The London Marathon 2024: Olympic Athletes, Minions, Wine Tasters and Charities

Kenyan athlete Peres Jepchirchir broke the world record yesterday, when she finished the London Marathon in 2:16:16, The Guardian reports in "Jepchirchir breaks women's world record, Munyao beats Bekele in men's race", and, in addition, The Guardian Sports offers a video with interviews to three of the winners who have qualified for the Olympics. BBC News offers a photo gallery with some of the most striking pictures of the event in "London Marathon photos: Fundraisers run as minions and camels". These articles are recommended for B2 students, who will encounter interesting words like: to beat, a wheelchair, a tap, a faucet, a rotating puzzle cube, tough, a PB, a bump, to raise awareness, [to take] a break, to turn away, to blast, distress, to struggle [to cope], to pull [myself] out of it, a way out, to fulfill, remarkable, a minion,

to pose, to storm [across Tower Bridge], a prayer, to pay off, fitness, stressful, a tough [time], to come through [a car crash], [runners] fit, to rock [threads], to unveil, to wave [to the crowd], up for grabs, to break away, to keep up with [Marcel Hug], to surge, time off etc.

One of those charity fundrairers was Jess Walklin, who wanted to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research in honour of his mother Caroline Walklin. Last week, E.O.I. nº 1 student Mª Ángeles G. became interested in the BBC News story "An Islington man is planning to run the London Marathon dressed as a giant brain" and learnt how this family raised funds to have the elaborate brain costume made to begin with and, eventually, to support the cancer charity. This report is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting vocabulary like: to take on, to faint, a scan, to undergo, [school] pastoral, to make a difference, to host, an auction, a raffle, a challenge, a hole, to reach out, to grab, trepidation, pretty [lonely], to speed up.

Another peculiar charity runner was Tom Gilbey, who raised GBP 14,000 for Sobell House Hospice Charity in Oxford, by tasting 25 wines during the race, as you can read and watch in the BBC News story "London Marathon runner tastes 25 glasses of wine during race". In this B2 article, you will find interesting words like: connoisseur, to sample, to raise [money], to swap, malbec, merlot, to blind taste, to stash, to take up [a challenge], vintage, pinot noir, hazy, tipsy, a sip, to swallow, the wheels came off, a feat, to lull, fizz, chardonnay, sangiovese, to span, sprawling, vineyards, to be up for [doing something], bizarre, packed [with polyphenols], mitochondria, to tame, to impair, to deplete [energy], to down.

The Irrational Biases that Create Anxiety in the Age of Information Overload

Linguist Amanda Montell has just published a new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes On Modern Irrationality, where she explores the irrational biases that we use to make sense of the world, and how these irrational shortcuts can subtly influence us in the wrong choices we make in life or in the puzzling understanding of the modern overinformed world. She specifically discusses our fascination with celebrities as role models (the "halo effect"); the "illusory truth effect" that turns disinformation into an accepted truth; "thought-terminating clichés" that put our critical thinking to sleep; the "proportionality bias" which leads us to accept conspiracy theories; apocalyptic language, nostalgia, declinism and other modern myths. 

Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley talks to Amanda Montell about the contents of her new book in the interview 'Magical Overthinking' author says information overload can stroke irrational thoughts. The interview is very interesting for advanced language learners and teachers, the vocabulary is very rich so it is recommended for C2 students and Experts, although there is also a script available which could be most useful for C1 learners. In the interview you will come across interesting words like: gluttonous, [cognitive] dissonance, to square, confirmation bias, sunk-cost fallacy, to fulfill, to serve [me], to double down [on something], to stick around, to engineer, zeitgeist, clash, cognitive bias, deep-rooted,

