Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 536, Using a Computer Keyboard.
This is English as a Second Language podcast number 536.
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.
That's www.eslpod.com.
You can also make a donation to our podcast by going to the website.
This episode is called Using a Computer Keyboard, something that all of us probably do every day.
It's going to talk about some specific vocabulary we use when talking about a keyboard.
Let's get started.
This keyboard is so hard to use.
I can't find where anything is.
It's a standard QWERTY keyboard.
The layout may be a little different, with the function keys on the right-hand side instead of on the top, but you'll get used to it in no time.
That's what you think.
I don't need an ergonomic wireless keyboard.
I liked my old one.
Everybody in the office is getting one, so you weren't singled out.
Okay, let me give you a quick orientation.
The keyboard has a built-in number pad, and all you need to do is press the numlock key to use it.
The ESC key is over here, and the CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT keys are on the bottom.
Where's the caps lock?
It's on your left.
But my old keyboard had a bunch of hotkeys.
What am I supposed to do without them?
You can program your function keys to act as hotkeys.
Do you want me to show you how to do that?
That's the spirit.
Leslie begins our dialogue by saying, this keyboard is so hard to use.
The keyboard, as you probably know, is the flat rectangular part of the computer that has buttons on it that you press down in order to enter information into a computer.
Leslie says, I can't find where anything is.
I can't locate anything.
Dave says, it's a standard QWERTY keyboard.
QWERTY is used to describe a keyboard design the most common keyboard design in English, where the letters QWERTY are the first letters in the top row when you read them from left to right.
This is a QWERTY keyboard, Dave says.
The layout may be a little different with the function keys on the right side instead of on the top.
But you'll get used to it in no time.
A layout is a way that we organize things.
It's the position of individual pieces of something.
You can talk about the layout of a house, how the house is designed, where the bedrooms are, where the bathrooms are.
Layout here refers to the position of the keys.
The keys are the buttons that you press.
That's why we call it a keyboard.
The position of the keys is the layout for the keyboard.
Dave is saying that The function keys for this keyboard are on the right-hand side, on the right of the keyboard, instead of on the top.
Function keys are the ones that say F1 F2, F3 and so on to F12, that are used to In some computers for specific commands, things that the computer does if you press one of those keys.
Dave says that Leslie will get used to it in no time, meaning very quickly.
Leslie says that's what you think, meaning that's your opinion, but it isn't true.
That's what you think.
I don't need an ergonomic wireless keyboard.
I liked my old one.
The word ergonomic E-R-G-O-N-O-M-I-C is an adjective we use to describe equipment, technology or furniture that is made to be more efficient to use, so that it It doesn't hurt your body.
For example, an ergonomic chair would be a chair that you could sit in for a long time and it wouldn't hurt your back.
An ergonomic keyboard is designed so that you can use it without hurting your hands, without getting any sort of pain in your hands.
It's supposed to be designed to prevent that.
Wireless keyboards are keyboards that you don't have a physical wire to connect the keyboard to the computer.
Wireless, without wires.
Many keyboards and mouses nowadays are wireless.
My keyboard and mouse are wireless, for example.
Leslie says she liked her old keyboard.
Dave says everybody in the office is getting one, is getting these new keyboards.
So you weren't singled out.
To single someone out is a phrasal verb meaning to treat someone differently than everyone else, especially if it's something a person doesn't like.
For example, the teacher may say, everyone needs to write a five-page essay, a five-page paper.
And one of the students complains about it.
The teacher could say, well, you are not being singled out.
Everyone has to do this.
So Leslie is not being singled out.
By the way, the word single has a couple of different meanings in English.
For those meanings, take a look at our learning guide for this episode.
Dave says, The word orientation here means...
An overview when someone gives you basic information to make you familiar with something, to give you some important information.
When you start a new job, you may attend a company orientation where they give you information about things that are important for you to know in that company.
Orientation, however, has other meanings, just like the word single.
You can find those meanings in our learning guide for this episode.
Dave says this keyboard has a built-in number pad.
When we say something is built-in...
