Episode 0313

Hello everyone and welcome to English Pod. My name is Marco.

My name is Catherine and as you know, we've had a series going about small talk in English, so today's lesson is a part of that series.

That's right, today we're going to listen to two friends, two girlfriends meeting and they haven't seen each other for a long time, so we're just going to see how they quickly have a small conversation.

Hey Michelle, is that you?

Thanks a lot. So, how are things with you, Michelle?

Well, same old, same old, you know. Nothing much has changed here.

Are you still seeing Chris?

Alright, we're back so now let's take a look at some of the language on language takeaway.

So the first word we have here today, Marco, is the word promotion.

Grace says, well, you see, I got a promotion, so I moved to the new Pudong office.

That's right. So she got a promotion and a promotion is work related, you that means that you got a better position.

That's right, but you didn't change companies. So, in your company, you had a job, and you did well in that job, and so your boss gave you a better job in the company. That's a promotion.

That's right.

Okay, so she got a promotion, that's when they were talking about work. And now they started talking about their personal life and uh Grace asked if Michelle is still seeing Chris.

Okay, so the verb here is to see someone, to be seeing someone. Uh, we're not actually talking about eyes and looking, we're talking about dating.

That's right. So if you're seeing Chris, it means you are dating Chris.

Okay. So that that's an interesting way of uh describing a relationship. So you say, yeah, I'm sorry, uh, I'm seeing someone.

I can't date you, I'm seeing someone else. Or you could ask someone, are you seeing anyone right now?

Mhm, that means are you dating anyone? Do you have a boyfriend basically?

Mhm. Okay. And uh sadly, no, they are not together anymore. She says, actually, we split up last month.

Alright, so this is another relationship term. To split up means to break up or to stop dating.

To stop seeing each other.

Mhm. So, there are two ways of saying it as you said, to split up or to break up.

That's right. So, unfortunately, they split up or, unfortunately, they broke up, they are no longer seeing each other.

That's right. Okay.

But she said she had some good news because she met a really cute guy at a networking party.

What is networking?

Alright, so networking is something that you do especially in the business world. Uh, you go to events, parties, happy hours, and you meet people. You meet strangers and you talk about uh, work and you try to meet as many people as you can.

Okay, so it's not really a social party to actually just go and meet random people. You're trying to meet people that will be uh, interesting for your business or uh, maybe to get some other ideas. It's for a business purpose.

That's right. So perhaps in your town, you own a small business, um, and your town has decided to have a Chamber of Commerce networking party. So you can meet other small business owners.

Okay, very good.

So, that's what we have for language takeaway. Let's go back and listen to our dialogue for the second time.

Hey Michelle, is that you?

Thanks a lot. So, how are things with you, Michelle?

Well, same old, same old, you know. Nothing much has changed here.

Are you still seeing Chris?

Alright, so now let's talk about these small, quick, but very useful phrases for small talk on Fluency Builder.

So this first phrase is a phrase that you'll hear a lot, uh, when people greet each other, but perhaps friends who haven't seen each other in a very long time. We use this phrase, uh, long time no see.

That's right. Now, you look at it and it may seem like it's incorrect, right? Because uh, you're missing something.

That's right. Long time no see. Who no see? What? What long time?

That's right. Um, but this actually means, I haven't seen you in a long time.

That's right. So the phrase is, long time no see. Hey uh Michelle, long time no see. How are you? Uh, that's the way that you use it. But just take it as a phrase, don't try to analyze it too much.

So, hey Marco, long time no see!

That's right. Okay.

And uh, well, they're talking and she's like, well, how are you? And she says, well, you know, same old, same old.

Alright, this is another one. It doesn't look right. It looks wrong, but we do say this and twice. Same old, same old. And this means, nothing has changed. There's nothing, there's nothing really new in my life.

Right, the same old things in my life, nothing really new or exciting. Same old.

Exactly. So I could say, hey Marco, you know, how's the job going? Ah, you know, same old, same old.

Alright, so nothing has changed to his job. He has not gotten a promotion.

That's right. So, now, uh Michelle was again describing about the guy that she met at the networking party and she said, well, let's just wait and see.

It seems like an incomplete sentence because let's wait and see what?

Alright, so let's wait and see what? That's the question though. What, you know, what are we waiting to see?

Well, she's basically saying, we don't know how things will go, but we, you know, we'll have to wait for the future to come before we, we can make a decision or or figure out what's going on.

That's right.

So for example, Marco, we're at the office and I say, how is that that report coming along? Is it, you know, were the numbers good?

Uh, and I can say, yeah, the numbers seemed all right, but uh, we'll just wait and see.

Perhaps we don't have all the numbers yet, so we have to wait to get the the the rest of them.

That's right. So, you're just basically saying, I don't know what will happen in the future. Let's just uh, hope that it will be good and let's see what happens.

Let's just wait and see.

Let's just wait and see.

Alright, so let's go back and listen to our dialogue one last time.

Hey Michelle, is that you?

Thanks a lot. So, how are things with you, Michelle?

Well, same old, same old, you know. Nothing much has changed here.

Are you still seeing Chris?

Okay, so this was another part of our small talk series. As you see, very useful and quick little phrases so you can have a very brief uh conversation with maybe someone you haven't seen or a little chitchat at the office.

That's right. And these are things that if you remember them, you memorize them, you can use in almost any conversation. Also, I'm sorry to hear that or good for you. These are really great phrases that are very, very flexible.

That's right. Actually, that's a really good one. Uh, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe someone gives you a little bit of uh bad news or uh something bad happened in their life. It's very polite and a nice way of saying, hey, I I I understand. I'm sorry to hear that.

Alright, guys, we'll see you there.

Bye.

Bye.

The English pod audio review.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

A greeting phrase used after two friends have not seen each other in a while.

Long time no see.

Nothing new.

Same old, same old.

New position.

Promotion.

Meeting new people.

Networking.

Leave here.

Split.

Let's try that faster.

Nothing new.

Same old, same old.

Leave here.

Split.

Meeting new people.

Networking.

A greeting phrase used after two friends have not seen each other in a while.

Long time no see.

New position.

Promotion.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

My old uncle, long time no see.

Promotion.

After putting a consistent effort at work, he was awarded with a promotion.

Promotion.

Promotion.

He was not awarded a promotion because of his unruly behavior at the staff Christmas party.

Same old, same old.

How have you been? Same old, same old. And you?

Same old, same old.

How is the report going? Same old. I can't seem to think of anything new.

Same old, same old.

My father has been same old, same old, still doing nothing but playing poker.

Networking.

I think I'll go to that networking event tonight. Maybe I'll land a job.

Networking.

You should try networking online by using a site such as LinkedIn.

Networking.

I think the most important thing when networking is confidence and a business card.

Split.

Split.

I decided to split with my business partner to start my own venture.

Split.