English, baby! Free English Lessons

Fourth of July

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Once again, it’s time to celebrate the birth of our nation. Don’t forget the beer!

Each year on the Fourth of July, Americans watch fireworks displays, have potlucks and barbecues, and eat foods like hamburgers, watermelon, potato salad, and apple pie. For many people, Independence Day is more about kicking back and having fun than remembering the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But it seems like the founding fathers were pretty cool guys. So maybe they would have wanted it that way.

Listen to Ella explain to Mason why she loves the Fourth.

hater

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

“Everybody that’s haters, they just been haters. All my real fans, I love you all. I ain’t a monster.”

- Singer Chris Brown, responding to criticism. (BET)

Duplicity

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

A good date movie is hard to find. You want something that’s romantic but not too sappy, with enough action to keep everyone interested but not too much blood. And it should be deep enough to give you something to talk about over dinner, but not so heavy that you leave the theater feeling depressed.

The new film Duplicity might be a good option. Part romantic comedy, part spy thriller, it’s a movie that has something for everyone. Now you just need to pick a restaurant…

Listen to Devan and Marni try to categorize Duplicity.

Workaholic

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

When most people are done with work, they clock out, go home, and don’t think about work until the next morning. But some jobs sort of follow you home. Police officers, for instance, have such an intense job that it can be hard to stop thinking like a police officer when the work day is over.

When you think of addiction, you usually think of drugs, but people can also be addicted to work. When she was working undercover, Ella was working anytime she hung out with Mason. Will she be able to stop acting like a cop now that she and Mason are going to be friends? Watch as Ella treats Mason’s bedroom like a a crime scene.

Can’t see the video below? You can watch it here.

Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Michael Jackson was truly “The King of Pop.” He was officially the most successful entertainer of all time. He died last week. He was only 50 years old.

As soon as the news came out that Jackson had passed on, people began playing his music everywhere. Jackson’s pop songs could be heard coming from every car and every storefront. Some radio stations played nothing but Michael Jackson for the rest of the day. Even though Jackson has had health issues for a long time (you might notice in recent photos his skin is pale, not the brown color he was born with), people were surprised he died so young.

Though he hadn’t made an album since 2001 and had battled accusations of sexual abuse of children for many years, Jackson had planned to return to performing soon. Listen to Jason and Devan talk on the phone the day after Jackson’s death.