Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate Christmas today! Today is Friday and today is Christmas so it is time for funny Christmas song!
Meet Mr. Duncan – English teacher from Wolverhampton, Great Britain. Mr. Dunkan. He worked in China for 4 years and hе produces English teaching videos on You-tube now. All his lessons are absolutely free!
Mr. Duncan thinks that «The World of English is a fun and exciting place to be!» And it is true! His video lessons are absolutely hilarious!
Today Mr. Duncan sings for you song by Nana Mouskouri “Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly”
Transcription:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
I am still learning English and I listened to very interesting podcast recently. It was the batch of London video interviews. I know it sounds strange “listen to the video”, but it was special version of podcast for people who like to just focus on listening.
In these interviews usual citizens of London talked about things they like and dislike in London. So I think it is a great material for British English lovers! The author of London video interviews is Luke - an English teacher in West London. Luke has been teaching for about 8 years.
At Luke's English Podcast’s home page you can find video version of interview, audio version, transcription and a lot of interesting and useful English podcasts! A really good way to listen and improve your English. Here is a little promo about London video interviews:
And this is one of the lessons from Luke - 16 Ways To Say "I LIKE IT"
First time I saw “The evolutions of dance” several weeks ago at YouTube. I saw the original of this dance. Actually, it is the show of popular American comedian and dancer Judson Laipply. Evolution of Dance is the finale to Laipply's show called "Inspirational Comedy".
And I saw a lot of variations of Evolution of Dance later. Most of them were danced by grooms and brides! Why is this dance so popular among newly wedded?
The answer is simple: the book “The Best Wedding Reception Ever!” written by Peter Merry. The author offers to use “The evolutions of dance” as part of wedding show!
And I offer you watch on of the best and funniest wedding evolution of dance!
Is “The evolutions of dance” a new wedding tradition in the USA?
Do you know who is Barack Obama? I hope you know:) It is the first Afro-American president of the USA.
In Russia Barack Obama is more known for his speeches than for his actions. And I found recently that Barack Obama’s speeches is also popular in Japan.
I think it is a good reason to try this way of learning English.
By the way, you do not need to buy the book. I found the video of one of Obama’s popular speech “More perfect union'” and a full transcript for you!
So…let’s try:
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
Hello everyone! Today I want to show you part of a George Carlin comedy show called “The Little Things”.
I do not understand everything in this video, because George’s speech is fast, but believe me, it is really hilarious:)
As for me, this man was one of the best American stand-up comedian.
By the way, he became super popular in America after his "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say On Television." This is from the 1978 show "George Carlin: Again!"
Hello everyone! It is Friday again and today I am going to show you another really funny video! See the shortest and the funniest version of USA history at My English Webmarks:
Read transcription:
Now it's time for a brief history of the United States of America.
Hi, boys and girls, ready to get started?
Once upon a time there were these people in Europe called pilgrims. And they were afraid of being persecuted.
So they all got in a boat and sailed to New World where they would not have to be scared ever again.
"Oh, I'm so relaxed. I feel so much safer." But as soon as they arrived they were greeted by savages. And they got scared all over again.
"Indians!" So they killed them off.
Now you'd think wipin' out a race of people would calm them down but no, instead they started getting frightened of each other
Witch! Witch! So they burned witches.In 1775 they started killing the British so they could be free.
And it worked, but they still didn't feel free. So they passed the Second Amendment which said that every white man could keep his gun.
"I love my gun! Love my gun." which brings us to the ingenious idea of slavery
You see, boys and girls, the white people back then were also afraid of doing any work. So they went to Africa, kidnapped thousands of black people,brought them back to America and forced them to work very hard for no money.
And I don't mean no money like "I work at Wall-Mart and make no money» I mean a zero dollars, nothing. Nada, zip. Doin' it that way made the USA the richest country in the world.
So, did havin' all that money and free help calm the white people down? No way. They got even more afraid. That's because after two hundred years of slavery the black people now outnumbered white people in many parts of the South.
Well, you can pretty much guess what came next. The slaves started rebellin'. They finally rised and lead to old master's head got chopped off. When white people heard of this they were freakin' out and going "I wanna live, Don't kill me, big black man"
Well, just in the nick of time went came Samuel Colt who in the 1836 invented the first weapon ever that could be fired over and over without havin' to reload. And all the Southern Whites were like Yee-haw! but it was too late. The North soon won civil war and the slaves were freed.
Yep, they were free now to chop all the old masters' heads off. And everybody was like "Oh, no, we're gonna die" But the freed slaves took no revenge. They just wanted to live in peace. But ya couldn't convince the white people of this.
So they formed the Ku Klux Klan and in 1871 the same year that the clan became illegal terrorist organization another group was founded. The national rifle association.
Soon politicians passed one of the first gun laws, making it illegal for any black person to own one. It was a great year for America that the KKK and the NRA.
Of course they had nothing to do with each other and it was just a coincidence. One group legally promoted responsible gun-ownership and the other group shot and lynched Black people. And way it was all the way till 1955 when the Black woman broke the law by refusing to move to the back of a bus. White people just could not believe it.
"Why wouldn't she move? What's going on?" Man, all hell broke loose. Black people everywhere started demandin' their rights. And White people were had a major freakin' field meltdown. And they were all like "Run away, run away!"
And they did. They all ran clean into the suburbs where it was white and safe and clean. As they went out and bought a quarter of a billion guns and put locks on their doors, alarms on their houses gates around their neighborhoods and finally they were all safe and secure and snug as a bug.
Hello again! Isn’t it a lovely day? Today is another Friday and I just found another reason for you to smile! Here is absolutely hilarious video:) Actually it is a commercial for one of English learning school in Russia. But as for me, it is really unusual commercial!
So...what is typical drinking song for your country?
Hello everyone! It is nice to write for you again:)
Do you know what does T.G.I.F. mean? It means: Thank God It’s Friday! Actually it is very common phrase in the USA, especially at Friday:) With this phrase people express their relief at the end of the work week.
Friday is a great day for and thinking about relaxation at the weekend. This day is not intending for serious information. So, I decided to begin a new rubric called “T.G.I.F” at My English Webmarks!
Since today every Friday I am going to publish different funny stuff about the English language, and learning English language, and English people and so on, and so forth :)
I hopу you will enjoy it!
Today’s video: “Do You Speak English?” by BBC comedy
As you learn English I think you’ve heard about the TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign language), especially if you are going to studying in America, Canada or another foreign country.
The TOEFL test is the most widely accepted English-language test in the world. More than 6,000 universities in 130 countries accept TOEFL.
As for me I am not going to take the TOEFL test in near future, but I like watching TOEFL® TV - The Official TOEFL Channel. There are a lot of tips from real teachers and real students on TOEFL TV. These tips can really help you in improving your English skills no matter for what are you learning English: for TOEFL or for yourself.
Watch video where Leslie, teacher from the Canary Islands, encourages English-language learners to practice their skills regularly.
Hello everyone! Today’s post is not about learning English. It is about Russian holidays. Better to say it is about how we celebrate our holidays. Yesterday in our country and of course in my city was the day of the youth. I am going to show you three moments remained in my memory:
Jazz band is playing at the theater park. It is so great to seat on the grass and listen to nice music.
The race in the fountain is the national Russian traditional entertainment:)
The youngest rock music fan.
What about you? Have you ever seen people swimming in a fountain during a holiday celebration in your country?
I think you already know about Michael Jackson’s death. Actually I was not Jackson’s fan but I have to say he was the greatest singer. He really made an outstanding contribution to music. During the last years the press cover Michael Jackson’s name in mud. We heard nothing good about him. It is so unpleasant. Let’s remember…He was a legend… He is dead. It is really sad… I feel sad…
Read the text:
What about sunrise, what about rain What about all the things that you said we were to gain What about killing fields, is there a time What about all the things that you said was yours and mine Did you ever stop to notice all the blood we`ve shed before Did you ever stop to notice this crying Earth, these weeping shores?
Aaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaah
What have we done to the world, look what we`ve done What about all the peace that you pledge your only son What about flowering fields, is there a time What about all the dreams that you said was yours and mine Did you ever stop to notice all the children dead from war Did you ever stop to notice this crying Earth, these weeping shores
Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah
I used to dream, I used to glance beyond the stars Now I don`t know where we are although I know we`ve drifted far
Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah
Hey, what about yesterday (what about us) What about the seas (what about us) The heavens are falling down (what about us) I can`t even breathe (what about us) What about Africans (what about us) I ain`t even you (what about us) What about nature`s worth (ooh ooh) It`s our planet`s womb (ahat about us)
What about animals (what about it) We`ve turned kingdoms to dust (what about us) What about elephants (what about us) Have we lost their trust (what about us) What about crying whales (what about us) We`re ravaging the seas (what about us) What about forest trails (ooh ooh) Burnt despite our pleas (what about us)
What about the holy land (what about it) Torn apart by creed (what about us) What about the common man (what about us) Can`t we set him free (what about us) What about children dying (what about us) Can`t you hear them cry (what about us) Where did we go wrong (ooh ooh) Someone tell me why (what about us)
What about babies born (what about it) What about the days (what about us) What about all their joy (what about us) What about the man (what about us) What about the crying man (what about us) What about Abraham (what about us) What about death again (ooh ooh) You don`t give a damn
Hello everyone! Throughout the Father’s day theme I want to tell you about the story I listened recently at Storylineonline – the program providing by the screen actors’ guild. It is a great website with a lot of digital videos of professional actors reading children’s books.
Actually I like listen and reading books for children in English. I think it is much more interesting than graded reader. The literary language of children’s book is easy but more alive than in textbook for ESL learners. And if you are like me, you’ll appreciate the Storylineonline at its true value:)
So the story I want to tell you about is titled “Dad, are you the tooth fairy?” The story was written and read by Jason Alexander, the actor and writer. He has two children, who were the inspiration for this story.
