54- English with Fluency MC- How to Find Love on Valentine's Day
Lindsay: This is an All Ears English Podcast, Episode 54: Meeting Monday, “English with Fluency MC: How to Find Love on Valentine's Day.” [Instrumental]
Gabby: Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, where you'll finally get real, native English conversation. Now here are your hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the ‘English Adventurer' and Gabby Wallace, the ‘Language Angel,' coming to you from Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
In today's episode, you are going to meet a world star ESL rapper.
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Gabby: All right. Hey Lindsay. How's it going?
Lindsay: Hey Gabby. I'm doing great today.
Gabby: Great. I'm so excited. We're here today with a very special guest. We have Jason R. Levine, also known as Fluency MC. What's up Jason?
Jason: Hey what's up? Thanks so much for having me on your, your program, your podcast.
Gabby: Yeah, we're super excited to have you.
Lindsay:Yeah, thanks for coming on.
Jason: Oh, my pleasure.
Gabby: Very cool.
So, yeah, this week – well actually next week is Valentine's Day, so, (you know), we wanted to ask you a little bit (um) about your opinion as a guy, (you know), ‘cause (because) Lindsay and I we, we talk a lot about Valentine's Day and relationship stuff, but, (you know), we're two ladies, but we want to get your opinion. (Uh) whaddya (what do you) think about Valentine's Day? Is it (uh) – do you celebrate Valentine's Day or (do) you think it's just kinda (kind of)… Lindsay:
Just a big cliché or whaddya (what do you) think?
Gabby:…for the birds?
Lindsay: Yeah.
Jason: Well, let's see. I guess I would put myself at this point in my life, (uh) sort of in the middle. Part of, part of it is very cool and real, and, and potentially, (you know), romantic and special and part of it, to me, is kind of over-commercialized. (Um) not cliché as much as, I guess, the commercialism of it sometimes bother me. (Um) but, (you know), I don't, I don't like that I can, that I'm cynical like that. I like, I like to, I like to (uh) – remember especially, (um), being young and how much I liked being young for Valentine's Day. (Um) when we were kids – I don't know if you, if you guys remember anything about that.
Gabby: Absolutely.
Both: Yeah.
Gabby: I know what you're talking about.
Lindsay: Yeah, I remember making little Valentines for every kid in the class.
Gabby: Yep.
Jason: Yes. Yes. And we – I remember, (uh), I remember my parents telling me that when they were kids and they did stuff like that, (like), (you know), the, the popular kids got the, lots of Valentines and the unpopular kids didn't.
Gabby: Oh.
Jason: Well I think things changed ‘cause (because) I remember when I was little, (uh), everybody had to give – if you gave Valentines, you had to give one to everyone.
Lindsay: Right.
Gabby: That's right.
Make it fair across the board.
Lindsay: Exactly.
Gabby: Everybody gets a Valentine. I remember that.
Lindsay: That's interesting.
Jason: I also remember, (you know), looking forward to, or, (you know), hoping to get a Valentine with a little extra special note, (you know), from a special girl.
Lindsay: Aw.
Jason: You had to give one to everyone, but you didn't have to, (you know), present them the same way.
Gabby: I always hoped that they had candy attached to them.
Lindsay: Chocolate preferably, it's gotta (got to) be chocolate.
Gabby: Like no candy, I don't care.
Jason: Yes, I like that, I like that part about Valentine's Day. No, but I think it's, I think it's a (um), (you know), it's in, in the States at least, (um), (you know), it's, it's kinda (kind of) – I, I guess it just depends, some people really get into it, and some people don't. And I'm in Paris, now, and (you know), Paris is, it really is a really romantic place.
Gabby: Oh, I bet.
Jason: This will be my first, (uh), my first Valentine's Day here, (uh) with my wife in Paris, so maybe I need to think a little more seriously about Valentine's Day.
Gabby: Or…
Lindsay: Definitely.
Gabby: …or no matter what you do it's gonna (going to) be great because you're in Paris, right?
Lindsay: Right.
Jason: Yeah, that's, that's right. That's right.
Yeah.
Lindsay: Very cool. Exciting.
