ESL之日常生活 09 Saying Goodbye

09 Saying Goodbye

GLOSSARY 1

I’d better be going – a phrase meaning “I should go now,” or “I need to go now”

* The kids are going to come home from school in about 20 minutes, so I’d betterbe going so that I can meet them there.

See you later – an informal phrase used to say goodbye, meaning that onehopes to see another person again soon* I’m hungry, so I’m going to take my lunch break.  See you later.

awhile – for a short time; for a short period of time* Camilo was here for awhile, but then he had to go to work.

to run into (someone) – to unexpectedly 2 meet a friend without planning it; topass a friend on the street* Yesterday Deng ran into his ex-girlfriend at the grocery store.

Have a good trip – a phrase used to wish someone a safe and happy trip; bonvoyage* Have a good trip, and please send us a postcard from Italy!

It’s a shame – a phrase used to show disappointment; “it’s too bad”; “that’s unfortunate”

* It’s a shame that you had to work so much when your parents were visiting lastweek.

to catch up – to share information with another person about what has happened since the last time the two people spoke 3 to each other* Kerry and Bea hadn’t seen each other in nine months, so they spent hours catching 4 up.

apart – separated; away; not together* Yolanda hates to be apart from her husband when she has to travel forbusiness.

It’s too bad – a phrase used to show disappointment; “it’s a shame”; “that’s unfortunate”

* It’s too bad it’s snowing so hard.  We won’t be able to take a drive into themountains as we had planned.

to give (someone) (one’s) best – a phrase used to ask someone to say “hi” toanother person; a phrase used to ask someone to express one’s best wishes to athird person* When you see Mr. Jenkins, please give him our best.

to get going – to leave a place; to begin to leave* Please put on your jacket and find your keys so that we can get going.

to stay in touch – to continue to communicate with someone, usually when twopeople are separated * Have you stayed in touch with any of your friends from high school?

to get together – to spend time with someone socially; to go out with someone;to meet someone somewhere* Every Thursday, our bowling 5 team gets together for two hours to practice.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Why does Oliver say, “It might be awhile before we run into each otheragain”?

a)  Because he isn’t running anymore.

b)  Because Mina had better be going.

c)  Because he’s going away for a few months.

2.  What does Oliver mean when he says, “Stay in touch”?

a)  He wants Mina to call and write.

b)  He wants Mina to stay so he can touch her.

c)  He thinks it was good to see Mina.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

shameThe phrase “it’s a shame,” in this podcast, is used to show disappointment: “It’s ashame that you didn’t get to see Angelina Jolie when she was in our restaurantlast night.”  The word “shame” usually means feelings of sadness, guilt 6, orembarrassment because one has done something wrong: “The boy put his headdown in shame when his parents asked him why he had stolen the candy.”  Thephrase “shame on (someone)” means that someone should feel shame forsomething that he or she has done: “Shame on you for not calling your mothermore often.”  The phrase “to put (someone) to shame” means to make it clearthat one is much better at doing something than another person is: “Maribel puther teammates to shame when she won at least 50 points in every basketballgame last spring.”

to catch upIn this podcast, the phrase “to catch up” means to share information with anotherperson about what has happened since the last time that the two people spoke toeach other: “It’s great to see you!  Let’s have lunch together tomorrow so we cancatch up.”  The phrase “to catch up on (something)” means to spend extra timedoing something because one is behind schedule: “I don’t know how I’m going tocatch up on all these projects after being away for  week.”  The phrase “to catchup with (someone)” means to move more quickly so that one can reach a personwho is further ahead: “Please start walking to the library and I’ll catch up with youas soon as I finish this phone call.”

CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, the way that people say goodbye depends on how long the“separation” (the amount of time that two people are apart) will be, and how closethe relationship is.

Saying goodbye for a short separation is usually informal.  For example, if you’resaying goodbye to your coworkers at the end of the workday, you might simply say “bye” as you walk past their offices.  If you want to be more formal orprofessional, you might say goodbye by giving someone a “handshake,” whereyou briefly 7 hold each other’s right hand and move your arms up and down.  If youneed to say goodbye to someone who is further away, you can “wave” to him orher.  “To wave” is to put one’s right hand in the air with the fingers pointing upand gently move that hand in the air.  To say goodbye to a very close friend orrelative, you might give a hug.  Americans normally 8 do not kiss each other on thecheeks to say goodbye.

When there is going to be a longer separation, saying goodbye is more formal. Usually people take time to wish the other person a safe trip or good luck (“Havea safe trip,” or “Good luck!”).  They often promise to “keep in touch” by writing orcalling while they are apart. When a coworker is leaving to accept a new job, or when a friend is moving toanother city, people usually have a “going away party.”  At these parties, all ofthe coworkers or friends of the person who is leaving get together to eat, drink,and say goodbye.  The person who is leaving is usually given a card that is signed by everyone, and sometimes a nice gift, too.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 279: SayingGoodbye.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 10 279.  I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

In this episode, we are going to learn how to say goodbye to someone that youknow.  Let's get started.

[start of story]

Mina:  I’d better be going.  See you later.

Oliver:  It might be awhile before we run into each other again.

Mina:  Why is that?

Oliver:  I’m going to Puerto Rico for three months starting next Tuesday.  I got ajob there for the summer.

