Uploaded March 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“A series of unfortunate events…”: What is the Number 1 hazard in our lives today? Many people would list our sedentary lifestyle, junk food or stress. Yet they would all be wrong. The real danger is having cable TV. If you do, there is no saying what might happen to you… :-)
In this fantastic series of commercials, one improbable event leads to another and each sequence is more bizarre than the last one. One way of utilising these ads are as a way of drilling the notoriously difficult 3rd Conditional: ‘If he had upgraded to Direct TV….’ etc. etc.
Another option is to give students the events in random order and get them to predict how they are connected. Alternatively, you could have different groups watch different ads and try to convince the others that ‘their idea’ is the best for the campaign. Then the class can vote on which they think is the best one. The possibilities are endless….
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
“A series of unfortunate events…”: What is the Number 1 hazard in our lives today? Many people would list our sedentary lifestyle, junk food or stress. Yet they would all be wrong. The real danger is having cable TV. If you do, there is no saying what might happen to you… :-)
In this fantastic series of commercials, one improbable event leads to another and each sequence is more bizarre than the last one. One way of utilising these ads are as a way of drilling the notoriously difficult 3rd Conditional: ‘If he had upgraded to Direct TV….’ etc. etc.
Another option is to give students the events in random order and get them to predict how they are connected. Alternatively, you could have different groups watch different ads and try to convince the others that ‘their idea’ is the best for the campaign. Then the class can vote on which they think is the best one. The possibilities are endless….
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
![Ads for ELT - Hands Only CPR 1 [Vinnie]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/imcFo7bxSU0/mqdefault.jpg "Ads for ELT - Hands Only CPR 1 [Vinnie]
[To get a free worksheet (+KEY, +Script) just click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByC3QwWZuGXdY2pkQzNCaWQtazQ/view?usp=sharing ]
Tough guy Vinnie shows that there are times in life when it pays to be tough. Like when someone is having a cardiac arrest for instance. A fantastic concept – the incongruity of having someone who looks like a psychopathic thug delivering a pro-social message makes it extremely memorable. Entertaining, excellent listening practice, PLUS students get to learn something which might prove to be a life-saving skill for real life. What more could one ask for?
Level: C1 – C2. Topic: Health / First Aid / Emergencies
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
My name is Vinnie Jones and I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget. There are times in life when being tough comes in handy. Say some geezer collapses in front of you. What do you do? We need a volunteer that ain’t breathing.
Here’s one I made earlier. First thing you do is you check him over. If he ain’t responsive or he ain’t breathing or he’s making noises like this. (SOUND: serious weezing) then his heart has stopped working and he’s having a cardiac arrest. Look lively. First, call 999. Then you do Hands-only CPR. And no kissing. You only kiss your missus on the lips. Watch. Lock your fingers together, knuckles up. Then push down. Right on the sovereign.
Push down five or six centimetres. That’s about two inches in old money.
Push hard and fast about two times a second, like to the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Worried you’ll hurt him? Better a cracked rib than him kicking the bucket. Keep this up until the ambulance arrives.
So, don’t forget. Check him over. Call 999. Push hard and fast to ‘Stayin’ Alive. It work’s. Hands-only CPR. It ain’t as hard as it looks.
If you want to come in handy in an emergency, why not sign up for one of our HeartStart courses.")
