– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

as

[Music]

to that does not together yeah but you

know what it shows it shows your

enthusiasm your dedication I'm

enthusiastic for your

dinner we should meet for a coffee soon

what does this really mean that you will

never see that person again make a joke

to break the tension this is insane I've

done that that's where Germany and UK

Clash what what should I click on yeah

yours to

[Laughter]

fail this is the prime example of being

British excuse me sorry um do you speak

English no I don't

[Music]

sorry English do you speak it yes

English English do you English

English do you speak it okay so welcome

to episode 63 of the easy English

podcast today our main topic uh will be

testing not only easy but also myself

quite nervously on a British culture

quiz but before we go into the quiz we

have a really exciting announcement that

we've been waiting to announce for ages

we will be starting another additional

conversation call Pop call we have one

already which is on Tuesday evenings GMT

at 6:15 mhm our new date will be every

Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. GMT so maybe

you're someone who you're quite good at

speaking English or you think you are uh

but you don't really have a way to

practice your conversational English

speaking and listening and let's say

you've got to a certain level and you've

hit a wall this is the place where you

should come to really get that next

level and level up your English uh we

will meet every week twice a week now

and we will just talk about regular

topics that you'll be speaking about

when you come to England when you're

working in for an English company or

working in England when you're visiting

the UK because it's all well and good

reading a book and understanding the

grammar and vocabulary but when we

British people speak as easy can

probably testify yeah we're using

grammatical errors we're speaking very

quickly we're lazy we're

sloppy sorry Brits and so the easy

English call is the best way to really

put yourself on the ground and improve

your English and really feel comfortable

and confident when you're going to come

to the UK work in the UK and be able to

interact with native speakers and even

if you don't come to the UK but just

want to get better with your English if

you live in another englishspeaking

country move to another english-

speaking country or just really are

interested in the English language or

needed for your job or because you have

friends Partners from English speaking

countries whatever your reason is you

might want to improve and level up your

English so if you are interested in

becoming confident and leveling up your

English speaking and listening skills

then join our conversation membership at

easy english.

video/ membership okay let's do the quiz

get to the quiz so there's 20

questions and if you're listening to the

podcast I know the answer

already if you're listening to the

podcast maybe you are not aware but

we're actually filming this also on

YouTube and you'll be able to see the

questions on our video between us so

yeah head to YouTube now to watch and

play along or simply go to londono and

test try their British culture quiz okay

okay okay so question one of 20 what

makes up the United Kingdom

easy I'm too nervous to answer because I

think I know the answer of course you do

know the answer yeah it's four countries

that make up the United Kingdom okay

which is England or which are England

Scotland and Wales yeah on one Island

yeah and Northern Island from the island

on the left side which is the Irish

Island and Great Britain perfect is only

the one Island Scotland England and

Wales great I think that's a common

confusion second question which of the

following is considered poor etiquette

in the UK oh wow this is good eating

lunch at your desk boo arriving at

someone's house to say hello Uninvited

boo boo arriving for dinner at someone's

house 50 minutes late boo oh wait uh

wait which is the big boo boo I would

say 50 minutes late no eating lunch at

your desk no you cannot say hello

Uninvited at someone's house absolutely

not oh same in Germany yeah but some

people love it spontaneous visits yeah

they're weird uh they are all really

weird though I've never heard in the UK

that's the country where you cannot ring

a doorbell and say hello mean yeah 15

minutes they could have they could have

put in something more obvious like spit

out your food at dinner or so or like

blow your nose in front of every is that

is that a aat s as well in Germany

people blow their nose while they sit

around the table I find this gross go

outside go to the bathroom I don't know

okay

bye yes okay 15 minutes later is also a

bit rude but you know they always say

like the cool people arrive late to the

party you know oh my God it's your sixth

month review and your boss says to you I

might suggest you consider making a

development plan to improve your sales

you feel sure that sales are improving

so what do you do H decide to wait a

couple of weeks to see if your sales

improved before spending time on a

development plan ignore your boss's

suggestion as you feel confident your

sales are improving prioritize making

development plan as your boss clearly

thinks it is important look at this this

is a question on avoidance of

disputes this is the prime example of

being British really you I just wanted

to say this is quite individual though

it's a very specific it's also very

individual regarding company culture do

you think this is really like always the

same case I mean you could change it to

like your mom ask you to clean your room

what do you do argue with your mom or

just do it anyway even though it's

basically clean yeah do it yeah you do

it because you you want to avoid

disputes and

conflict this is why everything takes so

long in England because no one wants to

get to the point that's where Germany

and UK Clash right cuz German is like

efficiency yeah can we first talk about

why we do this yeah oh never you have

just joined a new job your manager sends

everyone everyone oh God this is very

small everyone in the team an email

asking for opinions about a big decision

that needs to be made how should you

respond respond saying that you know

your manager will make the right

decision you just go for it you make the

right decision assume that the email

Isn't for you as you are new on the team

that's it's always a good avoid

avoidance respond saying that you were

uh saying what you think as your manager

is generally interested in your

opinion

oo well yeah the last one yeah yeah of

course

let's see wants your opinion you give

your opinion wow you're on the road to

being British that's quite efficient

though that is quite efficient to be

fair less avoidance there you are in a

meeting with your British team and the

debate starts to get quite heated

between two team members who start

raising their voices in Anger oh no what

do you do make a joke to break the

tension yeah that is actually quite

British could be the right answer

imagine that just say he why did the

baker have Brown hands cuz you needed a

poo and then every everyone is laughing

and it's all good yeah ask them to

continue the conversation after the

meeting also quite good actually tell

them who you think is

right to break the tension this is

insane I've done that yeah I've done

that too but this is insane as a

suggestion yeah what should people

watching this take from this to do

probably inappropriate jokes at don't do

inappropriate jokes you have been

invited for dinner at a colleague's

house at 700

p.m. what time should you

arrive 700 p.m. on the dot just a few

minutes before 7:00 around 7:15 okay

don't come to late that's common

sense really remember the first question

yeah but not

7:15 this is the German coming out in

you

I would say 700 p.m. on the dot British

people don't want you a few minutes

before either do you know what I'd say

if I said s and then I had the door

knocking at 700 who the is this this

time so you really think it's 7:15 yeah

you really think that

they yeah we are in Britain not in

Germany I get

it I wouldn't come I mean I would also

say a few minutes before 7 is polite to

try to not be too late I would myself be

annoyed because you still want to

probably bear I wouldn't be annoyed

either a few minutes a few minutes is

basically 3 minutes before 700 that's

fine as well

don't I I I just give now my personal

opinion you m don't come at quarter to 7

that's annoying because people are still

preparing oh yeah I think seven on the

dot is a bit

like someone really wants to show off

someone

hungry but you know your work colleagues

as well you want to be polite and come

at the time that someone expects you so

I would come

I

mean the Germans here

7.0 the problem is that I am actually

always delayed so I cannot say I would

but with a word colleague I would try to

be Pro I think I would ring the bell at

2 7 or one you know yeah not on the dot

yeah but this is 7:15 this is a bit rude

yeah but

around no it's rude if you have one food

on the table Yeah if it would have said

7 p.m. on the dot a few minutes before

700 or a few minutes after 700 I

wouldn't say a few minutes after 700 but

not 7:15 yeah but the food won't be

ready at 7:00 you've seen um come D with

me always a glass of

beer Chi chat but looking around the

house so you really think it's around

750 I mean I'm going to look like a

total W if it's not 750 it's on the dot

go for it what what should I click on

yeah yours to fail

being a little late for a social

engagement is acceptable and even

expected in the UK but don't be too late

or you risk appearing rude 7:15 is too

late is it yeah I think from um well I

don't know how it's in the UK oh I

actually do know because our GP practice

also has this if you're 50 minutes late

your appointment is deleted that's

formal colleagues house not friend

that's informal now that might be to get

to know your colleagues but

okay okay wait then I want to know from

you your boss tells you to come at 12:

to the office scenario yeah okay your

boss says come at 12:00 into my office

when do you go yeah like 1 minute 5

minutes before 12:00 even I'm waiting

outside the door ah okay so formal you

have to be on time yeah absolutely but

this then it was a bit weird to say

colle or friend's house that's the real

test but a colleague is a bit form it

could be I know it's private at the

house but it still is someone that you

maybe don't know

well honestly if I invited someone one

of my colleagues over and they were

there at 7 pm

on is this person coming so early hate

them what are they doing here okay so

but that's good for for people viewing

this and for myself foral occasion you

would even be too early and people would

not be do I'd come like even 10 minutes

early and just wait

around that does not fit but you know

what it shows it shows your enthusiasm

dedication I'm enthusiastic for your

dinner I don't want you but I'm not

enthusastic to host you I'm just doing

it because it's why you invite me then

cuz it's

polite okay so my boss invites me I will

be absolutely on time not even one

minute late no it's not like then polite

you come 2 minutes late no time is money

no exactly I'm busy okay you bump into a

business acquaintance who says we should

meet for a coffee soon what does this

really mean that you will never see that

person again it is unlikely they will be

in touched to Ranger coffee let's just

click that one directly cuz that's

exactly the answer they'll probably

contact you the following day nope they

will definitely contract you as soon to

arrange time and a place yeah this is an

avoidance tactic yet

again yeah it is Friday night ooop and

you're feeling

what is it again the the short Friday no

Funtime

Friday TG Thank God It's Friday yeah or

TFI

Friday thank it's

Friday it is Friday night and you're

feeling very tired after your first week

in your new job in the UK oh yeah a new

job can be challenging your colleagues

invite you to the pup how do you respond

oh definitely say uh oh say no supect

they are not being they are just being

polite no if you do a direct thing come

now that's not a let's go for coffee one

day this is a direct invite say yes and

decide that this is an opportunity to

get to know your colleagues on a more

personal lever yes mhm apologize and

promise you will join them another time

wow you will definely be off no they

will we will never ask again must no

they will ask again as well if you don't

feel well and you like feeling a bit ill

or so yeah but if you still have a

little bit of energy join for wondering

yeah if you could go you say please

invite me next week I'm absolutely there

then they accept that you don't have to

go to the par and you don't have to go

all night you can just join for a drink

and then say like that was really nice

to get to know you definitely want to do

this again and then you never do it

again get a lemonade or Coke or water

fizzy water or water is free so no props

now it maybe people understand that as

you shouldn't drink alcohol with your

colleagues oh I see absolutely drink

alcohol with your colleagues maybe not

too much one then you get to know all

Goss or you'll become part of the gossip

oh God you don't want to do that your

manager asks do you have a second when

you are in the middle of something

important how should you respond uhoh

ask if you could come back to them later

when you finished what you're working on

understand this is something important

say yes of course tell them that you are

busy okay number three not I think the

first two actually it really depends a

bit on the boss as well be okay because

if someone just ask do you have a second

anything maybe not important if you say

like I'm in a very important meeting is

just something that I think you would

rather say it like this is this

something that can wait a little bit I

will directly after this get back to you

I think it's still polite but they

probably mean understand this is

something important and say yes of

course right M yeah yeah but I think the

first one you could put it a way that is

really polite as well

yeah

yeah no f when meeting a British

business partner for the first time what

should you talk about oh here we go make

small talk about trivial things such as

the weather or your journey to the

meeting don't initiate any conversation

but let your partner Take the Lead ask

if they have any children and if so ask

the

[Music]

