Validation

Video activity – 16.24 minutes

Language - Paying compliments in English

Watch a beautiful short film by director Kurt Kuenne to practise using positive adjectives and paying compliments.

1. Pre-watching discussion:

What is a compliment to you?  What is definitely not a compliment? How often do you say nice things to your friends or family? Do you ever pay a compliment to your classmates, teachers, coworkers or bosses? How do you feel when someone pays you a compliment? Surprised, happy, self-conscious?

 2. Structures:

Learn the following structures for paying compliments or making positive comments to people.

Be + so/ very / really + adjective	Have  + adjective + noun	Item of clothing/ accessory/ color +  suit/ match/ flatter	That’s a + adjective + noun Those are + adjective +noun
“Tom, you’re so funny.”	“Lucy, you have an amazing attitude.”	“Jack, that teeshirt really suits you.”	“Tim, that’s a great tie.”
“Juana, you’re very elegant today.”	“Serena, you have a great sense of humor.”	“Cora, your necklace matches perfectly with your eyes.”	“Ana, that’s a fantastic smile.”
“Marianne, you’re really kind to everybody.”	“Ricky, you have a wonderful laugh.”	“Ingrid, red flatters you very much.”	“Mario, those are awesome shoes.”

Practice saying a few positive comments of your own.

3.  Watching

In this short film a parking attendant gives customers real validation* -dispensing free parking and free compliments.

*Validation means approval.  Parking validation is free parking given by businesses to their customers.

PART 1

1a-Watch the first segment (up to 04.00) of the movie and answer TRUE or FALSE.

A)Hugh validates parking for a shop.  

B)A few people start coming to see him for compliments.

C)People are not buying, they just come to see him.

D)His boss is angry with him.

E)He compliments famous people.

F)There’s no one Hugh cannot make smile.

1b-Mini debate:

What will happen next? Will Hugh live happily ever after validating people and parking? What could go wrong?

2a-Watch the second segment (from 04.00 up to 07.37) of the movie and answer TRUE or FALSE.

G)Smiling in a driver’s license photo is not allowed.

H)He makes the photographer girl smile during her working hours.

I)Hugh is sad and thinks there’s no point in validating people anymore.

2b-Mini debate:

What will happen next? Will Hugh live unhappily for the rest of his life? What could brighten his days?

3a-Watch the third segment (from 07.37 up to the end) of the movie and answer TRUE or FALSE.

J)He becomes a famous photographer.

K)One day he sees a driver’s license with a photo of Victoria.

L)She was fired from her job for smiling.

M)He finds her taking passport photos.

N)No one can smile in passport photos.

O)She didn’t smile for years because her mother did not smile either.

P)Victoria had looked for him but couldn’t find him.

Q)Someone told Hugh for the first time that he was amazing.

3b-Mini debate:

How did you like this film? What is its message? What could be the effect of complimenting people in a society?

PART 2 – Re arrange the words in each statement to make a few of Hugh’s compliments from the film – other combinations may be possible. 

Then, watch again and/or check your work in the answer section.

e.g.  awesome / ‘re / you   = You’re awesome.

A) an / face / have / amazing / you   

B)  features / you / powerful / have

C) ‘re /  amazing  / you / cheekbones/ and/ great /have / you    

D) appreciate / people / have / much / other / life/ so / that / don’t/ you / experience

E) and / suit / you / fantastic / flatters / it / that / really / is / a

F) a / have / golf/ you / swing / great

G) have / moustache / you / a / fantastic  

H) in/ are / shape / you / great

I) ‘re / and / so / you / ‘re / efficient / amazing / you

J) a/ name / ‘s / beautiful / that

K) seen / ‘ve / the / eyes / have / ever/ most / you / beautiful / I

L) great / ‘re / pet / you / a / owner

M) reason / you / to / smile / have / every

N) beautiful / ‘re / you / couple / a

O) and / dress / eyes / your / your / matches / are / gorgeous /your

Answers here!

How About A New Calendar?

NPR News: Listening Activity

1.Pre-Listening Task

Discuss the following questions.

What are the pros and cons of the current calendar? In your opinion, how can the calendar be improved? Can you think of a better system instead of a 7-day week? How would be the new working week? Imagine you need to change the days’ names. What would you use instead of planets and gods? How about changing the months? Would you keep the same number and names? Why? Why not? Would you change the seasons? How many days would your calendar have?

