Here’s Georgina to tell you about the differences between ‘whisper’, ‘murmur’ and ‘mumble’.

Complete the sentence below with the correct word.

He __________ the secret because he only wanted me to hear!
a) murmured
b) mumbled
c) whispered

Visit our website for the transcript, a summary and more quizzes:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-2/session-24

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#learnenglish #bbclearningenglish #onlineenglish #englishinaminute #grammar

Do you have issues sleeping?

It seems some people – in the UK at least – are finding it hard to sleep during lockdown. Researchers at Kings College London spoke to 2,000 people and found out that more than half the people they spoke to weren’t sleeping properly. 2 in 5 were having strange dreams. Neil and Catherine look at the vocabulary in the news around this story.

*Please note: We have decided to activate YouTube’s automatic subtitles on this video. The BBC is not responsible for the accuracy of YouTube automatic subtitles.

The story

It seems people – in the UK at least – are finding it hard to sleep during lockdown. Researchers at Kings College London spoke to 2,000 people and found out that more than half the people they spoke to weren’t sleeping properly. 2 in 5 were having strange dreams.

Vocabulary

disrupted
prevented from continuing

• School closures have disrupted children’s lives.
• Train strikes disrupted our journey home.

uneasy
worrying; anxious

• Using public transport during the pandemic makes me feel uneasy.
• It’s an uneasy experience watching a child learn to ride a bike.
insomnia
medical condition in which sleeping is difficult

• Too much screen time can cause insomnia.
• Long-term insomnia can lead to serious illness.

To download the audio and test your understanding, go to our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/newsreview/unit-13/session-146

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#bbclearningenglish #vocabulary #newsreview

What upsets you? Sometimes we get upset over nothing, or over something that seems trivial. In this episode, Feifei and Roy talk about an adjective to describe when people are upset over nothing. Learn more about the word ‘salty’.

You can download the audio and text from our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak/ep-200525

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#angry #bbclearningenglish #learnenglish #vocabulary

When visiting another country and taking our electronic goods we may find ourselves checking plugs and voltage, looking for an adaptor and trying to avoid blowing a fuse. Neil and Georgina talk about how electrical systems differs from country to country and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

This week’s question
Who discovered electricity? Was it:
a) Thomas Edison
b) Alexander Graham Bell, or
c) Benjamin Franklin

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
frequency
how often something repeats; electrical current frequency is the number of times a wave repeats a positive-to-negative cycle

synchronous
occurring together at the same time, place or rate

a bit of a pickle
informal expression meaning a difficult situation with no obvious answer

charge up
get the power needed to work; recharge

anomalies
differences from what is usual or expected

solid state
electronics using semiconductors which have no moving parts and can automatically convert different electrical currents

You can download the audio and a transcript from our website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish…

#learnenglish #bbclearningenglish #electricity #vocabulary

Apparently, handwashing helps the fight against Covid-19. Health authorities say that washing your hands can help to prevent the spread of viruses such as the coronavirus. But the idea of keeping hands clean to help prevent diseases is nothing new. Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweiss was one of the first people to realise its importance. Neil and Georgina talk about his work and teach you some useful English vocabulary along the way.

This week’s question
Ignaz Semmelweiss was known as the ‘saviour of mothers’ for keeping maternity wards germ-free and he had a very interesting life. But what happened to him in the end? Was it:

He won the Nobel prize
He ended up in hospital for mentally ill people
He started the first company to produce hand soap
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
patron saint
protecting or guiding saint believed to give special help to a person or place

hygiene
practices for maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness

jumped out
made a strong visual or mental impact; was easy to notice

evidence
facts and information available to decide whether a belief is true or valid

issue
important topic or subject that people are thinking about and discussing

scream and shout
speak in a forceful and sometimes angry way to try to convince someone

To download a transcript and the audio, go to our website at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200507

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#handwashing #bbclearningenglish #topicalenglish #6minuteenglish

Are you washing your hands? A 9-year old Kenyan boy has invented an ingenious hand-washing station to help fight Covid-19.

Watch the video to see how the machine works.

More on coronavirus here: https://bbc.in/2SpV5ut

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Learn vocabulary to talk about the news. Drug trial gives hope for people with coronavirus. Remdesivir is an antiviral that was originally developed as a treatment for Ebola. A full clinical trial of more than a thousand people suggests it cuts coronavirus symptoms from an average of 15 days down to 11. However, the impact on deaths is still not certain, and the fine detail is lacking. The data has not been published or reviewed by independent scientists. It means we cannot be convinced of the drug’s effectiveness or usefulness.

Please note: We have decided to activate YouTube’s automatic subtitles on this video. The BBC is not responsible for the accuracy of YouTube automatic subtitles.

Vocabulary:
clear-cut
obvious; easy to understand

• It was a clear-cut penalty. How did the referee miss it?
• The election result was not clear-cut. A coalition government is likely to follow.
opening the door
making something possible

• By going to university, you’re opening the door to job opportunities.
• Lockdown has opened the door for online delivery companies.
show promise
give an indication of likely success

• Picasso showed promise even when he was a child. His drawings were brilliant.
• Treatment to help people with sleeping problems has been showing promise.

#bbclearningenglish #vocabulary #coronavirus #newsreview

To download the audio and to test your understanding, go to our website at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/newsreview/unit-13/session-141

For more English videos and English lessons to help you learn English: www.bbclearningenglish.com

We like receiving and reading your comments – please use English when you comment.

?Well done for keeping #active in isolation!?
Thank you for sending your photos/videos showing us what you’ve been up to during the coronavirus lockdown.
We’ve selected some of them. Watch the #compilation.

Watch more videos about the coronavirus here (playlist): https://bit.ly/3d1U43z

Learn English with our free English videos everyday on BBC Learning English’s website and YouTube channel: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

#learnenglish #coronavirus #keepactive #stayactive #bbclearningenglish

Oktoberfest in Munich has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. With people in lockdown due to Covid-19, the biggest beer festival in the world isn’t happening. Neil and Catherine look at the vocabulary in the news around this story.

Please note: We have decided to activate YouTube’s automatic subtitles on this video. The BBC is not responsible for the accuracy of YouTube automatic subtitles.

The story

You can perhaps understand why the authorities have made this call. If you’ve been to Oktoberfest, you’ll know that people pack into huge decorated tents. They sit side by side at trestle tables drinking beer and eating German food while listening to German brass bands. The authorities have simply taken the view that it would be far too great a risk to public health to let it continue.

Vocabulary

iconic
very famous; represents a particular idea
•The Eiffel Tower is Paris’s most iconic landmark.
•Most people agree The Beatles were the most iconic band from the 1960s.

bitter pill
unpleasant but necessary
•The coronavirus lockdown is a bitter pill.
•Tax increases may help the economy but they are a bitter pill to swallow.

scrapped
not continued; cancelled
•The new law was so unpopular it was eventually scrapped.
•I scrapped my plans to throw Katka a surprise birthday party when she said she hated surprises.

To download the audio and test yourself in a quiz, go to our website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/newsreview/unit-13/session-140

#bbclearningenglish #coronavirus #englishinthenews #vocabulary #Oktoberfest #newsreview

For more English videos and English lessons to help you learn English: www.bbclearningenglish.com

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