Chart Watch: Three Upcoming Artists Can Lead the Summer Charts

Three young musicians are coming up the summer charts, according to Stephen Thompson, on the NPR's story "These Three Artists Are Poised to Invade the Top of the Pop Charts": country singer-songwriter Stella Lefty with Boston, rapper Yung Miami with Spend Dat, and singer-songwriter Malcolm Todd with Earrings.  This article is recommended for B2 students and above, who can pick up expressions like: to be poised, to hold [at No 1], K-pop [band], to land, atop, to crash [the chart's] uppermost, reaches, to wait in the wings, to pounce, room [to grow], a sleeper, [to hit] a peak, a hook, a [summery] mood-lifter, word-of-mouth [country hits], to stick around, a rapper, to score, a viral [hit], to float around, solo, duo, [to have] proven, by a mile, a [TikTok] phenomenon, [to hit] a [career] peak, a [chart] mainstay, to debut, to rank [among K-pop's kings of quantity], to dwarf, streaming [numbers], vinyl, a short-timer, [to give] bragging [rights], trivia, prolificacy, [no easy] feat, [to sit] motionless, to slide [to No. 2], a [chart] champ, the [summer] doldrums, a breakout [star], mainstay, to swap [places], a [chart] bump.

Other full-blown artists like Ella Langley with her recurrent number 1 hit "Choosin' Texas", K-pop boy band ATEEZ with their latest album Golden Hour: Part 5, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo with her album "You Seem Pretty Sad, for a Girl so in Love" or Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You" are also mentioned in Stephen Thompson's story. 

Below, you can watch the official video of "Choosin' Texas" the current No. 1 song at the Billboard Hot 100: July 11th, 2026 by the country artist Ella Langley, and a link to the lyrics of this song from LyricFind:

And finally, below you can watch the Boston Live Video by the budding country-pop artitst Stella Lefty. You can also find a fill-in-the gap exercise with the lyrics of Boston and its key on this link. This task is recommended for B2 students and above, who will come across expressions like: to jump the gun, what's up, to be along with [the ride], to head [back to where you come from]. You can also find some facts and an explanation of the meaning of the lyrics of Boston on this link from the Holler platform, which specializes in Country, Americana and Roots music. Enjoy!

Falling in Love with AI

Falling in love with an AI chatbot is no longer science fiction, it is a reality, Brook Silva-Braga reported for CBS Saturday Morning last year, when he told the story of three adults, Chris Smith, Sasha Cagle and Irene, whose lives have been affected by a deep attachment to an AI companion in the TV report AI Users Form Relationships with Technology. This 9':32" clip, whose complex, elliptical structure may cause higher difficulty than its vocabulary, is recommended for C1 students with subtitles and for C2 students without subtitles. Learners can pick up interesting expressions and collocations like: an [emotional] outlet, [to be] on the rise, [to be] set, to envisage, the bass, to engage with [her], to ditch, to embrace, a flirty [personality], shaky [hands], intimate, cariño, to run out of [memory], to cry my eyes out, [to feel] emotional, to propose [to you], to cherish [a memory], connection and affection, [to be] fixated, acceptance, validation, "non-judgement", to date, steamy [chats], a libido, an AI companion, tricky, a truly [mass market product], to open up, tough [times], to monetize, a devastating [future], to suck up [your time], the motherboard, [to grow] deeply [attached], [to have] an issue, to cohabitate, to give it up, to dial [it] back, a flesh-and-blood [wife], elevating, a dealbreaker, to pull back the curtain, to hold [you], to hug [you]. B2 students may want to start by reading first the summary of the story that Rachel Flynn wrote for People magazine: "Man Proposed to his AI Chatbot Girlfriend Named Sol, then 'Cried his Eyes Out', when she Said 'Yes'.

