Functional Language: Cinema and televison

Idioms related to films and television

• Blue movie: A film that contains graphic sexual content.
• Popcorn movie: A film that is entertaining to watch but is generally not of a very high quality
• Snuff movie: A film that shows the actual murder or death of a person.
• To be star-studded: Lots of famous people in a film, play etc. "It was a star-studded event."
• To steal the show: To win the greatest praise. "Her acceptance speech really stole the show."
• A show stopper: An event that provoques a strong reaction. "His speech was a real show stopper."
• To be in the limelight: To be the center of attention.

Expressions for going to the movies

When a new film is released, you can say:

“When is the release date or premiere of [movie name]?”

When arranging to meet a friend for a movie, you might ask:

“Which cinema is it showing at?”

When you arrive at the ticket office, you’ll be asked:

“Which film would you like to see? Which show time?”

“How many seats would you like?”

You may ask:

“May I have 2 tickets for the 10 o’clock show of [movie name]”

“We would like to sit in row A, seats 12 to 14”

Pronunciation: Linking Words

What is linking?

When we speak naturally we do not pronounce a word, stop, then say the next word in the sentence. Fluent speech flows with a rhythm and the words bump into each other. To make speech flow smoothly the way we pronounce the end and beginning of some words can change depending on the sounds at the beginning and end of those words. Linking is the merging of multiple words together until they sound as if they are only one word.

Types of linking:

Blending

Blending is transitioning from the pronunciation of one sound into the next sound. Blending works well for linking from one continuous consonant (a fricative, approximant, or nasal sound) to another different continuous consonant.

In the phrase "this month", the s sound /s/ blends smoothly into the m sound /m/.

Coarticulation

Coarticulation occurs when adjacent sounds overlap one another, causing a change in one or both sounds' pronunciation. An example of coarticulation is nasal aspiration.

An example of nasal aspiration occurs in the phrase "good news": the air is stopped as a /d/, but released as an /n/.

Assimilation

Assimilation is a more drastic type of coarticulation. The merged sounds are pronounced as an entirely different sound. Two examples of assimilation occur when the t sound /t/ or /d/ precede the y sound /y/.

When the /t/ and /y/ assimilate, the sounds merge into the ch sound /ʧ/.

Intrusion

Intrusion is placing an additional sound between other sounds. For example, adding a slight w sound /w/ or /y/ between vowel sounds is a helpful technique for pronouncing both vowels clearly.

In the phrase "he asked," a small /y/ is added between the long e /i/ and short a /æ/.

Elision

Elision occurs when a sound is removed from a word. For example, when a /t/ or /d/ is between two other consonant sounds (but not the first sound of a word), the /t/ or /d/ can be omitted.

In the phrase "kept going," the /t/ is between two consonant sounds and can be omitted.



Sources:

• https://pronuncian.com/introduction-to-linking/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/features/connected.shtml

Culture: The world's most important awards of film and televison

In this segment, you will get to know some culture about cinema and televisión: you will learn a brief history of the world's most important and prestigious awards of the industry: The Academy Awards, the Golden Globes Awards and the Emmy Awards.

The Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, also called the Oscars, is a formal awards ceremony to honor the best achievements in filmmaking from the previous year. The Academy Awards, from the nomination and voting processes to the ceremony itself, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy has about 6,000 members and is a professional honorary society of people involved in all aspects of making movies.

One of the more prestigious award ceremonies in the world, The Academy Awards ceremony is televised in over 100 countries. Those who love cinema tune in to see how their favorite movies and performers fare. Those who love fashion watch to see what the celebrities are wearing — which is often the latest in couture with astronomically expensive jewelry.

Writing: Formal Letter 1 (Complaint)

Preparing to write

Before you begin your draft, gather all the information you will need to include in your complaint letter. This information may include the time, date, and location that you purchased the goods or services, reference or invoice numbers, and records of previous communication with the company. To support your complaint, you may need to enclose copies of documents such as receipts with your letter.

What to include in a complaint letter

When writing a complaint letter you should:

• Describe your problem and the outcome you want.
• Include key dates, such as when you purchased the goods or services and when the problem occurred.
• Identify what action you’ve already taken to fix the problem and what you will do if you and the seller cannot resolve the problema.
• Ask for a response within a reasonable time.
• Attach a copy of any supporting relevant documentation such as a receipt or invoice.

Listening Comprehension: My favorite film

Listen to the following conversation and then answer the questions.