German elections: BBC News Review

In the German elections, the centre-left has narrowly won

against Angela Merkel's party.

Hello, I'm Rob and this is BBC News Review,

and joining me today is Neil. Hello Neil.

Hi there, Rob. If you want to test yourself

on the vocabulary that you learn in this programme,

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

but for now, let's hear a news report on that story

about the German elections from the BBC:

So, as you have heard, there's been an election in Germany

and the Social Democratic Party have narrowly won that election.

They got more votes than any other party,

but it's not as simple as that.

The parties are now trying to form coalitions with each other

and whoever does that successfully

will be able to form the next government of Germany.

The one thing we do know is that Angela Merkel

will no longer be the chancellor after sixteen years.

OK. And we've got three words and expressions that we can use

to talk about this news story, haven't we, Neil?

So, that's 'pivotal', 'usher in' and 'vie'.

OK. Well, let's have a look at our first news headline, shall we?

Yes, OK. Here we go.

The first headline is from CNBC and it reads:

OK. So, that's 'pivotal' – important and influential.

Yes and we spell that P-I-V-O-T-A-L

and it is an adjective,

but perhaps a good way to try and understand and remember this word

is if we look at the first part of it:

the word 'pivot'. What's a 'pivot', Rob?

This is more used, I thought, in sort-of technology and mechanical things:

a 'pivot' is a central point, isn't it,

where everything else moves around it?

That's right, yes. That's exactly it: a central point where something else

moves around in a machine, or a device of some kind, is a 'pivot'.

But we use this figuratively very, very often

to describe something that is important

and can change direction at that point.

So, for example, an election victory is a 'pivotal' moment

because things can change from that point.

And we hear that word 'pivotal' used with other words,

don't we, like 'figure' or 'role'?

That's right. We can describe someone

as having a 'pivotal role' in something else.

So, let's take a simple sporting example.

Everybody knows who Christiano Ronaldo is:

he has played football for Manchester United,

for Real Madrid, for Juventus –

he's back at Manchester United now –

  of course his own country, Portugal.

And in every single team, he has played a 'pivotal role'.

It means he has been the really important person,

who has created change around him.

OK. So, 'pivotal'... 'pivotal' is an important thing.

So, for example, if I was in the office and I change the type of

biscuits that we started eating in the office, would I be playing

a 'pivotal role' in the future of biscuit-eating in the office?

Well, Rob, we all know that biscuits are very important to you,

but that's... that's not something that all of us share.

So, it would be... it would sound strange to

describe the change of biscuits as 'pivotal' because we use

that word to describe things that are serious and important.

OK. Great. Let's have a summary now of that word:

Well, as many of you know, Brexit played a 'pivotal role'

in the history of the UK

and we talked about it quite a lot on News Review.

Where can people watch those videos again, Neil?

All they need to do – all you need to do is click on the link below.

Great. Let's now have a look at your second headline.

OK. My second headline comes from the BBC –

News Online – and it reads:

So, 'usher in' – that's: make something important start to happen.

That's right and it's a phrasal verb.

It's made up of two words. The first one is usher: U-S-H-E-R.

And the second part is 'in': I-N.

So, together we have 'to usher in' as a... as a phrasal verb.

Now, I think an 'usher' of – someone who shows people

into a theatre or cinema. They show you to your seat.

That's exactly right, Rob, yes. We have the role or the job of 'usher',

and that's a person, perhaps as you said – the cinema or the theatre.

Also at a wedding, you could be asked to be an 'usher':

that's somebody who, kind of, shows people around,

tells them where to go and what to do.

And it's that sense of direction: giving somebody direction,

which is the same here as a verb.

So, we say to 'usher something in'

means that something has changed at that point

and there is a new direction.

And we can talk about all different situations, can't we?

For example, today the weather has changed. It's started raining.

The wind started blowing. It, kind of, means the end of summer.

So, the rain has 'ushered in' a new season.

Absolutely. Yes, the rain... the rain has arrived

and it seems to have 'ushered in' the autumn finally.

It's been pretty warm up until now in the UK.

Also we can talk about great world events 'ushering in' changes.

The most obvious one of course, over the last year and a half –

almost two years, is the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has 'ushered in' so many changes in the way we lead our lives:

just one example is the way we work.

People like you and I, Rob, who work in offices:

we've been working from home, largely,

and it seems like the Covid pandemic has 'ushered in'

a new era of home-working.

Indeed. And also in history, there have been technological changes

that have 'ushered in' other developments,

such as the invention of the jet plane

that 'ushered in' a new era of travel around the world.

Absolutely. All sorts of technological developments have

'ushered in' great change: the internet, smartphones, but as you say

jet airplanes cut the length of time it took to travel places overseas

by a huge amount and it changed the way that we lived our lives.

OK. Very good. Well, I think we should now 'usher in'

a summary of that phrase.

Absolutely.

Now, 'usher in' was an example of a phrasal verb.

You can learn lots more about phrasal verbs in English Class with Dan.

Where can people watch English Class, Neil?

All you need to do is click on the link below to get Dan:

an English Class on phrasal verbs.

Great stuff. OK. Let's have a look at our third headline now please.

OK. Our third headline comes from the Guardian and it reads:

That's 'vie' – compete with others to gain superiority.

Yes and here's one to pay attention to:

the spelling is V-I-E.

The pronunciation is 'vie', but the spelling is V-I-E,

so it doesn't look like it sounds unfortunately.

And 'vie' is something we do on a big scale.

So, we wouldn't compete together, maybe,

just to go and get the kettle to make a cup of tea.

No. That's right. Yes, as we said, we've talked...

we're talking about elections here. When we use the word 'vie',

it gives a sense of competition, which is serious and important.

You 'vie for' something or you 'vie to become' something.

You 'vie to become' the leader of your party

or you 'vie to become' the next government.

Sports teams would 'vie with' each other to become the champions.

And so we use it in that sense. It's probably...

Can... can we also say that they can be 'vying' to be – for example,

the football teams be 'vying' to be top of the table.

Yes. So, it's a verb and we can use it with an '-ing' form.

But, again, be careful because the spelling changes.

It's a short word, V-I-E,

and we lose the 'I-E' when we're using it with the '-ing' form,

so 'vying' becomes V-Y-I-N-G.

Neil, 'vie' – it's a very small word, isn't it?

Yes. Well, we just said that we use it to talk about really important things,

but it's a little... it's a little word and I think because of...

because of its size, it gets overused.

So, as we said, you and I talking about competition –

we wouldn't say: 'We are vying with each other.'

Or: 'Let's vie with each other to get to make a cup of tea.'

It sounds too...

it sounds too formal for an informal or unimportant situation.

So, the reason headline writers like this word and the reason we see it

a lot in the press is that it's short and people – journalists like

short words to go into headlines because you can get more of them in.

Yeah, OK. So, a short word with a lot of importance.

That's right. That's right.

Good. Let's have a summary:

Now, Neil, do you think you could recap the vocabulary

that we've talked about today please?

Absolutely. So, first of all, we have:

'pivotal' – important and influential.

We have 'usher in' – make something important start to happen.

And 'vie' – compete with others to gain superiority.

OK. There's three words and phrases you can use to talk about

the German elections and you can test your understanding of these

in a quiz on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.

Don't forget we're all over social media as well so check us out.

Right, well, that's all for today. Thanks so much for watching.

See you again next time. Bye-bye!

Goodbye.