English Every Day: Baby Charlie Gard Died

Your Daily English Programme #20 - Baby Charlie Gard's Legacy (Listening B2-C1)

Welcome to #Week6 on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. Today's story, although sad, has attracted the attention of tens of millions of people around the world...Let's take a look:

Think Before You Listen

What responsibilities do parents have? What rights do they have in the parent-child relationship? Can they make decisions for their children? To what extent?

Bonheur des parents: Jean-Eugène Buland (1903) [Source: Wikimedia.org]

Watch and Listen

The terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard died On July 28, 2017, just a day after a judge approved a plan for the 11-month-old to spend his final hours in a hospice.

Charlie had been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the UK. His parents, Connie Yates & Chris Gard, fought a long legal battle to be allowed to take him to America, to be given experimental treatment. His mother said: "Our beautiful little boy has gone, we're so proud of him".

Watch the Video: Why is Charlie Gard's case so significant to the world?

Let's Practice

Can you answer the following questions about Charlie Gard & his story? (Watch & listen again if you need to)

(see highlighted video transcript here)

Over to You

Would you have supported Connie & Chris in their fight against the government/legal system? Do you think the judges ruled correctly in rejecting experimental treatment for Charlie? Should Charlie's parents have been allowed to take him home? (let us know what you think in the comments below)

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Congratulations! You've reached the end of the first lesson in #Week6 of Your Daily English Programme. Remember that continuous, daily practice will not only increase your knowledge of English, but will also help you gain confidence in your ability to use the language.

Great opportunity to learn vocabulary related to child care and family, isn't it? Click here.

You're a teacher and would like to use this content in your lesson? We've prepared a free, print-friendly pdf worksheet for you to download.

Weekend with Music: MattyBRaps' Gone

Engramme's Weekend with Music #5 - MattyBRaps' Gone (Listening A2-B2)

Saturday again, song day on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. And this time, we've chosen for you MattyBRaps' hot new release "Gone". So, let's listen and learn :)

Watch, Listen, Enjoy

Do you have a bucket list? What's on your bucket list? Is learning to dance on the list?

Learning to dance is on MattyBRaps' List ;)

Let's Learn

Listen again: There are certain words (boldface) in the lyrics below that have been replaced with their synonyms. Listen and find out what the actual words are¹:

MattyBRaps: Gone Everyday there’s something new got me thinking, oh Keep ‘em focused, got a sight/dream I ain’t blinking, oh You know I’m ‘bout to count up with my team now Stack it up and never descend At the top and still we ain’t even peaked yet Grinding hard so you know we’re gonna achieve it Never stop, never stop, never stopping, yeah You see the evidence in the glow up You see the proof when we turn up Guaranteed that they know us ‘Cause we’re going, we’re going, we’re gone You see the confirmation in the glow up You see the proof when we arrive/appear Guaranteed that they know us ‘Cause we’re going, we’re going, we’re gone We’re going, we’re going, we’re… That’s the slogan, that’s the one we follow Why win a little, when you can win a lotto You say you’re a singer? Then let’s hear your vibrato You say you’re an art person? Then go paint a Picasso The only limit’s what your mind makes Ain’t got no time for hate Erase mistakes and stay on Top of your grind while the sun shines Then give it back like ten times, real talk Never stop, never stop, never stopping, yeah You see the proof… [repeat] Live, laugh and make our own cool, yeah Kick back and defy/disobey our own rules, yeah Lines and lines of story left So we’re living with no disappointments Live, laugh and make our own cool, yeah Kick back and violate our own rules, yeah Lines and lines of story left We’re living with no sorrows You see the proof… [repeat]

(see answers in the first comment below)

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Wish You All a Great Weekend! See last week's lesson database HERE

You're a Teacher? Download a print-friendly copy to use in the classroom HERE

Did You Notice? Move your mouse over the underlined words to see their meaning

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1 Why this activity? Recognizing and using synonyms can help expand your expression in speaking/writing. However, note that NOT all synonyms can exactly replace one another: e.g. maybe one word is more natural to use in certain contexts/collocations; synonyms may also differ in formal/informal use.^↩

Weekend with TV: Suits

Engramme's Weekend with TV #5 - Suits (Listening B1-B2)

Are you a lawyer - or studying to be a lawyer? Would you like to be one?

New York County Supreme Courthouse, NYC (source: Wikimedia.org)

Watch & Enjoy

One of Manhattan's top lawyers (Gabriel Macht) decides to recruit a new  associate and hires the only guy that impresses him -- a smart but unmotivated college dropout (Patrick J. Adams). Though he isn't actually a lawyer, this legal prodigy has all the knowledge of a Harvard law grad and the experience of a hustler. However, in order to serve justice and save their jobs, both of them must continue to pretend that he is a Harvard graduate...

In this 1-minute extract from Suits' pilot, we see the beginnings of the ultimate legal dream team: Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). It doesn't hurt that they agree on who's their favorite Batman¹.

Watch the Video: What are the two characters discussing in this scene?

Let's Practice

This short activity is intended to help you practice some of the nuances of English pronunciation in casual speech. Listen again and find out what the actual phrases are for the boldface items:

Mike: So, just one question. Wayjə2 go to Joanna's house? Harvey: Because I figured it out. Mike: I object. I think you did it because you care. Harvey: I did it because it's my job. Mike: Ju admit it? You care about me. I saw you smile when I showed up for work this morning. Harvey: I didn't smile. I was thinking of a funny joke. Look, we start on this tomorrow. Mike: Dəzis mean we're officially a team now? Harvey: I wouldn't move your things into Wayne Manor just yet. Mike: So, now you're Batman. Harvey: Closer dəhimdən Clemenza. Mike: Oh, yeah. Kilmer. Harvey: Clooney. Both: Keaton. Mike: Did you really quit when you first started? Harvey: F-kors-na:’. I'm not a wuss.

(see answers in the first comment below)

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Wish You a Great Weekend Ahead! See our other posts from this and other weeks HERE

Wanna practice the vocabulary from this lesson? Go HERE

Download a teacher's pdf copy if you'd like to use this content in your classroom

Did You Notice? If you move your mouse over the underlined words/expressions, you can see their meaning

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1 extract taken from SuitsonUSAwith minor changes^↩
2 The last sound is a schwa /ə/: a short /e/ sound in English, esp. at the beginning of such words as 'arrive, ahead, away'^↩

English Every Day: Vincent Van Gogh

Your English Programme #19 - Vincent Van Gogh (Listening B2-C1)

Do you know who these paintings are by?

Think Before You Listen

On July 27, 1890, Vincent van Gogh shot himself and died two days later at the age of 37.

Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 to 29 July 1890) was a Dutch painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings. They include landscapes, still life paintings, portraits and self-portraits. His suicide at 37 followed years of mental illness and poverty.¹

Watch and Listen

According to the narrator, was Van Gogh successful and famous during his lifetime?

Let's Practice

You've probably heard the expression "input before output". That means without any input (information that enters a system), there won't be any/much output (production; something that can be produced). This is also true about language learning, whether you are a child learning your mother tongue or an adult learning a second/foreign language. Much of the language we learn to use every day comes to us through listening and reading.

In this activity (below), we have gapped the parts of the video transcript that can be learned and used in speaking and/or writing. As you do the activity (listen more than once if you need to), pay attention to how the expressions are formed (e.g. adjective+noun collocation, noun+of+noun, etc).

mouse over the underlined words to see their meaning

Most people know Vincent Van Gogh cut his ear off. But most may NOT know he shot himself at just age 37. Thirty-seven _______ of ________ and wanderlust, with a reputation for failure. He died 2 days later, but left behind some of the most influential ________  ________ of his generation. But he also left behind a stunning ________  _________ of his wanderings. As a teenager, Van Gogh worked at this art dealership in the Hague, and he drew the beauty around him. He was transferred to the Paris branch in 1875, but he _____  _______. Officially, it was for disappearing over Christmas for an unannounced vacation. He taught at this boys’ school in Ramsgate, England in 1876, but he _______ to _________ his religious fervor and teach Sunday school. He wandered through the Netherlands and Belgium, for some years, ______ing from ______ to ______. He painted the miners in this Belgian town while pursuing a career as a preacher. It wasn’t until 1880, when he was 27 that he embraced being an artist, evidenced by numerous sketches and in letters to his brother. By 1886, in Paris, you can see his skills flourish, __________  ____ the impressionism and post-impressionism movements in France and its notable artists. He was the romanticized idea of a struggling, starving artist. But he _________  ___ befriend many artists of the time including Gauguin. You can see their influences on each other here. In 1888, Gauguin ________  _____ Van Gogh in the infamous Yellow House. It was during these tumultuous years, 1888 through 1890, that he made all those cool paintings you’ve likely seen already. But his _______ still wasn’t __________. He gave a portrait away to its subject during his last year in France. The subject used it to repair a chicken coop, then gave it away. He finally entered an asylum in Saint Rémy during May 1889, and continued to paint ____  ____________. He made his last move to Auvers-sur-Oise in May of 1890. Van Gogh’s life was short and painful, and he probably ________ of ________ as a failure. But he wasn’t. Though his life took a winding path, you can see him going straight towards what he did better than anybody else in the world could do.

(see the first comment for answers or turn on the video captions)

Over to You

Would you like to learn more about Van Gogh? Are you curious to know what a day was like in Vincent's life, what his many letters were about, and why he painted so many self-portraits?

The Van Gogh Museum's website has gathered together 125 questions and answers about Van Gogh, his life, and his artistic work. The museum is dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Also, this short extract from a Doctor Who episode (series 5, episode 10) shows the Doctor and Amy take Vincent to a Paris art gallery in the year 2010... A must watch!

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And this brings us to the end of another post in the Series: English Every Day on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. Share this lesson with your fellow learners if you found it useful. Let us know in the comments below if you have any ideas, suggestions or requests.

You'd like to expand your 'art vocabulary'? See this link (pdf)

Download a pdf copy here if you'd like to use this content in your classroom.

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1 extract taken from Wikipedia, with minor changes. Read the full article HERE^↩

English Every Day: Longest-Running Sexy Show?

Your Daily English Programme #18 - Oh, Culcutta! or "O quel cul t'as!" (Reading B2-C1)

Think Before You Read

Is this probably the longest-running, sexiest theater show in Broadway history?

Oh! Calcutta! Original Soundtrack Cover (Source: Wikipedia)

Time to Read

Below is a brief description of one of the most successful Broadway |  West End theater shows: Oh! Calcutta! 

10 words have been omitted from the description below. Find the word with the correct part of speech¹ from among the choices for each blank (mouse over the gaps to view a hint):

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On July 26, 1970, the (1)__________ Broadway revue "Oh! Calcutta!" opened in London's West End. Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde theatrical show by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan.

The (2)__________ revue is a series of sex-related sketches featuring a totally nude cast of both men and women. The musical gathered together contributions from Samuel Beckett, Jules Feiffer, Dan Greenburg, John Lennon, Jacques Levy, Leonard Melfi, David Newman and Robert Benton (authors of "Bonnie & Clyde"), Sam Shepard, Kenneth Tynan (3)________, and Sherman Yellen.

The show debuted on Broadway in New York on June 19, 1969, a year before it opened in London. It became the fourth longest-running Broadway show ˈ (4)______, after "Chicago", "A Chorus Line", and "The Lion King".

"Oh! Calcutta!" has nothing to do (5)___  ____ with Calcutta (or Kolkata), India. The title is taken from a painting, by the (6)___________ French artist Clovis Trouille, that depicts the tattooed behind of a well-endowed young lady. In fact, the title is a pun on the French "O quel cul t'as", which (7)________ in English as, "What an ass you have!"

Although many reviewers described the show as attractive and funny, it sparked (8)__________ controversy at the time and a prosecution for obscenity was recommended. The verdict was 'not (9)________', turning the show into a box office (10)_________ ever since.

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1.	a. scandal	b. scandalous	c. scandalously
2.	a. controversy	b. controversial	c. controversially
3.	a. him	b. himself	c. his-self
4.	a. ever	b. all	c. for
5.	a. altogether	b. together	c. at all
6.	a. temporary	b. contemporary	c. contempt
7.	a. translating	b. translation	c. translates
8.	a. consider	b. considerable	c. considerably
9.	a. obscene	b. obscenity	c. obsession
10.	a. triumphant	b. triumph	c. triumphantly

(see answers in the first comment)

Let's Practice

Scan the text: Can you answer the Wh-Questions below²?

(see answers in the first comment)

Over to You

- Have you been to a theater play recently? What was the theme of the play? What did you like about the show? What didn't you like about it? (let us know in the comments below)

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Well done! We hope you enjoyed and benefited from today's post on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. Want to practice the vocabulary from this lesson? Click HERE.

You're a teacher and would like to use this content in your classroom? Download a print-friendly copy HERE

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1 The 'part of speech' of a word is the grammatical class it belongs to: e.g. a 'noun', 'verb', 'adjective' or 'adverb' etc. This exercise helps you not only in recognizing parts of speech and grammatical categories, but is great practice for reading, vocabulary, and writing, esp. in Cambridge examinations, including FCE & CAE [Note on 'strategy': it's best if you read the text once quickly before starting to fill in the blanks]^↩
2 Why this exercise? Scanning is an everyday activity proficient readers engage in to find the information they want (e.g. in a magazine or newspaper). It is also an essential reading skill for many international examinations such as IELTS & TOEFL.^↩

English Every Day: Boy & Man Discuss Life

Your Daily English Programme #17 - Boy & Man, 57 Years Apart, Talk about Life (Listening A2-B2)

Think Before You Listen

Look at this list of questions below: Which ones, do you think, are questions for an older person? Which ones are questions for a younger person? How do you know?

Older or Younger?	Questions
	What is the worst thing about being young?
	What is the worst thing about being old?
	Do you wish you were older?
	Do you wish you were young? Why?
	Will you fall in love? And what will it be like?
	Who do you love now?
	Did you fall in love? What was it like?
	Did you get married?

- Has anyone ever asked you these questions? Have you ever thought about these - or similar - questions?

Watch and Listen

Behind the Video: Producers brought together two people, with a very large gap of 57 years, and got them to ask each other questions about life and growing up. The aim was to see how people from opposing stages of their lives answered the questions above, and whether they could learn from one another.

Watch & Listen: How do the people in the video answer the questions in the table above? (Note your answers on a piece of paper as you listen)

- Did any of their answers surprise you? Which one(s)? Why?

Let's Practice

In our previous post, we mentioned that 'fluency' does NOT necessarily mean speaking without any pauses or hesitation; that even native and fluent speakers hesitate in natural conversation in order to gain time to think and to plan how to say what they intend to say (we have highlighted examples in this video transcript, too).

Today's video gives us a great opportunity to look at another aspect of fluency: 'repetition'. Most of the time, we have to resort to repetition in order to think and to make sure we get our message across. The gaps in the transcript below help you see different ways repetition is incorporated in everyday English conversation¹:

Man asks: What is the worst thing about being young? Boy answers: Well, you get lots of homework. It’s also pretty…it’s like in the middle…like, in school…like, in the middle of bad and good. Boy asks: What is the worst thing about being old? Man answers: Not being able to ___ things that you could ___ when you were young. Boy adds: Um…like, uh, you can’t bend down and get ______ on the floor? Man responds: Well, I can still ___  _______. But the problem is your body ____s a bit stiff… Boy reacts: Oh, I know, it hurts a lot when you try to bend down… Man adds: Yeah! That’s right! You might ____ sick more often. Hopefully, I don’t. But that’s the _______. It is pretty bad. Boy says: The only time I went to the hospital was my mom didn’t like ____ting me born. Man asks: Do you wish you were older? Boy answers: Maybe…Like, so if I was old, and I can buy ______ for my own, and be married. But that’d be ew! Boy asks: Do you wish you were young? Why? Man answers: Well, uh, the ________ about…uh…the great thing about being young is you have more time. You have more time to do things. I could ______ games, which I did; I used to ______ Cowboys and Indians. Boy says: That’s what I ______! Man responds: That’s what I like about being young. I could use my imagination more. Boy reacts: That’s a sad story, you can’t ___  ______ anymore. Man says: Well, I could be an older cowboy – I might ___  __, yes! Man asks: Will you fall in love? And what will it be like? Boy answers: I don’t know. Like, we’ll have babies and it will be like _____…oh, I’d have to change… Even though I’ll have to change his diaper, it’ll be _____! But what if he cries? …I’ll just sing like Ed Sheeran to him. Man asks: And who do you love now? Boy answers: My ______! Man reacts: Your mom? Your ______? Boy says: I like my dad.  I like my ________. Boy asks: Did you fall in love? What was it like? Man answers: Yes, uh…It was different for me. I fell in love late. Boy asks: And did you get married? Man answers: No, unfortunately, my partner, she ______  _____…she ______. That was a sad ______; she ____ sick. Boy reacts: I’m gonna cry. Man says: No, no, no! Don’t. You see, these ______ happen, Shawn. That’s life. But…we have, I have very good memories…very good _________. And you live…a lot of the time you live in your head with those memories. You can _________ all the good things, and that’s the important thing. Man gives advice: Well, the advice I would give to you Shawn…is…you don’t have to be rich to be _______. Do the things you like doing, [things] that make you feel good because when you’re _______ yourself, everybody else is _______. Boy gives advice: To…like…act normal. Don’t be silly; don’t bully lots of _______. The people I know in school, like my ________ Alex in school, whenever he ____s hurt I hug him. It might not be able to work out… Man says: No, that’s good advice… Man gives more advice: And be yourself. Don’t let other _______ tell you what you should be. Just be as you are, isn’t that true? …and I’m sure your life is gonna be very successful. You have all the right _______; you have all the right things to do; all your good friends. And…keep those ________ going. And keep life going…

(To compare answers, see the full transcript here)²

Your Turn

Choose one or two questions from the table at the beginning of this post, and write your own answers in one sentence or paragraph in the comments below.

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Congratulations! You've completed another day's lesson on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. Want to learn more vocab related to 'stages of life' & 'aging'? See this

Did You Notice? Mouse over the underlined words in the post to see more info.

Teachers can download a pdf copy of this lesson for classroom use HERE

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1 There are many ways speakers 'repeat' what they say: one way, as you can see in this video script, is to say again exactly what you've just said. Another way is to use 'synonyms' (for example, in this video, the speakers use the words 'memory' (n.) & 'remember' (v.) to talk about exactly the same idea: past memories). Yet another way is to use 'familiar vocabulary' (e.g. do/get/stuff/thing) or 'ready-made collocations' (e.g. get sick/get stuff/ get old/ get hurt).^↩
2 This is not an 'exact' transcript. Some parts have been omitted for brevity.^↩