Mermaids - 6 Minute English

Improve your English vocabulary and listening in just six minutes!
Half-human, half-fish creatures have captured the imagination of people in different parts of the world. Neil and Georgina talk about different representations of mermaids and teach you related vocabulary along the way.

This week's question:
A fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen became so famous that a statue of its character, the little mermaid, was built in the harbour of his birthplace. Which city is it?
a) Amsterdam
b) Copenhagen
c) Oslo
Watch the video to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
amphibious
describes a creature that lives both on land and in water

pidgin English
a language that has developed from a mixture of two languages. It is used as a ‘lingua franca’ – a way of communicating by people who do speak each other’s languages

loose translation
translation of writing or speech which carries over the basic idea but using words which may not be so accurate or nuanced

deity
god or goddess

shape-shifter
imaginary person or creature that has the power to change into a different shape or form

humility
the quality of not being proud or thinking you are better than others; being humble

[Cover: Getty Images]

To download the audio and a transcript, go to:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-210506

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