Well-being 1: Looking after yourself

Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan: My name’s Rowan

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack: In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English.

Rowan: Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich: In this week’s podcast we are going to start a new series of podcasts where we focus on well-being.

Rowan: I see this word a lot. Can we think about what it actually means?

Jack: Well, I think it means slightly different things to different people but broadly well-being covers how we feel and how we are getting along in life.

Rich: It’s strongly linked to happiness - how happy we are.

Jack: Yes, well-being covers how we are feeling emotionally, but it’s more than that. It’s a combination of your emotional and social life and your physical and mental health.

Rowan: We all know it’s important to look after our physical health and stay physically healthy but what do we do to look after our emotional health for example.

Rich: All of these things are linked together, too. If I go for a game of football with my friends this is good for my physical health but I also think it’s good for my emotional, mental and social health. It’s good for my overall well-being.

Rowan: In this series of podcasts we will talk about things that we believe are good for overall well-being.

Rich: But we are not experts in this area and our main focus will be to look at language we use to talk about well-being. We do hope however that learning some of this language will help you learn more about this topic in English if you want to.

Jack: We have added a few resources that you can access about well-being on the website page for this podcast.

Rowan: In this week’s podcast we’re focusing on looking after yourself. In the UK, people have recently been allowed outside again to play sports and be with friends and teammates.

Rich: Many people are very excited about getting back together with friends and teammates but some people feel nervous about this. Being alone can affect people in different ways.

Rowan: In this week’s roleplay, the three of us are going shopping and we are talking about the activities we have started doing again.

Jack: The roleplay is in three parts. As you listen, we want you to think about how we are feeling and then after each part, we will look at some words and phrases connected to well-being.

Rowan: Your task this week is to tell us about something you do to look after yourself.

Rich: If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Jack: On the Premier Skills English website, you’ll find the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and a task for you to complete with other listeners.

Rowan: Before we do the roleplays let’s look back at last week’s football phrase.

Last week’s Football Phrase 

Rich: OK, our football phrase. If you’ve not listened to the podcast before, every week we set our listeners a challenge. We explain a football phrase or word and you have to guess what it is.

Jack: When you know the answer, go to the Premier Skills English website and write the word or phrase in the comments section for this podcast. If you’re correct we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast.

Rowan: Thanks for all your answers last week. The first listener with the correct answer was Daniel Baron from Colombia. Well done Daniel!

Rich: Last week’s phrase was really difficult. The idea for the phrase came from HSN in Turkey. Thanks, HSN. If anyone else has an idea for a football phrase just write us a message with your definition.

Jack: A few other listeners got the correct answer but not too many last week.

Rowan: A big congratulations also go to: Hayato from Japan, Liubomyr from Ukraine, and Marco Zapien from Mexico.

Jack: If you didn’t hear last week’s football phrase, we’re going to give you one more chance to guess now. And later on, at the end of the podcast, we’ll tell you the answer. Are you ready?

Rich: Last week’s football phrase was ***** ********. This phrase is used when a team doesn’t have a fixture - may be because a league has an odd number of teams and each week one team doesn’t play or maybe a scheduled match has been postponed. This term is used a lot in fantasy football, too - you don’t want to choose any players with a ***** ******** because they won’t score you any points.

Jack: Last week’s podcast was all about Wales - we visited the capital - Cardiff, went to the seaside and up a mountain.

Rowan: Your task was to tell us about a place next to the sea or a mountain in your country.

Rich: Vic from Mexico told us about a stunning bay and an amazing volcano in Mexico and HSN told us about Nemrut mountain in Turkey which he says has one of the best views in the world.

Rowan: We looked at lots of words and phrases to describe places next to the sea or in the mountains in last week’s podcast. If you haven’t heard this podcast it’s called English and the UK - Cardiff and you can find it on the Premier Skills English website or on Apple Podcasts.

Introduction to roleplay 1

Jack: As we said earlier, this week our roleplay is in three parts and we are going shopping. In this first part we are on the London underground - the Tube.

