Calling Tech Support

Hello everyone and welcome to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.

My name is Catherine, and today we have an elementary level lesson for you, all about computers.

That's right. So we're going to take a look at some of the basic parts of a computer and also about bad programs that could affect your computer and make it not work.

That's right. So before we get going we have a verb for you that we're going to look at in "vocabulary preview". Voice: Vocabulary preview.

Alright, so today on vocabulary preview we have a verb, as you said, and it's tocrash.

To crash. Okay this has a couple of different meanings, but in today's dialogue this means for your computer to shut down, or to freeze, or to stop working.

Right, because maybe you heard of a car crash, right? When two cars…

Pschhh!

Bam! Hit each other. In this case your computer is just not working anymore. It stopped working. It freezes.

That's right, so you can't use it. So “my computer crashed” is a way to say, my computer stopped working.

Uhu, okay. So that's a word that we're going listen in our dialogue today, why don't we jump right into it, and we'll back shortly.

Alright, so lots of great technology words today, let's take a look at a few of them in "language takeaway". Voice: Language takeaway.

Alright, so let's start off with our first word. You've probably heard it before, butlet's go over it, just in case! A laptop.

Laptop. A laptop is a kind of computer. We have desktop, laptop.

Right.

So your lap is the top part of your legs.

So a lap top computer is a small portable computer that you can take with you anywhere.

That's right. A lot of students have laptops and businessmen as well.

So you mentioned the opposite would be a desktop.

Right, so it sits on top of a desk.

Okay. So both a desktop and a laptop have monitors, a computer monitor.

So a monitor is like a TV for your computer. It's where you can see what you're doing.

Okay. So it's called a monitor. Or a screen maybe.

You can also use the word screen, but monitor is the… the technical word for the… usually a box, uh, like a TV that goes with the desktop computer.

Okay, very good. So Todd, the computer guy, said: hey, I think your computer might have a virus.

Ooh, that doesn't sound good.

Yeah, a virus. So I guess you know what a virus is, when you get sick, right, you get the flu, or the cold.

That's right, you can say: I have a virus. But, how can a computer have a virus? This means…

It's a program that is designed to hurt your computer.

Alright, so it's like your computer is sick and it doesn't work. So a virus might make your computer crash.

Exactly. So in order to avoid this, what we need is an anti-virus program.

Okay, so virus is a bad thing, anti-virus is a good thing. An anti-virus program is a program that protects your computer from viruses.

Uhu, so you would say anti-virus.

You might have heard of a very famous program, called Norton Anti-virus or McAfee Anti-virus. These are brands.

Okay, very good. So those are some of the main technical terms that we have on language takeaway, why don't we listen to our dialogue quickly once ag… no… why don't we listen to our dialogue quickly again and we'll be back with fluency builder.

Alright, we're back. So now, let's start off with three key phrases on "fluency builder [Voice: Fluency builder.]

This first phrase is one that… I know you use a lot, I use it too, we say: Oh man.

Oh man. So now, depending on the tone, it can mean different things, right?

Uhu.

So in this case, what does it mean?

So the man who's having problems with his computer says: my computer! Oh man…

Right, he seems a little bit anguished.

Dis… disappointed.

Yeah, oh man. So it's an interjection.

That's right. So you can say: oh man, my computer crashed!

Right.

Oh man, you're always late!

Now, you can also say it for maybe surprise, like: oh man!

So when you're excited about something: oh man, this computer game is awesome!

Uhu, okay. So it's just a way of expressing maybe disappointment, or in some cases excitement.

That's right, so think about the way that you say it. Oh man.

Oh man. Okay. So now the guy, Todd, he tells him: hey sir, it's okay, calm down. Right?

Okay, so this might be funny sounding, because we say calm, so be calm… calmdown, this is a phrase. It's almost like you're so upset and you're standing up! Calm down.

Calm down.

Cool it.

Okay, so you tell someone to calm down.

That's right. So you might hear, uh, a parent say about their child: the child won't calm down, what do I do?

Uhu, okay. So it's a phrase. Let's use it together, calm down, calm down…

That's right.

To calm down. Alright, and now for our third phrase.

I mean.

I mean. Okay, so this is also an interjection and it's very, very, very common, okay? So you’ll probably hear people, when they're talking they're like: oh, I went over there… I mean we went to this place. It's an interjection.

That's right. And usually we say this when we want to correct what we just said. For example: your computer might have a virus… I mean, it has a bad program on it. Okay? So the computer-support man, Todd, he understands maybe this person doesn't know what a virus is. So I mean… he's… he's changing what he just said. We could say: oh, Saturday I'm going to the movies… I mean, Sunday I'm going to the movies.

Uhu, okay.

What are you doing on Sunday?

Alright. So you use it to correct yourself or maybe further explain something, because, uh, maybe you are talking about a topic and maybe the person is not understanding you, so you wanna make it more clear.

Uhu, that's right. I mean.

Right, like… she was very angry at me, I mean, of course, she was, because I did something wrong.

Right, so it's a way to offer an explanation. Alright, so try and use that one in your speech this week. Uh, it's a really, really great, common English phrase.

Alright, so why we don't listen to our dialogue for the last time and we'll be back to talk a little bit more.

Alright, so, Marco, in today's dialogue we heard a couple of strange words about computer viruses. One of them, you might be familiar with from Greek stories andfables.

Uhu, a Trojan.

Alright, a Trojan. So it's a kind of bad software that will hurt your computer.

Yeah, it's a… it's a type of virus that comes in and it's supposed to be a good program or not harm your computer, but it's really just a lie, it's disguised as something else, and then it starts to really ruin your computer. They’re very, very dangerous.

Yeah, so why do you think it's called a Trojan?

I don't know. Probably because of a… Troy, something… because it's very difficult like a Trojan.

Well, think about the story of the Trojan horse, right? You know that story, so… so back in ancient Greece there was a war happening, and Troy wanted to defeat its enemy, and they didn't know how to do it. So they thought and thought and thought, and they came up with an idea. They would build a horse, and they would give it as a gift. But inside the horse would be warriors, fighters.

Right.

So when the city opened its doors to this wonderful gift, they would receive a horrible gift.

Right.

An attack. And so Trojan is like that. It's like, um, software that you think it's safe, but then it attacks your computer by surprise.

Yes. They’re very dangerous, and now things have come up like Trojans and worms and a lot of different, uh, names for them, but it's crazy now. Although I hear Mac users don't have these problems.

We do not.

That’s…

If you use a Macintosh computer you probably have very few problems with viruses and things like that.

Wow. That's one point in favor for Mac users.

Absolutely. So let us know, have you had problems with a virus on your computer? Have you ever called tech support? Our website is englishpod.com, whe hope to see you there.

Alright, bye everyone!

Bye!