Learning English

Calais migrants forced to leave

Violence has broken out between migrants and police in the 'Jungle' - an area of temporary shelters which is home to migrants on their way through France towards Britain. The clashes follow attempts by French authorities to clear the area. In this video, Finn and Neil talk about the story and bring you some useful related language which appears on news sites around the world.

Language challenge

Which of these nouns can we NOT use as a verb?

a) Bulldozer

b) Hammer

c) Keyboard

Watch the video and complete the activity

The story

Demolition teams are due to return to the French port of Calais shortly to dismantle more makeshift shelters in the migrant camp known as the jungle.

During the night there were clashes between police and migrants trying to reach Britain.

Anna Holligan - BBC News

Hidden by the cover of darkness, groups of migrants try to access trucks on the motorway heading to the port of Calais. Riot police fired tear gas forcing them back. Yesterday the demolition squads moved through the jungle. Some migrants and protesters threw rocks in an effort to delay their eviction. The government is trying to encourage people to relocate to alternative accommodation inside converted shipping containers nearby. But most have refused the offer, claiming they'll be forced to claim asylum in France.

Key words and phrases

demolition
destruction of a building

dismantle
take something apart so it no longer functions

makeshift
temporary and of poor quality

evict
to force someone to leave a place

braced for
ready for (something bad)

bulldozer
a heavy vehicle with a large, curved piece of metal at the front for pushing earth and stones

Downloads

You can download the audio and a PDF document for this episode here.

Language challenge - answer

The answer is: c) Keyboard. You can't 'keyboard', but you can 'hammer' and 'bulldoze'!

To 'hammer' can literally mean to use a hammer to hit something, or it can be used figuratively to 'hammer your point home' – to make a clear point in an argument. 'To bulldoze' can literally mean to use a bulldozer to clear away earth or stones, or it can be used figuratively to mean you force your way through something, like a crowd of people. You could also 'bulldoze' your way through a meeting - when you forcefully make your points without regard for others.

More

Learn more about this story with BBC News.

End of Session 2

Join us in Session 3 for Lingohack - our video which teaches you words from the news using the latest BBC World News bulletins.