listen
Richard: It's September and for many children that means only one thing.
Jackie: Yes, for this week's podcastsinenglish.com we're talking about going back to school.
Richard: So, Jackie, when you were a child were you happy to go back to school?
Jackie: Mmm [laughs] I had mixed feelings. I was sad that the summer was over but, to be honest, I didn't really like school very much.
Richard: Oh, really?
Jackie: Actually, the best thing was meeting up with all my friends again, I liked that. But what about you, Richard? Was the September return a good thing or not?
Richard: I think the summer holidays were too long and I wanted to get back to school and, yes, meet all my old friends again.
Jackie: Right. I think my problem was with school was I didn't really enjoy many of the lessons, I thought they were boring.
Richard: All of them?
Jackie: Well, no not all of them, but history, for example, I really hated history. Um... I didn't understand physics and chemistry [both laugh] um... but the worst of all, Richard, you're not surprised to hear this, is maths.
Richard: I could have guessed that one, yes.
Jackie: I really did not like going to my maths lessons at all. But what about you, what lessons did you not like?
Richard: Well, you know now, Jackie, I like making things don't I, making things with my hands. But when I was younger I was very bad at that, and I didn't really like woodworking or metalworking or those things.
Jackie: Right, okay.
Richard: And I preferred, actually, the more academic subjects. I really liked biology and chemistry, I suppose. So what about you, Jackie? There must have been some lessons you liked.
Jackie: Oh yes, of course, yes um... I really liked English er...reading books and writing stories and things like that. And I also liked geography, physical geography about mountains and places and things like that.
Richard: What about languages? Cos I did French, German and Latin.
Jackie: Hated Latin [both laugh], not very good at French.
Richard: Oh. And overall then, Jackie, did you have an absolute favourite lesson?
Jackie: I loved art [laughs] and I still do now like drawing and painting and things like that. Yes, art, loved it. What about you, Richard?
Richard: At my school we did a lot of sport and I... most afternoons in fact, and I loved playing sport, football, and rugby was my big sport.
Jackie: Right. School is very different nowadays though Richard, isn't it. I mean no blackboard and chalk.
Richard: No, and also computers. We never had any computing lessons, no computer science. I didn't get my first computer 'til the year 2000, I think.
Jackie: Yes, so a big change for the schoolkids. They do say, Richard, that your schooldays are the best days of your life. I don't agree with that.
Richard: [laughs] It was tough at times but very enjoyable. But I also think it's very, very stressful: going to school all day, doing homework and then taking exams.
Jackie: Urgh, exams.
Richard: Mmm, yes, not the best years of your life I don't think.
Jackie: So what about you, the listeners? Did you enjoy school, or not? Let us know.
Tra từ điển