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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
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1
GLOSSARY
technology – equipment, machines, and ways of doing things based on
scientific and technical knowledge
* The technology in cell phones has improved quickly over the past 10 years.
opposite – the completely different meaning of something else; entirely different
* The opposite of cold is hot, and the opposite of happy is sad.
pretty much – for the most part; mostly; primarily; largely
* The doctors have done pretty much all they can, so now we can only wait and
see whether he recovers.
computer illiterate – unfamiliar with computers and how to use or repair them;
not well education in the use of computers
* Harvey is a computer illiterate who can’t even figure out how to use email.
to bother – to make an effort to do something that is unlikely to succeed
* Why did you bother to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles? You could have
just renewed your driver’s license online on their website.
IT department – the part of a business or organization that is responsible for
information technology (IT), making sure that computers, phones, networks and
other types of equipment and services are working well
* The IT department is implementing a lot of new security measures.
to consult – to request guidance or advice from someone; to ask someone for
advice or their opinion
* Feel free to consult our customer service representatives at any time if you
have questions about how to use your new camera.
specialist – someone who is an expert in something and knows a lot about it
* Rebekah’s primary care physician couldn’t figure out why she was in pain, so
he referred her to a specialist.
to have no choice but to – to be forced to do something because one does not
have any other options, especially when referring to something that one would
prefer not to do
* If you continue to misbehave, I’ll have no choice but to call your parents.
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
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2
to call in (someone) – to request the presence or assistance of someone; to ask
or to get someone to help
* The military commander decided to call in reinforcements, asking for more
soldiers to help with the fighting.
to act up – to behave or function improperly, not as something should
* The car has been acting up lately. Sometimes it won’t start if it’s cold outside.
file – an electronic document
* If you make any changes to the report, please save the file under a different
name.
screwed up – with a major problem; with a lot of problems
* The airport’s reservation system is screwed up, so it looks like a lot of people
are going to miss their flights.
to configure – to establish the settings for a computer or another electronic
device in a particular way
* How can I configure my smart phone so that I can receive email messages?
encrypted – protected with a code that is difficult to open
* Any data that contains credit card numbers or social security numbers should
be encrypted before it is sent over the Internet.
to occur to (someone) – to be thought of by someone; for someone to have a
particular thought or idea
* It never occurred to me that my joke would have been offensive. I’m sorry.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
3
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Why did Steve consult the IT department?
a) Because it’s the least expensive way to get technical support.
b) Because he couldn’t figure out another way to solve the problem.
c) Because his boss told him to do it.
2. According to Leah, why can’t Steve open the file?
a) Because he is a computer illiterate.
b) Because it was saved by using a special code.
c) Because it has a computer virus.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
pretty much
The phrase “pretty much,” in this podcast, means for the most part, mostly,
primarily, or largely: “We’ve pretty much eaten everything in the fridge, so I guess
we need to go grocery shopping soon.” The phrase “to cost a pretty penny”
means to be very expensive: “Their house is huge! It must have cost a pretty
penny.” The phrase “as pretty as a picture” means very pretty: “The view from the
Hansons’ balcony is as pretty as a picture.” Finally, the phrase “to be sitting
pretty” means to be in a favorable position and for success to be likely: “They
saved everything they could while they were working, and now that they’re finally
ready to retire, they’re sitting pretty, with plenty of money for international travel.”
file
In this podcast, the word “file” means an electronic document: “I’m having trouble
opening the file. Could you please resave it as in a newer version of the
program?” Or, “Are you able to open .psd files on your computer?” When talking
about tools, a “file” is a piece of metal with a rough (not smooth) surface, used to
make something else smooth: “If the sandpaper isn’t strong enough, try using
this file.” A “nail file” is a tool with a rough edge used to shape one’s fingernails:
“The manicurist cut Macey’s nails and then used a nail file to make the tips into
an oval shape before painting them with pink polish.” Finally, the phrase “single
file” describes a line where each person stands behind another person: “The
children lined up in single file to enter the classroom.”
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
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4
CULTURE NOTE
Milestones in Data Storage Technology
Technology “evolves” (changes over time) very rapidly, and there have been
many recent “advances” (improvements) in “data storage technology” (ways to
record information so that it is not lost).
One of the first types of data storage technology was “punch cards.” These were
“stiff” (not easy to bend) pieces of paper that had many holes “punched” (cut into
something) into them, and the position of those holes controlled the behavior of a
machine. For example, punch cards were used to control “textile looms”
(machines that weave cloth) and to play “organs” (large piano-like instruments).
“Magnetic tape” was a major “milestone” (an important point in the progress of
something) in data storage technology. Similar to a “cassette tape” (devices used
to record and play music before CDs were invented), they use a long piece of
magnetic tape that is “wound up” (rolled in a circle) and then unwound as it is
“read” (viewed and interpreted) by a machine.
