English is the official language of approximately 67 countries. Therefore, enhancing your language fluency allows you to improve your credentials— it helps you pursue and obtain more career opportunities with better or higher pay. Moreover, learning a language enhances brain function by up to 70% because memorizing new words and using them in contextual situations is necessary.
There are many ways to learn; the surest way is to study English online. You can also learn English for free by browsing informative blog posts at englishblog.net. Lastly, you can familiarize yourself with the gist of the English language and expand your vocabulary by watching movies or series. However, prepare a dictionary and look up unfamiliar words when watching. Or you could list them and ask your 11Talk teacher during your online class.
Concerning the essence of watching English series, this week’s blog features lessons from Stranger Things— an American sci-fi TV sequel about paranormal and supernatural experiments, which resulted in creating a portal to an alternate dimension.
Discover different English lessons from the show in three parts.
First, learn unique words from two main characters— Dustin Henderson and James Hopper.
- “Sometimes, your total obliviousness just blows my mind.”
Obliviousness means a state of being unmindful or unaware of something. Its synonyms include: absentminded, distracted, ignorant, inattentive, careless, forgetful, and unfamiliar.
- “Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?”
Curiosity is the state of being curious, indicating an eager desire to know or understand something. The words related to it are attentiveness, interest, concern, nosiness, and questioning.
- “I am on a curiosity voyage and need my paddles to travel. These books are my paddles.”
Voyage indicates an act of traveling or a long journey to some distant place. It can translate to cruise, expedition, trip, tour, or quest.
- “Make mistakes, learn from them, and when life hurts you, because it will, remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you’re out of that cave.”
Out of the Cave describes when an event or situation improves, which means someone is clear of danger, difficulties, or troubles. Its synonyms are on the comeback trail, on the mend, on the road to recovery, out of the woods, and over the hump.
- “But, please, if you don’t mind, for the sake of your poor old dad, keep the door open three inches.”
Keeping the door open three inches is Chief Jim Hopper’s most loved command in Stranger Things. But in figurative language, the phrase equates to not avoiding seeing people or shutting yourself from something. It can also mean that one should always uphold hope. Other terms are to allow the possibility of something, create the opportunity for it, and keep something available.
- “I don’t want things to change. So, maybe I think that’s why I came in here, to try to stop that change. To turn back the clock.”
Turning the clock means returning to the past or a previous way of doing things. The phrase also means to remember or imagine times in the past. To go back in time, go back in history, and rewind time is commonly used synonyms for “To turn back the clock.”
Aside from the fantastic script and sequence of the series, Stranger Things is also known for its slang or informal expression. Learn a few from another two main characters— Jane Hopper and Mike Wheeler.
- Gnarly translates into two categories; it can mean positive and negative. For the first category, it means something cool. Therefore, some of its synonyms include magnificent, superb, fine, and sensational. In contrast, the latter describes someone challenging to deal with because of being very complicated. For this, its synonyms can be disgusting, repulsive, and twisted.
- Mouthbreather means someone who lacks enough intelligence that they never learned to breathe through their nose— commonly called a silly or stupid person. You can use its synonyms dimwit, fool, or muppet.
- Code Red is when a situation becomes an emergency or a condition of heightened alertness or preparedness; it was one of Stranger Things’ most commonly used expressions.
- Jiffy translates to in a moment or a brief period. You can say, “I’ll be back in a jiffy,” just like Robin Buckley. And if you want to use other words for that, you can use: in a moment, in a flash, or shortly.
For the last part, learn English quotes you can use and reflect. Here are three of them from Jonathan Byers:
- “You shouldn’t like things because people tell you you’re supposed to.”
Find your own happiness, take your own path, and speak your truth. It would be best not to yearn for validation from others because, at the end of the day, nobody cares whether you fail or fly high.
- “Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world.”
Be extraordinary in an ordinary environment. Be creative. Be curious. Set good standards that surpass the average, typical, and usual. Boring is the name for not trying.
There you have it, the different English lessons from Stranger Things.
Stay tuned to 11Talk’s official accounts for more FREE ENGLISH LESSONS.