VOCABULARY:

Read the seven examples below. Find the meaning of the underlined terms in the chart:

1. When we were kids, in winter, we were bundled up in clothes.

2. The crowds hailed the soccer champions.

3. Our math teacher demands accuracy in all problem details.

4. The house needs cleaning. We can’t live in this messiness.

5. After the storm we saw a couple of boats drifting away.

6. It’s hard to follow a diet and be on track when everybody around is eating fast food and pastries.

7. I like how the garden looks so much streamlined now. It seemed a rainforest before.

1. Bundled	a. Disorder, confusion.
2. Hailed	b.Without a specific route or order; carried away.
3. Accuracy	c. Put together, tied up like a package.
4. Messiness	d. Following the right course or route.
5. Drifting	e. Saluted, recognized.
6. On track	f. Precision, correctness.
7. Streamlined	g. Simplified; without anything unnecessary.

 

2.Listening Task

Scientists at John Hopkins University think they can come up with a better system for an improved calendar.

Complete each of the sentences with the words given. Then, listen to the news audio to check your work.

1. Four hundred and 30 years ......, Pope Gregory XIII ...... the West a calendar, which ...... 365 days into what ...... to be ...... a year.

( called – gave – divided – ago  - was   )

2. ...... 12 months ...... seven days bundled ...... so-called weeks, the Gregorian calendar was hailed ...... a marvel ...... medieval accuracy.

( into – with – and  -  of -  as  )

3. We use it ......, despite its ...... messiness - drifting ......, leap ...... and 28-day .......

( days – months – today – years - occasional )

4. But now ...... researchers at Johns Hopkins University have devised a different ...... to count ...... days with a leap week ...... few years to keep the calendar on .......

( every – track - some – our  - way )

5. Holidays, ...... Christmas and New Year's Day, would always ...... on a Sunday. It ...... neat and streamlined for our modern ......, ...... maybe to those of us who work on Sundays.

( fall – seems – like – except - age  )

 PLAY OR DOWNLOAD AUDIO HERE

Answers here!

New year's Eve

Discussion & Reading Activity

 

Photo by Surface on Unsplash

 

Discussion

• How do you welcome the New Year?
• Are there any special meals or activities for New Year's eve?
• Was this year good for you? In what way or why not?
• Can you think of a few things you will remember from this year?
• What are you looking forward to in the next year?
• Have you ever made New Year's resolutions?

 

 

 

 

Pre-reading questions: Choose the option that you think is true and then read the text to find out if you were right.

1. What "drops" at midnight in Times Square?

    a. a ball

    b. a clock

   

2.Where in The USA is the biggest New Year's Eve party?

    a. New York

    b. Los Angeles

   

3.Where do temple bells ring 108 times?

    a. China

    b. Japan

   

4.Countries around the world celebrate New Year's Eve

    a. In the same way

    b. In different ways 

                                           Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

5.Where is there a famous celebration with fireworks on the beach?

    a. In Cuba

    b. In Brazil

6. Where is the celebration called Réveillon?

    a. In France

    b. In Australia

7.What are New Year’s resolutions?                                                   

    a.Reflections on the year that is ending.

    b.Goals to carry out in the following twelve months

8.What food is associated with money and eaten in many countries on this day to bring good luck?

    a.Beans

    b.Cherries

Reading

New Year's Eve, also called Old Year's Night, is celebrated on December 31st, the final day of the year. It is celebrated all over the world with parties and social gathering with usually a lot of fireworks and noise. In the United States of America, New York is the place where this celebration is associated with. People gather in the Times Square just before midnight in the last minute of the countdown to see the "ball dropping". The celebration is also associated with parties in other parts of the world. In France, for instance, the celebration is called le Réveillon. People also to the Eiffel Tower in Paris to see fireworks display. In Japan, people traditionally clean their home. Buddhist temple bells are rung 108 times at midnight. In Brazil, the beach of Copacabana is considered by many to be the place of the most beautiful fireworks show in the world. Certain foods are eaten on this day in different parts of the world. However a common practice is to eat beans to bring good luck and good fortune for the upcoming year. They are considered lucky, because of the similar shape with coins. December is also the month when we look back at the year that was and reflect. On New Year's Eve, some people commit themselves with resolutions or goals to carry out in the following twelve months. Such as eat more healthily, do more exercise, or learn something new. How are you wrapping up this one?

 

Source: some information taken from Wikipedia

Answers here!