Emilia Clarke gives advice to her 18-year-old self

Emilia Clarke gives heartfelt advice to her 18-year-old self. From her career, to dating, to school, to family, and everything in-between, Emilia reveals what she wishes she knew at that formative age.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1. What is the journey going to bring for Emilia?
2. What doesn’t she need to do at parties?
3. How does she see herself physically?
4. How does she feel with some relationships?
5. What effect is a heartbreak going to have on her?
6. What does she have to do with the people she really loves?

Dear Emilia,
You just turned 18. So, as your future self, here is some advice that I'd like to give you.

This particular journey that you're on is unlike any one of your friends that you're with right now. What they're doing is gonna bring them joy and happiness, and what you're doing is also gonna bring you maybe a little more struggle, and some joy and happiness as well. There are gonna be times when someone says that dream that you've had, your entire life, the moment when someone says that's not possible, it is. I know you didn't get into drama school this time around, but you will. You have the strength to overcome it.

And you can go to the parties, and you're gonna have fun at the parties, but you don't need to do everything that everyone's doing. You know, ain't nothing wrong with a Diet Coke, ain't nothing wrong.

Eighteen-year-old Emilia, I'm gonna quote this sunscreen song at you. I know you know it. You are not as fat as you think you are. There are some women who look some way, and there are other women who look another way, like, a whole other way. And the way that the other women look, people love, because they look like women.

So, when it comes to relationship advice, there's other things that come along with relationships. You think that they're, like inspecting everything and, you know, and kinda looking at you in a way of, sort of, that makes you feel uncomfortable or judged or whatever it is. Chances are they're not. Chances are they're just super happy to be there.

You're gonna feel some serious heartbreak. You're gonna feel some, like, proper... some proper things. And the reason why it's gonna hurt so much... It's because that heartbreak is gonna make you doubt yourself. You put yourself out on a plate and you bare everything, and someone says that they don't really like that. So that makes you feel... like you're not worth it. But you are, and there's lots of people who are gonna tell you that you are worth it.

The people in your life, when all the lights are off, the real people who you really love, just hug them, like, every day.

Okay. So parting words, little Emilia... littler Emilia, I'm just gonna say that, um, you know, it's autumn right now, because it's October, but... winter is coming. And wear sunscreen!

Love, Emilia

KEY:
1 struggle, happiness, joy
2 everything that everyone is doing
3 fat
4 uncomfortable or judged
5 it’s going to make her doubt herself
6 hug them every day

Talking point: Survival

This week's talking point is survival. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

When was the last time you went to some kind of natural environment?
What did you do there?
How did you prepare for your trip?
What advice would you give to people that are planning to do these activities?

Camping in a forest

Backpacking in a foreign country

Swimming in the sea

Hiking in the mountain

A visitor is coming to stay in your country or region. What would you tell them about the following?
- endangered species and where you can find them
- dangerous animals or other creatures (e.g. birds, fish, insects)
- other possible risks or dangers (e.g. diseases, dangerous places, travel, weather)

ANECDOTE
Think of a dangerous situation that you or someone you know was in, or it could be something you know about from a book, a film or the news. Make notes about the following questions:

Where and when did it take place?
Who was involved?
What was the scene or background to the story?
What were the main events?
How did you / the person feel?
What was the outcome?

To illustrate the topic you can watch the video planning for backpacking around the world.

Reading test: Private lives

In this week's reading test we are going to practise the heading-matching kind of task. Read the six situations below, taken from The Guardian feature Private lives, where people write about personal problems seeking advice from readers, and match headings A-H with the corresponding problem. There are two headings you do not need to use.

A - Absolutely careless
B - Am I being disloyal?
C - Heading for a breakdown
D - I feel out of practice
E - I’m being fat-shamed
F - In the dark
G - Loveless relationship
H - Never-ending disagreement

1
I’ve been single for three years after a breakup with an abusive partner. I’ve recovered, and I’m very happy and open to a relationship. I’ve developed feelings for someone I see weekly; he’s the first person I’ve felt such a spark for in ages. He always compliments me when he sees me and seems decent, but he works almost non-stop and has little free time. Last week, we ended up kissing and fooling around, but I left before things got really heated. He said he might text me to meet up, but he didn’t, and when I saw him this week he was complimentary and flirtatious, but also distant. I’ve been single for so long; how do I turn something like this into a relationship?

