Today is our third day in our 30-day vocabulary challenge for 2021. One new video a day for the
next 30 days to help you learn and boost your vocabulary. We're learning 105 words.
We're taking our words from the academic word list so these are words you'll need to know if
you're preparing for the IELTS or TOEFL exam, but also if you read or watch news in English, or have
conversations with native speakers. These are intermediate words and they are useful, so grab
a friend have them join the challenge with you and let's do this. As always, if you like this video,
or you learned something new, please like and subscribe with notifications, it means a lot.
We're on day three and we're learning four words today. I do have a download for you a
list of all the words with definitions and sample sentences, as well as quizzes to make sure you're
really getting and remembering these words. You can get that download by following this link,
or the link in the video description. Today's words are: significant, role, major, and period.
And we're looking at the different ways these words are used in various situations. For each
word, you'll get the definition, we'll cover the pronunciation, you'll get to see up close footage
of the mouth saying this word, and we'll also have five examples from real life English.
Our first word is SIGNIFICANT.
Significant. It's a four-syllable word with second syllable stress. Make sure
those unstressed syllables are flatter, lower in pitch. Sig-nificant. Ficant. Ficant. Significant.
As an adjective, it means large enough to be noticed, or have an effect.
Very important, there's a significant difference between prices in the two stores.
Let's again see this word up close and in slow motion.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples of this word in real situations.
The site is a work in progress but it's significant progress.
Significant progress. Not just a little bit of progress, also not a whole,
whole lot of progress but enough to be noticed and have an effect. Significant progress.
The site is a work in progress but it's significant progress.
Here's another example.
And here there are significant, quantifiable racial disparities that cannot be ignored.
Significant. Noticeable enough to matter and have an effect.
And here there are significant quantifiable racial disparities that cannot be ignored.
Another example.
The question is: will you find something that is scientifically significant?
Scientifically significant. From a scientific perspective,
enough to be noticed or have an effect.
The question is: will you find something that is scientifically significant?
Here's another example.
It is a significant problem around the world, there's about one billion people.
A significant problem. Maybe not a huge problem,
but not a tiny problem either. Big enough to have an effect to be important.
It is a significant problem around the world, there's about 1 billion people.
Here's our last example.
Shortly after I turned 30, I decided I wanted to
dedicate a significant amount of my life to solving climate change.
A significant amount of my time. Not all of his time but a significant amount, enough
to make a difference in his schedule, enough to feel like he's really doing something.
Shortly after I turned 30, I decided I wanted to
dedicate a significant amount of my life to solving climate change.
Next. The word ROLE.
We have the R consonant, the OH diphthong, and the dark L.
Role. Uhl, uhl. uhl. The dark L does affect that diphthong. It's not row, row, role,
but it's role, more like a single sound, a little bit more lip rounding. The tongue pulls
back a little bit more. Role, uhl, uhl. And then finally, the dark sound where the tongue
pushes down and back a bit more to make that dark sound. The tongue tip can stay down. Role. Role.
Noun, a character played by an actor or a part that someone or something
has in a particular activity or situation. I had a minor role in the play. You played a role
in my decision to move to New York. Let's look at this up close and in slow motion again.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples of this word in real situations.
I think everybody here recognizes the importance of a role model.
A role model. This is a common use of role. A role model is someone you can
look to as a model person in that role. An outstanding example, something that
you might strive to be yourself, to imitate. A student who studies hard and gets good grades
could be a good role model for another student who's struggling.
I think everybody here recognizes the importance of a role model.
Here's another example.
Haley, what role would you play in a movie?
A role in a movie is a part. I am playing the role of the mother. Or she has a lead
role. That means she's one of the main characters.
Haley, what role would you play in a movie?
Another example.
While the moon fulfills its role of lighting the night,
it also serves key roles in the cycles of life.
Its role in lighting the night. That's what it does at night in that situation. When it's dark,
the moon provides some light.
