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Show Biz
Show Biz English, baby! Video Lesson

Learn English meaning of ‘show biz’

Date: Jan 02 2018

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Passive Voice

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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There’s no business like show business! With a little luck, a little glamour, and a lot of courage, you can be a star! It takes a lot of work to make it in Hollywood. There’s a lot of pressure to look beautiful. You might have to get a nose job, which is baloney. Or maybe, you’ll have to lose ten pounds, which also makes no sense. You are beautiful just the way you are. But that’s show biz!

When someone talks about show biz, they are talking about show business and the entertainment industry. Show biz might be glamorous, but it also has a dark side. The worst part about show biz is the amount of rejection you will experience. You don’t want to jinx yourself by giving up too soon, though. It can take a long time to make it in show biz.

Andy thinks Kelsey is made for show biz. Watch as Nestor gives them a few tips about show biz in today’s English lesson.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Kelsey

Kelsey

Andy_H

Andy_H

Nestor

Nestor

Brad

Brad

Kelsey:  This is a big scene. I’m so nervous!

Andy_H:  Oh, you’ll do great. You were made for show biz. Good luck!

Nestor:  It’s bad luck to say, “Good luck.”

Andy_H:  That makes no sense.

Kelsey:  That’s a thing?

Nestor:  Yeah, it’s definitely a thing.

Kelsey:  I don’t know. It sounds like baloney to me.

Nestor:  No, it’s a show biz thing… definitely not baloney.

Andy_H:  Baloney is for sandwiches.

Nestor:  Anyways, it’s bad luck to say good luck, so you say, “Break a leg.”

Andy_H:  Break a leg?

Nestor:  Yeah, by wishing the worst thing that can happen, you don’t jinx it.

Kelsey:  Um… OK….

Andy_H:   Well, whatever. Have fun. Break a leg!

Nestor:  OK, everyone ready? Kelsey, you feel good?

Kelsey:  I’m ready.

Nestor:  OK. Let’s roll.

Brad:  Scene 23 Alpha, take one.

Nestor:  Action!

Kelsey:  Ah! My leg!

Andy_H:  Uh-oh!

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Kelsey is nervous about filming the next scene. Andy tells her she was made for show biz and wishes her good luck. Nestor tells them that in show biz, wishing someone good luck is actually bad luck. You don’t want to jinx them! Instead, you tell them to break a leg.

Andy and Kelsey think that telling someone to break a leg is a little weird. But whatever, Andy tells Kelsey to break a leg. Nestor tells the camera to roll and Kelsey starts the scene. She starts to sneak across the room, then falls and hurts her leg. Uh-oh.

Do you think wishing someone good luck is a jinx? Have you ever told someone to break a leg?

 

Comments

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ShiningSun

ShiningSun

United Kingdom

True, sometimes wishing someone good luck could be a jinx. Either because of long and tedious journey or because of dangers involved in doing something. But as another expression sums up, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. In that meaning show biz is full of opportunities and glamour but on flip side it involves lots of rejections; and each rejection is equal to breaking a leg. I agree sometimes you realistically need to tell someone to break a leg.

01:57 PM Jan 02 2018 |

ola3

ola3Super Member!

Ukraine

You know, i just realized it’s true. In all my cases when someone wished me good luck- it never brought any luck, but as soon as someone said- ‘nah, you won’t make it , the result was quite opposite . Interesting! Break a leg is a strong expression:)) we have in our own language a similar one but without a body damage. It came from the hunting , when a hunter used to go hunting, the wish was for him – not a bit of down, nor a single feather, and to not jinx it, the hunter should’ve said an f word:) it doesn’t sound so bad in our own language
Ни пуха, ни пера
Пошёл к черту:)
But now, looks like, everyone says – good luck
Only once I wished ‘break a leg ’ to one musician and I saw his face lit up with joy:)

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