Learning Vocabulary: Get on your bike!

Learning Vocabulary: Get on your bike
Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan: My name’s Rowan

Rich: and I’m Rich 

Rowan: And welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack: In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan: Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Jack: In this week’s roleplay Rich decides to ride his bike to work but not everything goes according to plan.

Rowan: This week we’re using our roleplay to focus on vocabulary.

Rich: We’ll look at the words we use to describe the different parts of a bike.

Jack: And we’ll look at phrases connected to fitness and phrases connected to the environment. Getting on our bike is good for both of these.

Rowan: Your task this week is to tell us why we should all get on our bikes.

Jack: If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Rowan: On the Premier Skills English website you’ll also find the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and the task for you to complete.

Rich: You’ll also find a community of friendly listeners to interact with, in our comments section.

Jack: And that includes us - we’re always around to answer questions and join in the discussions.

Rowan: But if you listen on Apple Podcasts you can always write answers to our questions or any other comments in the review section.

Rich: Before we do the roleplay let’s look back at last week’s football phrase.

Last week’s Football Phrase 

Jack: If you didn’t hear our football phrase last week we’re going to give you one more chance to guess now. 

Rich: If you’re not sure what the football phrase is we’ll give you the correct answer at the end of the show when we give you a new football phrase. 

Rowan: It was a difficult phrase last week. Some of you had multiple guesses. If you don’t get it right the first time, don’t give up, it’s always good to try again and again.

Jack: Let’s hear last week’s phrase again:

Rich: Last week’s football phrase was ** **** ** *** ***** ****'* ****. This phrase is used when one team has nearly all the possession and all the territorial advantage. The game is almost entirely played in one half of the pitch. The keyword is what you do when you go on holiday with a tent. Manchester City were ****** ** *** Aston Villa **** for the whole match. 

Jack: Jhon Baron Oliveros from Colombia was the first to get it right la t week. Well done Jhon! It’s the first time you were first. 

Rowan: Not many got it right last week but some of you did. Daniel_Baron1503 from Colombia was one of them. Is Jhon your brother, Daniel? 

Rich: Alex from Vietnam got it right at the second attempt, Alex from Ukraine needed three attempts and MoBeckham was fifth time lucky. Well done to all of you!

Rowan: And a big well done to Vic from Mexico. Last week’s task was to tell us about a journey in your city you often make. Vic told us all about his journey to work in Mexico City.

Jack: He tells us about how streets in Mexico City are much emptier than usual at the moment and this is a good thing.

Rich: FJChaves from Brazil told us his journey to work involves listening to podcasts on the bus. If you’re listening to the Premier Skills English podcast you should turn the volume up and let everyone listen.

Rowan: It was great to have some listeners commenting for the first time, too, so a big hello to Ousman Abakar Hamid from Chad and Ahmet Hakan from Turkey.

Jack: Last week’s podcast was called Understanding Grammar: Adverbs and it was great to see you using so many adverbs correctly in the comments section. 

Rich: If you haven’t completed the lesson yet you can find it on the Premier Skills English website in the podcast section. From the homepage go to skills>listen>podcasts.

Introduction to Roleplay

Rowan: As we said earlier, in this week’s roleplay, the topic is bikes and cycling.

Jack: Rowan rides to work every morning and Rich has been inspired and decides to do the same but as you’ll find out, it’s not as easy as it first appears.

Rich: You’re going to listen to three different roleplays that are played out on three mornings in front of the office block where the three of us work.

Rowan: Before each roleplay, we’ve got a question for you to answer while you listen.

Jack: Here’s your first question: Who seems to be the fittest out of the three of us?

Roleplay 1 - On your bike

Rowan: Day one - Monday

Jack: It was a nightmare parking this morning.  

Rich: Morning to you, too.

Jack: Sorry, yes, morning.

Rich: You should really get the bus. You don’t need to use your car every day.

Jack: Yeah, I know but … 

Rich: Here comes Rowan on her bike. Maybe I could do that - do some exercise and get fit.

