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  • - Hello, this is Jack from tofluency.com

  • and welcome to this English lesson

  • where you're going to listen to a conversation about...

  • - Fall, or the season of autumn.

  • - Well done. (both laughing)

  • - So, yeah.

  • - We had a practice run.

  • - We did.

  • So, this is a conversation

  • where you're going to just listen to natural English.

  • So, you can do this wherever you're from

  • and feel free to go to the description

  • to look up some of the key phrases,

  • or if you just want to listen along

  • and get some exposure to English, that's great too.

  • So yeah, we're gonna discuss fall today.

  • We've already talked about summer and winter in the past,

  • and it's just about to go into fall here in the US.

  • This is your favorite season.

  • - It's my, well, one of my favorite seasons.

  • I actually really like the transition from summer to fall.

  • - Is that what's happening right now?

  • - Yes, yes.

  • This is my optimal season.

  • - Right, so the transition to change from summer to fall.

  • And summer has been very hot this year, or at times it has.

  • Where it's been about 90 degrees, high humidity.

  • Which means it's difficult to go out and do stuff outside

  • unless you're at a pool or in the shade or by a river.

  • - That's right. - Yeah.

  • - So, those are the three things that we like to do.

  • Shady hikes, going to visit rivers and waterfalls

  • and a lot of time at the pool.

  • - Yeah, we spent a lot of time at the pool this summer.

  • And then fall or autumn is a lot easier to be outside.

  • - Yes. - Can you explain?

  • - Yeah, I mean, I like many things about fall

  • that are pretty typical for people to like.

  • I like the transition to a cozier season.

  • I like to pull out sweaters and long boots

  • and to think about a few of the warmer beverages and soups

  • and things that are more hearty and comforting.

  • - Yeah, start making chilies again,

  • which we like to eat, don't we?

  • - Yeah.

  • - When it's the summer, you don't want to have a hot stove

  • cooking something like a soup or a chili,

  • especially over a long time.

  • - Oh yeah, definitely not.

  • And I like that.

  • I also like this right now

  • because we still have fruit and vegetables

  • and flowers and green leaves,

  • but it started to get a little bit cooler at night.

  • You can tell that the seasons are about to change

  • and the Equinox is coming up this month,

  • which is the official start of fall.

  • - What's the Equinox?

  • - The Equinox is when you have equal hours

  • of daylight and nighttime.

  • And I think it's at the end of September.

  • - Yeah, 22nd.

  • - That sounds right.

  • - Well, the fall starts on the 22nd.

  • - Then that's the Equinox.

  • - So, that's coming up pretty soon.

  • Do you know where the word fall originates from?

  • - Can I make a guess that's probably wrong?

  • - Yeah, always. - Okay.

  • Is it from the leaves falling?

  • - Well, that's probably where...

  • Sorry, where it originated from, as in which country.

  • Have a little think.

  • There's no wrong answers.

  • - Is it from the UK?

  • - Well, yeah, this is the theory that I learned

  • while I was doing a live lesson.

  • Because there's still parts of the UK

  • that call it fall.

  • And there's a great article

  • where it looks at word usage from the 1950s and now,

  • and how things have changed.

  • For example, the TH sound is going away in London.

  • - Yeah, "nuffing" instead of nothing.

  • So, that TH sound's going away and you can see on a map

  • where it originates from the sound of the F, which is London

  • and how it spread it out to the rest of the country.

  • But in the '50s, people were still saying fall

  • in certain parts of the UK.

  • And the theory is that they had both terms

  • when the US was colonized,

  • but autumn won in the UK and fall one in the US

  • - I wonder about that

  • because I think that there are some phrases

  • that are pretty common in the US that you don't use

  • or that sound old-fashioned to you.

  • And then there are some phrases,

  • particularly in the north of England.

  • Like sometimes you still say thee and thou for example,

  • that to me...

  • But we don't use articles.

  • - That's true, but just with the thee and the thou

  • and similar words that to me,

  • sound like they belong in history

  • and the time of Shakespeare.

  • And it's funny to me to hear people use it

  • in everyday expressions.

  • - Yeah, could you do an example of a Northern expression?

  • - No, I can't do an impression of you, you know it.

  • I want to be able to do a good impression of you

  • and I think in general, I do do decent impressions,

  • but your accent is very hard for me.

