Video lesson

Welcome

So, Eric says, ‘Kids, huh?’ like he’s surprised they can be so hard to handle. I’m sure you know how challenging kids can be, but we love them anyway! When you see their endless energy and the messes they make, you can say, ‘Kids, huh?’ with a little laugh and a shake of the head, just like Eric does here.

In this lesson, we’ll use a charming scene from ‘La Dolce Villa’ to help you improve your English skills and discover some cool new phrases. Eric is Olivia’s dad, and Francesca is the mayor of a small Italian town. They’re talking about the one-euro house program, which, by the way, is a real thing in Italy. Let’s watch and learn!

Learn words and phrases

‘drive you insane’ means something makes you feel crazy or really annoyed. It’s like when things get so frustrating, you just want to pull your hair out! For example, you might say, ‘This traffic is driving me insane!’ when you’re stuck in a jam and can’t move. It’s a fun way to express how challenging situations can really get to you.

‘give them some space’ means letting someone do their own thing without getting in their way. It’s like giving them room to breathe and make their own decisions. In the scene, Eric is trying to give Olivia some space to make her own choices about the house, even though he’s worried about her. It’s about not crowding someone and letting them figure things out on their own.

‘cool dad’ means a father who is relaxed, fun, or easygoing. Eric wants to be a ‘cool dad’, someone his daughter likes. ‘Cool’ here means likable or chill.

‘duped’ means fooled or tricked into something. Like, if someone sells you a fake Rolex, you’ve been duped! It’s a strong word for being deceived. Eric thinks Olivia was ‘duped’ into buying the house, meaning she fell for a trick.

‘scam’ means a dishonest plan to cheat someone out of money. It’s a word for a trick. Eric calls the one-euro house a ‘scam’, thinking it’s fake or too good to be true. So, a one-euro house scam means someone’s tricking people into buying houses for one euro, but there’s a catch.

‘shoot’ is an exclamation of disappointment or frustration. For example, ‘Shoot, I forgot my keys!’ Eric is upset because he realizes he said something he shouldn’t have in front of Francesca.

‘back out’ means to decide not to do something that was previously agreed upon. For example, you can say, ‘I had to back out of the trip because I got sick’. In the scene, Eric wants to cancel the deal, but Olivia doesn’t.

‘paperwork’ means the written records connected with a particular job or deal. It’s a common word for legal stuff. Francesca mentions ‘paperwork’, meaning official documents needed for the villa deal.

‘deposit’ is money paid in advance as security. For example, you might say, ‘I paid a deposit to reserve the hotel room’ when you want to secure your booking in advance. Francesca explains that it’s a normal part of the process to ensure the renovations are completed.

Here, Francesca says, ‘standard procedure’. This means the normal or official way of doing something. Like, at the airport, it’s standard procedure to show your passport.

Eric says, ‘racket’. This is an informal word for a dishonest or illegal scheme. For example, if someone is selling fake products, you could say, ‘That’s a racket.’ It’s a strong word, so use it carefully.

‘set on this’ means very determined to do something. It shows strong will.

‘look up’ is a phrasal verb that means to search for information, often online. It’s a common phrase. For example: ‘I look up recipes online.’ Olivia and her mom ‘looked up’ villas online, meaning they researched them.

‘daydream’ means a pleasant fantasy or wishful thinking. For example, if you imagine winning the lottery, that’s a daydream. Eric calls the villa idea a ‘daydream,’ something fun to imagine.

‘get through a tough time’ means to survive or deal with a hard situation. Eric thinks that the daydream helped Olivia ‘get through a tough time,’ when her mom was sick.

‘feel closer’ means to feel a stronger emotional connection to someone. For example, if you visit your hometown, you might say, ‘It makes me feel closer to my family.’

‘because I don’t listen’. Eric feels he doesn’t always pay attention to Olivia’s feelings. This scene highlights the importance of communication in their relationship. So, Olivia could probably say to her father, ‘I didn’t tell you because I thought you wouldn’t listen.’

That’s it for today! Keep practicing, and I look forward to seeing you next lesson.