Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is also commonly celebrated by non-Christian and non-religious people. The Muslim holiday Ramadan, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, and the African American holiday Kwanzaa are also celebrated in December.
Christmas Day falls on the 25th of December, around the same time as the winter solstice, when we have the longest night and the shortest day.
Captions 11-13, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid: Sights and Scents at Christmastime
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The timing of many December holidays has roots in pagan winter solstice festivals.
Melchior took gold, Gaspar, frankincense, and Balthazar, myrrh.
Caption 13, Children's Books Read Aloud: The Story of the Three Wise Kings
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Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar were kings who, according to the Christian Bible, visited the infant Christ with gifts. Frankincense and myrrh are aromatic wood resins that can be used in the making of perfumes. Today, these may not seem as valuable as gold, but in the ancient world, they were considered to be treasures worthy of royalty.
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Caption 17, A Charlie Brown Christmas: True Meaning
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"Swaddling" is an antiquated word meaning strips of cloth, which in the old days were used to keep babies warm and restrict their movements. Today, it's almost exclusively used when referring to clothes worn by the infant Jesus. A "manger" is a box used in a stable to feed animals, but in the case of Jesus, his parents Mary and Joseph were so poor that they used a manger as a crib.
So just keep kissing me under the mistletoe...
Caption 20, Ed Sheeran: Merry Christmas ft. Elton John
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To get to some less religious Christmas traditions: Mistletoe is a plant with green leaves and berries, which is often found hanging above doorways at Christmas parties. Couples who find themselves standing under it are encouraged to kiss. Apparently, mistletoe was a fertility symbol in ancient times!
This is a traditional milk-based holiday drink. -What is eggnog? -Correct!
Caption 83, Delta's Holiday: In-Flight Safety Video
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Eggnog is indeed a milk-based drink that is traditionally offered during the Christmas holiday, but best beware: it tastes deceptively mild but may contain more alcohol than you expected!
And every mother's child is gonna spy to see if reindeer really know how to fly.
Captions 12-13, Clean Bandit: Christmas Special
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The legendary figure of Santa Claus soars through the night skies in a sleigh powered by magical flying reindeer, delivering presents to children around the world. A reindeer is a type of deer found in the far northern regions of Europe, Russia, and the Americas. Sorry to have to say this, but reindeer can't actually fly!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose.
Captions 4-5, Minidisco: Cartoons
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Rudolph is the most famous of Santa's reindeer, and he has the extra special magical power of a bright red glowing nose, which according to Christmas lore, helps light the way for Santa's sled on dark and stormy nights. This story first originated in a book in 1939.
Further Learning
Watch the videos above and search Yabla English for "Christmas" to find some more vocabulary related to the holiday. And regardless of your beliefs or non-beliefs, we at Yabla wish you all happy holidays!
The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
We see with our eyes, but "to see" can also be used to mean "to understand" or "to realize." "To watch" something takes longer, like when we watch television. The verb "to look" can be transitive or intransitive. You can look at something to examine it or look (as in “outwardly appear”) a certain way.
Finally, I can see you crystal clear.
Caption 3, Adele: Rolling in the Deep
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Now I can see that we've fallen apart
Caption 27, Backstreet Boys: I Want It That Way
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Make sure you guys watch the whole video if you want to see all that footage.
Caption 22, Aspyn Ovard: What To Pack for Vacation! Tips + Essentials!
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Just look at all those acorns!
Caption 22, America's National Parks: Grand Canyon
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This may look like a massive body of water.
Caption 9, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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The difference between "hearing" and "listening" is a little like the difference between "seeing" and "watching." If you listen to a sound, what someone is saying, or music, you pay close attention rather than just noticing it with your ears.
Did you hear that?
Caption 54, Abiventures: Sandwich
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And then I always listen to music because it helps me work out better.
Caption 41, Harvard: A Day in the Life of a Harvard Student
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So, now listen to how I pronounce the following words.
Caption 8, British vs American English: Pronunciation Lesson
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Our sense of touch is about physical contact and how things feel. There are many phrases that use the idea of touch to describe different types of physical and metaphorical contact. "keep in touch" (remain in contact), "lose their touch," (lose their ability to do something), or "have the right touch" (have certain skills)."
If we touch his tail, he'll get frightened.
Caption 10, Nature & Wildlife: Wild Sharks
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He must be losing his touch.
Caption 42, ALF: Some enchanted evening
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And, of course, a pineapple just to add a touch of the tropics.
Captions 15-16, Tara's Recipes: Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yogurt
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Like "to look," the verbs "to smell" and "to taste" can be either transitive or intransitive. They can be used to talk about the action of smelling or tasting, but also to describe how something smells or tastes.
I think I can smell chocolate.
Caption 23, Peppa Pig: Easter Week
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And they smell so good.
Caption 35, Blippi: Cool Science Experiment for Kids
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I'm gonna open up a restaurant, so people can taste my food!
Caption 16, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen
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I wanna see what the lambsquarters taste like, first of all.
