Thanksgiving

Today, Thursday 23 November, 2023, I would like to thank an American family, the Dolbeys, who welcomed me as a foreign AFS exchange student over 40 years ago and taught me English around a dining table. 

Thank you, Boyd, Lynn (R.I.P.), Charlie, Cathy and Christie, in times of joy and in times of sorrow.

*****

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, Canada, some Caribbean islands and even in Liberia. Wikipedia explains the history and traditions of this peculiar holiday all around the world, in an article which is rather long and complex, so it is recommended for C1 students if you want to read it all . Some of the interesting words you can find in this article are: blessing, harvest, failure, settlers, to flee, God Almighty, to be prompted, relief, siege, to beseech, sham, to observe a festivity, to dub, a feast, staple, non-denominational, crop, barley, oats.

The Farmers' Almanac offers a more light-hearted, hands-on approach to celebrating Thanksgiving: recipes, helpful hints, traditions, trivia & nostalgia.  Each separate section could be accessible to B2 students. Some interesting words here are: to observe a festivity, to scour, a hint, to dig, to browse, mouth watering, cranberry, squash, stuffing, pumpkin, leftovers, heartburn, moist, fluffy, mashed [potatoes], yummy, stew, a riddled, jellied.

There are several videos on YouTube which give you complementary views of Thanksgiving. An easy video to introduce foreign students to the basics is Thanksgiving History & Traditions. ESL/ESOL/EFL A1- A2, (3:47) which, despite its title, is more suitable for B1 learners (you can read the subtitles). Some interesting words you will find are: an occasion, pilgrim, voyage, to land, crops, to grow [corn], harvest, roast, turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, parade.

A more detailed account of the story of Thanksgiving can be found in The Real Story of Thanksgiving, (11:42), where you can thoroughly learn about the sailing difficulties of the Mayflower, how the Pilgrims built the first settlement and the story of the individual Indians and tribes that hepled the settlers: Sumoset an Abenaki Indian; Squanto, a Patuxet Indian who was kidnapped and taken to Spain and England where he became fluent in English and the Wampanoag tribe who formed a military alliance with the Europeans against other Indian enemy tribe, namely, the Narragansetts. This video with subtitles is fast and dense, and it contains a lot of technical and colloquial expressions, so it is recommended for C2 students and above. Some interesting vocabulary: kumbaya, pier, bound for, a spit, speedwell, ungainly, to make it [to America], dissenters, haunt, to have more say, a printing press, a bad rap, flattering, creaky [boat], undaunted, glee, to be refitted, to botch, to cram, a snap, a beam, a spare, buckling, delays, a screw, to be kicked out, to cite land, to set up anchor, dodgy, to be set down, scurvy, icy, to send out, to be aboard, to drape, arrows, muskets, pilgrims, to search the area, claws, riddled, timber, to be wiped out, picky, to huddle together], to thaw, the crew, a storehouse, the locals, promptly, supplies, to swap, the chief, to be beset, a cannon, unlikely, tutelage, to thrive, bounty, game birds, waterfowl, deer, eel, crab, harvest, to set aside their differences.

A more critical view of the encounter of the two civilizations can be seen in the First Thanksgiving video (6:09) which takes pride to show the "true events" behind the fairy tale that is taught at primary schools: the complex political and religious background to the Mayflower Pilgrims's exile into the New World and the troubled relationships between the native Americans and the Pilgrims. This video is fast and quite complex in content so, it can be suitable for C2 students. Some interesting expressions are: dawn, deceitful, settlement, in droves, to be wiped out, the fate, pilgrims, to flee (fled), the congregation, to pay off the debt, to be spotted, a grave, a storage pit, furs, a hostage, to keep an eye on, bountiful, to entertain, settlers, to fast, to be up to something, to overthrow, swift, sachem, a conspiracy, preemptive, to outnumber, godless, the outcome, to surrender, short-lived, zealous beliefs, to wipe away, the fairy tale.