“Dad, are you the tooth fairy?” is about little boy named Gaby and his father. One day Gaby overhears from older kids: there are no tooth fairies and another magical creature in our world! And he goes to his father to find out the truth. As for me, his father’s answer is very wise. If you have your own kids, you must read this book with them!
Hello everyone! Today is the fifth day of increasing our English Vocabulary! Yesterday I promised you to tell about really special resource. So it is time for performing a promise :)
Today I am going to tell you about HotForWords – very special video lessons for discovering new words and their meaning! And especially I want to talk about the beautiful woman behind of HotForWords – Marina Orlova.
Marina is originally from Russia, but she lives in USA now. Believe me, she is absolutely amazing! She is really cool! She is the “Sexiest Philologist in the world” according to New Yorker Magazine! I found her web-site last week and I was so excited! I thought: I should write about her in my blog!
Her method of word explaining is…different? What can I say…I don’t know…I think you can like her, I think you can hate her, but you can’t stay indifferent to her!
What I am talking about? Her lessons are better to see once than hear a hundred times! By the way, Father’s day will be celebrated on June 21 in America. If you are listener of VOA Special English , you already know about the history of this holiday. Otherwise you can see Marina’s video “Father’s day”:
What would you say? Isn’t that nice? Tell me what do you think about Marina. And I have another little question for you. Do you celebrate Father’s Day in your country?
It is one of my all time favorite web-site for listening practice! You should visit this one! It's got nearly 1,000 listening activities with transcript and interactive quiz!
Here you can find:
Interviews : natural conversations with various speakers of English from all over the world! People talk about their countries and particular qualities of their life, about their culture and things they like and dislike, about traditions, environmental problems and many other things. You can learn much that is new!
Mixer: listening activity that features six speakers. Each speaker answers the same question. You can listen to the answers for fun or test your listening comprehension by answering the questions.
Video responses: short video clips that relate to the audio from the main listening activities. Each response has the transcript of the video response and a simple quiz to test listening compression. Watch videos of people discussing questions about the interviews!
Listening Games: in these games you should listen the audio and choose the picture that is right for the audio. There is very little reading. The listening games are designed for beginning students.
STeP stands for Standadized Test Practice. These English listening activities are designed to help you prepare for Standardizes Tests of English and become accustomed to exercises used to test listening and reading comprehension on TOEFL®, TOEIC® and IELTS®.
News Center: an animated newscast with six stories. Practice Academic English with short newscasts! Good for beginner and intermediate levels.
Talking Points: activities that help you with test taking skills and academic English. Each listening activity is a mini-lecture or presentation divided into six sections. Listen to mini lectures. Perfect for Academic English practice!
Songs: it is my favorite part! It is a great way to learn English. Below are some great songs by independent artists. As you listen, the words are displayed on the screen so you can sing. You can catch the lyrics as well as work on grammar, pronunciation, reading speed, reading by chunks and common slang and idioms.
ELLLO is the work of Todd Beuckens. Todd is a full-time English teacher based in Japan. He now teaches in Kyuushuu. He creates elllo in his free time! It is amazing!
You also can subscribe ELLLO podcasts: free ESL/EFL podcasts with interviews, slideshows, audio notes , and original songs so you can keep practicing your English even when you are away from your computer.
And, of course, you should visit ELLLO blog - ELLLO-ology!
Yesterday I found the video “Jay Walker on the world's English mania” witch I think will be interesting for you. Last time we talked about the reasons for learning English. And from this video you’ll get to know another reason.
By the way, Jay Walker is fascinated by intellectual property in all its forms. His firm, Walker Digital, created Priceline and many other businesses that reframe old problems with new IT. Read here why you should listen to him.
In my humble opinion the idea of this video is very arguably. So watch the program, write what you think about it.
Addition: I just found transcriprion for this video at ELLLO-ology blog! If you don't understand video by your ear, go and read it!
Don't forget leave a comment! Then more you write then better you write!
And, of course, you can subscribe to my feed that is, if you have not already done so!
Do you know what does the world “podcast” mean? It is good for you if you know:) But for some reason, a lot of people don not guess about so useful and interesting thing like “podcast”!
"A podcast is a series of digital media files, usually either digital audio or video, that is made available for download via web syndication. The syndication aspect of the delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other ways of accessing files, such as simple download or streaming: it means that special client software applications known as podcatchers (such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes or Nullsoft's Winamp) can automatically identify and retrieve new files in a series when they are made available, by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files currently associated with that particular podcast. The files thus automatically downloaded are then stored locally on the user's computer or other device, for offline use."
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Got that? Ok. It is quite interesting, but what is “podcast” for us, for English learners? Of course it is absolutely suitable way for improving our listening skills! Especially, if we’ll use special educational podcasts for people who learning English! Discovering podcasting system can really change and make better your way of studying.
Watch a great 3 minute explanation of podcasting from Commoncraft:
I plan to write about my favorite podcasts in the next few posts. So, be patient!
