Calling In Sick

Hello English learners! Welcome to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.

And I’m Erica.

And today we’re gonna be bringing you a very useful lesson about being sick.

Yeah, um, we’re going to learn, um, how to tell your boss that you can’t go to work, because you’re sick.

Exactly! This is really important, because we all get sick and sometimes you just can’t go to work.

Yes! Or maybe sometimes you just don’t want to go to work.

You just… exactly, maybe you’re lying.

Yeah.

But we’re gonna be teaching you how to do it anyway, so, before we start with our dialogue, let’s take a look at “vocabulary preview”. Voice: Vocabulary preview.

In this vocabulary preview we have two words for you. Uh, the first one is quite ill.

Quite ill.

Quite ill.

So, quite ill…

Very sick.

Very sick.

Uhu.

Quite is a synonym of very.

Exactly!

Okay.

Yeah.

And ill…

Sick.

Sick.

Yeah.

So, they both mean the same thing, no difference.

No difference at all. I just think, uh, ill is more common in British English.

Uh, exactly. Alright, let’s take a look at our second word – flu.

The flu.

The flu.

The flu.

So, the flu is a virus.

Yeah, it’s a sickness.

Okay, and, uh…

Uhu.

It’s very similar to a cold.

Yes, but just a lot worse.

A lot worse, so, it’s stronger.

Yeah, yeah. Um, it’s also called influenza.

Influenza.

Aha.

Exactly. So, the flu.

Uhu.

Okay, so, let’s listen to our dialogue. What’s gonna happen here today?

Well, we’re going to listen as Julie calls her boss to tell him she’s sick.

Alright, but is she really sick?

I don’t know. Let’s find out.

Alright, so, Julie didn’t really seem to be sick, ha?

Yeah, I… I don’t know th… that cough was just a little too much.

It seemed like she was acting.

Yeah.

Alright, so, let’s take a look at some of this vocabulary in “language takeaway”. Voice: Language takeaway.

We have five words for you here and these are all great words to describe a sickness, right?

Uhu.

Alright, the first one – headache.

Headache.

Headache.

Headache.

So, when you have a headache, you have a sore head, right?

Right, your head hurts.

Uhu.

So, it’s pretty simple.

Yep.

You have a headache.

It’s the way you feel after, um, being at a bar too late.

Yeah…

Yeah.

When you drink too much…

Yeah.

You get a headache.

Yeah.

Alright, let’s take a look at our next word – sore throat.

Sore throat.

Sore throat.

Sore throat.

So, basically, we have two words here, let’s look at the first one – sore.

Hurting.

It hurts, right?

Yeah.

And your throat is…

Well, it… you know it’s the part right here, at the back… oh, you can’t see me. [Comment: Erica points at her throat, but realizes right away that we can’t see her, because it’s a podcast, not a videocast]

Hehe.

Well, it’s the part, um, at the back of your mouth that goes down to your stomach.

Alright, that’s your throat.

Yeah.

So, you use your throat to swallow.

Uhu.

Okay. Now, we can use the word sore with different body parts, right?

Yeah, like, um, a sore back.

A sore back, right? Or maybe you were playing tennis all weekend, so you have a sore arm.

Aha, or even a sore neck.

Right.

Uhu.

So, the word sore. Let’s take a look at our third word – running nose.

Running nose.

Running nose.

Running nose.

This is a very strange word.

I know.

But it doesn’t mean that your nose is running, right?

No, but… okay, um, it… no, but when you have a running nose, um, there’s lots of water coming out of your nose, right?

Right.

So, it’s interesting though, because when you run, you go fast, right?

Hehe. So, a lot of water is…

Coming fast out of your nose.

Out of your nose. Running nose.

Yeah.

Okay, our forth word today – slightly feverish.

Slightly feverish.

Slightly feverish.

Slightly feverish.

So, again, slightly is…

A little bit.

A little bit…

Uhu.

Right? A little bit. And feverish?

Well, let’s break this word down. Um, we know fever, right?

Uhu.

Um, so, when you’re… when your body is very, very hot…

Right.

Because you’re sick. So, feverish is the feeling or your body being very, very hot.

Uhu. Okay, so, you have a high temperature.

It’s not that you have a high temperature, but you feel like you have a high temperature.

Okay, so, slightly feverish.

Uhu.

And our last word – to recover.

Recover.

Recover.

Recover.

So, this means to get better, right?

Exactly.

Can you only use it when you’re sick?

So, when you recover, you get better and you rest, so, maybe you can say, um, “I was so busy this week, I need to recover at this weekend”.

Okay, so, yeah, if you feel tired…

Yeah.

Or you feel sick, you can recover.

Uhu.

Okay, let’s listen to our dialogue again and we can listen to these words that we’ve just talked about.

In this dialogue we listened to some really interesting phrases of how you can tell your boss that you’re feeling sick, right?

Yeah, some great phrases, so, let’s look at these in “fluency builder”. Voice: Fluency builder.

Okay, let’s take a look at our first phrase on fluency builder – I’m coming down with.

I’m coming down with.

I’m coming down with.

I’m coming down with.

Alright, so, let’s listen to some examples and then we’ll come back and explain this interesting phrase. Voice: Example one.

My throat really hurts. I think I’m coming down with a cold. Voice: Example two.

You have a running nose. Are you coming down with the flu? Voice: Example three.

I don’t feel well. I think I’m coming down with something.

Okay, so, basically, coming down with means…

Starting to get sick.

Uh… um, beginning to feel sick.

Yes.

Okay, so, you can use it with “I’m coming down with the flu”.

Aha, I’m coming down with a cold.

Uhu. Or I’m coming down with a cough.

Yeah, or I’m coming down with something.

With something, you don’t what it is.

Exactly.

Okay, let’s take a look at our second phrase – calling in sick.

Calling in sick.

Okay, calling in sick.

So, this phrase is great! You know, when you say “I’m calling in sick”…

Uhu.

You’re saying “hey I’m not going to come to work today, because I’m sick”.

Okay, so, literally, it means that you call your office…

Yeah.

And you say you’re not going to work.

Yes, um, but it’s great, cause it’s three words that show such a long idea.

Right, because otherwise you would have to say “I’m calling, because I don’t feel well, so, I’m not gonna go to work”.

Yes!

But if you say “I’m calling in sick”, everyone knows…

Everyone understands.

That you’re not gonna go to work.

Yep.

Okay, now, let’s take a look at our last phrase – take the day off.

Take the day off.

Take the day off.

Take the day off.

Now, this is a great phrase! To take the day off is to…

Not go to work.

On that day.

Yes!

Now, you can say “take the… week off”.

Uhu, take the month off.

Take the month off or…

Yeah.

Take the year off.

Yeah, if you’re so lucky.

Hehe. Alright, so, take the day off means to not go to work on that day.

Uhu.

Alright, let’s listen to our dialogue again now and then we’ll come back and talk a little bit more.

Well, Marco, um, have you ever done what Julie did? Did you ever call your boss to say you’re sick to… when you’re not really?

Yeah, of course! I mean, sometimes you just don’t feel very well, but you’re not really sick, you just don’t feel like going to work.

Yes.

Or sometimes you have something to do.

Uh.

Right?

Yep! You know what we call those in Canada? Um, we call them personal days.

Personal days.

Yeah! So, you say “oh, I’m gonna take a personal day”…

Ouh.

Meaning I’m gonna call in sick, but then go shopping.

Hehe. We used to do that a lot, because, for example, soccer games are such a big deal.

Oh, yeah!

And, you know, sometimes you would have, ah, a soccer match between, I don’t know, Brazil… and it would be maybe at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., so, everyone would call in sick on that day.

Yeah, so, the boss at least could plan that he would have an empty office.

Yeah, or sometimes you would take half the day off.

Uh.

So, you would just go… you say “well, I’m not gonna make it in the morning, but I’ll come in the afternoon”.

So, you would recover…

A l…

Very quickly.

Yeah, I’m feeling a little bit sick, but I’m going to be better in the afternoon.

Yeah.

Alright, so, well, if you have any questions or comments, please come to our website and if you have any calling in sick stories, please let us know.

Yes, you can visit us at englishpod.com and Marco and I are always there to answer your questions.

Alright, folks, so, we’ll see you next time.

Thank for listening, good bye!

Bye!