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On English Teacher John Show number 74:

• Are you kidding??!!
• Language lesson: showing surprise
• music by Martin Chenhall
• additional music by Dano
• full transcript (below)

From the April snow to the warmth of May, it’s Golden Week here in Japan, and it’s your golden chance to listen to the English Teacher John Show number 74.

[intro music]

Welcome everyone to the English Teacher John Show. My name is John Koons and I am your host of the English Teacher John Show. We produce it, create it, make it right here in Matsumoto, Japan. Matsumoto is a city of about 200,000 people right in the middle of Honshu Island. So, that’s central Japan.

Well, I’m walking along the river here. It’s our Metoba River. It’s just about, I don’t know, a few kilometers from my house. I’ve got some headlights in my face right now. It is night time, probably, I’m sure the warmest night of the year so far – just beautiful. I was out hiking and playing my guitar out in the forest. It’s been a really good day, and today we’ve got a little language segment. We’re going to be learning about showing surprise. And, you might hear the river in the background there. We’re just walking along the river.

For example:
Really?!
Oh my gosh!
Oh my god!
You’re kidding?!
You are kidding!
Alright, let’s get to it — showing surprise, showing a reaction, reacting to some news, something someone says that’s very surprising. Showing surprise. Let’s go!

[gong]

SEGMENT: LANGUAGE (Showing Surprise)

Showing surprise, reacting with surprise. That’s our segment for today. Let’s see. So, you get some news, someone tells you something surprising. In Japanese we’d say “bikkurishita!” or “bikkurishimashita!.”

How about:
Wow! Really?!
You’ve got be kidding!
Are you kidding?!
You’re kidding, right?!

Ah, here’s one:
Oh my god! (I think we already did that one.)
Oh my gosh!

And, I like sometimes:
Oh my lord!

How about:
No way!
That’s unbelievable!
Unbelievable!
Come on! Really?
Seriously?
You’re kidding?!
Come on! You’re kidding!
Wow! Amazing!
Are you for real?

Now, I know I’ve heard some of my students react with this one:
You don’t say.

Well, I don’t know. It sounds a bit corny. It does sound like something maybe my grandparents would say. You don’t say.

I don’t’ know. I don’t think that’s the most common way to react with surprise anymore. In my humble opinion.

Here’s one for you:
I can’t believe it!
Un-freakin’-believable!
Unbelievable!

You may want to stick something else in the middle there.

No s—-! (Alright, we’ll have to beep that out.)
Holy s—-!

[music]

SEGMENT: PRACTICE

It’s practice time! (Oh no!) Oh yeah! It’s practice time.

Alright, let’s go through these one more time with you repeating them. Now, if I’m here along the river and every time I yell out with something, people are staring at me. If I’m doing that, right here by the river, cars driving by, people on bicycles, looking at me like I’m a nutcase. You guys can certainly shout these out as our practice today. Here we go!

Wow!
Really?!
You’ve got to be kidding!
Are you kidding?
You’re kidding, right?

Oh my gosh!
Oh my god!
Oh my lord!

Seriously?
Are you serious?
No way!
That’s unbelievable!
Unbelievable!
Un-freakin’-believable!

Come on?!
Come on. Really?!
Come on. You’re kidding!
Come on. Seriously?!

Amazing!
Are you for real?!

Holy s—-!
No s—-!

I can’t believe it!

Okay, well, that’s our short language segment on reacting with surprise. Don’t forget to try that practice. Alright, practice, practice – good pronunciation wherever you are: on the bus, in your car, that’s a good place to shout it out. Open the windows and shout it out. Are you kidding?! Unbelievable! Amazing! Wow! Really?! Seriously?!

Come on. Shout it out! Out the window. On the train, on the bus, while you’re walking. Shout it out. Show some surprise. Practice, practice.

[music]

SEGMENT: SIGNOFF

Thanks everyone for listening to the English Teacher John Show. I have put up the transcript and some photos from last episode, number 73, the April Snow Walk. Please have a look.

Transcripts for many of the recent episodes, and some photos and some other things, all at english teacher john –dot- c o m. And, our email address is  p o d c a s t  -AT-  english teacher john –dot- c o m. Our music man is Martin Chenhall, my good friend. And, we also have some additional music, same as last week, from Dano at danosongs.com. Thanks Dano. Thanks Martin. Okay, everybody, catch you next time. Mata ne!