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!

Valentine’s Day Traditions

Language & Culture - Fill the Gaps Activity

Complete the text with one of the two options given :

Valentine's Day originated in Rome but is celebrated in 1)..... (several/ lots) countries nowadays. After New Year's Day, it is the most celebrated holiday 2)..... (in / on) Earth.

This is the day for sweethearts to express their love for each other with 3)...... (inusual /unusual) gestures. Everybody 4)..... (send/sends) cards, called “Valentines”, with romantic or sweet messages and it is common to send or receive a card unsigned from a secret 5)..... (admiror/ admirer).

6)..... (Another/ Other) tradition on this day is that men usually buy chocolates and give red roses to their girlfriends, wives or significant others. Couples 7)..... (must / may) also go to a restaurant for a nice dinner or plan something else romantic.

Many people 8)..... (thinks/think) that this holiday is very commercial with companies that encourage the public to buy 9)..... (more and more / more or less) every year. However a positive aspect is that in recent times the festival has become  much 10)..... (large/larger) and not exclusive for lovers. People 11)..... (give/take) the opportunity this day, to wish ‘Happy Valentine's Day' to anyone they love or appreciate: father, mother, teachers, siblings, friends, co-workers or just anyone special to 12)..... (them/him).

At schools, red and pink hearts decorate classrooms. Children make or buy cards to give to their friends, and often have poems written 13)..... (in/on) them. One common poem is “Roses are red, violet are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you.”

                                                                               

Most consider this a fun day. Sending a Valentine’s card or gift can be a good ice-breaker if there is 14)..... (no one/ someone) special you wanted to meet...

Answers here!

Valentine’s Day Puzzle

Try a game to check your knowledge on love words 

Across

1. The symbol of love. 

3. Cards and gifts exchanged on February 14th.

4. A typical Valentine's Day treat.

9. Valentine's Day is the date for ... love letters. 

10. The month of Valentine's Day.

13. What a poet writes (plural).

14. Go on a ... with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

15. To have a ..., to like someone. A way of beeing interested in someone.

17. Roses are red, violets are blue, ... is sweet, and so are you.

Down

2. A secret ... is someone who likes someone, but doesn’t tell. 

4. Angel, simbol of Valentine.

5. St. Valentine is considered the patron saint of ...  

6. Valentine's Day ... on February 14th.  

7. What cupid shoots to make men fall in love.

8. Sweet, sugary treats for eating. Often given as a gift at Valentines.

11. The traditional color of this holiday.

12. Cupid’s mother.

16. The most common flowers given on this day. 

 

Answershere!

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!