If you want to find out about how Thanksgiving is celebrated in other countries around the world, like Canada, China, Korea, the Caribbean, Liberia, Germany or Japan, you can watch Thanksgiving around the world (7:01). The script in this video with subtitles is more simple, colloquial and the delivery is less fast, so, perhaps it can be OK for B2 students and above. Some interesting expressions are: a feast, to compile, to get together, mashed potatoes, to chow down, casserole, cranberry, crew, treacherous, pastry, a filling, goddess, the eve, quality time, a bonding activity, odd, tiny, to be overthrown, a coup, a whaling ship, a whaler, a feast, a harvest  festival, the bounty of crops.

A final option is to watch the video The History of the Holidays: the History of Thanksgiving (3:25). This is a summary of the history of the festivity and the modern celebrations, a short version of the texts and videos above. The language is not too hard, so it can be accessible to B2 students.  You can also find the video at the bottom of this entry too. Some interesting vocabulary that you will find here: iconic, a feast, their bounty, staple, codfish, lobster, fasting, prayer, bountiful harvests, drought, to decree, to set about establishing, to urge politicians, leisure, to boost attendance, fledging, a kickoff, to brave the cold, a collective breath, to reconnect with loved ones. 

 

In 2023, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday 23rd November in the USA.

Latin Grammy Awards 2023

The Latin Grammy Awards Ceremony travelled to Seville (Spain), outside the USA for the first time in its 25-year history, NPR reported last Wednesday "in a 19-million move to expand the global reach of the event and to promote music programming in the region of Andalusia". 

El País highlights the "winners" of the night: Mexican Natalia Lafourcade's for singer-song writer, Shakira's three grammys for urban/fusion performance, best pop song and for song of the year, and fellow Colombian Karol G. for album of the year, best urban music album and best urban/ fusion performance. Finally, El País points out that Rosalía was "the artist who shone the most on stage", 

Next, you can find a link to each of the winning songs and videos in the main categories to illustrate the 2023 crop of Latin music: Karol G - Mañana será bonito; 

Natalia Lafourcade - De todas las flores; Julieta Benegas -Tu Historia; Shakira & Bzrp - Music Session, Vol 53; Joaquina - Quise Quererte; Niña Pastori - Bon Día (Camino); Andrés Cepedo - Décimo Cuarto: Karol G fet. Shakira - Tqg; Tego Calderon La Receta; Eladio Carrión y Bad Bunny, Coco Chanel; Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52;  Molotov - Sólo D' Lira; J Diamante Eléctrico y Adrián Quesada Leche de Tigre; Juanes - Vida Cotidiana; Lasso - Ojos Marrones; Monsieur Periné - Prométeme (Bolero Apocalíptico); Dante Spinetta - El Lado Oscuro del Corazón; Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia - Niche Sinfónico; Carlos Vives Escalona La Historia (Nunca se Había Grabado Así); Romeo Santos - Fórmula, Vol. 3 y Sergio Vargas - A Mi Manera; Omara Portuondo - Bolero a la Vida; Luis Fernando Borjas - Qué me Hiciste (5: 10 am); Fonseca y Juan Luís Guerra - Si Tú Me Quisiste; Christian Nodal - Forrajido EP2; Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda- De Hoy En Adelante, que te Vaya Bien; Juan Treviño - Para Empezar a Amar; Carin León - Colmillo de Leche; Grupo Frontera feat. Bad Bunny - un X100to; Camilo Valencia & Richard Bravo - Made in Miami; Vicente García - Camino al Sol; Quinteto Astor Piazzolla - Operation Tango; Chucho Valdés & Paquito D'Rivera - I Missed You Too!; Marcos Vidal - Lo que Vemos; Eli Soares - Nós; Xênia FranÇa, Em Nome da Estrela; Planet Hemp - Jardineiros; Planet Hemp feat. Criolo - Distopia; Martinho Da Vila - Negra Ópera; Joao Donato - Serotonina; Marília Mendoça - Decretos Reais; Gaby Amarantos - TecnoShow;  Tiago Iore - Tudo O Que A Fé Pode Tocar; Danilo & Chapis - Vamos al Zoo; Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra - Huáscar Barradas Four Elements Immersive Sympohony for Orchestra and Chorus; Pacho Flores feat. Paquito D'Rivera - Concerto Venezolano; Edgar Barrera; Nathy Peluso, Félix Bollaín & Rogelio González - Estás Buenísimo; Camilo & Camilo Ríos - Camilo: El Primer Tour de mi Vida (trailer).