Mina:  I didn’t know that.  That’s great!  I’ve never been to Puerto Rico, but I’veheard it’s nice.  Have a good trip.  It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to catchup.  Is your girlfriend going with you?  Oliver:  Yeah, she is.  She got a job there, too, so we won’t have to be apart forthree months. Mina:  That’s good.  It’s too bad I won’t get to see her before you two leave.  Giveher my best.

Oliver:  I will.  Oh, I’d better get going or I’ll be late.

Mina:  It was good seeing you.

Oliver:  You, too.  Stay in touch.

Mina:  I will.  Let’s get together when you get back from Puerto Rico.

Oliver:  I’d like that.  Bye.

Mina:  Bye.

[end of story]

Our dialogue begins with Mina saying to Oliver, “I'd better be going.”  Theexpression “I'd better be going” means “I need to go now” – “I should leave now.” It's a way of telling the other person that you have to leave – you have to go –“Well, I'd better be going.”

“See you later,” Mina says.  That's a very common way of saying goodbye,usually somewhat 11 informally, “See you later,” but it could be used in formalsituations as well.  “I will see you at a later time” is what it means.

Oliver says, “It might be awhile before we run into each other again.”  “Awhile”

(awhile) means a long time.  “It might be awhile” – it might be a long time –“before we run into each other again.”  “To run into someone,” or “to run intoeach other,” means to see the other person, often without expecting it, almost by accident.  “I ran into my friend today at the store” – I wasn't expecting to see her,but there she was – “I ran into her.”  “To run into each other” here would meanthat Oliver and Mina would see each other again.

Mina says, “Why is that,” meaning “why will it be awhile before we run into eachother again.”  Oliver says he's going to Puerto Rico, which is an island that is partof the United States.  Oliver says he's going to Puerto Rico for three months starting next Tuesday.  He has a job there for the summer.

Mina says, “I didn’t know that” – I didn't know you got a job.  “That’s great!  I’venever been to Puerto Rico, but I’ve heard it’s nice.”  She says, “Have a good trip”

meaning “have a good journey” – “have a good time in your traveling.”  Mina thensays, “It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to catch up.”  The expression “it's ashame” (shame) means the same as “it's too bad.”  It's unfortunate; it's anunhappy thing that we didn't have more time to catch up. The expression “to catch up” (two words) means to talk about all of the things you have done since last time you met this person.  Usually, we use this expression when it has been a long time since you have seen the other person. So for example, if I have a friend and I have not seen my friend in six months, Imay say, “Let's get together for coffee to catch up” –  to go over and talk about allthe things that you have been doing and I have been doing, since we met last.

Mina says, “Is your girlfriend going with you” to Puerto Rico?  Oliver says yes,“She got a job there, too, so we won’t have to be apart for three months.”  “To beapart” (apart) means to be separated.

Mina says, “That’s good.  It’s too bad I won’t get to see her before you twoleave.”  “It's too bad” is similar to “it's a shame.”  It's unfortunate – “It's too bad Iwon't get to see” your girlfriend “before you two leave.”  Mina says, “Give her mybest.”  When you say to someone “Give her,” or him, “my best,” you mean “Say ‘hello’ to that person for me.”  Tell them that I say “hello” and am thinking aboutthem, that I remember them, perhaps.

Oliver then says, “Oh, I’d better get going or I’ll be late.”  “To get going” is thesame as “to be going.”  “I'd better get going,” “I'd better be going” mean the samething.  Again, we use that to indicate to the other person that now I have to leave– I can't stay here any longer.

Mina says, “It was good seeing you” – it was good to see you.  “It was goodseeing you.”  “You, too,” Oliver says.  “Stay in touch.”  The expression “stay intouch” means let's keep in contact, let's talk to each other or email each other, orhave coffee together in the future.  The opposite would be to lose touch withsomeone.  If you “lose touch,” we mean that you do not have any communicationor contact with that person.  Perhaps you have lost his phone number, or youdon't have someone's address – you “lose touch.”  Oliver is saying the oppositehere: let's stay in touch.

Mina says, “I will” – I will stay in touch.  “Let’s get together when you get back from Puerto Rico.”  “To get together” means to meet – to have a meeting forlunch or coffee, or some other reason. Oliver says, “I’d like that,” meaning “I would like to get together with you when Iget back from Puerto Rico.”  “Bye.” And Mina says, “Bye.”  (Bye) bye means goodbye, a short form of goodbye.

Before we say bye, let's listen to the dialogue again, this time at a normal speed.

[start of story]

Mina:  I’d better be going.  See you later.

Oliver:  It might be awhile before we run into each other again.

Mina:  Why is that?

Oliver:  I’m going to Puerto Rico for three months starting next Tuesday.  I got ajob there for the summer.

Mina:  I didn’t know that.  That’s great!  I’ve never been to Puerto Rico, but I’veheard it’s nice.  Have a good trip.  It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to catchup.  Is your girlfriend going with you?  Oliver:  Yeah, she is.  She got a job there, too, so we won’t have to be apart forthree months. Mina:  That’s good.  It’s too bad I won’t get a chance to see her before you twoleave.  Give her my best.

Oliver:  I will.  Oh, I’d better get going or I’ll be late.

Mina:  It was good seeing you.

Oliver:  You, too.  Stay in touch.

Mina:  I will.  Let’s get together when you get back from Puerto Rico.

Oliver:  I’d like that.  Bye.

Mina:  Bye.

[end of story]

The script 9 for this podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 12 2007.