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)
Profile picture for user Hannalara

Submitted by Hannalara on Mon, 13/03/2023 - 21:43

Permalink

My first job, I was an intern at a public bank. I was a math student. Five years later, I returned as a worker in the same bank, I continue working yet.

Submitted by lama190 on Sun, 27/11/2022 - 17:36

Permalink

Hello, my first job as a programmer i worked 1 year and unfortunately i don't have financial plan management but from now i learned from my mistake and i take promise to start agian with good financial plan

Submitted by Abo0od2022 on Sat, 04/06/2022 - 12:26

Permalink

Hi everyone

My first job position a Relat selas Manger in 2016, I was steady in university, I have part time job, It is help me learn how to convince the celuin, and take course's for marketing I worked for 4 months abter that I foxes on my scientific specialty

Submitted by Dexter1212 on Wed, 02/03/2022 - 08:15

Permalink

My first job was on ten years ago after graduated from high school, my job is regulated people in the airport for embassy to check the visa valid or not, when i got my salary spend it on bought new cellphone, lol

Submitted by iramnazt7abassum on Wed, 21/04/2021 - 13:03

Permalink
My first job was as a Office-Assistent, It was part time and would paid 700€ per Month and that was enaugh for my pocket. I enjoyed and also save a small amount per month, because I didn't have any other responsibility. Thank you

Submitted by bcssbr on Tue, 02/03/2021 - 09:56

Permalink
My first job was production operation in a telecom company..bad salary and also condition but a good place to learn about it works.

Submitted by Oksserg on Thu, 21/01/2021 - 06:13

Permalink
I got my first job after I had gradueted Technical Music School in Ukraine. I was a teacher of playing the piano and music literature. It was enough difficalt work, because I went to the 5 different villages and often I walked when the weather was bad. In that years I earn too little for normal life. I remember that year without joy.

Submitted by Sajja on Thu, 31/12/2020 - 12:42

Permalink
I haven't worked anything yet but I like this idea very much . I hope to work while my university studying inshallah because I want to depend on myself and to learn how I can arrange and use money in the right way

Submitted by jmajo on Sun, 27/12/2020 - 15:32

Permalink
My first paid job was in a plant nursery when I was 15 and although I don't remember how much they pay me to work there I do remember that was enough at that time to buy my first set of tools to work as a carpenter apprentice a bit later and I was really happy for that. I enjoyed seeing plants growing and learnt how to grow lots of vegetables, nowadays I still use that knowledge to grow my owns plants and vegetables for my family. Thanks for the episode. Great site!
Profile picture for user gilgoncalves

Submitted by gilgoncalves on Mon, 12/10/2020 - 15:59

Permalink
Hello everyone. My name is Gil and my first job was as an office-boy, I remembered that I don't earn a lot of money on this job, haha and I spent all of my money buying my clothes, shoes and helping my parents to pay the bills in our home. It's was an easy job, simples tasks to do. When was a young guy I go out to the company's in my city and delivered my CV and that specific day I was walking in the street and a saw a flyer with announcing about an "office-boy" vacancy and at the same time I saw this opportunity because was an entry-level vacancy without the experience necessary and applied for the job and an I got, I had a lot of luck that moment.