Caption 38, Food Talk with Sigrid: Foraging
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You may know that "taste" is also a noun meaning someone's idea of what's good or bad and their ability to choose well. It can also refer to a short experience of something.
This show is all about the three Ts of New York: The talent, the trends, and the taste.
Caption 2, On Deck with Lucy: TV Host Jeremy Hassell
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Another thing to be aware of: While "tasty" is a positive adjective, "smelly" means that something smells bad!
Further Learning
There are several videos on the senses on Yabla English where you can learn even more about this topic, including a detailed overview from Sigrid and a fun video about a dog's sense of smell.
Two English words that are often a source of confusion are "further" and "farther." Are they the same or not? It doesn't help that many native English speakers get these words mixed up, and that they are handled differently in British and American English.
In American English, "farther" refers to actual, measurable physical distance:
The second stage propelled the spacecraft even farther and faster into space.
Caption 45, Moon Landing: Apollo 11’s Journey to the Moon
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He looked out onto the meadow that stretched for as far as he could see and even farther.
Captions 57-59, Story Hour: The Story of The Ugly Duckling
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...like with the Andes, or farther inland like the Rocky Mountains.
Caption 63, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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The word "further," on the other hand, is used when talking about extent, amount, or figurative distance:
And we now face further uncertainty.
Caption 5, Brexit: PM Says He Will Pause Brexit Legislation after Timetable Loss
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Don't need to look no [sic, any] further.
Caption 4, Adele: The Making of "Chasing Pavements"
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First, the Americans released a further three hundred and fifty million dollars.
Caption 13, BBC News: Western aid for Ukraine's military
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In British English, the word "further" is generally used for both physical distance and as a synonym for "more"/"even more," "additional," "extra," or "to a greater extent." "Farther" is still only used for physical distance.
Further Learning
You'll find many examples of "further" or "farther" on Yabla English. When you see these words, pay attention to the accent of the speaker as well as the context the word is used in.
Thanks to you all for reading this, keep up the good work! If you have any good ideas for lesson topics, please email them to us at newsletter@yabla.com, and you can tweet us @yabla.
There are a lot of English expressions suggesting that somebody or something is "crazy." But please remember: while it may be perfectly polite to use such expressions regarding objects or situations, it can be rude and aggressive using them to describe people. A dictionary even warns: "The reference of the adjective "crazy" (and words derived from it) to mentally or psychologically ill people is strongly discriminatory." It also might get somebody very angry with you, so it's a better policy to be polite!
... a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink.
Captions 15-16, Simon Jones: On Tea
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If somebody is described as "not being in their right mind," it suggests that they are not thinking clearly.
I can't imagine my life without the ocean. I would go absolutely nuts!
Caption 19, Naish Kiteboarding TV: Kai Riding Jaws
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'Cause they'll drive you good and nuts.
Caption 7, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Robin Williams
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The phrase "to go nuts" means the same as "to go crazy." If something "is driving somebody nuts," it means that something is making them crazy. There is also an old-fashioned expression "to be nutty as a fruitcake," which also suggests "crazy."
Some say to survive it you need to be as mad as a hatter.
Caption 5, Filmtrailer: Alice in Wonderland
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The 19th century English children's book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll had a character called the Mad Hatter, hence the phrase "mad as a hatter." In the old days, hatmakers were exposed to mercury, which would eventually damage their health and their minds. Note that in British English, "mad" means "crazy," whereas in US English, "mad" usually means "angry."
And I'm always off my trolley, so I never say sorry.
Caption 19, Robbie Williams: Party Like A Russian
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The expression that somebody is "off their trolley" is a particularly British expression meaning "crazy"—or as they would say, "mad." The equivalent American English expression is to say somebody is "off their rocker." The source of the latter phrase is uncertain, but it may refer to elderly people falling out of their rocking chairs due to senile dementia. Not very nice, is it?
Some further idioms and expressions that mean "crazy" include:
—to go (or be) bananas
—to be a basket case
—to not be playing with a full deck of cards
—to have the lights on, but nobody is home
—to lose one's marbles
—to have a screw loose
—to take leave of one's senses
—to have toys in the attic
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the above videos in their entirety to see the contexts in which the expressions were used.
Let's talk today about the noun "foot" (and its plural "feet") as the word is used in different idioms and expressions. It's interesting that many English expressions may have the same or similar expressions in your native language. But the ones that don't may take a bit of getting used to, since direct translations often don't make any sense at all!
The mud at the foot of the cone makes a perfect cement.
Caption 7, America's National Parks: Yellowstone
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Closer to the foot of the bed ...
Caption 13, The Cure: Lullaby
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The English expression "the foot of" means "the base" or "the bottom" of something. It's most commonly used for the foot of a mountain or (as above) the foot of a bed. The latter is easy to remember since the foot of the bed is where your feet go when you lie down!
Let's hope the snow's gone come kick-off time, otherwise all the teams will get cold feet.
Caption 29, World Cup 2018: A Tour of Cities and Venues
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The caption above is ironically meant, in that of course, playing in the snow would make a soccer player's feet cold. But the meaning of "to get cold feet" is "to be afraid," so it also means that soccer players are afraid of playing in the snow!
But I think it's in my best interest and in the interest of the bear community to put the best foot forward.
Captions 72-74, Habitat: The Bear
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In US English (as above), the phrase "to put one's best foot forward" means "to behave very well so as to make a good first impression." However, in British English, it means "to do something with as much effort and determination as possible." The two meanings are not necessarily compatible.
What was that like having one foot in the door?
Caption 53, Movie Trailers: Funny People
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To "have one foot in the door" is a figurative way of saying "to gain entry" or "to get an opportunity." People often use the expression when they are close to achieving a goal, such as getting a new job.
So Columbus never actually set foot in North America.
Caption 18, Slow News with Sigrid: October commemorations in the U.S.
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To "set foot" somewhere means "to have been" somewhere. Many US Americans grew up learning that Christopher Columbus "discovered America," which in most people's minds means the part of North America that constitutes the United States. The phrase has fallen into disrepute, however, since the land Columbus "discovered" was already occupied by native peoples. Columbus was not even the first European to land in the Americas, as the Norse were already there centuries earlier. And as the comment above shows, none of the parts of the Americas where Columbus "set foot" were in North America.
And I can't sweep you off of your feet.
Caption 2, Ed Sheeran: Thinking Out Loud
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The usual phrase is "to sweep someone off their feet," but perhaps Mr. Sheeran needed an extra syllable in his song! It means "to cause somebody to fall in love with you."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the above videos in their entirety to see the contexts in which the expressions were used. Just for fun, you can take a look at this extensive list of other foot expressions!
Today we're going to focus on a BBC news report from last year about water shortages in the Western United States, but the topic applies to many places in the world.
The Western United States is now entering one of the worst droughts ever seen.
Captions 24-25, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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A drought (rhymes with "doubt") is a prolonged period of dryness that is usually caused by a shortage of rainfall or snowfall.
Then, in a place like the West, we get wildfires.
Caption 29, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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A wildfire is a large and sweeping fire in a wilderness or rural area. When a wildfire happens in a forest, it's called a "forest fire." The Canadian wildfires that filled many US cities with smoke starting in March 2023 are also a result of drought. The smoke from the fires made many cities issue warnings to residents to keep their windows closed and not go outside.
But thousands of acres are now lying idle, because they're unable to irrigate.
Captions 35-36, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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An acre is a unit of measurement, used primarily in the USA and the UK, that is around 4,000 square meters. The verb "irrigate" means to supply land and crops with water by artificial means, such as pumps and diverting river flows. The noun equivalent is "irrigation."
We're looking at food shortages in the United States.
Captions 44-45, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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Because of the lack of water for farms, there's a possibility that some kinds of food made with ingredients grown in the USA may be in short supply.
The government has urged Californians to conserve water.
Caption 46, BBC News California: ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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The verb "to conserve" means to avoid the wasteful use of something. Water conservation measures are essential during times of drought. According to the BBC, the first three months of 2022 were the driest on record in the Western United States, but during this period, water usage actually increased!
So you see how a shortage of precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) has a domino effect: it hurts farming, causes wildfires and forest fires, and has a major impact on health and the economy. The city of Phoenix, Arizona has even suspended previously approved house-building projects due to the projected lack of water for them. Cities like Las Vegas, Nevada have even banned lawns as "nonfunctional," since maintaining them requires so much water. Phoenix has not yet implemented such drastic measures. Similar programs are taking place all over the Western United States.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the video above in its entirety. You can also watch the Sigrid "Slow News" video in New Videos above. Then you may do a search for other videos using some of the keywords above. What can you and your family do to conserve water?
The term "climate change" is generally used to describe how mankind's activities are affecting our climate today in ways that have a serious impact on our environment, our economy, and our lives.
In order to understand human-induced climate change, or global warming,
we need to understand something about burning fossil fuels.
Captions 7-8, Chemistry for All | FuseSchool - How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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Wikipedia describes fossil fuel as a material "such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals, that is extracted and burned as a fuel." The air pollution caused by fossil fuels causes global warming. Global warming, in turn, is the largely human-caused increase of our planet's temperatures over the last decades. If global warming continues....
... the glaciers will melt
and the level of the seas will rise unpredictably.
Captions 48-49, Once upon a Time... Planet Earth - The Guardians of the Planet
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As a result...
Countless deltas in coastal regions will be flooded.
Caption 50, Once upon a Time... Planet Earth - The Guardians of the Planet
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In addition to these problems...
So there are more floods, droughts, and storms.
Caption 66, Chemistry for All | FuseSchool - How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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A drought is the opposite of a flood: instead of too much water, there isn't enough. Without enough water, farmers are unable to grow the kinds of food that they used to in the past. Property, crops, and even human lives are lost as a direct result of storms, floods, and droughts caused by global warming.
The single most effective and significant action
that can be taken in the short term to stabilize global warming
is to stop tropical rainforest destruction.
Captions 6-8, The Prince's Rainforests Project - Prince of Wales' Introduction
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King (formerly Prince) Charles of Great Britain is probably correct in his statement that stopping the destruction of rainforests would help slow climate change. However, it's only going to change if wealthy people like King Charles and large profit-driven corporations are made to take financial and moral responsibility for the destruction they are causing.
But they won't make the necessary changes
because they have put their astronomical profits before people.
Captions 8-9, Breaking News - Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen
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The article above is referring to Facebook, but it's just as valid for companies that continue to make record profits from fossil fuels. Let's hope that the wealthiest people and companies are someday able to recognize that the planet they are polluting is the same planet where they, their families, and their descendants are supposed to be living. But in order to do that, they'll have to put humanity's long-term survival before their own profit margins.
Let's each of us continue to do our small part in reducing our consumption of products that directly lead to global warming!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above. You can also search for some of the highlighted words to find more English videos related to climate change.
In Part III of "Nationalities," we are going to continue Part I and Part II and talk about the names of the main languages that are spoken and the adjectives used to describe somebody from that country. Usually, the noun for the language spoken is the same as the adjective for somebody who resides there. Note that in English, unlike many other languages, even the adjectives for nationalities are usually written with a capital letter.
For example, in the country Spain, most people of Spanish nationality speak the Spanish language. But there are also exceptions: In the United States, most Americans speak English. It is interesting that the residents of the United States choose to call themselves "Americans," when in fact all of the people in the countries in North, Central, and South America could equally call themselves "Americans."
Let's take a look today at some countries we didn't discuss in the first two lessons whose country names and/or languages differ from the nationalities.
And look at that temperature in Brazil!
Caption 69, Side by Side - Beginners - The Weather
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This is also by Kobra, the Brazilian street artist.
Caption 16, John S in New York - Kobra
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I can speak Portuguese.
Captions 25-26, Side by Side - Beginners - Expressing abilities
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In the country of Brazil, most Brazilian people speak the Portuguese language.
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I come from Canada.
Caption 19, English Grammar in Use - Present Simple
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Canadian kids are stepping up.
Caption 19, CBS News - The Easter Bunny in New Zealand
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They brought many French words that became part of English.
Caption 46, The Alphabet - Introduction to the Alphabet
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In the country of Canada, most Canadian people speak predominantly English or French. In the Canadian province Quebec, most people speak French and are called French Canadians.
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The whole world was turned upside down by pictures from Ethiopia.
Caption 6, Make Poverty History - Bono
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But a black runner never won the marathon until 1960,
when an Ethiopian runner did it barefoot.
Captions 11-12, Olympics 2012 - Fun Facts
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In the country of Ethiopia, the dominant language spoken by the Ethiopian people is Amharic.
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They were colonized by Spain, and so was the Philippines.
Caption 54, Turn Here Productions - San Francisco, CA
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What's been the response to your winning from the Filipino people?
Caption 36, Miss World - Megan Young - Hello London!
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In the country of the Philippines, most of the Filipino people speak Filipino or Tagalog.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and find more videos that use some of the country names, dominant languages, and nationalities used above and listed below. You can also see a more complete list of countries, their people, and their languages here.
Country Language Nationality
Australia English Australian
Brazil Portuguese Brazilian
Chile Spanish Chilean
China Chinese Chinese
Egypt Arabic Egyptian
Hungary Hungarian Hungarian
Italy Italian Italian
Japan Japanese Japanese
Korea Korean Korean
Netherlands Dutch Dutch
Portugal Portuguese Portuguese
Russia Russian Russian
United States English American
In last month's Yabla English lesson, we discussed heterographs. Today, we'll be taking a look at homographs. These are homophonic words that sound the same and are spelled the same but have different meanings. Homographs can be quite confusing in spoken language, because the only way to know the meanings of the words that sound the same is by the context in which they are used. The word "homograph" comes from Ancient Greek and literally means "written the same."
A female brown bear has shown up in the delta with her cub.
Caption 10, Nature & Wildlife - Search for the Ghost Bear
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OK, sure, it looks complicated, but bear with us.
Caption 3, Brexit - What Happens When the UK Leaves the EU?
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The noun "bear" is a large and sometimes dangerous land mammal. The verb "to bear" means to carry something or to go along with something. Thus, somebody who "bears arms" is carrying weapons, and "to bear with somebody" is literally to follow them or figuratively to follow a concept they are explaining. The verb "to bear" can also mean to have children or offspring. Here is an example of a homophone pair in a single sentence: "The mother bear was ready to bear her cubs."
There was a mother duck sitting on her seven eggs.
Caption 6, Fairy Tales - The Ugly Duckling
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I've also always believed that we have to confront big decisions, not duck them.
Caption 36, Brexit - David Cameron Resigns as UK Votes to Leave
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The noun "duck" is a flat-billed water fowl or bird, whereas the verb "to duck" means literally to lower your head for safety, or figuratively to avoid something. Thus the question "Can a duck duck?" is asking if this species of bird is capable of lowering its head for safety. It sounds pretty funny too, right?
Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly.
Caption 23, Alice Cooper - Along Came a Spider
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Airplanes fly there every day.
