Episode 0002
Summary
Julie calls Daniel to inform him that she is feeling unwell with flu symptoms, including a headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever. She requests to take the day off to recover, and Daniel advises her to get some rest.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello, Daniel speaking, how may I help you?
Hi Daniel. Julie here.
Oh, hi Julie. How are you?
Actually, I'm feeling quite ill today.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?
I think I'm coming down with the flu. I have a headache, a sore throat, a runny nose, and I'm feeling slightly feverish.
I see. So, you're calling in sick.
Yes, I was hoping to take the day off to recover.
Okay then. Try and get some rest.
Summary
The audio features an EnglishPod lesson hosted by Marco and Amira, focusing on the common scenario of "calling in sick." They introduce key vocabulary related to illness and requesting time off, such as "feeling quite ill today," "coming down with the flu," "calling in sick," and "hoping to take the day off." The hosts play a dialogue between an employee (Julie) and her boss (Daniel) twice. In the first instance, Julie's feigned illness is unconvincing, but in the second, she sounds more believable, leading the boss to be more sympathetic. Marco and Amira then discuss their perceptions of the boss's belief and share personal anecdotes about being sick, including a cultural observation from Egypt where people have others call in sick for them due to a unique belief. The podcast concludes by encouraging listeners to visit their website for more lessons and to leave comments.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello English learners and welcome to EnglishPod. My name is Marco.
I'm Amira.
Amira and I are here today with another interesting and useful lesson for you English learners.
Amira, why don't you explain a little bit of what this lesson is about today?
It's about calling in sick.
Oh, okay, that's useful.
Yes, definitely. It happens to everyone once in a while, you don't feel so well, um, or you feel well but you don't want to go to work.
Right.
So, you call in sick.
Okay, okay. Let's listen to this dialogue and I want everyone to keep their ears open and see if the boss believes this person.
Let's listen.
Hello, Daniel speaking, how may I help you?
Hi Daniel. Julie here. (cough)
Oh, hi Julie. How are you?
Actually, I'm feeling quite ill today.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?
I think I'm coming down with the flu. I have a headache, uh, a sore throat, a runny nose, and I'm feeling slightly feverish.
I see, so you're calling in sick.
Yes, I was hoping to take the day off, uh, to recover.
Okay then. Try and get some rest.
Marco, do you think he believed her?
No, I don't think he believed her. He didn't sound really convinced.
Yes, and Julie didn't sound really sick, huh?
Exactly.
Well, we have some really good vocabulary here. Amira, why don't you begin with the first one?
The first phrase I've chosen for you is a very, very useful one. I'm feeling quite ill today.
I'm feeling quite ill today.
I'm feeling quite ill today.
All right. What does this mean exactly?
It means that she's feeling sick.
Oh, okay, that's clear. So she is sick. She's feeling sick.
Okay, let's look at another really useful phrase, and this one is "I'm coming down with the flu."
I'm coming down with the flu.
I'm coming down with the flu.
I'm coming down with the flu.
All right, and this phrase means that I am starting to get the flu, or I am getting the flu.
Okay.
The next phrase I have for you is calling in sick.
Calling in sick.
Calling in sick.
Calling in sick.
It means calling your boss to tell him that you can't come to work today.
I personally love this phrase because it saves so much time in explanations.
Okay, perfect. So if I say this, then everyone will know that I am not coming to work today.
Yes, definitely.
Perfect.
All right. And the last phrase that we're gonna take a look at today is, "I was hoping to take the day off."
I was hoping to take the day off.
I was hoping to take the day off.
I was hoping to take the day off.
Right. And she says this to ask for permission because she does not want to go to work.
Okay, now, couldn't she just say, like, I can't come today?
Right. She could say, I can't come today, but that would be a little bit impolite.
Okay, so when she says, I was hoping to take the day off, it's a polite way of asking.
It's a polite way, exactly, because she is talking to her boss.
Very good. So let's listen to the dialogue one more time.
The dialogue is a little different this time. Listen carefully and see if you think the boss believes her this time.
Hello, Daniel speaking, how may I help you?
Hi Daniel. Julie here. (cough)
Oh, hi Julie. How are you?
Actually, I'm feeling quite ill today.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?
I think I'm coming down with the flu. I have a headache, a sore throat, a runny nose, and I'm feeling slightly feverish.
So you're calling in sick.
Yes, I was hoping to take the day off to recover.
Okay then. Try and get some rest.
Okay, guys, we're back.
And I do think he believed her this time.
Yeah, I think he was understanding when he said, "uh, okay then, try and get some rest."
Yeah, and and Julie sounded pretty sick.
Yes, yes, she did.
Yeah, it was, it was convincing.
(chuckles)
Well, you know what? I almost called in sick last week.
Really?
Yeah, I wasn't feeling very well and, um, so I almost didn't come to work.
Oh, that would have been really bad for me. I would have been stuck here without you, Marco.
Yeah, you would have had to do the podcast all by yourself.
Oh no.
Um, you know what? Actually, I had the same symptoms as Julie. I also had a headache and I had a sore throat and also the worst thing and the thing that I hate the most is I had a runny nose.
Oh no, that's really bad because then you have to like blow your nose all the time and then it gets red and it hurts, right?
Exactly, yeah.
Luckily, I didn't have a fever, though. No fever.
Oh, thank God.
So did you take some medicine and and and it just killed everything?
Yeah, um, I had a friend and he had some pills for the flu, and he just gave me a couple and I felt better in about two days.
Oh, great.
Well, so guys, let me tell you about a very funny thing that really happens in real life in Egypt.
Oh, what story do you have for us today?
Well, it's actually not a story, it's a fact. I mean, people in Egypt, when they're sick, they never call in sick themselves. They'll have someone do that for them.
Oh, that's interesting. Why? Why did why do they do this?
Well, there's this weird speculation about, you know, if you can make it to the phone, you can make it to the office.
Ah, I agree. I agree. If I were a boss, I would do the same thing.
Yeah.
All right, listeners, we're out of time today.
But be sure to visit our website at EnglishPod.com where you can see other lessons and also you can leave your questions and comments at our community forum.
We hope you enjoyed our lesson and tomorrow we will be back with another fantastic lesson for you, but for now, it's bye.
Bye.
Summary
This audio is an English language learning exercise from 'The English Pod Audio Review'. It guides listeners through vocabulary by first presenting a meaning, then the corresponding vocabulary word, followed by a faster repetition drill. Finally, it provides example sentences for selected vocabulary words like 'quite ill', 'coming down', and 'was hoping'. The content is delivered by a male announcer and a female vocabulary guide.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
The English Pod audio review.
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
Polite offer to help.
How may I help you?
Very sick.
Quite ill.
Getting, acquiring.
Coming down.
Report that you will not go to work because you are sick.
Calling in sick.
To kindly expect.
Was hoping.
Let's try that faster.
Getting, acquiring.
Coming down.
Report that you will not go to work because you are sick.
Calling in sick.
Getting, acquiring.
Coming down.
Polite offer to help.
How may I help you?
Getting, acquiring.
Coming down.
Very sick.
Quite ill.
To kindly expect.
Was hoping.
Very sick.
Quite ill.
Polite offer to help.
How may I help you?
Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
Quite ill.
I'm feeling quite ill today. I don't think I can go to work.
Coming down.
You have a runny nose. Are you coming down with the flu?
Was hoping.
We were hoping to meet with you after lunch.
Quite ill.
I'm feeling quite ill today. I don't think I can go to work.
Coming down.
You have a runny nose. Are you coming down with the flu?