– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

We are back for another video. I would say  this is a B level intermediate English video.  

Hopefully a natural conversation  between myself Camille and oh

Calvin. This is unscripted so, but whatever  let's get started you guys. This video is  

about American culture. So a lot of people are  interested in American culture and their idea  

of American culture comes probably from films  and series I would say, TV. Yeah. If you want  

to learn real life English dialogues be sure to  check out my 31-day workshop. And I think a lot  

of the films are filmed in like Los Angeles, New  York City, yeah maybe Chicago, yeah when people  

think about visiting the US, they think oh I want  go to those big cities. I want to visit New York,  

Miami, Las Vegas, LA, but America is huge and  has a lot of different cultures even within the  

country. Like if you went to Hawaii or Alaska  South Carolina, New York, like the Midwest,  

you would find different accents, foods, like  culture. So we don't know what's going to come out  

in this video, what we're going to say, but we'll  tell you from our experience. You were born in,  

Washington state, not Washington DC which is the  capital, they're very far from each other, yes  

and I was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,  but we both spent a lot of time in South Carolina,  

which is where we met. Yes at Dunkin Donuts.  true story. Dunkin Donuts, love you. So I think,  

what are some of the stereotypes of about the  US? Coming from Americans, like coming from  

us? Either, coming from us, or the things that  we've heard? Yeah oh America is very patriotic,  

which that's true. I pledge allegiance to the flag  flag of the United States... Yeah so basically  

everybody every student in school has to do the  Pledge of Allegiance, at least I think we still  

do it right? Maddox knows it. Yeah they still do  it in most schools. yeah so we do the Pledge of  

Allegiance. 4th of July is one of the biggest  holidays in America, fireworks, barbecue, pool  

party, pool party, you wear the stripes and stars,  red, white, and blue, and a lot of people hang the  

American flag on their porch, their front porch,  it's out on their lawn. You'll see a lot of flags,  

so America is pretty patriotic. Unless you're  in the south, you might see some rebel flags,  

but that's a whole other story. That's true.  I think as well I'm I'm looking at my notes,  

oh sports, so Americans love sports, and one  of our biggest sports is football, and I'm not  

talking about soccer, I'm talking about American  football. Yeah you can share more, I mean you  

went to Clemson University which was a pretty big  football school. Yeah I would say in some places  

even high school football is huge, like Texas.  You have just crowds going to these high school  

football games, and then you go to college and  it's almost on the level of professional football,  

yeah and then you go to the professional football,  and it's like huge massive stadiums with tons and  

tons of people. Yeah and yeah they're watching  the the old pig skin you know being thrown around.  

Yeah even like Thanksgiving, I mean we have a  lot of holidays Thanksgiving is in November,  

and most people watch football, there's a big  game on Thanksgiving Day, so after you eat way  

too much food, you'll either go out and play  football in the yard, or you'll watch football  

on TV as a tradition. Yeah it's true I think uh  that always reminds me of the Friends episode,  

yes I'm sure if you've watched Friends uh you know  the episode where they're playing football. Yes  

that is actually a pretty accurate picture I think  of American culture. yeah yeah yeah uh people,  

a lot of people think about guns with America.  That's true, yeah I don't know if I should say,  

but yeah I come from a gun family. I have never  owned a gun, I mean you have to have a specific  

license even for hunting animals, like my dad  always hunted growing up, so he would shoot deer.  

I am also a vegetarian, so I am like not really  on that page with guns and stuff. We've never  

owned guns, but a lot of people we know own guns.  They're very proud of it, they think it's one of  

our, well it is one of our rights I guess as an  American citizen. Yeah I think it's the second  

amendment, yeah the right to bear arms. I grew up  with guns as well, we have a lot of guns, we had a  

lot of guns, I guess, not here in Portugal, uh and  I actually even hunted animals and so yeah there's  

there's kind of a leisure gun culture in America,  where you go shoot cans, you go shoot targets, uh  

or you go shoot animals like deer, elk, squirrels,  birds yeah. So anyways yeah the the gun culture  

is pretty big there uh I think there's some uh  unspoken sort of advantages to it, uh because  

most of the talk about guns is always negative,  and there is definitely that reality too, the easy  

access to guns, and the sort of violent culture,  um so yeah but that's a whole another video that  

we won't go down today. Yeah we'll never make that  video probably. No. So also I think when you think  

about American culture, maybe you think about  university life, I don't know, maybe not because  

most people do go to college, and something that  is different about the US is that we leave our  

families when we're young. So I left home right  after high school when I was 17, and I married  

Calvin at 18, which that is not as common now,  but people do get married younger, have babies  

younger, and they become more independent younger.  Like you're on your own at 18. Yeah basically like  

we're kicking you out, you know go try and  live on your own and and create your own life  

essentially which kind of is you know the the  spirit of America. Kairo, you can't be in here  

playing with that stuff buddy, okay. We love you.  The reality of shooting with kids, yeah. So yeah  

America came out of like leaving countries, you  know everybody are or many people are immigrants,  

unless you're a Native American, and so there's  this kind of spirit of like, I can do this on  

my own, you know this independent spirit right? So  it kind of is yeah an extension of that going out,  

when you're 18 going to university, trying to  find out what you're going to do for the rest of  

your life. Is the American Dream still possible  Camille? oh the American dream, I mean what is  

the American dream? Because a lot of people are  shocked when they find out I'm American, but I'm  

not living in the US, they don't understand it. In  their mind, the American dream is still possible.  