2
I come from a large family and have five siblings. I am 19, female and going to university in September. The only person in my family who doesn’t make comments about my weight is my father. “Go and do this, it will burn calories,” “Oh, I thought you were pregnant,” “Watch what you’re eating, you’re getting big,” ”If you wear that you better suck in” ... You get the gist. I can’t take it any more. Only my sister knows that I suffered four years of bulimia because of similar comments in earlier years. I am just over two years free of this horrible disorder, and I’m scared I’m gradually turning back.

3
I am finding my wife’s driving increasingly alarming. We are both active and fairly independent people in our mid-60s. I’m sure I have slowed down as we have aged, but it seems as if she has speeded up. A trip with her at the wheel feels uncomfortable and erratic, bordering on the dangerous at times. She shows scant regard for speed limits and, after a journey in her car, I’m usually a nervous wreck. I’m also worried when she is out driving on her own. Any attempt to pass comment or discuss this simply meets with hostility, however I approach it. I am sure she would benefit from an advanced driving course, but we can’t even discuss it. We get on moderately well otherwise. What can I do?

4
My grandmother died some years ago. We were very close and loved one another very much. Her jewellery was divided among the grandchildren though I was given more than the others. It is not the sort I would wear, but I keep it as a memento of her and our relationship. I am now struggling to keep afloat financially, and feel sad that I can’t afford to buy nice things for my family and friends at Christmas. I know my grandmother always wanted me to be healthy, safe and happy, and any money raised would help in keeping me “safe” financially. But is it betraying her because she was so wonderful and is it an insult to her memory to sell these items?

5
My job is a low-paid, basic administrative role. My manager is going on maternity leave and although there is money to recruit a replacement, this will not happen and I will be given the majority of her tasks. My workload is already high but because I tend to work quickly, my manager expects that I should do every imaginable task in a short period of time. I recently stood up for myself and said I’d have to work at a slower pace if I’m expected to do a manager’s job on top of my own. Since speaking up, the atmosphere has been horrible and she is trying to catch me out over everything: accusing me of taking too much sick leave, which isn’t true, and denying me certain annual leave dates because they don’t suit her. I can feel myself getting sick from stress and desperately need advice so as not to mentally collapse.

6
I recently found out my husband has racked up a £10,000 credit card bill. He says it was spent on living expenses when we were short of cash. He has been the main wage earner since the birth of our first child five years ago. He admitted he would not have told me if I had not found out. If he had told me were in trouble financially we could have worked it out together – we’ve done so before – but he stuck his head in the sand. I am so angry and now my anger is turning to contempt. I can’t believe his stupidity. He is a good father and our children will be devastated if we split but I’m not sure I can remain married to someone I no longer trust or respect.

KEY:
1D 2E 3A 4B 5C 6F

Reading test: Inter Rail Europe - My top ten tips

Inter Rail Europe - My top ten tips is a more than interesting article written by Rob Fehily and published by Hostel World in July 2014.

Read the article and match the tips 1-9 with one of the heading A-L. There are two headings you do not need to use. 0 is an example.

Inter railing around Europe was a life-changing experience. I found it to be like a sort of travelling Pandora’s Box with a colourful array of different and notable things contained within - attractions, restaurants, tours, parks, museums and sights all for you to experience and explore. Like in the Pandora’s Box myth however, there is an important cautionary element to note in relation to such a trip. It would be unwise not to think and plan before considering inter railing, and I learnt there are some very practical dos and don’ts with journeys like this. But using my top ten tips, your European inter rail trip should flow that little bit smoother.


0. Example: Heading F
This was one of our biggest mistakes. We packed everything we thought we needed and then some. What I strongly recommend is that you take as little as possible. Travel light. I once read (after our trip) a tip about travelling abroad. It said you should ‘lay out everything you think you will need on the floor. Now halve it.’ It seems drastic, but when you are lugging around that big, heavy backpack with you mostly everywhere you go, probably in relentless heat, you will wish you had brought less. Don't be afraid to buy a few mundane, cheap, single-use items while on the trip, such as sachets of shower gel and toothpaste for instance. At every opportunity, save on space. The lighter, the better.