  • - Yeah, it is.

  • So, fall. - Fall.

  • - There's a massive crate.

  • I think we've talked about this before.

  • - Did you just say that in an American accent?

  • - Fall.

  • - Oh my gosh.

  • - I didn't, I said fall.

  • - Oh.

  • (both chuckling)

  • - We try too.

  • - Yeah, yeah.

  • So, certain other things come out, don't they?

  • There's certain holidays as well around fall which you love.

  • - I do.

  • - Do you want to talk about those a little bit?

  • - Yes.

  • So, there's the Equinox,

  • which we don't necessarily celebrate.

  • Some traditions do.

  • And then there's Halloween, Dia de los Muertos

  • and Thanksgiving.

  • Love them all.

  • - Yeah, and Thanksgiving is in fall, yeah.

  • 'Cause we learned, do you remember when winter starts?

  • In our winter video and everyone left a comment.

  • Is it December? - Oh no.

  • - Was it 15th or 21st.

  • - I didn't read the comments.

  • - We've forgotten again.

  • But yes, Thanksgiving is in fall as well.

  • And that is probably the fall holiday

  • in the sense of it comes from other traditions of feast,

  • the fall harvest and feasting

  • when there's a good fall harvest.

  • So, you have enough food for the winter

  • to survive basically.

  • And then you celebrate that fact.

  • But Thanksgiving, obviously has a different spin on it,

  • which we won't go into

  • because we made a video on Thanksgiving.

  • - We did.

  • - That was our first conversation.

  • - Was it? - Yeah.

  • Long time ago.

  • - Okay.

  • - Yeah, it was like a pilot episode that we did.

  • So, I'll leave a link to that one.

  • But let's start with Halloween.

  • Halloween is huge in the US.

  • I am always shocked every year just by how big it is

  • and how early people have to get prepared for.

  • And two things stand out for me.

  • - Go ahead.

  • - Firstly, when I suggested that we don't give out candy,

  • but we give out something else

  • because everyone gives out candy

  • and the kids go crazy over it.

  • And what did you say? Do you remember?

  • - No.

  • - You said people will come back and egg your house

  • if you don't leave candy for people.

  • - That might have been me being a little dramatic.

  • - Yeah.

  • - I thought so, but at the same time

  • kids would say, "What is this?

  • Why are you giving me a beef stick or some carrots

  • or a pencil or some little toys?"

  • - No, if you want to set up

  • around the corner from our house,

  • you can give away all of those things.

  • - Because what it's like is...

  • - You can be like the troll in the garden.

  • Have some carrots.

  • (both laughing)

  • - Would you like some carrots instead of candy?

  • - No.

  • Then we're known as the crazy British guy

  • who gives out carrots.

  • But that was before I really understood everything.

  • Before we had children who could walk to houses

  • and I really understood things.

  • But it's crazy here. I can't describe it.

  • It's so different because it's just a mad rush.

  • The children all have those little buckets

  • and they go as quickly as possible to houses.

  • Get as much candy as possible

  • and it's just this mad rush for about an hour.

  • It's exhausting to me.

  • - Oh yeah.

  • - But there's also fun things as well for us.

  • So, there's a neighborhood that have parties, right?

  • - I mean, trick or treating is fun.

  • - Not for me, really.

  • I like the part...

  • - Go hand out your carrots.

  • - Well, what I mean by that is everyone dresses up,

  • Parents, children.

  • - Yes. - Most parents.

  • - Yes.

  • - And it's hard to get an outfit

  • in the week running up to Halloween

  • because everything's sold out,

  • which is why you often do it six weeks before.

  • - I try to come up with the plan six weeks before.

  • But I mean, I would love to take the time

  • to make our costumes and you know,

  • every year I just run out of time a little bit,

  • but I think that you can get so creative

  • and do something really special.

  • But the other year I was a sea witch

  • and our daughter was a mermaid,

  • but I had a plan to make these tentacles out of tights.

  • And I had a whole design with a head piece

  • and a cape and my tentacles.

  • And in the end, all I ended up wearing were some tights

  • that I never had time to stuff.

  • So, they just kind of hung around me and a wig.

  • - I thought it looked okay.

  • - It did, it looked okay but my vision was like...

  • - Which I mean, it looked good.

  • - Yeah, oh, thank you.

