Daily English 1266 Being a Refugee

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:43
Explanation begins at: 3:48
Normal Speed begins at: 18:00

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,266 – Being a Refugee.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,266. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California (beautiful Los Angeles, beautiful Los Angeles, beautiful Los Angeles, California).

This lesson is all about being a refugee – someone who has to leave his country. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Sara: How’s work been?

Tarek: Really hard. Our agency is working to resettle refugees who have fled McQuillanland because of the armed conflict there.

Sara: It must be so difficult to be displaced and have few possessions.

Tarek: You don’t know the half of it. Some are in refugee camps and some are in detention centers. They’re overcrowded and the already poor conditions are deteriorating. There simply isn’t an infrastructure to support an influx this big.

Sara: At least they’re under protection until they can be resettled.

Tarek: If they’re resettled. If we can’t find countries willing to take them, they may be repatriated.

Sara: But what if they won’t go back?

Tarek: Then they’ll be stateless. There aren’t many good options for asylum seekers.

Sara: I feel so bad for everyone in McQuillanland.

Tarek: I totally agree. You’re damned if you leave and damned if you stay!

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Sara saying to Tarek, “How’s work been?” meaning “How is your job going?” or “How are things at your workplace?” Tarek says, “Really hard,” meaning very difficult. “Our agency” – our organization within the government or private organization – “is working to resettle refugees who have fled McQuillanland because of the armed conflict there.”

A “refugee,” or “refugee” – either pronunciation is correct, whether the accent is on the first syllable or the last – is a person who has to leave his country, usually because of some violence or threat of violence – that is, that person might be killed if he doesn’t leave his country, by the government or someone else in the country.

The verb “to resettle” (resettle) means to help someone find a new place to live. It could be in a new country, it could just be in a new city, or you might even use it to talk about just moving to a different house or apartment. “I need to get resettled in my new apartment.” I need to get everything arranged so that I can live here. Here, we’re talking about “resettling refugees” – helping people from another country come and live in our country.

The verb form “fled” (fled) comes from the verb, is the past tense of the verb “to flee” (flee). “To flee” means to leave a place very quickly, especially when you are in danger. If your house is on fire, if it is burning up, you will need to “flee” as quickly as possible. You will need to leave it as quickly as possible. There’s another word pronounced the same in English but spelled differently, “flea” (flea), that’s actually a little, I guess it’s an insect or a bug, a little animal that often lives on dogs or cats, though they can also bite people as well, but this “flee” means to leave quickly.

An “armed (armed) conflict (conflict)” refers to two groups fighting each other with “arms” (arms). Now when I say “arms” here, I don’t mean the two things that come out of the top of your body with hands at the end of them. I’m referring to guns or other ways of killing people, such as bombs, that are used in a war. An “armed conflict” is really just another term for a war. So, to review then, Tarek works for an “agency,” a group that “is working to resettle refugees who have fled McQuillanland because of the armed conflict there,” meaning there is a war in McQuillanland.

Sara says, “It must be so difficult to be displaced and have few possessions.” “To be displaced” (displaced) means to be forced to leave your home and live somewhere else. You may be “displaced” because of a bad storm – maybe there’s too much rain in your area and the water has gone into the houses, what we would call “flooding.” That may lead to people being “displaced” – having to live somewhere else. “Possessions” (possessions) refers to anything you own – your clothing, your cars, your computers, and so forth.

Sara says, “It must be so difficult,” or very difficult, “to be displaced and have few,” or not very many, “possessions.” Tarek says, “You don’t know the half of it.” That expression, “You don’t know the half (half) of it,” means that you don’t have the complete information. Usually it means that things are actually worse than what you know, that you don’t have the information about how bad things are.

Tarek then describes that “some are in refugee camps,” meaning some of these refugees are in “refugee camps” (camps). These are temporary places where people are kept when there is no other place to put them. “Some are in detention centers,” Tarek says. A “detention (detention) center” is usually a place where people are forced to stay until the government decides where they should go next, especially if they have perhaps, entered the country illegally or when the government is deciding to let or not let those people into the country permanently.

Tarek says, “These places are overcrowded and the already poor conditions are deteriorating.” If something is “overcrowded” (overcrowded), there are too many people there. What’s the difference between “crowded” and “overcrowded”? Well, “crowded” usually refers to a situation where there are a lot of people in a small space, but there’s enough room, I guess, for you to be more or less comfortable. “Overcrowded” means there are too many people in a certain area or space – so many people, perhaps, that it is dangerous.