We're describing something that is a permanent part of something else.
It wasn't added separately.
It was made that way.
For example, you could have a built-in closet, that is, a place where you keep your clothes.
In my room, in my bedroom, I have a built-in closet.
It's not a separate piece of furniture that we bought and put in my room.
It was part of the room.
It was built that way.
Built is the past tense of build.
So something that is built in is a permanent part of it.
Many keyboards have a built-in number pad.
The number pad is a small, usually square or rectangular part of a keyboard that has just numbers as well as a few mathematical symbols.
Number pads are useful for entering numbers in very quickly.
In fact, some people are very fast when they use their number pads.
Dave says, all you need to do is press the num lock key to use it.
On some keyboards, the number pad is separate from the rest of the keys.
In some keyboards however, it's part of the keys and you have to press a special key, a special button, to use it, and that is typically called the NUM lock.
NUM stands for number.
He says the escape key, E-S-C, is over here.
On a keyboard.
E-S-C means escape, often used to get out of a program or to perhaps undo something that you did.
He says the Control-Alt-Alt and Shift keys are on the bottom.
These are special keys used on keyboards for specific commands or functions on computers.
The Control key is usually pressed down with another key to do something in a computer program, for example on windows.
When you are in the program microsoft word and you press control z, the letter z, you will undo your previous action.
The alt key is similar.
The Alt key is usually pressed with another key to do something.
It's often used to open menus in a computer program.
The Shift key is the key you press to make capital letters, to make large letters.
It's also, again, used as part of a command sometimes.
If you press Control-Alt-Delete on a Windows machine, that usually will turn your computer off.
It will shut it down or give you that option.
Leslie says, where are the caps lock?
The caps lock is the key usually on the left side of the keyboard that, when pressed, makes all of the letters capital letters.
It's like having the shift key always being pressed.
The word CAPS, C-A-P-S, stands for capitals or capital letters.
Dave says to Leslie, the CAPS lock is on your left.
Leslie says, but my old keyboard had a bunch of hotkeys.
Hotkeys are additional keys or buttons that you can press to make the computer do certain things.
On some computer programs you can often program the hotkeys, make certain combination of keys or certain keys command buttons, so that when you press them something happens right away.
Leslie says, what am I supposed to do without them?
This Leslie really likes to complain, doesn't she?
Dave says, you can program your function keys to act as hotkeys.
Do you want me to show you how to do that?
Leslie says, I guess so.
Since I'm stuck with this keyboard, I guess I have to live with it.
To be stuck with something means to be forced to do something or be forced to use something that you don't want to use.
Leslie feels that she's stuck with this keyboard, meaning she doesn't have any other choice, but she's not very happy about it.
Leslie is a very unhappy person, it seems.
She says, I guess I have to live with it.
To have to live with something means you have to put up with it.
You have to tolerate it.
Dave jokingly says that's the spirit.
Normally, that's the spirit is a phrase used to encourage the other person to continue doing what they are doing, to have a positive attitude.
But here it's used sarcastically as a joke since Leslie has a very negative attitude.
I think Leslie needs to look for a new job, personally.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
This keyboard is so hard to use.
I can't find where anything is.
It's a standard QWERTY keyboard.
The layout may be a little different, with the function keys on the right-hand side instead of on the top, but you'll get used to it in no time.
That's what you think.
I don't need an ergonomic wireless keyboard.
I like my old one.
Everybody in the office is getting one, so you weren't singled out.
Okay, let me give you a quick orientation.
This keyboard has a built-in number pad, and all you have to do is press the num lock key to use it.
The escape ESC key is over here, and the control, alt, and shift keys are on the bottom.
Where's the caps lock?
It's on your left.
But my old keyboard had a bunch of hotkeys.
What am I supposed to do without them?
You can program your function keys to act as hotkeys.
Do you want me to show you how to do that?
I guess so.
Since I'm stuck with this keyboard, I guess I have to live with it.
That's the spirit.
If I had to single out the most important person at ESL Podcast, that would be our script writer, Dr Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you 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.
