Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Going Viral
Going Viral

Learn English meaning of 'going viral'

Date: Sep 17 2019

Themes: Pop Culture, Tech

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

In today’s world of technology, there is always something new and big on the Internet. And there is no way to know what the next thing will be. In 2007, the video “Charlie bit my finger” went viral, and became the most watched video on Youtube at the time. In 2012, Psy’s song “Gangnam Style” went viral. It was the first video to reach 1 billion views on Youtube.

For a video to go viral, one often just has to be in the right place at the right time. Who knows, maybe you will have a video go viral, and you can get your fifteen minutes of fame.

Sara and Brian wonder what it takes to make a video go viral. Find out more in today’s English lesson about popular videos.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Sara_R

Sara_R

Brian

Brian

Sara_R:  I saw the funniest video. It went viral. Everyone has seen it.

Brian:  Oh, online? Is it a cat video?

Sara_R:  It’s a cat video.

Brian:  I like cat videos.

Sara_R:  The cat is riding an electric vacuum. It was such a quirky moment that was caught on film. It was hilarious.

Brian:  But how does a video go viral? Is it just because it’s really popular?

Sara_R:  Yeah. It’s popular, it’s unexpected, it’s funny. And this way, everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame. It’s kind of fun.

Brian:  To me, it just seems like you have to be in the right place at the right time. Cat videos used to be really big. And then they were not as popular for a bit. And now it seems like they’re going viral again.

Sara_R:  I think cat videos will always be popular.

Brian:  When a video is viral, is it just based on how many times it’s been watched?

Sara_R:  I think how many times it’s been watched and posted.

Brian:  Oh, wow.

Sara_R:  So, I’ll have to show it to you.

Brian:  Yeah. I am looking forward to it.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Used to Do vs Be Used to" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Sara saw a funny video on the Internet that went viral. It was of a cat that rode an electric vacuum, and Sara thought it was really funny. She thinks that videos going viral is cool because now anyone can get their fifteen minutes of fame.

Brian likes cat videos a lot. But he wonders how a video can go viral. He thinks it has a lot to do with being at the right place at the right time. He also wants to know what exactly it means for a video to be viral. Either way, he just wants to watch the cat video!

What is your favorite viral video?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

maybe_more

Ukraine

spy’s gangnam style is super cool

08:52 AM Sep 21 2015 |

luisucab

luisucab

Venezuela

Baby´s videos are my favorite. Their faces, and this kind of video they are always laughing and making something funny. Nowadays is very likely to become in famous person if you post a good video on social networks. 

03:10 PM Sep 16 2015 |

NavidArash

NavidArash

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Once upon a time newspapers were the only public source of news and they only published news about big cats, celebrities, main events … and then they took advantage of newspaper boys on the streets to shout “EXTRA! EXTRA! The big news is …” in that time news stories went viral too but not with such grace.


But nowadays all thanks to the net every interesting video, picture, link could easily go viral in a jiffy, I am interested in watching funny viral videos and passing it on to my friends. But I’ve never thought of making such kind of videos.


The drowned Syrian boy photo (Elan Kordi) was one of the latest and most touching viral photo I’ve ever seen on the net.

07:18 AM Sep 16 2015 |

Likes (12):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast