Episode 04

Episode 04

Carolina is having some problems with money. What can she do to solve them? Adam and Rob talk about all the different types of weather you have in your countries.

Transcript

Adam and Rob

Both: Hello!

Adam: Welcome back, listeners – and welcome back, Rob! How was your holiday?

Rob: It was really nice, Adam, thanks. I went to Slovenia and the weather was fantastic.

Adam: Sounds great. And the comments you sent about the weather in your countries were great too! Many of you have very hot weather. Abuhekmat in Oman told us about weather that reaches 49 degrees! I can’t imagine being that hot. Fazliddin12 in Uzbekistan sees temperatures of 45 degrees and Saandari in Mongolia told us about weather that was hot, but not quite as hot as Oman, 35 degrees. The big difference in Mongolia is that in winter it reaches -35 degrees! That’s a huge difference between summer and winter.

Rob: That’s very cold. Many of you also wrote to us about cold weather in your countries. Kosovac in Serbia says it can be -20 degrees. ValiantSpirit in Pakistan says it can be -15 degrees. But what is cold? In other countries, maybe it’s a bit different. In El Salvador, Daxrosales says 15 degrees is a cold day, while in Malaysia, Shokmin says 24 degrees is a cold day. You also told us about other weather conditions in your countries. For example, in China Diqiudashi told us about the typhoons that come to the mainland and bring heavy storms.

Adam: Tkazerooni in Iran told us about weather called ‘Wolf & Ewe’. (A ewe is a female sheep.) ‘Wolf & Ewe’ weather is when dark clouds and white clouds are in the sky at the same time. The ‘wolf’ (the dark clouds) chases the ‘ewe’ (the white clouds) and Iranians say that this is very changeable weather, with a very high chance of rain. Remember, you can write to us at www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish or via Facebook – look for ‘Elementary Podcasts’.

Rob: Now, do you remember what happened last time with Carolina, the student from Venezuela at Newcastle University? She returned from her summer holiday and talked with Emily about her new clothes, about missing English and, of course, about her boyfriend Jamie. Let’s see what’s happening this time!

Carolina

Carolina: Let me see. Oh dear. No, that's not right. Emily, what's seventy times twelve?

Emily: What?

Carolina: What's seventy times twelve?

Emily: Err, ten times seventy is seven hundred and two times seventy is a hundred and forty, so that makes erm, eight hundred and forty.

Carolina: What's seventy divided by fifty-two?

Emily: I don't know! I'm trying to read my book! Haven't you got a calculator on your phone?

Carolina: Oh, yes. Oooh. Oh dear!

Emily: What's the matter, Carolina?

Carolina: Nothing.

Emily: It doesn't sound like nothing. I can't read my book with your {big sigh} and {big sigh}. What's the problem?

Carolina: Well, I'm trying to work out my money. My money for the year.

Emily: Your money for the year. Mmm…

Carolina: And it's not very good.

Emily: It's not very good?

Carolina: Well, I haven't got enough.

Emily: You haven't got enough?

Carolina: Stop repeating everything I say!

Emily: Sorry.

Carolina: I don't know what I'm going to do.

Emily: Well, you did spend a lot of money in the summer, didn't you? You bought a lot of clothes and things.

Carolina: Yes. I did. And presents for my family and friends in Venezuela.

Emily: Oh dear. So, how bad is it?

Carolina: A disaster. After I've paid my rent for this room and the electricity and water, and my phone, and my travel card, well - there isn't very much left.

Emily: How much?

Carolina: About 20 pounds a week.

Emily: Twenty pounds a week!

Carolina: You're doing it again.

Emily: Sorry. But twenty pounds a week - you can't live on that. You have to buy food and books…

Carolina: And go out sometimes.

Emily: Can you ask your parents for some money?

Carolina: Oh, no. They've already given me a lot. I can't do that.

Emily: What about…

{doorbell}

Carolina: I'll go. It's probably Jamie.

Carolina: It’s so good to see you.

Jamie: It’s good to see you too. You been OK? Oh, hi Emily!

Emily: Hi Jamie. How's it going?

Jamie: Good, thanks. And you?

Emily: Yep.

Carolina: I'm going to get a job.

Emily and Jamie: Get a job?

Carolina: Now you're both doing it. I have to do something, Jamie. I can't live on the money that I've got for this year.

Jamie: Are you allowed to work here? Don't you need a special visa?

Carolina: No, I can work on my student visa - part-time. I'll check but I think I can work up to 20 hours a week.

Jamie: I'm not sure about this. You need time to study. And to go out and enjoy yourself - with me.

Carolina: I can't go out and enjoy myself if I haven't got any money, can I?

Jamie: I’ve got some money, I can pay.

Carolina: That's it. I've decided. Tomorrow morning I'm going to start looking for a job.

Adam and Rob

Adam: Oh dear. I hope Carolina manages to find a job or some other way to get more money.

