A student sent me this great YouTube channel with lots of interesting videos. Here’s one about words and language. As always, use this technique to focus primarily on listening:
1) First, watch the whole video without subtitles (practice your listening!). Try to answer the questions below. It’s okay to watch a little bit one day, then more the next, etc. It’s also ok to watch more than once!
2) use the subtitles to answer the questions and clarify your understanding.
(0:25) What does the word “soup” come from? Is cereal a soup? What are the other options he gives?
(0:58) What is the real answer? What to we make up (create)?
(1:10) What is reduplication?
(2:04) Why do we have to reduplicate more and more? Why are retronyms necessary? Can you think of any in Spanish?
(3:00) What was the first emoticon?
(4:09) Why are verbal nouns interesting?
(4:53) Where does “nickname” come from? Do you have a nickname?
(6:00) Is “difficult” an unpaired word?
(7:13) What is the paradox he explores here? What does the Emily Dickinson quote mean?