If you are interested in fashion, Variety magazine shows the Best Pictures of the Latin Awards 2023. 

The NPR story can be read by C1 students and above who will come across interesting vocabulary like: so what?, to head to, to lead up to [the events], to take over, a deal, a telecast, cliche, a boundary, to host [acoustic sessions], to stress [that], to echo, to stoke [controversy], on the heels of, to raise eyebrows, to dabble in [tropical genres], a backlash, [a debate] to unfold, to hint  [at questions], to uplift, whitewashed, satinized, scrutinize, barely, the [Florida] branch, the rate, ongoing, contention, stark [criticism], to snub, a breakthrough, allegations, to harass, [highly] pubicized, diaspora, a [colonial] tag, the birthplace, to carry [political] implications, race, tricky, to mirror, in flux, to set out [to solve], to fulfill [a mission], mainstream [music], [profound] underrepresentation, to be looked down [upon], unabashedly, groundbreaking, a queer [woman], to be dubbed, to play a pivotal role, glaringly [absent], vast [diversity], to undervalue, a boundary-pushing [player], to champion.

The El País report, can be read by B2 learners and above, who will find interesting words and expressions like: to sneak  [into the urban genre], to thrill, to crash [the party], a singer-songwriter, [to feel] broken, the overwhelming [precence], a gala, to shine [the most], poise, stature, a bird's eye view, to come out [first], a top-selling [singer], to be eligible [for an award], to stage, to be gripped, sorrow, resounding [modernity], guts, a dagger, clappers, props, [to give them] a twist, unleashed, to stand out, stingy, [latest] harvest, to border [the absurdity], to get [their interpretations] off the ground, the broadcast, to fit in, to hold your own, a kid, [to have a lot of] nerve, morale, a tenet, deceased, solitude, refreshing naivety, to set foot on [a stage], touching.

For the Spanish/ English bilinguals following this blog, below you can find a direct link to Nathy Peluso's, official video of  "Estás Buenísimo" in Spanish, winner of the Best Short Form Music Video, by Félix Bollaín & Rogelio González: 

Dolly Parton, the Unlikely Bipartisan American Icon

Dolly Parton is much more than a successful country and pop singer in the USA: she is a composer, a TV host, an actress, a business woman, a philanthropist and, problably, one of the few cultural leaders who has drawn loyal admiration by both Republicans and Democrats when the country became deeply polarized, a rare virtue in times of culture wars bitterly fought by pugnacious politicians.

She was born into a "dirt poor" family in a remote Appalachian valley, and she grew up with profound Pentecostal roots.  Her first public performance took place at the age of six in her local church, and now she is a committed Christian, artist and philanthropist who has helped a number of charitable causes including children's literacy, wildfire victims, cancer, HIV-AIDS and COVID-19 research (her contributions helped to develop the Moderna vaccine), but she has also denounced women's discrimination in the workplace or supported transgender women in her songs and films. Musically, she acknowledges the influence of her aunt Dorothy Jo, an evangelist, and the English, Welsh and Irish folk tradition through her mother, Avie Lee Caroline. Here you can find three lesson plans created by my former colleague Carmen B. based on three of her hits: Country Road with its lesson plan, Family  with its lesson plan and I'll Always Love You (Whitney Houston's version) and its lesson plan. The level of the tasks is B2/ B1+ and you will find words like: fit, to spin, neon lights, to choke, a fast lane, ole, calico, a dead end, preacher, gay, stray, ain't, sinners, [to be] in your way, a step, darling, bittersweet,  Other major Dolly Parton's hits include Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and Working 9 to 5. Dolly Parton is a self-made woman and the epitone of the American Dream, her net worth was estimated at $5 million in 2017, including her own theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennesse.

