#0429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations
GLOSSARY
award –
something given to a person because he or she has done something
well
* Mickey got a “good attendance award” for having come to school every day this
past year.
scholarship –
money given to a person so that he or she can pay to study in a
particular school or program
* The U.S. government offers scholarships to students who want to study science
and technology.
ceremony –
a special event that honors a person or a group of people, using
special words or actions that are often similar or the same every time
* How many people did you invite to your wedding ceremony?
to do just that –
to do exactly what one was just talking about
* Each spring, we clean the house thoroughly, and now that it’s April again, it’s
time to do just that.
to commend (someone) –
to praise someone; to say publicly that someone has
done something well
* The soldier was commended for his bravery in the war.
to congratulate (someone) –
to say that one is happy because of something
good that has happened to another person
* We congratulate you on the birth of your son!
well deserved –
with merit; something that should have happened because
someone worked hard for it or did all the things that were necessary
* Margie’s Most Valuable Player award was well deserved, since she scored
more than twice as many points as anyone else on her team did.
recipient –
the person who receives something; the person who is given
something
* Do you like to give people presents or do you prefer to be the recipient?
outstanding achievement –
a very good and impressive accomplishment, in
school or in a specific field
* Verna was recognized by the city officials for her outstanding achievement in
community service.
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ESL Podcast 429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations
hearty –
friendly, happy, and loud; sincere; heart-felt
* Joe gave his friend a hearty hug.
to be awarded (something) –
to receive an award, honor, or recognition
* Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
prestigious –
very important and well respected; one of the best
* These are three of the most prestigious universities in the United States.
to honor –
to show publicly that someone has done something very well and that
other people are grateful and/or admire him or her
* The reporter was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for her outstanding writing.
a job well done –
a phrase used to show that someone has done something
very well
* Thank you for your excellent work on that report – a job well done!
dedication –
commitment; hard work put into something
* This organization is a success thanks to the dedication of its volunteers.
deserving –
having earned something because of what one has done; very good
* Of all the applicants, I think this one is most deserving of the job.
please accept my sincere congratulations –
a formal phrase used to tell
someone that one is very happy and proud of what he or she has done
* Please accept my sincere congratulations on your engagement.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What is a prestigious award?
a) A very important award.
b) A very expensive award.
c) A very well deserved award.
2. Why is Ms. Niehbur deserving?
a) Because she doesn’t have very much money.
b) Because she always serves other people.
c) Because she is very committed to her work.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
ceremony
The word “ceremony,” in this podcast, means a special event that honors a
person or a group of people: “What time will the graduation ceremony begin?”
The phrase “without ceremony” means very informally, or sometimes without
being polite: “The actress surprised everyone, accepting the award without
ceremony, simply saying ‘thank you.’” The phrase “to not stand on ceremony”
means to be informal and not worry about the rules regarding how one should
behave and what one should do: “Don’t stand on ceremony. Come in, relax, and
drink a beer with us!” Finally, the “master of ceremonies,” or “MC,” is the person
who introduces guests or speakers at an event: “The master of ceremonies
shared the speaker’s biography with the audience.”
to honor
In this podcast, the verb “to honor” means to show publicly that someone has
done something very well and that other people are grateful and/or admire him or
her for it: “Maggie was honored as the ‘most likely to succeed’ by her fellow
students.” Or, “The city had a special event to honor its police officers.” The
phrase “to honor (something)” means to do what one has agreed to do: “Do you
think they’ll honor their agreement?” Or, “The electrician didn’t honor the
contract.” The phrase “to honor a check” means for a bank to pay money to
someone because a check has been written to that person: “I took your check to
the bank, but they said that they couldn’t honor it because there wasn’t enough
money in your account.”
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations
CULTURE NOTE
In the United States, there are many types of awards. Some of the most simple
awards are just a “certificate,” or a piece of paper that states which award was
won, by whom, and when. Sometimes an organization will give someone a
“framed certificate,” where the piece of paper is put underneath a piece of glass
or plastic and has wood around the edges, so that it is ready to hang on a wall.
Other awards are much more “elaborate” (fancy and impressive). Companies
and universities sometimes have “plaques” for their awards. A plaque is a flat
piece of metal, wood, glass, or stone where a person’s name and the date are
written each time someone wins an award. Plaques are most common when the
same award is given every year, and they are usually hung where many people
can see them.
Many sports-related awards are “trophies,” or large objects made of metal that sit
on a table or shelf. A trophy often has a small “sculpture” (three-dimensional art
made from metal) of an athlete for that sport, but other trophies might just be a
very large cup or plate. Often the name of the award recipient is “engraved” (cut
into metal) on the trophy.
Finally, some awards are things that people can wear, such as a gold watch.
Many companies used to give their “long-time” (having done something for many
years) employees a gold watch on their 20
th
or 25
th
anniversary of working for the
company. The watch might have the award recipient’s name engraved on it, too.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – c
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 429 – Giving Awards and Congratulations
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 429: Giving Awards
and Congratulations.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 429. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Visit our website at eslpod.com, where you can download a Learning Guide for
this episode to help you improve your English even faster
This episode is called “Giving Awards and Congratulations.” It will use several
vocabulary words that we associate with “congratulating,” telling someone they
did a good job, as well as giving out awards to people. Let’s get started.
[start of story]
Part of my job as school principal is to hand out awards and scholarships to
students. We recently had a ceremony to do just that.
.....
Principal: Miguel, I want to commend you for your work this year and
congratulate you for winning the science award. It is well deserved.
The recipient of this year’s community service award is Monique for her
outstanding achievements. My heartiest congratulations to you, Monique.
I am also very proud of another one of our students, Yugo, who has been
awarded the ESL Podcast award. This prestigious award honors the
achievements of outstanding students. Yugo, a job well done.
Finally, we are also honoring one of our teachers today. For her dedication to
her students and to the school, we are recognizing the achievements of Ms.
Niehbur. I cannot imagine a more deserving teacher. Please accept my sincere
congratulations.
[end of story]
Our story begins with the “principal” of a school, the leader or head of a school,
talking about how one of his “duties,” one of his responsibilities, is to “hand out,”
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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