1 00:00:01,110 --> 00:00:03,500 Hi, my name’s Olivier. 2 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:05,060 Welcome to Oxford Online English! 3 00:00:05,060 --> 00:00:08,350 Let’s take a tour of London. 4 00:00:08,350 --> 00:00:10,080 Have you been to London before? 5 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,230 If so, what did you do? 6 00:00:13,230 --> 00:00:18,060 If not, what would you most like to see? 7 00:00:18,060 --> 00:00:21,180 In this lesson, you’ll go on a tour of London. 8 00:00:21,180 --> 00:00:27,090 You’ll learn useful language to deal with common tourist situations, like buying tickets, 9 00:00:27,090 --> 00:00:30,940 going to museums or talking to taxi drivers. 10 00:00:30,940 --> 00:00:38,420 Before we start, don’t forget to check out our website: Oxford Online English dot com. 11 00:00:38,430 --> 00:00:43,280 We have many free lessons to help you practise and improve your English, and you can also 12 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,010 study in one-to-one classes with one of our professional teachers. 13 00:00:48,010 --> 00:00:54,680 But now, here’s an interesting fact: last year, London was the second most visited city 14 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:59,320 anywhere in the world, with nearly 20 million visitors. 15 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,930 Which city do you think was number one? 16 00:01:01,930 --> 00:01:06,720 Don’t cheat by looking it up; we’ll tell you at the end of the video. 17 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,680 Anyway, don’t worry about that for now. 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,000 Let’s take a tour of London. 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,180 Where shall we go first? 20 00:01:17,180 --> 00:01:18,080 Hi, good morning. 21 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:19,140 Hi. 22 00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:20,450 Can I help you? 23 00:01:20,450 --> 00:01:23,560 My friends and I are thinking of doing your bus tour tomorrow. 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,260 Could you tell me more about the route and where we’ll go? 25 00:01:26,260 --> 00:01:29,530 Actually, we offer many different routes. 26 00:01:29,530 --> 00:01:31,620 Is there anything in particular you’d like to see? 27 00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:38,310 Well, I think we want the classic London experience: Big Ben, the Tower of London, and so on. 28 00:01:38,310 --> 00:01:41,850 In that case I’d recommend our original route. 29 00:01:41,850 --> 00:01:45,580 It starts and ends at Grosvenor Gardens, just near Buckingham Palace. 30 00:01:45,580 --> 00:01:50,410 You’ll cross the river by the Houses of Parliament, then back again near the London 31 00:01:50,410 --> 00:01:51,410 Eye. 32 00:01:51,410 --> 00:01:56,450 You’ll also go past the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, and several other London 33 00:01:56,450 --> 00:01:57,840 landmarks. 34 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,030 That sounds good. 35 00:01:59,030 --> 00:02:00,259 How long does it take? 36 00:02:00,259 --> 00:02:05,450 The whole route takes about two hours, but it’s a hop on-hop off tour, so you can get 37 00:02:05,450 --> 00:02:07,420 off wherever you want. 38 00:02:07,420 --> 00:02:09,000 And how much are tickets? 39 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:15,170 If you book online, they’re 25 pounds each, or 35 if you buy from the driver. 40 00:02:15,170 --> 00:02:17,420 Do you do any kind of group discount? 41 00:02:17,420 --> 00:02:21,550 We offer a family ticket, which includes two adults and two children. 42 00:02:21,550 --> 00:02:24,280 I’m travelling with friends, so I guess that’s no good. 43 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,570 I just have one more question: is there a guide, or an audio guide? 44 00:02:28,570 --> 00:02:32,099 There’s a live guide, who speaks English. 45 00:02:32,099 --> 00:02:37,260 If any of your group want a tour in another language, we have audio guides available in 46 00:02:37,260 --> 00:02:41,200 11 different languages at no extra cost. 47 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:42,260 That sounds great. 48 00:02:42,260 --> 00:02:43,670 Thanks for your help! 49 00:02:43,670 --> 00:02:49,660 First question: can you name five famous London landmarks? 50 00:02:49,660 --> 00:02:54,160 If you don’t know, ‘landmarks’ means famous places. 