Caption 41, Motorcycle Masters - Birmingham Alabama
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This one is quite easy. The noun "fly" is an insect, and the verb "to fly" is to move through the air. Unless it's in pretty bad health, your average housefly should be able to fly!
We can go by train, by plane, or by bus.
Caption 5, A Weekend in Amsterdam - Planning the Trip
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We don't train them, we don't do anything like that.
Caption 28, Animal Planet - Lions Treat Woman like the Leader of Their Pride
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The noun "train" is the way to travel on railways, and the verb "to train" is to teach or learn by instruction or drill. Since trains are mechanical machines, they can be engineered, but I don't think they can really be "trained" to behave!
Further Learning
Take a look at this list of 299 English homographs and make yourself familiar with some of the words that are new to you. Once you have looked up the definitions to learn what the different meanings are, find some videos on Yabla English that use the words in different contexts.
Don't be afraid of the difficult-looking words above! It's really quite simple: Homophones are all words that sound the same, but have different meanings. Heterographs are simply homophones that have different spellings. They can be quite confusing in spoken language, because the only way to tell homophones and heterographs apart is by the context in which they are used. The word "homophone" literally means "sounds the same," whereas the word heterograph means "written differently."
English has a large number of heterographs, and this probably has a lot to do with the history of the language. English is a Germanic language, meaning that it has its basic roots in the languages that were spoken in Scandinavia more than a thousand years ago. These peoples, called the Saxons, occupied much of Britain for centuries. But in the 1100s, the Normans, from what is now in France, invaded much of Britain and brought with them influences from the French language. This is also why English spelling can seem so difficult. The mix of languages in its development made for a mix of influences that also changed over time. For example, the word "rough" is pronounced RUFF, but the word "through," with the same -ough letter combination, is pronounced THROO. Let's take a look today at some heterographs in English.
Oh no. It's going to rain all week.
Caption 20, Sigrid explains - The Weather
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There have been ravens here since the reign of Charles the Second.Caption 9, The London Story - Tower of London
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The words "rain" and "reign" sound the same. But if somebody is talking about weather, you'll know they are probably talking about rain. On the other hand, if the talk is about a king or a queen, they are likely discussing reigns.
I can hear about what they've been up to since they've been here.
Caption 48, The Apartment - Maggie's Visit
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In the example above, the heterographs "hear" and "here" both appear in the same sentence. Again, in most cases you can tell the difference in their meanings by the contexts in which the words are spoken.
OK, sure, it looks complicated, but bear with us.
Caption 3, Brexit - What Happens When the UK Leaves the EU?
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The koala bear is not a bear. It's a marsupial.
Caption 38, English with Lauren - Contradictions
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And our nightgowns are trailing and our feet are bare.
Caption 10, Katie Melua - Moonshine
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In the first example above, we see the verb "to bear," which figuratively means "to have patience" or literally "to carry" something. The noun "bear," which refers to a large mammal, is a homophone of the verb "to bear." They are spelled the same but mean different things. The last example, "bare," sounds the same as the verb "to bear" and the noun "bear," but is spelled differently. "Bare" can mean "uncovered," as in "bare feet," or "empty," as in "a bare cupboard." So a silly sentence like "Bear with the bare bear" means "Have patience with the uncovered large animal."
Pollination happens when insects, such as bees, or wind, or other forces of nature transport pollen from one flower to another.
Captions 31-32, Luana explains - Plants
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Mix the baking powder well into the flour before adding it to the other ingredients.
Caption 14, English Afternoon Tea - Victoria Sponge - The Royal Connection
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Again, the context in which the word is spoken will help you to know if the speaker is talking about flowers or an ingredient in a recipe!
Further Learning
Take a look at this list of 335 English heterographs and make yourself familiar with some of the words that are new to you. Then choose a pair of words that are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and find some videos on Yabla English that use the words. Listen to the videos with the captions turned off so you can practice listening to the two words in the context of the videos. In most cases, you will probably know which word is meant! You can also watch the 10-Part Yabla series "The History of the English Language."
If you ever decide to move to an English-speaking country, you may be looking for an apartment or house to rent. Let's take a look today at some of the basic English terminology related to renting a place of your own! Note that in some countries like the UK, an apartment is often informally called a "flat."
Are you still looking for an apartment?
Caption 3, Side by Side: Beginners Looking for an apartment
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The first step in finding an apartment is to look for one! Sometimes people also say they are "apartment-hunting."
Hi, I'm calling about an apartment that I saw listed on craigslist?
Caption 33, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many
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How much does it cost? -A thousand a month.
Caption 36, Jessica and Liz How Much and How Many
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Looking on the internet is one of the best ways to find listings for rental apartments. Some people still use a website called craigslist, but in the United States, one of the most popular current websites is Zillow. Once you have found an available apartment that meets your requirements for size, price, and neighborhood etc., you can make an appointment to see the apartment.
Many employers don't check references at this stage of the application process.
Caption 4, Business Life: Curriculum Vitae
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The video above is about a job application, but when you find an apartment you like, you will then need to fill out an apartment application. In your application, you state things like job and landlord references. Sometimes potential landlords will ask your permission to run a credit check on you, which in some cases requires you to pay a fee. You may have to pay this fee whether you get the apartment or not, so be careful in these situations!
