Russian Navalny Protests: BBC News Review

Hello and welcome to News Review from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil. Joining me is Catherine. Hi Catherine.

Hello Neil and hello everybody. Yes, today's show is all about protests

and demonstrations that took place in Russia over the weekend.

If you'd like to test yourself on the vocabulary you learn in this programme,

there's a quiz on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.

Now, let's find out some more about the story from this BBC News report:

So, Alexei Navalny, the high profile critic of Vladimir Putin,

returned to Russia just over a week ago.

He was arrested when he arrived in the country

and protestors have come out onto the streets of Russia

in response to his requests for demonstrations.

Now, these protests have taken place in hundreds of locations around the country.

In Moscow, the riot police were out.

They beat and dragged away some of the demonstrators.

Observers are saying these are the largest protests

that have happened in the country for about ten years.

OK. Some really interesting language being used

in the headlines around this story.

You've found three: what have you got, Catherine?

Yes. We have: 'spell the end', 'downplays' and 'echoes'.

'Spell the end', 'downplays' and 'echoes'.

So, let's start then with your first headline please.

Yes. We're starting with The Independent, here in the UK – the headline:

'Spell the end' – indicate a major change is going to happen.

Yes. Now, it's a three-word expression:

'spell' – S-P-E-L-L – 'the' – T-H-E – and 'end' – E-N-D. 'Spell the end.'

OK. Well, the first word there is 'spell', which is something that you have just done

and the effect of 'spelling' something is to make it really clear, isn't it?

Exactly that, yes. When you spell out a word, you say those letters

that make up the word one by one so it's really clear how you actually make that word.

And if something 'spells the end' for something, it makes it very, very clear

that something – this thing is going to finish or come to an end.

Yes. And we use the preposition 'for', don't we, in this expression?

Yeah. Your can – something can 'spell the end for' something else.

One event can make it clear that another situation will finish.

So, for example, it is hoped by millions of people that the...

the development of vaccines for coronavirus will 'spell the end' for the pandemic.

Yes, that's a really good example, yes. The pandemic has been going on for a while.

There is lots of hope that the vaccines will bring the pandemic to an end:

that the vaccines will 'spell an end' for the pandemic.

Likewise, electric cars may well 'spell the end' for the petrol engine.

Another good example, yes.

Now, the word 'spell' that starts this expression

is both regular and irregular in the past, isn't it?

Interesting word, yes. The past of 'spell' is 'spelt' – S-P-E-L-T.

But it can also be 'spelled' – S-P-E-L-L-E-D.

'Spelt' or 'spelled': both have the same meaning. You can use whichever one you like.

OK. Let's get a summary:

If you are interested in stories about protests, we have another one, haven't we Catherine?

We do. This is an archive story about protests in Belarus.

If you want to see that story just click the link.

OK. Now, your second headline please.

And we're right here at the BBC for this one – the headline:

'Downplays' – makes something seem less important than it is.

Yes. Two-word expression here, but it is written as one word:

'down' – D-O-W-N – 'plays' – P-L-A-Y-S.

Put them together and you have the verb: 'downplays'.

Now, the first part of that word – 'down' – it's quite clear to see

that this carries the meaning of 'reduce': reduce something in importance.

But 'plays' – how does that work?

Yes. 'Plays' is interesting, isn't it? Well, 'plays' – when you 'play' a game

you often use strategy, don't you, in order to win the game?

The best technique that gets you the result you want.

And if you 'downplay' something, it's really to do with a strategy

for getting the result you want and if the result you want

depends on somebody thinking that something's not important,

you're going to 'downplay' the importance of that.

You're going to minimise the importance so that you get what you want.

So, it's a kind of strategy-related word.

OK. So, we can again use the example of coronavirus:

from the beginning and up to now there are some people

who 'downplay' the threat of coronavirus.

There are, yes. A lot of people 'downplay' the threat of coronavirus:

for various reasons they want people to believe

that it's not that serious or not that important.

OK. So, we have this word 'downplay' – so the opposite surely, Catherine, must be 'up-play'?

You'd like to think so, yes, but I think it's not actually.

You can't say 'downplay' is... 'up-play' is the opposite.

But we do have some expressions you can use:

very informally, you can say 'to big up'

and if you 'big up something' or you 'big something up'

you make it seem more important than perhaps someone else thinks it is.

Other words: you can 'play something up', you can 'talk something up' as well,

so a few phrasal verbs you can use there to make... which... as the opposite of 'downplay'.

OK. And now, this word 'downplay', it's neither formal nor informal;

it could be used in any kind of situation.

Yeah, of course. Yes, I mean it's a politician's word, you know.

People love the... politicians always 'downplay' things that aren't to their advantage

and then 'big up' other things, but let's say your kids don't want to go to bed, Neil:

they want to watch something on TV and you don't want them to stay up late,

so you're going to 'downplay' the importance of the programme they want to watch.

So, you'll say: 'Oh it's not so good.'

Or: 'We can watch it another time. You won't like it anyway.'

It's a way of 'downplaying' something to get the result you want.

Yeah. And they will never forgive me...!

OK. Let's get a summary:

We have a News Review with an example of some people 'downplaying' an event.

It was when the tennis player Novac Djokovic hit someone with the ball accidentally.

Where can they find it, Catherine?

You can find it by clicking the link.

I should say Djokovic didn't actually 'downplay' the incident himself:

he was very apologetic about hitting somebody with a tennis ball,

but other people did downplay it, so click the link and you'll find out more.

Absolutely. OK. Let's move onto our next headline please.

And in the UK with The Financial Times – this headline:

'Echoes' – reminders of past events.

Yes. 'Echoes' – E-C-H-O-E-S: this is a noun. It can also be a verb.

Neil, if you go into a very, very large room with a high ceiling,

no doors – all the doors are closed – and you shout, 'NEWS REVIEW!'

What will you hear?

...NEWS REVIEW! News review... news review... news...

Yes, I hear 'echoes'.

You do. It's the sound being repeated and repeated:

exactly the same sound again and again.

A lovely natural phenomenon is the echo and we're using it here

to describe when an event appears to happen again,

or it's a reminder of a previous event.

It's very similar to something that's happened in the past.

In this case, the comparison is the protests that are happening,

or that happened at the weekend in Russia,

to previous protests that happened in Belarus.

Yeah and so it's the idea of repetition that connects

the literal meaning to this figurative meaning.

Exactly that, yes.

OK. We say in this expression an 'echo' of something 'in' something else.

You do, yes. It can be an 'echo' of one thing 'in' something else.

So, '80s pop music for example:

I know you're a big fan, aren't you Neil, of '80s pop music?

Well, I grew up with it.

And you can... some people say you can hear 'echoes'

of that pop music – '80s music – in some of today's pop music.

You can. There are definitely 'echoes' of '80s pop

in some of the current output by some of the bands around today.

And it means reminders of that music: certain things in the music,

which make you remember or sound similar to music from the past.

And this figurative use of 'echo' can also be used as a verb,

so we can say that someone 'echoes' someone's opinion:

it means they repeat their opinion.

Yes, absolutely. And we get... we could also talk about 'echo chambers'

and an 'echo chamber' is a forum or an arena, especially on social media,

where you only talk to people who share your opinions and share your views.

So, you don't listen to or you don't become exposed to opposite

or different ideas and views, and therefore your ideas get stronger

because you only speak to people with the same ideas as you: an 'echo chamber'.

That idea of repetition again.

Yes.

OK. Let's have a summary:

Time now for a recap of the vocabulary please, Catherine.

Yes. We have 'spell the end' – indicate a major change is going to happen.

We have 'downplays' – makes something seem less important than it is.

And 'echoes' – reminders of past events.

Don't forget to test yourself on the vocabulary:

there's a quiz on our website bbclearningenglish.com

and we are all over social media. Thanks for joining us.

See you next time and stay safe. Bye.

Goodbye!