51 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,470 For example, the Eiffel Tower is possibly the best-known Paris landmark. 52 00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:02,569 So, can you name five London landmarks? 53 00:03:02,569 --> 00:03:05,320 You heard several examples in the dialogue. 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:13,640 Here are the examples you heard before: Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the London 55 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:19,410 Eye, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. 56 00:03:19,410 --> 00:03:26,120 You could mention others, like Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, or famous football 57 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,920 stadia like The Emirates or Wembley. 58 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:36,440 In the dialogue, I was asking questions about a bus tour of the city. 59 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:41,750 Can you remember any of the questions I asked? 60 00:03:41,750 --> 00:03:47,240 You heard: ‘Could you tell me more about the route and where we’ll go?’ 61 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,920 ‘How long does it take?’ 62 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,500 ‘How much are tickets?’ 63 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:57,709 ‘Do you do any kind of group discount?’ 64 00:03:57,709 --> 00:04:03,640 ‘Is there a guide, or an audio guide?’ 65 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:08,940 You could ask these questions in many common travel situations; they aren’t only useful 66 00:04:08,940 --> 00:04:11,330 when booking a tour bus! 67 00:04:11,330 --> 00:04:16,370 For example, you could make questions like this: ‘Could you tell me more about the 68 00:04:16,370 --> 00:04:19,789 tour, and what’s included?’ 69 00:04:19,789 --> 00:04:23,400 ‘How much is the transport?’ 70 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,969 ‘Do you do any kind of student discounts?’ 71 00:04:28,969 --> 00:04:33,499 The bus tour we were talking about is ‘hop on/hop off’. 72 00:04:33,499 --> 00:04:38,490 This means you can get off the bus to visit places on the way, and then get back on another 73 00:04:38,490 --> 00:04:40,289 bus later. 74 00:04:40,289 --> 00:04:49,060 Let’s make our first stop, and go to one of London’s famous museums. 75 00:04:49,060 --> 00:04:51,379 Good morning, welcome to the Tate Modern. 76 00:04:51,379 --> 00:04:52,379 Good morning. 77 00:04:52,379 --> 00:04:54,119 I’d like four tickets please. 78 00:04:54,119 --> 00:04:58,860 Actually, general admission to the Tate modern is free; you just have to pay separately for 79 00:04:58,860 --> 00:04:59,860 the exhibitions. 80 00:04:59,860 --> 00:05:00,860 Oh… 81 00:05:00,860 --> 00:05:01,860 Great! 82 00:05:01,860 --> 00:05:02,860 I didn’t realise that. 83 00:05:02,860 --> 00:05:04,280 What do you have on at the moment? 84 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:08,699 We have a wonderful Picasso exhibition, which I’d highly recommend. 85 00:05:08,699 --> 00:05:12,800 We also have exhibitions by Franz West and Dorothea Tanning. 86 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,770 I’d love to see the Picasso exhibition. 87 00:05:15,770 --> 00:05:16,770 How much are the tickets? 88 00:05:16,770 --> 00:05:21,479 They’re eighteen pounds for adults and five pounds for children under 18. 89 00:05:21,479 --> 00:05:23,819 We also have a 7-year-old with us. 90 00:05:23,819 --> 00:05:25,909 Do we need a ticket for him? 91 00:05:25,909 --> 00:05:28,250 No, under-12s get in free. 92 00:05:28,250 --> 00:05:32,099 OK, so two adults and one child then, please. 93 00:05:32,099 --> 00:05:34,350 What time would you like the ticket for? 94 00:05:34,350 --> 00:05:35,379 Excuse me? 95 00:05:35,379 --> 00:05:40,990 With exhibitions, especially popular ones like the Picasso, your ticket is for a specific 96 00:05:40,990 --> 00:05:41,990 time. 97 00:05:41,990 --> 00:05:47,720 There’s a 30-minute slot, and you have to enter the exhibition hall within that time. 98 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,610 You mean, I only get 30 minutes to look around?! 99 00:05:50,610 --> 00:05:52,190 That’s not long enough! 100 00:05:52,190 --> 00:05:53,190 No, no! 101 00:05:53,190 --> 00:05:57,409 You can stay as long as you like; it just regulates when you can go in. 102 00:05:57,409 --> 00:05:58,539 I see! 103 00:05:58,539 --> 00:06:00,629 In that case, what times are available? 