If you want further info, you can listen to the 2019 NPR podcast Dolly Parton's America which is a thorough account of her long career and how her songs have appealed to the most diverse audiences, from cowboys, hillbillies (derogatory for an Appalachian country person) and traditional families to lesbians, feminists or people dressed in drags for over 50 years (this 9 hour radio podcast without a script and full of American cultural references is recommended for "Experts", beyond C2 level). You can also watch a clip of her 1977 interview by Barbara Walters (4:02) where she talks about her hillbilly background and the outrageous image she has created for herself to succeed in show biz (C1 level), or you can watch the two full Barbara Walters' interviews (1977 and 1982) with commercials (C2 level), or you can read the recently published book Dolly Parton. Un retrato americano written by Spanish journalist Beatriz Navarro (Sabiñánigo, 1977). 

You can click below to watch the two full Barbara Walters' interviews (1977 and 1982) on YouTube:

"Ain't Got No", "I Got Life" by Lisa Simone

Lisa Simone offers this stunning cover of Nina Simone's (Lisa's mother) medley of two songs from the musical film "Hair", "Ain't Got No" and "I Got Life", on the RTL's programme, "L'Heure du Jazz" (2014), after the release of her album All is Well.  Lisa's rendition of the songs on the French TV show is just amazing! The photo on the left comes from Lisa's performance at Stockholm's Jazz Festival in 2009.

"Hair" is a musical, anti-war comedy-drama, which tells the love and friendship story of a "tribe"of young hippie rebels who are doing sex, drugs and rock'n roll while they are trying to avoid the Vietnam war draft. It was directed by Milos Forman in 1979.

Here you can find a fill-in-the gap task, which has been designed for A2 students, so, B1 students will carry it out with ease, and here you can find the lesson-plan. The songs contain basic vocabulary for B1 students to revise the parts of the body etc, like: sweater, token, God, faith, anyway, brains, toes, liver, blood, headaches, toothaches, arms, chin, boobies, soul, freedom.

The Princess of Asturias Awards & Leonor's Pledge of Allegiance to the Constitution

In an emotional evening, the winners of the 43rd edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards received the warm applause of the audience and the recognition of the Spanish Royal Family last Friday, while Princess Leonor read a mature speech about sacrifice and service, that made her parents gaze at her with profound pride. Then a band of pipers and drummers played the anthem of the principality of Asturias to contribute to the solemn and joyous atmosphere for the ceremony. Meryl Streep received the award for Arts, Nuccio Ordine for Communication and Humanities, Hélene Carrière D'Encausse for Social Sciences, Eliud Kipchoge for Sports, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) for International Cooperation, Jeffrey Gordon, E. Peter Greenberg and Bonnie L. Bassler for Scientific and Technical Research, Mary's Meals for Concord and Haruki Murakami for Literature. 

The award ceremony was the prelude of a historical week for Princess Leonor, who has taken a week off her military training at the Military Academy of Zaragoza to pledge alliance to the Spanish Constitution and become the official heir to the throne, according to the Daily Mail, which also published the new photos released for her 18th birthday. These two articles are suitable for C1 students, you can find the key words under the following paragraph. 

The texts and videos about the Award Ceremony come from the Princess of Asturias Foundation and they are suitable for B2 students and above.  You can find interesting vocabulary for example, in Meryl Streep's multimedia contents: holder, to star [in a Broadway production], to stand out, a leading role, to gain [recognition], [her best] performance, to earn [her an Oscar], committed to [defending women's rights]. In Nuccio Ordine's: to earn [a PhD], outstanding, numerous [articles], well-being. In Hélene Carrière D'Encausse's: to head [a Department]. In Eliud Kipchoge's: to stand atop [the highests podium], so-called, ups and downs, [to be] nicknamed, prowess, [ability] to focus, to cut [thirty seconds] off [the previous record], to go through [the arches], to smash [the world record], [300 metres] to go, a lap [of the track], endurance runs, tempo runs, to come down to [this], [history] unfolding, a marathon event, a [considerable] chunk, a history maker, [simply] stunning, scrambling [for superlatives]. Haruki Murakami: a graduate [in Literature], to converge, an unnerving [writer], the dreamlike [world], to be rooted, a budding [writer], to garner [success], a writing fellow [at Princeton University], an earthquake, [universal] scope. DNDi: a non-profit organization, underdevelopment, research, headquarters, to be chaired, funding, [public and private] entities, ailments, affordable [access], to plague [our world], neglected, toxic, scars, powerless, to launch [an initiative], to harness [the science], to develop [drugs], a conductor, a hit, to run clinical trials, to deliver [a treatment], to shape [the next years]. Jeffrey Gordon, E. Peter Greenberg and Bonnie L. Bassler: to spearhead, the microbiome, epithelial [cells], polysaccharides, thereby, to make up [the microbiota], a [new] approach, distinguished, gut, undernourished [children], to play a key role, to address [a problem], an acknowledgment, thrilling. Mary's Meals: to aim [to provide], relief, to achieve a goal, to carry out [its work], to devise, to the utmost, [local] produce, likewise, to ensure, fundraising, affiliates, to beat [in harmony], remarkable, to dwell, to struggle, a ladder, [all] walks of life.

The Daily Mail report on the oath of allegiance to the Constitution, you can find complex words like: to hail, to swear loyalty to the constitution, to be flanked, the heir [to the throne], [to look] regal, to be gripped, to step [on to the stage], [to look] composed, allegiance, queen regent, to engulf, to be betrayed, a [slight] hint [of nerves], a touching [moment], to glance, reassurance, to be honed, a stint, a boarding school, to mark [the anniversary], an unwavering delivery, to state, a commitment, to step up [her role], Queen-in-training, poignant, [hair] pulled back, a sleek ponytail, understated [make up], a fleeting [gesture].

In the Daily Mail photo report, you will find these words: a snap, a casual [display], a chic [display], a V-neck [t-shirt], to gaze [away], minimal [make up], to reveal, the coming of age, the queen-in-waiting, [to take an] oath, [to preserve] the Magna Carta, the successor, to wave [a flag], appreciation, to be bustling [with revellers], to be chaired, cavalry, squadron, to be deployed, to be up to par, an impressive [speech], to watch on, to entail, to praise, incredible, to achieve, the principality [of Asturias], outstanding, a low-key [birthday], fanfare, the Royal Mint, to mark [the birthday], the effigy, to be engraved, to undergo [military training], to be dubbed, a strict [timetable], [to be on] manoeuvres, to head to. 

★★★

Further reading: If you are interested in the microbiome and inmune system research, you can check these past entries in the blog: How the Inmune System Works and Super Poo Donors Wanted.

Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize, 2023

Narges Mohammadi has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her long fight for human rights and women's rights in Iran. She has led campaigns against capital punishment, supported the struggle of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement to abolish the mandatory use of the hijab; she has been jailed for her political activism in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where she has denounced solitary confinement as a common practice to gag political prisoners, and she has documented abuse against women in custody. She is currently serving a 10-year-long sentence, including 154 lashes, according to the New York Times.

If you want to read more, you can check the report "Who is Narges Mohammadi...?" published by Australian SBS News, which is suitable for B2 students and above, where you can find interesting words like: jailed, a [human rights] advocate, to honour, to call for [the release], an op-ed, in custody, to galvanize [protests], to serve [multiple sentences], lashes, incarceration.

You can watch the story on this PBS NewsHour report, which has subtitles and is suitable for C1 students, where you will find words like: to bolster, willing, to be dragged (out of a train), fearless, to belong to [the people], to be confined, relentless [intimidation], to galvanize, ongoing [protest/ detention], to ebb, an [unprecedented] crackdown, preventive arrests, an assault, to document [violence and abuse]. The NewsHour report includes an interview to Summer Lopez, Chief Program Officer for Free Expression at  Pen-America, an organization that aims to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. 

Paella (with a Caribbean touch)

Paella is a delicious Spanish dish, originated in Valencia, but acclaimed world-wide, that can have multiple variations. Here award-winning chef JJ Johnson gives an interesting recipe with all the traditional ingredients (seafood, vegetables and spices) and a touch of Caribbean lime, rather than Valencian lemon. The recipe is practical to cook, if you can find the right kind of stock, which is essential to give the rice its full flavour. Perhaps you can try it and enjoy the result with your family and friends next weekend!

The article "The Simple Art of Rice: Seafood Paella with Lime" comes from BBC Travel, and is part of the book The Simple Art of Rice, that chef  JJ Johnson  and graphic novelist and illustrator Danica Novgorodoff presented on September 18th in the Museum of the City of New York. 

The article is suitable for C1 students, as it has ample cooking vocabulary.  You can find words like cookbook, seafood, award-winning, a fast-casual [restaurant], a gathering, to dive [deep] into [rice], akin to, clams, shrimp, a squeeze, to date back to, expertise, spices, [to become] entwined, a staple, oversized, a medley, stout, kernel, to plump with flavour, to soak up [the stock], to stick [together], a [perfect] bite, fancy, brininess, mussels, prawns, lobster, scallops, a cast-iron [pan], shallow, crispy, a crust, a hint, garnished, [lemon] wedges, a burst, a zing, shellfish, to dice, tbsp (a table spoon), minced, a clove [of garlic], kosher salt, paprika, saffron threads, to crush, to roast, a strip, to scrub, to rinse, to remove, to peel, to devein [prawns], to chop, a chunk, to sauté, gummy, a skillet, to sprinkle, a lid,  to simmer, to discard, the burner, [rice] to set, cockles. 

The Spanish Girls Win the Football World Cup

Spain has beaten England 1- 0 to win their first Women's World Cup in Sydney. In a very tough match, where the Spanish players have shown their football and strategic skills to play as a compact team together, the female footballers have finally defeated the powerful English Lionesses, who won the European Cup Final last year (see this blog's entry on August 2nd, 2022).

Here you can read about Spain's well "deserved" victory on BBC News, or Australia's ABC coverage of "La Roja's" triumph, which are suitable for B2 learners and above. Some of the interesting words you can find are: deservedly, heartbreak, to be outplayed, flair, the whistle, a corner kick, nerve-racking, stoppage time, to slot, the winner, goalkeeper, midfield, stunning [saves], the penalty spot, to award [a penalty], lengthy, deflated, a curling [effort], the crossbar, to be draped in [green], to be thrust [into the limelight].

Next, you can find a lesson plan by my colleague Pablo A, which includes an interview to English football journalist Semra Hunter for the BBC Radio 4 programme Woman's Hour, where the controversy about Mr. Rubiales's kiss to Jenni Hermoso is discussed. The lesson includes listening, speaking and vocabulary tasks, with two versions for C1 and C2 students respectively. Some of the most interesting words you can find in the tasks are: to step down, to speak out, a hunger strike, bizarre, to flip the script, to stand  down, worship, former, in terms of, to stand by [somebody], to turn up, to work their socks off, to be entitled to, to vow [to change], to grab, consensual, ludicrous, a wimp, a flimsy [excuse], a snog, a witch hunt, defiant.

Shakira's Break Up Song

Shakira's break up song has been chosen as the current, most interesting story about relationships this year by my C1 students. Alejandro S. found this BBC report that compares and analyses several break-up songs by Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Adele or Beyoncé that have become hits in the past years.

In this article, which is suitable for C1 students, you will find interesting vocabulary like break-up, rage, grief, to cope, to binge, to unload [emotions], scorching, a diss track, sparks, raw [emotions], heartbreak, [to get] dumped, bitterness, revenge, to beg, [to be] scorned, to be over [this], a wink, a lump [in your throat], to drip, to smudge, tricky, to creep, to relapse, cleansing, to offload.

The other story that interested C1 students most, is this Daily Mail article about Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbon, which was presented in class by Paco A.

Best Winter Sun Holidays & Places to Visit in 2023

Playa de los Cristianos (Tenerife) has been named the best winter sun holiday destination in Europe by Holydo, a holiday rental search engine in the UK. Spain tops the list of winter sun destinations, but other featured destinations are Agios Nikolaos in Greece, Siracusa in Italy, Luz in Portugal and Cala Rossa in France. A list of the sunniest cities in Europe has also been published by Holydo Magazine, and, surpisingly enough, Zaragoza ranks number 12 in Europe!

In this article, which is suitable for B2 students, you can find descriptive adjectives and other interesting words like: average, whopping, dreamy, charming, a coastal [town], to beat, to check out, waterfront [restaurants], nearby [abandoned castles], stunning [streescapes], breathtaking [beaches], impressive [cliffs], turquoise [waters].

