In this week's Madrid Teacher post, three teachers talk about funny, weird, bizarre competitions and traditions. As usual, the video gives us an opportunity to study some features of spoken English.
In the first place, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Watch the video again now, paying attention to the following chunks of language that come up in the dialogue:
Fillers: You know; Well
Use of actually to introduce a piece of surprising information
Use of so as a linking word
Reacting to what the speaker is saying: [sounds] Interesting!; Shin kicking; Ow!; That's interesting; Nice; Wow
Use of like as a linking work
Use of the hedging technique so soften opinion: I think, I imagine; I guess
Use of really to emphasize what we are saying.
Use of vague language: or anything like that
Use of I mean to paraphrase what you have just said and make yourself clear
Showing agreement: Absolutely; Yeah; Yeah, exactly
Now it's over to you. Get together with a friend or relative and talk about weird traditions or festivals or competitions that you know. Try and use some of the features of spoken English we have just mentioned.
You know I heard about something. It’s called the World’s Greatest Liar competition.
What’s that?
Well, of course I didn’t enter just in case you’re wondering.
How do we know that… How do we know that’s the truth?
Yeah you might be lying now.
But it’s interesting that they actually would have a competition to see who could tell the largest fib. So do you know of any candidates that might be worthy of entering into this competition?
I think you might win.
I wouldn’t.
Interesting. So have you heard of any other weird competitions?
I’ve heard of the shin kicking competition that takes place in England…
Shin kicking!
Ow!
…it’s basically a sport where two people… they grab hold of each other by the shoulders and the objective is to kick the other person’s shins. And if your opponent falls down, then you’ve won.
It’s like Gladiators.
And that’s the competition.
Did that start with football?
Probably, yeah. I think, I heard that in the past they used to… they had like bare shins but these days you can put like hay down your trousers to protect your shins a bit. Otherwise it can be bit painful, but it’s probably painful anyway.
Do they have, for example, insurance or anything to cover injuries?
I think it’s just like a little village festival so no insurance involved.
I don’t think I would want to participate in that one.
How many villagers don’t have legs?
Or end up not walking?
Apparently in the past they used to prepare their shins by banging them with hammers to make them harder.
Interesting. So the wheelchair sales are probably pretty high in this village.
Well you know what people are like who live in the country, they go a bit strange after a while, I imagine.
Even in the city.
Last year I went to Fallas in Valencia, in Spain. They build these dolls or statues, sometimes out of, to imitate politicians, out of papier-mâché I think. And it’s a competition for who has the best. And then at the end of the festival, whoever wins their doll or statue doesn’t get burned but everything else does. The whole city goes up in flames. It’s amazing.
That’s interesting.
It was very interesting.
After all that work, would you want to burn your statue, sculpture?
It ends up to be something absolutely beautiful, really. It’s amazing, yeah, interesting. And everybody gets dressed up in old costumes and…
Nice. I always wondered that about, I wondered about that like with things when they make statues on the beach out of sand or ice. They always look really nice, but they don’t last, do they? I guess you have to take lots of photos.
Have you ever gone to any festivals like with food or anything like that?
Hmm. I mean, like, most festivals you go to have some food, but not specific, food festival.
Cause there’s something, which is quite interesting, which is a chilli-eating and making competitions.
Wow, where’s that?
In Texas.
Oh, of course.
Of course you have to make it really, really hot and of course they have different contests... And, so if you like food, it’s a really great place to go but again it’s probably similar with the shin festivals, like, probably…
A bit masochistic.
Absolutely.
Yeah, your stomach at the end… Sounds interesting.
I think I’ll just stick to my music festivals.
Yeah, exactly.
More enjoyable.
Yeah.
