You know, the world of English is a fun and exciting place to be.
I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.
Hi everybody, this is Mr Duncan in England.
How are you today?
Are you okay?
I hope so.
Are you happy?
I hope so.
In today's lesson we are going to talk all about
not talking.
I'm going to say something about nothing.
I am going to tell you all about a thing that has no sound, yet when used in certain ways can have a deep and profound effect.
In this lesson we are going to talk about silence.
There is a silence where hath been no sound, There is a silence where no sound may be, In the cold grave, under the deep, deep sea, Or in wide desert, where no life is found, Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound.
No voice is hushed, no life treads silently, But clouds and cloudy shadows, wonder-free.
that never spoke over the idle ground, but in green ruins in the desolate walls of antique palaces where man hath been.
Though the dundefox or wild hyena calls, and owls that flit continually between shriek to the echo and the low winds moan, there the true silence is self-conscious and alone.
The word silence is both a noun and verb.
The lack of noise is silence.
Where peace and quiet exists is where silence can be found.
To say nothing at all when asked to speak is silence.
The opposite of noise is silence.
In verb form you will ask that people be silent or demand it.
They say that silence is golden.
In those moments of silence we feel free and unfettered.
The place where silence is, is a place where you can think clearly.
Of course, even in silence there can be sound.
Your own thoughts can break the silence.
Your inner monologue is the sound of your own conscience.
When you think, the sound you hear is your own voice.
Your inner monologue is the voice of reason.
When you are troubled by or worried about something, you try to work it out with that voice of reason.
Of course, the outcome or result of that reasoning may not necessarily be the right one.
We often use silence as a way of emphasising or reinforcing a moment of time.
A good example being the silence following a tragic event.
We arrange a time where people are given the opportunity to reflect on the event and to think about what has happened.
After a funeral there is normally a moment of silence when friends and family can think about the person who has died.
We often observe a one or two minute silence on the anniversary of an event where many people were killed.
This is called a memorial service or a commemoration.
We commemorate the sad event and we remember all those who died.
In the UK and around the world, memorial services are held each year to remember those who lost their lives through war or aggression, disease or during a natural disaster.
you
While speaking, silence can be a great way of punctuating a sentence.
A short moment of silence is called a pause.
You pause for a moment.
This break in the sentence helps to emphasise a point.
The pause can be for just a second, or if you really want to make that point clearer or create some tension,
10 seconds should be enough.
Of course, you don't always need silence to create tension.
And the winner of the Best English Teacher in the World Award is...
Okay, that's enough tension for one lesson, thank you.
As a verb, silence means to make a noise go away.
You silence something.
You make it go quiet.
If you silence the class, then you stop the students from talking and making noise.
You might demand silence.
There might be a notice on a door or in a room saying silence.
The silence sign is silencing the room, so as to keep it silent.
Another word for silence as a verb is mute.
You mute something to make it quieter.
You will often see this word on remote controls, as a mute button, or on any device that produces sound.
In society and through the media, the action of silencing someone may be one that is enforced by law.
A person may be prevented from expressing their views.
They are silenced.
They are gagged.
Censorship is a form of silencing too.
If you take away the right of a person to speak freely, then you silence them.
You suppress them.
You gag them.
It is so nice to rest and relax.
It is nice to be at peace and free.
To stare at the sky and watch clouds float by.
It's the perfect moment for me.
This is how I unwind after a busy day.
The rest is great.
The silence is cool.
I love the peace and calm.
Away from the hustle and bustle of life and all of life's hardships and harm.
There are many places where silence is generally expected.
In a church during a service, in a theatre during a performance, while inside a graveyard or cemetery, and of course when you are in a library.
When a person makes this sound, they are shushing you.
You go shush when you want someone to shut up.
Be quiet.
Keep their mouth shut.
Put a sock in it.
Shut their cake hole.
Hush up.
Quieten down.
Be quiet.
you
When silence ends, we say that it has been broken.
You stop being silent.
You break your silence.
A place suddenly becomes noisy.
A sudden sound breaks the silence.
When silence is continuing, we say that it is being maintained.
You maintain your silence.
You carry on being silent.
You keep quiet.
A place remains silent.
you
There are many synonyms of silence, such as quiet, stillness, peace, hush, calm.
A place where silence exists can be described as calm, peaceful, serene, still and tranquil.
So,
Music playing
Music Music
Not everyone likes silence.
Some feel unnerved by it.
Some people prefer to have the hustle and bustle of life near them.
They might feel better living in a noisy city or in close proximity to other people.
They find the noise comforting.
The feeling of being near others for some is reassuring.
Where would you like to live?
A place that is noisy or somewhere quiet and peaceful?
I know which one I would choose.
Can you guess?
Yeah.
I hope you have enjoyed today's lesson and that you will join me again sometime in the near future.
This is Mr Duncan in England saying thank you for watching me teaching you.
And of course, ta ta for now.