Radio Job
JJ: Annili, have you always been an English teacher?
Annili: No. Actually, I started out as a French teacher. That was my first job.
JJ: Wow! So tell me about your first job.
Annili: My first job. I was working in Central West Queensland in Australia so it was a remote place.
JJ: Sure.
Annili: For example, the nearest supermarket was about 100 kilometers away from me.
JJ: That's amazing.
Annili: So of course, the students lived-- some of the students lived a long way away from the schools. They had their lessons by teleconference, actually, school of the air.
JJ: Wow. So when you had a teleconference for example, how many students would be on the air at the same time?
Annili: I guess around eight, in two different locations. I would be in the third location
JJ: Wow, that's amazing!
Annili: Yeah.
JJ: Yeah! And how often would you be teaching like this?
Annili: Well, the students were aged between 9 and 12 years old. They had two French lessons a week by teleconference.
JJ: Wow, and how long was each lesson?
Annili: 45 minutes
JJ: Great. That's really interesting.
remote (place)
I worked in Central West Queensland, which was a remote
place.
A 'remote' place is far away from everything in the countryside. Notice the following:
- Would you like to live in a remote area?
- The area around the cabin is very remote.
a long way away
Some of the students lived a long way away from the
schools.
If something is 'a long way away' it is a far distance and takes a long time to travel to. Notice the following:
- I know you told me it was a long way away, but I didn't
think it
was this far.
- My grandparents live a long way away.
teleconference
The students had their lessons by teleconference.
A 'teleconference' is a method of video and audio communication that can be used for teaching or for professional business meetings. Notice the following:
- Sample 1
- Sample 2
on the air
When you had a teleconference, how many students would be
on the air at the same time?
In this case, 'on the air' means online or logged in to the classes. People that are on the air are connected to each other. We also use this phrase for live radio or television. Notice the following:
- We are on the air now. Can everyone hear all
right?
- Does the reporter know they are on the air?
aged
The students were aged between 9 and 12 years old.
We can use the term 'aged' to talk about how old someone or something is. This term is also commonly used to talk about wine and food that is better when it is is older. Notice the following:
- The puppies are aged between 5 and 7 months.
- The houses are aged between 50 and 75 years.
Vocabulary Quiz
on the air • aged
