📙 Part 2: Describe an occasion when you spent time with a young child

This episode's vocabulary

Touched (adj.) - grateful for something kind that someone has done.

Multilingual (adj.) - (of people or groups) able to use more than two languages for communication, or (of a thing) written or spoken in more than two different languages.

Chronologically (adverb) - in a way that follows the order in which a series of events happened.

Have your wits about you (idiom) - to think and react quickly when something dangerous or difficult happens unexpectedly.

To wander (verb) - to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction.

Watchful (adj.) - paying careful attention and ready to deal with problems.

Carefree (adj.) - having no problems or not being worried about anything.

To prompt (verb) - to make something happen.

Shift (noun) - a change in position or direction.

On the part of someone/on someone's part (idiom) - done or experienced by someone.

Safeguarding (noun) - the protection of children and adults who could be easily hurt emotionally and physically.

The high life (noun) - an exciting way of living in which rich and successful people enjoy themselves by spending a lot of time and money in fashionable places.

The immediate future (phrase) - the period of time that is coming next.

Questions and Answers

M: Rory, give us your story.

R: Well, I spent some time with my producer's son when I was in Northern Cyprus earlier this year, which was quite an unforgettable experience that left me quite touched by the end of it. in more detail about who they are. His name is Yan in Russian, but he gets called Ian by his parents since they're a multilingual family. He's not very old chronologically, he's just a four-year-old. But frankly, he seems a lot more in control of himself than most other kids that age. He doesn't get easily stressed or bored. Aside from bedtimes, though I think most children are not great fans of those particular times of the day. And obviously has his wits about him since he doesn't get into trouble very often. To say more about where we are, or where we were, the family lives close to the capital city there. Though it's a small country, so that's probably not saying much about just how close they are to the place. It did mean, we could travel around a lot. And we went on day trips and different places around the country, from the mountains, to the seaside and into the forested areas. In greater depth about what we were doing in these places, frankly, it may be easier to see what we didn't do. We went hiking in the mountains, and I was showing him different lizards and plants. They say I was doing this but to be honest, he was the one leading me around and I was being told what most of the things were. After that, we took a trip to the beach way up in the north, and I was buried under some sun for a while. We attempted swimming, but the water was still cold at that time of year. So I froze my legs off and he was quite happy sitting on my shoulders in the sunshine. We also went for a wander around the harbour and saw the old castle while walking along the sea wall, all under the watchful eye of his dad, who was a lot less carefree than I am when it comes to just going around without paying attention to things like traffic. In terms of how I felt about it seems like a cliche, but it did actually prompt quite a shift in perspective on my part. I never really wanted to have kids of my own after I came back to the UK, but having spent some, well, at least having spent that time together, it seems like something I'd be quite good at. Or at least I would be good at the fun stuff. I think my future partner would have to be a bit more or a bit better with the safeguarding aspects. If I hadn't met Ian, I doubt I'd have changed my mind. Certainly at that moment in time, I'd have been too busy fighting, oh, sorry, I'd have been too busy living the carefree high life. So it's given me a lot to think about.

M: And do you think you'll see this child soon in the future?

R: Don't think in the immediate future, but in the long term, yeah, hopefully, this summer.

Discussion

M: Hey, you see, dear listener? So the story should be something like this. Yeah? Maybe you spent some time with your friend's child. Or maybe even if you had like two minutes with this child, you can kind of extend it to a couple of hours. Yeah. It's a strange topic. Yeah? Very strange. That's why we're discussing it upfront, because it's a new topic, so you can prepare your story. Okay? And Rory started it off with I spent some time with my producer's son when I was in Cyprus. Okay? And this was quite an unforgettable experience. Hey! Yeah, because the child is great. So this was an unforgettable experience. Maybe for you, dear listener, it was an annoying experience. Maybe you had to babysit for your friends. Yeah. They left to their child on you. And you had to be their parents for some time. And this experience left me quite touched. So I was touched by this experience because the child was really nice. He was loving. I had a great time. So I was touched in a nice way. Then in more detail, right? Because you should say who this child is. So his name or her name is... How do you pronounce it?

R: Yan. But Ian is how it's said in English.

M: Ah, right. Ian. So Ian or Yan in Russian. He gets called Ian by his parents. Oh, so his parents call him* in an English way? Interesting. So he gets called Ian or he gets called Rory. She gets called Maria.

R: Yes. Oh, that's the important thing. Because lots of people say like, oh, how their name is for example, which isn't correct in English.

M: So what their name is...

R: Yeah.

M: So he's not very old chronologically. How old is the child? He's four?

R: Yeah.

M: He's just four years old. Can you imagine, dear listener? To be four years old? So he's not very old chronologically. Chronologically? What did you mean by that? Chronologically?

R: Just in terms of time, but he seems quite mature for his age. At least I thought so. But I don't... I don't know much about children that age.

M: Oh, okay. So he's not very old. He's only four. Or he's just a four-year-old boy. Okay? Dear listener, be careful. So he is just a four-year-old. So he's a five-year-old, meaning he's a five-year-old boy. And we do need an article. He's a 10-year-old. He's a three-year-old. Or he's a four-year-old boy. Or girl. She's a four-year-old girl.

R: Yeah. That's so important. Because so many people say a four years old child. And no, you don't need the extra s. Why not? Because the eight, the number is already there.

M: Yeah. So he's a four-year-old boy, or he's four years old. She's five years old. Okay? Or she's four, she's five. And Rory told us that. Although he's only four, he's quite mature. Mature is like he knows stuff. He's been through things. He's mature. He doesn't get easily stressed. He doesn't get easily bored. Here, we do need some details about the child. Maybe he's super energetic, or he's, he's hyperactive, he's too much. Or he does get easily stressed, or he's always bored, is difficult to deal with. And he has wits about him. What did you mean by this? To have wits about him?

R: Just that he's aware of the situation and doesn't get into trouble. Because he's paying attention.

M: So the child doesn't get into trouble, or the child often gets into trouble. So he's a naughty child. Naughty, yeah. Spoiled, maybe. And then a couple of details about the family. So the family lives close to the capital in Cyprus. And then we can say a couple of things about the place itself. So we could travel around, we went on day trips, in the mountains, to the seaside, into the forested areas. So we went to the forest, or you can say we went into the forested areas, really nice. In greater depth, so adding even more detail you can start off with "in greater depth about what we were doing". What you were doing in these places with a young child? So we went hiking in the mountains. And Rory showed the child different lizards and plants. Oh, so you went all nerdy on the child, Rory. Did you tell him about the sky and stars and all the different processes in science?

R: Listen, there's nothing wrong with talking about science to children.

M: Oh, yeah. And did he understand everything you were saying?

R: I think he understood most of the things that I was saying.

M: Okay, so his English is pretty good.

R: Yeah.

M: Wow. Did you understand what he was saying?

R: Yes, because we were speaking English.

M: So the child is bilingual. He speaks Russian and English.

R: I think he also speaks Chinese as well. Or at least a little bit.

M: Chinese. Oh, wow. Wow.

R: I think.

M: So you see, a nice child. Rory got lucky with this cute child. You should speak about the activities. Yeah? So we went hiking or we took a trip to the beach, or we went swimming. And Rory was buried under the sand. You know, this is what you do on the beach. You just bury a Scottish person in the sand for fun.

R: Yes, specifically a Scottish person, no one else.

M: So we were walking around under the watchful eye of his dad. So still, Rory was not alone with the child. So we were doing this and that under the watchful eye. The eye was watching. Okay? The eye, the dad's eye. So under the watchful eye of his bed, so he was paying attention, yeah?

R: Yes. If you're under the watchful eye of anyone or under someone's watchful eye.

M: So how did Rory feel about it? It seems like a cliche, but it did actually prompt quite a shift in me. So Rory was touched. And you can say, like, okay, it might seem like a cliche, like everyone else says, but it did prompt quite a shift. So it kind of caused a change in perspective on my part. So it kind of touched me, it changed some parts of me or something in me.

R: Emotionally touched.

M: Emotionally. Yeah, I was emotionally touched. So it prompted quite a shift. A shift is like a change. So I never wanted any kids of my own. So to have kids of my own. Or I don't have kids of my own, or I want to have kids of my own. So having spent that time together, I now want to have my own children. Yeah, we use present perfect here. I have spent this time. So having spent this time I now think that children are great. The flowers of our life, I would be quite good at having children or I would be quite good at bringing up children.

R: Well, I'd be good at some parts of bringing up children, not all of them.

M: Yeah, but I wouldn't be good with safeguarding. So to kind of make sure that the child is safe. So it's not Rory's like safety is not his thing. And we finish off with the third conditional. Because the story is in the past. So Rory did meet this child if I hadn't met this child, or if I hadn't spent time with this child. I wouldn't have been so happy as I was, for example, but you were happy.

R: I was very happy.

M: Oh, that's a nice story. I enjoyed the pictures of you and Ian. You're so lovely together. Wow.

R: You can see them on my Instagram as well.

M: Yeah, so cute. And the child is cute. The child is just amazing. Dear listener, how are you doing? Are you okay? Yes, sorry, the topic is crazy. Please make sure you have your child story. It could be something negative. Maybe the child was a really naughty child, a difficult child who was running around the house breaking things and you just couldn't deal with the child, maybe like this. Yeah. So it could be something negative. Like if I hadn't spent time with this child, my house would have been intact, would have been, you know, okay, but now it's all broken. Yeah, if I hadn't spent time with this child, I would have continued living in my flat, but now it's gone. All right. Thank you very much for listening! And we'll get back to you in speaking part three. Parents and children.

R: Bye!

M: Bye!

<figure>

</figure>

Make sure to subscribe to our social media to see some of the “behind the scenes” stuff:

Our Instagram: bit.ly/instagramswi

Our Telegram: bit.ly/telegramswi