Unit 3
Video scripts
START IT!
3.1
Do you speak emoji?
What is language? The words we write? The words we
speak? How someone says the words? The way they
move when they are saying them? The way people feel
when they say them? Sometimes people can get the
wrong message. And sometimes our ideas are not
clear ... even when we try our best.
So maybe words aren’t enough. In our world
of technology, are people losing the ability to
communicate or are we still able to understand each
other? How can we show our feelings, or emotions,
behind the words?
Some years ago people started using punctuation to
show emotions and this worked ... some of the time.
But then something new came from Japan – the emoji!
The emoji changed texting forever. Emojis helped us
to show our emotions. They could show when we were
feeling angry, happy, good, surprised or bored. Emojis
helped us communicate what we wanted to say quickly
and clearly. However, this wasn’t a new idea!
Long ago, people used to communicate with pictures.
They drew animals and people on walls. These pictures
gave people a way to tell their stories thousands of
years before the written word appeared. We’ve gone
from pictures ... to emojis and a lot has happened
in between. Some people have said this is going
backwards. But is it really?
Language is a mix of speech, the written word, body
language and emotions. Emojis give us another way to
express ourselves and can also reflect our culture. For
example, Arabic speakers use flower and plant emojis
four times more than speakers of other languages.
And did you know that the smiley is the most popular
emoji for everyone … except French speakers? Can you
guess their most popular emoji? Yep, the heart.
So, have emojis made us better communicators? Or do
we still have some work to do? Do you speak emoji?
What’s your favourite?
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LANGUAGE IN ACTION 1
3.2
Th
 ree tips to communicate in
a second language
Here are three tips to help you communicate
in a second language. These are all problems I
had when I learnt to speak Spanish. Hopefully
you’ll be able to learn from my mistakes.
When I first moved here, I couldn’t speak
Spanish very well and I was really shy.
Unfortunately, being shy doesn’t help you to
learn a new language.
At restaurants, I could only point and gesture
because I was so shy. Of course, I often ordered
the wrong food. And then I didn’t want to send
it back because it was embarrassing! I ate a lot
of things I didn’t like. So, don’t be shy!
Have you noticed how quickly native speakers
speak?
Soyou’llhavethedoublecheeseburger?
And when you ask, ‘Could you repeat that,
please?’ They say the same thing just as fast,
but they shout it.
SOYOU’LLHAVETHEDOUBLECHEESEBURGER?
I can hear you, but I can’t understand what
you’re saying whenyousayitsofast.
How can you improve your listening? Watch
native speakers on TV, in movies or in vlogs.
At first, you won’t be able to understand them,
but after you watch them a few times, you’ll
start to improve.
Soyou’llhavethedoublecheeseburger? (x3)
So you’ll have the double cheese burger?
Language in action
can, could, will be able to
Let’s talk about the vlog.
Which language did the vlogger use to talk about
‘ability’?
We use could to talk about a general ability in the past.
I could only point and gesture.
I couldn’t speak Spanish very well.
Could you repeat that, please?
Own it! 3 Unit 3 – Video scripts
We use can to talk about a general ability in the present.
I can hear you.
I can’t understand what you’re saying.
How can you improve your listening?
We use will be able to to talk about ability in the future.
Hopefully you’ll be able to learn from my
mistakes.
At first, you won’t be able to understand them.
Will you be able to learn from his mistakes?
Notice: We don’t use will with can or could.
And we don’t say can to or could to.
Use it!
Make a sentence with can/can’t, could/couldn’t or
will/won’t be able to.
Soyou’llhavethedoublecheeseburguer?
He won’t be able to understand.
Last year, he couldn’t speak Spanish.
Now he can speak Spanish.
Now you try.
Next year, he’ll be able to swim.
He can’t play the guitar but he can play the piano.
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LANGUAGE IN ACTION 2
3.3
My embarrasing moment
Hola! Sorry you haven’t heard from me for
a while. My family and I have been in Mexico
since last week and we’ve been very busy
since we got here. We’ve never been to Mexico
before, but so far, we love it!
Let me tell you my funny story: We went to
a restaurant last night. My family doesn’t
speak Spanish, but I’ve studied Spanish for
a year, so I ordered dinner for us. The waiter
actually asked me in Spanish, ‘How long have
you studied Spanish?’ ‘For a year,’ I said.
The food was wonderful. And then it was time
to order dessert…
There was an ice cream flavour called ‘tuna.’
‘Ew! Tuna fish ice cream?’ I said.
The waiter explained that in Mexican
Spanish, ‘tuna’ means the fruit of the prickly
pear plant! And tuna fish is ‘atun.’
We all had a good laugh.
It hasn’t been easy speaking Spanish since we
arrived last week, but you can’t improve if you
don’t try.
Oh, and the ‘tuna’ ice cream was delicious!
Ciao!
Language in action
Present perfect with for / since and How long …?
Let’s talk about the vlog.
Which language did the vlogger use to talk about past
experiences?
We use the present perfect with for, since or how long
to specify the beginning of a present action or to talk
about its duration.
We use for to talk about the duration of a state
or action.
Sorry you haven’t heard from me for a while.
We use since to say when a state or action begins.
My family and I have been in Mexico since last
week.
We use how long to ask how much time somebody has
done something.
How long have you studied Spanish?
For a year.
Own it! 3 Unit 3 – Video scripts
Present perfect vs past simple Have you ever bought a book and not read it? In Japanese,
What’s the difference between the present perfect and there is a word for this. The word is tsundoku, and it means
the past simple? buying books but not reading them, and instead putting
We use the present perfect to talk about our past them in piles, on the floor, on bookshelves or on tables.
experiences. Look around your house. Could you be guilty of tsundoku?
We’ve never been to Mexico before. Is there a word for this in your language?
In Spain, the time after a meal has always been important.
Or to talk about an action that started in the past and
In fact, there is a special word for the time you spend
still continues now.
talking to friends and family around the table after lunch
I’ve studied Spanish for a year.
or dinner. It’s called sobremesa and it can last for hours.
The past simple describes an action that started and Do you have a word in your language for this time?
finished in the past. Did you know that the Germans have a special word to
We went to a restaurant last night. describe when you are at home but without a parent or
adult there? It’s called sturmfrei. Can you translate this
Use it!
word into your language?
Which expressions do we use with for or since?
And what about the English word facepalm?
for since It’s a gesture more than a word. Have you ever put
two weeks last week your hand to your face when you are embarrassed or
an hour we’ve been here perhaps annoyed? Well, that’s a facepalm, and it’s been
one month I was ten an emoji since 2016. Do it right now! You’ll be able to
a long time this morning remember it better. These words exist because they
a few weeks 2017 describe something important to those cultures.
ages January Like the Inuit who have many words for snow. What is
important in your culture? How many words do you
How many did you get right? have to describe it? Which idea would you like to invent
a word for?
GLOBETROTTERS
3.5
Other worlds, other words
Language helps us communicate our ideas, but not
every language has a word to describe the same thing.
And some languages even have many different words
for one thing. Did you know that Hawaiians have 47
words for bananas? And one tribe in Brazil has 29
words to describe ants? And Scotland has – well, we
don’t know how many words – for bad weather. Why?
Because these things are part of their daily lives and
an important part of their culture. Let’s explore some
of the words and ideas that are unique to a particular
language and culture.

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