Ep 5. Many Happy Returns

Tony starts the new episode of Mind Your Language season 2 episode 5 'Many Happy Returns' with a surprise birthday party for Anna, the Russian student. After Anna arrives at class, Tony explains it's her birthday but she has no idea what's going on. Tony brings out a cake and everyone sings 'Happy Birthday' to Anna.

Barry's behaviour interrupts the party when he tells Anna if she found a man, her birthday 'won't be the only hole' she'll have. This earns him a swift slap across the face from Anna, which satisfies the other language students. Tony manages to continue with the party, presenting Anna with some unusual gifts.

While they celebrate, Tony informs the students that they'll be marking the occasion by taking part in some role-play exercises. The students will visit Rochelle & DJ Ltd, a fictitious department store. The role-play will help the students learn the vocabulary used in buying goods and services, as well as socialising.

The students are separated into groups of two, with different objectives. Sid and Ranjeet are tasked with buying a surprise gift for a girlfriend, while Juan and Max must buy a suit for Juan’s wedding. Taro and Chung Su are sent to buy food for a party, and Danielle and Anna must buy a gift for a wedding anniversary.

Chaos ensues as the students accidentally mix up the assigned tasks. Taro and Chung Su arrive at Rochelle & DJ Ltd. looking to buy wedding suits instead of food for the party, and Sid and Ranjeet end up buying a wedding cake instead of a girlfriend gift. Tony arrives to solve the mix-up and get everyone back on track.

Once the students reorganise, they finally get the right tasks and manage to successfully complete their shopping mission, learning new vocabulary along the way. As the episode draws to a close, everyone gathers in the classroom to celebrate Anna’s birthday with some traditional Russian food.

'Many Happy Returns' is a hilarious and entertaining episode with lots of laughs, language learning, and unexpected moments. The role-play exercises help the students improve their confidence in a variety of situations while exposing them to a range of social norms. With equally unexpected dining choices, the episode teaches viewers about cultures outside of their own.