Collins Names "Lockdown" 2020

Word of the Year

Words and Phrases

Directions: Let's learn some words and phrases used in the article.

originally
in the beginning : when something first happened or began
Ex: They originally planned to fix their old car, but they decided to buy a
new one instead.

limited
kept within a particular size, range, time, etc.
Ex:This offer is available for only a limited time.

spread
growth or increase that causes something to cover a larger area, affect a
larger number of people, etc.
Ex:We need to slow the spread of the disease.

experience
if you experience something, it happens to you, or you feel it
Ex: That was one of the worst days I've ever experienced.

report
to give a description of something or information about it to someone
Ex:Tomorrow the committee will report its findings on air pollution.

impact
a powerful effect that something, especially something new, has on a
situation or person
Ex:We hope that these programs will have a positive impact on the
community. im-pakt ]im-pakt ]

Comprehension
Directions: Listen to the article and answer the questions.

Listening Focus
Directions: First of all, let's check some questions that you need to focus
on listening.

1. What did "lockdown" originally mean?

2. Why is it not a surprise that Collins chose "lockdown" to be the word of
the year?
3. How many mentions of the word "lockdown" were reported in 2020?

Listen to the article

Directions: Listen carefully.

Collins Names "Lockdown" 2020 Word of the Year 

English dictionaries often choose a word of the year. For 2020, Collins, a
famous English dictionary, chose "lockdown". "Lockdown" isn't a new word,
but the pandemic gave it a new meaning.

Originally, "lockdown" was when people in prison were kept in their rooms
to stop fights from happening. In 2020, the word got a new meaning.
"Lockdown" is when the movements of people are limited to stop
the spread of disease.

It's not a surprise that Collins Dictionary chose "lockdown" to be the

word of the year since most people used this word during the pandemic.
Dictionaries usually choose words that are often in the news. "Lockdown,"
with its new meaning, was first used in January 2020 in China. People
around the world experienced this kind of lockdown because this is how
countries try to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Collins found that "lockdown" was only used 4,000 times in 2019. However,
they reported that there were more than 250,000 mentions of
"lockdown" in 2020. Collins said that the pandemic really changed people's
lives and had a really big impact on our language.
Answer the Questions

1. What did "lockdown" originally mean?

2. Why is it not a surprise that Collins chose "lockdown" to be the word of
the year?
3. How many mentions of the word "lockdown" were reported in 2020?

READ OUT

Discussion
Directions: Please answer each question freely or by using the situation
given.

1. Do you think "lockdown" was the best choice as the word of the year
for 2020?
2. Do you think the old meaning of "lockdown" and the new one have some
similarities?
3. Do you think reading a dictionary is the best way to learn a language?