Rob: It will be a lot easier for her if she has some experience, if she has done a job before. What was your first job, Adam?

Adam: I worked as a paperboy. That means I delivered newspapers to people’s houses early in the morning. It was quite interesting, although I didn’t have time to read anything more than the headlines. The real problem came when it was raining. What about you?

Rob: I worked as a waiter in a restaurant. It was quite hard work, but I didn’t earn a lot of money, unfortunately. Tell us about your first job. What did you do? Remember, you can write to us at www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish or via Facebook – look for ‘Elementary Podcasts’.

Adam: Now, do you notice anything about these sentences? Have a listen:

Emily: How much?

Carolina: About twenty pounds a week.

Emily: Twenty pounds a week!

Carolina: You’re doing it again!

Jamie: Are you allowed to work here? Don't you need a special visa?

Carolina: No, I can work on my student visa - part-time. I'll check but I think I can work up to 20 hours a week.

Rob: Carolina says she has about twenty pounds a week. She also says she thinks she can work up to twenty hours a week. ‘A week’ means ‘every week’. We use ‘a’ and ‘an’ with other words, too. For example, ‘hour’. I earned three pounds an hour when I was a waiter.

Adam: And I see my family three or four times a year. There will be some exercises about this and other language areas on LearnEnglish. That’s all we’ve got time for today – remember to write to us and tell us about your first job at LearnEnglish or on Facebook.

Rob: We’ll be back next time with Tess & Ravi. So, until then…

Adam and Rob: Bye!

Discussion

Language level

Topics

Average: 5 (4 votes)

Submitted by efec7 on Tue, 27/11/2018 - 18:24

Permalink
My first job was in a deparment store at the grocery section. I got this job when I was at the University. I had to lie because they didn't wanted to give me the job due to I was studying, so I had to said that I was quit the university. At the begining it was boring, but I learned about follow a schedul, and work at night shifts. The payment wasn't good, but I saved that money and I spend in the next year of the university.
Profile picture for user Oksi1001

Submitted by Oksi1001 on Tue, 20/11/2018 - 17:10

Permalink
My the first job was a streat cleaner. I sweeped foliadge, cleaned snow,planted flowers. We hade a friendly team and had a fan there so i liked this job. My salary was about 1$an hour and we worked 2 hours a day. I was 13 and despite my age i was saysfied tsese salary.

Submitted by NTD3005 on Mon, 12/11/2018 - 06:24

Permalink
Hello everyone, My first job was selling gas tanks. In my country, people use gas tanks (about 25kg of total weight) for their cooking. My job was bringing these gas tanks to client's of houses. Because of my family situation, I worked that job since I was in grade 8. And that work gives me good experiences up to now.
Profile picture for user mariano

Submitted by mariano on Wed, 24/10/2018 - 17:27

Permalink
Hello my first work was be a teacher in a High School. I study System Analyst Degree and I was teaching computing. Also the students at this high school had a specialization in business and commerce so I teach them things regarding use of spread for bussiness analysis and metrics. Also we participate with some groups of Computer Olympic and we got the 2nd place at the national level !!! I was really happy!

Submitted by jonancbr on Tue, 02/10/2018 - 15:56

Permalink
My firts job was a help hand in a clay target shooting field, it was great because the salary was good the tips were very nice. the problem was the workday was large, 12 o 14 hours by seasons o championships, mainly weekends, I´was studying in the high school so it was no problem, my pay was to help to my famili mainly and a little for me, I don´t remember what i bought with it, i think was clothes.

Submitted by Tomoaki Hachiya on Mon, 24/09/2018 - 21:38

Permalink
Well, if I were Carolina, I'd save more, for example, I'd spend less on electricity (turn off the lights, fridge, maybe), gas, and water, and ask the landowner to put off her rents for a little... Carolina is still a student, so she shouldn't work for money but study more!
Profile picture for user hamad

Submitted by hamad on Sun, 16/09/2018 - 13:02

Permalink
Now I have study at university but in the future I want psychology doctor or some job about it
Profile picture for user Kostya B

Submitted by Kostya B on Sun, 16/09/2018 - 11:24

Permalink
My first job was a worker at the construction site it was not so easy and not so hard I earned enough money from this, which I had spent on different things.

Submitted by Jihad Badwi on Fri, 14/09/2018 - 16:44

Permalink
My first job - which I am still working now - is a medical analysis specialist. The salary is not satisfied compared with the effort and the stress of working in the medical field, so I am working on improving my English in order to have a job by teaching it to adults. I spend my money for food, clothes, travelling and save some for sudden circumstances. I am also searching for ideas to invest my savings.
Profile picture for user Kukul

Submitted by Kukul on Wed, 05/09/2018 - 22:23

Permalink
Hello I have typed texts and taken money. It was my first job and I found it when I was a undergraduate student. Of course in my country people don't work under 18 years old unless they have to.Plus children life with their parent until their marriage. I think that's why children don't get a job when they are teen! Thanks for your great courses