Hey there! This is TOP episode 314. Learn English With George Michael “Father Figure”
You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
Today’s episode is about the language of “Father Figure” by George Michael. We’ll explore expressions like something sacred, to be bold, be mistaken for, and have faith in, and I’ll show you how to use them naturally in everyday English.
But before we dive in, I want to mention a webinar I recently ran called Present Not That Simple and honestly, it’s one of my best. In this session, I explained the most common Present Simple mistakes and, more importantly, why we make them. We looked at how our brain processes grammar through two systems: procedural grammar, which is automatic and instinctive, and declarative grammar, which is the set of rules we consciously learn.
Even B1 or C1 students still make Present Simple mistakes, and in this webinar, you’ll learn exactly why that happens and how to stop it. You’ll also discover eight of the most common mistakes with the Present Simple and get practical ways to fix them. If you haven’t watched it yet, go to teacherola.com/simple and watch the replay. It can really transform the way you speak English.
And one more thing, my speaking course Say It Out Loud (S-I-O-L) is now open for enrollment. The course focuses on speaking and gives you a chance to actually train your speaking skills inside the Speaking Club and the WhatsApp voice exchange group. You also get daily feedback from me, monthly live classes, and lifetime access to all these resources.
So, visit siol.pl, don’t forget to watch the Present Not That Simple webinar at teacherola.com/simple, and now, let’s move on to George Michael and the language of “Father Figure”.
I picked 5 vocabulary elements. Here we go:
One. “Something special, something, something sacred”
Let’s start with the word sacred. “Sacred” means holy, connected with religion, or deeply respected and important. It comes from the world of faith, but today we often use it in everyday English to describe anything we consider untouchable, precious, or emotionally important.
Here are some common collocations:
*sacred place (a church, a temple)
*sacred bond (a strong emotional connection, like between friends or family)
*sacred vow or promise (one that must never be broken)
Listen to these:
My weekends are sacred. I don’t work on Saturdays.
Some people treat their morning coffee as something sacred.
I also picked some idioms for you:
Break a sacred rule – to do something considered wrong or disrespectful.
Nothing is sacred anymore – used humorously to mean that people no longer respect traditional values or taboos.
Sacred isn’t only about religion; it is about what is deeply meaningful to you personally.
Two. “To be bold and naked”
Now let’s talk about the word bold. “Bold” means brave, confident, and not afraid to take risks or speak your mind. And I want you to be bold when you speak English.
Let’s see some common collocations:
*bold decision – a brave choice
*bold colors, design, or outfit – strong, bright, eye-catching
*bold move, step, or plan – something daring and unexpected
Listen to these sentences:
She made a bold move and quit her job to start her own company.
That’s a bold shirt you’re wearing.
Be bold. Speak your truth.
Finally, there’s this proverb that’s worth memorising:
Fortune favors the bold – brave people often succeed.
In Poland, many people know The Bold and the Beautiful, the long-running American TV soap opera called Moda na sukces. In that title, “bold” means daring, passionate, and dramatic.
Three. “Sometimes I think that you’ll never understand me”
This line shows an interesting grammar point.
When we talk about our opinion or prediction about the future, we use “will” after “I think” or “I don’t think.” But also after: I believe, I guess, I hope.
More examples:
I don’t believe he’ll come.
I think you’ll pass the exam.
I hope she’ll understand eventually.
Four. “But sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime”
Here is the pattern ‘to be mistaken for something or someone’.
It means to be confused with or seen as something else by mistake.
Examples:
I was mistaken for my twin brother.
Her kindness was mistaken for weakness.
The painting was mistaken for a cheap copy.
Five. “If we have faith in each other”
The phrase to have faith in someone or something means to believe in and trust them, even when things are difficult.
Examples:
I have faith in you; you can do it.
He lost faith in the system.
They still have faith in their relationship.
It can refer to religion, but more often it means confidence and trust.
You can keep faith – continue to believe,
Restore faith – make someone believe again, OR
Lose faith – stop believing.
One Idiomatic expression to pay attention to:
This act of kindness restored my faith in humanity.
It’s time for a bit of practice. As always, there’s a practical part where you can repeat sentences out loud after me. This is where you turn passive knowledge into real speaking ability.
But please, please remember, nothing replaces real practice and the most valuable kind of practice is a real conversation with another person. Still, repeating sentences out loud is the next best thing. It helps your brain connect grammar, pronunciation, and rhythm.
So, get ready to repeat after me, speak out loud, not in your head
Some people treat their morning coffee as something sacred.
She made a bold move and quit her job to start her own company.
That’s a bold shirt you’re wearing.
I don’t believe he’ll come.
I hope she’ll understand eventually.
I was mistaken for my twin brother.
The painting was mistaken for a cheap copy.
He lost faith in the system.
They still have faith in their relationship.
This act of kindness restored my faith in humanity.
This brings us to the end of today’s episode, where we explored Father Figure by George Michael. We looked at expressions like something sacred, to be bold, to be mistaken for, and to have faith in. If you listened actively and practiced out loud, you’ve already taken one step toward you goals. Now go to teacherola.com/314 and gram your free worksheet. Practice even more.
Before you go, don’t forget that the replay of my webinar Present Not That Simple is still available, but only until November 18th, 2025. You’ll find it at teacherola.com/simple. In that webinar, I explain why even advanced learners make mistakes with the Present Simple and how to finally stop them.
Also, a quick reminder that enrollment for my speaking course Say It Out Loud — that’s S-I-O-L — is now open at siol.pl. You can join until November 23rd. This edition is especially important because it gives you everything you need to finally train your speaking, not just study English. Inside the course, you’ll get structured lessons, a Speaking Club to practice with others, a WhatsApp voice group for daily feedback from me, and monthly live sessions — all with lifetime access. And so much more!
So don’t miss it. Watch the Present Not That Simple webinar at teacherola.com/simple, join the course at siol.pl, and let this be the edition where you stop learning about English and start speaking it with ease.
Thank you for listening. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud! I’m Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to the Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now!