This content is an English language lesson featuring Emma Watson discussing her early career, the importance of truth and kindness in relationships, and the crucial role her mother played in maintaining her normalcy amidst fame.
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What was where where did the auditions
come from? Like how did that become a
part of your life? [music]
>> Yes. So I did not go to a performing
arts school. I'd never done anything. I
never acted professionally, but they
came they they did like a basically
countrywide search to find [music]
Harry, Hermione, and Ron. And so they
asked my school if they wanted to submit
any students who love drama who wanted
to audition. And so I was one of I think
about 12 students that was asked if I
H yeah, I'm Ethan, your real life
English fluency coach. And today we have
a fantastic English lesson with a
conversation between Emma Watson and
podcaster J. Shetty. In this interview,
Emma shares her experience getting the
part of Hermione in the Harry Potter
movies and why she so highly values
truth. We're going to learn so many
advanced expressions along the way. And
I'll help you master them all and some
British pronunciation, too. The easiest
way to ensure that you remember all of
today's new expressions like performing
arts, countrywide, and audition that
we've just seen so that you can actually
use them confidently and naturally is
with the magic flashcards on our real
life app. You can get free access to
those right now by tapping the link down
description below from your phone. This
is how the lesson will work. First,
you'll watch the clip with subtitles.
Then, you'll learn all of the key
expressions and pronunciation. And
finally, you'll put everything that
[music] you learned to the test by
watching it final time without subtitles
I had this weird weighted [music]
fated sense of destiny pretty much from
the moment that that they said they
mentioned the audition. I remember
[sighs] I brought I think maybe like
seven different Beanie Babies with me
along and like all these different like
lucky talismans and I loved the world
and the books so much. My dad had been
reading them to me before bed when I
would spend the weekends with him and on
long car journeys. We'd often drive back
and forwards to France and that's how
the time would be passed. Yeah. My poor
parents because if I hadn't have got it
I think they knew her crusher. I ended
up doing nine auditions over a period of
over a year and a half. I did a pretty
good job and I'm
actually I give my mother specifically
credit for this. She was like a warrior
for my normaly and for me having an
ordinary life and going to school and
no one wanted that. I mean, it would
have been considerably easier if I had
not continued going to school. Um, but she,
she,
wow, like I will forever be in her debt.
She somehow knew that me feeling part of
the ordinary world and feeling I had a
place in it and that I belonged outside
of those films was going to be crucial.
She basically didn't have anyone on her
team. She was kind of on her own on that
>> So Emma shares how she landed the role
that would change her [music] life. She
didn't attend a performing arts school.
>> Yes. So I did not go to a performing
arts school. I'd never done anything. I
never acted professionally. That's an
educational institution focused on
training students in drama, music,
dance, and other arts performed in front
of an audience. Instead, she was
performing a regular school when the
producers of the Harry Potter movies did
their countrywide search.
>> They they did like a basically
countrywide search to find Harry,
Hermione, and Ron.
>> This means they looked across the entire
country to find [music] the right actors
for these timeless characters. Here we
encounter something called word
formation. how adding a prefix or suffix
can change a word's meaning or function.
For example, [music] the suffix wide
means throughout or extending across
something. When you add it to a noun
like country, you create an adjective
that describes the scope or reach of
[music] something. For example,
worldwide across the entire world. The
pandemic was a worldwide crisis.
Citywide throughout a city, there's a
citywide curfew tonight. Companywide
throughout [music] an entire company.
We're having a companywide meeting. So
when Emma says countrywide search, she
means that they searched everywhere in
Britain, not just in London, for
example. By the way, word formation like
this is super useful for you to add
thousands of new words to your
vocabulary. [music] Check out this other
lesson that we did all about it.
>> I had this weird weighted fated sense of
destiny pretty much from the moment that
that they said they mentioned the
audition. When something feels weighted,
it feels heavy with significance. Emma
is describing this intense, almost
overwhelming feeling that this audition
was meant to be. Like destiny was
pulling her toward it.
>> I remember I brought I think maybe like
seven different Beanie Babies with me
along and like all these different like
lucky talismans. And
>> a talisman is an object believed to
bring good luck or protection. Emma
mentions one of these being Beanie
Babies. In the 90s, lots of kids,
including myself, collected these plush
toys. People often carry talismans
[music] during important moments, like a
lucky coin before an exam or a special
piece of jewelry at a job interview.
>> I loved the world and the books so much.
My dad had been reading them to me
before bed when I would spend the
weekends with him and on long car
journeys. We'd often drive back and
forwards to France and that's how the
time would be passed.
>> This phrase means to travel repeatedly
between two places. Emma would make the
journey from England to France and back
again multiple times with her dad. You
might also hear people say back and
forth, which means the same thing. I was
playing a hunch for an hour is one
thing, but for 4 hours and then endless
driving back and forth and back and
forth, that's
>> by the way, listen again and pay
attention to Emma's grammar here.
>> I loved the world and the books so much.
My dad had been reading them to me
before bed when I would spend the
weekends with him and on long car
journeys. This is the past perfect
continuous tense. We use it to talk
about an action that started in the
past, continued for a period of time,
and was still going on, or had just
finished before another past action.
[music] In Emma's case, her dad's
reading was an ongoing, repeated
activity that happened over time during
her childhood. It wasn't just one night,
but a continuous habit. It's especially
useful for telling stories. Here's a few
more examples. I was exhausted because
I'd been studying all night before the
exam. They had been dating for 2 years
before they got engaged. [music] She had
been working at the company for 5 years
when she got promoted. The key
difference from simple past perfect
[music] is that the continuous form
focuses on the duration of the activity,
not just its completion. Now, let's
check out some connected speech. That's
how we natives cut, reduce, [music] and
connect our words in fluent speech.
Check out how Emma said this.
>> We'd often drive back and forwards to
France, and that's how the time would be
passed. and almost always reduces to
just an un sound in fluent speech like
in cat and dog or M&M's. So rather than
saying back and forwards, she links the
reduced un to back and we hear back and
forwards. Your speaking will only
improve with lots of practice. So try to
listen Emma again and say it just like
she did.
>> We'd often drive back and forwards to
France. We'd often drive back and
>> Now, let's also focus on some British
pronunciation. Check out how Emma said
past, which is different from how an
American like myself would say it.
>> That's how the time would be passed.
>> In British English, especially received
pronunciation, when the letter A comes
before certain consonants, is pronounced
with a longer a sound like the A in
father, while Americans pronounce it
with a shorter a sound like the A in
cat. Let's check out some other
examples. Class class
bath bath. Can't dance.
dance.
>> Yeah. My poor parents. Because if I
hadn't have got it, I think they knew
how crushed. I ended up doing nine
auditions over a period of over a year
and a half.
>> What do you think crushed means in this
context? To be physically injured. To be
angry and frustrated. to be disappointed
Exactly. When you're crushed, you're
devastated, emotionally broken by
disappointment. You probably feel
crushed, for example, if you get into an
English conversation and that word that
you know you've learned simply won't
come to you. Trust me, I've been there
myself in learning six different
languages. The truth is, you've learned
some useful advanced expressions
already, like crushed, waited, [music]
and back and forth. But if you don't
practice these, you'll forget them in
hours or even minutes. Want to actually
use these expressions naturally when you
speak English? If you want to sound
confident, simply knowing them isn't
enough. You need to practice them
[music] until they're automatic. That is
exactly why we created a set of
flashcards for you that's available for
free on our app. The magic is in the
science behind it. The app uses smart
technology that brings back words for
review right when you're about to forget
them. It's like having your own personal
coach right in your pocket. Just 10 to
15 minutes a day and these words will be
right at the tip of your tongue when you
need them. Super easy. No more of these
I know that word, but I can't remember
it moments. So, click the link in the
description below to get the Real Life
English app now. Your future fluent self
is going to thank you. Now, Emma
reflects on what helped her to maintain
balance in those intense years of fame.
>> I did a pretty good job and I'm
actually I give my mother specifically
credit for this. She was like a warrior
for my normaly and for me having an
ordinary life and going to school and
no one wanted that.
>> What a beautiful way to describe her
mother. When someone is a warrior for
something, they fight fiercely and
determinedly for it. Emma's mom didn't
just support normaly, she battled
[music] for it, even when it was the
harder path. Normaly refers to a normal,
regular state of life, which for a kid
is all about going to school and
spending quality time with friends. You
could also refer to it as an ordinary life.
life.
>> I mean, it would have been considerably
easier if I had not continued going to
school. Um, but she
wow like I will forever be in her debt.
>> When you're in someone's debt, you owe
them gratitude for something significant
they've done for you. It's not about
money. It's about recognizing that
someone gave you something so valuable
that you can never fully repay them.
>> She basically didn't have anyone on her
team. She was kind of on her own on that
one. And she fought tooth and nail.
