PIVOT!
Friends · Ross moves a couch · 2 min clip, 40 min of ear training
🎧 Train Your Ear — why English sounds "too fast"
Before we watch
Have you ever moved furniture with a friend? How did it go? What could possibly go wrong when three people carry one couch up a narrow staircase?
Now — here are 6 words you WILL hear in the clip. Tap each one. When you watch, your mission is to catch them all.
Watch — catch the idea
- What are they trying to do?
- Does it work?
- Which of the 6 words did you catch?
Trust your ear
Watch again. For each line, tap the option you heard. Careful — the wrong options sound almost the same. That's the point.
Rachel: "Hey Ross, I brought reinforcements." — Ross: "Oh great. What, you brought Joey?"
Rachel: "Well, I brought the next best ___."
Ross: "Chandler?! You brought Chandler? The next best thing would be Monica."
Chandler: "You know, I would be offended, but Monica is freakishly ___."
Ross: "Look, I drew a ___ of how we're gonna do it."
Ross: "Rach, that's you, that's the couch." — Chandler: "What's that?" — Ross: "Oh, that's me." — Chandler: "Wow, you certainly think a lot of yourself." — Ross: "No! That's my arm."
Ross: "You know what, just follow my ___."
Ross: "Here we go. All right, ready? Turn. Turn. Turn."
Chandler: "I don't think we can ___ anymore."
Rachel: "Ross, I just don't think it's gonna ___."
Ross: "Oh yeah it will, come on! Up, up, up! Yes! Here we go."
Ross: "___. Pivot. Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! PIVOT!"
Chandler: "___, shut up, SHUT UP!"
Ross: "Okay, I don't think it's gonna pivot anymore." — Rachel & Chandler: "You think?!"
Ross: "All right, let's bring it back down and try again."
Chandler: "Okay, yeah, I think it's really ___ now."
Ross: "I can't believe that didn't ___."
Chandler: "I know, me neither. I mean... you had a sketch." — Rachel: "Oh, you know what? What did you mean when you said pivot?" 😂
Now read while you listen
Turn subtitles ON (⚙️ in the video). Connect what you heard to what was really said.
Chunks to steal use this week
Sound check 🔊
Rachel: Hey Ross, I brought reinforcements.
Ross: Oh great. What, you brought Joey?
Rachel: Well, I brought the next best thing.
Ross: Chandler?! You brought Chandler? The next best thing would be Monica.
Chandler: You know, I would be offended, but Monica is freakishly strong.
Ross: Look, I drew a sketch of how we're gonna do it, okay. Rach, that's you, that's the couch.
Chandler: What's that?
Ross: Oh, that's me.
Chandler: Wow, you certainly think a lot of yourself.
Ross: No! That's my arm.
Chandler: Oh I see, I thought you just really, really liked your new couch.
Ross: You know what, just follow my lead. Come on, Chandler. Here we go. All right, ready? Turn. Turn. Turn.
Chandler: I don't think we can turn anymore.
Rachel: Ross, I just don't think it's gonna fit.
Ross: Oh yeah it will, come on! Up, up, up! Yes! Here we go. Pivot. Pivot. Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!
Chandler: Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!
Ross: Okay, I don't think it's gonna pivot anymore.
Rachel & Chandler: You think?!
Ross: All right, let's bring it back down and try again.
Chandler: Okay, yeah, I think it's really stuck now.
Ross: I can't believe that didn't work.
Chandler: I know, me neither. I mean... you had a sketch.
Rachel: Oh, you know what? What did you mean when you said pivot?
Your turn to direct
In pairs: Student A draws a quick "sketch" of a plan (move a couch, cook a dish, anything) and directs. Student B follows — and complains! You must use: follow my lead · it's not gonna fit/work · it's really stuck · I can't believe that didn't work.
⚡ Extra challenge: end with the clarification question — "Wait... what did you mean when you said ___?"
Steal one chunk
Which chunk are you taking home this week? Say it out loud with the right rhythm. And all together, one last time: PIVOT!