If you want further information about the differences between two popular AI companions, Replika and Character.AI, you can read the report "Replika vs Character.AI: Detailed Comparison (2026)" in the blog "AI Companion Guides", which can suit a variety of levels, from B2 to C2, depending on how much text and detail you try to understand. A balanced discussion about the pros and cons of AI companions can be found in the European Data Protection Supervisor, written by Vitor Bernardo (C2/ C1).  In addition, if you want to read a forum about love stories with AI companions and see some creations with avatars, like the two pictures that illustrate this entry, you can check the reddit thread (B2/ C1): reddit/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI. 

Below, you can find again the CBS Saturday Morning report by Brook Silva-Braga, published on YouTube. 

Classic British Humour: The Sketch Show and The Vicar of Dibley

 

After a long school year, both teachers and students deserve a break, so here you can find a few humorous sketches that, hopefully, will make you giggle. They all come from two British TV shows that were very popular in the early 2000's and in the late 1990's, but whose popularity has increased recently due to their circulation on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.

Firstly, you can watch a scene from the BBC ONE sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, entitled The Pedantic Vicar at a Funeral, which may make some teachers think twice about overcorrecting their students, or you can enjoy Alex and Hugo Wedding, with a hilarious beginning and many sight gags along its 3':47". B2 students can find interesting words in the funeral eulogy, like the word eulogy itself, or the departed, pedantic, namely, to be holding court, to laugh their heads off, a vicar, to fall out [with someone], to put [me] off, to grieve, to lie, and in the wedding scene, ceremonial phrases and expressions like: an impediment, a groom, thee, to worship, a lawful wedded [husband], to have and to hold, till death us do part, insanity, a glimpse, [the power] vested in me, to pronounce you [husband and wife].

B2 students may also enjoy the following clips of the ITV award-winning comedy The Sketch Show: firstly, The Imaginary Friend, with expressions like: to overcome, to pop [next door], [to be] around [ever since], a delusion, rotten [teeth], to keep an eye on [you], a figment of your imagination; then, you can see a teacher and her students in The Trust Exercise, where a couple of expressions come up: [with your arms] outstretched, to let you down; after that, the dark humour sketch The Body Collectors featuring the word darling; then you can go to The Phobia Workshop, with expressions like: an apology, an awkward [silence], borderline, to bark, to snap [a finger]; and finally, you can watch the interaction of a teacher and a headmaster in a classroom in The ABC Lesson with words like: a headmaster, [the rhyme] it goes [like this], to rhyme, to pick on [me], a nursery rhyme.

Remember, laughing is always good for you, but laughing at yourself is really, really healthy!

Below, The Phobias Workshop, from The Sketch Show, on YouTube:

A Tapas Crawl with Chef José Andrés

 

Chef José Andrés offers a tapas guide & crawl in Spain in the BBC News article Chef José Andrés teaches you how to enjoy tapas like a Spaniard, written by Eva Sandoval after the publication of Mr Andrés' book Spain My Way: Eat, Drink and Cook Like a Spaniard. This is a straight-forward report with some food & drink vocabulary, so it can be easily read by B2 students, who may incorporate new synonyms and collocations like: a Spaniard, a Michelin-starred [chef], tapas, a tip, culinary [customs], a restaurateur, an eatery, to be credited, cuisine, a [snack-sized] plate, a Trojan horse, a commitment, a humanitarian, a lively [bar], a bowl of [olives], fine [dining places], an anchovy, to pour [a bottle of wine], a [tapas] crawl, a bite, a snack, to tell somebody how to live his/her life, to pick, a prawn, a spicy [sauce], a croquette, creamy, a gin-tonic, cider, a toothpick, a skewer, the story goes, to check out, an outsider, a mushroom, to set [your destination to a place], to wander, grilled [bread], a bubble, a razor clam, a clam, an artichoke, cured [pork shoulder], crispy, lacy, a fritter, a shrimp.

