Congrats to Sindorbek!!! 🥳🥳🥳 And cheers to Muhammadali, Muhammadayubxon and Azizbek for the fantastic designs!!!
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#2 Documentary: Norwegian prisons
▶️ Today’s documentary is about something you may not have thought about in the past. How are prisons designed in different countries? In what way do criminals deserve (=earn sth through one’s behaviour) punishment? Should society take revenge (=do sth bad to sb because they did sth bad to you) on criminals by making their life a living hell? What do prisons say about a society’s values (=what people consider as important)? Norway with its humane (=not cruel) prisons is an interesting case.
📎 YouTube link (for subtitles): www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v13wrVEQ2M
👉@afandi_english👈 #documentary
▶️ Today’s documentary is about something you may not have thought about in the past. How are prisons designed in different countries? In what way do criminals deserve (=earn sth through one’s behaviour) punishment? Should society take revenge (=do sth bad to sb because they did sth bad to you) on criminals by making their life a living hell? What do prisons say about a society’s values (=what people consider as important)? Norway with its humane (=not cruel) prisons is an interesting case.
📎 YouTube link (for subtitles): www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v13wrVEQ2M
👉@afandi_english👈 #documentary
#18 Afandi Quiz: What’s the word?
Today’s quiz is about a fastfood outlet (formal =shop) in Pakistan.
▶️McDonald’s is the world’s biggest and most recognised fastfood chain (=a business with many branches) and is present in more than a 100 countries, excluding Uzbekistan. In the absence of copyright (=sb’s right not to be copied) protection, some people feel that they can boost (=increase) their own business by copying a big brand.
👉@afandi_english👈 #word_quiz
Today’s quiz is about a fastfood outlet (formal =shop) in Pakistan.
▶️McDonald’s is the world’s biggest and most recognised fastfood chain (=a business with many branches) and is present in more than a 100 countries, excluding Uzbekistan. In the absence of copyright (=sb’s right not to be copied) protection, some people feel that they can boost (=increase) their own business by copying a big brand.
👉@afandi_english👈 #word_quiz
Which word is WRONG to describe this McDonald's?
Final Results
23%
copycat
15%
false
14%
knockoff
17%
fake
20%
counterfeit
12%
imitation
Not impressed!
👎 Copycat is a funny and informal way of calling something “fake”. But the same word can also be used in serious contexts, like copycat crime.
👍 Counterfeit ['kauntəfɪt] is the correct answer. The meaning of counterfeit is similar to what we’re looking for but it implies an intention to deceive (=cheat) people, especially counterfeit money or counterfeit goods. Who would seriously think that this place is a real McDonald’s? It’s not a case of cheating people.
👎 Fake is an informal umbrella term (=general word).
👎 False is literally a false answer. It is synonymous with fake here but slightly more formal.
👎 Knock-off is used when something is a cheap copy of something expensive, like cheap knock-off designer clothes.
👎 Imitation is when someone or something tries to look like someone or something else.
👎 Copycat is a funny and informal way of calling something “fake”. But the same word can also be used in serious contexts, like copycat crime.
👍 Counterfeit ['kauntəfɪt] is the correct answer. The meaning of counterfeit is similar to what we’re looking for but it implies an intention to deceive (=cheat) people, especially counterfeit money or counterfeit goods. Who would seriously think that this place is a real McDonald’s? It’s not a case of cheating people.
👎 Fake is an informal umbrella term (=general word).
👎 False is literally a false answer. It is synonymous with fake here but slightly more formal.
👎 Knock-off is used when something is a cheap copy of something expensive, like cheap knock-off designer clothes.
👎 Imitation is when someone or something tries to look like someone or something else.
#17 Learn how to learn: Listening
❓ It can be frustrating (=annoying because of a difficult problem). You hear a conversation and you just don’t understand what’s going on. What to do?
1️⃣ Broaden your definition of “listening”. It’s more than stop-and-go listening exercises in the classroom. When you try to understand movies, videos and songs you’re also practicing listening.
2️⃣ Realise the importance of knowledge. The more you know about a situation – places, people, topics – the more you’ll understand. That means never stop learning about places, people and topics!
3️⃣ Repeat exercises. In that way you can feel some progress. You can also practice listening for gist (=the main meaning) and listening for details. This is something you will also need in exams.
❗️ Keep in mind that classroom listening exercises are not natural. When you listen to a conversation in real life or in a film you’ll probably understand more. So don’t always blame yourself!
