What is beauty?

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in other words the perception of beauty is subjective.
Do you agree with it? Can you think of examples?                     



Watch the first video and answer the following questions:

What is a matter of concern for the girls from the video? Why?
Why do they have a low self-esteem?
What can be done to help them?

If your friends tell you you're getting fatter and fatter, would you take it for consideration?  


2.   Watch the next video and answer the following questions:
Who is the man drawing and why is he drawing the women without looking at them?
Who are those women?
How many portraits of the same person did the artist make? Were they the same or different?
Why are the portraits turned out to be different? 

Would you like to try it? Describe the way you look like to yourself and then ask your friend to describe your appearance. Any difference? In what way?

Everything a Mom Says in 24 Hours

Think of everything your mom tells you during a day. 

• What is your reaction to what she says?
• Why do you think she says this?
• Is she right or wrong?
• Do you usually agree with her? 

 Can you guess what the missing words are?  The first letters are given.

Get ___ now, get _____ now, get ___ out of bed Wash your f____ Brush your t_____ Comb your sleepy h___ Here’re your clothes, here’s your shoes. Hear the words I said Get up NOW! Get up and m_____ your bed Are you hot?  Are you cold?  Are you wearing THAT? Where’re your books and your lunch and your homework at? G____ your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat Don’t f_____! You gotta f_____ the cat Eat your b________ The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all Take your v_______ so you will grow up one day to be big and tall Please r______ the orthodontists will be seeing you at 3 today Don’t forget your piano lessons are this afternoon so you must play Don’t shovel Chew slowly But hurry the bus is here Be careful Come back here Did you w_____ behind your ears? Play outside, don’t be rough Would you just play fair? _____ polite M_____ a friend Don’t forget to share Work it out,  wait your turn Never take a dare, Get along Don’t make me come down there C_____ your room, f_____ your clothes P___ your stuff away M____ your bed,  do it now,  do we have all day? Were you born in a barn would you like some hay? Can you even hear a word I say? Answer the phone, get off the phone Don’t sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table No more computer time tonight Your Ipod’s my Ipods if you don’t listen up Where are you going? And with w_____? And w_____ t_____ do you think you’re coming home?

Saying thank you, please, excuse me makes you welcome everywhere you roam You’ll appreciate my wisdom someday when you’re o_____ and you’re g______ Can't wait till you have a couple little children of your own You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly But right now I’ll thank you not roll your eyes at me C____ your mouth when you chew we’d appreciate Take a bite maybe two of the stuff you hate U_____ your fork Do not burp or I’ll set you straight E___ your food I put upon your plate Get an “A”, get the door, don’t get smart with me, get a grip, get in here, I’ll count to 3, get a job, get a life, get a PhD, get a dose of … I don’t care who started it, you’re grounded until you’re 36 Get your story straight and tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake And if all your friends jumped of a cliff, would you j______ too? If I said it once I’ve said it at least a thousand times before that you’re too old to act this way It must be your father’s DNA L_____ at me when I am talking S_____ up straighter when you walk a place for everything and everything must be in place  Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about Wash your face Brush your teeth Get your PJ’s on Get in b___, give a h___, say a p____ with mom Don’t forget I love you And tomorrow I will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends you don’t need the reason why Because... Because... Because... Because ... I said so... I said so... I said so... I said so... I AM THE MOM!

 Now try to get as much as you can. ENJOY!

 

What is London really like?

How do you understand this question? Choose the sentence that has the closest meaning to the question "What is London like?"

A.   What do you like about London?
B.    What can you say about London?
C.    What do people who live in London like doing?

The correct answer is B. What's London like? What can you tell me about it?

• What's the weather like today? = Tell me about the weather
• What's your brother like? = Describe your brother
• What's it like being a film star? = Tell me how do you feel when you are a star

NB! We don't say "how is it like?"

Whether you've visited London or not, you might have a certain image of this city. Can you name any famous landmarks, any places of interest in London?


Watch a series of videos called "London native English Speaker", in which people talk about London.

While watching, try to answer the following questions:

1.   Where do the speakers come from? 
2.   What is the best thing about London?
3.   What is the worst thing about London? 

PART I

For the transcript and some definitions of part 1 go here.


PART II

For the transcript and some definitions of part 2 go here

PART III

For the transcript and some definitions of part 3 go here

PART IV

For the transcript and some definitions of part 4 go here

Why to learn a foreign language?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
Those who know no foreign language knows nothing of their mother tongue.

How many languages you know - that many times you are a person.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:                                                                                           
No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby, - so helpless and so ridiculous.
 
Roger Bacon:
Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.





Do you still question the necessity of learning another foreign language?
Check this video

How many languages would you like to speak? Watch a video of a 20-year-old Alex who speaks 11 languages fluently. Can you guess what languages he speaks?

While watching, try to answer the following questions:

1. What is Alex's favourite language?
2.  What is the best way for Alex to learn a foreign language?