Vocabulary
Questions:
loosen up: to relax and stop worrying.
E.g.
Come on, Jo. Loosen up.
articulate: /ɑːˈtɪkjuleɪt/ to speak, pronounce or play something in a clear way.
E.g.
He was too drunk to articulate properly.
Every note was carefully articulated.
She spoke slowly, articulating each word clearly
pent-up: /ˌpent ˈʌp/ (of feelings, energy, etc.) that cannot be expressed or released. Sp. reprimido.
E.g.
pent-up frustration/energy
Young people sometimes have a lot of pent-up negative emotions.
Pent-up emotions can be harmful to mental health.
Dogs are taken outside and allowed to release their pent-up energy
bearing on something the way in which something is related to something or influences it. Sp. relación.
E.g.
Recent events had no bearing on our decision.
Regular exercise has a direct bearing on fitness and health.
Her comments didn’t have much bearing on the subject.
This has no bearing on the matter. Sp. esto no tiene relación or no tiene nada que ver con el asunto
This has a direct bearing on our future. Sp. esto influye directamente en nuestro futuro.
Script
delve into something to try hard to find out more information about something. Sp. indagar, escarbar.
E.g.
She had started to delve into her father's distant past.
We must delve back into history to find the reason.
remorse: the feeling of being extremely sorry for something wrong or bad that you have done. Sp. remordimiento, arrepentimiento.
E.g.
I felt guilty and full of remorse.
She felt no remorse at leaving them without notice.
remorse for (doing) something He was filled with remorse for not believing her.
awkward: difficult to deal with. Synonym: difficult. Sp. difícil, complicado.
E.g.
Don't ask awkward questions.
You've put me in an awkward position.
an awkward customer (= a person who is difficult to deal with)
Please don't be awkward about letting him come.
It makes things awkward for everyone when you behave like that.
My nephew is entering that awkward stage of adolescence
ail: to be ill, or to make someone feel ill or unhappy.
E.g.
What is ailing you?
cathartic: /kəˈθɑːtɪk/ involving the release of strong feelings as a way of providing relief from anger, mental pain, etc. Sp. liberador, purificador.
E.g.
It was a cathartic experience.
betray something: go against ideals. Sp. traicionar
E.g. He has been accused of betraying his former socialist ideals
She refused to betray her own values by eating meat just to avoid offending her host. Sp. No quiso traicionar sus propios valores comiendo carne para no ofender a su anfitrión.
insight: [countable, uncountable] an understanding of what something is like.
E.g.
There are many valuable insights in her book.
His work offers several useful insights.
insight into something The book gives us fascinating insights into life in Mexico.
I hope you have gained some insight into the difficulties we face.
insight on something She has some interesting insights on the principles that have guided US foreign policy.
insight about something The book provides important insights about the doctor-patient relationship.
venture: a business project or activity, especially one that involves taking risks. Synonym: undertaking. Sp. aventura.
E.g.
A disastrous business venture lost him thousands of dollars.
inherent: /ɪnˈherənt/ /ɪnˈhɪərənt/
inherent (in somebody/something) that is a basic or permanent part of somebody/something and that cannot be removed. Synonym: intrinsic.
E.g.
the difficulties inherent in a study of this type
Violence is inherent in our society.
an inherent weakness in the design of the machine
Script
Interviewer: Good morning listeners and welcome to Window on the World. Today we’re continuing our segment on communication. Yesterday, we took a look at music and the way in which we express ourselves through song. Now, we’re going to delve into something that’s very closely related and that is the medium of dance. With us in the studio is Alice Reynolds, a choreographer who has worked with the London Ballet and the Royal Ballet School and is running a project with the local youth centre to encourage teenagers to express themselves through dance. Welcome to the show.
Alice: It’s a pleasure to be here.
Interviewer: Why don’t you tell our listeners something about what it is you do?
Alice: Well, as you said I’m a choreographer. I’ve worked with some amazing dancers through the years and it’s always struck me how well emotions can be portrayed through movement. Even when simply loosening up at a rehearsal, the dancers showed how they were feeling. Dance has been around for centuries. Human cultures have used it throughout that time as a means of communication in ceremonial rites and celebrations as well as entertainment. So we decided to put this unique ability to communicate to good use in helping young people express themselves.
Interviewer: In what way?
Alice: It can be difficult for people, especially young people and teenagers, to talk about how they feel. There can be a number of reasons for that, they may be shy or just simply not be able to find the appropriate words, but for those that can’t find their voice, dance offers a way of getting those feelings out. Whether they are feelings of anger, love, remorse, it doesn’t matter. Dance allows you to express these emotions in a positive way instead of keeping them locked away. And we’ve found that, once you can express yourself through movement, it’s easier to open up verbally.
Interviewer: Mmm, teenagers are not exactly known for their communication skills.
Alice: No, they can be quite socially awkward. But that’s another side to the dance programme we run, it forces them to interact and by the end of it they usually come out of their shells. Also, because we don’t suppress emotions, we let them loose, they’re forced to deal with whatever is ailing them, any anxieties they may have. It can be quite cathartic. It’s almost a form of therapy but without the therapist. It offers a level of freedom unlike anything else. Afterwards the children seem to be more emotionally well-balanced.
Interviewer: So, do you think it would work for anyone?
Alice: Of course. When I worked with professionals, I noted that, through their training, no matter what type, they had learnt to express their emotions but not betray their personalities. With the teenagers it was the opposite. We can already see their personalities but their emotions are suppressed. It was this insight that showed me how effective this venture could be. Our work with them is designed to bring those emotions out for all to see. And they’re recognisable emotions. Dancing conveys subtle messages about what people are thinking and feeling that other people can read. After all, communication is a two-way street. This ability to read these messages is an inherent human trait that has its roots in our evolutionary history. The power of movement to tell a story is quite exceptional.
Interviewer: I suppose there are certain types of people, personalities, that take to dance. Find it easy to get up and let loose?
Alice: Actually, it’s not whether someone will dance or how well they dance that’s determined by their personality but rather how they dance. There was a study conducted to see if you could tell a person’s personality from the way they moved and the findings were emphatically yes. It seems we can’t hide who we are when we dance. Be we an extrovert, neurotic, conscientious, open-minded or agreeable, it all comes out on the dance floor. Having said that, certain personalities are better able to convey emotion without assistance.
Interviewer: I wonder what my dancing would show. Probably just that I should really have some classes. Well, thank you for taking the time to come in and talk to us.
Alice: Thank you for asking me.
Interviewer: If that has got any of you wanting to put on your dance shoes, ...
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