👉@afandi_english👈 #learn2learn
❓ It can be frustrating (=annoying because of a difficult problem). You hear a conversation and you just don’t understand what’s going on. What to do?
1️⃣ Broaden your definition of “listening”. It’s more than stop-and-go listening exercises in the classroom. When you try to understand movies, videos and songs you’re also practicing listening.
2️⃣ Realise the importance of knowledge. The more you know about a situation – places, people, topics – the more you’ll understand. That means never stop learning about places, people and topics!
3️⃣ Repeat exercises. In that way you can feel some progress. You can also practice listening for gist (=the main meaning) and listening for details. This is something you will also need in exams.
❗️ Keep in mind that classroom listening exercises are not natural. When you listen to a conversation in real life or in a film you’ll probably understand more. So don’t always blame yourself!
👉@afandi_english👈 #learn2learn
#54 Our favourite mistakes: Pronunciation
▶️ Try pronouncing the following words:
• England
• Finland
• Iceland
• Ireland
• island
• Holland
• mainland
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Scotland
• Thailand
❓What do these words have in common?
❗️ They contain the short [ə], or “schwa sound”, like the и in борми or яхши. Students often think “-land” should be pronounced [lænd] but in the words above it’s an unstressed, weak [lənd].
👉@afandi_english👈 #mistakes #pronunciation
▶️ Try pronouncing the following words:
• England
• Finland
• Iceland
• Ireland
• island
• Holland
• mainland
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Scotland
• Thailand
❓What do these words have in common?
❗️ They contain the short [ə], or “schwa sound”, like the и in борми or яхши. Students often think “-land” should be pronounced [lænd] but in the words above it’s an unstressed, weak [lənd].
👉@afandi_english👈 #mistakes #pronunciation
#18 World Englishes: Australian English
❗️ The 25 million people that inhabit (=live in) Australia are affectionately (=in a loving or friendly way) called “Aussies” ['ɒzi:z] by non-Australians. Their accent is similar to British English, especially among educated speakers.
🔘 Pronunciation: Aussie English is non-rhotic, meaning that the letter r is not pronounced after vowels – “car” is pronounced as [ka:]. The British [æ] sound (“apple”) is pronounced like a long e:, the short e sounds like a French é (“café”), and the double vowel [aʊ] (“cow”) becomes a triple vowel [eaʊ].
🔘 Grammar: As in parts of Britain, the possessive my can become me, e.g. “Where’s me umbrella?”
🔘 Vocabulary: Besides the greeting Good Day, Aussies really love shortening words, as you can see in the video below. Some of these have become fashionable elsewhere too, especially defo for definitely. Popular words include mate (AmE “buddy”) and bloke (AmE “guy”).
👉@afandi_english👈 #world_englishes
❗️ The 25 million people that inhabit (=live in) Australia are affectionately (=in a loving or friendly way) called “Aussies” ['ɒzi:z] by non-Australians. Their accent is similar to British English, especially among educated speakers.
🔘 Pronunciation: Aussie English is non-rhotic, meaning that the letter r is not pronounced after vowels – “car” is pronounced as [ka:]. The British [æ] sound (“apple”) is pronounced like a long e:, the short e sounds like a French é (“café”), and the double vowel [aʊ] (“cow”) becomes a triple vowel [eaʊ].
🔘 Grammar: As in parts of Britain, the possessive my can become me, e.g. “Where’s me umbrella?”
🔘 Vocabulary: Besides the greeting Good Day, Aussies really love shortening words, as you can see in the video below. Some of these have become fashionable elsewhere too, especially defo for definitely. Popular words include mate (AmE “buddy”) and bloke (AmE “guy”).
👉@afandi_english👈 #world_englishes
#20 Travelogue Turkey: Hagia Sophia
Spot the difference: Istanbul during a previous visit in 2011 and now in late 2020.
Perhaps you saw it in the news not long ago – Turkey’s president Erdoğan decided in a highly symbolic move that the old Hagia Sophia which was built as a church in 537, then became a mosque in 1453 and eventually a museum in 1935 should become a mosque again in 2020.
Check out the looong history of that place: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
I wasn’t unhappy about the change because mosques have much better opening hours than museums (especially in times of corona) and are free to enter as well. And the atmosphere inside is even more authentic as a place of worship. However, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of mosques in Istanbul and the museum was also interesting to visit.
