📕 Part 1: Amusement Parks

This episode's vocabulary

Amusement park (noun) - a place where people can go to enjoy games, rides, and other activities.

To loathe (verb) - to hate someone or something.

Bookworm (noun) - a person who reads a lot.

Artificial (adj.) - made by people, often as a copy of something natural.

Claustrophobic (adj.) - used to refer to a person suffering from a fear of being in closed spaces.

Rollercoaster (noun) - a small railroad, esp. in an amusement park, with open cars that travel quickly along a steep, curved track that goes up and down over and over.

Ride (noun) - a machine in an amusement park that people travel in or are moved around by for entertainment.

Vicariously (adverb) - in a vicarious way (= experienced through the activities of other people, rather than by doing something yourself).

To dodge (verb) - to avoid something unpleasant.

Fairground (noun) - a large outside area used for public events.

Overstimulation (noun) - the fact of being made too excited or interested in something, or a situation in which someone feels like this.

Fair (noun) - an outside event where you can ride on large machines for pleasure and play games to win prizes.

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Questions and Answers

M: Roro, do you like amusement parks?

R: If I'm honest, not really. I remember going to Disneyland as a preteen and absolutely loathing it. Partially because I was a bit of a bookworm. But more so I found it really artificial and claustrophobic with all the crowds and everything. So it's not really my thing at all.

M: How often do you go to amusement parks?

R: Well, these days almost never. In fact, I don't think I've been anywhere near one since, well, since the time I described you there. Um, I'd need to think about it in more depth probably.

M: When was the last time you went there and what did you do?

R: Well, now that I think about it after that experience in Disneyland, I wasn't overly keen to have another outing to an amusement park. But I think there was one since then, I think the last time I was even close to somewhere remotely like it was when I went to this place in Spain with a bunch of rollercoasters in the usual, I don't know, amusement park fair. I wasn't very taken with it then either. To be honest.

M: What do you usually do at an amusement park?

R: Moan about it and want to leave. If you mean what people do generally, though, they go on the rides and live vicariously through others, if you're an adult, watching your kids, or they try and dodge the crowds. It's a shame I find it's such a downer, actually, because there, there's more to fairgrounds than just rollercoasters and crowds. Like the VR simulators look good as do those sort of lighter rides. It's maybe just the overstimulation that does me in, to be honest.

M: Are there many amusement parks where you live?

R: Um, I think there are a few traveling fairs and circuses, but nothing sort of on the scale of Disneyland. And the closest thing might be the big wheel in the middle of Edinburgh. And I think that would be maybe stretching the definition of amusement park from where I stand.

M: Do you think you'll go to an amusement park soon?

R: Ah, that is highly unlikely. Like I said, I'm not a great fan of them.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your jolly answers.

R: Sorry, I'm a bit of a downer on this subject.

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Discussion

M: Now we know that Rory doesn't like raisins. He doesn't like bananas. And also, he doesn't like amusement parks. Yeah, but first of all, dear listener, let's talk about what is an amusement park? Can I call it a theme park? Rory, could you tell us what's going on?

R: Well, I think an amusement park is just about the rides or the things that are there, and a the theme park, there's actually like, well, there's the theme. So for example... I'm trying to think of a distinction that, like if you go to a place.

M: So Disneyland.

R: Disneyland is both, to be honest, because the theme is Disney. But there are lots of amusement there that people go on. People probably would say it's a theme park more than an amusement park. Maybe a better example is there's a place in sprinkled Port Aventura which is, it's got a lot of rides, there's not really an overarching theme to anything. It's just different rides like roller coasters and carousels. Whereas Disneyland theme park, because the theme, the main topic, everything is based around Disney.

M: Yep, yeah, so a theme park, like a topic park but we don't say a topic park, we say a theme park is all about one topic, right? And an amusement park is all about rides and roller coasters. Right? So all this you know crazy roller coasters. What's the verb that I use with roller coasters? I go on the roller coaster, I do the roller coaster.

R: I go on a roller coaster.

M: Yeah.

R: Or ride a roller coaster.

M: Or you just say people go on the ride. Yeah, ride, yeah, yeah, ride a roller coaster. Or you go on the rides. Right? So you just say people go on the rides or I enjoy going on different rides. What do you call this crazy roller coaster with this dead loop? Do you call it a dead loop? When you are hanging upside down over there?

R: I have absolutely no idea what that is.

M: In Russia, we would say like a dead loop I think. Loop is like like whoo.

R: Okay.

M: Let's whoo, you know. But do you know what I'm talking about, this like the circle that you go on this little train and then the train goes like, whoo.

R: I think that's just the roller coaster.

M: Roller coaster. Well, okay, right, anyway.

R: Sorry. I'm not really a big fan of amusement parks. So I can only describe different ways of describing how much I don't like them rather than what's actually in them.

M: Yeah, oh, Rory, what do you usually do at an amusement park? I moan, and I cry, and I complain, and I want to go home.

R: Yeah, so like moan and want to go home it's like just another way of saying like, I complain, that's what I do. That's of I thought of the amusement park.

M: We can talk about different funfairs, carnivals, or just fairs, right. At an amusement park or in an amusement park, or both?

R: Both really. If we describe, like if you say that you're at the amusement park, that's just a way of describing the general area. And then in the amusement park is actually being inside it. But the distinction is a very fine one. I think people just say them interchangeably.

M: Yeah, you can also talk about like different fairs, gardens, picnic areas that you can go to. And, yeah, you mentioned VR simulators that we can enjoy at a park. And at the beginning of our talk, you said that you loathed it? Loathed.

R: Hmm, yes, I didn't like it much, did I?

M: So I remember going to Disneyland and I loathed it. So loathe is a strong word, which means hate. I like really hated it. So if you really hate it, you can say I loathe it. Where else can I use it?

R: Um, well, just talk about things you don't like, like I absolutely loathe bananas or raisins, for example.

M: You can also say that amusement parks are artificial and claustrophobic.

R: But, well, okay, so if we talk about artificial, it's just like it's fake, or it feels fake, everything feels very manufactured there. Which is to say that it doesn't feel real. and if we talk about claustrophobic, it's just because there's loads of people there and you feel like quite closed off. I imagine it's different these days, but I'm not going to waste my time going because I know that I don't like it, and I have other things to do.

M: And then you said, like, amusement parks are not my thing at all.

R: Yeah.

M: So it's not really my thing. Can I say it's not my cup of tea? I think many people use this expression like, oh, it's not my cup of tea. Would it be natural, or not really?

R: Um, I was on the cusp of saying it's not my cup of tea. It's quite cliche, isn't it? But then, you know, it doesn't matter. It's the thing, people can say it, you understand the idea. But I think it's important to point out that you don't stress the individual parts because if you say it's not my cup of tea, and then look at you and be like, haha, I used the advanced phrase. Look at me. You're like, okay, yes. So you do understand it's not really stressed. Cliche like that it's just like, not my cup of tea. Sorry.

M: It's not my thing at all. But if our listener does enjoy amusement parks, Rory, what words can we say that...

R: It is my cup of tea.

M: Oh, come on.

R: Oh, I adore amusement parks. The amusement parks are fabulous.

M: I love it.

R: I'm really into amusement parks.

M: Yeah, I'm into amusement parks. I really enjoy it. I can't get enough. Right. And then you say like how much you adore being on all the crazy rides. And you go there and you scream the hell out of yourself. So your voice is hoarse, right?

R: Yes.

M: Hoarse voice? Yeah.

R: You lose your voice.

M: You lose your voice, yeah. Okay. Then you said that I wasn't overly keen to have another outing. Outing meant visit?

R: Um, yes, basically. It's like an outing is just to go out somewhere. Like you have an outing to an amusement park or you have an outing to a park, to a normal park.

M: How can we use it in a positive context, if I want to visit an amusement park, and I say, I'm always looking forward to an outing.

R: Yeah, just say like I'm planning an outing to an amusement park. Done.

M: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we should talk about the crowds. Because you can get a little bit claustrophobic because of the crowds.

R: Incredibly claustrophobic.

M: And also you try and dodge the crowds.

R: Yes. Though, if you dodge the crowds, it's just another way of saying avoid but everybody hears like, avoid the crowds. So doge the crowds, it's the same thing.

M: Dodge the crowds. Yep, yep.

R: Probably important to point out that we talk about a fairground but we can also say standard amusement park fayre. Which is just another way of saying things in the amusement park, but you can use it to describe other things that are pretty much like standard, like standard fayre at McDonald's is like a Big Mac, probably. McDonald's give us free stuff. There are other ways to talk about it as well though, like VR simulators, virtual reality simulators. If you've been on them, they're like the pods that move up and down and everything and they look ridiculous from the outside. But then your insight and actually it looked quite cool.

M: You said something like, do the lighter rides.

R: Yes, I was gonna say that. Lighter rides like whole roller coasters are very heavy rides because they're just huge and a very emotional experience. But light rides can be something like carousels, things like that.

M: Oh, yeah, so I can say like, I'm into lighter rides. I've done some heavy rides before, but I don't really enjoy it. It's not my thing. I prefer doing the lighter rides. Yeah, would it be okay?

R: Yeah.

M: Oh, nice. Okay. Interesting. Like I quite, I think I quite enjoy amusement parks. I don't usually go there. But if I go, I quite like it.

R: Yeah, I think it is, like it's more your thing. It's not my thing at all.

M: Yeah, but the heavy rides. Oh my gosh, I had to like, force myself onto this heavy ride that we took, I think a year ago in Sochi in this amusement park. Close to the Olympic Village. Oh my god, I was so scared, Rory. You have no idea. I was trembling all over before and even more after, but I closed my eyes, I didn't say anything. But the ride was crazy. It was like I think what, five seconds, but it's crazy. But I think it's still like a good like, you have some adrenaline not some, but a lot of adrenaline in this short period of time and it might help you to release certain emotions.

R: Yeah, but some people don't like that. And by some people I mean, me.

M: Yeah. So you've never done that. You've never been on this heavy ride? If you know want I mean. Roller coaster ride.

R: Yeah, I don't think I have.

M: Going all...

R: I've done it but I didn't enjoy it.

M: I can't say I enjoyed it. I didn't enjoy it, really. But, Rory, you did the jumping thing. The bungee jumping.

R: Yeah, I did that. I suppose like, part of the reason for that is it's more personal experience because it's just you and on roller coasters, you're crammed in with everyone else, aren't you? So it's not just like the ride itself. It's the atmosphere around it.

M: Oh, interesting. Yeah, dear listener, so you can say, well, I don't enjoy crowds. I don't like being crammed with everybody else into this small wagon of a train. So I'm more of a bookworm. I'm a bit of a bookworm.

R: Well, I was.

M: Rory was a bookworm. But, again, is it positive or negative to say that I'm a bit of a bookworm?

R: Well, I think it's positive being a bookworm. Like being into books and reading is good.

M: Yeah. So I don't really enjoy amusement parks. I'm a bit of a bookworm. I enjoy listening to IELTS Speaking for success podcast, where Rory and Maria go off on a large tangent about their own experiences.

R: Well, we had to talk about experiences.

M: Oh Gosh. Yep. So Disneyland and also, which one did you talk about? Port Ventura?

R: Yeah, Port Ventura is a big amusement park in Spain. It's very popular among holidaymakers.

M: Yeah, but also, dear listener, you can talk about your local amusement park. Yeah? So in your town or area, or a fair, for example, like a weekend fair, with all the performances or different activities. What's the typical food that they usually have at this amusement park?

R: Oh, God. Candy Claus. Popcorn, I think.

M: Candy floss. Yeah, there we go, candy floss. Hotdogs, candy floss, Coca Cola everywhere. Waterfalls of Coca-Cola and candy foss inside you. Oh, yum, yum, yum. Anyway, on such a bright note.

R: Thank you for coming into our amusement park of grammar and vocabulary.

M, R: Bye!

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