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Greetings, everyone.
This is the 8 -Minute English Podcast Series on the Learn English Podcast channel.
I'm Nathan, and I'm happy to host this episode with you all.
Can you guess what we will do today by looking at this picture?
This is Taylor Swift, one of the most famous pop singers loved by millions of fans around the world.
And no, today we are not gonna sing one of her songs because to be honest, I'm not good at singing.
Instead, we will listen to Taylor's commencement speech at New York University in 2022.
By listening to her speech, you will learn how to speak real English and improve your vocabulary and speaking skills.
We also have a free PDF for this episode with useful tips and vocabulary for your learning journey.
Remember to check it out.
Now, let's begin. I won't tell you what to do, because no one likes that.
I will, however, give you some life hacks.
I wish I knew when I was starting out my dreams of a career and navigating life, love, pressure, choices, shame, hope, and friendship.
The first of which is life can be heavy, especially if you try to carry it all at once.
Part of growing up and moving into new chapters of your life is about catch and release.
What I mean by that is, knowing what things to keep and what things to release.
You can't carry all things, all grudges, all updates on your ex, all enviable promotions your school bully got at the hedge fund his uncle started.
Decide what is yours to hold and let the rest go.
Oftentimes the good things in your life are lighter anyway, so there's more room for them.
One toxic relationship can outweigh so many wonderful, simple joys.
You get to pick what your life has time and room for.
Be discerning. Let's talk about some important vocabulary from Taylor Swift's speech.
Firstly, we have life hack.
It means a quick and easy way to do something better than the old way.
For example, instead of using your hands to carry a hot pan, wear gloves to prevent burns.
When the pop singer used this phrase, she meant ways to make our lives better.
Let's look at another word chapter.
The original meaning of this word is a part of a book.
In Taylor's speech, this word can also mean a period of time in your life.
So next time you hear this word, remember chapter has two common meanings like these.
How about release? It means to let go of something.
Taylor Swift told listeners to let go of things that don't benefit them and keep what's important.
The next word is grudge.
This word means having angry feelings towards someone because of something they did.
In the speech, Taylor advised listeners not to hold onto angry feelings toward their ex -lovers.
Toxic is the last word.
Commonly toxic refers to something bad or harmful.
Taylor Swift mentioned a toxic relationship, meaning a bad relationship that makes you unhappy.
Now let's move on to the next part of this video.
In this part, you will learn the main content and key points in Taylor Swift's speech.
Taylor Swift's university speech highlights several important life lessons.
She encourages graduates to accept life's ups and downs.
She reminds them that life doesn't always go as planned, but they should be proud of how they handle challenges.
She advises them to choose what to hold onto and focus on more joyful aspects of life.
Holding onto too much can be heavy.
So focus on the positive and let go of negative things.
She also mentions that it's okay to be cringe or awkward sometimes because everyone feels that way at some point.
Taylor Swift encourages the graduates to work hard and not be afraid to try new things.
She believes that trying your best is important, even if you feel embarrassed.
Taylor also says that making mistakes is okay.
Everyone makes mistakes and it's normal to feel bad about them.
Mistakes can teach us important things and help us grow.
She wants the graduates to know that it's okay to not be perfect.
And that learning from mistakes is a good thing.
She encourages listeners to be happy and excited about the things they really like, even though it's not cool like what other people think.
In other words, it's important to be yourself and to enjoy the things you love.
Lastly, the singer states that it's important to listen to your gut feeling and learn from both good and bad things that happen.
Life is like a roller coaster with ups and downs, but if you can stay strong, be happy, and understand yourself, you can handle anything life throws at you.
It's like you're the captain of your own ship and you need to be confident to sail through any storm.
Let's delve into important questions about our topic.
The first question, what does Taylor Swift encourage graduates to do throughout her speech?
She tells graduates to accept both good and bad times and be proud of how they handle challenges.
She advises focusing on positive things and letting go of negative things.
It's okay to feel awkward sometimes and trying hard and making mistakes is part of life.
Mistakes help us learn and grow.
She encourages graduates to be themselves, enjoy what they love, and not worry about being perfect or what others think.
The second question, what does Taylor Swift try to tell listeners near the end of her speech?
Taylor Swift tells the listeners that they need to make their own decisions and listen to their gut feeling.
She says it's up to them to figure out what to do next.
Life is full of surprises, good and bad things.
It's okay to make mistakes, everyone does.
What's important is to learn from them and keep going.
She wants the listeners to be strong and brave and to believe in themselves.
How about you? Let's share your opinions on these questions.
Please leave your comments below and let's discuss.
So it's been a ride, right?
As we wrap up today's episode, let me give you some interesting facts about our beloved pop singer, Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift was named after James Taylor, one of her parents' favorite musicians.
Her mom thought giving her a name that could work for both boys and girls would help her in the business world someday.
Taylor's grandmother, Marjorie, was an opera singer.
In 1950, Marjorie won a talent contest.
She then started touring with a radio show called Music with the Girls.
Taylor has always admired her grandmother.
In 2020, she released a song called Marjorie.
It included some of her grandmother's singing.
How about Taylor Swift's Pets?
Let me tell you, her cats are pretty well known.
She named her cats Olivia Benson, Meredith Gray and Benjamin Button.
These names are from famous characters in TV shows and movies.
The pop singer really loves her cats.
She often includes them in her music videos, magazine covers and even mentions them in her songs.
Taylor's favorite number is 13.
Even though some people think 13 is unlucky, Taylor loves it.
She has said that the number is important to her.
She turned 13 on a Friday the 13th day.
Her first album was number one for 13 weeks.
Besides her music, Taylor is a talented actress.
She started with a role on the TV show, CSI as Haley Jones.
She also had a small part in Hannah Montana, the movie.
Since then, she has acted in movies like Valentine's Day, The Giver and Cats.
Taylor Swift is also known for her charitable work.
While on her eras tour, she donated to food banks all over the United States.
Her kindness inspired other people to help out.
It also brought more attention to the donations.
Hopefully this information will help you understand Taylor Swift better.
We still have more fun facts to share about this artist, but I guess time is running out.
Don't be sad because we will be back with more amazing topics.
And don't forget to review the PDF we provide.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy.
["Fur Elise"] When the energy is high and the music is right, pushing past your limits becomes that much easier.
Take a reggae tone run or strength class on the Peloton tread and you'll quickly see why these are the workouts you've been searching for.
Every day brings new challenges from expert coaches who train and speak the same language as you do.
Level up your workouts with Peloton tread, find your push, find your power.
Peloton. Visit onepeloton .com.
Enjoying your podcast will be brief.
If you're looking for the perfect holiday gift, gift scratchers from the California Lottery.
With so many to choose from, you're sure to find the right gift for anyone on your list.
Now that your holiday shopping list is figured out, enjoy this bird singing jingle bells.
Give the gift of scratchers from the California Lottery.
A little play can make your day.
Please play responsibly.
Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play or claim.
You're on mute. Oh, so as I was saying, it doesn't exist.
What doesn't exist?
UFOs? No, UFOs are real.
I just heard about a health plan with no deductibles or coinsurance where members can use an app to choose from a huge provider network and see actual prices, not estimates.
I think our employees might love something like that.
That's the Surest plan from UnitedHealthcare.
It's available in California.
Where do we go to learn more?
Visit surest .com. Insurance coverage provided by UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California.
Administrative services provided by UnitedHealthcare Services, Inc.
or its affiliates.