>> This vivid idiom means to fight with all
your strength and determination using
every resource available. Picture
someone literally using their teeth and
nails to fight. That's how hard Emma's
mom worked to keep her daughter's life
normal. The image suggests fierce,
relentless effort against difficult
odds. Here's another example.
>> That's when you want someone in your
corner. Someone who will fight tooth and nail.
nail.
Lawyers, we're like health insurance.
You hope you never need it, but man oh
If you could create one law that
everyone in the world had to follow,
what would it be?
>> Okay, there's a couple of contenders. I
want to run you through one of them
through with you. One would be around
the importance of
telling the truth or like speaking your
truth or just because I feel like
[laughter] so much so much chaos is
caused by people not being sure whether
or not they should or it's a good idea
to or
>> speaking the truth is kindness. There's
an amazing quote which actually is
was given to me recently by a friend
which is like truth without kindness is brutality
brutality and
and
kindness without truth is manipulation.
>> And so when I say like tell your truth,
I don't mean going around [laughter]
like just being awful to everyone. I
mean like
>> telling the microscopic truth and like
having those being willing to have a
tolerance for those conversations. One
of my favorite metaphors, I actually
wrote about this recently for being in a
relationship with anyone is like you're
in it's in a way it's it's a dance. It's
a fight. Like I think about boxing in
the sense of like who is going to go
down to the mat with you and like not
tap out because
>> being honest about what's really going
on is uncomfortable and it's risky. As
we talked about earlier, you risk every
time you tell the truth of maybe losing
someone that you love because you don't
know how they're going to respond to
whatever your truth is. But I think to
live that way creates the intimacy and
connection that I think we long for
Okay, there's a couple of contenders. I
want to run you through one of them
[laughter] here with you. Contenders are
candidates or options competing for
selection. Like contestants in a
competition, Emma has several possible
answers for what law everyone should
follow. And these are her top
contenders. Emma touches on something
profound here. She's talking about the
microscopic truth, which we'll get to in
a moment. But first, let's check out
this quote that she [music] shared.
>> Truth without kindness is brutality, and
and
kindness without truth is manipulation.
>> Brutality refers to savage cruelty or
harshness. When you tell the truth
without any kindness or care for the
person's feelings, [music] it becomes
brutal, like a weapon used to hurt
instead of to help. In fact, if you need
to tell someone a difficult truth, you
might use the phrase, "Let me be
brutally honest with you." Manipulation
is when you control or influence someone
in a dishonest or unfair way. If you're
kind but never honest, you're actually
manipulating people, keeping them from
reality for your own benefit or comfort.
[music] This balance between truth and
kindness is what Emma sees as essential
for genuine connection. By the way, can
you be brutally honest with me by
letting me know what kind of lessons you
want? Take a moment to pause and comment
down below at least one series, movie,
or celebrity that you'd love a lesson
with. This helps us to make more lessons
that you'll truly enjoy. And me and the
real life team read every single
comment. And so when I say like tell
your truth, I don't mean going around
[laughter] like just being awful to
everyone. I mean like telling the
microscopic truth and like having those
being willing to have a tolerance for
those conversations.
>> Now this is fascinating. Microscopic
literally means extremely small, visible
only under a microscope. But here Emma
uses it metaphorically to mean [music]
the tiny detailed truths, even the
uncomfortable ones we usually avoid.
Next, let's check out another common
instance of connected speech.
>> One of my favorite metaphors, I actually
wrote about this recently for being in a
relationship with anyone is like you're
in it's in a way it's it's a dance.
>> You'll almost always hear one of
pronounced as one of. Let's check out
some other examples. That's one of my
most common mistakes. It's one of a
kind. One of them can't come. You can
see that when a vowel falls of, we
maintain the vv sound which links to the
vowel. But if it's followed by a
consonant, the VV sound disappears. [music]
[music]
Your speaking will only get better with
lots of practice. So listen to Emma
again and try to repeat that just like
she said it.
>> One of my favorite metaphors. One of my
Like I think about boxing in the sense
of like who is going to go down to the
mat with you and like not tap out
because being honest about what's really
going on is uncomfortable and it's
risky. As we talked about earlier,
>> to tap out means to give up or quit
during a difficult situation, to dance
or make a tapping sound, to reach out
Tap out comes from wrestling in martial
arts when a fighter taps the mat to
signal they surrender. Emma's asking who
will stay in the difficult conversations
with you instead of giving up when
things get uncomfortable.
>> But I think to live that way creates the
intimacy and connection that I think we
long for
>> and also like sets people free in a way.
>> To long for something means to have a
deep intense desire or yearning for it.
