English & the UK: Liverpool

Welcome - English & the UK - Liverpool 

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Rich: We recommend that you listen to this podcast on the Premier Skills English website because that is where we have the transcript, language examples, activities, quizzes and a discussion page to help you understand everything we talk about.

Jack: However, if you’re listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you can leave answers to our questions in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you. 

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re continuing our new mini-series of podcasts that focus on English and the UK. In these podcasts, you will learn more about cities in the UK and at the same time lots of useful English words and phrases.

Jack: In each podcast, we focus on one UK city. In our last podcast, we introduced five surprising facts about Birmingham.

Rich: And we looked at the language we use to introduce surprising facts or information. We looked at phrases such as ‘Did you know …?’, ‘Believe it or not …’ and ‘You’re not going to believe this but …’ 

Jack: We also looked at vocabulary we use to express surprise or disbelief. Phrases such as ‘You’re kidding’, ‘Get away!’ and ‘You’re pulling my leg!’.
 
Rich: If you want to go back and do this lesson you can find it on the Premier Skills English website by clicking skills >  listen > podcasts. If you are on Spotify or Apple Podcasts you’ll find it in the playlist, it’s called ‘English & the UK: Birmingham’. In this episode, we are going to talk about the city that’s home to the current European Champions  - Liverpool. 

Jack: In this week’s roleplay, you will hear me and Rich talking about what there is to do in the city for a visitor.

Rich: And we will focus on a thing other than football that Liverpool is very well-known for: music. 

Jack: You will hear two roleplays. In the first, Rich and I will speak a little about Liverpool, its culture and things to do in the city.

Rich: In the second roleplay, we will speak about Liverpool and music and after the roleplay, we will focus on language connected to music. 

Jack: We’ll also ask you about music. We’d like you to tell us about some famous music or musicians from your country.

Rich: All the cities we focus on in this series are home to Premier League teams so listen out for the football connections in the podcast.

Jack: One of those connections is our football phrase section so don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because that’s when we ask you to guess our weekly football phrase.

Football Phrase 1 

Jack: But, before we look at all that, let’s look at last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week we’ll give you one more chance to guess and give you the correct answer at the end of the show when we give you a new football phrase.

Rich: It wasn’t too difficult because it was one of Jack’s phrases.

Jack: I know my phrases are often easier but I think they are more useful. They’re more common.

Rich: My phrases are useful. I’m going to think of another for the end of the show for everyone to guess. Useful but difficult.

Jack: Anyway, we got a few new users getting the correct answer last week so a big well done to Romakisel from Russia, Kozmo330 from South Korea , Keisuke M from Japan, Palaciosdn from Argentina and Mehrannasrollah from Iran!

Rich: And, of course, some of our regular listeners such as Elghoul from Algeria, Liubomyr from Ukraine, Lakerwang from China and Coreuser from Saudi Arabia also got the right answer. Let’s give everyone one more chance to guess last week’s phrase and we’ll give you the answer at the end of the show. 

Jack: OK, here we go. Right, the football phrase was one-two. The phrase is a type of pass in football when you pass to a teammate, run and your teammate returns the ball to you immediately. It’s often used to get past a defender. If you can count you will surely get this phrase right.

Rich: We’ll tell you the answer to this football phrase at the end of the show and by then I’ll also have thought of a new football phrase for all of you to guess.

Jack: And if you can guess Rich’s football phrase and write it in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website, we will announce your name in next week’s show.

Introduction to Roleplay 1

Jack: You are now going to listen to roleplay 1. 

Rich: You will hear me and Jack talking about Liverpool. 

Jack: After the roleplay, we will ask you to think about the conversation and we’ll talk about the language we use.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question for this roleplay is: 

Jack: Why is Rich going to Liverpool for the weekend?

Roleplay 1

Rich: When we think about Liverpool one of the words that we hear again and again is ‘scouse’ or ‘scouser’. I think there are a few people that won’t know this word so I think we should tell people about it.

Jack: Good idea. Let’s start with the word ‘scouser’. A scouser is an informal word for a person from Liverpool.

Rich: And a scouser speaks scouse, right?

Jack: Yes, many scousers speak Scouse. Scouse is the accent from Liverpool, it has a very distinctive sound. If you listen to Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard or Robbie Fowler in an interview this will give you a good idea. We’ve also a link to a  fun video on the website which shows a young scouser teaching Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, a bit of scouse.