And how soon can you send us the contract to finalize the deal?
Caption 48, The Company: Difficulties with Coworkers and Contracts
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Once your rental application and credit check are approved, the next step is for you to sign a rental contract. This is often referred to as a "lease."
And if you're interested you can put down a deposit. How much money do you want for the deposit? 200 for the deposit and I'd like the first month's rent up front.
Captions 49-51, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many
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In most cases, you will be required to pay a rental deposit, either directly to the landlord, or into a shared escrow account. The amount is usually the equivalent of two or three months' rent.
Where are my keys?
Caption 50, Parts of Speech: Question Words
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Once you have signed the rental contract, it is standard for the landlord to give you the keys to the apartment.
I'm so excited to show her our new apartment.
Caption 3, The Apartment: Maggie's Visit
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Congratulations on getting your new place, at least in theory! A good English vocabulary will help you in your quest, but you'll need a little bit of luck too!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the entire Looking for an Apartment video, then practice any new words that you've learned. Happy holidays from Yabla!
This is the third and final lesson about non-digital office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. You probably know some of the words already, but today let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
On your desktop you will see a folder marked "Irish Promotion."
Caption 32, The Company: Starting on a New Job
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This book is big. This is a red folder.
Caption 31, Parts of Speech: Introduction
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A folder is a folded piece of plastic or thin cardboard that you can store papers in. Like many office supplies, the folder has a digital counterpart, such as the virtual folders on your computer desktop.
I take notes in a notebook or on a notepad.
Caption 9, The Alphabet: The Letter N
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Do you know where you can see da Vinci's notebook?
Caption 20, Visit London: Top 10 London Attractions
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A notebook or notepad is a bit like a book with blank pages. Sometimes they are bound like a book, and sometimes they are bound with piece of spiral wire. Some laptop computers are called notebooks or notepads. So while Leonardo da Vinci would probably have been very impressed with a laptop, they hadn't yet been invented in the 15th century!
And in this cubby I have my interior design tools like my scale ruler and my measuring tape.
Captions 39-40, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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A cubby, also called a "cubbyhole," is a small shelf that may be part of a desk or part of a free-standing shelf. Cubbyholes are convenient for keeping items that you use a lot within easy reach.
A scale ruler is a kind of ruler that designers and architects often use. Unlike a flat ruler, the scale ruler is shaped on the end like a 3-pointed star and has 6 sides.
A measuring tape, also called a "tape measure," is for measuring things that are longer than a standard ruler. Measuring tapes roll up into a small case that you can carry in your pocket.
Let's get down to brass tacks.
Caption 20, Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life
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A tack, or "thumbtack," is usually a round piece of metal with a pin attached that allows you to attach papers onto a bulletin board or a wall.
A bulletin board is a somewhat large board usually made out of cork for tacking papers onto. A tack with a plastic handle that makes it easier to pull out is called a push-pin.
Note that in the video caption above, the phrase "to get down to brass tacks" is an expression that means "to get down to the basic facts." It probably came from Cockney rhyming slang.
Further Learning
Review Part I and Part II of this office supplies series to see if you remember the different English names for the various items commonly found in an office. Then go to to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. If you're feeling really brave, read the Wikipedia article above and see if you can invent your own Cockney rhyming slang for something!
Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
This is a felt-tipped pen because the tip, the end — usually a small end — is made of felt or something synthetic.Captions 15-17, Sigrid explains: The Tipping Point
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Felt-tipped pens are also called "marking pens" or "permanent markers." This is because you can write on surfaces like steel or plastic with them and the ink does not rub off. They also often smell bad!
This highlighter is pink, and pink is usually just red and white mixed together,
Captions 31-32, Luana explains: Colors
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A highlighter, also called a "highlighter pen," is often used to mark passages of text in books with bright colors so you can more easily find them again. Since this makes it difficult for someone else to read it later, you may want to consider marking the book lightly with a pencil instead. It's also more environmentally friendly.
The caveman assembles the board with glue.
Caption 5, Caveman Skatetech: Desert
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Glue is a sticky fluid used to fasten objects such as wood and paper together. There are many different kinds of glue for different purposes.
I use a ruler to draw a straight line.
Caption 52, The Alphabet: The Letter U
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A ruler is a straight, flat, and narrow piece of wood, plastic, or metal that you can draw a straight line with, but it usually also has centimeter or inch markings on it so that you can measure something. Builders often use a tape measure, which is much longer than a ruler, and rolls up into a small case that is portable.
Most people think that the pink part of the eraser is for pencil marks.
Captions 36-37, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For
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An eraser is a rubber-like object you use to remove or erase pencil marks.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. Stay tuned for the last part of our office supplies series next month!
Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
Who, from what I hear, needs to keep his stapler in his desk drawer.
Caption 39, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a stapler as "a small usually hand-operated device for inserting wire staples." A stapler looks like this!
I have a brown tape, a paper tape, and this clear tape.