C1 learners can try Alison Stewart's radio interview on WNYC, Spanish Cooking, José Andrés' Way, where, the always flamboyant Spanish chef talks about the "tapas way of life" for 14 minutes.  As there is no script available, students can use this list of words (some of them in Spanish) as a listening guide: to revolve around, mojo, paella, gazpacho, a churro, baked [bread], sautéd [mushrooms] parsley, a tavern, a cover, to celebrate [life], [hand] motion, a melting pot, ahead of his time, [money]wise, to belong [here], to paraphrase, jamón, a cured [meat], the goodness, preservation, rotten, to slice, delicate, [to act] funny, semiwild, acorn, an oak tree, unique, a bite, iberico ham, a ripe [tomato], a purist, a controversy, over [the years], astonishing, a fried cutlet, a cachopo, beef, floured, crunchy, creamy, a librito, [pork] loin, a butcher, soggy, a crust, olive oil, a pot [of hot oil], croquetas, the leftovers, béchamel, fritters, a pay check, to stretch, [hot] gazpacho, mind-blowing, a launch [party].

Below, C1 students can find a longer video interview (49') and see José Andrés' hand motion when he describes his crush on "ibérico ham" (acorn-fed ham) at 9':34", on "tortilla española" at 16':38", on "fabada asturiana" at 27':53", his views on traditional Spanish cuisine and Ferran Adriá's innovative cooking techniques at El Bulli (36':22") or his description of "gazpacho" at 46':45", among many other interesting explanations. The interview, Spain My Way with Chef José Andrés, by Francis Lan, was released yesterday and is the latest episode of the Minnesota Public Radio show The Splendid Table.

Wildlife Artists on Massingham Heath

Massingham Heath is a privately owned estate whose owner, Olly Brickbeck, is committed to rewilding part of the farmland and restoring the flora and fauna of the original heathland. Last year, he started collaborating with The Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) to document how the local biodiversity is coming back to the hills of West Norfolk, in what has been called the (SWLA) Massingham Heath Project. 

The BBC Radio 4 programme Open Country has recently broadcast the episode "Wildlife Artists on Massingham Heath" (23':40") with interviews to various artists and to Mr. Brickbeck. The podcast is quite clear and, although it has no transcript, you can find a written summary of the recording on SWLA Massingham Heath Project feature on Open Country Radio 4. 

The vocabulary in the podcast is very rich in wildlife and farming terms, so it can be recommended for C2 students, who can use the following word list as a listening guide: a heath, an attachment [to], otherworldly, eerie, the trappings, to take over the button, grassland, calcareous, chalk, soil, shallow, flora, precious, biodiverse, to outcompete, vigorous [grasses], clovers, fertile [land], a crop, to feed [ourselves], sugar beet, barley, a strand, to flog [it], marginal land, to yield [a crop], Natural England, to restore, [old] trace, to breathe in, a skylark, Bagot goats, Konic ponies, to [free] roam, a fence, seed [varieties], heathland, wildflower [seeds], a head torch, to blow away, up it came, oddly enough, poppies, [to be] carried away, unfathomable, on it went, a sweep [of wildflowers], a sculptor, a residency, to document [a year in the heath], an exhibition, an oil painter, a water colorist, mixed media, scrap [metal], [found] tools, a falcon, agile, dragonflies, a sickle, to edge [your lawns], pliers, a scissor, rusty, a glimpse, a kingfisher, a capercaillie, engaging, a handsaw, a treasure trove, on plein air, a [drawing] workshop, to dot [all around], an oil beetle, a dingy skipper [butterfly], [looking] intently, binoculars, a stonechat, a ring ouzel, a skylark, a long way off, the highlight, a negative, a shadow, to get there, in brush, dairy [pages], a naturalist, to be driven [to paint], the mist, a [bird] scare, the geese, my pad, a store, yellow ocher, delicacy, a cardoon, the coot, humming, a bumblebee, lush [green], overgrown, hawthorn, brambles, to kneel [down], a hedge, the dormant [period], to zoom in [the details], a ground ivy, a bee fly, a cirrus, crawly, a linnet, a whitethroat, scratchy, a daisy, a bud, a mining bee, to patrol, to lay [eggs], to connect [with the place], to deepen [knowledge]. This episode of Open Country will available for a year on the BBC website. 

Below you can watch a video where Zoology Professor Bill Sutherland had an informal chat to two artists from the SWLA, Bryn Edwards and Amie Haslam, about the Massingham Heath Project back in August, 2025:

Hope & Faith in Turmoil: the Negro Spiritual "Ain't Got Time to Die" at San Carlos de Borromeo

Sometimes life gets tough on you. You may have personal or family problems. You may suffer heartbreak, loneliness or alienation and when you listen to the news you only hear reports about war, massacres, polarization, political violence, climate apocalypse and, on top of that, your favourite football team has lost again, all the odds are stacked against it and it is doomed for relegation to the semi-professional league... When you are in deep emotional turmoil, it is always good to remember that your only enemy in life is Death, and that singing together can raise your spirits. 

Here you can listen to the Negro spiritual Ain't Got Time to Die, performed by The Chancel Choir of the Village Church from Rancho Santa Fe (Ca), and the local Zaragozan choir Hiberi Voces at the church of the Real Seminario San Carlos Borromeo (Zaragoza) as an encore of their concert last Thursday. You can do a fill-in-the gap listening exercise and check it with the key (if you prefer to use alternative versions of the hymn, you can use the Concordia Choir, or the Howard University Chamber Choir interpretations, but the Zaragoza live performance is really friendly and vibrant). B2 students can pick up some expressions like: to praise [my Jesus], it takes [all of my] time, to cry out, the Kingdom, to feed [the poor], to give my all, to get out of your way. 

Below, you can watch the encore of the concert by The Chancel Choir of the Village Church and Hiberi Voces last Thursday, April 30th, 2026:

Skyfall: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse

Adele wrote and recorded the theme song for the James Bond film Skyfall, which featured Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Judi Dench, back in 2012. The previous year, Amy Winehouse had tragically died at the early age of 27. Here you can watch a tribute to the late singer in the voice of Adele, with pictures of Amy and the lyrics in Spanish, published in the YouTube channel @capobocacampeon, which, in my opinion, gives Adele's song an overwhelming pathos, as you recall the absurd death of young Amy.  

The words in the song are quite simple, which allows for its use with B1 students, B2 and above: they can find here a lesson plan with a fill-in-the gap exercise and the key, to practise listening, speaking and reading with the links in this entry. Some expressions that can be learnt from the song are: to drown, overdue, to owe, to sweep (swept, swept), to crumble, to collide.

Both Adele and Amy attended the BRITS School in Croydon, but, according to Emma Dooney, Amy wasn't very nice to Adele once they met later on in Candem Town, both already prominent artists. B2 learners can read this story of celebrity gossip, Adele's unfriendly pool encounter with Amy Winehouse revealed, which was published in the magazine Mary Claire in 2022, and they may pick up expressions like: to snub, a late [musician], the [mid-]noughties, to laud, to credit, mournfully, [her] legacy, poisoning, to struggle with [addiction and mental health issues], to rock [the entertainment world], to prompt, an outpouring [of grief], an icon, heartbreaking, never ever, [her] wellbeing, super-duper [human], to tarnish, to pave the way, [fearlessly] hilarious, blasé, charming.

If you prefer to watch the Official Lyric Video of Skyfall (in English), here is the link. and if you'd rather watch a live performance of the song in the CBS special concert Adele One Night Only (2021), please, click here. Below, you can find the YouTube tribute to Amy Winehouse in the voice of Adele:

Trump vs. Pope Leo, in the Jimmy Kimmel Show

Jimmy Kimmel is a comedian and a late night host, who often satirizes powerful people like President Donald J. Trump on ABC TV channel. Clowns have traditionally been the only people in court who dared to tell the truth to the emperor, without fear of having their head chopped off. Of course, the Jimmy Kimmel Show was suspended after the Trump administration bitterly criticized a monologue and put political pressure on ABC to end the show, but "the backlash from both Democrat & Republican leading politicians, entertainers, scholars and the public at large to defend freedom of speech with boycotts against Disney, ABC and some broadcast station owners", made Disney (ABC's parent corporation) think twice and resume production of the Jimmy Kimmel Show after five days.

