Busking and Street Performers: Vocabulary & Pronunciation
Busking and street performers
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🎭 Busking and Street Performers
Master 10 key words, practice matching and sentence structures, and perfect your speech with studio audio shadowing.
💡 How to use this lesson
For Teachers
1. Guide students through the word table first and discuss the memory tricks together.
2. Set a 10-minute timer for the practice section and check answers using the instant feedback keys.
For Learners
1. Study the 10 key words, their collocations, and memory tips before attempting questions.
2. Complete all 16 practice tasks, then test your speaking speed in the shadowing studio.
Word Table
10 Target Words| Word | Meaning | Common Collocations | Example Sentence | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| violinist | a person who plays the violin | skilled violinist, street violinist | "A street violinist played a haunting melody near the station." | violin + -ist (person) |
| drummer | a person who plays drums | energetic drummer, street drummer | "The drummer kept a fast rhythm on old plastic buckets." | Sound of drum: bum bum! |
| comedian | an entertainer who makes people laugh | stand-up comedian, street comedian | "The comedian made the crowd laugh with quick jokes." | Comedy = smile, comedian = person |
| mime | a performer who acts without speaking | street mime, silent mime | "The mime pretended to be trapped inside a glass box." | Mime rhymes with silent time |
| Word | Meaning | Common Collocations | Example Sentence | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bystander | a person standing near but not participating | curious bystander, casual bystander | "A curious bystander stopped to watch the magic trick." | Standing by the side |
| applaud | to clap hands to show approval | applaud warmly, applaud loudly | "The audience began to applaud after the song finished." | Applaud sounds like applause |
| encore | an extra performance added at the end | call for an encore, perform an encore | "The happy crowd shouted for an encore." | Think: "Once more!" |
| Word | Meaning | Common Collocations | Example Sentence | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tune | a sequence of musical notes; melody | catchy tune, play a tune | "The musician played a familiar tune on his acoustic guitar." | Tune sounds like cartoon |
| amplifier | an electronic device that boosts sound | portable amplifier, plug into an amplifier | "He connected his electric guitar to a portable amplifier." | Amplify = make louder |
| improvise | to create or perform spontaneously | improvise a song, improvise on stage | "When he forgot the lyrics, he decided to improvise." | Imp-ROVISE = improve on spot |
Practice
16 ItemsPart 1: Collocation Matrix
Match each verb or word on the left with its correct collocating noun phrase.
1. Select the noun that naturally collocates with the verb "hum":
2. Select the noun that naturally collocates with the phrasal verb "plug into":
3. Select the noun that naturally collocates with the verb "call for":
4. Select the phrase that naturally collocates with the verb "make":
Part 2: Gap-Fill Dialogues & Sentences
Fill in each blank using the correct word from the Word Bank below.
5. Short dialogue between two friends watching a street show:
A: Look at that performer on the box! He is making everyone double over with laughter.
B: He is a brilliant street ____!
6. Street performance scenario:
Every curious ____ walking past stopped to watch the silent ____ pretend to lean against an invisible wall.
7. Dialogue about an adaptable street musician:
A: Did the violinist leave his sheet music at home?
B: Yes, but he can easily ____ a brand-new song on the spot!
8. Sentence about a memorable song:
The guitarist played such a catchy ____ that people were humming it all afternoon.
Part 3: Choose the Word
Select the single word that fits the context meaning of each sentence best.
9. The street _____ adjusted his bow carefully before playing a haunting classical melody.
10. Without speaking a single word, the street _____ told a humorous story using clear gestures.
11. The sound was too quiet for the open square until he connected his guitar to the portable _____.
12. At the end of the impressive show, the delighted crowd began to _____ enthusiastically.
Part 4: Sentence Building
Unscramble the given word tokens into a complete, correct sentence.
13. Put these words in order:
14. Put these words in order:
15. Put these words in order:
16. Put these words in order:
Shadowing
🎙️ Studio Practice (12 Items)Listen to each prompt using the audio button, then record your voice clearly to practice accent, rhythm, and stress.
Key Collocations (4 Items)
"catchy tune"
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"street mime"
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____"call for an encore"
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____"portable amplifier"
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____Natural Sentences (6 Items)
"A small crowd stops to listen."
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____"The violinist plays a nice tune."
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"Everyone began to applaud loudly."
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"He can improvise a new song."
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"The curious bystander enjoyed the show."
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"The drummer kept a steady rhythm."
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____Target Word Drill (2 Items)
"comedian"
Focus on syllabus stress: co-ME-di-an
[Bài tập luyện nói]
____"amplifier"
Focus on clear initial vowel: AM-pli-fi-er
[Bài tập luyện nói]
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