Rich: But it’s just the sounds, right? There aren’t any different words?

Jack: There are some words you will hear much more often in scouse. Two of my favourites are ‘boss’ or ‘sound’.

Rich: What do they mean?

Jack: They mean ‘good’. How was the match? It was boss. How are you doing? Sound.

Rich: I’m a Liverpool but like many Liverpool fans I’m not from Liverpool and I don’t actually know the city that well. We usually go to matches by coach and return straight after the game. But, I’m going to Liverpool for a weekend in a couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to it.

Jack: I’ve been loads of times. There are lots of things to do and see. Liverpool’s not just about the football although the atmosphere at Anfield is probably one of the best in the world.

Rich: Yes, it is. When the Kop sings ‘You’ll never walk alone’ the atmosphere is spine-tingling.

Jack: Liverpool is not only football. It was the European Capital of Culture a few years ago. There are loads of museums. Liverpool has more galleries and museums in the UK than anywhere apart from London.

Rich: Yes, the Tate is a huge modern art gallery and well worth a visit. There’s also loads to learn about history especially history connected to the sea and Liverpool.

Jack: The waterfront and docks in Liverpool are a UNESCO World Heritage site and in museums there you can find out all about when Liverpool was one of the most important ports in the world. 

Rich: The Mersey is the river that runs through Liverpool and is an important part of the city’s culture. The area that includes Liverpool is called Merseyside and that’s why the match between Liverpool and Everton is called the Merseyside Derby.

Jack: Merseybeat is also a style of music from Liverpool and another thing that Liverpool is very famous for.

Rich: And that’s why I’m going to Liverpool for the weekend: music.  

Introduction to Roleplay 2

Jack: You are now going to listen to roleplay 2. 

Rich: You will hear me and Jack talking about music and my trip to Liverpool. 

Jack: After the roleplay, we will ask you to think about the conversation and we’ll talk about the language we use.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question for this roleplay is: 

Jack: Where is Rich going to stay next weekend?

Roleplay 2 

Jack: Hey, Rich. Rich! Rich are you there!

Rich: Sorry, Jack. I was miles away.

Jack: What are you listening to?

Rich: Just a bit of music.

Jack: Really! I’d never have guessed. What are you listening to?

Rich: The Beatles.

Jack: The Beatles. Really? A new release, is it?

Rich: Very funny. The Beatles are timeless. Classics.

Jack: What album are you listening to?

Rich: It’s Sergeant Pepper’s.

Jack: I always preferred Revolver. That was the best Beatles album. It’s got some great tracks on it. Eleanor Rigby, Good Day Sunshine and of course the Yellow Submarine!

Rich: Not sure about that last one. It’s Sergeant Pepper’s for me. It’s got my favourite Beatles track on it - A Day in the Life.

Jack: It is a good tune. I have to say I miss singing Hey Jude. When Olivier Giroud was an Arsenal player we changed the lyrics from Hey Jude to Giroud.

Rich: Chelsea fans get to do that now. Manchester City fans sing that song, too. I don’t know why. 

Jack: So, is Liverpool more famous for the Beatles or football?

Rich: I’m not sure. It’d be very close but that’s why I’m listening. I’m going to Liverpool next weekend with a few Beatles fans. 

Jack: No match this weekend. What are you going to do?

Rich: Loads of things to do with the Beatles. We’re going to stay in the Hard Days Night Hotel. It’s all about the fab four so that should be cool. We’re going to go to the Beatles museum and we’re going to see a gig at the Cavern Club - the venue where the Beatles first played in Liverpool.

Jack: You know it won’t be the Beatles playing!

Rich: Yeah, it will be a tribute band playing Beatles covers but I’m sure it’ll be worth going.

Jack: Did you know that Liverpool is one of UNESCO’s world cities of music? Liverpool has been home to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for over 175 years, Liverpool has some of the UK’s best nightclubs for electronic music and there are music festivals going on all the time: from AfricaOye which is the UK’s biggest festival of African music and culture to the International Festival of Psychedelia.

Rich: Liverpool’s definitely not just the Beatles and football!

Language Focus 2

Jack: Did you get the answer to the question? Where is Rich going to stay next weekend?

