Video task. Listen, speak, recap and discover.

by Alba Castro

Today we're doing a very complete practice using a fun short film (11 min long).

You'll improve your listening skills, explain and describe in Spanish, recap grammar and learn new expressions,and you can even write some descriptions down to give your writing a push as well.

This is catered specially for intermediate/advanced level. In some questions you can decide whether to answer fully in Spanish or in English.

However, if you're a beginner I invite you to give it a go too:

- Watch the video, take notes of what you understand, and try to describe some scenes with simple sentences using a dictionary (Wordreference). Also, you're more than welcome to check my grids and videos on tenses.

- Also, do the two questions that have the hashtag "beginner" (on the next section).

Listen and speak

1- The title of this short film is “beta”. In Spanish, describe what that usually means.

2- In the phone conversation at the beginning, she's talking with her mom. What do you think the mom is saying?

3- Mention the three places where she put those leaflets. #beginner

4- When he asks if she likes her present she answers that she does. But when he leaves the room, what does she say?

5- In the next scene (2:24) she suggests to go to Italy. What's his objection? Is he right?

6- Can you describe the dining room in Spanish? (2:24) #beginner

7- What are the last 4 words on the video, that we hear in the distance? Why do you think we often use that phrase to talk about Paris?

Gap fill

Fill the gaps to complete her monologue when she's talking to the camera in minute 3:32:

¿________? No __ ________ con él , __ le insulté, __ le ______ nada.

__ ____ __ sentía en ese momento ___ ______ más profundo que un _______.

Lo que yo sentía era _____, odiaba. _ ___ _______. __ ____ odiaba todo de él.

__ ______ _____ pedir el ________. Un divorcio te ______ mucha energía. Y yo ___ necesitaba ____.

___ necesitaba porque __ que yo quería era _____ sufrir.

Vengarme ____ todo estos años de _____... pero ¿cómo?

Expressions and grammar

Try to figure out what these mean. Use any resource you want (I recommend wordreference) and try to understand new grammar structures.

Don't forget to take notes!

Phone and monologue

  • Que sí, mamá...
  • Se lo llevo recordando

    Llevar + -iendo/-ando
  • Para asegurarme de que captaba el mensaje
  • Me encargué de poner folletos

    Encargarse de + infinitive
  • Sitios donde sabia que seguro iba a mirar

Tv surprise

  • Últimamente estabas un poco pesada con eso de viajar
  • Me gustaría estampártela en la cabeza
  • Me he gastado un “pastón”
  • ¿quieres salir ya, que llevas una hora?

Second half

  • Nos vendría muy bien
  • Cuando no se cuidan las cosas, se estropean
  • Por esas fechas - What use of "por" is this one?
  • She swears at some point. Did you get the expression she uses?

Plot and translations

  1. She wanted to travel, but he has a different idea in mind:

    “Coño, pero si con esto podemos ver el mundo entero sin movernos del sofá”.

    Explain what he means by that.

  2. Then, someone talks on the tv:

    "¿Es su casa un auténtico desastre? ¿Tiene algún objeto inútil? ¿Algo de lo que quiera deshacerse por su elevado consumo de energía?"

    What is the woman giving advice about? What do you think is the main character thinking when she hears this?

Tv woman

After this scene we're going to hear that woman's voice in the background several times.

Translate what she says and explain what the main character does in each case/what happens and how both things link together.

  • "Excederse con el agua caliente puede provocar efectos contraproducentes en el consumo de energía".

  • "Utilizar un termostato que regule la temperatura evitará que se produzcan inesperados cambios climáticos en su hogar".

  • "También puede sellar puertas y ventanas para evitar que se escape el calor o el aire acondicionado"

  • "Una masa de aire procedente del Ártico congela las aguas del río San Lorenzo. Los termómetros marcan menos veinticinco grados, pero la sensación térmica es todavía más fría debido a las fuertes rachas de viento."

  • "Si su cocina está muy caliente, es recomendable apagar el fuego cinco minutos antes para terminar la coción con el calor residual".

  • "Sustituir las bombillas incandescentes por unas tipo LED evita el riesgo de un consumo muy elevado. También son recomendables para que no se produzcan caídas imprevistas del suministro".

  • "Desenchufe los aparatos que no sean de uso imprescindible".

  • "Y por supuesto si sus electrodomesticos se han quedado viejos u obsoletos hágase con otros de una categoría más eficiente".

  • "Con estos sencillos consejos conseguirá que su vida mejore, hasta convertirla en una totalmente nueva".

Quick grammar recap

  1. Can you explain the use of the highlighted "se" in the sentences from the previous section?

  2. Identify when subjunctive is used in the previous sentences and explain why.

  3. There are some cases of imperative in the video. Could you use that tense to translate these sentences?

"Substitute your husband for a new one if yours is giving you problems."

"Analyse how much valuable time you're spending with bad friends and make changes if necessary"

"Take action and remove the things that do not give you peace"

"Open yourself to new opportunities and meet new people".

¡Eso es todo! / That's it!

Comment below if you have any question and enjoy!

¡Hasta pronto! :)