Vicki and Jay are very proud to welcome you to the 2019 SEVY (Simple English Videos, Yay!) Award Ceremony, where you’ll meet students from many different countries who are learning English.

Speaking in English is a challenge. You’re bound to think, ‘Am I making mistakes?’ or ‘Am I saying this right?’ Now imagine you’re not just talking to one or two people, but you’re talking to the world!

A few weeks ago we set our viewers a challenge. We asked them to record a video where they’re speaking in English and we’ve been blown away by the response.

So now we’re very proud to share their work and introduce you to some of the wonderful people who watch our channel, and to learn about why they’re learning English and their goals.

Click here to see some hang out videos with Vicki and Jay.
Click here to see some more Simple English Videos.

The SEVY Awards 2019

We’re very proud to welcome you to the 2019, SEVY award ceremony.
Speaking in English is a challenge. You’re bound to think, ‘Am I making mistakes?’ or ‘Am I saying this right?’
Now imagine you’re not just talking to one or two people, but you’re talking to the world!
A few weeks ago we set our viewers a challenge. We asked them to record a video where they’re speaking, that we would share with the world.
And we’ve been blown away by the response.
And today we’re very proud to share their work and introduce you to some of the wonderful people who watch our channel.
And to learn about why they’re learning English and their goals.
Congratulations to everyone who took part! You are all winners of the Simple English Videos award for rising to this challenge.
It’s the Simple English Videos ‘Yay! You did it’ award.
Otherwise known as the SEVY.
So now it’s time to see what they said.

Hi Vicki and hi Jay, and hi everyone. My name is Wan. My name is Rian. We are English teachers from Palang Singkawang, Indonesia. I learn English because I want to study in the UK. And I learn English because I want to study in Australia. Thank you. Bye.

Well I reckon they should win the SEVY for wonderful positive energy.
And for team work. They were well rehearsed.
They must be great teachers.

My name is Mehli Khusnaliana and I’m a student. I’m Indonesian and I’m Muslim. OK. I like… I like the English language. Ok, Thank you. Simple English Videos! Yes!

I think she’s adorable.
And I think she should get the SEVY for enthusiasm.
And maybe the best giggle.

Hi there. I’m Alex and I’m from Russia. I’m studying English for several years because I need it for my work and also I want to pass an IELTS exam this year because I want to move to some warm country, um, for example, to Canada. Wait, what? Canada is not a warm country? So anyway, I’ll pick something else.

OK, he’s got to win the SEVY for the best joke.
If you can crack a joke in another language, you’re doing very well!

Hello, I’m from India. My name is Siddhant and English is my favorite subject. Love from India.

Love to you in India too, Siddhant!
That was short, sweet and very clear.
He could also get a SEVY for the cheeky grin. I was looking for something that would help me teach the phrase cheeky grin the other day. I wish I’d had this video then.

Hello Vicki and Jay. My name is Dan. And my name is Ann. We live in Russia in Novosibirsk. We are both lawyers. I am learning English because I want to watch films in English. And I’m learning English because I want to read in English. Goodbye. Bye.

Those were great goals.
They are great goals. And did you see the book she was reading?
It was Sherlock Holmes, my favorite detective!
I think you get the reading prize. And actually that is a great book for everyone to read.

Hi! My name’s Milena. I’m 15 years old. I’m from Brazil and I live in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Next year, I finish my high school and after I want to study English in the USA. Thank you. Bye-bye.

She gets the SEVY for confidence. And I also want to give a shout out to her mum, Mariza, who also tried to make a video for us. And Mariza has gone back to university after 28 years and she’s studying to be an English teacher.
We have both gone back to university in our later years and we know what a commitment that is so good luck to you Mariza.

Hi everyone. I’m Abdurrahman Dala. I’m from Nigeria. I’m a teacher. I teach English. I’m a fan of a British accent. I love the accent. I love it. I love to pronounce words like you do, Vicki. Thank you. Bye-bye.

He gets the SEVY for best costume and best smile.
And I like the way he walked into the shot.
I liked his taste in accents. I loved your accent too.