Rich: While you listen we want you to answer one question.

Rowan: Your question is: How has getting back to doing sport made the three of us feel?

Roleplay 1

Rich: Where are we heading first? The shopping centre then something to eat?

Rowan: Sounds like a good plan to me. Let’s jump off at Shepherd’s Bush - we can go to Westfield Shopping Centre.

Jack: What are you going to get? I’m looking for some new swimming goggles and I might even get a waterproof MP3 player.

Rich: You’re back in the pool then?

Jack: Yeah. It’s so good to be back swimming regularly. It was too long. Every time I step out of the pool I feel so much better - it just puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Rowan: I know what you mean - I’ve rejoined my running group - I’ve missed it so much. I’m back up to five mornings a week again and I feel so much better about myself when I’ve been for a run in the morning.

Jack: I’m the same. I’m trying to go swimming three times a week and if I miss it, I get grumpy and feel irritable and bad-tempered all day.

Rowan: It changes your whole day when you do some exercise in the morning. It boosts my mood for sure.

Rich: Are you back in training for the marathon then, Rowan?

Rowan: I am. I am. It looks like it’s going to go ahead. I’m looking for some new trainers - maybe even the ones I’ll wear for the marathon in August.

Jack: Cool. What are you going to get, Rich? You’re back at football training, aren’t you?

Rich: Yeah, it’s been back on for a few weeks now. You know, it’s good - the same as always. I’m not going to all the sessions but ...

Rowan: Come on - you need to get back in the swing of things. You never used to miss a training session before.

Jack: Maybe you should get some new boots or something - it’ll make you want to go and feel good at the same time.

Rich: Nah! I’m all right with my old pair. I don’t think some new boots will help me play any better.

Language Focus 1

Rowan: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was: How has getting back to doing sport made the three of us feel?

Jack: Rowan and I are very happy and excited to be back doing sport and exercise.

Rowan: We spoke a lot about how it makes us feel better - we’d gone too long without doing it.

Jack: People often say, and I agree with them, that doing sport and exercise is good for our well-being. It’s not only good for our physical health but our emotional health.

Rowan: Yes, it can give us more energy for the rest of the day but exercise can also take our mind off other things and can reduce stress.

Jack: In the roleplay, Rich didn’t seem so happy to be doing sport again. Sometimes change can be difficult to manage and there have certainly been lots of changes in everybody’s lives recently.

...

Rich: Let’s look at some of the words and phrases from the first part of our roleplay.

Rowan: Let’s start by talking about the word feel because feelings are very important when we are talking about well-being.

Jack: I said I feel so much better after a swim and Rowan said she feels so much better about herself after she’s been for a run in the morning.

Rich: I feel better after I do something is a common collocation and it’s also common to say that you feel better about yourself.

Jack: I feel better after I’ve done some exercise in the morning.

Rich: Doing some exercise in the morning makes me feel better about myself for the rest of the day.

Rowan: When we feel better about ourselves we are often talking about our well-being rather than just our physical health.

Jack: We often talk about our mood when we talk about well-being.

Rich: Our mood describes the way we are feeling. We might be in a good mood or a bad mood. I’m usually in a good mood after Liverpool have won and a really bad mood when they’ve lost to Manchester United.

Rowan: In the roleplay, we used a couple of phrases with mood. Have a listen:

Rich: You’re back in the pool then?

Jack: Yeah. It’s so good to be back swimming regularly. It was too long. Every time I step out of the pool I feel so much better - it just puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

...

Rowan: It changes your whole day when you do some exercise in the morning. It boosts my mood for sure.

Rich: Jack said swimming puts him in a good mood. This shows how physical activity is linked to our well-being. Rowan said something similar when she said exercise boosts her mood.

Jack: To boost something means to increase something or make something better. Doing exercise can boost your mood or more generally can give you a boost.

Rich: When something gives you a boost we are usually talking about well-being or your emotional health. Doing exercise can give you a boost as can someone saying something nice to you or appreciating your work.

Rowan: We also often talk about how we feel if we don’t do the exercise we normally do. Listen to what Jack said again:

Jack: I’m the same. I’m trying to go swimming three times a week and if I miss it, I get grumpy and feel irritable and bad-tempered all day.

Rich: Jack used a conditional sentence here and the word miss - if we miss something we fail to do it. I missed football training yesterday - I didn’t go.

Rowan: He followed this up with a description of his feelings. Jack gets grumpy, irritable and bad-tempered if he misses his swim.

Jack: Yeah, you don’t want to talk to me if I miss my swim. OK, let’s move on to the second part of our roleplay.

Rich: We’re now in the shopping centre and while you listen we’d like you to answer a question. Your question is:

Rowan: Why do Jack and I think Rich should buy some new boots?

Roleplay 2

Jack: Look at these, guys. Cool or what!

Rowan: Nice goggles! You know you’re supposed to take your glasses off before you put them on, right?

Jack: Yeah, yeah. Are these the trainers you’re thinking about? Wow! Look at that price tag!

Rowan: You’ve got to take care of your feet if you’re going to run a marathon and anyway I want to treat myself now I’m back in full-on training.

Jack: Yeah, it’s nice to treat yourself now and again - especially if you’re doing something that makes you feel good. Look at this.

Rich: An MP3 player.

Jack: Yeah, but it’s waterproof. I can wear this in the pool and listen to music - it’ll definitely keep me going and motivate me to do a few extra lengths.

Rich: Listening to Elton John would slow me down - I might even drown.

Jack: I don’t listen to Elton John when I’m swimming. You can’t sing along when you’ve got your face in the water. Anyway, I need something with about 120 beats per minute to help me stay relaxed and keep to the right pace. Something up-tempo.

Rowan: Jack is looking after himself - some nice goggles and some tunes for the pool. What about you, Rich? You can’t neglect yourself - you need to look after number one sometimes.

Jack: There are some really cool footy boots here. What about these, Rich?

Rich: I’m not sure … maybe … no  … I don’t know - why bother?

Language Focus 2

Rowan: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was: Why do Jack and I think Rich should buy some new boots?

Jack: Well, both of us are quite excited to be back doing exercise and sport and we want to feel good about ourselves when we do it.

Rowan: Now, we’re not saying that you need to buy things to make yourself feel good but getting something for yourself can definitely give you a boost sometimes.

Jack: Rich seems a bit down in the roleplay so we think getting himself some new football boots would cheer him up - make him a bit happier.

Rowan: You can cheer yourself up - that’s a nice phrase. Cheer up is a phrasal verb that means to become more cheerful - to be happier.

Rich: We used a few phrases in this part of the roleplay that looked at the need to recognise your own well-being - to do things for yourself - to make you feel better.

Jack: We used the phrase to take care of a couple of times. Rowan wants to buy some good quality trainers to take care of her feet.

Rowan: To take care of means to be careful about something or care for something. Parents and teachers take care of children - everyone should take care of their own well-being.

Jack: We can also use the phrase look after. We should look after our own well-being. Listen to how we used to look after in the roleplay:

Rowan: Jack is looking after himself - some nice goggles and some tunes for the pool. What about you, Rich? You can’t neglect yourself - you need to look after number one sometimes.

Rich: Rowan used the phrase to look after number one - number one is yourself. You need to look after yourself.

Jack: Rowan said you shouldn’t neglect yourself. To neglect is the opposite of to take care of or look after - if you neglect yourself, you are failing to look after yourself.

Rowan: The final phrase I want to look at is to treat yourself. This means to give yourself something nice - usually something nice that you don’t have.

Jack: In the roleplay, I treated myself to some new goggles and a waterproof MP3 player.

Rich: I’d love to treat myself to a spa and massage weekend at a wellness retreat in the countryside.

Jack: Can we come?

Rich: No chance! The idea is to get away from it all.

Rowan: OK, let’s move on to the final part of our roleplay.

Rich: We’re now back on the Tube - on the way home talking about what we bought. While you listen we’d like you to answer a question. Your question is:

Rowan: What do you think is important about team sports?

Roleplay 3

Jack: Let’s have a look at those footy boots then!

Rowan: They look great - I don’t know why you didn’t want to buy them.

Rich: They did feel good when I tried them on.

Jack: And I bet you’re looking forward to wearing them at training tomorrow.

Rich: I know it sounds a bit silly but I am actually - I can’t wait.

Rowan: So, you’re going to go then? It’ll be good to get back into it, right?

Rich: Yeah, you’re right. The others are a good laugh and it’s nice to be part of a team - to feel part of a group.

Rowan: It is - it’s so important. Important for your well-being - especially if you don’t like being alone so much.

Rich: It’s true - it’ll be nice to catch up with the rest of the team and have a kickaround together and a good chat afterwards.

Jack: And you’ll probably score loads of goals.

Rich: Why’s that?

Jack: The new boots of course.

Language Focus 3

Rowan: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was: What do you think is important about team sports?

Jack: Different people will have different answers to this question but we mentioned a few possible answers in the roleplay.

Rich: We spoke about being part of a team and feeling part of a group.

Rowan: The phrase to be part of something is useful when we talk about well-being. To feel part of something or to be part of something.

Jack: If you feel part of something you feel included in something. It can feel nice to be included in things and is important for a lot of people’s well-being.

Rich: Yes, team sports can be important because you feel included - you’re part of a team. I think that’s why I like team sports - I like to be involved and do things with other people and to socialise.

Rowan: Team sports are so much more than just playing the game. We used another couple of phrases in the roleplay that I’d like to look at which are to catch up with and to have a kickaround together.

Jack: To have a kickaround together. A kickaround is a word we use for an informal game of football but the keyword here for our well-being is together. When we do things in groups we do things together.

Rich: Doing things together can be very important for your well-being.

Rowan: Talking to each other and talking together is also very important. That’s why RIch said it’ll be nice to catch up with the rest of the team.

Jack: To catch up with can be used to mean find out what’s been happening. When we catch up with friends we want to know their latest news and what’s been happening in their lives.

Rich: I enjoy catching up with friends whenever I can.

Rowan: OK, we’ve looked at quite a lot of language connected to looking after yourself. You can check your understanding of these words and phrases and more of the vocabulary we used in the roleplay on the website.

Jack: And if you’re looking for more resources about well-being we’ve got some links for you to take a look at.

TASK

Rowan: In this week’s task, we want you to tell us about something you do to look after your own well-being.

Rich: We want to know something you do to look after yourself. Something you do to make yourself feel better.

Jack: In the roleplay, we treated ourselves by buying something new for the sports we practise but there are many ways to treat yourself or to be kind to yourself.

Rowan: Maybe you give yourself a break from work. Maybe you go out for a run to improve your mood. Maybe you treat yourself at the shops.

Rich: Let us know what you do to look after yourself and how doing this thing makes you feel better.

Jack: Write your answers in the comments section and try to use a few of the words and phrases we’ve looked at in this podcast.

Football Phrase

Jack: It’s time for this week’s football phrase. Have you got one Rich?

Rich: I have. This week’s football phrase is **** **. This phrase is used when there has been a foul on the pitch but an advantage is played by the referee. The referee indicates this advantage by holding both arms out in front to indicate to both teams that they can **** ** - they can continue.

Rowan: Thanks again to HSN from Turkey for this football phrase - it’s a bit easier than last week’s.

Jack: Let’s see if a few more of you can get this football phrase right and who is first this week. And if you are still wondering what the answer was to last week’s football phrase it was blank gameweek.

Rich: If you have a football phrase that you would like us to use in the podcast, just get in touch and let us know.

Rowan: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast.

Jack: If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at premierskills@britishcouncil.org

Rich: or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Rowan: or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football!