Caption 25, Abiventures: Organizing
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The tape described above is adhesive tape, which usually comes in rolls and has a band of plastic or paper that is sticky on one side.
What's this envelope? Is this a wedding invitation?
Caption 3, How I Met Your Mother: Douche-pocalypse
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An envelope is the folded paper holder in which you send and receive letters—the part of a letter that has the address on it.
My green pencil... My red pencil... My yellow pencil.
Captions 44-46, David and Red: in England
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A pencil is, of course, a writing instrument, usually made of wood with a graphite center. They are sometimes called "lead pencils," because in ancient times, people sometimes wrote with sticks of lead. Pencils that are other colors, such as those in the video above, are called "colored pencils."
I'm cutting this string with my scissors,
Caption 12, The Alphabet: The Letter C
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In English, unlike many other languages, the noun "scissors" is always plural. Thus you say "The scissors are..." and never "The scissors is..." The word "scissor," without the -s ending, can be a verb or an adjective, however.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned!
Many parts of the world are experiencing a heat wave of unprecedented scale this summer. As an extreme example, the United Kingdom experienced temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in recorded history. Let's talk today about the heat wave and other aspects of hot weather — hopefully with some nice, cool air conditioning running!
DJ, let the beat play, make a heat wave when you replay this.
Caption 50, Madcon feat. Ray Dalton: Don't Worry
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The heat wave referred to here is a metaphor, or figure of speech, but the heat wave enveloping many English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom this summer is very real.
With more energy in the atmosphere, weather becomes more extreme, so there are more floods, droughts, and storms.
Captions 64-66, FuseSchool: How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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A common side effect of heat waves is droughts. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "drought" as "a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically, one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth." It is therefore likely that the heat will cause there to be shortages in food production and higher prices in the coming year.
This heat makes more ice melt, which in turn allows more heat to be absorbed.
Caption 80, FuseSchool: How Does Global Warming Affect The Environment
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Another problem with excessively hot weather is the melting of the polar ice caps, which leads to rising ocean levels and floods.
The sea ice acts like the world's air conditioner.
Caption 35, Arctic Sea Ice: Why melting matters
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Many places that are now experiencing heat waves have rarely seen such high temperatures and do not have the infrastructure to deal with them. In some places, living spaces, offices, schools, and public transport do not have air conditioning, which makes day-to-day living uncomfortable and even dangerous. The heat can present a major health risk for the elderly and people suffering from illnesses.
I have a fan, so in the summertime it's cool enough for me to be in here.
Captions 16-17, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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If you don't have an air conditioner and are experiencing extreme heat where you live, having a good fan is the next best thing!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and search for terms like "heat" and "weather" to find more videos relating to hot weather. If you're experiencing intense sunny weather where you live, be sure and follow some good rules for safety in the sun. Thank you for learning English with Yabla and do your best to stay cool out there this summer!
Summer is on its way, and if you are lucky, you may have a garden in your yard that you can take care of. To do that, it may help if you know the names of the gardening tools that you may need. Let's take a look today at some of the English names of some standard gardening tools.
This is what parts of Australia looked like before the European settlers arrived with their axes and saws.
Captions 14-15, BBC Planet Wild: Alien Animals
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An ax is used to chop through the trunks of trees and large branches. The word is made plural by adding "-es" for "axes." Sometimes the singular word is written as "axe," which is grammatically correct, but perhaps a bit old-fashioned. "Ax" is also a verb, "to ax." Thus you can ax a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with an ax.
A saw is used to cut through the trunks of trees and large branches. The plural form is, as you see in the example above, "saws." You can also use "to saw" as a verb. Thus you can saw a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with a saw. A saw that is especially made for cutting branches is called a "pruning saw."
I rake the leaves with a rake.
Caption 25, The Alphabet: The Letter A
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A rake is a gardening tool with a long, usually wooden handle. It has a wide metal fork with hooked ends that allow you to gather leaves and yard debris, much as you sweep with a broom. As you see in the example above, "to rake" is a verb and a "rake" is a noun.
We helped with hands and wheelbarrows, shovels and sweat.
Captions 46-47, All Hands: Volunteers Appeal Video
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People have to shovel their driveways and sidewalks in front of the house.
Caption 43, The Seasons: Winter
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A shovel, also called a spade, also usually has a long wooden handle. Its end is a triangle-shaped flat metal piece that is used to dig holes in the ground or move dirt, sand, and even snow. As you see in the second example, "to shovel" is also a verb.
A wheelbarrow is a cart with one wheel in front and stands in the back that is used to carry dirt, sand, and other similar things. There is no verb derived from "wheelbarrow," and usually its usage is "to push a wheelbarrow."
And anyone who laid it on with a trowel...
Caption 18, The History of English: Shakespeare
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A trowel is similar to a shovel, but much smaller. It works well for making small holes to put potted plants into the ground. The phrase "to lay it on with a trowel" is also an idiom, or saying, that means "to exaggerate."
People have lawn mowers and they mow the lawn.