Hi Vicki. Hi Jay. My name’s Derya. I’m from Turkey. I’m thirty four years old. I’m not working. I’m a housewife. I have three children – two daughters, one son. And my English goal is speaking like a native English person. I love speaking so much. And that’s all. I love you. Thanks for your videos.

She gets the SEVY for perseverance
Yes. This is because Derya had difficulties send us the video, and when I spoke to her, she said she’d recorded it about 50 times before she was able to make something that she felt she could send us. Well done Derya, it was great.

Hi Vicki and Jay. I’m Dicky and I’m from Bogor, Indonesia. I’m a student and I’m studying English. My English goals are to chat with my friend in English and to teach my friend who can’t speak English. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Well done!
Yeah. He must get the ‘Friendly’ SEVY because he’s learning to chat with friends, but also he’s going to help his friend learn English! Well done Dicky!

Hey, I am Kaei from the Czech Republic. I am a charity volunteer here, and English is my passion. Thank you so much for your videos.

Kaei, we’re so glad you like our videos.
And you get the SEVY for giving back to the community with your charity work.

Hi, my name is Ashish. I am from India. I was working in Samsung Electronics as a promoter. I want to learn English so I can feel confident when I am speaking with my customers and colleagues.

Ashish, you get the repeat performance SEVY.
Ashish was in our video last year and it’s great to see you back, Ashish. And we’re sorry to hear you’ve been ill and we wish you better soon and it’s great to see you’re still supporting England.

Hello Vicki and Jay. My name is Melany and I’m from Colombia. Now I live in New York and I am an English student. I have lived here for a short time and your videos have helped me a lot to learn more and improve my English. And thank you very much. I love your videos.

Wow! Melany. I grew up in New York and I know how difficult it can be in that great big city to find your way, especially when English is not your first language. Good for you.
You get the ‘Traveller SEVY’.

Hello Jay and Vicki. I’m Martin. I live in a small European country named Slovakia, and I’m a graphic design student. My goals in terms of learning English is to improve myself in fluency and vocabulary, and I’ve been to England once, however, I really would fancy to go there again.

Martin, that was really interesting. I could hear a British accent in your Slovakian accent.
Your pronunciation was great. You get the SEVY for that.
He’s in school, right?
Yes, but he’s studying graphic design.
Oh, not English.
Yeah. Really good Martin.

Hello.
Hello, I am Meg, and this is my brother. We are Georgians. Now I study icon painting and I learn… study English because I love learning languages so much. And I love you so much Vicki and Jay.

I think I saw an icon painting behind her. And Meg, you have to get the SEVY for the best big sister.
And the youngest SEVY award goes to your brother.

Hi. My name is Arthur. I’m from Brazil and I learn English after being one year in New Zealand in 2015, and my goal is to be able to communicate with people all around the world and to understand them properly. And that’s all! Thank you very much, and your channel has been very helpful. I just love your tips. Thank you.

Thank you Arthur. That was a great compliment. By the way, you spoke very clearly.
Yes, your pronunciation was good, but I’m tempted to give you the SEVY instead for set design.
Did you see all the posters behind him?
Yes, apparently he’s studying for an exam. Good luck in your exam.

Hi Vicki and Jay. I am very honored for being seen by you and I’m a little bit nervous. OK, I’m Michelle and I’m from China. I’m a pharmacist working in the hospital. I learn English just for fun and interest. I love watching YouTube videos from English teachers like you. I hope that some day I could speak fluently and confidently with native English speakers, or maybe some day I could participate in some jobs that involve English. That’s all. Hope you like my video! Bye-bye.

That was really very fluent. Thank you Michelle.
Do you know that that was the first time she’d spoken English in public!
Really?
Yeah. And she was nervous about it. Michelle you get the prize for courage. You did really well!

Hello Jay and hello Vicki. I’m Wesley. I’m from Sao Paolo, Brazil. I’m a biology student at the last year and I want to improve my English and teach my girlfriend too. I love England and Scotland. I support Liverpool. And I love you both. Bye.

Bye-bye. He’s supporting Liverpool.
Wesley, you get the SEVY for being the best boyfriend, because he’s helping his girlfriend learn English too.
Good for you!

Hello, I’m Olga. I’m Russian. I used to work in finance but these days I stay at home. I take some time out to take care of my little one. And it’s a great time for me to dive into learning English. I learn English mainly for fun but I also have a dream to become an English teacher someday, and I also hope to go to England and to the United States some day again. Thank you for your wonderful lessons and for this challenge. Bye-bye.

We heard the little one there.
Olga, you get the SEVY for vocabulary because we heard lots of great phrases there like time out, little one, dive into. Good job!
Excellent, thank you.

Hi Vicki and Jay. I’m Eduardo from Catamarca, a northern province of Argentina. Well, I’m studying English at University and my big goal is to get my degree as an English teacher. I hope to get it in a couple of years. Well, thank you so much for your work. You are doing a really great job. Thank you so much, and see ya.

Another great compliment. Thank you very much. I think he gets the SEVY for being warm and friendly.
I know. I would love to have you as my teacher. I think you’re going to be great.

Hello. This is Gala from Russia. I started learning English when I was already 46, from scratch. It was 7 years ago. I was told it was too late, but look at me now. I can speak and in a month help others. I am an aspiring pronunciation tutor for beginners. From my experience, you can communicate successfully even if your English is just basic. Sincerity and simplicity always work. And thank you Vicki and Jay. I learn from you.

Galina, you get the inspiration SEVY – the award for inspiring us all.
Yes, I’ve had lots of students who have asked me ‘Am I too old to learn a language?’ and you are a wonderful example of how you’re never to old. And I also think that your advice about being sincere and keeping things simple is very valuable too.
Thank you.
And bravo! Good job!

Hello. My name is Tahir Shafiq. I am from Pakistan. I live in Lahore which is the second most populous city in Pakistan. It’s famous for its ancient buildings and gardens. I run my own provisioning store which includes a variety of items like soaps, detergents, grocery items, beverages, etc. I have 3 objectives for learning English. Firstly, I can use my writing skills with correspondence with my suppliers. Secondly, I can use my listening skills while watching movies because I love watching movies. Lastly, I can use English when I visit other countries for tours. I love tourism. OK. Take care, Bye.

Tahir, that was so well organized.
Yes, in fact you win the SEVY for structure, because all your thoughts were clearly laid out and it meant you could convey a lot of information in a short time, and that’s an excellent skill, and a very good business skill too.
Thank you very much.
Great job!

Hello Vicki, hello Jay, hello everyone. My name is Quynh. I’m 13 years old and I’m from Vietnam. Today I am really happy to share with you my English goal. My goal is to reach a higher level of English fluency which is advanced. This includes my grammar and my vocabulary. As you see, my grammar is not so good. I always make a mistake when I’m talking. And my vocabulary is not enough to cover all of my thoughts. The only thing for me to do to reach my goal is to study more and do more exercises in English. Also, watching Simple English Videos is a good way for me to expand my vocabulary and to know more rules about grammar. Thank you so much for listening.

Well thank you for submitting that video. It was very impressive. In fact I think she gets the SEVY for being impressive.
She is, isn’t she! Fantastic job, Quyn! I mean your grammar was great, your fluency was great, your pronunciation was great. Impressive is the word, and she’s only 13!

Hi Vicki and Jay. Zdraveite! Hola! My name is Galina, and I am from Bulgaria but I’m currently in Spain. I have diverse work experience, in many fields of life. Actually, I would be glad if I can work for you guys. If you think that I can contribute in any way to Simple English Videos, I’ll be glad to help. What I want to achieve in English is to gain more self confidence, because I still freeze whenever I meet a native speaker and have to speak to him or her, no matter the topic. Well, that’s for now. Thanks for listening and watching. See you, I mean I will see you. Adios, ciao.

Well you didn’t freeze there. That was just terrific!
It was fantastic. Well done Galina! I.. yeah, what do you want to give this SEVY for?
For the best location shoot!
Because you saw the Spanish beach! I’d like to give a SEVY as well for being most helpful! We wish we could give you a job. Wow! We’ve got to work out a way to earn money Jay.

Hi Vicki and Jay. I love your channel so much. My name is Nick and I’m living in South Korea. I’m a business …. who works for a Korean commercial company. I first started learning English for practical purposes, such as joining the meeting without a translator, and getting a global career in the future. But nowadays, it became one of my pleasures in daily life. I hope that I will be able to lead meetings with international co-workers at the end of this year. I’m so excited because I can go on this journey with you guys. Let me finish the video with a sentence that I read nowadays like a mantra. The repetition of a little tiny effort will make me stronger.

The repetition of a little tiny effort makes me stronger. That’s the best mantra we’ve heard today.
It’s a very good mantra for language learning as well. Because there’s nothing very difficult about learning English if you break it down into small steps and keep repeating them.
I also liked his story. How he started learning English for his work, and then it became a pleasure in his life. Yes.
So he gets the SEVY for …
Best mantra. Well done Nick.

Hello Vicki, hello Jay. My name is Maja Terese. I’m 15 years old. I’m from Norway. I’m in my last year of secondary school and next year I’m moving on to high school, where I’m going to go the specialized studies and general line. I like the English language and I’ve learned it for 10 years now, ever since first grade. And I wish to study it and get better at it in university. When I grow up I want to become a teacher – an English teacher. I enjoy talking English. I do it all the time. And I write English with my friends. My English goal for the year is to improve my pronunciation. I always pronounce words wrongly, I feel. And I also need to settle on whether I want to speak American English or British English which I both wish to do. That was my English goal and a bit about me and I’m sorry this video is long. Goodbye.

We’re still deciding which accents to use as well!
I recommend the American accent!
By the way, you didn’t mispronounce any words in that video. It was really good. There must be a very high standard of English in Norway.
I know and you were very fluent too, and she’s only 15.
Spectacular. Thank you so much for the video.
I think you should get the SEVY for fluency.

Hi, my name is Miriam Keller. I’m from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I live in Sao Paulo. I’m a retired secretary but I still work because I have to, and English is my working tool. So, I’m always… I’m always trying to find interesting things, review things, learn more, and so on. And your videos are fantastic. I always recommend them to friends and colleagues. And I always… I always try to watch them. Well, I’m retired, but as I say, I like very much languages, and I like very much to read, and go to the movies, and so on, listen to music. So, English is very important to me. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

Miriam I know exactly what you mean about having to go back to work after you’re retired.
Yes, but you know you’re a wonderful example for us all, because you’re finding things that you like, like movies and reading, and making English fun. So I feel like Miriam should have another inspiration SEVY.
Excellent. Thank you Miriam.

I am 12 years old and I am studying in the seventh grade. About myself I can say that I am a fun, clever, industrious and friendly girl. I want to speak fluently in English – from my native language, Ukrainian. I like to draw. I have a sister. Her name is Sasha. She is studying in the pedagogical college. In the future she will be an interpreter or English teacher. She is a friendly, compassionate and clever girl. I love my sister but sometimes she takes away our notebook and it is bad because I can’t watch English cartoons! By the way, Vicki and Jay, we use your lessons in our English lessons. We like your videos and you’re like real actors. Thanks for your work.

I think we’ll have to talk to your older sister about taking away your notebook computer.
Bohdan. you get the SEVY for having a great attitude. You’re going for it. You’re using what you’ve learnt and trying it out and it’s great to see. Keep it up.
I have to say your personality came right through in that video. Thank you very much.

Hi Vicki and Jay. This is Marcelo. I always enjoy watching your videos.
I learn a lot and I have fun at the same time. And, well, I’m from Chile. I’m…I’m not a student, yeah, I’m not a student. I’m working nowadays redacting (drafting) some reports for a company. And my English goal basically is to have fun and, perhaps, English will help me in a moment for this job or another one. I don’t know. I have to say that I lived in Australia when I was a child, but I have been studying English since some years ago. But…and I’m trying to take my English back, right? So, I guess that that is another of my main goals. OK, well those were your questions. Thank you very much for this great opportunity to talk to you guys. You are really lovely. I always watch every single episode from you both. Ok thank you very much. Bye-bye.