“Floppy disks” (were large, flexible plastic squares containing a metal “disk” (a
flat circle) that could be read by computers. Over time, they became smaller and
the littlest ones had a hard plastic “case” (outer covering).
Most of these data storage technologies have been replaced by “flash memory,”
which is used in “USB flash drives” (devices that plug into computers), “memory
cards” or “memory sticks” (small devices that are placed in a cell phone or
camera), and similar products.
Each “generation” (a group of items that use similar technology) of data storage
technology “improves upon the last” (is better than the one that came before it),
storing more data in less space, usually more quickly and less expensively.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – b
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
5
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 936 – Working with
the IT Department.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 936. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is ESLPod.com. You probably know that already, but did you know
that you can become a member of ESL Podcast and download a Learning
Guide? You did? You knew that? Oh, okay.
Our topic today is working with an IT or Information Technology department –
those are the people in your company who know how your computer is supposed
to work. Let's get started.
[start of story]
Whenever I have a technology problem at work, I try to solve it myself. It’s not
that I know a lot of about technology. In fact, the opposite is true. I’m pretty much
a computer illiterate, but I still try.
Why do I bother? The answer is the IT department in my company. Every time I
consult one of the IT specialists, they make me feel like an idiot. But this time, I
had no choice but to call in the experts.
***
Leah: What seems to be the problem here?
Steve: My computer is acting up and I can’t get this file to open.
Leah: Move. Let me take a look. Ha, of course your computer is acting up. I don’t
know what you did to it, but it’s really screwed up.
Steve: I’m not sure how I could have done that.
Leah: Me neither. This is configured all wrong. And the reason you can’t open
this file is because it’s encrypted. Did that occur to you?
Steve: No, I guess I didn’t.
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
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6
Leah: I’ll fix everything, but try not to screw it up again.
Steve: I’ll do my best.
***
See what I mean?
[end of story]
Our story begins with Steve describing his situation at work. He says, “Whenever
I have a technology problem at work, I try to solve it myself.” “Technology” refers
to anything, really, that is made by humans that helps you accomplish some goal
or task. Normally, nowadays, we associate technology with things like computers
and phones and other electronic devices. Steve is saying that if he has a problem
at work with technology, he tries to solve it himself – to find the answer himself.
He says, “It's not that I know a lot about technology. In fact, the opposite is true.”
If, for example, the water is cold and your friend says, “Oh, the water is hot,” you
can say, “No, the opposite is true.” The opposite of “hot” would be “cold.” In our
story it's a little confusing because Steve says, “It's not that I know a lot about
technology.” We know that Steve does not know a lot about technology, because
he's saying “it's not that,” which means “it is not true that.” The statement that is
not true is, “I know a lot about technology.” Then, Steve says, “The opposite is
true” – the opposite of that statement, “I know a lot about technology,” is true. In
other words, Steve does not know very much about technology.
He says, “I'm pretty much a computer illiterate, but I try.” “Pretty much” means
primarily, mostly, for the most part. “Literate” (literate) usually refers to your ability
to read and write in a given language. “Illiterate” (illiterate) means that you cannot
read or write. However, we use “literate” nowadays sometimes to means “skilled”
– to have knowledge about something. “Computer illiterate” means he doesn't
know very much about computers.
Steve says, “Why do I bother?” “Why do I bother” means “Why do I trouble
myself?” Why do I make an effort to do something that may not be successful?
“The answer is the IT department in my company,” Steve says. The “IT
department” is the Information Technology department – the part of a company
that is responsible for computers and other electronic devices.
Steve says, “Every time I consult one of the IT specialists, they make me feel like
an idiot.” “To consult” (consult) can mean a couple of different things. Here it
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
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7
means to ask for someone's assistance, to ask for someone's help. We often use
that in a professional or business context when we are asking for assistance
from, in this case, another person in our company.
“Consult” can also be used as a verb to refer to the act of you providing
additional services to another company. “I'm consulting for a textbook company”
– I'm working for a company that makes books for students. The verb “consult”
has those two meanings, one which means to provide assistance – usually for
some small issue within your company, in this case. And, it can mean to work for
another company temporarily, to help them with some larger problem.
The company where Steve works has “IT specialists.” A “specialist” (specialist) is
anyone who knows a lot about a certain topic. You could have a specialist in
ancient archaeology. You could have a specialist in Renaissance poetry. You
could have a specialist in neurosurgery. All of those are possible uses of the
word “specialist.” Here, we're talking about someone who knows a lot about
computers. These IT specialists at Steve's company make Steve feel like an
idiot; they make him feel stupid. Maybe that's because Steve is stupid. I don't
know, I've never met Steve.