Captions 27-28, Sigrid Spring Musings
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A lawn mower is a machine used to cut the grass or lawn. Some of them are manual and require a lot of force to push them by hand. Most lawn mowers today have electric or gasoline motors, and some even have powered wheels. There are also lawn mowers called "riding lawn mowers" that you can sit on and drive.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which references to these garden tools have been made. You can also go to this site and see a long list of different kinds of gardening tools.
Happy New Year! A New Year's resolution is a tradition that, according to Wikipedia, is common in the Western World. People make promises to themselves to "continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their life at the start of a new year."
It's the first day of 2019. -We should do New Year's resolutions.
Caption 2, New Year's Resolutions: Lele Pons & Hannah Stocking
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Often friends and family will discuss their resolutions for the upcoming year.
My New Year's resolution is to just keep going at the gym.Caption 7, Ashley Tisdale: Happy New Year!
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This resolution will probably be easier to keep, since she has been going to the gym already and it´s just a matter of continuing to go.
Every day, I am gonna do one thing I have never done before. That, my friends, is my New Year's resolution.
Captions 9-11, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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This, on the other hand, might prove difficult. It may be hard to even think up practical things that you've never done before. Even more likely, you'll just forget your resolution because of regular routines!
All right, my New Year's resolution is to learn how to play guitar.
Caption 29, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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This too may prove to be difficult, since learning to play a musical instrument requires a lot of time and patience.
I don't really make any New Year's resolutions anymore because I learned early on that when I did, I never really followed through with the resolution.
Captions 2-4, Ashley Tisdale: Happy New Year!
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According to statistics, most people fail in their resolutions. Apparently, you are more likely to achieve your goal if you take smaller steps towards achieving it, rather than trying to make a large change in one go.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the "New Year's Resolutions" episode of Friends, it's pretty funny! And if you have made a New Year's resolution (or plan to), be sure you try to accomplish it in small steps rather than all at once— you'll be more likely to attain your goal. Best wishes in the new year from all of us at Yabla!
A few lessons ago, we discussed the names of classical music instruments in English. Let's take a look today at the English names of some of the most common musical instruments used in pop music.
We already discussed the piano in the classical instruments lesson, but there are also a number of other kinds of keyboard instruments that are used in pop music. As a general term, they are simply called keyboards. A person who plays keyboards is a keyboardist.
I spoke with Andrew, who plays keyboards in INXS.
Caption 26, INXS: Pat Monahan about recording Beautiful Girl
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The Hammond organ is a popular vintage organ that is still much-loved in pop and jazz music. Other popular electronic organs from the 1960s, which were produced cheaply by companies such as Farfisa in Italy and Vox in the UK, are often referred to as electronic organs.
Scott Ellaway, who is now a successful conductor, loves to come here and play the organ.
Captions 19-20, Euromaxx city: A Visit to Oxford, England
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Another popular keyboard instrument that began to be widely used in the 1970s is the synthesizer. It's often referred to casually as a synth.
Because the synth especially really grounds it into a modern sound.
Captions 54-55, Making Tracks: Stu Cullen and Samuel Blair's Musical Journey
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Probably the most important instrument in rock music, especially in heavy metal and punk rock music, is the electric guitar. Generally, a person who plays guitar is called a guitar player or a guitarist. In some bands, there is a rhythm guitarist, who mainly just plays chords, and a lead guitarist, who usually plays the guitar solos.
In the film, we see Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May.
Caption 29, Bohemian Rhapsody: Six Facts about the True Story
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On the bottom end of the harmonic spectrum, we find the bass guitar or electric bass, and the acoustic upright bass, also called a contrabass. A person who plays bass is called a bass player or a bassist.
My main instrument is bass guitar.
Caption 11, Bee and Flower; Interview
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Let's look now at the beat, an important element in most forms of pop music, with the drums at the forefront. A person who plays the drums is a drummer or a percussionist.
My dad's an incredible percussionist.
Caption 10, Bruno Mars: Electronic Press Kit
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I bet Garth Brooks would take you as a drummer next time he tours.
Caption 68, Ask Jimmy Carter; Interview with Phil Collins
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Of course, brass instruments have always played a role in pop music, but the most common horn in pop music is probably the saxophone. A person who plays the saxophone is a saxophone player or saxophonist. The trumpet is also a popular horn instrument, and it's played by a trumpet player.
Trumpets were all screaming, saxophones were blaring.
Captions 17-18, The Rolling Stones: Living In A Ghost Town
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Let's not neglect a major aspect of pop music that makes it possible to play so loudly: the amplifier. There are amplifiers made especially for specific instruments, such as a guitar amplifier, a bass amplifier, and a keyboard amplifier. Vocals, horns, and other acoustic instruments are usually amplified through a microphone, or just "mic" (pronounce like the name "Mike") for short. All of these instruments are usually amplified on larger stages through a PA system. This term is an abbreviation of "public address system," as they were originally developed for speaking to large crowds.
Try turning a quarter of an inch closer to the microphone, please.
Caption 5, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Angelina Jolie
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to musical instruments. You can also search for the names of the instruments and find other videos. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these musical instrument words, then compare what you both came up with.
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