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English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages GLOSSARY -something – approximately; an informal suffix place on words to indicate vagueness or uncertainly, especially when talking about ages * William has accomplished a lot in his career, especially for a forty-something toddler – a young child who has recently learned how to walk, usually 1-3 years old * It’s hard to keep an eye on toddlers because they like to run around infant – a baby who is not walking yet, especially less than one year old *Alan fell in love the moment the nurse placed the infant in his arms senior – an old person, especially someone who is retired * Many restaurants have special menus items at lower prices for seniors mid- – in the middle of something, not the biggest or smallest, not the greatest or least, but somewhere in between * They want to buy a mid-sized sedan late- – toward the end of a range, especially when talking about dates or ages; in the latter end of a range * Computer technology developed rapidly in the late 1990s spry – with a lot of energy; lively and active, moving around * I wish the animals at the zoo were a little more spry, but most of the ones we saw were just sleeping middle-aged – in the middle of an average lifespan, usually 45-64 years old, not young or old * Middle-aged managers sometimes struggle to communicate clearly with younger employees tween – a person who is between childhood and adolescence, usually 9-12 years old, especially when referring to girls * The new fashions for tweens try to make them look older than they really are teenage – related to a teenager, a person who is 13-19 years old * The middle school teachers are complaining that their teenage students are more interested in each other than in their studies These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages handful – a lot of work; something that is difficult and challenging * When Hannah walked into the grocery store with her three young children, she heard someone say, “Shopping with them must be a handful!” early- – toward the beginning of a range, especially when talking about dates or ages * What has been the most important invention in the early-21st century? -ish – approximately; an informal suffix place on words to indicate vagueness or uncertainty; somewhat * That was an insightful-ish comment for someone her age to size up – to assess and evaluate someone or something, especially just by looking at the person or thing and especially when comparing or rating against others * Pete spent the first few minutes of the negotiations sizing up the other people before he chose his approach young adult – a person who is no longer a teenager, but not yet middle-aged, approximately 18-30 years old * It is so important for young adults to travel and explore the world before they settle down and get married sightseeing – the act of visiting sites in a particular area as a tourist, exploring them briefly and learning basic information about them * Anyone who goes sightseeing in New York City has to visit the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS a) b) c) Which group of people is the youngest? Toddlers Teens Tweens a) b) c) What does Gloria mean when she says, “They’ll be a handful”? The parents won’t be able to hold all the children’s hands at once The children are going to create a lot of work for others The children will want to touch everything all the time WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN? -late The suffix “-late,” in this podcast, means toward the end of a range, especially when talking about dates or ages: “Yolanda bought her first car in the late-80s.” A “late bloomer” is a person who develops more slowly than others, especially physically: “James was a late bloomer and didn’t begin dating until he graduated college.” The phrase “late-breaking” describes a news story that is changing rapidly and has information that became available immediately before a newspaper was printed or immediately before a story was recorded: “We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring you this late-breaking news.” Finally, the phrase “late-night” describes something that happens late at night: “We’re going to see the late-night showing of the new movie.” to size up In this podcast, the phrase “to size up” means to assess and evaluate someone or something, especially just by looking at the person or thing and especially when comparing or rating against others: “We went to watch the team play, just so we could size up their players before our match against them.” Something that is “pint-sized” is very small, especially for children: “Oh, look, this dollhouse comes with a pint-sized piano.” Or, “Look at those pint-sized six-year-old soccer players coming on to the field.” Finally, something that is “bite-sized” can be placed in one’s mouth without cutting or biting it: “Please cut the carrots and peppers into bite-sized pieces.” These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages CULTURE NOTE Ageism and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act “Ageism” or “age discrimination” is the act of treating people unfairly because of their age, especially because one believes they are too old to something well Children and teenagers “face” (confront; must deal with) ageism when their “ideas are not taken seriously” (others not respect their ideas) Seniors face ageism when they have trouble finding a job because employers prefer to “hire” (offer a job to) younger people In 1967, the United States “enacted” (made into law) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which “prohibits” (does not allow) age discrimination against anyone who is at least 40 years old Specifically, employers cannot state age preferences or restrictions in “help-wanted ads” (advertisements announcing a job opening) Employers also cannot use age as a “factor” (something that helps to determine something else) in hiring, “compensation” (how much is one is paid), or “termination” (firing) decisions Since 1986, the law has also restricted “mandatory retirement” (the practice of forcing people to retire when they reach a certain age) However, exceptions are made if age can be shown to be a “bona fide” (made in good faith, without intent to mislead or trick someone) “occupational qualification” (something needed to be able to perform a job well) For example, age would be a bona fide occupational qualification when hiring an actor to “portray” (show; act as) a young character In most other cases, however, age itself is not the restricting factor, but rather it is mental “acuity” (sharpness of thought) or physical “agility” (gracefulness; ability to move quickly) Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: – a; – b These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 898 – People of Different Ages This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 898 I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California Our website is ESLPod.com Become a member by going to our website and signing up This episode is a dialog between Gloria and Andy describing different ages Let’s get started [start of dialog] Gloria: I’m surprised at the variety of people on this tour Andy: Oh, yeah? I hadn’t noticed Gloria: Well, we’ll be spending the next two weeks with these people so I thought I’d get to know some of them Andy: That’s nice Gloria: Did you see that thirty-something couple with a toddler and an infant? I’m really surprised they’re on this tour Andy: I’m sure they know what they’re doing Gloria: And how about that group of seniors? Some of them look like they’re in the mid- to late-seventies Andy: They seem pretty spry to me Gloria: But what really surprises me is that group of middle-aged couples with their tween and teenage children They’ll be a handful Andy: They seemed pretty well behaved to me Gloria: And did you notice that woman in her early-forties and the forty-ish man each traveling alone? She seemed nice, but he didn’t seem too friendly These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages Andy: Maybe he’s using his time to size up everybody like you are Gloria: Well, I wish there were more young adults in this group I like talking to young people Andy: I think there will be plenty of people for you to talk to these two weeks when you’re not sightseeing Gloria: Sightseeing? Oh yeah, sightseeing [end of dialog] Gloria says, “I'm surprised at the variety of people on this tour.” “Variety” just means many different kinds of people Andy says, “Oh yeah? I hadn't noticed.” I didn't realize Gloria said, “Well, we’ll be spending the next two weeks with these people so I thought I'd get to know some of them.” Gloria and Andy are on some sort of tour, probably of a different city or a different state, maybe even a different country They're getting to know the people who are in the same tour group Gloria says she is getting to know them and Andy says, “That's nice.” Andy doesn't seem very interested, does he? Gloria says, “Did you see that thirty-something couple with a toddler and an infant? I'm really surprised they’re on this tour.” “Thirty-something” spelled (thirtysomething) is an expression meaning someone who's in their thirties They could be 30, 31, 32, 33 all the way up to 39 That would be a thirty-something If you are in your 20’s, you would be a twenty-something If you are in your fifties, you would be a fifty-something and so forth When you don't know someone's exact age, but you think they're in their twenties or thirties or forties, you can use this expression “Toddler” (toddler) describes a young child, usually one, two, maybe three years old, who has recently learned to walk A toddler is a young child but one who can walk An “infant” (infant) is the same as a baby This is someone who is not able to walk “Infants” have to be carried from one place to another or maybe they can crawl on their hands and knees to move themselves back and forth Gloria says she’s surprised to see the thirty-something couple with a toddler and an infant on the tour Andy says, “I'm sure they know what they're doing,” meaning the parents know what they're doing so we shouldn't worry about it I think Andy is also kind of saying to Gloria here, if I may interpret the script for you, that perhaps Gloria is too interested in these other people Gloria might be someone who we would describe as “nosy” (nosy) Someone who's nosy is always trying to find out what's going on in other people's lives, trying to find These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages things that are really not their concern, things that are, we would say, none of their business Gloria says, “And how about that group of seniors?” “Seniors” (seniors) describes an old person, especially someone who is retired, who is no longer working Gloria says, “Some of them look like they're in their mid to late seventies.” When we use the prefix mid (mid) followed by a hyphen, in front of words like sixties, seventies or twenties, thirties, forties – any age, we mean they’re in the middle of that range To say someone's in their mid-seventies means they're probably 74, 75, or 76 If you're in your mid-thirties, you're probably 34, 35, 36 You can also describe ages using the prefix “late.” He's in his late eighties That means he's probably 87, 88, or 89, and of course, you could also say early He's in his early forties He's 40, 41, 42, maybe 43 Andy says that these seniors that Gloria is talking about, “seem” or appear, “pretty” or very, “spry” to him “To be spry” (spry) means to have a lot of energy It’s often used to describe an older person who has perhaps a surprising amount of energy who’s more energetic than you may expect him to be Gloria says, “But what really surprises me” – she continues to make observations – “is that group of middle-aged couples with their tween and teenage children They'll be a handful.” “Middle-aged (middle-aged) means you are in the middle of your lifespan Usually, we think of the ages between, say, 45 and 65 maybe 70 nowadays, as being middle-aged or between 50 and 70 I have to say that because I'm not yet 50 so I don't want to consider myself middle-aged, but I probably am Anyway, middle-aged would be people who are older but not retired – people who are probably still working in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s Gloria says that she's surprised that there is a group of middle-aged couples, meaning usually husband and wife, with their tween and teenage children “Teenage,” you probably know, is someone who is between the ages of 13 and 19 years old We call that person a teenager The “teen” comes from the numbers thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and so forth A “tween” (tween) is a newer word It describes someone usually in the age bracket of nine to 12 Someone who isn't quite yet a teenager but they're not a child anymore, either They’re not a young child They're still children, of course Nine to 12 is sometimes described now, in the last maybe 20 years or so as a tween I think one of the reasons that word was invented was for advertising and marketing reasons They wanted a term that would cover children who perhaps had enough influence on their parents to make them buy things so they decided to target them They decided to advertise directly to them That's, in any case, These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages what a tween is – someone between the ages of nine and twelve It could describe a boy or a girl but it's more often used to describe girls Gloria says that that these children will be a handful When we say someone or something is a “handful,” we mean it's a lot of work It's going to be difficult It's going to be challenging Once again Andy does not agree with Gloria That's how you know they're married He says that the children seem pretty well behaved to me “Well-behaved” means that they are not acting inappropriately They're not yelling They’re not screaming They’re quiet; they’re respectful – that would be well-behaved We use that expression when talking about children or perhaps students Andy doesn't agree with Gloria but Gloria continues to go on and make her observations She says, “And did you notice that woman in her early forties and the forty-ish man, each traveling alone?” “Early forties,” we've already described “Forty-ish” with the suffix (ish) at the end means approximately This is an informal suffix that we put on words to indicate that we’re not exactly sure We’re saying it's kind of like that You may ask, for example, “Is it cold outside?” You could say, “Well it's cold–ish,” meaning it's sort of cold but it's not really cold or, “How hungry are you? Are you very hungry?” You can say, “Well I'm hungry-ish.” I'm not exactly starving, I'm not really hungry but I'm a little hungry This is very common now in conversational English - but informal English, to be sure - by adding “ish,” you are saying that you're not quite sure about something or you’re giving an approximate age in this case, when we say forty-ish Gloria says that “The woman seemed nice but the man didn't seem too friendly.” She’s describing these two people who are traveling by themselves Andy says, “Maybe he's using his time to size up everybody like you are The verb “to size (size) up” is a phrasal verb, meaning to evaluate or assess something, usually just by looking at them You size up a situation or you size up a person There's also an idea here that you're doing it rather quickly and that you're doing it by comparing them to, perhaps, other people So a boss might size up the people who are applying for a job, decide, “Well, I like that person, and that person is better than that person but not as good as this person.” That would be to size up It could also mean to look at someone and decide what you think they’re like You think that's a friendly person You think that's a mean person just by looking at them That, of course, is not a very good idea Gloria says, “Well, I wish there were more young adults in this group.” A “young adult” is a very general term to describe someone who's 18 years or older but usually younger than say, 30 Young adults tend to be 18, 19 – all the way up to 30, maybe even 35 I am no longer a young adult Gloria says, “I like talking to These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages young people.” Andy says, “I think there will be plenty of people for you to talk to these two weeks when you're not sightseeing.” “Sightseeing” is what you on a tour You go and you visit famous places – museums and parks and that sort of thing Gloria says, “Sightseeing? Oh yeah, sightseeing.” She's forgotten that, of course, the main reason you go on a tour is not to meet the other people in the tour but to see the places that you are going to visit Now let’s listen to the dialog, this time at a normal speed [start of dialog] Gloria: I’m surprised at the variety of people on this tour Andy: Oh, yeah? I hadn’t noticed Gloria: Well, we’ll be spending the next two weeks with these people so I thought I’d get to know some of them Andy: That’s nice Gloria: Did you see that thirty-something couple with a toddler and an infant? I’m really surprised they’re on this tour Andy: I’m sure they know what they’re doing Gloria: And how about that group of seniors? Some of them look like they’re in the mid- to late-seventies Andy: They seem pretty spry to me Gloria: But what really surprises me is that group of middle-aged couples with their tween and teenage children They’ll be a handful Andy: They seemed pretty well behaved to me Gloria: And did you notice that woman in her early-forties and the forty-ish man each traveling alone? She seemed nice, but he didn’t seem too friendly Andy: Maybe he’s using his time to size up everybody like you are Gloria: Well, I wish there were more young adults in this group I like talking to young people These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages Andy: I think there will be plenty of people for you to talk to these two weeks when you’re not sightseeing Gloria: Sightseeing? Oh yeah, sightseeing [end of dialog] How old is our scriptwriter? Dr Lucy Tse? Well, she's not a toddler and she's not an infant, but she is a wonderful scriptwriter and that's all I can tell you From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan Thank you for listening Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Tse, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational Development 10 These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013) Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited ... prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS a) b) c) Which group of people is the youngest? Toddlers Teens... Posting of these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages young people. ”... is prohibited English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 898 – People of Different Ages Andy: I think there will be plenty of people for you to talk to these two weeks when