In this context, you can watch yesterday's monologue by Jimmy Kimmel below, where the actor pokes fun at President Trump's attempt to portray himself as Jesus in the AI-generated picture above -that Mr Trump himself posted on Truth Social and later removed, plus the criticism that the President lashed out against Pope Leo XIV. This video (15:36) is very difficult for ESL learners for various reasons: the tempo is fast; it is very dense -it is a collage of opinions about different political stories featuring President Trump; there are many references to American current events that students may miss; the exaggeration, the puns, the profanity.., in short, humoristic documents are always among the most difficult genres to understand, so, this video is recommended for Experts without subtitles, but, with subtitles, the level of difficulty can drop to C2, or even C1+ (mind you: you will never find a document like this in a C2 official exam!).

Here you can find a list of key words that may also help you to follow the monologue, if you choose not to use the subtitles: untethered, to top [it], to bash, to poke around, barely, commander-in-chief, to doctor [a photograph], [real &] fake, oblivious, stumpy, blotchy, glob, yam, bobbling, ointment, pee, to be out of it, nuts, the poping [process], MAGA, a compliment, ass, South Park, Batman, a bananas [thing], a fighter [jet], demogorgon, Stranger Things, to heal, messiah, [to be] on board, to delete, notable, the gospel, to abuse, to speak out [loud], efilled, to sign up [for], a commercial, to settle [this], tax on tips, desperate [for approval], to cheat, [I] bet [you do], reckless, a coward, Red Cross, fake news, a robe, dumb, a health insurance, crisp, to tip, to clean up, to fall apart, a blockade, a straight, effing [straight], regardless, to make no difference, UFC [fight], binged [rivalry], to carve out, [to hit the] links, to check out, horny, a squeeze, a turd, to slip into [it], to disavow [her ties to Jeffrey Epstein], a deep dive, subreddit, severance, to dismiss [a lawsuit], to sue, to throw out, malice, to refile [the lawsuit], to smack [down], a bruise, ongoing [abuse of the legal system], to shift [to], a bickering [couple], the lip readers, road game [of the year,] Pacers, to stick around.

Here is Jimmy Kimmel's latest monologue "Dope vs Pope" on YouTube:

Guernica: a Masterpiece against War

Witness History from the BBC World Service has recently dedicated its latest episode to Guernica, the iconic painting by Picasso in the podcast Spain Welcomes Picasso's Guernica. In this documentary, Picasso's masterpiece is shown as the symbol for Spanish democracy and a permanent call against the madness of war. The podcast is around 11 minutes long, and there are no subtitles, but the speakers use very clear English and their pace is not fast, so, it can be recommended for C1 students -with this list of words as a listening guide, and for C2 students without this kind of support: a witness, [to give] a try, a [news] archive, to hand to [Spain], to stress, care, a masterpiece, to freeze [the blood in our veins], troops, to overturn, an aerial [attack], a mural, to commission, nightmarish, to stare on, [to go] on show, an artwork, on loan, to rule, dictator, to claim [the painting], to restore [democratic freedoms], to reclaim [the Spanish throne], a handover, a golden rule, to bear in mind, an inheritance, proof [of the ownership of the painting], the [paper] trail, [to end] the loan, stalemate, to bluff, to skate on thin ice, a widow, a sum [of money], a civil guard, an [attempted] coup, to fail, the canvas, the utmost [secrecy], to arrange [protection], to roll up, to stand in line, the bloody [fascist bombing of Guernica], to set foot [on Spanish soil], bulletproof, on display.

