Episode 0032
Summary
The audio features a customer opening a bank account. The customer inquires about account types, opting for a checking account, and then proceeds to complete the necessary paperwork. The interaction concludes with the customer humorously stating a desire to deposit one billion dollars, followed by laughter.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Next please. May I help you, sir?
Hello, yes, I'd like to open a bank account.
Certainly. I can help you with that. What type of account would you like to open? A checking or a saving account?
What features do they offer?
Well, if you just take a look here, see. With our checking account, you can have unlimited daily transactions for a small monthly fee. And our savings account has a higher interest rate, but you must carry a minimum balance of $10,000.
I see. Well, I think I'm more interested in a checking account. I'd like to have easy access to my money.
All right then, with this checking account you'll be issued a debit card and a checkbook. Will you require overdraft protection? There is an extra fee for that.
No, that won't be necessary.
In that case, I'll get you to fill out this paperwork. I'll need your social insurance number and two pieces of government ID.
If you could just sign here and here and here, we'll be all set.
Would you like to make a deposit today?
Yes, I'd like to deposit one billion dollars! (Laughter) One billion dollars! (Laughter)
Summary
This audio features an EnglishPod lesson on banking, hosted by Marco and Erica. It covers essential vocabulary such as 'checking account' versus 'savings account', 'transaction', 'balance', 'overdraft', and 'debit card', using a simulated dialogue where a customer opens a bank account. The lesson also includes a 'fluency builder' segment that teaches polite ways to make requests, drawing examples from the dialogue. It concludes with a discussion on the cultural differences in banking practices, specifically the use of checks, and invites listeners to interact on their website.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello English learners, welcome back to another great lesson with English Pod. My name is Marco.
And I'm Erica.
And today we're bringing you another great lesson about being at the bank.
That's right. We've got an intermediate lesson for you today, um, with lots of great language to help you open a bank account.
Okay, so let's look at our vocabulary preview today.
Vocabulary preview.
Two words today.
The first one is checking account.
A checking account. Checking account.
So, what is a checking account?
Well, it's a type of bank account that lets you do your day-to-day or daily banking.
So it's the normal bank account that you use to go shopping, that you use to pay your bills.
Yep, exactly.
The opposite and our second word is
Savings account.
A savings account.
Savings account.
So a savings account is to...
It's a bank account where you save your money.
To save money, right? So usually you don't touch the money in this account.
Yeah, usually it stays in there.
Right, so usually banks will have these two types of accounts.
Yes.
Checking and savings.
Uh-huh.
Okay, great. Let's listen to our dialogue a first time now.
Right, well today we're at a bank and we're going to listen as a man is opening a bank account.
The dialogue is going to be spoken at a normal speed, so it might be a little bit fast.
Yeah.
But don't worry about it because we'll come back and explain everything.
Next, please. May I help you, sir?
Hello, yes. I'd like to open a bank account.
Certainly. I can help you with that. What type of account would you like to open? A checking or a saving account?
What features do they offer?
Well, if you just take a look here, see, with our checking account, you can have unlimited daily transactions for a small monthly fee. And our savings account has a higher interest rate, but you must carry a minimum balance of $10,000.
I see. Well, I think I'm more interested in a checking account. I'd like to have easy access to my money.
All right then. With this checking account, you'll be issued a debit card and a checkbook. Will you require overdraft protection? There is an extra fee for that.
No, that won't be necessary.
In that case, I'll get you to fill out this paperwork. I'll need your social insurance number and two pieces of government ID.
If you could just sign here and here and here, we'll be all set.
Would you like to make a deposit today?
Yes, I'd like to deposit one billion dollars!
One billion dollars!
All right, one billion dollars.
That's a lot of money.
That's a weird laugh.
Yeah.
Okay, let's look at language takeaway today.
Language takeaway.
Today we've got four words for you in language takeaway all about money and banking.
Money and banking.
The first one that we have today is transaction.
Transaction.
Transaction. A transaction.
So we have some great examples that will help you understand what a transaction is, so let's listen.
Example one.
I need a record of my most recent bank transactions.
Example two.
There is no fee for bank transactions done online.
Example three.
Okay, we've deposited your money. Would you like to make another transaction today?
So basically I can understand that a transaction is moving money around in your bank account.
Right, it's taking your money from, right, it's taking money from your bank account and putting it in another account or just taking it to spend, whatever.
Yes.
That's a transaction.
Or even putting money into your bank account.
That's also a transaction.
Great. Our second word.
Balance.
Balance.
Balance.
Balance.
Your account balance is how much money you have.
Exactly.
Right? An account balance.
My account balance is $2 right now, I think.
Oh, that's a bit of a problem.
Yes.
Good thing payday is three days away.
Yeah, oh my God.
Okay.
Our third word, overdraft.
Overdraft.
Overdraft.
Overdraft.
So this really comes in handy, right?
Uh-huh.
To overdraft, can you tell us a little bit about it?
Let's say in my bank account I have $500.
But I spend $600.
Right.
So I have an overdraft in my account, meaning I owe the bank $100.
Right, it's also commonly referred to as a negative balance.
That's right.
Right, negative balance.
Like me, very soon I will have a negative balance.
Okay, I think this one is a little bit tricky to understand. So let's listen to a couple of examples of how we use this word.
Example one.
The maximum overdraft on my account is only $5,000.
Example two.
I'm sorry, sir, but you've exceeded your maximum overdraft limit. I cannot give you any more money.
Example three.
Oh no, I have to pay $1,500 in overdraft fees.
Okay, great examples. Now we can take a look at our last word.
Debit card.
Debit card.
Debit card.
D E B I T card, debit card.
So a debit card is issued by the bank.
Yes.
And used to...
Take money out of a ATM.
From an ATM machine, right? Right, a debit card.
Not to be confused with a credit card.
Not the same thing.
Uh-huh.
Okay, great. So now we could listen to our dialogue a second time at a slower speed, so now we can...
We can hear all of the great language you just talked about.
Next, please. May I help you, sir?
Hello, yes. I'd like to open a bank account.
Certainly, I can help you with that. What type of account would you like to open, a checking or a savings account?
What features do they offer?
Well, if you just look here, see, with our checking account, you can have unlimited daily transactions for a small monthly fee. And our savings account has a higher interest rate, but you must carry a minimum balance of $10,000.
I see. Well, I think I'm more interested in a checking account. I'd like to have easy access to my money.
All right then. With this checking account, you'll be issued with a debit card and a checkbook. Will you require overdraft protection? There is an extra fee for that.
No, that won't be necessary.
In that case, I'll get you to fill out this paperwork. I'll need your social insurance number and two pieces of government ID.
If you could just sign here and here and here, we'll be all set.
Would you like to make a deposit today?
Yes, I'd like to deposit one billion dollars!
We heard some interesting phrases of how to tell somebody to do something in a polite way.
Yes.
So let's start with fluency builder and explain these words.
Fluency builder.
The bank teller asked this man to do a number of things in order to open his bank account and she used some great expressions.
Right, let's listen to how she asked the man to do some things in a polite way.
Yes.
I'll get you to fill out this paperwork.
I'll get you to fill out this paperwork.
I'll need your social insurance number.
I'll need your social insurance number.
If you could just sign here.
If you could just sign here.
So the first thing she said is, I'll get you to fill out this paperwork.
I'll get you to...
Right, right. I'll get you to...
So it's just a way of saying, can you please fill this out?
Yeah, do this.
Do this, but in a different way, right?
More polite.
It's pretty polite.
Then she also said, I'll need your social insurance number.
I'll need your.
I'll need your.
Again, a polite way of saying,
Give me your social insurance number.
Give me your social insurance.
Yeah. And the last thing she said, and this is really polite.
If you could just sign here.
Yes.
If you could just sign here.
If you could just.
If you could just wait a moment. I'll be with you.
If you could just send me an email with your bank account number.
Right.
Very polite way of asking for something.
Yep.
Well, it's some great language in today's cast. Let's listen to the dialogue one last time and we'll catch all of this wonderful language.
Next, please. May I help you, sir?
Hello, yes. I'd like to open a bank account.
Certainly. I can help you with that. What type of account would you like to open? A checking or a saving account?
What features do they offer?
Well, if you just take a look here, see, with our checking account, you can have unlimited daily transactions for a small monthly fee. And our savings account has a higher interest rate, but you must carry a minimum balance of $10,000.
I see. Well, I think I'm more interested in a checking account. I'd like to have easy access to my money.
All right then. With this checking account, you'll be issued a debit card and a checkbook. Will you require overdraft protection? There is an extra fee for that.
No, that won't be necessary.
In that case, I'll get you to fill out this paperwork. I'll need your social insurance number and two pieces of government ID.
If you could just sign here and here and here, we'll be all set.
Would you like to make a deposit today?
Yes, I'd like to deposit one billion dollars!
One billion dollars!
Okay, so an interesting thing here, not many countries use checks.
That's right.
Right? The checkbook or a check.
Yeah, it tends to be more of an American thing, don't you think?
It is, it is. I think it is.
For those of you who aren't sure what a check is, it's basically a piece of paper that you just sign your name and...
Yeah, you write the amount of money and then you sign your name, right?
Right, and then you give that to the person, that that person can take it to the bank and get money in exchange for it.
It's not very common in other countries.
No, but from what I know, every single American has a checkbook and uses it.
Right.
Pretty regularly.
Yeah, yeah. For example, you pay your uh, phone bill or your electric bill, you just put a check in the mailbox and it's paid.
And it's done.
It's an interesting thing. Also sometimes in other countries, people's salaries are paid through checks.
Yes.
Paycheck.
Oh yes. I see where that word comes from.
Paycheck.
Uh-huh.
But for example, here in China it's not very common, right? I've never seen a check here.
Me neither.
What about in your countries? We'd like to know how the banking system works.
Yes, come to our website at Englishpod.com and tell us all about it.
Yes, and you can also leave your questions and comments on our website and we'll be there to answer it.
Yeah, Marco and I love answering your questions, so please visit us.
Right, but until then, it's goodbye.
Bye.
Summary
The audio is a vocabulary review exercise from EnglishPod, presenting banking-related terms and common phrases. It starts with an introduction and instructions, then dictates words like 'feature', 'checking account', 'transaction', 'savings account', 'balance', 'access', 'debit card', 'overdraft', 'deposit', 'credit card', 'online banking', 'telephone banking', 'checkbook', 'terms and conditions', 'high interest account', and 'teller'. The words are first spoken at a normal pace, then repeated at a faster pace, and finally, some words and phrases are repeated multiple times for practice.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
The English Pod audio review.
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
Feature.
Checking account.
Transaction.
Savings account.
Balance.
Access.
Debit card.
Overdraft.
I'll get you.
I'll need your.
If you could just.
Deposit.
Credit card.
Online banking.
Telephone banking.
Checkbook.
Terms and conditions.
High interest account.
Teller.
Let's try that faster.
Telephone banking.
High interest account.
Checking account.
Checkbook.
Online banking.
I'll need your.
Debit card.
Credit card.
Deposit.
Feature.
If you could just.
Overdraft.
Teller.
Terms and conditions.
Transaction.
I'll get you.
Savings account.
Access.
Balance.
Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
Feature.
Feature.
Feature.
Transaction.
Transaction.
Transaction.
Access.
Access.
Access.
Overdraft.
Overdraft.
Overdraft.
Balance.
Balance.
Balance.
If you could just.
If you could just.
If you could just.