It's stronger than just wanting. [music]
It's a profound need. Emma believes we
all long for real intimacy and
connection and that honesty is the path
to get there. What Emma shares here is
really beautiful. The idea that
truthtelling, when done with kindness,
can create the sort of deep connection
that we all crave. It's risky and
uncomfortable, but it's what transforms
relationships from surface level to
truly meaningful. Now, let's get to the
most important part of the lesson.
You'll watch all the clips again, this
time without subtitles. And in case
that's not enough, I'm going to really
test your [music] tolerance by asking
>> What was where where did the auditions
come from? Like how did that become a
part of your life?
>> Yes. So, I did not go to a performing
arts school. I'd never done anything. I
never acted professionally, but they
came they they did like a basically
countrywide search to find Harry,
Hermione, and Ron. And so they asked my
school if they wanted to submit any
students who love drama who wanted to
audition. And so I was one of I think
about 12 students that was asked if I
wanted to audition. I had this weird
weighted fated sense of destiny pretty
much from the moment that that they said
they mentioned the audition. I remember
I brought I think maybe like seven
different Beanie Babies with me along
and like all these different like lucky
talismans and I loved the world and the
books so much. My dad had been reading
them to me before bed when I would spend
the weekends with him and on long car
journeys. We'd often drive back and
forwards to France and that's how the
time would be passed. Yeah. My poor
parents because if I hadn't have got it,
I think they knew her crusher. I ended
up doing nine auditions over a period of
over a year and a half. I did a pretty
good job and I'm
actually I give my mother specifically
credit for this. She was like a warrior
for my normaly.
>> If someone is described as a [music]
warrior for education, they teach
martial arts in school, fight fiercely
and determinedly [music] for educational
causes are a soldier who studies in
and for me having an ordinary life and
going to school and
no one wanted that. I mean it would have
been considerably easier if I had not
continued going to school. Um but she
wow like I will forever be in her debt.
She somehow knew that me feeling part of
the ordinary world and feeling I had a
place in it and that I belonged outside
of those films was going to be crucial.
She basically didn't have anyone on her
team. She was kind of on her own on that one.
one.
When my sister wanted to drop out of
college, my parents fought tooth and
nail to convince her [music] to stay and
finish her degree.
>> And she fought tooth and nail.
>> If you could create one law that
everyone in the world had to follow,
what would it be?
Okay, there's a couple of contenders I
want to run you through on them with
you. One would be around the importance of
of
telling the truth or like speaking your
truth or just because I feel like so
much so much chaos is caused by people
not being sure whether or not they
should or it's a good idea to or
>> speaking the truth of kindness. There's
an amazing quote which actually is
was given to me recently by a friend
which is like truth without kindness is brutality
brutality and
and
kindness without truth is manipulation.
And so when I say like tell your truth,
I don't mean going around like just
[laughter] being awful to everyone. I
mean like telling the microscopic truth
and like having those being willing to
have a tolerance for those
conversations. One of my favorite
metaphors, I actually wrote about this
recently for being in a relationship
with anyone is like you're in it's in a
way it's it's a dance. It's a fight.
Like I think about boxing in the sense
of like who is going to go down to the
mat with you and like not tap out because
because
>> being honest about what's really going
on is uncomfortable and it's risky as we
talked about earlier. You risk every
time you tell the truth of maybe losing
someone that you love because you don't
know how they're going to respond to
whatever your truth is. But I think to
live that way creates the intimacy and
connection that I think we long for.
>> True or false? When you long for
something, it means you have a mild
and also like sets people free in a way.
>> A yeah, I hope that you had a lot of fun
learning with Emma Watson today. And if
you want to understand [music]
fastspeaking natives without getting
lost, without missing the jokes, and
without subtitles, we help you to do it
every single week here on Learnings with
TV series with two new lessons with your
favorite series, movies, celebrities,
and so much more. So, be sure to hit
that subscribe button and the bell down
below to join 10 million [music]
learners who really love learning
English this way. And if you're not done
learning yet, you might want to check
out this other lesson we did with Tom
Holland next.
I decided to delete my Instagram. I
would be on set working. I'd come and
sit in my chair and just scroll scroll
scroll scroll scroll. And it was it was
becoming a problem. I was just obsessed
with it and I was obsessed to find out
what they thought about me. So I decided
to make an announcement and say that I'm
taking a break from social media. And
the thing that really upset me is the
press ran with that and they tried to
make out that I was having this mental
breakdown. They took the story in the
wrong direction. Oh, look, he's not the
perfect happy golucky kid you think he
is. is he's having a nervous breakdown
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