a [mental] trick, [a term] was coined, a saber-toothed tiger, [existential] pain, innate, onslaught [of information], to catch up with, to overthink, to underthink, worldly, nurturing, to align with [our political beliefs], to jump to the conclusion, gregarious, a role model, the halo effect, to prompt [us to do something], disfigurement, parasocial [relationships], to set [everyone] up for [failure], to uplift, to mend, to dethrone [them], a fallible [human being], [parent-child] attachment, superfan [relationship], to trace [something back to the early 1980s], to turn out, [the lines] to blur, an outsider, a [new] paragon, to swerve, the stan, to long [for role models], ruthless, a surrogate mother, a slim [margin of error], to be transfixed, to crack [my world open], a malapropism, to cut my teeth [as a writer], a crash course in [feminist sociolinguistics], it is our penchant [to think], lore, ad nauseam, low-stakes, a factoid, a double-edged sword, nefarious [intentions], a buzzword, manifest, healing wounds, to dovetail, a stock [of expressions], a grifter, to put dissonance to bed, a mindset, an edgy [point], to boil down to, a bunch of, random, a misfortune, over-the-top, freak, to crave, to hold accountable, the outcome, sketchy, grifty, culty, gainfully,  bespoke, vernacular, an op-ed, doomslang, numb, doomscrolling, bed-rotting, demise, small talk, blasé, doomy, grounded, detrimental, screech owls, doomsayers, the rapture, ennui, harrowing, a coping [mechanism], to get through, grassroots, to reckon with [something], wisdom, daydreaming, overthinky panic, awe, quaint, [brains] are wired for, DIY, easier said than done, a disorder, the attention span, to shrink, to scroll [through her feed], zero-sum [bias], to clock, stiff [competition], clout, nemesis, aka, a compound, haywire, to indoctrinate, chills, a tenet, a kink, sunk-cost, MAGA, a zealot, blackout, to cling to [something], a glut [of something], tradwives, anemoia, hardcore, a back-to-basics [style], cottagecore, tchotchkes, toadstool, delulu, to be soothed, a backfire [effect], doomed, verbatim, declinism, to stomach. 

Although Amanda Montell is a very young author and a podcaster, she has a long, successful experience as a feminist sociolinguist and producing audiovisual content for young people. Here you can find a link to one of her earliest video series "The Dirty Word" -when she was "finding her voice" in YouTube- it is called "I hate the word "PANTIES_THE DIRTY WORD", and below you can watch a short video (3:51) of herself with the podcasters "The Minimalists", where she feels cutely embarrassed and laughs out loud when they remind her of that "cringy" video about language and gender:

25 Best Dresses on Amazon in 2024

Spring is here and Cosmopolitan has recently published a compilation of the the 25 Best Dresses on Amazon in 2024.

The gist of this article can be understood by B2 students with the support of the photos, but the language in the article is very descriptive and it includes loads of technical terms, slang, informal words and abbreviations which are C1 level. You will find interesting words and collocations like: cute, bajillion, fab, pricey, meh, a retailer, stylish, a maxi [dress], BTW, upcoming, just because, a round-up, clutch, flowy, an outfit, a pick, button down, satin, strapless, sleeveless, bodycon, a tube [dress], halter neck, ruffle, chiffon, plus size, V neck, a wrap [dress], ballet flats, balletcore, to thrive, peep, knee-high [boots], a tab, a dive, lil, petite, fabric, to zhuzh up, oversized, button-up, to pair with [a blazer], kitten heels, a stiff [fit], a [last-minute] get up, a must-have, closet, aka, LBD, a vibe, a theme, slinky [fabric], a mock [neck design], ruching, some punch, stretchy, to fit the bill, to throw on [a blazer], a knit [cardigan], a laid-back [outfit], elastane, a breezy [fabric], [fully] lined, hack, silhouette, a [supportive] fit, a hit or a miss, [a belt] to sit [on your waist], to mess up, cohesiveness, a lightweight [fabric], to flag, flirty, a slip [dress], spandex, vintage, stand collar, 3/4 sleeve, a plaid [dress], BFFR, a staple [work dress], to cut off [a few inches], ofc, to rave about, stretchiness, comfortability, IDK, profesh, cozy, off shoulder, an [evening] gown, panty, gorgeous, floor-length, ahem, hi, a draping [skirt], a [high] slit, glowing, to conform [to your body], to rock [a dress], a [fancy] gathering, a bridal shower  [dress], PSA, JSYK, a feat, bump, roomy, a tank swing [dress], ASAP, athleisure, a crew neck, tie-dye, pickleball, a split [dress], gorge, cozy, frumpy, comfy, alluring, batwing, a snug [fit], to shrink, boho, striped, flimsy, crisp, smocked [back], puff [sleeves], gingham, sleek, wrinkle-free, to cling [to the body], to dress up/ to dress down, buttery, seamless, to gauge.  

      

    

Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers is a sitcom first broadcast in 1975-1979, which was ranked first in the list of  the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes by the British Film Institute. It stars John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, a rude, stressy owner of a hotel in Torquay, and Andrew Sachs as Manuel, a well-meaning, but rather daft Spanish waiter who struggles to understand English without too much success. 

Here below, you can watch a selection of funny sketches called "Bad Customer Service". Although the video (10:38) has subtitles and some of the humour is visual, the language is fast and there is no context for each of the clips, so, it is recommended for C1 students, who will find intersting words like: crummy, shady,  to crawl, to lick, to spit, a puff adder, to trespass, mahogamy, to top, to stuff, to sharpen, the punch line, garbage, to shup up, highly strung, a dump, puke, proper, to unscrew, to scrape [it off], to drop in, to stick [your nose], to get my dander up, grotty, to get away with it, prawn, to faint [it], bastard, to care for [something], snob, stuck up, toffee-nosed, half-witted, upper-class.

