English Makeover - Part 4 - Joao Lourenco | Текст песни

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• English Makeover
• Part 4 - Joao Lourenco

Группа Learning English. Продолжение транскрипта:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/makeover_prog4.pdf

ANNOUNCER:
It's time for English Makeover from BBC World Service.
In this series, learners of English from around the world tell us their language problems. And
there's advice for them and you, from experienced teacher of English, Karen Adams.
Clip: Karen Adams
Hi, I’m Karen Adams and I’m an English language teacher and teacher trainer. The English
Makeover learners will be telling me about their problems and well…I’ll see what I can do to
help.
ANNOUNCER:
Our programme today starts in a central London sandwich bar, where presenter Vicki Sullivan
met Joao – or Johnnie - Lourenco who comes from Portugal.
Clip: Sandwich bar
Customers ordering in a sandwich bar
Clip: Joao Lourenco
My name is Johnnie Lourenco. I’m 50 years old. I’m from Portugal and I’m in England since
’86. I work in a snack bar always since I've come to England.
Vicki: Joao’s been in London for more than fifteen years. When he first arrived, he
spoke hardly any English.
Clip: Vicki interviews Joao about his English language skills
JL: I've never been in school anyway. I learn with colleagues and the English people. Just
enough to live you know (LAUGHS)
VICKI: Do you think people usually understand you when you speak?
JL: Er...yes. I think so because I’ve been serving so many people and nobody made a
complaint at all. I think it’s enough.
VICKI: So, tell me about your typical workday.
JL: I start at half-past-six. I start doing preparation in the kitchen and then I start serving
people about eight o’clock, half-past-seven…eight o’ clock and then till five o’clock.
VICKI: What kind of people come into the coffee shop?
JL: So many people from different countries – Spanish, Brazilians, English, Italians, Japanese,
Chinese...
VICKI: But they’re all speaking English to you?
JL: Most of the people they speak English you know.
JL: Er… my spoken English is alright. Not good, it’s OK, but writing or spelling is very hard
for me. When I’m writing I have problems with the grammar and spelling and, um, that's the
big problem, isn't it?
Vicki: Joao Lorenzo from Portugal has just been talking about his problems. After
many years in London, his spoken English is O.K but he worries about writing, particularly
spelling and grammar. Perhaps you have the same concerns. So what advice does teaching
expert Karen Adams have about writing-related difficulties?
Clip: Vicki talks to Karen Adams about Joao's language problems
KAREN: Actually, I think these are very important issues particularly for him, as he’s living in
the UK, but for anyone who’s studying in English. Writing is often forgotten. It’s often the
forgotten skill and we think if I can speak it doesn’t really matter if I can write, but if you’re
living in a place where English is the native language or the first language then actually, if you
don’t learn to write then there are lots of things that you won’t be able to do. So one of the
things I would recommend Joao to do is actually to do a lot more reading, so you can actually
get the flow of what written language is like. Because written language and spoken language
are very, very, different. So, for example, if Joao wants to let’s say, open a bank account, he
may have to write a letter to the bank. What he needs to do is to look at bank literature and
find some vocabulary he can use when writing to the bank. Or perhaps get himself a writing
text book which will help him write the different kinds of things he may need to write. Because
in the end if you don’t learn to write then you’re cutting yourself off from a large area of
expression, which you may eventually need.
VICKI: So really, it’s not being scared to say well ‘I’m going to try to improve my writing
skills.’ It’s easy for him to say well ‘My speaking’s ok...

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