1.
Believe me when I say that you will likely end up spending more money than you think you will. Be economical with certain things (such as souvenirs) but don’t try to cut corners when you’re considering accommodation, food and drink. Do not (as I have heard from some in the past) try to save cash by sleeping for free in train stations. This is reckless and stupid. I can’t stress the importance of shelter and nutrition enough. During the summer months Europe is blisteringly hot, and if you’re not well rested, well fed and well hydrated (drinking enough water is crucial) you simply won’t be able to enjoy all the great attractions.

2.
First and foremost, if you’re travelling with somebody else make sure you get on with them very well. Remember that you will be spending all of your time with this person (or people) for the entire trip, unless you have plans to split up along the way. I travelled with my cousin and though we had one minor quibble during our month of inter railing, we understood each other very well and had zero arguments. If you have a fight and things get awkward, make sure to sort it out as soon as you can. This way you won’t let it ruin your trip.

3. 
Don’t arrive in a city (especially one of the more popular ones) without knowing you have somewhere to sleep. Every time we arrived in a different location, the worry of finding shelter assaulted us like an unwelcome, loud dog because we never booked ahead. Only twice on our trip did we have a hostel pre-booked and it really made a huge difference because the anxiety of securing a bed was nowhere to be felt. We simply turned up as expected. It also speeds things up; the time you save not wandering around searching for a place to stay means you can capitalize on your new surroundings.

4. 
When you venture into a foreign city be sure to bring a compass. This is absolutely essential. You will probably be working from tourist maps 80% of the time trying to find firstly where you are, and secondly where your destination lies. Without a compass this can sometimes be extraordinarily difficult if there are no obvious landmarks in sight. The compasses we brought were tiny, very practical and maximally portable. In fact, you should bring two just in case you lose one.

5. 
If you wish to buy souvenirs, try not to be too liberal. It's nice to have a token by which to remember your stay in Chochołów - a ceramic or wood plate for example - but don't forget that you will have to carry it around with you everywhere you go from the moment you buy it. Sending souvenirs home is a possibility, but we found this to be quite expensive, and money that was better spent on food, accommodation and tours.

6. 
If you’re not fluent, then try to learn a few very basic utterances and greetings in the local tongue. At least know how to say please and thank you. Most of the locals will probably smile when they see a foreigner in their country making the effort to thank them in their own language. If this is the case they are likely to be more patient when giving directions to that landmark you desperately wish to see, or taking your order at the nearby restaurant. Check out the cover page of Hostelworld’s Pocket Guides for some essential and very useful phrases in a diversity of languages.

7. 
When you reach your destination, the first thing you might think of doing after checking into the hostel is exploring on your own. Don’t. The first thing you should do is speak to whoever is working behind the desk in the hostel. This way you can get essential information on the local area, maps and tips directed specifically toward budget travellers. Think of it as time invested rather than time wasted. You will thank yourself (and the hostel staff!) for it later.

8. 
Unless it’s unavoidable, don’t bring any formal or heavy clothes. It’s important not to have a weighty backpack, and don’t think that the sun will show mercy when wearing jeans or cords trekking around the Parisian boulevards. Without bordering on the unacceptable, wear as little as possible. Think shorts, sandals and a light fabric t-shirt. If you’re wearing sandals, be absolutely sure they’re comfortable. It’s painful after thirteen hours of walking when the strap begins to cut into your foot. I made this mistake - don’t make the same one.

9. 
Europe really is a magical continent, but it covers a vast portion of the world. If you plan on inter railing around it, that takes time. It will of course depend on the nature of your trip, but on average we spent approximately four hours on every train. Multiply this by the fifteen trains we took during our month away and you get an idea of how much time we spent zipping around the European landscape in a tiny cabin at hundreds of kilometres per hour. For these long journeys bring something to pass the hours away such as a small book, a pack of cards, Travel Scrabble, or some other such item that won’t monopolise the precious space in your backpack.

Headings
A - Always do it well in advance
B - Be selective with your company
C - Be sure to have fun
D - Consider your budget realistically
E - Do it sparingly
F - Don't take too much luggage with you - 0. Example
G - First and foremost
H - It will help you find your whereabouts
I - It will help you win them over
J - Learn from other people’s misfortunes
K - Prepare yourself for killing time
L - Think before you act

 

Photo Hostelworld.com via imgur

 

Key
A - Always do it well in advance – 3
B - Be selective with your company – 2
C - Be sure to have fun – not used
D - Consider your budget realistically – 1
E - Do it sparingly – 5
F - Don't take too much luggage with you – 0 Example
G - First and foremost – 7
H - It will help you find your whereabouts – 4
I - It will help you win them over – 6
J - Learn from other people’s misfortunes – 8
K - Prepare yourself for killing time – 9
L - Think before you act – not used

Reading test: How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?

This school year we are starting off a new section in the blog which focuses on reading. Every other Saturday, we will be publishing reading comprehension and vocabulary activities on an online article. This way we intend to come full circle in the activities My That's English! offers students, especially those at an intermediate level and those who have to sit an official exam like the EOI exam, by providing activities in the four skills through (mainly) internet-based material.

I came across today's article, How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?, through Patrick McMahon and his excellent English for University.

Before you read the article, think about these questions.
Do you consider yourself to be fluent in English?
What is the best course of action to become fluent in a foreign language?
How long does it take to speak good English?

Now you can read the article and find out about the answer to questions two and three above. You might come across some vocabulary difficulties, just ignore them the first time you read the article.

Reading comprehension
Say whether these statements are true (T), false (F) or the information is not given (NG), according to the article.
1 The majority of immigrants in the UK don’t speak English well.
2  It might take 360 hours to achieve citizenship in the UK.
3  Immigrants who don’t speak English won’t be allowed to ask for benefits.
4 One week is enough to learn very basic conversational English.
5  How fast you learn a language changes from one person to another.
6 Immersion is the only essential factor for immigrants to learn the language well.
7 Having a very good command of a foreign language is not always possible.

The article, How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?, is quite lengthy, so we've taken some sentences out of it to work on vocabulary:

In sentences 1-5, find the verbs with these meanings:
a) establish residence; b) learn; c) reduce; d) run away from; e) throw forcefully.
In sentences 6-10, trying to explain the words in red in your own words.

1. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.
2. But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. 
3. School plunges them into the new language.
4. Every (UK) government has been trying to bring it down (it=the number of hours necessary to move up a level).
5. Thura (...) fled Burma for political reasons and arrived in the UK in 2009.
6. George Osborne said (...) that welfare claimants who don't speak English will have their benefits cut
7. It will vary from illiteracy to degree level.
8. ...and have a large bearing on how they can learn in the classroom.
9. ...exposure to hearing English is crucial.
10. ...immigrants arriving on a spouse's visa are not eligible for free English classes.

Learning eight, ten or twelve vocabulary items whenever we do a reading activity is a sensible target we can set ourselves, as long as we know how to fully use the new vocabulary, revise it and use it regularly and know how to pronounce it. Remember that howjsay is an invaluable online pronunciation dictionary that can help you with pronunciation issues.

Discussion
After reading the article, how do you view your own English language learning?
What should you do more of that you don't?
How can we get immersed in the language we are learning without living in the country?

Writing
The son of your English friend is coming to your country to study a year of his degree within the Erasmus project. Write an email to your friend giving him/her some advice for their child on how to best learn your language in the area where you live. Write around 170 words.

For how to write a letter of advice you can visit on this blog: Writing workshop 22

Key:
1NM 2F 3F 4F 5T 6F 7T
a) settle b) pick up c) bring down d) flee (flee-fled-fled) e) plunge
6 claimant: someone who claims (asks for) a benefit or right
7 illiteracy: not being able to read and/or write
8 bearing: influence
9 exposure: the condition of being exposed to something, ie, have direct contact with something
10 spouse: your husband or wife

Speakout Advanced: Advice

In this week's video podcast from Speakout, the Pearson Longman textbook, passers-by answer some questions about advice:

Are you the kind of person who asks other people for advice?
What’s the best or worst advice you’ve ever been given?
What would be your best advice for living a happy life?

Watch the video and note down what each person says.



Now it's over to you. Answer the questions above about yourself. Try and use some of the vocabulary and expressions the people in the video used.

You can read the transcript here.

Talking point: Advice

What’s the best advice someone has given you?
Why was it good advice?
Who gave it to you, and when?
Did you follow it?
Have you ever regretted not following someone's advice?
Have you ever been given bad advice?
Do friends, colleagues/classmates or family ever turn to you for advice?
What makes them trust you?

Today's talking point is giving advice. Discuss the questions above with the members of your conversation group.

In preparation for your session, you can read Javier C. Hernandez article for The New York Times A Mayor’s Recollections of Motherly Advice.