If you are already looking for ideas to travel in 2023, or you just want to do a little bit of online travel while it is cold and foggy outside, you can read this article from Afar.com, an experiential travel magazine from New York and San Francisco, with the 12 Best Places to Travel in 2023. The article comes with a video with subtitles (see below), which can be watched by B2 students, where you will see words like: to await, a seaside [village], to prevail, renovations, a hub, steamed [crabs], seasoning, freight, freshwater, to hop, glaciated, lobster rolls, heritage, to boast, to sit [on the shores], endangered species, vineyard, highlights, to debut, a flea market, entrepreneurial, the culinary [capital], pumpkins, meadows, to strech for [618 acres], to rewild, a cheetah, wetlands, grasslands, conservation, to figure out, to showcase, snow-capped [peaks], a thriving [art scene].

 

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas is magic. This time of winter with short, gloomy evenings and eerie weather due to climate change, can still be transformed by the power of human imagination. An alternative Christmas commercial in the UK has caught the British people's imagination in the tough winter of 2022 and has become viral in the pre-Christmas season with a sad story, a melancholic song and a simple slogan. You can watch it here:

The video has no subtitles, but, thanks to my colleague Pablo A. you can find here a lesson plan with the transcript, which was originally published by Film English, and it is suitable for C1 students and above. In the commercial, you can find interesting words like: mate, poorly, [this one] is on me, cheers, get well soon, well wishes. Pablo A. has also passed me the script for the bacground song, Constellations by Ellie Holcomb, where you can find these words: to long for [you], underneath, a canopy [of stars], to collide, the mess [in my life], to see through, to lose your way, a desolate [place], to make a way, pinprick, and a transcript of the interview to Sam Teal, director of the add, and to young actor Ashton Sanders on BBC News, where you can find words like a portrayal, the cost of living crisis, to grip [the UK], a graveyard, a flashback, a go-kart, to refurb, a performance, the crew, amazing [presents], to take over [the world], to get wheeled in on [the go-kart], to make a bid on [the go-kart], to steer, smooth, bumpy, to marshal [local resources], to be on the telly positively, a barber shop, the landmarks, to get a go [at Christmas], the real thing, to whisper, crikey, tough, fancy [food], to deliver [a line], poorly, to pull [that] out, to focus on [that], to struggle, to get [it] wrong, to snap up [something], a by-election, to hire, a [creative] hub, to nurture [young talent], an apprentice, to mould, to get [a place] on the map, to deserve, best of luck, to smash [a record]. The BBC interview can be seen below:

Finally, you can read  here Time Out's list of the best 2022 Christmas commercial ads and watch the videos as well, for a full British TV Chistmas publicity experience.

"Goblin Mode" is Oxford Word of the Year

The Oxford Word of the Year 2022 has been chosen by popular vote for the first time in its two decades of existence from a short list of three finalists:  1) Metaverse; 2) #IStandWith; 3) Goblin Mode. The media has reported widely on the winning word, you can watch this video report by Al Jazeera, which is copied again below.

The video is short (2:41), and you can read the subtitles, so, it can be accessible to B2 students. You will find interesting words like: metaverse, #IStandWith, goblin mode, a short list, hashtag, unapologetically, self-indulgent, greedy, slovenly, to take off, a lockdown, usage, gleefulness, goblin, gargoyle, to burst forth, gaslighting, permacrisis, to vote with your feet, cold and miserable, pithy, thought-provoking, churros.

If you are a teacher or you are really interested in this topic, you can watch the Oxford Word of the Year Launch Event, a long video (57':56") with subtitles, where a panel of experts discuss the candidates for OUP Word of the Year. This video is suitable for C2 students and above. You can also take a look at the List of Oxford Words of the Year since 2004. 

Other dictionaries have also announced their own word of the year for 2022: "Gaslighting" has been chosen by Merriam-Webster, whereas "Permacrisis" was Collins Word of the Year and Cambridge Word of the year was "Homer". The senior body of linguists that started the first Word Of The Year competition (WOTY) is, apparently, the Amercian Dialect Society, and here you can check the ADS List of Words of the Year since 1990