I've changed my hairstyle over the years, but not too many times. When I was a
little girl, I had long hair. My mother usually put my hair in two ponytails or
two braids. I often had curls in my hair.
Sometimes I had bangs. Sometimes I didn't.
When I was around twelve or so, I cut my hair short. Women like Princess Diana and
Madonna were influential in the 1980s, so many of us had hairstyles like them.
Perms were popular at one point, so my hair was curly for a little while. In my
late teens, I started to grow long hair again. And in my early twenties, I kept my hair
straight. I've worn my hair the same way for many years, but in recent months, I
had the feeling that I needed a change. Have you ever felt that way? Changes can
be scary, but you won't know if you like something new until you try it.
I took the leap, and I made a change. I got a new haircut. My family was kind of shocked at first.
I'm getting used to it myself, but I was tired of the same old thing, which
meant that I was ready for a change.
Note these expressions so far: Tired of the same old thing. You can be tired, get
tired, grow tired of the same old thing.
Ready for a change. Need a change. Want a change. Also, if you take the leap, you try
to do something new, something scary or difficult. Getting a new haircut is not
unlike trying a new approach on YouTube. I've been around for more than a decade.
So from time to time I want to try new things. In almost every playlist,
you'll see evidence of my experiments. People in the movie industry
also like to experiment. They want to be original. Jaws was a good experiment back
in 1975. Have you seen it? It's a movie about shark attacks.
What made it extra special, in my opinion, was the music. It created suspense.
The music became famous. They really shook things up with their
use of music. To shake things up, means to change things from how they're usually
done within an industry, a company, or something else big like that.
Another good expression for the business world is "to move with the times" or
"to change with the times." This means to change in a way that
reflects how people are today, what they like, what's current. Companies that don't
change with the times will seem old-fashioned, outdated. News channels
have to move with the times. When I was growing up, TV reporters were mostly men,
and they sat at a desk and read the news. Today some TV reporters still do this,
but they all dress more colorfully, especially the women. And sometimes they
stand casually and speak conversationally as they deliver the
news. Let's try a quick exercise so you can learn three collocations with
"change" as a verb. Choose the best word.
If you're firm in your opinion, you won't change your mind.
No one will convince you otherwise.
Max didn't think opera was cool, but he changed his tune when he realized some
pretty girls in his class listened to Andrea Bocelli.
I know you're having fun on social media, but you better change your ways. Once you
start looking for a job, employers will search you up and judge you by your
social media posts. Note these three collocations: Change your mind, which
means to change your opinion or decision.
Change your tune, which means to change your way of thinking because you realize
it would be to your advantage.
Change your ways or mend your ways, which means to change your habits or your
behavior for the better.
How did you do in that first exercise? Let's try another short exercise so you
can learn three collocations with "change" as a noun. Use words from the list
to complete the text.
How did you do? Study these set phrases:
Change of scenery, which means a change to a new place to see different things.
Change of heart, which means to change your feelings or your attitude in
regards to something. Change hands, which means to change ownership. If a company
changes hands then ownership or management changes.
What changes have you made in your life recently? Any big changes? Maybe your town, your city, or your country
is going through important changes. You can tell me about a change
that you've experienced in the comments.
We can talk about a change for the better or a change for the worse. I'm
still deciding if my new haircut is a change for the better.
First, I have to learn how to style my hair. You can help. Which style is a
change for the better? Tell me what you think.
As for me, I think changing my hairstyle is enough excitement. That's all for now.
Please like and share this video with others learning English and remember to
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