Learning English

Session 1
Celebrity vocabulary

audition
(as a noun) a short performance where you sing, dance, or act so that someone can decide if you are good enough to perform in a film, play, concert etc

celebrity
famous person, particularly in sport, music or film

celebrity  culture
(here) the lives and activities of people who are famous and the people who are interested in them

directs
takes charge in making a film and tells actors and technical staff what to do

fascinated
very interested by someone or something

five minutes of fame
(idiom) being famous for a short period of time (but not literally five minutes!)

obsessed
always thinking about or being too interested in someone or something

role
the character played by a particular actor in a film

romcoms
informal name for romantic comedy films

stage name
name a performer uses instead of their real name

starred
was a main actor in a film, play or story

thriller
exciting but dangerous story usually about crime

From the video

reality TV show
television programme using ordinary people not actors, in real life situations

personality
confidence and lively attitude that makes people think you are fun interesting

sensitive
(here) kind, caring and thoughtful about other people's feelings

auditioned
performed a short dance, song or act so that the person watching could decide if you were good enough to perform in something like a film

From 6 Minute vocabulary

Some adjectives with -ic and –ical:

classic
a very good, or well-known, example of a category.

‘I like classic English novels, by writers like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.’

classical
describes a formal and often quite old style of art in forms such as painting, theatre, architecture etc.

‘I don’t like modern buildings at all. I much prefer classical architecture.’

historic
very important for a lot of people; it will be remembered for a long time.

‘Nelson Mandela’s release from prison was a historic event in world history.’

historical
connected to stories about the past.

‘I also like non-fiction; especially books about interesting historical characters.'

economic
connected to economics, the study of money and finance.

‘The economic situation is not good. Our sales have fallen again.’

economical
cheap; good value for money.

‘Mostly, I borrow books from the library. It’s much more economical.’

Session 2

total strangers
people who you have never met before

Session 3

Life after The Box

exclusive
not available to most people because of cost

massive
huge; very big

charity
an organisation that helps people in need, for example poor or sick people

Daisy goes global

musical
a film or play that uses songs and music to tell the story

London’s West End
an area of central London that has many famous theatres

cash in
to make money from the success of something

exploded
(here) arrived and had a big impact

reality TV
TV programmes that film ordinary people in different situations

made headlines
was in newspapers and the news

pop sensation
a singer who is very popular and causes a lot of excitement

hit song
a tune that is very successful

global celebrity status
fame around the world

pursue a solo career
(here) make music on her own, not as part of a group

number one record
a song that sells better than any other

version
(here) a form of the TV show that is slightly different

hosts
presents; talks to guests on

talk show
a TV programme in which people are interviewed and/or talk about a topic

rehearsing
prepare and practise for a public performance of a drama or piece of music

play
act the part of in a drama

character
a person who appears in a story

autobiography
a book written by someone about their own life

rise to fame
the process of becoming famous

an unknown
someone who is not famous at all

Session 4

A disease called fame

documentary
film, radio or television programme that gives facts about something

lead singer
the person who sings the main part in a musical group

stars
famous singers, actors or sports players

talent
a natural ability to do something

attitude
how we think and feel about something

disease
illness; sickness

fame
being known by many people

celebrity
famous person, particularly in sport, music or film

the media
television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet

international audiences
TV viewers in different countries

top
(here) best or most important

judges
(here) people who decides who has won a competition

gossip
talk or untrue stories about other people’s private lives

private life
personal relationships with family and friends; different to public or professional life

celebrity culture
(here) ideas that people have about being famous

damage
harm to something or someone

From News Report

late
used to refer to a person who is dead

apparent
seeming to be real

teens
teenage years; the period in a person’s life from age 13 to age 19

overcome
to defeat an enemy or deal with a problem

shyness
feeling uncomfortable and nervous in the company of other people

stand-up comedy
a style of comedy performance where one person stands on the stage and talks to the audience

breakthrough
an event which starts a successful period in someone’s career

alien
a creature from another planet

spin-off
a TV programme involving characters from a previous TV programme

vehicle
a film, TV programme, etc., which shows the talents of a particular actor

nomination
an official suggestion that someone should get a prize

inspirational
someone or something that encourages you and makes you feel confident or creative

strict
tough; imposing strong rules, or threatening serious punishment if someone doesn’t obey the rules

one of a kind
someone or something which is unique

Session 5

From the drama:
make sense of
understand 

get off his chest
tell other people something that is worrying him so that he feels better

cheering up
making someone feel happier

pain
emotional suffering

hatred
strong dislike

spirit
soul, inner self