Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 486, Having Limited Mobility.
This is English as a Second Language podcast number 486.
Transcription by CastingWords, which contains all of the vocabulary definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions, cultural notes, comprehension questions and, best of all, a complete transcript of everything we say on this episode.
This episode is called Having Limited Mobility.
Mobility is the ability to move around.
It will be a dialogue between Gail and Mike, using some vocabulary that would be related to people who are not able to move around with their body as easily as others.
Let's get started.
Oh, are you okay?
Yeah, I'm just not used to these crutches yet.
The doctor said I should start using them if I ever want to get out of this wheelchair.
But I don't have the strength to stand up.
You'll get the hang of it.
Don't lose heart.
It should be easy now that my arm is out of the cast, but it just seems impossible.
I feel I'm going to lose my balance each time I try to stand up.
Try again, and this time lean on me and I'll try to serve as your legs until you can find your balance.
I wish I didn't feel so utterly useless.
It's so frustrating.
I know.
Just keep your eye on the ball and give it another try.
The next thing you know, you'll be limping along and then running a marathon.
It's just a matter of time before you get your mobility back.
Yeah, right.
Okay, first things first.
Let's see if these useless legs of mine will cooperate this time.
Our dialogue begins with Gail saying, Oh, she, we think, has hurt herself or is in pain.
Mike says, are you okay?
Gail says, yeah, I'm just not used to these crutches yet.
She's not used to, she's not accustomed to these crutches.
A crutch is a long stick that you put underneath your arms and in what we call the armpit.
That's the part that is underneath your shoulder.
You use the crutches to move more easily when your legs are injured for some reason.
So if you break your leg, you'll probably be given two crutches to help you walk more easily.
Gail says.
The doctor said I should start using them, the crutches, if I ever want to get out of this wheelchair.
A wheelchair is a special chair that has wheels, not too surprisingly.
It's used by people who can't walk easily or cannot walk at all because there is a problem with their legs.
Gail says, I don't have the strength to stand up.
She's saying I'm not strong enough to stand up.
Strength means the energy and ability to use your muscles in a certain way.
In this case, the muscles of her legs.
Mike says you'll get the hang of it.
To get the hang of something means to learn to do something so that it becomes normal, easy for you to be able to do something without having to think about it or put a lot of effort into it.
If you drive a new car or you get a new piece of computer software, It may take you a while to get the hang of it, to get used to it, to do it well.
Mike says, don't lose heart.
This expression to lose heart means to give up, to think that you will never be able to do something.
Mike says, do not lose heart, meaning don't give up.
Gail says it should be easy now that my arm is out of the cast, but it just seems impossible.
A cast C-A-S-T here means a piece of plaster, which is a heavy, hard white material that is put around a part of your body so that it won't move.
If you break your arm or your leg, they will usually put this big white cast on your leg or your arm so that you don't move it.
This allows the body to get better, to heal.
Cast has a number of different meanings in English.
Take a look at our learning guide for some additional explanations.
Gail says, I feel I'm going to lose my balance each time I stand up.
To lose your balance means to fall over or to start to fall over again.
Perhaps because you are dizzy, meaning you feel somehow that your head is moving around and your body begins to become unsteady.
Little boys, for example, sometimes like to turn around and around and around.
If they do that too much, they get dizzy. and they may lose their balance.
They may fall down.
Gail says that she feels like she's going to lose her balance each time she tries to stand up.
Mike says, And this time, lean on me.
To lean L-E-A-N on someone is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to support yourself against another person or thing, especially when you are standing.
So, for example, if you hurt your leg...
You may stand up and then lean on another person, put your arm or put your body against that person, so that that person can help you stay standing, so you won't fall down.
That's the most common definition.
There's another meaning of this phrase to lean on someone.
It can also mean to apply pressure force, or perhaps even a threat, to someone in order to get them to do something.
It's an expression you would probably hear if you are talking about a crime gang that is trying to pressure someone into doing something, perhaps even something illegal.
Mike says, I'll try to serve as your legs until you can find your balance.
To serve as something means to act as something, especially when the other thing is not available to take the place of something else.
For example, I have a big table that serves as my desk.
It's not a desk.
It wasn't designed to be a desk.
It was made to be a table that you would sit and eat at.
But I use it as my desk.
It serves as, it takes the place of, it serves the function of my desk.
The verb serve has many different meanings in English, however.
Please take a look at today's learning guide for some additional explanations.
Mike is telling Gail that he will help her stand up and help her walk.
Gail says, The word utterly, U-T-T-E-R-L-Y, means completely, entirely, 100%.
It's often used to describe some sort of negative emotion.
I'm utterly exhausted today means I'm completely tired.
I'm very, very tired.
In this case, Gail says she feels utterly useless, meaning 100% useless, completely useless.
She says, it's so frustrating.
It's so discouraging.
Mike says, I know.
Just keep your eye on the ball and give it another try.
To keep your eye on the ball is an expression we use to mean try to focus on your goal or objective.
Don't get distracted by other things.
Don't let other things bother you.
If you are trying to win an Olympic gold medal, you need to keep your eye on the ball.
You need to continue to focus and concentrate on something.
You might hear the expression, he took his eye off the ball. meaning he lost his focus.
He didn't pay attention to what he should have been paying attention.
Mike says, the next thing you know, you'll be limping along and then running a marathon.
The expression, the next thing you know, is used to say that something will happen very quickly, much more quickly than you thought, much sooner than you thought.
So, sooner than you think, which is another way of saying this, you'll be limping faster.
To limp means to walk in a way that puts very little weight on one foot or leg, usually because you're injured.
So if you hurt your right leg, you will be limping.
You will not be using your right leg very much, and so you will walk a little funny.
Usually if you're limping, you're moving a little more slowly as well.
A marathon is a long race for runners, approximately 26 miles.
It's a very common kind of long-distance run, a marathon.
It comes originally from Greek history, ancient Greek history, but we won't talk about that now.
Mike says it's just a matter of time before you get your mobility back, before you get your ability to move around in your body easily.
Gail says yeah, right.
Meaning she's not really sure that's true.
Yeah, right is often used as an expression when someone doesn't think it's true.
Even though they are saying something that sounds like they're agreeing, in many cases in most cases it means that they don't agree with that.
Gail says, first things first.
We use this phrase to talk about the need to do things in order, one thing at a time.
You have to do the most important thing first, the thing that comes first in order.
She says, let's see if these useless legs of mine will cooperate this time.
She's saying yes, maybe someday I will be able to run a marathon, but first I need to be able to walk.
So she needs to get her legs to work properly for her.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Oh, are you okay?
Yeah, I'm just not used to these crutches yet.
The doctor said I should start using them if I ever want to get out of this wheelchair.
But I don't have the strength to stand up.
You'll get the hang of it.
Don't lose heart.
It should be easy now that my arm is out of the cast, but it just seems impossible.
I feel I'm going to lose my balance each time I try to stand up.
Try again, and this time lean on me and I'll try to serve as your legs until you can find your balance.
I wish I didn't feel so utterly useless.
It's so frustrating.
I know.
Just keep your eye on the ball and give it another try.
The next thing you know, you'll be limping along and then running a marathon.
It's just a matter of time before you get your mobility back.
Yeah, right.
Okay, first things first.
Let's see if these useless legs of mine will cooperate this time.
Our script for this episode was written by someone who always keeps her eye on the ball, Dr Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thanks for listening.
Come back and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2009 by the Center for Educational Development.
