Hello, I’m Mandeep. Welcome to my Watch and Learn English substack. My aim is to teach “real-life” English using videos and topics that are in the news.
What’s on this week?
Our video this week uses the trailer for the hit movie Inside Out 2. It’s one of the top-performing films in cinemas around the world this summer, making $1.359 billion in it’s first month of release.
When I choose a video, I correct the subtitles and give you notes so you can understand any language and culture that’s key to understanding.
This week we have:
Video of the week. The trailer for Inside Out 2.
Language focus. Everyday expressions for talking about emotions.
Vocabulary test. Check your understanding of the words in language focus
Let’s get started!
1. Video of the week - Inside Out 2
In case you haven’t seen the first movie, the basic idea is that we follow the emotions that live inside a young girl called Riley. The emotions are characters like Joy, who is a woman who is always positive!
In the movie, Riley is becoming a teenager and her emotions are evolving. Four new emotions join the gang. They are anxiety, envy, embarrassment and ennui. If any of this is new vocabulary for you, remember that when you watch the video, you can click on any word in the subtitles for a teacher’s note that explains everything!
Watch the video … and learn!
Click here to watch the video with clear, correct captions (not auto-generated), definitions for the key vocabulary, and an option to slow the video down to help you catch every word.
What did you think of the trailer? Have you seen the movie? Let me know in the comments!
2. Language Focus
This week: expressions to talk about feelings
1: Happy
Here are some idiomatic expressions we use in English to show we are very happy. Listen to the audio to hear me using them.
To be deliriously happy
To grin from ear to ear
To skip all the way home
To be over the moon
When I answered the phone call to tell me I’d got the job I was deliriously happy. Honestly, I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. I skipped all the way home to tell my family who were over the moon for me. I felt on top of the world for a long time afterwards.
2: Excited
Here are some idiomatic expressions we use in English to show we are very excited. Listen to the audio to hear me using them.
To be bursting with excitement
To have a pounding heart
To be buzzing
To be thrilled
When she found out she’d won the lottery she was bursting with excitement to share the news. Her heart was pounding when she told her friends but they were all buzzing for her. When the money finally came through she was thrilled to take people shopping.
3: Surprised
Here are some idiomatic expressions we use in English to show we are very surprised or confused. Listen to the audio to hear me using them.
To be puzzled
To taken someone by surprise
Flabbergasted (adjective)
To not believe your eyes (idiom)
The boss of the company looked puzzled by the amazing sales results which completely took him by surprise. The numbers were flabbergasting. They’d never made so much money. When I saw the final numbers I couldn’t believe my eyes.
4: Disappointed
Here are some idiomatic expressions we use in English to show we feel very sad and disappointed about a situation. Listen to the audio to hear me using them.
Disheartening (adjective)
Gutted (adjective, informal)
Dash someone’s hopes (idiom)
Crestfallen (adjective)
I’m not going to lie, my exam results were disheartening. I was gutted because I wanted to study engineering and I thought my hopes had been dashed. Even though I was so crestfallen, my parents were really positive about it and helped me make a plan of what to do next.
3. Vocabulary test
Try the questions below. How many expressions from the language focus can you remember? I’ll put the correct answers in the comments!
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Inside out