Hello and welcome to the English Like A Native podcast.
My name is Anna and you're listening to week 35, day four of your English Five A Day, the second season.
Day by day, from Monday to Friday, we're getting together to help you to increase your vocabulary, improve those listening skills and to feel more like yourself when communicating in English.
With this podcast, we do that with ease.
Each episode is between 15 to 20 minutes, and all you have to do is find a moment in your daily routine where you can listen while you do the thing.
Whether that's commuting cooking, getting ready for the day or eating your breakfast, I'm here to keep you company.
So make sure that you subscribe to this podcast and tune in on a regular basis.
Now, without further ado, let's start today's episode, as we always do, with a snapshot of what's to come.
Lady Catherine, born into Britain's wealthy aristocracy, shocked her family when she announced her decision to work from home as a freelance graphic designer rather than pursue traditional upper-class occupations.
Her choice to make waves by rejecting centuries of family expectations became quite divisive amongst her relatives, splitting them into those who supported her independence and those who felt betrayed.
Many people made unfair assumptions about her motivations, believing she was simply rebelling, when in reality, she genuinely wanted to build something meaningful with her own talents.
Okay, it's time to dive into our vocabulary, starting with the noun aristocracy.
Aristocracy.
We spell this A-R-I-S-T-O-C-R-A-C-Y.
Aristocracy.
Aristocracy.
Aristocracy is a group of people in society who have high social rank, often because of family wealth or titles.
So a lord and lady.
The royal family.
Members of Parliament may be considered to be aristocracy.
Here's an example sentence.
In the past, the aristocracy owned most of the land in England.
Next, we have the idiom make waves.
To make waves, two words, make, M-A-K-E, waves, W-A-V-E-S.
To make waves is to cause trouble, change or attention.
To grab attention by doing something different or unexpected.
As if life were a still body of water, and anyone who does anything different or will upset the water and create waves.
So the idiom is make waves.
Have you ever made waves?
Have you ever done something out of the ordinary?
Have you gone against the grain, done something that was unexpected that most people would not do?
Here's an example sentence.
The new student began to make waves by asking different questions in class.
I made waves at one of my schools when I decided to push back against the uniform policy.
I wanted to wear trousers in winter because my legs were cold, but they insisted that the girls wear skirts.
And so I began to wear trousers and push back, which made waves.
It got people talking.
It got students debating, rebelling.
It got parents involved.
In the end, nothing actually changed, but for a short time, I made waves.
Next, we have the phrase work from home, a very common phrase, particularly in this day and age.
Everybody is experiencing a change in the workplace and many people are working now from home.
So to work from home, three words, work from home.
This means to do your job in your own house or home instead of going into an office.
So I work from home.
I work in a little studio at the end of my garden.
I work from home.
How about you?
Do you work from home?
Here's another example sentence.
Some jobs cannot be done if you work from home.
Yes, you can't be a waitress and work from home.
You can't be a construction worker and work from home unless you're employing yourself to build your own home.
So are you able to work from home or not?
Next we have the adjective divisive.
Divisive.
We spell this D-I-V-I-S-I-V-E.
Divisive.
If something is described as divisive, then it causes people to disagree strongly or separate into different groups.
It divides them if it is divisive.
For example, the politician's divisive comments split the country in two.
Last on our list today is the noun assumptions, assumptions.
We spell this A-S-S-U-M-P-T-I-O-N-S, assumptions.
Assumptions are things that people believe are true without checking or without any evidence.
They make assumptions.
So make and assumptions often go together.
Here's an example sentence.
She made assumptions about him based on his accent.
Okay, that's our five.
Let's do a quick recap.
We started with the noun aristocracy, which is a group of people in society who have a high social rank, often because of family wealth or titles.
Aristocracy.
We had the idiom make waves, which is to cause trouble, to create change or to get attention by doing something different or unexpected.
We had the phrase work from home, which is to do your job from your house instead of in an office.
We had the adjective divisive, which is causing people to disagree strongly or separate into different groups.
Divisive.
And we had the noun assumptions, which are things that people believe are true without any proof or without checking.
Assumptions.
Okay, now I'd like you to repeat out loud after me. aristocracy, aristocracy make waves, make waves work from home, work from home divisive, divisive Assumptions, assumptions.
Fantastic.
Okay.
If I am in a job that allows me to stay at home and take calls via my computer, what am I doing?