  • - It's all right. - Yeah.

  • - But it's a mad rush, though.

  • - That's British for amazing.

  • - Well, good.

  • Good.

  • Yeah, so it's just a mad rush

  • and then Halloween is what I wanted to say though,

  • is they have block parties with music and dancing

  • and a really good atmosphere.

  • So, that's the fun part for me,

  • not just taking a child to a house,

  • to another house, to another house

  • and say, "Don't eat all now."

  • And then they get home and they're tired,

  • it's late, it's a school night, a lot of times too.

  • And sometimes it's been rainy and cold

  • and they just want to eat the candy

  • and then they get a sugar rush

  • and then the next day at school,

  • you know, as a former teacher,

  • the day after Halloween was the worst day to teach.

  • - Or the day of Halloween, it depends.

  • And I think that I've changed my opinion on it

  • now that I'm not actively teaching

  • because when you're in the classroom,

  • you're like just contain the chaos.

  • The least fun that we can have is what we want.

  • That's what we're going for,

  • we're going for calm, collected.

  • And now that I'm not actively teaching,

  • I'm like, "Go crazy, get sugar."

  • - You can also just think

  • they should just send the kids outside

  • the day after Halloween to run it all off.

  • - Yeah. - Yeah.

  • But I don't like that part.

  • I do not like that part of it.

  • - The chaos?

  • - No, just the endless candy.

  • All in the little plastic wrappers, all small and...

  • - Yeah. - Yeah.

  • But fun holiday, all in all.

  • - And kind of, I think that what's fun about it too,

  • is that it's so kind of joyful and wild,

  • but it's also a little bit dark.

  • A lot of people will decorate their houses

  • with really scary things like gravestones and ghosts,

  • witches and just the creepier the better.

  • - Yeah.

  • But the person who used to live in the house

  • that we live in now,

  • it was known as the best house in the neighborhood

  • because they had all these decorations,

  • but they didn't leave them for us, the neighbor got them.

  • So, then they put up all these new decorations

  • and we're getting there slowly.

  • - Yeah. We haven't really gotten there.

  • So, you can buy giant inflatable decorations

  • for every season almost.

  • And people decorate for the winter holidays,

  • they'll decorate for Halloween

  • and you can really decorate your house and yard

  • throughout the year, but probably Halloween

  • and the winter holidays are the biggest ones.

  • - Oh yeah, definitely.

  • - But yeah, there was a giant animatronic spider

  • in our yard.

  • - Wasn't there some with a top hat as well.

  • Like a giant thing.

  • - A giant statue with a top hat.

  • - Monster, I think. - Oh yeah.

  • See, we never got to see it,

  • but everybody will come and knock on our door

  • which we have one Jack-o'-lantern.

  • - We had the cobwebs.

  • - Oh yeah, we had cobwebs.

  • Did we ever hang them?

  • - I think so, they weren't very good though.

  • They were small. - No, they weren't.

  • - Fall.

  • I'm gonna do something now

  • Where we're gonna talk about clothing

  • but talk about the most important aspect of fall clothing.

  • And we'll both say it, no. Time out.

  • We'll both say it on three, it's not boots.

  • But just think about a concept with fall clothing.

  • What's important?

  • - I feel like this is a trap.

  • - One, two, three,

  • layers. - Cozy.

  • - Layers. - Cozy layers.

  • - (laughs) Cozy layers.

  • - Everyone wins.

  • - Which is, I guess that's a collocation, right?

  • Two words that go together naturally.

  • - Yeah. - Pack some cozy layers.

  • Yeah, you need layers, right?

  • Especially here in the mountains.

  • It could be 75 degrees during the day

  • and then as soon as the sun goes down,

  • we've been out haven't we?

  • And it goes dark earlier.

  • But I just remember some nights at Zillicoah,

  • which is a brewery here and we're out

  • and it's t-shirts on.

  • And then within 10 minutes you need a jacket, don't you?

  • - Yeah, and also because we're in the mountains,

  • there are different elevations.

  • So, we're near the Blue Ridge Parkway,

  • which goes through these mountains

  • and you can drive up to the Parkway and drive 20 minutes,

  • a half an hour and you'll be at a different elevation

  • and you'll need some cozy layers.

  • - Yeah.

  • It could be 20, 30 degrees difference, right?