Steve says, “But this time, I had no choice but to call in the experts,” When you
say you “have no choice but to,” that means you have no other options. You have
to do a certain thing. I have no choice but to eat this piece of chocolate cake. If I
don’t eat it, it will be wasted. I'll have to throw it out. I have no choice but to eat it.
Steve has no choice but to call in the experts. “To call someone in” is a phrasal
verb meaning to ask someone to come in and help you – in this case, with your
problem.
So, then we begin our dialogue. Leah says, “What seems to be the problem
here?” Leah is one of the IT specialists. Steve says, “My computer is acting up
and I can't get this file to open.” The phrasal verb “to act up” here means to
cause problems – to not work or function properly. Steve cannot get a file to open
on his computer. A “file” is just a general term for any sort of electronic
document. It could be a Microsoft Word file. It could be a PDF file. It could be an
MP3 file. There are lots of different electronic files.
Steve cannot get this file to open. He wants to look at it or listen to it and he's
unable to do that. Leah says, “Move.” “Move” means move over, leave your seat.
There was actually a very funny comedy show a few years ago about an IT
specialist, and the IT specialist was very rude – was very condescending,
meaning he would talk to people as though they were idiots, as though he were
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
8
the only person who knew anything about computers. That's what Leah is doing
here. She’s saying, “Move. Let me take a look” – let me examine this situation.
She says, “Ha, of course your computer is acting up. I don't know what you did to
it, but it's really screwed up.” “To be screwed up” means to have a lot of
problems, to have a major problem. Steve says, “I'm not sure how I could have
done that.” Leah says, “Me neither.” Notice that in informal English, we usually
don't say, “I neither.” That would sound very strange to most native speakers of
English. We say, “Me neither,” even though it's not technically grammatically
correct. Leah is saying, “I don't know either.”
She says, “This is configured all wrong.” “To configure” (configure) means to
establish the settings for a computer device or a piece of software – to go in and
determine how it's supposed to operate normally. “This is configured all wrong,”
Leah says. We're not sure what “this” is – perhaps the software program that
Steve is trying to use. If it's “configured all wrong,” it is configured incorrectly.
Leah says, “And the reason you can't open this file is because it's encrypted.”
“Encrypted” (encrypted) comes from the verb “to encrypt.” “To encrypt” means to
protect something with a special code so that no one can understand what it is or
no one, in this case, can open the file because you put some sort of special
protection on it.
You can have encrypted messages where you are sending messages to
someone, and perhaps you’re changing the letters in the words so that no one
can understand what you're saying except the person who knows how to
“decrypt” the code. “To decrypt” means to figure out what the message is trying
to say because you know how it was encrypted. You know the way that they try
to protect it. Sometimes, for security purposes, files are encrypted so that they
are protected. No one can read them unless they know how to decrypt them.
Leah says, “Did that occur to you?” Did you think about that as being a
possibility? Steve says, “No, I guess I didn't.” Leah says, “I’ll fix everything, but try
not to screw it up again.” Leah is saying, “Try not to break it again” or “Try not to
do something that would cause it to act up again.” Steve says, “I'll do my best,”
meaning “I'll try not to.”
Then, at the end of the story, we hear Steve say, “See what I mean?” That
expression, “See what I mean?” as a question is used to indicate that you have
just shown an example or given evidence for some statement that you made
previously. At the beginning of the story, Steve was saying that he didn't like to
call someone from the IT department because the people who worked there were
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
9
not very nice to him. They made him feel like an idiot. Then he gives us an
example of this in his dialogue with Leah.
So, at the end of the story, he can say, “See what I mean?” meaning “I was
right.” I showed you. Here is the evidence, and you should, therefore, agree with
my statement.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
[start of story]
Whenever I have a technology problem at work, I try to solve it myself. It’s not
that I know a lot of about technology. In fact, the opposite is true. I’m pretty much
a computer illiterate, but I still try.
Why do I bother? The answer is the IT department in my company. Every time I
consult one of the IT specialists, they make me feel like an idiot. But this time, I
had no choice but to call in the experts.
***
Leah: What seems to be the problem here?
Steve: My computer is acting up and I can’t get this file to open.
Leah: Move. Let me take a look. Ha, of course your computer is acting up. I don’t
know what you did to it, but it’s really screwed up.
Steve: I’m not sure how I could have done that.
Leah: Me neither. This is configured all wrong. And the reason you can’t open
this file is because it’s encrypted. Did that occur to you?
Steve: No, I guess I didn’t.
Leah: I’ll fix everything, but try not to screw it up again.
Steve: I’ll do my best.
***
See what I mean?
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 936 – Working With the IT Department
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
10
[end of story]
Our scriptwriter is not illiterate; the opposite is true. She's one of the best
scriptwriters on the Internet. Thank you, Dr. Lucy Tse.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational
Development.
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