Watching Suggestions - Christmas Vibes

As some of you got interested in my You Tube guide I continue this series of posts with my getting-ready-for-Christmas selection of videos.

Can you feel the Christmas spirit in the air? Maybe not, as we start decorating our homes and offices later in the year. In English-speaking countries Christmas is celebrated on 25 December and Christmas vibes are everywhere, even on You Tube.

I like the tradition of counting down the days to Christmas with an advent calendar and celebrating the season in anticipation of Christmas with a treat everyday!  Since the date of the first Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, the Advent calendar usually begins on December 1. 

It's a pity we haven't got it in Ukraine but you can get the idea what an advent calendar is by watching reviews. Advent calendars range in theme. There are plenty of them  - chocolate and non-chocolate, and they are not just for children (you can read about all the variety here). There are usually 24 windows - one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Eve (December 24). The calendar windows open to reveal an image, a poem, a portion of a story, or a small gift, such as a toy or a sweet.

If you seach You Tube, you'll find lots of Lego advent calendars reviews, as well as milk chocolate calendars opened by kids. And it's not an easy task to understand what these kids are saying :) So the first video is the dialogue between the mother and the daughter. The mother's speech is quite clear and she often repeats what the little girl says. You'll be able to revise (or even learn) the names of stationary as they are reviewing the stationary advent calendar.

Stationary Advent Calendar Opening

The next video which I've chosen will give you an idea what a themed calendar is. Watch and make a list of useful expressions how to react to a present. You will also learn the names for various socks models as well as revise Star Wars and Disney characters.

Disney Star Wars 12 Days Of Socks Advent Countdown Calendar Unboxing Review

The third advent calendar review is actually Emma Hill opening 3 beauty calendars. Enjoy her very British manners and sense of humour. How many names of beauty products can you hear while watching? Challenge yourself and write them all down.

Emma Hill reviewing 3 beauty calendars

Of course, not everybody in Britain and the USA buys an advent calendar. Many people make them themselves. Here is a very clear DIY (Do It Yourself) tutorial, it may even inspire you to create your own calendar.

DIY Christmas Advent Calendar

There are two things about the next video I especially like - it's about upcycled advent calendar (which means it's made of all kinds of potential waste - so eco-friendly!) and the girl is speaking with an accent - listen to how she says the words cut, cup, bucket, first. If you are interested in British accents, please, let me know in the comments.

Those who read this post till the end get a treat - a video with Benedict Cumberbatch who acts out the reactions to bad Christmas presents. They say the British don't like complaining, they usually put up a show that everything is fine, even if it's not.

Benedict Cumberbatch Teaches How to React to Bad Xmas Gifts

So that's all for today. Let me know in the comments which video you like best and why. In case you missed my previous Christmas posts, read them here: OK English: Christmas

My Watching Suggestions

I often give my students the advice to listen to the native speakers of English as much as possible. I did it at least twice this week - first when we discussed the formation of listening comprehension skills at the lecture and then during a lively spontanious discussion in class about improving pronunciation. So I wondered if they usually follow it and do as I say having a wide range of possibilities at their hands. And I also thought that one can get lost in the amount of available videos on the Internet and that English learners may need a guide in the world of English-speaking Youtubers.

I personally think that watching vlogs and following British native speakers is a good idea both if you want to improve your English systematically and if your goal is to brush up the language from time to time. You can also learn a lot about the culture and the lifestyle.

As the Halloween vibes are still in the air I chose the videos which can give you the idea what place this traditinal holiday takes in the lives of common British people.

Video 1

Watch how British fashion blogger Emma Hill gets ready for Halloween - she and her husband Simon visit the pumpkin patch to buy pumpkins (see how long the queue is there - they say that queuing is a British tradition :) Pay attention how much the British love their dogs.

Video 2

This one is a tutorial how to make a Halloween pumpkin display. The British like DIY projects when it comes to decorating home for a holiday. Pay attention how Debs pronounces some words with the sound [ʌ] - it's actually [ʊ], this accent is common for the north of England.

I hope you didn't find the suggested videos too difficult. It's OK if you don't understand every word, just try to get a general idea. Let me know in the comments if you want me to post such watching suggestions from time to time.

Decluttering with Marie Kondo

Following the discussion about decluttering we had yesterday with the girls from my group I want to touch upon this topic in today's post.

Tidying up the shelves in our classroom we all agreed that gathering clutter isn't good so I mentioned Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Kondo's method of organizing is known as the KonMari method, and consists of gathering together all of one's belongings, one category at a time, and then keeping only those things that "spark joy" and choosing a place for everything from then on.

Here's the link to the video I promised and a little vocabulary about decluttering.

Tidy up with KonMari #1 in New York

Vocabulary

stuff - речі

organize - організовувати

clutter - непотріб

declutter - позбуватися непотребу

tidy up - прибирати

pile - стопка

space - простір

storage space - простір для зберігання речей

category - категорія

sort by category - впорядковувати за категоріями

spark joy - викликати радість

drawer - ящик (столу, комоду)

fold - складати (одяг)

papers - папери

get rid of - позбуватися

garbage - сміття

closet - комора

store vertically - зберігати вертикально

put in order - приводити в порядок

Decluttering has become fashionable nowadays as more and more people decide that they need less things in their lives and start practising minimalism as their life philosophy. Minimalist vloggers (and bloggers) are immensely popular. There are lots of videos on Youtube where the concept and advantages of minimalism are explained. If you are interested in this topic, let me know in the comments and I'll guide you through minimalism-related stuff online.

Talking about fashion

Do you know what are the right names for different hat models? Can you explain what kind of shoes you are looking for? If you are not sure, then here's some help.

In this video you will see the examples of the following hats: homburg hat, trilby hat, fedora hat, bowler hat, pork pie hat, deerstalker, cowboy hat, ivy cap, newsboy cap, beret (or French beret), bucket hat, panama hat, boater hat, bumper brim hat, pillbox hat, cloche (bell) hat, mushroom hat, vagabond hat, floppy hat, cartwheel hat, Breton hat, fascinator hat.


Now check yourself. What hats are the members of Radiohead wearing in this collage? British fashion rules :)

Here's a great article about the place of a bowler hat in British fashion if you want some extra reading on the topic.

At the previous lesson we also had a problem with types of shoes. So, here's Justine talking about them.

In this video you will see the following types of shoes:

Flat shoes: gladiators, ballerinas, moccasins, loafers, Mary Jane’s, mules, slingsbacks.

Heels: ankle-strap heels, kitten heels, stilettos, scarpins, killer heels, platform heels, wedges, chunky heels, peeptoes heels. 

Boots: Chelsea boots, cowboy boots, knee-high boots, thigh-high boot.

And at the end: peeptoe Mary Jane heels and peeptoe platform slingback heels.

After watching please, let me know what kind of shoes and hats you prefer. Looking forward to your comments.