Gabby: Romantic city. Very cool.
Jason: But as an English Teacher, (um), I, I really, (I mean), holidays are great opportunities to talk about culture and to teach, to teach language, and (uh) Valentine's Day in particular is a really great one because so many, so many learners of all ages are curious about vocabulary and idioms for talking about love.
Lindsay: Definitely.
Both: Yeah.
Lindsay: And love is that thing that brings everyone together. Everyone experiences love, so we can (sort of), (you know), we can talk about that.
Gabby: Very cool.
Lindsay: So I know you have one of your awesome songs, (one of) your raps that shows a lot of these different ways to, (you know), call your, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your lover, (um), and you were gonna (going to) share that with our listeners today right?
Jason: Yeah, well thanks so much for, for, for that idea of doing a song live with you guys and (um), yeah, I, I, I like this song, especially, like I said because it's an opportunity to, to put some (uh) – especially idioms that are really high frequency (uh) for talking about relationships and talking about love (um), into a song where it's going to be easier to remember them by listening, (you know), to the song several times. If you like the song, you listen, you remember without trying to learn it, (uh), and that's, (you know), the hardest thing, I think, for anyone learning a language is that idea of, (you know), thinking you've learned something because you understood it and then realizing later you, you, you don't remember it because you didn't get enough exposure to it. So songs are great for that. So yeah, I'd love, I'd love to take advantage of this opportunity, if I may and…
Gabby: Absolutely.
Lindsay: Yes, you may. Let's do it- please do.
Jason: …do a song for your followers. Yeah.
Gabby: Cool, yeah. Bring it on.
Jason: All right. Ah, oh and I did forget one thing that's important about my (um) adult life experience of Valentine's before I go on ‘cause I… but (uh) I proposed to my wife on Valentine's Day… Both: Whoo!
Lindsay: That's a big deal.
Gabby: Yeah.
Jason: That was in Paris, so I really have to retract my statement about this being my first Valentine's Day in Paris.
Lindsay: Oops. (You) might be in trouble.
Jason: So that was – this will be my first Valentine's Day in Paris if I'm, if I'm not wrong.
Gabby: As a married man.
Jason: In the last 15 years.
Gabby: Yes. Well that's very romantic. That's awesome.
Lindsay: Beautiful. Love it, love it.
Gabby: Yeah.
Jason: I'm glad I could throw that in there.
Lindsay: Cool.
Jason: (Uh) cool. So let me, let me cue up the song here, just give me one sec (second). So this song is called – it, it doesn't have a very original title, it's just called “Valentine's Day.” Lindsay: Perfect.
Jason: And (um), if anyone's interested (um), (you know), you can find that easily on my YouTube channel and (I'll) give you guys the link and you can put it in, (um)…. but also the lyrics, I'm happy to send anyone the lyrics, if they want to email me so I'll make sure that I give you guys that email address.
Lindsay: Great.
Gabby:
On YouTube you're Fluency Mc, right?
Jason: Yeah, but it's, it's the Collolearn address
Gabby: That's right.
Lindsay: Oh.
Jason: But if anybody wants the lyrics, I'm happy to, to send them to them.
Lindsay: Excellent. Thank you for that.
Jason: So yeah, so (um), should I, should I start up the music?
Gabby: Yeah.
Lindsay: Go for it. We're ready and waiting.
Jason: All right. Here we go.
[Song: Valentine's Day, by Jason R. Levine] Hey! It's Valentine's Day. Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Hey, hey, hey. Hey.
It's Valentine's Day. Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Hey, hey, hey, it's Valentine's Day.
The date when you find the time and the way to say the things that you feel to the love of your life, Your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your husband or your wife.
Hey, hey, hey, it's Valentine's Day.
The date when you find the time and the way to say how deeply you love and adore your sweetie pie, the one, your honey, that special gal or guy, The apple of your eye, your main squeeze, your soulmate, your partner or the person you just started to date.
Through luck or fate, you know you've got a good catch and if the chemistry is right you might be a perfect match.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, it's Valentine's Day.
The 14th of February's Valentine's Day.
Romantic love is in the air and on display.