While the moon fulfills its role of lighting the night,
it also serves key roles in the cycles of life.
Here's another example.
Our role as the foundation will be to help facilitate an environmental education program.
Our role. The part we play, what we need to do,
what is expected of us, how to help facilitate this program.
Our role as the foundation will be to help facilitate an environmental education program.
Here's our last example.
And also importantly, what role does government have?
What role does government have? What should it do in and for society?
And also importantly, what role does government have.
Next the word MAJOR.
It's an adjective, it means very important. A large number or amount
or very serious. Researchers have announced a major advance in the treatment of cancer.
As a noun, it means the main subject studied by a college or university student. He chose History as
his major, and French as his minor. Let's see this again up close and in slow motion.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples of this word in real situations.
I started out as a math major in college with an education minor.
A math major. What she chose to study in college. Actually,
I was a Math major too. I majored in Applied Math and Computer Science and also Music.
I started out as a math major in college with an Education minor.
Here's another example.
And we've learned that there are major differences in the ways that women and men
experience disease.
Major differences. That is big differences.
And we've learned that there are major differences
in the ways that women and men experience disease.
Another example.
The country lies along the delta of three major European rivers.
Three major European rivers. That is not minor rivers, not small rivers, but
big rivers, important rivers.
The country lies along the delta of three major European rivers.
Here's another example. This caused major delays in the development of the Falcon Heavy.
Major delays. Big delays. They were way behind schedule.
This caused major delays in the development of the Falcon Heavy.
Here's our last example.
This is not the last major outbreak we're ever gonna see.
Major outbreak. A huge outbreak with a lot of people getting sick.
This is not the last major outbreak we're ever gonna see.
Our last word of this video is PERIOD.
It's a three-syllable word with first-syllable
stress. The IH as in vowel is affected by schwa R. It's not a pure IH but it's a little bit more like
EE with the tongue being a little closer to the roof of the mouth. So it's not ih-- pih--
period, but it's pee-- ee-- per-- period.
As a noun, it means a length of time during which something happens. The
period between Christmas and New Year's Eve is very busy.
As an adjective, it means about a particular time in history. The actors wore period
costumes from the 1800s. Let's see this word up close and in slow motion one more time.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples of this word in real situations.
It's also a time period that I particularly love. I love the music from the 40's.
A time period. A set length of time. What's your favorite time period in history and why?
It's also a time period that I particularly love. I love the music from the 40's.
Here's another example.
How long is the incubation period for Covid-9?
Incubation period. The length of time, how many minutes, days, years, or weeks, for example.
How long is the incubation period for Covid-9?
Another example.
Five percent of Russia was occupied and often for a very brief period of time.
A brief period. Not very long.
Five percent of Russia was occupied and often for a very brief period of time.
Here's another example.
They brought Nathan in, kept him in the warmer for about 30 days. It was a very
scary period for all of us, we weren't sure if he was going to survive or not.
A very scary period. Those 30 days, that length of time.
They brought Nathan in. Kept him in the warmer for about 30 days. It was a very
scary period for all of us we weren't sure if he was going to survive or not.
Here's another example.
Well we've come to the end of our time, and of course there is a lot
of information we couldn't cover in such a relatively short period of time.
A short period of time. Not enough to cover everything they could have said.
Well we've come to the end of our time, and of course there is a lot
of information we couldn't cover in such a relatively short period of time.
Seeing their real-life examples can really help you understand how to use these words,
can't it? I have a challenge for you now. Make up a sentence with one of these words,
and post it to social media, tag me, and use the hashtag #rachelsenglish30daychallenge
Don't be shy, you can do this. Our next video comes out tomorrow at 10AM Philadelphia time,
come back to learn four more vocabulary words. In the meantime, keep your studies going with
this video, and check out my online courses at rachelsenglishacademy.com
You'll become a more confident English speaker. And please do remember to subscribe.
I love being your English teacher. That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.