104 00:06:00,629 --> 00:06:02,669 Well, it’s 10.45 now. 105 00:06:02,669 --> 00:06:07,979 I could give you tickets for the eleven to eleven-thirty entrance slot. 106 00:06:07,979 --> 00:06:09,309 That’s fine. 107 00:06:09,309 --> 00:06:11,310 That’s £36, please. 108 00:06:11,310 --> 00:06:12,310 Do you take euros? 109 00:06:12,310 --> 00:06:13,530 I’m afraid not. 110 00:06:13,530 --> 00:06:15,780 I’ll pay by card, then. 111 00:06:15,780 --> 00:06:19,990 Do you like going to art galleries or museums? 112 00:06:19,990 --> 00:06:23,430 Which London museums have you heard of? 113 00:06:23,430 --> 00:06:29,630 The Tate Modern, which you heard about in the dialogue, is a famous modern art museum. 114 00:06:29,630 --> 00:06:36,979 There are many other well-known London museums, such as the British Museum, the National Gallery, 115 00:06:36,979 --> 00:06:40,149 or the Natural History Museum. 116 00:06:40,149 --> 00:06:44,539 For now, let’s look at some useful language from the dialogue. 117 00:06:44,539 --> 00:06:50,999 Near the beginning, you heard this question: ‘What do you have on at the moment?’ 118 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,940 Do you know what this means? 119 00:06:54,940 --> 00:07:02,139 ‘On’ refers to an event, performance, or exhibition which is happening now. 120 00:07:02,139 --> 00:07:07,089 You can use it in different situations; for example, at the cinema: 121 00:07:07,089 --> 00:07:12,610 ‘What films are on at the moment?’ 122 00:07:12,610 --> 00:07:17,059 At the theatre: ‘Are there any good plays on?’ 123 00:07:17,059 --> 00:07:25,589 Or, at a museum: ‘There’s a really interesting exhibition on at the Science Museum.’ 124 00:07:25,589 --> 00:07:31,110 You also heard some more useful questions related to buying tickets; for example: ‘Do 125 00:07:31,110 --> 00:07:34,540 we need a ticket for him?’ 126 00:07:34,540 --> 00:07:38,160 ‘What times are available?’ 127 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,860 ‘Do you take euros?’ 128 00:07:41,869 --> 00:07:46,939 Like much of the language in this lesson, you can adapt these for different situations, 129 00:07:46,940 --> 00:07:51,780 like this: ‘Do we need a ticket for my son?’ 130 00:07:51,780 --> 00:07:55,040 ‘What kind of rooms are available?’ 131 00:07:55,040 --> 00:08:02,200 ‘Do you take dollars?’ 132 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,159 Hi, how can I help you? 133 00:08:04,159 --> 00:08:05,349 Hello! 134 00:08:05,349 --> 00:08:09,379 We haven’t planned this very well, but we decided this morning we wanted to see a show 135 00:08:09,379 --> 00:08:14,120 while we are here, and thought it might be possible to get some cheap last-minute tickets. 136 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:15,889 Any idea of what you want to see? 137 00:08:15,889 --> 00:08:19,389 No, I don’t even know what’s on right now, actually. 138 00:08:19,389 --> 00:08:23,610 Well, were you thinking a musical, or a play? 139 00:08:23,610 --> 00:08:25,530 I think… a musical. 140 00:08:25,530 --> 00:08:28,139 It’ll be more fun for the kids. 141 00:08:28,139 --> 00:08:30,330 Here, take a look at this. 142 00:08:30,330 --> 00:08:33,479 These are the musicals we have on at the moment. 143 00:08:33,479 --> 00:08:35,870 I really don’t know. 144 00:08:35,870 --> 00:08:36,990 Can you recommend something? 145 00:08:36,990 --> 00:08:39,089 How old are your children? 146 00:08:39,089 --> 00:08:40,089 Five and nine. 147 00:08:40,089 --> 00:08:42,240 I think the Lion King would be perfect. 148 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,490 It’s one of our longest running shows, and it’s good fun. 149 00:08:46,490 --> 00:08:48,399 That sounds perfect! 150 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:49,569 How much are the tickets? 151 00:08:49,569 --> 00:08:53,459 Well, first of all, what time would you like to go? 152 00:08:53,459 --> 00:08:56,540 We have matinee and evening tickets available. 153 00:08:56,540 --> 00:08:59,089 The matinee tickets are slightly cheaper. 154 00:08:59,089 --> 00:09:00,310 What time is the matinee? 155 00:09:00,310 --> 00:09:04,110 It’s at two-thirty, so in about an hour. 156 00:09:04,110 --> 00:09:07,209 The evening performance is at seven-thirty. 157 00:09:07,209 --> 00:09:08,750 Two-thirty is too soon. 158 00:09:08,750 --> 00:09:10,730 I guess it’ll have to be the evening. 