If you want to watch Manuel's humorous misunderstandings, you can watch "Too Much Butter", "Manuel's in Charge", or "Manuel's Funniest Moments. Part 1". Happy Easter!

Telepathy? A Brain Implant Lets Impaired Patients Do Incredible Things with their Thoughts

Mark, a patient with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), can send health notifications and text messages using his thoughts and a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) called Synchron BCI, which was developed by Australian neurosurgeon Dr. Thomas Oxley, and was implanted without major brain surgery by Dr. Raul G. Nogueira, according to the CNN Business video report "An implant in his brain lets him do incredible things with his thoughts".  I would like to thank my colleague Nuria G. for the information about this CNN Business report.

The 5:37 video with subtitles is suitable for B2 students and above, who will come across interesting words like: to send out, a pretty involved [process], [I don't take] lightly, ALS, to sign up to a clinical trial, a stentrode,

 

[brain computer] interface, [to play] pong, FDA [approval], a caregiver, paralysis, [motor] impairment, a wired mesh, [electrode] sensors, a stent, to sit in a [major] vein, deployed in a blood vessel, [minimally] invasive, a device, to fire impulses, an [electrical] signature, [electrical] patterns, [to take] a snapshot, a domain [of function], skull, garbled, [in the patient's] setting, tournament.

If you want further information, you can listen to Dr. Thomas Oxley talking about how close neurosurgery is to telepathy, that is, to a brain-computer interface for people who have lost the capacity to move or speak. This Sydney TED-Talk lasts 15:50, and can be watched with subtitles by B2 students and above.

International Women's Day 2024

March 8th is International Women's Day.  BBC News explains the origins of the event in International Women's Day: When is it and why is it important?. This article is suitable for B2 students, who will come across interesting words like: to mark, a seed, to march, an advocate, to tie [to], a strike, a tsar, a blossom, the legacy, a trailblazer, to highlight, gender violence, an allegation, rape, to ban, to hinder, to defy [the rules], lengthy jail terms, to be abducted, a ransom, wellbeing.

In another article, BBC 100 Women 2023, you can read about the  most inspiring and influential women of 2023, including Spanish football player Aitana Bonmatí (this video is in Spanish, Catalan and English, with a voice over in Spanish), Qiyun Woo, a storyteller and environmentalist from Singapore; Timmit Gebru, an AI expert and anti-racial bias campaigner from Ethiopia, Huda Kattan, an American beauty businesswoman; Najla Mohamed-Lamin, a Western Sahara women's rights and climate activist; Isabel Farías Meyer, an early menopause campaigner from Chile; Sara Al-Saqqa, a general surgeon in the Palestinian Territories (the images in the video might hurt your sensibility); Sonia Guajajara, a State Minister in Brazil; America Ferrera, the actress who played Barbie and its iconic monologue.

Paulina Chiziane, a writer in Mozambique, Clara Elizabeth Fragoso Ugarte, a Mexican truck driver (this video is in Spanish); Xu Zaozao, an egg freezing campaigner in China (this video is in Chinese with English subtitles), Ulanda Mtamba, a campaigner against child marriage in Malawi.

Afroze-Numa, a shepherdess in Pakistan (the video is in Wakhi language with French subtitles), Neema Namadamu, a disability rights campaigner in Congo, Gloria Steinem, a feminist leader in the US, Sumini, a forest manager in Indonesia, Yael Braudo-Bahat, a peace activist in Israel, Vee Kativhu, a YouTuber in Zimbabwe and UK, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, a Ugandan veterinarian, and Dayeon Lee, a campaigner for Kpop4Planet in South Korea, among other women. 

The articles and the videos can be used with C1 students and above. Some interesting words you can find in the BBC article are: to reveal, attorney, a wildfire, a flood, to tackle, to break down, overwhelming, to dismantle, a shepherdess, a yak, to die out, a flock, barter, bias, to be fired, to raise an issue, to freeze [he eggs], procedure, to take [the hospital] to court, the verdict, pending, to rally [K-pop fans], to pivot, a pledge, to prevent [the hospital] from [treating patients], to raid [a hospital], a target, to follow in her footstepts, early menopause, [ovarian] failure, to launch, a network, to grow up in [Oklahoma], to shun [a corporate career], to pursue [her passion], to enroll in [a school], a clientele, a brand, to encompass, a midfielder, to be crowned, to speak out [for equality], to be overshadowed, the fallout, the burgeoning [indigenous rights movement], to vow [to make], illiterate, to wreak on [an ecosystem], lead [actress category], to flee [violence], a sandstorm, grassroots, outskirts, to juggle, to set up, endangered, eroded, to downgrade, to address [a crisis], the mainstream, a seasoned [organisation], floods, deforestation, forestry, logging, at-risk [wildlife], rampant, poaching, to tackle [a crisis], to drop out [of school], to owe [much to her mentor], to foster [understanding].

