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Keskiviikko 🇫🇮 Szerda 🇭🇺 Wednesday 🇬🇧

Back on track


After a fairly good night's sleep - both of us had to powder our noses at 4 a.m. - we woke up with a start at 7 a.m., and things sped up afterwards. Completing the morning routines meant I could buckle down and study at last. I did till 11:30 a:m., then I prepared lunch - rice with tomato, cucumber, and parsley - had a coffee and took Abby for her afternoon walk.


When we returned from the walk, I sat down to study again. I started to complete my homework, which was even more difficult than the previous one. I have to watch a video about Russell Brand and Jon Snow having a debate about the UK Drug Policy and: 

  • how the interlocutors address one another (formally, informally, respectfully, disrespectfully, etc.
  • how the power dynamics work within the conversation (at what point is Jon Snow in control, at what point does Russell Brand take control?) and what the result is
  • from a linguistic perspective, how strong the arguments are that each of them raise:
  • the expressions they use (can a crass way of speaking also be considered effective to persuade an audience?)
  • the use of rhetorical questions, body language
  • who has come out of the debate as "the winner"?
  • Please jot down any expressions that you find impactful when gaining control in a debate and persuading others of your opinion.

I love this task, but it is challenging, and I have to spend more time on it to complete it.


Anyway, when my head was full of homework I decided to practice the tai chi set - initially, I'd wanted to go out for a walk, but seeing the dark grey clouds in the sky had indicated another type of activity. After finishing the set and devouring my dinner, I pored over some of the previous lessons' vocabulary and the one I'd seen this morning on YouTube by Ben Gil, a brilliant English teacher. I watched two of his videos containing interesting phrasal verbs and adjectives one is supposed to use during a CPE exam:

FICKLE

changes their opinion easily and suddenly


LAMBAST

heavily criticise; to attack or criticise somebody/something very severely, especially in public


GULLIBLE

easily tricked/believes everything


CANTANKEROUS (for older people)

difficult to deal with, argumentative, complain a lot


DOWNRIGHT

used to emphasise the next/following word; used as a way of emphasising something negative or unpleasant


PLUCKY (for younger people)

brave, courageous, spirited


QUIRKY

weird/different in a fun way


UNCOUTH

lacking class or grace


UNFLAPPABLE

calm under pressure


ALOOF

emotionally distant (in a cool way)


VERBOSE

uses too many words - he's such a bore at parties. he's always so verbose.


HAPLESS

unlucky


BUOY UP

to make someone feel happier / more positive


STAVE OFF

to stop (or delay) something bad from happening


TO WHILE AWAY

to spend time doing something nice, pleasant and easy


PIPE DOWN

to stop speaking or making noise


PIPE UP

to suddenly start speaking, to say something suddenly


CLAW BACK

to recuperate something with difficulty (often referring to money)



Well, I think this will do as my next entry, so bye all...

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