: Coffee or tea?

I am fond of coffee. In fact, I love it. I drink two or three cups a day. Espresso and cappuccino are my favorites. I also like tea, but I prefer coffee to give me the energy I need during the day. But I would rather have tea in the evening or at night than drink coffee. I like drinking camomile tea before going to bed. On the contrary, at the weekend, I prefer having green tea, Ruschka tea, or Marco Polo tea in the afternoon. Drinking tea and reading a book are wonderful things to do to relax, in my opinion!

In the text above, there are some interesting grammar points and vocabulary:

TO BE FOND OF something or doing something (verb + ing). We use this expression when you like something very much.
WOULD RATHER DO SOMETHING THAN DO SOMETHING. To express a preference, we use this expression.
LIKE OR PREFER DOING SOMETHING (verb + ing). We also use the construction LIKE OR PREFER TO DO SOMETHING (to + a verb).
BEFORE DOING SOMETHING (verb + ing).
ON THE CONTRARY is the same as "in contrast" and "on the other hand".
IN MY OPINION is the same as "from my point of view" and "to me".
Please note the use of time expressions and prepositions: IN THE EVENING, AT NIGHT, AT THE WEEKEND, and IN THE AFTERNOON.

In the following video discussion, you will hear people in London discuss coffee and tea.

You will hear some interesting vocabulary:

'Cos is a contraction of because.
As well is the same as "too".
Awake is the opposite of asleep. You are awake during the day and asleep at night.
A substitute is the same as "a replacement (for something)".
To get started is to begin (something).

Source: Express English - Coffee or tea?

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Do you prefer coffee or tea?
When do you rather drink coffee than drink tea?
Do you have a favorite activity that you like doing when you drink coffee or tea?
Can you do more things with tea than coffee?

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

Video Discussion: Do you exercise for your health?

Exercise is important to your health and fitness. In the video below, you will hear people from London talk about the exercise they do to keep fit (stay in good health).

Source: Express English - Fitness

Interesting grammar points in the video:

"Going to the gym makes you feel good."

We use the construction, MAKE + SOMEONE + FEEL SOMETHING, when someone or something creates a feeling in you.

We use MAKE + SOMEONE + DO SOMETHING, when you force someone to do something. For example, "I made my children do their homework," means that my children did not want to do their homework, so I forced them to do it.

"I do running."

When you use DO + AN ACTIVITY, we use a VERB + ING. You do shopping and you do cooking, for example.

"I go jogging."

When you use GO + AN ACTION OR ACTIVITY, we also use a VERB + ING. You go swimming, go dancing, go skiing, and go bowling, for example.

Please note that you play golf, play basketball, play tennis, and play cards.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

What do you do to keep fit? (What sports do you do for exercise?)

Video Discussion: Working for a Crazy Boss

In the following short video (3 minutes), two people discuss a study that suggests your boss might be crazy.

Psychologist Jeff Gardere offers insight (understanding, perception) into this personality type.

The psychologist says that bosses who are psychopaths:

- "Are narcissistic, egocentric, and have no empathy or conscience."

- "They also lie, can be aggressive, manipulative, and charming."

- "Do not care what happens to you."

- "When you stop producing or if you have problems, they will fire you (remove you from your job)."

In addition, he says that if you have a psychopathic boss:

- "Do not follow their model and distance yourself from him or her, if you see that they are breaking rules (not following or respecting rules)."

In the video, you will see and hear the following vocabulary and expressions:

- "Personality disorders rampant among bosses." (That means that personality problems can be an epidemic problem in bosses.)

- "When there is smoke, there is fire." (We use this expression to say that because a situation seems bad, there is something wrong, or there is a problem.)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Have you ever had a boss who was a psychopath?
What did he or she do?
How did you manage the situation?

Tell me about your experience by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".