---Vocab---
📍move (noun) = decision 📍eventually = finally 📍worship = praying 📍shortage = not enough
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #turkey
Spot the difference: Istanbul during a previous visit in 2011 and now in late 2020.
Perhaps you saw it in the news not long ago – Turkey’s president Erdoğan decided in a highly symbolic move that the old Hagia Sophia which was built as a church in 537, then became a mosque in 1453 and eventually a museum in 1935 should become a mosque again in 2020.
Check out the looong history of that place: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
I wasn’t unhappy about the change because mosques have much better opening hours than museums (especially in times of corona) and are free to enter as well. And the atmosphere inside is even more authentic as a place of worship. However, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of mosques in Istanbul and the museum was also interesting to visit.
---Vocab---
📍move (noun) = decision 📍eventually = finally 📍worship = praying 📍shortage = not enough
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #turkey
Was it right to turn the Hagia Sophia into a mosque again?
Final Results
48%
Yes, and the Christian art should be removed.
15%
Yes, but keep the Christian art inside.
16%
No, a museum is the best compromise.
11%
No, it should become a church again.
10%
It doesn’t matter, Erdoğan is just playing his game.
#17 YouTube Channel Recommendation: Atlas Pro
⛓ Link: www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1oFxMrgrQ82-276UCOU9w
📊 English Level: Upper
🔤 Subtitles: Partly available
💬 Topics: Geography, geology, biology, ecology
💡 Content: Atlas Pro is a channel specialising in geography in a wider sense, including the scientific side as well as the more human side of it. Geography and world knowledge are very much connected to your English as you probably use English to work on international topics and perhaps even with international people. So brush up your geography!
👉@afandi_english👈 #youtube
⛓ Link: www.youtube.com/channel/UCz1oFxMrgrQ82-276UCOU9w
📊 English Level: Upper
🔤 Subtitles: Partly available
💬 Topics: Geography, geology, biology, ecology
💡 Content: Atlas Pro is a channel specialising in geography in a wider sense, including the scientific side as well as the more human side of it. Geography and world knowledge are very much connected to your English as you probably use English to work on international topics and perhaps even with international people. So brush up your geography!
👉@afandi_english👈 #youtube
#35 Spot Afandi and his donkey: Afandi on a grey winter day in Zurich, Switzerland
❓ Can you spot Afandi and his donkey in this picture?
❗️If you can, follow the instructions in #1 (see pinned message) and win 5,000 Paynet-soums!
👉@afandi_english👈 #spot_afandi
❓ Can you spot Afandi and his donkey in this picture?
❗️If you can, follow the instructions in #1 (see pinned message) and win 5,000 Paynet-soums!
👉@afandi_english👈 #spot_afandi
Congrats to Bekjon!!! 👏👏🥳 And katta rahmat for the amazing designs to Javohir (arrows), Boburshox (abstract), Mukhammadali (Trump & Merkel) and Muhammadayubxon (speech bubble)!!!
#15 It’s a strange world: Whataboutism
❓Do you also get annoyed when you talk about a problem and someone tells you but what about this and what about that?
❗️This is the logical fallacy (=false belief) called “Whataboutism”. It appears in big issues but also when couples argue. Here are two easy examples:
Husband: Hey wife, the soup is too salty again!
Wife: What about yourself? You can’t even cook!
Or…
Biden: Mr Trump, you have harmed the American people!
Trump: Look at North Korea. Their president is much worse than me!
Both cases show how the accused (=person who is blamed) is trying to escape the criticism by pointing at someone else’s even bigger problem. But actually it doesn’t make their problem go away. Watch out for whataboutism in discussions and debates!
⛓https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism
▶️ Here’s an explainer from the BBC on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WqI16Ppte0
👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology
❓Do you also get annoyed when you talk about a problem and someone tells you but what about this and what about that?
❗️This is the logical fallacy (=false belief) called “Whataboutism”. It appears in big issues but also when couples argue. Here are two easy examples:
Husband: Hey wife, the soup is too salty again!
Wife: What about yourself? You can’t even cook!
Or…
Biden: Mr Trump, you have harmed the American people!
Trump: Look at North Korea. Their president is much worse than me!
Both cases show how the accused (=person who is blamed) is trying to escape the criticism by pointing at someone else’s even bigger problem. But actually it doesn’t make their problem go away. Watch out for whataboutism in discussions and debates!
⛓https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism
▶️ Here’s an explainer from the BBC on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WqI16Ppte0
👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology