📘 Part 3: Feeling proud

This episode's vocabulary

Pensioner (noun) - a person who receives a pension, especially the government pension given to old people.

The former (noun) - the first of two people, things, or groups previously mentioned.

To build (someone/something) up (phrasal verb) - to increase or become larger or stronger, or to cause someone or something to do this.

To amass (verb) - to get a large amount of something, especially money or information, by collecting it over a long period.

To refine (verb) - to improve an idea, method, system, etc. by making small changes.

To sniff something out (phrasal verb) - to search for and discover something.

Beyond/out of (sb's) reach - that someone is not able to get or buy.

Expertise (noun) - a high level of knowledge or skill.

To get away with something (phrasal verb) - to succeed in avoiding punishment for something.

To pull something off (phrasal verb) - to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected.

To work out (phrasal verb) - to happen or develop in a particular way.

To beat the odds - to succeed despite having a disadvantage.

Willpower (noun) - the ability to control your own thoughts and the way in which you behave.

Unavoidable (adj.) - impossible to avoid.

Inevitable (adj.) - certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented.

Recognition (noun) - if you are given recognition, people show admiration and respect for your achievements.

Non-toxic (adj.) - pleasant.

Metaphorical (adj.) - not having real existence but representing some truth about a situation or other subject.

-

Questions and Answers

M: Do people usually set different goals at different stages of their life?

R: Well, I'm hardly an expert in this area. But if I were to guess I'd say so, since ideally, you're making some progress as you go through life and set goals to match where you are. It would be silly for a pensioner to have the goal of buying a house under normal circumstances, for example, wouldn't it?

M: What are the differences between the goals and ambitions that young and older people have?

R: Well, it seems that young people have more self-oriented goals and older people are more group or community-minded when it comes to their achievements. I don't mean that the former are more selfish, just that they usually need to build themselves up so they can contribute more effectively. By contrast, older people probably should have amassed more resources, so less focus on the self is needed.

M: How can people get better at achieving their goals?

R: Ideally, through effective practice and feedback. You find a way to do something well, refine it, and then keep going. I suppose having some presence of mind to make changes if something isn't working would also be helpful in that respect. They also need to find opportunities in front of them. Sniffing those out is much more of an art than a science, I think.

M: And what are the things that don't let people achieve their goals?

R: Well, if you pick a goal that's totally out of your reach, then, like in terms of expertise, or the resources that you have access to, then you know, you wouldn't be as successful at achieving them.

M: When do people feel proud of themselves?

R: Well, after accomplishing a goal, or some tasks they've set themselves to would be the best time or if they've managed to get away with something or pull something off, that was unlikely to work out. I think that feeling of having beaten the odds can be quite a powerful one.

M: And is it always a good feeling to be proud of yourself?

R: Usually, yes, it's a good feeling for you, you might not necessarily have done something right. But you might feel proud that you've done it and got away with it.

M: What sorts of goals could be considered unrealistic?

R: Well, let's like I said, actually, probably ones which go beyond the resources needed to meet them. For example, many people would like to become astronauts, but they lack the connections, the willpower and opportunities to do so. At least at the moment.

M: And do you think many people set unrealistic goals for themselves these days?

R: I have absolutely no idea. If I were to guess, given the rates of depression and mental illness that seemed to be afflicting people, yes, probably, probably people, lots of people do have many unrealistic goals for themselves.

M: Is it important to have goals in your life?

R: I think it's unavoidable since you need to accomplish something in order to live. I mean, it's almost built into the fabric of reality. You need to find shelter, get food and water and stay safe. And beyond that, there are more goals for personal achievement to consider and build on what you have and attract others to you. So it's pretty much inevitable. You just need to be careful what goal you pick and think about how you're going to get there.

M: And do you think it's a good idea not to have goals in your life?

R: Well, no, because then you're doing nothing. I think if you don't have any goals at all, then you're dead. Probably.

M: What rewards can companies offer to their successful employees?

R: I suppose a bonus or salary increase are the basic ones. Though, things like recognition and promotion go a long way too. It's nice when people know you've done well for yourself and others.

M: What rewards are important at work?

R: Other than those that I mentioned? I suppose having a non-toxic work environment that supports people and makes them feel welcome and happy there. You could offer people all the money in the world but they wouldn't want to work in a metaphorical volcano for a very long, would they?

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers! Do you feel proud of your answers Rory?

R: I do feel proud because I think that they have sophisticated grammar and vocabulary for a high score.

M: Band nine score!

-

Discussion

M: Now, dear listener, so in terms of vocabulary, Rory used his strategy to answer the very first question. I'm hardly an expert in this area.

R: That's not vocabulary, that's grammar.

M: Oh, actually yeah. I think it's a strategy. It's a strategy. And also grammar because we're using the second conditional.

R: Ooh, I do love a good second conditional.

M: So different goals and then I'm, I'm hardly an expert in this area. But if I were to guess. The second conditional, I'd say so since blah, blah, blah. Since? It means because. Blah, blah, blah. You go through life. Go through life? You live your life. You set goals, yeah? And goals match your life, or your goals should match where you are in your life, for example. And to give an example of different stages in the life Rory goes with, like, it would be silly for a pensioner. A pensioner. Like an elderly person. To have a goal of buying a house under normal circumstances. Hmm, really? I think some pensioners are quite rich.

R: Well, I think most pensioners are quite rich, if they've got pensions.

M: Okay. And then the differences between goals or ambitions. Ambitions are positive in the English language. Something like good, ambition. A strong wish to achieve something, like my ambition is to run my own business, for example. Actually, I'm running my own business now.

R: We're all running our own businesses. It's great.

M: Yeah, I know, wow, look at us. And then people have more self-oriented goals. So self-oriented goals, again, like buying a house, getting married, having children, for example, or community-minded goals, right? About other people, helping other people. People can contribute to different communities, effectively. So contribute to something, like help people. And what did you mean, when you say that all do people have amassed?

R: Well, if you amass something it means that you've collected a lot of something.

M: So older people have amassed more resources. You mean like, not resources like fossil fuels or coal. But resources like human resources. Like knowledge, skills?

R: Well, it could be money as well, or things that they have, you can amass pretty much anything. But if you're a pensioner or an older person, you've probably amassed a lot of skills, a lot of money.

M: If we give an example. So an example of a young person's goal could be for example, what? Like to set up their own business or to graduate from a university? Or to enter a prestigious university? Yeah? And then older people, like to have grandchildren, to live in their own house, I don't know.

R: To give back to the community.

M: To give back to the community, yeah, to contribute to the community, like to help other people, to get involved in the local community life. Yeah. We get better at achieving our goals by practice, or through effective practice and feedback, right? So you do something and then you get feedback on it. So you do something well, you refine it. So when you refine it, you make it even better. Yeah?

R: Yes.

M: Sniffing those out. So sniffing opportunities out.

R: It's just another way of saying finding opportunity.

M: What else can you sniff out? Such a nice... Sniff is like when you use your nose.

R: Yeah, you can sniff out opportunities. Sniff out lies.

M: Also you can say smell something out. Or smell someone out.

R: Can you?

M: Yeah. UK actually.

R: Ooh.

M: In your own English, UK English, United Kingdom English, usually, smell something out. According to Cambridge dictionary. In the states, Rory, they say sniff something out. So are you American or British? What are you?

R: Neither I'm Scottish. I can do what I like.

M: Yeah. Freedom to use any language. Amazing. Yeah, for example, dogs are used to sniff out drugs. The dogs... Oh, smells like drugs. Or like to search for or discover something. Right? So her job is to go around the big fashion show sniffing out talent, right? So some people can sniff out for talent. Yep. And in our context, Rory used it about opportunities. To achieve more goals or opportunities, to get better at achieving our goals. So, a person should sniff such opportunities out and pick a goal that is within your reach. Because some goals are unrealistic. So they are goals out of your reach. Reach? Like not rich like money. Reach. A goal out of your reach. And we pick goals, pick like choose. We also accomplish a goal. Yeah? So to achieve or accomplish a goal. And we feel proud of it. If we get away with something, which is another phrasal verb. Lots of phrasal verbs, which is nice. So I get away with it. What happens? If I get away with something?

R: Well, it means that you didn't think that you're going to be able to do something but you managed to. And it's usually something bad, like, well, I think the common expression is get away with murder.

M: Yeah, like you did something bad, like you, for example, downloaded our premium episodes, but you didn't pay for them. Yeah?

R: That's like the worst thing you could do.

M: Or your downloaded Rory's book without paying for it.

R: That's not nearly as bad, I would give you a copy for free.

M: So you got away with it, you see... You kind of, you did something bad, and nothing happened to you. So and you got away with it. Usually with crime. If you, for example, went to a souvenir shop and you stole a magnet. And then nobody said anything. You were not caught. So you got away with it, you stole something from a souvenir shop. So sometimes people feel proud if they manage to get away with something, something that they did, which was bad, or pull something off. So when you pull something off, this means that you manage to do something. So pull it off. I think we used this about hair. But in this context, pull it off? Succeed in doing something, which was difficult. So it was difficult and maybe unexpected, you didn't expect it. So like, oh, I decided to take this IELTS exam. And I pulled this off. Wow, I succeeded in it. It was successful. So hey, I got an 8 or a 7. Or 6.5 if, for example, your level is intermediate. That would be a success.

R: Oh, yeah, that would be a big success. 6.5 is like upper intermediate.

M: Well, close to upper intermediate, yeah. So you see, dear listener, in IELTS, you know, 6.5 is a success. Yeah, I know. Actually, here in one sentence, we have three phrasal verbs. If they have managed to get away with it, or pull something off, that was unlikely to work out. Rory, you're the phrasal verb monster.

R: I didn't even realize I've done that until you said that.

M: Because it's natural. You see. Rory doesn't even notice phrasal verbs because they are natural. They are used. And it's okay to use three phrasal verbs in one sentence. So if something works out, what does it do?

R: It's successful in the end. After trying hard or after a long time, it worked out.

M: Yeah, yeah, it just happens. It worked out well. I started preparing for IELTS. I listened to Success with IELTS Podcast and it worked out. I took IELTS and I got the score that I wanted. Hey! When we talk about unrealistic goals, which example did you give us? About which profession?

R: I can't remember. Oh, astronauts, yes. Everybody wants to be an astronaut, but they don't have like resources to get there.

M: Resources, we mean, like knowledge, willpower, right? Maybe some skills, some health, for example. So your resources. And then Rory used the strategy again. He reacted to the question saying like, I have absolutely no idea. So he admitted that he doesn't know the answer. And then he goes, if I were to guess I'd say that. Ah, it's the second time you used if I were to guess.

R: Oh, is it?

M: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I think you used it in the first answer and here. Well, but okay. Here it's a bit different because like I have absolutely no idea. Well, if I were to guess I'd say that blah, blah. Having goals is unavoidable.

R: Or inevitable. You cannot escape.

M: No, no. You can't avoid goals. Unavoidable. Right? So you can't just be without them. And inescapable. Ooh... You can't escape them. No, inevitable you said.

R: Yes. But also inescapable. It's another one.

M: Inescapable... Inescapable. Like escape - inescapable, you can't escape. Unavoidable. But unavoidable. Inescapable and inevitable. Inevitable, like, it's just inevitable, it will happen. You can't avoid it. When we talked about rewards at work, and also such questions could be in other topics as well. Bonuses, rewards at work to successful employees. So we just talk about bonuses. Like I reckon a bonus or salary increase, or a pay raise, you can say. Other basic rewards that companies could offer, could give. Also recognition and promotion. Promotion, like to get promoted from like a clock to a director, for example. But also a non-toxic work environment. Toxic, toxic is like... When people gossip behind your back, when they betray you, like toxic people, like really bad people. Non-toxic work environment, which is like a pleasant.

R: A nice work environment.

M: Friendly. Yes, work environment. Where people support you, people make you feel welcome. So these are also rewards that are important at work. And then, a metaphorical volcano. I think this is a great one. What did you mean by that?

R: Well, it was just another way of saying like, well, a toxic work environment is like a volcano. You don't want to work in it because it could kill you, basically, or it could make your life very difficult. So in the same way, working in a metaphorical volcano would be like working in a place that's not really that good for you.

M: Do you remember I sent you a video? Like, Rory, hello, I'm in Kamchatka! I'm on a volcano. And kind of I climbed up to a volcano and I was actually, literally on a volcano.

R: Putting yourself in very weird circumstances.

M: Yeah, I decided to make a video and send it to Rory. So, oh, Rory, we talked about volcanoes and now I'm walking on a volcano. How super awesome is that? Sweet. Dear listener, I think you should be proud of yourself. You should be proud of the fact that you're preparing for this exam. Take pride in having bought our premium episodes. You're exposed to awesomeness and...

R: High-level grammar and vocabulary.

M: Super grammar, super gorgeous grammar. So well done you. We hope that you stay with us. And we'll get back to you in our next episode.

R: Bye!

M: Bye! Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye!

-

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