Thank you Marcelo. You are certainly doing a good job getting your English back.
Indeed. One of the things that struck me was how clear your speech was. In fact that’s your SEVY – clarity. And then you mentioned that you’d been in Australia when you were a child, and I thought, oh that’s why. But that’s going to be a great help for listening as you’re learning English.
Thanks Marcelo, great video.
Now before we carry on I just want to mention that for some people, this challenge was extra difficult because for religious reasons or for other personal reasons they didn’t want to appear on camera. But they found a way round it and we’re going to watch some of these videos now.

Hi Vicki and Jay. I’m Farshid and I’m Iranian. I am a student of architecture. I hope to learn English in order to have better communication with people around the world.

I want to give you the linguist SEVY, Farshid.
Why?
Because of the certificate on his book shelf. Did you see?
What did it say?
Pahlavi. It was a language – an ancient Persian language.
And it’s now extinct?
Yes. But although he’s studying architecture, he’s obviously a linguist too.

Hello there Vicki and Jay! This is Steffi and I’m sending you a thousand warm hugs from Erfurt, which is right in the middle of Germany. And with this small video I want to send you a few pictures of where I love to live. Reading my comments you may have noticed that I am quite a chatterbox, and I love to connect with people from all around the world to learn more about their country and their culture and my bucket list is incredibly full with all the spots I want to travel to and that’s why I want to speak proper and fluent English. Congratulations for over 100,000 subscribers Vicki and Jay and thank you so much for being the most creative and astounding English teachers I’ve ever met. Simple English Videos Yay! And this is my hamster, Carla.

Very good Steffi, and it was a pleasure meeting Carla, too.
Steffi sounded exactly as I expected. If you look at the comments at Simple English Videos you’ll see that Steffi is often there contributing and it’s really nice that you’re a chatterbox Steffi. We appreciate it.
So what’s her SEVY.
OK. Ahhh, I don’t know, what can we give her the SEVY for?
For the cutest pet!
I’ll tell you what though. I’d like to give her an intonation SEVY, because her pronunciation was superb.

Hello. Good day to you. My name is Sarah, and I am from Germany. I’ve been studying English for a year teaching most things to myself. English is for me not only a language. For me it is what makes me – me. I love England and English more than anything really. And my goals are to live in England when I’m grown up. I’m a student and I see myself working in connection to the English language. In December, this year, I’ll be passing the exam for the language level ‘C-1’ hopefully. And after this I’d like to continue with the next and final level.

Sarah, if I didn’t know you’re from Germany, I’d have assumed you’re from London because your accent is so good!
For someone who’s self taught, it’s amazing and you get the pronunciation SEVY.
Really good. Thank you very much.
And good luck with your exam. I think you’re going to do really well.

To be or not to be photogenic, that is the question. In the age of selfies I’m afraid I’m not. That’s why I chose a picture of my parent’s kissing before my nickname “Maninima” which is how I call my mom. Yet, when you invited your followers to send a video, I thought I could take this chance to thank you, Vicki and Jay, and other teachers on YouTube. By the way, my name is Simone. I’m Italian, and I fell in love with English when my dad made me listen to his favorite music, spirituals, jazz, Gershwin, and I discovered the Beatles. I began singing those songs and I found I could express my feelings better if I didn’t use my mother tongue. Maybe because I was very shy. I started at university to learn the language more deeply. But soon I had to give up for a series of troubles. My dad got cancer. My vocal cords developed a rare disease. A guy molested me. A car accident ruined my spine, just to name a few. So, thanks a lot Vicki and Jay, Aly from “Papa Teach Me”, Tom from “Eat, Sleep, Dream English”, “Love English” with Leila and Sabrah, and many more for keeping my mind working and for making me smile with your sense of humor and kindness. Love you all.

Thank you Simone. That took a lot of courage and we really appreciate it.
And I appreciated your sharing too, and sharing the names of other great YouTube channels, so more people can find them.
By the way, you had us at Gershwin and the Beatles. We love them. Thanks again Simone.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this challenge.
You were all amazing.
We can’t thank you enough for sharing your life and goals with us.
We loved meeting you and it’s been very motivating for us.
Yes, we need to make some more videos now.
If you’ve enjoyed this video, please share it with a friend.
And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.
See you next week everyone. Bye-bye.
Bye.
Click here to see some hang out videos with Vicki and Jay.
Click here to see some more Simple English Videos.