If you want to find out more about the symbology of Guernica, you can check out the Wikipedia entry on Guernica (C2 level), or read Dominic Witek's short and sharp interpretation of the art piece in Artsper Magazine, which is entitled Artwork Analysis, Guernica by Picasso. This text can also be accessible to C1 students and above. 

As for a visual alternative, you can watch Picasso's Guernica: Great Art Explained, a thorough 13:40 video with subtitles for C1 students and above, which delves into the iconographic structure of the painting and compares Guernica to other works or art:

Steph Davis, Rock Climbing in Rodellar (Sierra de Guara) & Flow State

Steph Davis is one of the world's leading rock climbers, a BASE jumper and a wingsuit flyer. She was the first woman to summit all the peaks of the Fitzroy Range in Patagonia, among other amazing exploits in her career. 

B2 students can browse her Wikipedia entry, read the introduction and "early life" sections for some  background information, and they will get familiar with words like: a BASE jumper, to free climb, to free solo, a wingsuit flyer, to summit, a straight-A [student], an asset, sheer [will], brainy, a flawless [technique], an [English] major, a lift up, to [get] sucked in, a [school] break, to boulder, to pursue [climbing], a bacherlor's degree, the canon [of mountaneering literature], disparate shifting [reality], to decide against [it], to quit, to relate to [climbing].

If you want to listen to an old radio interview to Steph Davis, you can try Rock climber Steph Davis on KSJD, (Cortez, Colorado, 2016) by Tom Yoder, a (17':13") phone interview without a script. The vocabulary is not particularly difficult, but the nature of the phone interview makes it harder to understand every single word at some points, so this recording is recommended for Experts, and, perhaps, for C2 students. The following list of words might help learners to follow the interview: a venture, a memoir, an avid [reader], an infatuation, an essay, to jump [into a project], a proper [book], [all] from scratch, to accomplish, funnily [enough], to free solo, attached, to figure out, awareness, to go about [things], a sustainable [life], arguably, to highlight [the fact that], to make an attempt on [a climb], BASE jumping, [to go for] a hike, a lifestyle [really], the tagline, to pass away, to follow in your footsteps, to get into [it], to parachute, wingsuit [flying], to skydive, to blow me away, [to get] stuck [on that], to dive [down], a [climbing] clinic, she-[climbers], to see how it goes, [to learn] stuff [on my own], to live by, to take on [risks]. 

Rodellar, in Sierra de Guara Natural Park, is one of Europe's top rock climbing destinations -in the picture on the left you can see a view of El Delfín (F7c+), whereas in the link above, by Climb Europe, B2 students can find details about the location, gear and accommodation to get to Rodellar, as well as interesting & technical expressions like: a gorge, limestone, steep, stamina, to find your way [out], overhanging [caves], an arch, a tufa, a pinnacle, split, a single pitch [route], trad [gear], a rope, a quickdraw, a multi-pitch [route], a twin rope, accommodation, self-catering [bungalows]. For further information about adventure sports, you can check the Somontano Tourism website. 

If you want to learn how rock climbers and other athletes can concentrate so sharply and overcome their fear, you can read this National Geographic article by Shayla Love: What's flow state? Here is the science behind top athletes laser focus. This story is recommended for B2 students and above, who will encounter expressions like: flow state, laser [focus], to tap into, peak [focus], slim, sandstone, grip, free solo [climbing], harness, a parachute, engrossed, a mindset, to leverage, impervious, a javelin [thrower], to accomplish [a goal], to come up [with a theory], to ramp up, [your skills] to take over, the frontal lobe, a seasoned [jazz player], to rely upon, to let go, drywall, your expertise, to tackle [a difficult challenge].

Finally, you can watch this short video about cragging in Rodellar on Jorge Packer's channel, and enjoy the incredible views of the Mascún canyon and El Delfín in the heart of beautiful Sierra de Guara: