Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.   #56. The Moon and Sixpence The Moon and Sixpence is a well-known classic novel by William Somerset Maughm. The background setting of this novel takes us back to the time period of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The story is told by a writer who is remembering events from his past. At the beginning, he describes his early adult life in London, where he spends time with writers and people interested in literature. Through a friend, he gets to know Mrs. Strickland and later meets her husband, Charles Strickland, a stockbroker who becomes the main character of the novel. At first, the narrator sees Strickland as a boring and...

On Mother’s Day, let me present you with some expressions that have “mother/mom” in English today.     <Idioms for Mother – Common Sayings, Meanings, and Examples>     1.   at one’s mother’s knee Meaning: Learned in early childhood E.g., The chef learned all the cooking terms at his mother’s knee. 2. mother hen   Meaning: an overprotective mother E.g., Jean used to be such a mother hen with her kid.        3.   born of the same mother Meaning: very similar in nature E.g., The two new cell phone models seem born of the same mother .       4.   mother’s touch Meaning: comforting care E.g., Evelyne needs a mother’s touch whenever she was under a lot of pressure in life. 5.   Mother’s patience runs deep Meaning: endless tolerance E.g., Only a mother’s patience runs deep. 6. mother-bound Meaning: emotionally dependent E.g., He remained mother-bound . 7. ...

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.   #55. 1984 (authored by George Orwell) 1984 is a novel written by English author George Orwell and first published in 1949. It serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of totalitarian governments. The story takes place in the year of 1984 in the dystopian world called Oceania, one of three constantly fighting superstates, alongside Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania is ruled by the Party, an authoritarian government that demands complete loyalty to its leader, Big Brother . Through propaganda and strict control, the Party conditions citizens to obey without question.   “Are you guilty?" said Winston. "Of course ...

  On a late Spring Day By    Jean J. Lee   Spring Rain brings wild flowers that will stay with you before another showers. How magical is the Mother Nature’s sprezzatura! Painting the earth in vivid colors like the opera singers’ tessitura! Taking a stroll in a treelined park makes you feel grateful for a peaceful day to mark Forget the bitter past and concerns Remind yourself of happy moments for which everybody yearns. As long as you smell the petrichor, You can be fully refreshed evermore.  

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.   #54. The Road (film, 2009) Following a devastating catastrophe, America has become a bleak and lifeless version of its former self. A man and his young son travel through this desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape, striving to preserve what remains of human civilization. Heading toward the coast, they rely on scavenged resources to survive while steering clear of roaming bands of brutal survivors who might enslave them—or something even more horrifying.   (Father says to his young son): “If you break little promises you'll break big ones." ð     Father wants his young son to maintain integrity and h...

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.   #53. Michael (biopic, 2026) This biographical film about the iconic “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, is directed by Antoine Fuqua and released this year. It looks back at the Jackson family’s humble beginnings in Gary, Indiana, and follows Michael’s remarkable rise—from his early success with the Jackson 5 to his evolution into a visionary artist driven by an unyielding ambition to become the world’s biggest solo performer.   (Joseph Jackson, father said to the sons): “Let me tell you something. In this life, you're either a winner, or you're a loser. Y'all willing to fight for it?” ð       In this ...