Rowan: (beep, beep) 25 minutes and 32 seconds. A new record!

Jack: A new record?

Rowan: Morning you lazy layabouts! Yeah, on the bike - it’s the first time I’ve done home to work in less than half an hour. I take it easy most days but on Mondays I really push myself. You know, start the week with a bang. The bike helps me keep fit and stay in shape. How was the bus?

Rich: I had to stand up. It was packed.

Rowan: Tough workout! Holding on to that handrail for half an hour. And Jack? In your car again? All that braking and changing gears.

Jack: Yeah, yeah. We can’t all be fitness fanatics, but I have been thinking of getting my bike out of the garage. I’ve been putting on a bit of weight recently. I am a bit out of shape.

Rich: Recently? When was the last time you used that? I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a kid’s BMX.

Jack: When was the last time you were on a bike Mr tour de France?

Rowan: Leave it out you two. I think it’s a great idea. You’ll be as fit as a fiddle in no time if you start cycling to work.

Rich: Well, I’m going to get my mountain bike out. Rowan has inspired me. I’m going to cycle to work.

Jack: When?

Rich: Tomorrow!

Rowan: Remember to pace yourself, you don’t want to wear yourself out on the first day. What about you, Jack?

Jack: Maybe the day after tomorrow?

Language Focus 1 - Fitness

Rich: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was:

Rowan:  Who seems to be the fittest out of the three of us?

Jack: Well, the answer, without a doubt, is Rowan. She cycles to work every morning while I drive and Rich gets the bus.

Rich: But, I’ve decided that I’m going to get on my bike to work because I want to get fit.

Rowan: Get fit means to become healthier and be able to exercise more easily.

Jack: We used quite a few phrases connected to exercise and getting fit in that roleplay. Let’s look at a few more.

Rich: Let’s start with the easier phrases and get more difficult as we go along. Let’s start with the word exercise.

Rowan: Exercise can be a noun or a verb and is the physical activity we do to stay healthy. 

Jack: I exercise every morning before breakfast.

Rich: I do exercise every morning.

Rowan: The most common verb-noun collocation is do exercise not have exercise or make exercise.

Jack: We’ve already mentioned getting fit or to get fit. Rich wants to get fit. In the roleplay, Rowan says she cycles to keep fit.

Rich: To keep fit means to stay or remain fit. She is already fit so she uses her bike to keep fit. I’m not fit but I want to become fit - I want to get fit.

Rowan: We used a couple of phrases with the word shape which are used to describe the shape or form of our bodies or our fitness levels more generally. I said the bike helps me stay in shape. This is similar in meaning to keep fit.

Jack: I said I was a bit out of shape. When we are out of shape we are unfit and not in a physically strong or healthy condition.

Rich: We mentioned the phrase putting on weight. To put on weight means to become fatter and heavier - to increase. We all put on and lose weight at different points of our lives.

Rowan: I used the phrase tough workout in the roleplay. A workout is some time when you do some physical exercise. You might do a half an hour workout in the gym every afternoon.

Jack: Tough means difficult or hard so a tough workout is an extra difficult period of physical activity.

Rich: Although Rowan was being sarcastic when she described my bus journey as a tough workout!

Rowan: Let’s look at a couple of more difficult phrases. I said that I really push myself on Mondays.

Jack: To push yourself means to challenge yourself and to work hard. We often talk about people pushing themselves to the limits which means working as hard as they possibly can.

Rich: Rowan is fit so she can push herself but I should probably take it easy on my first bike ride.

Rowan: To take something easy means to relax and not to push yourself too hard. It would be a good idea for Rich to take it easy at first. I also said that he should pace himself.

Jack: To pace yourself means to find the right speed so you can be sure that you will have enough energy to get to the end.

Rich: Rowan said I need to do this so I don’t wear myself out. To wear yourself out is a phrasal verb that means to become tired through doing something too much.

Rowan: Our final phrase is an idiom - fit as a fiddle. I said Rich would be as fit as a fiddle in no time if he starts cycling to work.

Jack: To be fit as a fiddle means to be in great physical condition.

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Rowan: You’re about to listen to a second roleplay. Rich is cycling to work. 

Jack: While you’re listening we want you to answer a question. The question is: What problem does Rich’s bike have?

Roleplay 2 - Day 2 - Bike Problems

Rich: Day two.

Rowan: Morning, Jack.

Jack: You beat me to work this morning.

Rowan: No sign of Rich yet?

Jack: No, he’s probably trying to get his bike onto a bus somewhere or the chain fell off thirty seconds after leaving his house.

Rowan: At least he’s giving it a go, Jack. You should get out of that gas-guzzler of yours and cycle to work, too.

Jack: Look at that hill over there. I wouldn’t get up that in first gear and I’d get all hot and sweaty before work. No thanks.

Jack: It’s Rich. I bet he’s got a puncture and forgotten his pump. Rich. What’s up?

Rich: I’m going to be a bit late.

Jack: (He’s going to be late.) What’s happened, mate?

Rich: I’ve fallen off.

Jack: You’ve fallen off. You’ve fallen off your bike. Are you all right?

Rich: Yeah, I think so. I’m a bit shook up. I was riding down Main Street and the wheel fell off.

Jack: The wheel fell off? 

Rich: Yeah. I tried putting the brakes on and went right over the handlebars.

Jack: Are you sure you’re all right?

Rich: Yeah, I’m glad I had my helmet on. I landed with a bit of a bump.

Jack: I’ll come and pick you up in my gas-guzzler.

Rich: That’d be great.

Jack: I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Rowan: Is he all right?

Jack: I’m sure he’ll be fine. Have you got a puncture repair kit?

Language Focus 2 - Bikes

Rich: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was:

Rowan: What problem does Rich’s bike have?

Jack: Well, he had an accident because a wheel fell off his bike. Was it the front wheel or the back wheel, Rich?

Rich: It was the front wheel. I really should have checked my bike was in good condition before I set off.
Rowan: Yes, that would have been a good idea. Let’s look at some language. We’re quickly going to look at some words about bikes.

Jack: Rich doesn’t seem to know that much about bicycles so let’s test him.

Rowan: While you wait for Rich’s answer see if you can guess first. All of the answers were in the roleplay.

Jack: Here we go. Number one: You use these to stop.

Rich: Feet … no, er … brakes.

Rowan: Number two: You wear this on your head.

Rich: OK, I know this because I had one on. A helmet.

Jack: Number three: You might get this if you ride over some glass or something very sharp while on your bike.

Rich: Yes, of course, a hole. A hole in the tyre and all the air comes out. A puncture. It’s called a puncture.

Rowan: Number four: Bits of metal that are attached to each other and it goes round and round when you move the pedals. 

Rich: That’s more difficult … the wheels … no .. it comes off if it’s loose. The chain. The bicycle chain.

Jack: Number five: You need this if there isn’t enough air in your tyres. You should have it attached to your bike.

Rich: Yes, I’ve got one of these. It’s a pump.

Rowan: Number six: You hold onto these when you’re riding a bike. You went flying over them when you crashed your bike in the roleplay.

Rich: Yes, thanks for reminding me. I went flying over the handlebars.

Jack: Number seven: Your bike might have 21 or 24 of these. A car usually has five.

Rich: Yes, these are called gears. You need first gear when you go up very steep hills.

Rowan: Ok, the last one, number eight: A bike has two of these. You lost one on your way to work.

Rich: Yes, very funny. The answer is wheels.

Jack: Actually, Rich you knew more bicycle vocabulary than I realised.

Rowan: If you want to check your understanding of this vocabulary we have an activity for you to do on the lesson page for this podcast on the Premier Skills English website.

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Rowan: You’re about to listen to the third roleplay. Rich has decided to carry on cycling to work despite his accident. 