What's the phrase that I would use here?
I'm working from home.
I'm able to work from home.
Yes, absolutely.
And if I decide that we should all work from home and never go into the office and I start talking to everyone about this idea and decide to try to create a rebellion, what am I doing?
What idiom would we use to say that I'm causing trouble? you'd say I'm making waves.
Everyone's been happy to do a hybrid mix of working from home and going into the office, but now I'm making waves by trying to get attention and bring about change.
If I want to talk about a group of people in society who have a high social rank, what noun would I use?
Aristocracy.
Yes, I'd be talking about the aristocracy.
And if I make comments that people strongly disagree with and some people strongly agree with, and it causes separation.
What adjective could we use to describe what I'm saying and what I'm doing?
Divisive.
It's very divisive.
And finally, if people believe things are true without checking and without any evidence, what are they making?
Assumptions.
They are making assumptions.
Very good.
Let's now revisit our snapshot.
Lady Catherine, born into Britain's wealthy aristocracy, shocked her family when she announced her decision to work from home as a freelance graphic designer rather than pursue traditional upper-class occupations.
Her choice to make waves by rejecting centuries of family expectations became quite divisive among her relatives, splitting them into those who supported her independence and those who felt betrayed.
Many people made unfair assumptions about her motivations, believing she was simply rebelling, when in reality, she genuinely wanted to build something meaningful with her own talents.
Okay, I want you now to listen out for that target vocabulary once again as we head into my favourite part story time.
Sarita's heels clicked against the marble of the 32nd floor as she made her way to the morning briefing.
The sound echoed through corridors that had once buzzed with conversations, now eerily quiet, save for the hum of air conditioning and the distant murmur from the few occupied offices.
She glanced at her watch.
8.47am.
Three years ago, she would have been weaving through crowds of colleagues by now.
Morning Sarita called Marcus from his corner office, one of the few executives who still came in daily.
His voice carried the particular smugness that had developed amongst the office aristocracy.
Those who'd claim the best desks, the prime meeting rooms, the ear of senior management, simply by showing up.
The conference room held only six people for what used to be a 20-person team meeting.
On the wall-mounted screen, 14 small windows displayed the faces of their remote colleagues, pixelated and occasionally freezing mid-sentence.
Sarita noticed how the room had unconsciously divided itself.
Office workers on one side of the oval table, their laptops closed, pens and notebooks at the ready.
The screen dominating the opposite wall like a digital gallery of the absent.
Right, let's crack on, announced James, the department head, adjusting his tie.
First item, the Morrison account.
A voice crackled through the speakers.
Sorry, James, you're breaking up.
Could you repeat that?
Sarita watched James's jaw tighten.
This happened every meeting now.
The assumptions flew thick and fast on both sides.
The office crowd believed the remote workers were distracted, probably in their pyjamas, not truly committed, whilst the home workers suspected the office dwellers of making decisions in corridor conversations and private lunches they'd never be privy to.
The Morrison account, James repeated, enunciating each syllable.
We need to discuss strategy.
Actually, interrupted Lisa's voice from the screen, I sent a detailed proposal yesterday.
Did everyone receive it?
The office workers exchanged glances.
Sarita had seen the email but hadn't read it thoroughly.
She'd been rushing to three back-to-back meetings.
I think there must be some technical issues with email, Marcus lied smoothly.
Perhaps you could summarise?
Sarita felt the familiar knot in her stomach.
The divide was growing more divisive by the week and she found herself caught in the middle.
She'd chosen to work from home two days a week, making her suspect to both camps.
The office purists saw her as uncommitted.
The remote workers viewed her as a management spy.
Look, Lisa's voice sharpened.
I've been working on this account for three months.
I know the client better than anyone and my proposal addresses their core concerns.
Of course, James replied, his tone patronising.
But there's something to be said for face-to-face discussion, isn't there?
Some things just can't be captured in an email.
The screen flickered, and for a moment, Lisa's face froze in what looked like barely contained fury.
Sarita knew someone had to make waves to challenge this toxic dynamic before it destroyed the team entirely.
She took a breath, her heart racing.
We leave it there.
What did she do?
How did it go down?
We'll never know.
Thank you for listening today.
I do hope you found it useful and entertaining.
Don't forget to come back again tomorrow for another episode of Your English Five a Day.
Until then, take very good care and goodbye.