To finish the entry with a joyful note, you can watch Dayeon dancing "Se Acabó" and celebrate International Women's Day, 2024:

St. David's Day, 2024 / Dydd Gwyl Dewi, 2024

Wales is one of the four countries that constitute the United Kingdom. It is a small country, nevertheless, it has a vast literary history, a profound identity and an unwavering zest to preserve its cultural heritage. March 1st is St. David's Day, a celebration of Welshness around the world with street parades, concerts, festivals and Eisteddfods (Welsh arts & culture festivals), school games, homemade food etc. In this entry you will find a score of links to mark St. David's Day and join in the Welsh fun.

Visit Wales lists a wide range of partying activities in Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day: it starts with a brief history of Saint David, a missionary and miracle man who preached "be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things" --his biography can also be watched at length on this Trisagion Film video entitled "Do the little things".  Back to Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day, the article moves on to name the venues of the festivals, it also provides ideas to dress up, to cook traditional Welsh "cawl" soup, saussages, or cakes, and it ends up by visiting the city of St. David's and its superb cathedral. The Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day text  is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting expressions like: a broadcaster, daffodils, a leek, wondrous, [to travel] far and wide, scores of [religious communities], [his] remains, to settle, to be canonized, the Pope, a parade, to pin [an emblem] to the lapel, reliable, lavish, a host of [events], heritage, a costume, to spot, a banner, a procession, to head down to [the Hayes], a rousing [rendition], a shindig, a [food] stall, cookery, arts and crafts, a [daffodil] dash, an outpouring, a random, a bake off, to fuel [it] out, homemade, a settlement, [to bring out] the bunting, undulating, a fortress, to be dotted, a big hitter, a lesser-known [spot].

The Trisagion Film video with subtitles, "Do the little things" (13:34), can be accessible for B2+ and C1 students.

If you prefer a shorter journalistic report you can read the Evening Standard's article "St. David's Day 2024: why and how Wales celebrates its patron saint." This article can be accessible to B1 students, who will come across the following vocabulary: patron saint, a bank holiday, unlike, to mark [the day], a feast, a cliff,  fierce, a nun, a claim, to found [a monastery], [a Cathedral] to stand, to host, a parade, a leek, a helmet, a dish, cawl, bara brith, to top [your cake], a [lemon] curd, a sprinkle [of sugar], [to take to] the stage, [Go to a] gig, a singer-songwriter. 

Whereas WalesOnline reports on the Croeso celebration in Swansea, which started on February 29th, with the article "Huge four-day St. David's Day Celebration in Swansea with centrepiece spectacular parade through city".

Primary school teachers can find an array of resources to decorate classrooms, to play with children, a video to watch or some PowerPoints about St. David in the link St. David's Day on Twinkl.es. Techie teachers can use digital tools to build St. David's Cathedral with Minecraft, to write a Welsh recipe with Adobe Creative Cloud Express, to create images & animations with J2e, and find some more support materials & resources around the topic of St. David on Hwb, the National Digital Learning Platform.

St. David's Day is marked all around the world. Wales Week in London takes place for a fortnight, from 22nd February to 5th March 2024, and it features arts & crafts exhibitions, artisan food & drink tasting events, concerts, theatre, business talks etc. The number of cities around the world that honour St. David's Day has been growing since the covid19 pandemic impacted the spread of commemorations across the world. In A worldwide celebration of Wales, you can find parades and festivals in Bangkok, British Columbia, Dublin, Hungary, Iran, Kansas, Melbourne, New York, Osaka, Paris, Tokyo etc.

You can finally watch the Visit Wales video to visit St. David's, the smallest city in the UK, with a population of less than 2,000 people, and listen to some its inhabitants explaining the charms of the city. This short 2:11 video without subtitles can be easily avilable for B2 students.

After reading and watching all this, you can take this online St. David's Quiz  from the blog Office Holidays, to assess how much you have learnt about Wales and its patron saint. Good luck!

'Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus' - 'Happy St David's Day' in Welsh. On this short video from We Learn Welsh, you can hear the proper Welsh pronunciation.