Rich: I will be staying in a hotel in Liverpool but not just any old hotel but a Beatles-themed hotel. It’s called the Hard Days Night Hotel which is named after a Beatles album, film and song. It will be a brilliant place to stay.

Jack: OK, stop showing off - we’ve got some vocabulary to talk about. In the roleplay, we used lots of words and phrases connected to music.

Rich: In fact, there are 10 words from the roleplay that we’re going to focus on. Those words are: to release, an album, a track, a tune, lyrics, a gig, a venue, a tribute band, a cover and the fab four.

Jack: All of these words should help you with this week’s task when we’ll ask you to tell us something about music in your country.

Rich: We were talking about the Beatles so to start let’s look at the phrase ‘the fab four’ as this is the phrase people often use to talk about them.

Jack: There were four people in the Beatles and fab is a common informal adjective to mean very good. So, the Beatles were called the fab four.

Rich: Fab is actually short for fabulous. The word was very popular in the 1960s and is not used so much these days.

Jack: OK, let's look at some more common music words. Rich was listening to a Beatles album in the roleplay. An album is a collection of songs from the same musician or group.

Rich: I was listening to Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - an album by the Beatles.

Jack: This album was released in 1967. To be released means to be made available to the public. You often hear this word in the passive. It was released in 1967 is one example or another example could be when is the new FIFA game going to be released.

Rich: It will be released in September I think. Another example of the passive there.

Jack: You probably all know the word ‘song’ but do you know the words ‘track’ and ‘tune’? They can mean more or less the same as song but with a couple of differences.

Rich: A track is a recorded song; in a playlist or on a CD. You play track number four or an album has 12 tracks.

Jack: When Rich said ‘it’s a good tune’ in the roleplay he meant that it was a good song. Tune and song can mean the same thing but tune can also mean the melody without the words.

Rich: The words of the song. That has a special word too.

Jack: Yes, they are called the lyrics. Arsenal fans used to change the lyrics in Hey Jude by the Beatles from Hey Jude to Giroud.

Rich: Very clever! Right, two more words. These are connected to where the music is played: venue and gig.

Jack: Venue is quite straightforward. The venue is the place where an event happens. This could be a concert venue, a venue for a football match or a venue for a wedding or birthday party.

Rich: The word gig is usually specific to music. A gig is a live concert. You could say ‘where’s tonight’s gig?’ or ‘I went to a great gig last night.’

Jack: Let’s look at two final words that are connected to music. The first is cover. This can be a noun or a verb.

Rich: In music, a cover is a song that was originally performed by a different band or musician. 

Jack: And the final word is a tribute band. A tribute band is a band or group that copy the music of another, usually famous band. 

Rich: There are lots of tribute band in the UK: listen to these tribute band names .. can you think of the name of the original band?

Jack: The Bootleg Beatles, The Iron Maidens, Nearvana, Beatalica, Pete Loaf, Bjorn Again and The Ramonas.

Task

Jack: This week we want you to tell us about some music, an album, a musician, a band or a gig or festival from your country.

Rich: You can write about one singer or one band or you can write about one gig or a famous music festival in your country.

Jack: You can write about a concert that you have been to or an album or tune that you have heard. It’s up to you.

Rich: You could also tell us if football fans sing in your country. What do they sing? 

Jack: And remember to try to use some of the vocabulary we have used in this podcast.

Rich: Write your comments on the Premier Skills English website.

This week’s football phrase:

Rich: OK, it’s time for this week’s football phrase. It’s my turn this week so I’ve been thinking of quite a difficult one.

Jack: I hope it’s not as difficult as your last one. What was it again? To throw the kitchen sink at something! What a crazy phrase!

Rich: OK, not as difficult as that one but still quite difficult! This week’s football phrase is to ****** *** ****. This phrase is connected to getting the ball under control. It’s connected to your first touch. We often say he ******** *** **** beautifully when a player controls a long ball with his first touch. To ******* *** **** your body needs to be relaxed and not stiff or the ball may bounce away from you. 

Jack: OK, I think a little clue is needed. The key word in this phrase is the things that you find on your sofa to make it more comfortable.

Rich: Let’s see who can get it right. Write your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website and we’ll announce your name on next week’s show.

Jack: Ok, and before we finish here’s the answer to last week’s football phrase. It was a bit easier than this week’s phrase. The answer was a one-two pass or just a one-two. 

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week. Bye for now and enjoy your football!