Job interviews can be very scary especially if you get caught lying. Here we listen to a story of an interview that couldn’t have gone any worse. Have a listen while learning about Business English
Lesson Below
Tags: business
Dialogue
Andrews monologue about a job interview.
|
Andrew
|
Yesterday afternoon I went for that job interview. |
| It was the worst experience in my life. | |
| For some reason I put on my resume that I could speak Japanese, which is a total lie. | |
| The job had nothing to do with Japanese so I guess I thought I would just put it down to make myself look more well-rounded. | |
| I never thought that they would actually test me on it. | |
| It turns out that the guy interviewing me had lived in Tokyo for 8 years. | |
| His Japanese was great. | |
| The first thing he said to me was something in Japanese, which I obviously didn’t understand. | |
| I felt so nauseous. | |
| I had absolutely no idea what to do so I just replied in English, “hey, your Japanese is pretty good”. | |
| He said “thanks, but what about you? It says here on your resume that you speak it.” | |
| I said, “what can I say” he shook his head and said “get the hell out of here!” |
Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
"For some reason"
if you don’t know why you did something, that was usually a mistake, you can say "for some reason"
Example: I was holding my money in my left hand and the garbage in my right. For some reason I threw my money in the garbage instead of the garbage bag.
"I put on my resume that I could speak Japanese, which is a total lie."
By saying it was a total lie, you are saying that it is completely untrue. In this case you don’t speak any Japanese at all. If it was a little lie we often say that you embellished a little or you stretched the truth. Most people embellish a little on their resume. They stretch the truth to make themselves sound better.
"The first thing he said to me was something in Japanese, which I obviously didn’t understand"
Why does he say obviously?
Because the speaker already said that he didn’t understand any Japanese so it is very clear that he didn’t understand Japanese. It kind of gives the listener some respect because the speaker knows that the listener is smart enough to already know that.
The idea is that it should be clear or obvious to the listener.
One person could say, “I found a wallet with 1000 dollars in it so I obviously kept it”.
Another person could say “I found a wallet with 1000 dollars in it so I obviously tried to find the owner to give it back”
These are obviously different kinds of people.
"Well rounded"
Well rounded is a term to describe someone who is good at many things. Most employers want to see that you have more than one skill and lead a balanced life. You don’t just do only one thing. So if you are good in school, play sports, and do other hobbies you are well rounded. If you just study you aren’t very well rounded.
"Nauseous"
The feeling you get when you are almost going to throw up. Sick stomach.
“What can I say?”
It’s a question to use when you really have nothing to say. It’s a rhetorical question meaning that the other person doesn’t need to answer you. It’s almost like saying. “There is nothing for me to say”.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
There missing something about the typing error.
But very good lesson…
May 15th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I´m a mexican english teacher, and I find you absolutely fantastic, you´re a breath of fresh air, my students have made brutal progress with your lessons, can you talk about ordering in a restaurant or something like that?
June 7th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
via this lesson, i learned new words ans sentences, like (for some reason), believe me your website is major and wonderful, i hope it continues on the same path. thanks
July 11th, 2008 at 8:52 am
what does the word resume mean?
July 12th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I found this podcasts in itunes store and it’s very good, congratulations for your work. I study english here in Brazil and this website help me to improve my english.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:42 am
you two guys are so cute in telling the stories , you just have done a pretty good job here,and I really appreciate it that you speaked in a slow speed! good luck !
October 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
That’s really fun way to learning English.Yours listening lessons are very interesting.
regards
I hope to improve my English soon
January 2nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hi, guys! Your lessons are very interesting and useful for me. I’d like to wish you Happy New Year. And please answer: what does the china232 mean?
Best regards,
Natalia, Moscow
February 13th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
please make the voices louder
March 29th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Hey teachers!Can we read more slonly?I have more dificult in understand what we talk when we read!Tank you for theirs help.!
March 29th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
HI!!!! I loved yours classes,but i need that we have read more slonly…because I didn’t understand whem we do it.Please!
Thank you!Wanda
April 6th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Hey guys, you two are awesome! this website is very good and useful, but somehow I couldn’t view the end of the vocab and phrases part. When I scrolled down it just gave me a blank page. Please look into this. Thanks and keep up the good work!
April 18th, 2009 at 2:13 am
I am Chinese, I have been learning learning English since I was in junior school, my listening is just OK, but My spoken is poor. This morning I came across this wonderful website and I was absolutely fansnated by it soon. It will be of great help for my learning process. From my bottom of heart I waan say you are great!
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
thanks thanks thanks thanks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………etc
July 4th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
get the hell… haha!
August 7th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Hello,
Thank so much for your lesson about houmour, it is really interesting for me.
Have a good vacation in canada
August 7th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hi, guys, how are you today?
Thank so much for the lesson about humour, it is absulutely interesting for me.
Have a good vacation in Canada
August 9th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Hi guy!!
great podcasts!!
i just have a question!! why did you say ( it turns out) instead of ( it turned out)??
August 20th, 2009 at 3:38 am
oh my God, how crazy your lesson is… hahha..
December 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
u guys are simply the best
i can feel an obvious improvement in my English:)
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Hello Andrew and Addison,
i want to say, You are the best. I wish you good luck.
Have a nice day,
Amr from Egypt.
May 25th, 2010 at 6:33 am
I am looking for someone who would want to keep an English conversation by Skype. I live in Spain. Another possility could be to speak in Spanish 30 minutes with an English speaker because he is learning Spanish and another 30 minutes in English.
June 14th, 2010 at 12:29 am
this is a very bad situation for anyone to be happened but to be honest is absolutely the best way to pass it by a little harms for your self
August 14th, 2010 at 11:05 am
i really like this conversation …..its absolutely marvelous
friends please catch me on skype , my id is - jibinclt
thanks ..Andrew and Addison,