Video lesson#24: Pilots (Monty Python)

 Monty Python are maybe the best comedians ever in the United Kingdom.

Their shows and movies during the 70´s and the 80´s are hilarious, specially one of the most famous comedie movies of all times, "Life Of Brian".

But today we are going to watch a short sketch related with travels and flights, called "The pilots". It´s from the John Cleese´s film How to irritate people originally broadcast on 14 November 1968 in UK.

As you will see it´s about a couple of bored pilots who decide to have some fun mocking the passengers with their silly jokes.

To help your understanding you can check the vocabulary list below the video.

Enjoy the sketch!

Vocabulary

"I spy with my little eye...": it is a rhyme used in a children´s guessig game to indicate what it is that is being looked at.

To be fed up with: an informal way to express that you are bored and annoyed with something that you have experienced for too long.

Captain: the person in charge of a ship or, in this case, of an aircraft

Let it/that sink in: expression that means to take time and process some information until you understand what it really means.

Hang on: to wait for a short time, similar to "hold on"

Washroom: a room with a toilet and a sink in a public space like a restaurant or a plane.

To fasten: to close or to become firmly attached.

Safety belt: a belt that fastens around you in a vehicle or aircrsft and holds you to your seat. Also called a seat belt.

Aisle: central corridor on a plane or a church

Like the clappers: expression that means extremely fast.

Life jacket: a jacket filled with air or light material designed to help you float if you fall into water. Also called life vest

Rack: a frame, often with bars and hooks, for holding things. On aircrafts is more used the word overhead compartment as the place above the seats to store the hand luggage.

Gobbledygook: language that sounds important and official but is difficult to understand.

To mill about/around: to move around with no obvious purpose.

Video lesson #23: Wherever I may roam (Metallica clip)

HI!

Today we are going to listen to a Metallica´s song from their most famous album, the so called black album released almost 20 years ago, in 1991.

Although this album includes hits like Enter Sandman, Sad but True or Nothing Else Matters, I have chosen another song called Wherever I May Roam for two reasons. 

On the one hand, it´s a song that talks about roaming, that is not exactly the same thing as travelling. When you travel you have a purpose, a goal, which might be relaxing on the beach, visiting a city or a touristic spot, gathering with friends and family, and so on. But when you roam you don´t have a specific purpose or goal, you travel without an idea of what you are going to do; therefore you are not a traveler or a tourist but a nomad, wanderer, rover or vagabond.

On the other hand I have always loved this song so it was about time to make an English lesson based on it.

At last, but not least, it also includes some common expressions that are quite useful in spoken English, like take my time or speak my mind. Both expressions are explained below so you can fully understand them.

As usual, follow these steps to take the lesson:

1- Download the lyrics sheet, and go to pages 1-2 where you will find the song´s lyrics with some missing words (gaps).

2- Click this video and listen to the song while you try to fill the gaps with the words that you hear. I recommend listening at least twice to the song.

3- Check your results going to page 3 where you will find the whole lyrics of the song.

4- Take a look at the vocabulary below to understand every word of the song.

5- Listen again to the song, without reading the lyrics and try to understand most of it.

 

WORKSHEET Wherever I May Roam Worksheet

 

VOCABULARY

Bride: a woman who is getting married or has just been married.

To strip: to remove, pull, or tear the covering or outer layer from something.

Pride: your feelings of your own worth and respect for yourself.

To confide: to tell something secret or personal to someone whom you trust not to tell anyone else.

Dust: very small pieces of sand, earth and other substances.

To crave: to desire something strongly.

Slave: a person who is legally owned by someone else and has no personal freedom.

Rover, wanderer, nomad or vagabond: a person who spends their time travelling from place to place.

To take your time: expression that means that you can spend as much time as you need in doing something.

To speak your mind: to say what you think about something very directly.

To roam: to travel without a clear idea of what you are going to do.

Throne: a special chair used by a ruler, like a king or a queen.

Tie: a connection or relationship between people, or between a person and a place, interest or activity.

To sever: to end a connection with someone or something.

Off the beaten path: away from people and not known.

To reign: to be the king or queen of a country.

To carve: to cut into the surface of stone, wood, etc. In the song they use the expression carved upon my stone that means that something can´t be changed (for example a plan or a way of life).

To wander: to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction.

Video lesson#20: Pulp Fiction´s intro scene

Another great scene on a greater movie that takes place in a restaurant.

I´m quite sure that most of you have watched the most iconic of Quentin Tarantino´s movies more than once so I think it´s time to take a deep look into it´s vocabulary, that you will find below.

You will find lots of phrasal verbs and expressions used in informal American English, as most the main characters are a couple of criminals (as most of the characters in this movie). You will also learn some curse words that are very common in spoken street language and an interesting list of the different jobs in a restaurant.

For all these reasons I think this is a really good clip to improve your English.

Enjoy the scene and, of course, enjoy the music!

 

Vocabulary

Garçon: a waiter in a French restaurant. It also means “boy” in French.

Coffee shop: a small, informal restaurant where drinks and small meals are served.

To rob: to take money or property illegally, often using violence

Bar: a place where drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, are sold and drunk.

Liquor store: a shop that sells mainly alcoholic drinks to be taken away and drunk at home.

Gas station: a place where fuel is sold for road vehicles.

To blow (your head) off: to make your head explode

To stick up: to threat someone with a gun in order to steal from them.

To catch with the pants down: to be embarrassed by something that happens because you are not prepared for it.

To expect: to think or believe something will happen.

To bet: to risk money on the result of an event or a competition. Also, to be certain that something is true or will happen.

To cut down: to reduce the amount or number of something.

To be insured: to have an insurance, which means that you pay a company money and they pay your costs if you have an accident, get robbed, etc.

Manager: a person in charge, responsible for a team or a business.

To plug the diners: a very rare expression that means “shooting the people”. A diner is a small and cheap restaurant, like the one where this scene takes place.

Waitress: a woman whose job is to bring the food to customers at their tables in a restaurant.

To take a bullet: to get shoot by a gun.

Register: a machine which record sales and in which money is kept in a restaurant or a shop.

Busboy: a person who works in a restaurant removing dirty dishes and bringing clean ones.

Wetback: an irregular immigrant in the United States, often from Mexico or other Latin-American country.

To give a fuck: to care. It´s a very informal and rude expression

Customer: a person who buys goods or a service.

Denver omelette: an omelette filled with ham, onion and green bell peppers.

Wallet: a small leather case for money, credit cards, etc.

Crowd: a large group of people.

To handle: to deal with something or someone.

Employee: someone who is paid to work for someone else

To be cool: to be calm and relaxed.

Prick: a stupid man.

To execute: to kill.

Motherfucker: an extremely offensive name for someone you hate or has made you angry.

Where do the days of the week get their names

Today I´m going to start a new label of my posts that it´s going to be called fun facts.

In English, the expression fun fact is used to introduce some interesting, and usually unknown, information. Usually is not important information but something curious or unexpected.

For example, have you ever thought about where the days of the week got their names?

One hint, it has to do with astrology, the planets, the sun and the moon (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). But it´s also related with the ancient mythologies, the Roman Empire and the history of Europe…

You see? It´s something curious but not really important so… it´s a fun fact!

I´ve recently found an amazing Youtube channel from Arika Okrent with many fun facts videos related to the English language, so let´s watch this short video to learn the day´s names and in the future I will post other interesting videos.

Enjoy it!

VOCABULARY

To rule: to control or be the person in charge of something such as a country.

God: a spirit or being believed to control some part of the universe or life and often worshipped for doing so.

Mythology: ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining the early history of a group of people or about natural events and facts, generally including gods, goddesses and supernatural beings or phenomena.

Goddess: female of God.

Video lesson#10: Hotel California

It was about time to listen to the most famous Hotel song, don´t you think?

Originally released in 1976 is the most iconic song of The Eagles, that sold over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone and won a Grammy award in 1978.

It has some enigmatic lyrics that have lead to many theories about the meaning of this song. Is it about dead? Is it a bad trip from LSD or other hallucinogenic drug? Or is it about a small hotel in Pueblo Mágico de Todos los Santos (California) where the author, Don Henley, stayed for some days?

The authors have stated many times that it´s a song about the materialism and excess of the American culture of the 70´s but also “a journey from innocence to experience”.

Anyway,  to learn English with this song follow the usual steps:

1- Download the lyrics sheet, and go to page 1 where you will find the song´s lyrics with some missing words (gaps).

2- Click this video and listen to the song while you try to fill the gaps with the words that you hear. I recommend listening at least twice to the song.

3- Check your results going to page 2 where you will find the whole lyrics of the song.

4- Take a look at the vocabulary below to understand every word of the song.

5- Listen again to the song, without reading the lyrics and try to understand most of it.

Work sheet Hotel California Work Sheet

VOCABULARY

Desert: an area often covered with sand or rocks, where there is very little rain and not many plants. It´s different from the word Dessert which means “sweet food eaten at the end of the meal”

Highway: a public road, especially an important road that joins cities or towns together.

Colitas: in an interview the author, Don Felder, said that “is a plant that grows in the dessert that blooms at night, and it has a kind of pungent, almost funky smell”.  Actually, there is no plant by this name so it seems that it could be a cactus or an eucalyptus.

Shimmering light: a gentle light that seems to move slightly.

My head grew heavy: a way to say that someone is falling asleep so, in a figurative way his head is getting heavier.

My sight grew dim: when your eyes are dim you can´t see very well.

Doorway: the space in a wall where a door opens, or a covered area just outside a door.

Mission: similar to church.

Candle: a stick-shaped piece of wax with a string in the middle of it that produce light as it slowly burns.

Corridor: a long passage in a building or train, especially with rooms on either side.

Welcome: expression used to express that your are pleased that someone arrives to a place

Room: a place inside a building that is separated by walls, floor and ceiling. Also, the amount of space that someone or something needs.

Tiffany-twisted: game of words referred to Tiffany´s jewelry shop. It means that this woman loves luxury and wealth.

Courtyard: an area of flat ground outside that is partly or completely surrounded by the walls of a building

Captain: the leader of a sports team, or the person in charge of a ship or an aircraft. In this song it seems to be used as waiter.

Spirit: a particular way of thinking, feeling or behaving. Also the form of a death person similar to a ghost. And also a strong alcoholic drink. In this song it´s used with the three meanings at the same time.

To live it up: to have an exciting and very enjoyable time with parties, good food and drink, etc.

Alibis: an excuse for a failure, or a proof that someone hasn´t committed a crime.

Ceiling: the inside surface of a room that you can see when you look above you.

Device: an object or machine or a crafty scheme or trick. In this song it refers to how the people that live in this strange hotel they have tricked themselves to live in this prison.

Master´s chambers: a chamber is a room used for a special purpose or the office of someone in a important position. The master is a person who employs a servant or owns a slave. So in this song the master´s chamber is the most important room of the hotel where the master is.

To gather: to come together in a group.

Feast: a special meal with very good food for many people

Passage: a long and narrow part of a building with rooms on one or both sides, or a covered path that connects places

Night man: an overnight guard

To check out: to leave a hotel after paying and returning your room key.

Video Lesson #2: Holes to heaven

In today´s lesson we are going to listen to a beautiful song from the Hawaiian musician and songwriter Jack Johnson.

As the author explained in 2012, it´s about a surf trip that he took with his father to some Indian islands. It talks about travelling, meeting different people and different cultures and feeling, in a way, like in heaven.

To follow this lesson:

1- Download the work sheet, and go to page 1 where you will find the song lyrics with some missing words (gaps).

2- Click the video and listen to the song while you try to fill the gaps with the words that you hear. I recommend listening to the song at least twice.

3- Check your results going to page 2 where you will find the whole lyrics of the song.

4- Take a look at the vocabulary below to understand every word of the song.

5- Listen to the song again, without reading the lyrics and try to understand most of it.

WORK SHEET: Holes to heaven work sheet

VOCABULARY

 

To spit: to force out the contents of the mouth, especially saliva. In this song it is used figuratively as the cars spit diesel fumes by their tailpipe.

Mean: frightening and likely to become violent. It can be used as to describe a person or, in this case, an animal.

To be stuck: to be unable to move, or set in a particular position, place or way of thinking.

To stare: to look for a long time with the eyes wide open, especially when surprised, frightened or thinking.

To disembark: to leave a ship, aircraft, etc. after a journey.

To run smooth (To run smoothly): to work well.

To drown: to cover or be covered, especially with liquid. Here it´s used figuratively to explain how officials were seduced by the travelers´ sweet talk.

Sweet talk: a way of talking to someone in a pleasing or funny way in order to persuade them to do or believe something.

To bribe: to try to make someone do something for you by giving them money, presents, or something else that they want.

Booze: an informal way to refer to alcohol.

Video lesson #1: Ricky Gervais´ issues with flights

You will probably know Ricky Gervais, the British comedian, for the TV series The office (2005-2013) or the amazing movie The invention of Lying (2009). Or maybe you remember him for his scandalous, ironic and offensive, as well as hilarious, speech at the Golden Globes Awards this year 2020.

Thus, you will also be aware of his sarcastic and very British sense of humor.

But, do you know that he is also an stand-up comedian?

To make the most of this video lesson:

1- Watch this short video from his Netflix Special from 2013 called Humanity. If necessary, use the subtitles provided by Youtube.

2- Take a look to the vocabulary list below the video. It will help you understand many of Ricky´s jokes.

3- Watch again, this time without subtitles and check your understanding. 

4- Laugh your head off!

Vocabulary

As Ricky uses some specific and maybe difficult vocabulary, I am going to give you a hand with the help of the Cambridge Dictionary which I highly recommend:

First class: relating to the most expensive and highest quality service on a plane.

Coach: the cheapest seats on a plane, also known as Economy class or Tourist class.

BA: acronym of British Airways, the national British airline.

 

A downer: an event or experience that makes you unhappy.

Brace position: security position on airplanes where you secure yourself putting your head down and placing your hands on the back of your neck in order to protect your head from falling objects and to minimize the risk of broken fingers.

Life jacket: a piece of equipment, like a jacket without sleeves, that is filled with air or light material and is designed to help you float if you fall into water.

Whistle: an object that you hold your lips and blow through in order to make a loud, high sound.

 

Bobbing around: to move up and down with no specific path, especially in the water.

Airports and travels

How many times have you been in a foreign airport trying to understand the signs and the flight attendants instructions?

Watch this video from the amazing Youtube channel "Learn English with TV Series" to improve your vocabulary about airports, airplanes and travels.

And don´t forget to leave your thoughts and doubts in the comments!

Video Lesson #0: Why does overbooking exist?

Have you ever asked yourself why does overbooking exist?

Is it worth it for the airlines, even when they have to pay huge compensations and handle angry customers?

The answer is yes, overbooking can be extremely profitable if the airline knows how to manage it.

Don´t you believe me?

Watch this short video-quiz from Nina Klietch´s TED Talk Why do airlines sell too may tickets?

(Note: The video will open in Educaplay website)

I want to know your opinion... do you find overbooking ethical?

Why? Why not?

Leave your answers in the comments below.