We go out to eat or catch a movie matinee.
We get each other cards and flower bouquets or a box of chocolates or a poem we wrote.
The girl at school you've got a crush on, you might pass her a love note and work up the courage to ask her out on a date.
If she plays hard to get, she might ask you to wait.
If she finds you attractive, you might go out on the town, but if you turn her off, she'll probably turn you down.
Hey, hey!
Lindsay:
Yeah.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Wow.
I love it. That's awesome.
We were dancing over here.
Jason: And that, that “hey, hey, hey” is also my wife.
Both: Oh.
Gabby: That's great.
Lindsay: Love it, love it, love it.
Jason: Her name is Brijitte by the way and her nickname is Beesh and my nickname is Jase (uh) by the way and, (you know), we, we made a podcast called (um), we're (um) Beesh and Jase.
Gabby: Beesh and Jase. That's nice.
Jason: Beesh and Jase.
Lindsay: Aw, very cool.
Jason: We're gonna (going to), we're gonna (going to) revisit that and do some more with that, and (um), I changed the lyrics a couple of times to that song, so I got a little confused there.
Both: No, it sounded great.
Lindsay: We didn't notice. We thought it was fantastic.
Jason: Oh, good. I'm glad.
Gabby: Tell us a little bit more about your projects. You mentioned a podcast, (um), what else are you working on?
Jason: Yeah.
(Um), well, let's see. (Um), I guess the main, the main thing I'm working on these days is (uh), while I'm especially in Europe trying to do live events.
Gabby: Cool.
Jason: So I'm doing one in Spain, (uh), in Zaragoza, Spain next week, for (uh), about 300 kids, 14 through16.
Lindsay: Oh, very fun.
Jason: And I'm doing one (uh), February, (uh) well in February, for (um) a school in France about, about 40 minutes outside of Paris.
Lindsay: So you're gonna (going to) get the kids singing and dancing and…
Jason: Yeah.
Lindsay:
Yeah.
Jason:
Yeah absolutely.
Gabby:
That's great.
Jason:
So I'm hoping to do more things like that. I'm working (um), trying to work with, with other (um), other people in, in ELT (English Language Training) who are making, (uh), especially making songs and videos, so Vicki Hollett from Simple English Videos, we're working on stuff together and (um), I'm very involved in English language training through (um) MOOCs on WizIQ where I work. So we just finished one. (Uh) we had almost 3,000 teachers for continuing professional development in English language teaching and we have another one coming up in March.
Gabby:That's so great.
Lindsay: Wow.
Gabby: You've got a lot going on.
Lindsay: You (have) got a lot on your plate there.
Gabby: So for, for…
Jason: Yeah, yeah. It's a lot of fun.
Gabby: …for our listeners, what's the best place for them to connect with you?
Jason: Well, I think that the easiest thing probably if you just remember my name Fluency MC and you Google, you'll see three things. (Um), right away, you'll see my website, (uh), which is, it says it's Fluency MC home- it's colloandspark.com, but it's really easy to get to if you just Google me and then (uh) YouTube and Facebook is where I spend most of my time, especially Facebook. So we have what people call the Fluency Family on Facebook, so it's a Facebook page that's very active, (uh), so I'm on there a lot. (Um) others are on there helping me out and (uh) participating there, so – especially English learners (um) who want extra practice and meet, to meet other, other learners around the world, that's a great place to go.
Gabby: Very cool.
Yeah, I know Lindsay and I first found out about you through YouTube and we just love your videos. We totally recommend them to our listeners. Very fun ways to learn English.
Lindsay: Absolutely. Fun and fresh.
Gabby:Yeah.
Jason: Really appreciate your support and (uh) hope we can work together on some stuff in the future.
Gabby: Yeah.
Same here. Well cool. (Um), thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing a song and a little bit about your projects. It's been really great to have you on the show.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Thanks so much Jason.
Jason: Oh, it's a great chance to, to meet, meet some of your, your people, your followers and fans, so that's great. And congratulations on the success of this podcast. It's, it's, it's really terrific.
Gabby: Thanks so much.
Lindsay:Thank you.
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See you next time.
