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Project Runway
Project Runway

Learn English in this 'Project Runway' ESL lesson

Date: Apr 17 2015

Themes: Fashion, Hobbies, Pop Culture

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

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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Every morning when we wake up and get ready for the day, we have to decide what we’ll wear. For some people, it’s an easy decision of a simple t-shirt and jeans. Other people spend more time thinking about what their outfit will be. They want to pick out the perfect items from their closet.

Fashion designers help us to express ourselves through clothing. On the TV show “Project Runway,” we can watch the process of creating new fashion. It is a show that began in the U.S., but the idea is so popular that many other countries have their own version of the show.

Jessica is a big fan of “Project Runway” and tells Marni why she thinks it’s so interesting. Find out more in today’s English lesson about competitive reality TV.

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.

Marni

Marni

Jessica

Jessica

Marni:  Jessica, I was flipping channels the other night, and I came upon “Project Runway.”

Jessica:  Oh my goodness.

Marni:  And I know you’re a big fan of the show.

Jessica:  Yes. I am obsessed with that show. And what’s interesting, Marni, is that “Project Runway” is all over the world.

Marni:  Oh, it’s international?

Jessica:  Yes. It gives you exposure into the design process and fashion world for designers and models all over the world.

Marni:  Interesting. This seemed like it was taking place in New York. Is that right?

Jessica:  Yes. Heidi Klum hosts the U.S. version. But there are model hosts all over the world.

Marni:  Ah, fascinating.

Jessica:  Yes. It’s such a neat art form. I just love the competitive aspect of the show.

Marni:  It really seemed like a different take on a reality show. There was fabric everywhere. It was pretty interesting.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Jessica really loves the TV show “Project Runway.” She thinks it’s great that people can learn about how fashion designers create the clothes that we wear everyday. She explains that the show is so popular that other countries are using the same show idea.

Marni saw “Project Runway” while she was flipping channels on her TV. She noticed that the original U.S. version is filmed in New York City. Marni will probably watch the show again because it was interesting to her.

Have you ever watched “Project Runway”? Is fashion design interesting to you?

 

Comments

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begumdgru

begumdgru

Turkey

I have not seen this program. But all fashion design or designers are interesting to me. Because they’re help to me :) I always spend lots of time on my closet. I think its very boring >.< And I’ll search and watch this show. In Turkey shows similar. In the program there are a few juries and contenters. Contenters are search and find clothes according to their styles then theyre confront to juries, after the comments juries are give points to content.If you’ll get high point from juries you can be winner then you’ll take all of the many :);):)

09:07 AM Apr 18 2015 |

S&W

S&W

China

I love fashion shows and people in those shows are beatiful with perfect body.I never watched Project runway but there are many shows like project runway the one i had always chasing is American Top Model in which i can see how these model works and what kind of effects designer wanna express through models.Right now i like designer Alexander wang and yohji yamamoto.

05:52 AM Apr 18 2015 |

WalaaDab

WalaaDab

Jordan

Frankly, I am interesting in this kind of program, and I am not interesting in fashion and how people wear their clothes. 


06:32 PM Apr 17 2015 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I haven’t watched Project runaway. But I’m a huge fan of the Ukrainian show “Vse bude dobre” , in English, “Everything will be all right”. I fell in love with this show right away and that is due to an amazing host of the show Nadezda Matveeva. Honestly, having watched all kind of shows, I’ve never seen so down to earth, friendly, kind, polite, not a show off person. And the show is a real blast to watch. It gives your everything – cooking, fashion, design, hairstyle, crafts, exercises, astrology, traditions. Every project is represented in details with jokes and stories that right after watching it, your’re an expert to do it! My favorite regular ones of the show – Olga Volkova, Roman Medny, Alla Kovalchuk, Anita Lutsenko and many more. This show shines not only because of the projects but also because of the  amazing people who’re willing and passionate to share and their great great personalilies. :)

s11211s

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I have never seen this show, as they told it seems to be interesting!
Not Only fashion design is interesting to me, but also watching every TV program that about designing and producing every thing like fabric, cars, ships, airplane, home appliances and etc is so interesting to me. I sometimes flipping channels on TV when I came upon a TV programmes about designing and producing something, I stop and watch that.
These kind of shows or programs are informative and useful for me.

03:59 PM Apr 17 2015 |

ntwyh03

ntwyh03

China

I haven’s seen this kind show in China yet,but maybe one day this project will run to China, actualy there are various reality shows on the TV,such as “where is my dad” ,”dad at home”,running man” etc,some of them are not truly reality,it just amusmennt show for draw your attention,it always commercial.

02:26 PM Apr 17 2015 |

Shoba

Shoba

Sri Lanka



No, I haven’t watched it before, and I’m not that keen to watch it in future, either. Impossibly thin models in their ridiculous outfits walking the runway in the name of fashion always makes me run away. 


Nontheless, since “Project Runway” is a competitive reality show it seems like a golden opportunity for the fashion designers to show the world their work and entertain people who are interested in fashion designing. 




11:21 AM Apr 17 2015 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Well, I never heard of it before since I’m not a TV fan actually, but it seems from previous comments that it’s not the type of shows that appeal to me.


Generally I’m not into fashion thing, but we have here some local women programs that include fashions.


I’m very bad when it comes to drawing or designing, but I have a friend, she likes to draw soiree dresses, and I like her works :))

10:43 AM Apr 17 2015 |

MESS

MESS

Turkey

We do not have Project Runaway in Turkey but we have something quite similar. I respect people and their choices for sure but I do not quite understand why people especially on those shows put themselves in awkward situations to be popular. Judge me or not, but some girls wear in such weird ways by displaying their bodies (I mean almost everything) that I even watch them bewilderedly. I love fashion shows pretty much, though but only those created by famous fashion designers to really give a sense of fashion and creative ideas to people. They have a certain purpose unlike other shows. 


One question that lingers in my mind while watching shows like Project Runaway is why do women (almost always women) need to show their bodies? Why do they need to expose so much? To get compliments from men? Okay, but that seems stupid to me. Why do women seek to hear compliments especially from men to feel pretty? If a woman is pretty, then she is pretty whether a man confirms it or not. So the bottom line is, these shows are good in terms of giving fashion related ideas but when they go beyond their aim which is usually the common case, it is a waste of time. Besides, I think everything should be done moderately and also appropriately. I do not believe that outfits shown on most of these fashion shows (Project Runaway and similar shows) are quite appropriate for daily wears considering that we all have different tasks and issues to handle at work or in life. 


P.S: I am not judging anybody here. Anyone is free to wear anything or nothing. It is their personal choice and I am in no position to judge. 

Alexey777

Russian Federation

i dont like this pornshow runaway, strictly for the girls

07:16 AM Apr 17 2015 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Initially,  many popular TV shows in my country were taken from USA TV projects . On one side it is good of course, but on the other side it is sadly to realize that we can’t creat an interesting idea of show by ourselves. :(


There is an analog of “Project Runway” in my country which is called “Fashion sentence” . This show is lead by famous stylists, designers of clothes, editors of fashion magazines. 


Unfortunately I have absolutely no time to sit at the TV and watch it hence I don’t know what is happening in TV world exactly :)

06:53 AM Apr 17 2015 |

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