Jack: While you’re listening we want you to answer a question. The question is: Why has Rich chosen this bicycle?

Roleplay 3 - Day 3 - The solution

Rich: Day three.

Jack: Not so quick this morning, Rowan.

Rowan: It’s not all about speed, Jack. I’ve been working on my strength. I thought I’d take on that hill you pointed out yesterday.

Jack: And?

Rowan: Didn’t even need to go into third gear. Hardly broke a sweat.

Jack: Well, you are on the bike every day, aren’t you?

Rowan: How’s Rich?

Jack: He’s fine. He says he’s going to give it another go today.

Rowan: That’s the spirit - you can’t give up on these things.

Jack: Look! Here he is now.

Rowan: He looks good. He’s not pedalling much.

Jack: But, he’s going pretty quickly.

Rich: Morning guys.

Jack: What’s this then? It’s definitely not the bits of bike I dropped off at your house last night.

Rich: Nope. It’s my new bike. What do you think?

Rowan: Is it an e-bike?

Jack: An e-bike??

Rowan: An electric bike. It looks really good. How is it to ride?

Rich: It’s brilliant. 

Jack: Isn’t that cheating? I thought you wanted to get fit.

Rich: You do still have to peddle although not as much but I’ll use it loads more, especially to get to work. 

Rowan: They’re much better for the environment. More environmentally friendly. Much greener than that.

Jack: Than what?

Rowan: Than that gas-guzzler over there. No pollution and no emissions. Energy-efficient!

Rich: And cheaper, too. And definitely easier to park.

Jack: Easier to park you say … so where did you get this e-bike then, how many gears has it got, how fast can it go?

Language Focus 2 - Environment

Rich: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was:

Jack: Why has Rich chosen this bicycle?

Rowan: Well, Rich now has an electric bike and i mentioned how good they are for the environment but I have a suspicion that he bought it because it’s easier to ride than a normal bike.

Rich: That’s not true. Well, it may have been a consideration.

Jack: In this final language section we want to have a look at a few words and phrases connected to the environment.

Rowan: The first is environmentally-friendly. We describe something as environmentally-friendly if it’s not harmful to our environment and the world around us.

Rich: Some similar phrases we used are it’s much better for the environment and it’s greener.

Jack: We also described electric bikes as being energy efficient. 

Rowan: We describe something as energy-efficient if it doesn’t use very much electricity or oil or gas or it uses less energy than what is traditionally used for the same thing.

Rich: Electric bikes are much more energy-efficient than motorbikes or cars - especially gas-guzzlers like Jack’s.

Jack: A gas-guzzler is a big car that uses lots of diesel or petrol. I don’t really have one of these!

Rowan: These days homes are often more energy-efficient because they have better windows and insulation from cold weather.

Rich: If you want to learn more about the language we’ve used in this podcast we have more exercises on the lesson page on the Premier Skills English website.

TASK

Rich: In this week’s task, we want you to tell us why riding a bike is such a good idea and when you usually ride a bike.

Rowan: We want you to think of three topics: health and fitness, cost and the environment.

Jack: Can you tell us why it’s good to get on our bikes?

Rich: Also tell us when you use your bikes and where you go by bike and whether you think you might use your bike more in the future?

Rowan: And if you don’t have a bike or don’t use it much tell us why not.

Jack: Write all your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website or Apple Podcasts if that’s where you listen to us.

Football Phrase

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us, Jack?

Jack: I have. This week’s football phrase is **** ********. This phrase describes a player, usually in a defensive position, who is looking at the ball and not looking at the opponent they are supposed to be marking. The defender was caught **** ********* at a corner which allowed the unmarked striker to head the ball into the net.

Rowan: I think a few people should get that one.If you are still wondering what the answer was to last week’s really difficult football phrase it was to camp in another team’s half.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s show. 

Jack: If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at premierskills@britishcouncil.org

Rowan: or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page or Twitter feed

Rich: or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football!