Hibiscus Teach · Drama extra
Learn English with Vikings 2
More valuable than gold
Follow Athelstan in two encounters. Explain what people value, compare perspectives, and support an interpretation with evidence.
Created by Denis M., British English teacher.
Before watching: Think of an object, skill or tradition whose importance cannot be measured only by its price.
A little context: Athelstan is a monk. The first scene takes place during a raid; the second is a later conversation with Ecbert. These are separate moments in the story, not consecutive events.
Adult content: Adult drama: a violent monastery raid, threats, captivity and references to slavery. The later conversation discusses religious beliefs. Preview the complete uploads before use.
On my own: Watch for the main idea, then replay for detail. Check the quiz before revealing the key. Answer one or two speaking questions aloud; self-study time varies.
With my tutor: Work through both clips and discuss the three speaking questions after each. Develop your answers with a reason or example.
Use English captions only if the selected upload provides them. You do not need to understand every word. The vocabulary supports both viewing and discussion; it is not a transcript word list.
A book among the treasures
A shared language changes the conversation.
During the raid, Ragnar questions Athelstan. Listen to each man’s explanation without assuming they value the same things.
Listening tip: Notice what surprises Ragnar, what Athelstan protects, and the reason Ragnar states for keeping him alive.
Try the A book among the treasures quiz · 6 questions
Watch, then choose one answer for each question. Check your answers for a score and explanation.
Answer key and explanations
- A: He can speak Ragnar’s language. Their shared language catches Ragnar’s attention.
- B: He has travelled to spread his faith. Athelstan connects it with travel for religious purposes.
- C: A religious book. The object he chooses to save is a book.
- A: Because of the religious message it contains. His explanation concerns spiritual rather than financial value.
- C: He could be sold as an enslaved person. Ragnar gives a commercial reason, not a promise of freedom.
- B: He expressly forbids it. Ragnar prohibits the killing.
After the quiz: keep talking · 3 questions
Give a reason or example. With a tutor, discuss all three; on your own, choose one or two. There is no single correct opinion.
- How do the explanations in this scene reveal different kinds of value?
- Can a useful action have a troubling motive? Explain using this scene or an invented everyday example.
- When has speaking another language helped you connect with someone or solve a problem? You may use an imagined situation.
Need an idea? See one example
For question 3: “On a journey, I might meet someone who cannot explain a problem in English. Even a little of their language could help us understand each other. I would not need perfect grammar to ask a useful question and make the situation less stressful.”
With a partner or tutor, develop one example and distinguish what is stated from what you infer.
An unexpected understanding
Appreciation does not always mean agreement.
Later, Ecbert and Athelstan discuss beliefs and art. Listen for admiration, shared interests and the limits of trust.
Listening tip: Notice how the conversation moves from an honest reaction to art to secrecy and lost knowledge.
Try the An unexpected understanding quiz · 6 questions
Watch, then choose one answer for each question. Check your answers for a score and explanation.
Answer key and explanations
- A: Honestly, with his own opinion. Ecbert asks Athelstan to tell him honestly what he thinks of the works.
- C: He admires their beauty despite their different religious origin. Admiration and religious difference coexist in his response.
- B: They share something in their outlook or interests. The expression concerns affinity, not family or employment.
- A: The Romans. Athelstan attributes the images to the Romans.
- C: He thinks other people would fear or misunderstand it. His instruction reflects concern about other people’s reaction.
- B: Much important knowledge has been lost. He stresses a loss of earlier knowledge.
After the quiz: keep talking · 3 questions
Give a reason or example. With a tutor, discuss all three; on your own, choose one or two. There is no single correct opinion.
- What suggests a shared interest between the two men, and what makes their trust seem limited?
- Can you admire an artwork or idea without sharing the beliefs behind it? Give a real or imagined example.
- A cultural centre can preserve either old letters, recordings of a local language, or an artwork. Which would you choose, and how would you explain its value?
Need an idea? See one example
For question 3: “I would choose the recordings because they preserve voices as well as information. Written notes might not capture pronunciation or humour in the same way. I understand that the artwork matters too, but I would first ask which material is most at risk of being lost.”
With a partner or tutor, acknowledge one objection and then explain your choice more precisely.
Listen and repeat
These are original Hibiscus Teach practice expressions, not quotations from Vikings. Listen, repeat, and use each in a new situation.
Download the full British-English MP3
Its value is not only financial.
Explain that money is only one part of something’s importance.
You say: Describe an object or skill that matters for reasons other than its price.
What makes it worth preserving is the knowledge it contains.
Give a reason for protecting something from being lost.
You say: Defend keeping an old document. Say the expression, then name another reason to preserve it.
I understand that concern, but I see it differently.
Acknowledge another view before explaining your own.
You say: Someone thinks an old collection has no practical use. Respond respectfully, then give your view.
That is what he says; his motives may be more complicated.
Distinguish a stated reason from an uncertain interpretation.
You say: Discuss a fictional character’s explanation without pretending to know everything they are thinking.