  • - Oh yeah.

  • - Yeah, really big difference.

  • - And even so, a lot of people talk about fall color

  • and we do live in an area with a lot of trees

  • that lose their leaves in the winter, deciduous trees

  • and before that they turn really vibrant colors.

  • Oranges, reds. - Best in the world here.

  • - Yeah, so good.

  • - People say it's New England.

  • What do they know up there?

  • - I think we get good fall color similar to New England.

  • - We can experience it over two to three weeks

  • because it starts early or mid October, I think.

  • Right at the higher elevations.

  • - I think it might actually be late September.

  • - Oh, is it early October?

  • - Early October.

  • It's not September.

  • I'm just being silly.

  • But no, there's actually a map that tells you.

  • They'll say, "All right, this year

  • is gonna be early October at the higher elevations."

  • And then at the lower elevations,

  • it will say late October when it's at peak.

  • What are they called?

  • The people who come here.

  • - Leaf peepers,

  • - Is it really leaf peepers? Are you sure?

  • - I'm sure.

  • Like to peep?

  • - Like to look.

  • - To look.

  • - Yeah, usually peeping is kind of a...

  • - Creepy. - Creepy word.

  • - But yeah, people come to our area for the weekend

  • and the parkway is packed, isn't it?

  • It's really busy, this famous road

  • where you can see the colors and you can see it for miles

  • and you have a different variety of color.

  • It's really nice.

  • - And people go very slowly.

  • - And all the overlooks, the park and you can't park there.

  • But yeah, people come here,

  • what were they called again, fall peepers?

  • - Leaf peepers.

  • - Leaf peepers.

  • Are you a leaf peeper?

  • - Yeah.

  • I am, are you?

  • - I guess so.

  • And then what happens when the leaves fall?

  • We'll say on three. One two, three.

  • One, two, three, bag 'em up. We'll put them in compost.

  • - Well, you do, right?

  • - I mean, yeah.

  • Rake 'em, first.

  • Yeah, bag 'em up.

  • I wasn't gonna get there.

  • - Well, yeah, you need to think

  • on your feet a little bit more.

  • But yeah, so, this is when you have to do

  • a lot of, we call it gardening, but yard work here.

  • So, you rake up the leaves, make a pile, jump in it.

  • Dogs and children jump in the leaves.

  • Then a lot of people put them in bags

  • and then the city will come and collect them in trucks.

  • Or you can use them as compost.

  • Our compost, did we use it this year?

  • Did you use any?

  • - Nope.

  • - Well, we'll make sure we use it next year.

  • But yeah, we have a little compost bin

  • and then it's another good time to mulch,

  • to prune your trees and bushes, right?

  • But I like doing it in fall because it's a lot cooler.

  • - Yeah.

  • - Summer yard work's brutal.

  • - Mosquitoes.

  • - Yeah, bees.

  • - Bees.

  • - The sun.

  • - The humidity. - Humidity.

  • - So, it's nice, the air right now,

  • it's a little bit crisper, it's more crisp.

  • And there's a little bit of a chill in the air at night.

  • - Yeah, chill in the air.

  • What do I say when I come outside

  • and there's a chill in the air and it's not humid?

  • - When did this become a quiz?

  • Bag 'em up.

  • - I say it's lovely. It's lovely upside.

  • - "Oh, it's lovely."

  • - Yeah, so if it's lovely outside,

  • it means it's a good temperature.

  • - Yeah. - Yeah.

  • So, it's a good time to do that,

  • to exercise, I love playing soccer in the fall.

  • It's just the perfect time of year to do it,

  • but the mornings can be very crisp, very cool.

  • Sometimes you can get a little bit of frost in the fall.

  • Because yeah, for gardening, you need to know that as well,

  • when it might freeze.

  • And then any other things that you like about fall?

  • Pumpkin spice.

  • - I know, I was going to say I have one.

  • Well, I have one pumpkin spice latte every fall.

  • - Just one?

  • - I know, just one.

  • - You've already had one.

  • Exactly, I'm done.

  • - Are you not gonna have another?

  • - I'm full on fall.

  • - Why do you do that?

  • - If I have another one, it'll be a bonus.

  • - But why do you only have one?

  • Because it doesn't taste very good.

  • But you just want to have that whole...

  • Ride the bandwagon of pumpkin spice.