see I see a photo of your child how to

be reported to the police so quickly

okay everyone knows this is absolutely

clear yeah small talk is don't ask for

photos don't ever talk about CH children

in general yeah

well if the topic comes up and the other

person is talking about the children you

can respond don't ask people if they

have children which of these is best

avoided during a business meeting with

British Partners wow this is good yeah

folding your

arms nodding your hat

occasionally making strong eye contact

so this is interesting if you do that

all three together you look really crazy

not in your head occasionally why would

that be a problem that is in it trying

to show that you agree that's fine

making strong eye

contact in a business sense I think is

good because you're listening to someone

but I think I know why they put this in

like in British public life if you're

for example on the tube don't stare at

people yeah um but here probably folding

your arms because you are trying to

block yourself off yeah and not

showing an open welcoming atmosphere

yeah I think that must be it that's

common sense making eye contact is fine

but I would still say strong as weird

yeah but I think some people would have

it as a business um strategy eye contact

like yeah yes there's probably a TED

Talk on how it's really important if you

want to become the CEO eventually what

do the British celebrate on bonfire

night which is on the 5th of November is

it the end of the Great Fire of London

the formation of the UK the United

Kingdom or is it the failure this is so

specific this next one that it has to be

the right answer the failure of guy

Forks to blow up the king and the houses

of

Parliament which is exactly that and

that's why they do a lot of fireworks

with which I absolutely hate yeah for

well I can do my usual speech here for

pets white life people with PTSD it's

just fireworks are not good but there

are also some like other celebration

where they just do a fire which I still

don't know how good that is for the

environment and all of that and for um

some triggering aspects but um yeah

people come together celebrate we have

never or I have never celebrated it

because I don't like fireworks and

because we have to very frighten home um

but I've yeah also heard from like parad

fire like in Lewis very close to

Brighton that's I think the biggest in

the country the biggest yeah yeah yeah

and the and the idea is the fireworks

aren't actually part of the tradition

the normal thing is you stack up a big

pile of wood hay and then at the top you

usually put something which represents

Sky Forks cuz they is that like on

Easter do you do Easter fires as well no

but this is very similar do you do I

always ask but I live in England do we

do in Germany um Easter fire is a big

thing and it's kind of similar but

instead of burning like um

your you know this is a very

metaphorical thing I think for Easter or

it's quite religious whereas this is

purely like a meta like a representation

of

burning essentially a terrorist which

seems really archaic nowadays which of

the following nationalities has the

largest number of UK residents we did a

video about this yeah um is it Indian

Irish or

polish uh I think to this current state

can you say that it is Polish yeah

absolutely I mean let's see when this

quiz was made incorrect incorrect Indian

Indian ah according to the 2015 okay

this is old this is we had a wrong

answer here now but I think at the

moment it's polish yeah I think it is

Polish now and we actually made a video

with our friends at e polish about what

Brits think of the Polish but we also

made a video about Indians in the UK so

check them both out next question Oh and

about the Irish

anyway anyway um you after English and

Welsh and Wales in Brackets uh which

language is the most commonly spoken

mother tongue in the UK polish French or

Punjabi well that probably also changed

then

but well to this quiz it will be Punjabi

then I think well I don't know because

within India there's like how many

languages so I would sayl maybe it is

Polish already then although Indians

were there cuz you have like guati

Punjabi oh yeah you know you can go on

the list goes on and on I think polish

then let's see yeah correct okay very

well done 546,000 back then residents

okay I think it's like a few hundred

more thousand last question which of the

following was not invented in the UK

Marmite peanut butter or chicken tick

Masala I heard that ch ch Masala was

invented in Scotland by Scott that is UK

or by an Indian who wanted to deliver

Indian food to Scottish people m is like

is is the UK okay quick answer go for it

peanut butter

PB correct peanut

butter okay wow that's taken way longer

than we thought this is the end of this

week's episode if you are a podcast

member in our membership then we will do

the last five questions as part of our

after show so um thank you for watching

join us for the last bit on the after

show of your podcast member and as

always we'll see you next time

[Music]

hello I am English

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
enthusiasm /ɪnˈθjuːzɪæzəm/ B2	noun - intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval
dedication /ˌdɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/ C1	noun - the quality of being devoted or committed to a task or purpose
enthusiastic /ɪnˌθjuːzɪˈæstɪk/ B2	adjective - showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval
coffee /ˈkɒfi/ A1	noun - a hot drink made from roasted coffee beans
tension /ˈtɛnʃən/ B1	noun - mental or emotional strain; a feeling of nervousness
clash /klæʃ/ B2	noun - a violent confrontation or conflict verb - to come into conflict or collide
culture /ˈkʌltʃə/ B1	noun - the social behaviour and norms found in human societies
quiz /kwɪz/ B1	noun - a short test of knowledge, especially as a game
conversation /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃən/ B1	noun - an informal talk involving two or more people
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ B1	noun - repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency verb - to perform an activity repeatedly or regularly in order to improve proficiency
confident /ˈkɒnfɪdənt/ B2	adjective - feeling self-assured and certain of one's abilities
improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ B1	verb - to make or become better
grammar /ˈɡrɑːmə/ B2	noun - the system and structure of a language, including syntax and morphology
vocabulary /vəˈkæbjʊləri/ B2	noun - the set of words known to a person or used in a particular language
polite /pəˈlaɪt/ B1	adjective - showing good manners and respect for other people
etiquette /ˈɛtɪkɛt/ C1	noun - the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular group
punctual /ˈpʌŋktʃʊəl/ B2	adjective - happening or doing something at the agreed or proper time
colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/ B1	noun - a person with whom one works, especially in a profession or business

Key Grammar Structures

• as to that does not together yeah but you know what it shows

  ➔ Use of 'as' as a conjunction introducing a thought or explanation; fragmented sentence structure common in spoken English.

  ➔ The phrase is conversational and lacks complete grammatical structure. The use of 'as' is informal and introduces a related thought. The sentence is not grammatically correct but reflects natural speech.

• we will be starting another additional conversation call Pop call

  ➔ Use of 'another' to indicate an additional item; compound noun 'conversation call'.

  ➔ The sentence announces a new addition to existing calls. 'Pop call' functions as a proper noun, the name of the new call.

• but when we British people speak as easy can probably testify

  ➔ Use of 'as' to introduce a manner or way; comparative structure 'as...can'.

  ➔ This sentence highlights the difference between formal English and the way British people actually speak. 'as easy can' implies that British speech is often less grammatically precise.

• we're using grammatical errors we're speaking very quickly we're lazy we're sloppy

  ➔ Use of present continuous ('we're using', 'we're speaking') to describe habitual actions; parallel structure with repeated 'we're'.

  ➔ This is a list of characteristics of British speech, presented in a humorous and self-deprecating way. The repetition emphasizes these traits.