Getting Laid Off
ESL Podcast: In this ESL podcast we talk about laid off from their job. We also explain the difference between getting “fired” and getting “laid off”. Learn excellent slang for daily conversation in English. Also, remember to check out justvocabulary.com and we can offer you a $5 discount on their study tools for iPods, cellphones and blackberries. They have an ESL podcast introducing 2 GRE words per show and are offering you this deal as a way of celebrating their 500th episode. Go to justvocabulary.com and type in the discount code 52e03f426e to get the discount.
Laid Off
ESL Reading
| A: Let’s go do something tonight. I haven’t been out in ages.B: I can’t. I just got laid off and I’m strapped for cash. I’m even late on my credit card payments. Our plant just closed down and made a bunch of us redundant. We can’t compete against our overseas competitors.
A: That sucks. I’ll treat you tonight. I’m sure you could use a few beers to take your mind off things. I know how stressful losing a job can be. B: That would be great! I’ll get you back next time when I find another job. A: No worries. |
Phrases and Vocabulary used:
Do something: In casual conversation, if you tell your friend you want to “do something” it means you want to get out of the house and go do something interesting. Going to the movies is an example of “doing something”
Been out: “Haven’t been out” refers to not having left the apartment or house to do anything interesting. Going to the store doesn’t count as “going out”. Going to a bar, party, movie, or something like that is considered “going out”.
In ages: If you haven’t done something “in ages” it means that you haven’t done it for a really long time. It is slang. Not everyone uses it but you will know it when you hear it.
Laid off: Getting “laid off” is slightly different from getting fired. If a company doesn’t need so many employees for some reason they will often choose to lay some people off so that they can save money. If you get laid off, you can often get your job back when the company has more work for you to do in the future.
Strapped for cash: If you are “strapped for cash” it means that you have very little or no money.
Redundant: When companies reorganize they often realize that they are too large and have too many employees. Sometimes they realize that they can do the same work with fewer employees if they just switch some of the roles. If you are “made redundant” it means you were basically fired. The company no longer needs you there.
I’ll get you back: If your friend pays for something for you, then you can say, “I’ll get you back next time”. That means, you will pay for them the next time you go out.
No worries: This is a slang term that means, “don’t worry about it” or “forget about it”. Here, the friend is basically saying that he will treat his friend for the beers and doesn’t expect to be paid back in the future. Of course, as a good friend, the one friend will probably insist that he pays next time.
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