159 00:09:10,730 --> 00:09:12,310 OK, evening it is. 160 00:09:12,310 --> 00:09:15,579 The second question is: where would you like to sit? 161 00:09:15,580 --> 00:09:19,540 You can choose from stalls, Royal Circle or Grand Circle. 162 00:09:19,540 --> 00:09:21,380 Take a look at this seating plan. 163 00:09:21,380 --> 00:09:22,380 Hmm… 164 00:09:22,380 --> 00:09:24,660 We’re kind of on a budget. 165 00:09:24,660 --> 00:09:26,190 Which tickets are the cheapest? 166 00:09:26,190 --> 00:09:29,300 You could sit in the Grand Circle, near the back. 167 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:31,560 We have four seats together, just here. 168 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:32,560 How much would they be? 169 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:37,579 Normally, they’re eighty pounds each, but because it’s last minute, they’re down 170 00:09:37,579 --> 00:09:38,579 to forty-five. 171 00:09:38,579 --> 00:09:39,579 Is it cheaper for children? 172 00:09:39,579 --> 00:09:41,209 No, I’m afraid not. 173 00:09:41,209 --> 00:09:43,800 All tickets are the same price. 174 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,209 Alright, I guess we won’t get another chance anytime soon. 175 00:09:47,209 --> 00:09:49,399 We’ll take them! 176 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,180 Look at five words and phrases which you heard in the dialogue. 177 00:09:53,180 --> 00:09:57,380 They’re all connected with going to the theatre. 178 00:09:57,380 --> 00:10:00,200 Do you know what these words mean? 179 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,820 How would you explain the meaning? 180 00:10:03,820 --> 00:10:08,649 If you’re on a budget, you might want to look for last-minute tickets. 181 00:10:08,649 --> 00:10:13,779 You might buy last-minute tickets close to the time of the show you want to see. 182 00:10:13,779 --> 00:10:17,670 Last-minute tickets are often cheaper. 183 00:10:17,670 --> 00:10:23,810 You can use ‘last-minute’ to talk about other things as well; for example, last-minute 184 00:10:23,810 --> 00:10:28,490 plane tickets, or a last-minute hotel booking. 185 00:10:28,490 --> 00:10:34,840 A musical is a play—or a film—which includes songs and dancing routines. 186 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,139 Can you think of any other famous musicals? 187 00:10:38,139 --> 00:10:44,839 A ‘matinee’ is a performance which starts earlier in the day, usually in the afternoon. 188 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:50,580 You can also use the word ‘matinee’ to talk about films at the cinema. 189 00:10:50,580 --> 00:10:55,380 A typical theatre has two types of seating: stalls and circle. 190 00:10:55,399 --> 00:11:00,070 The stalls are the seats in front of the stage, and at the same level. 191 00:11:00,070 --> 00:11:05,550 The circle is higher and further back, so seats in the circle tend to be cheaper. 192 00:11:05,550 --> 00:11:10,910 Now, you’ve been looking around London all day, and you’re feeling tired. 193 00:11:10,910 --> 00:11:17,460 It’s time to jump in a taxi and go back to your hotel. 194 00:11:17,460 --> 00:11:19,040 Where to? 195 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:20,370 Excuse me? 196 00:11:20,370 --> 00:11:21,370 Where are you going? 197 00:11:21,370 --> 00:11:22,490 Oh, sorry. 198 00:11:22,490 --> 00:11:24,209 Trafalgar Square, please. 199 00:11:24,209 --> 00:11:25,630 Do you know how much it will be? 200 00:11:25,630 --> 00:11:28,330 It’s all on the meter, but should be around £25. 201 00:11:28,330 --> 00:11:30,720 OK, that’s fine. 202 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,480 How’s your day going? 203 00:11:32,490 --> 00:11:34,279 Typical Saturday, innit? 204 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,600 Very busy, but can’t complain. 205 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,180 Are you just here visiting? 206 00:11:38,180 --> 00:11:39,879 Yeah, I’m from the US. 207 00:11:39,879 --> 00:11:41,279 Are you from London originally? 208 00:11:41,279 --> 00:11:42,279 Yep. 209 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:43,660 Proper Londoner. 210 00:11:43,660 --> 00:11:45,370 Born and bred here. 211 00:11:45,370 --> 00:11:47,019 So, you like it here? 212 00:11:47,020 --> 00:11:49,020 It’s a blinding place to live. 213 00:11:49,020 --> 00:11:50,700 Oh, right. 