  • Is that why?

  • - It is a genuinely good flavor?

  • - But why do you only have one?

  • - I don't know

  • 'cause I'm worried that it could become a habit.

  • - Yeah, it could.

  • - I could just become a complete monster.

  • - Do you remember last year when you brought back

  • so many pumpkin spiced items from Trader Joe's?

  • - I'm gonna do that...

  • Some of them were better than others.

  • Some of them are better than others, but I do.

  • In general, I like that blend of spices.

  • - I think it's probably weighted to 80% female, 20% male

  • on who buys pumpkin spice lattes.

  • Maybe higher. - So, maybe

  • pumpkin spice culture has become gendered,

  • but I truly believe that the flavor profile,

  • everyone can enjoy it.

  • If you like a little cinnamon and nutmeg in your life,

  • you can enjoy it, it's okay.

  • - Is that what it is?

  • - Yeah.

  • - Is there nothing else in it?

  • - Maybe like a pinch of cloves.

  • - So, yeah, these different spices.

  • Yeah. - Yeah.

  • - Yeah, and then our birthdays are in fall which we like.

  • - We do like that.

  • - Yeah, I remember celebrating my birthday here

  • and it was really warm.

  • And I said I've never had a warm sunny day

  • on my birthday in my life.

  • But it can be hit or miss.

  • It could be cold near the end of October.

  • - It can be. I think that there's still

  • some leaves on the trees,

  • which is so nice because when I was growing up,

  • I grew up in a more northern state.

  • And so, by the time that my birthday arrived

  • near the end of October, it was always gray.

  • - Yeah, oh, in the UK, October.

  • - It's the rainy season, isn't it?

  • - The leaves aren't very colorful they're just brown.

  • All brown.

  • And then they fall and they get really wet straight away.

  • But sometimes the weather can ruin it, can't it?

  • - Yeah, I think if it's too...

  • It has to do with the dry and wetness.

  • I think it has to be somewhat perfect.

  • 'Cause if it's too dry too early,

  • all the leaves turn brown and fall off early.

  • And if it doesn't dry out, I don't know.

  • - What are those things?

  • There has to be some temperature, humidity.

  • 'Cause if it rained and it was windy for a week,

  • I imagine a lot of the leaves would just fall.

  • "So, we're not gonna turn color this year."

  • - "We're out."

  • - "Yeah, this is perfect for us to disintegrate

  • and turn into rich soil."

  • Or compost. - Compost.

  • - "Let's go in a bag."

  • Okay, well, I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

  • I think we should end it there.

  • Because we've done a Thanksgiving lesson.

  • - Yes. - Yeah.

  • And you should definitely go

  • and watch the summer, Thanksgiving

  • and the winter conversations after this one.

  • Yeah, and then be sure to go to the description

  • to look at some of the key phrases from this lesson,

  • what else should they do?

  • Case question.

  • - Oh, my question.

  • What is your favorite fall ritual?

  • So, it could be a food or an item of clothing

  • or something that you do outside,

  • but to celebrate the changing seasons.

  • - And do you have this season

  • in terms of the temperature.

  • In case mind is blown.

  • I'm just thinking of Costa Rica.

  • Doesn't really change that much except for rainy season.

  • But yeah, and the southern hemisphere.

  • - They're going into their spring.

  • - Yeah, it's about to be spring.

  • Okay, so yeah, just like if you have fall

  • or what are the seasons you celebrate the most there?

  • And yeah, click the like button, subscribe if you are new.

  • And as always, yeah, check out the other lessons.

  • One more thing, one more thing.

  • - One more thing.

  • We actually chose this topic

  • based on somebody recommending that we talk about seasons.

  • And so, if there are other topics

  • that you're interested in us talking about,

  • we'd love to know.

  • - Yeah, and expand on it too.

  • So say, "Oh, we'd love to know about..."

  • Someone said hospitals, right.

  • So, it's like, "Talk about a typical

  • hospital experience for a surgery or something like that."

  • - Okay, yeah.

  • Oh yeah, the more specific the better.

  • - Yeah, it just helps us

  • think about it a bit more, doesn't it?

  • - Yeah. - Yeah.

  • Okay, thanks again.

  • Speak to you soon. Bye-bye.

  • (relaxing music)

- Hello, this is Jack from tofluency.com

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