If the American dream means opportunities, I think  yes, I think America has a lot of opportunities to  

offer. um what is the American dream though? I  think the American dream was that you could come  

to America, or if you are already in America and  move up into a a more higher class, more quality  

of life living, and in other countries this  wasn't necessarily possible. So if you were poor,  

you would always be poor, you know and so what  America offered and maybe still offers is this  

idea that we can with enough hard work, you can be  successful, you can improve your quality of life,  

and I mean personally I think it does still exist,  but uh you know as an immigrant, it can be hard.  

It just depends on on so many factors, luck or  uh where you live, where you're coming from,  

all those things factor into it. But if you  want to take the risk, go for it. I guess you  

know you only have this one life, yeah you know  do it legally of course, yeah I mean for us our  

dream isn't to live in America, I don't think. Our  dream? No yeah we have a international dream. Yes  

okay um some funny things that I've heard people  comment on, like why do Americans wear shoes in  

the house? And it is true, I mean he has slippers  on, these floors are freezing. But we usually do  

wear shoes in the house, I mean not every single  American, but I think it's pretty common. We don't  

even think twice, we'll walk through our house  with our shoes on. Yes another funny thing about  

our culture is this happens even with Calvin's  parents, sometimes people say goodbye without  

even saying goodbye. They just leave. You know In  some cultures it takes forever to say goodbye. In  

Turkish culture you're like bye bye like you say  goodbye for like 5 minutes. In American culture  

we're just like, see you, see you like to a whole  group of people, we don't go individually kiss  

their cheeks or anything like that, we're just  like okay guys I'm leaving bye. Maybe a high five,  

maybe a hug, but that's it, yeah or like I  said some people leave without saying anything,  

and then you're like hey where'd they go? You just  hear the door slam and they yeah what happened?  

It doesn't mean something's bad or they didn't  like their visit, it's just part of the culture,  

it's maybe different, but it is what it is. A lot  of people I've talked to, uh especially coming  

from uh Muslim backgrounds or Muslim countries,  they associate America with Christianity. Like  

everything that America produces because it's a  Christian Nation represents Christianity, and this  

is obviously not true but it's just kind of one of  those interesting things that happens, and I'm I'm  

constantly correcting people saying no America,  maybe there was some Christian values that  

were um that America was founded on, but it has  shifted so much over the 300 years of existence,  

to be much more of a secular country. uh you  can find a lot of Christians still in America,  

I would say it is the majority faith, but uh  culture-wise what's coming out of Hollywood, does  

not represent Christianity. So also, something  about American culture is I would say the majority  

of Americans don't maybe know geography so well,  or I feel bad saying that, or also like most,  

this obviously isn't everyone, but most people  don't learn other languages as well. So those are  

a couple things that are true probably, because  English is a universal language, they don't have  

to learn. It's not enforced in the the school  system, and so a lot of people don't know where  

a lot of countries are, or much about language  learning. If you look at America geographically,  

you have Canada to the north, which they speak  English and French, uh but mostly English and  

then you have like Mexico to the South, and you  know those countries. It's not like Americans  

are going there to to like get a better life or  to learn Spanish you know, in general. And so so  

yeah the need is not like Europe, where you're  by France, you're talking you know like Italian,  

you have Spanish you have Portuguese, English,  German, you know Dutch, all these different  

languages in in basically the size of half of  the United States. So it's a huge country and  

all of us speak English you know, so why do we  need to speak any other language I guess would  

be the sort of reasoning. However, we encourage  everyone to learn a language. Exactly, we love  

languages and we think geography is important,  language uh helps you connect with cultures,  

and helps you understand people. yeah and  honestly breaks down our own preconceived ideas,  

like you right now listening to us talk about  America, you're learning uh and maybe there's new  

things that will shift how you view America and  Americans because of it. mhm yeah and of course  

it's hard to think about culture and not talk  about food. I would say that in the south there's  

some specialties with food, you know shrimp and  grits and okra and sweet tea, and there's like  

a food culture that comes from the south. As far  as the rest of the nation, I don't know what the  

food culture is. Yeah I think there's certain  uh dishes or like sandwiches, certain things  

in different regions like Chicago's known for I  think like deep dish pizza. True and like isn't is  

it New York or is it the Philly cheese steaks, oh  Philadelphia, we don't know I'm just shooting off  

the top of my head. Philly cheese steaks, like a  sandwich with like beef I think, and cheese. Never  

tried it I don't eat meat. I've had it and it's  good. Okay um yeah so each region uh has their own  

specialties. I think barbecue, oh that's true you  know the American barbecue is very distinct like  

if you compare it with like Brazilian barbecue or  Argentinian barbecue, like it can be more simple  

in a way, but you know a lot more burgers and hot  dogs, but also you can do ribs or you know there's  

a number of things. And we're very thankful for  the other cultures that have come in and opened  

up restaurants and exposed us to different  types of food from all around the world like,  

we love Thai food, Indian food, Japanese food uh  we love so many different types of food because of  

restaurants that have come into the United States,  and given us the opportunity to experience them.  

Yeah I would say that is one of the beauties  of America, is that it is a melting pot. You  

can find almost any culture there, any country  represented there and we get a try the foods which  

is our favorite thing. Yes we're foodies, we love  to eat. Thank you for your food people. I think  

even though there's more things that we could  cover, I think we covered a lot, I think this  

video could be getting a little long, so we're  going to go ahead and end this video. Let us know  

if you are still curious about things, maybe you  have a stereotype and you want to know and we'll  

try to answer in the comments. Thank you or a part  two video, that's true, we could do that as well.  

Let us know what you guys want, if you want to  hear more about American culture, we always love  

to hear from you in the comments. Thank you so  much for watching and we'll see you next time.

Bye

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
culture /ˈkʌltʃər/ B1	noun - the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or group.
American /əˈmerɪkən/ A2	adjective - relating to the United States of America. noun - a citizen of the United States of America.
video /ˈvɪdi.oʊ/ A2	noun - a recording of moving images and sound.
learn /lɜːrn/ A2	verb - gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.
city /ˈsɪti/ A2	noun - a large town.
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - humans.
food /fuːd/ A1	noun - any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink to maintain life and growth.
experience /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/ B1	noun - an event or occurrence which leaves an impression on someone.
university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsəti/ B2	noun - a high-level educational institution.
independent /ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/ B2	adjective - not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence.
opportunity /ˌɒpərˈtuːnəti/ B1	noun - a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ A2	noun - the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.
sports /spɔːrts/ A2	noun - activities involving physical exertion and skill as well as an element of competition.
gun /ɡʌn/ B1	noun - a barrelled weapon from which projectiles are fired.
culture /ˈkʌltʃər/ B1	noun - the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or group.
holiday /ˈhɒlədeɪ/ A2	noun - a day of celebration.

Key Grammar Structures

• I would say this is a B level intermediate English video.

  ➔ Modal verb + infinitive (would + say)

  ➔ The modal "would" followed by the base verb "say" expresses a tentative opinion. "I **would say**..."

• We both spent a lot of time in South Carolina, which is where we met.

  ➔ Simple Past + Relative Clause (which…)

  ➔ "spent" is the Simple Past of "spend". The clause "which is where we met" is a relative clause giving extra information.

• Every student in school has to do the Pledge of Allegiance.

  ➔ Modal verb "has to" + infinitive (has to do)

  ➔ "has to" is a modal expression of obligation followed by the infinitive "do". "has **to do**"

• We watch football on TV as a tradition.

  ➔ Simple Present (habitual action)

  ➔ "watch" is in the Simple Present to describe a regular activity. "We **watch** football..."

• I have never owned a gun.

  ➔ Present Perfect Negative (have never + past participle)

  ➔ "have never owned" uses the Present Perfect to show that up to now I have not owned a gun. "have **never owned**"

• If you want to learn real life English dialogues, be sure to check out my 31‑day workshop.

  ➔ First Conditional (If + present simple, will) + Imperative

  ➔ "If you want" is the protasis (present simple). "be sure to check out" is an imperative urging action.

• America came out of like leaving countries, you know many people are immigrants.

  ➔ Simple Past (came out) + Present Simple (are)

  ➔ "came out" is Simple Past describing a past event. "are" is Present Simple indicating a current state. "America **came out**... many people **are** immigrants."

• If the American dream means opportunities, I think yes, America has a lot of opportunities to offer.

  ➔ First Conditional (If + present simple, present simple)

  ➔ "If the American dream means" is the protasis in present simple; the result clause "America **has** a lot of opportunities" is also present simple.

• Even though there's more things that we could cover, I think we covered a lot.

  ➔ Past modal "could" + infinitive + Simple Past (covered)

  ➔ "could cover" uses the past modal "could" to express possibility in the past. "we **covered** a lot" is Simple Past indicating a finished action.

• We love languages and we think geography is important.

  ➔ Simple Present (habitual/general truth)

  ➔ "love" and "think" are in the Simple Present to express ongoing attitudes. "We **love** languages... we **think** geography is important."