214 00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:55,779 Obviously there a few places that are a little dodgy, but I think you get that in any big 215 00:11:55,779 --> 00:11:56,779 city. 216 00:11:56,779 --> 00:11:57,790 Of course. 217 00:11:57,790 --> 00:12:03,430 I mean, it just does my nut when people talk about how dangerous London has become. 218 00:12:03,430 --> 00:12:04,430 Well… 219 00:12:04,430 --> 00:12:05,430 Yes… 220 00:12:05,430 --> 00:12:10,100 I mean you’ve got to say the old bill do a good job around here. 221 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:11,100 The old who? 222 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:12,100 The old bill. 223 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:14,360 That’s what we call the police here. 224 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,930 Ah… actually could you drop me off here? 225 00:12:16,930 --> 00:12:18,800 I’d like to walk down The Mall. 226 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,779 Yeah, no problem. 227 00:12:20,779 --> 00:12:23,439 That’s 25 quid please. 228 00:12:23,439 --> 00:12:26,949 If you didn’t understand all of that, don’t worry. 229 00:12:26,949 --> 00:12:34,230 We included some colloquial words and phrases that are typical in London. 230 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:37,120 Have you heard any of these before? 231 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:44,860 ‘Innit’ is used instead of question tags like ‘are you?’ or ‘doesn’t it?’ 232 00:12:44,860 --> 00:12:50,439 For example, instead of ‘The weather looks nice, doesn’t it?’ you might hear ‘The 233 00:12:50,439 --> 00:12:53,600 weather looks nice, innit?’ 234 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,010 This is colloquial, and as an English learner you probably shouldn’t use it, but you might 235 00:12:59,010 --> 00:13:01,399 hear it in the UK. 236 00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:06,009 ‘Blinding’ is a slang word which means ‘very good’. 237 00:13:06,009 --> 00:13:11,520 On the other hand, something which is ‘dodgy’ is not good at all. 238 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,180 ‘Dodgy’ means that something is wrong. 239 00:13:15,189 --> 00:13:20,529 If you describe a person as dodgy, you mean that this person shouldn’t be trusted. 240 00:13:20,529 --> 00:13:25,139 If you talk about a dodgy area of a city, you’re talking about an area which isn’t 241 00:13:25,139 --> 00:13:27,949 always safe to walk around. 242 00:13:27,949 --> 00:13:32,160 If something ‘does your nut’, it annoys you. 243 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:36,519 For example, you could say ‘This music really does my nut.’ 244 00:13:36,519 --> 00:13:39,649 Again, this is very colloquial! 245 00:13:39,649 --> 00:13:46,199 Use it for fun if you want, but expect people to give you some strange looks. 246 00:13:46,199 --> 00:13:49,740 The ‘old bill’, as you heard, are the police. 247 00:13:49,740 --> 00:13:52,420 This is London-specific slang. 248 00:13:52,420 --> 00:13:56,920 Finally, ‘quid’ is another word for ‘pounds’. 249 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,240 This is common, and you’ll probably hear it if you visit the UK. 250 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:07,439 So, if something costs ten pounds, you can say that it costs ten quid instead. 251 00:14:07,439 --> 00:14:14,319 ‘Quid’ is too colloquial to use in writing; also, ‘quid’ doesn’t change in the plural: 252 00:14:14,319 --> 00:14:17,199 one quid, two quid, three quid… 253 00:14:17,199 --> 00:14:21,240 Anyway, we hope you feel ready for a trip to London now! 254 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,079 Do you have any recommendations for things to do in London? 255 00:14:25,079 --> 00:14:28,519 Please share your ideas in the comments! 256 00:14:28,519 --> 00:14:29,519 Thanks for….. 257 00:14:29,519 --> 00:14:33,640 Hang on….you promised you would tell me what was the number one most visited city 258 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:34,870 in 2018! 259 00:14:34,870 --> 00:14:38,329 Oh yes, I completely forgot. 260 00:14:38,329 --> 00:14:39,589 What do you think? 261 00:14:39,589 --> 00:14:48,459 Which city was visited more than London last year, to make it the number one? 262 00:14:48,459 --> 00:14:53,790 It was actually Bangkok, with almost 21 million visitors. 263 00:14:53,790 --> 00:14:57,009 Well, you learn something new every day. 264 00:14:57,009 --> 00:14:58,319 Thanks for watching! 265 00:14:58,319 --> 00:00:00,000 See you next time!