The conditions or the situation in these places, according to Tarek, “are deteriorating.” “To deteriorate” (deteriorate) means to get worse. He says, “There simply isn’t an infrastructure to support an influx this big.” The word “infrastructure” (infrastructure) is used to describe the systems or organizations, or perhaps physical structures, that allow something to work properly or that allow society or a large group of people to function, to do what they need to do.

We often talk about the “infrastructure of a country” when describing the airports and roads and public services that are available so that people can live comfortably and have a healthy economy, but “infrastructure” can also refer simply to the organization or the physical features of a certain place. Tarek says that there “isn’t an infrastructure to support an influx (influx) this big.” An “influx” is when there is a large number of people who arrive or enter into a certain place all at once or within a very short amount of time.

Sara says, “At least they’re under protection until they can be resettled.” “Protection” refers to things that prevent you or someone from being hurt or harmed. Tarek says, “If they’re resettled,” meaning he’s not sure if they will be, in fact, resettled. “If we can’t find countries willing to take them, they may be repatriated.” “To repatriate” (repatriate) means to return someone to his own country – someone who has left that country as a refugee or for some other reason. So, if a person is “repatriated,” he is returned, often against his will, to the country from which he came.

Sara says, “But what if they won’t go back?” That is, what if these refugees won’t return to their home countries? Tarek says, “Then they’ll be stateless” (stateless). Someone who is “stateless” is someone without a state or country or nation, or at least someone who is not recognized by any country as being a citizen or official member of that country.

Tarek says, “There aren’t many good options,” or good possibilities, “for asylum seekers.” “Asylum” (asylum) here refers to giving someone safety by allowing him to stay in a country. A “seeker” (seeker) is someone who is asking for something or looking for something or trying to get something. The verb “to seek” means to look for, to try to find something. An “asylum seeker” is someone who goes to another country and tries to get permission to stay in that country, often because that person feels he won’t be safe in his own country.

Sara says, “I feel so bad for everyone in McQuillanland.” Tarek says, “I totally agree.” The word “totally” here means simply “I agree completely.” “You’re damned if you leave and damned if you stay,” he says. The word “damned” (damned) here means that you will suffer or bad things will happen to you. That’s why he says, “You’re damned if you leave and damned if you stay,” meaning if you stay in McQuillanland, things will be bad for you. If you leave McQuillanland, things will be bad for you. There are no good choices. There are no good options.

Now let me just say that this is a fictional story. Things in McQuillanland are actually wonderful, and I invite everyone to come and take your next vacation in beautiful McQuillanland.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Sara: How’s work been?

Tarek: Really hard. Our agency is working to resettle refugees who have fled McQuillanland because of the armed conflict there.

Sara: It must be so difficult to be displaced and have few possessions.

Sara: At least they’re under protection until they can be resettled.

Tarek: If they’re resettled. If we can’t find countries willing to take them, they may be repatriated.

Sara: But what if they won’t go back?

Tarek: Then they’ll be stateless. There aren’t many good options for asylum seekers.

Sara: I feel so bad for everyone in McQuillanland.

Tarek: I totally agree. You’re damned if you leave and damned if you stay!

[end of dialogue]

If you find your English deteriorating, you need to fix it by listening to more of our wonderful dialogues written by our wonderful script writer, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

to resettle – to arrange for someone to begin living in a new place; to find a new home for someone

* The early U.S. government resettled many Native Americans on reservations.

refugee – a person who leaves his or her homeland or native country because it is too dangerous to continue living there, but does not have a safe place to go

* When her village was bombed, Karina became a refugee.

to flee – to leave a place very quickly; to run away, especially from a danger

* Many animals fled the forest fire.

armed conflict – battles with a lot of shooting or bombs; areas with dangerous fighting that involves a lot of weapons

* The armed conflict has made the streets unsafe for people to get from place to place.

displaced – forced to leave one’s home and begin living somewhere else; without a place to live

* Hundreds of people were displaced by the flooding.

possession – something that one owns; something that belongs to one

* Colton and Hannah sold almost all of their possessions before they moved overseas.

to not know the half of it – to have very little information about something; to be ignorant or unaware of the full truth or reality of something

* The Robertsons think they know what poverty is, but they don’t know the half of it! They still have enough money to buy food to feed their children.

refugee camp – a large area where many people sleep outdoors or in tents, without many necessities, while they are waiting to find out where they can go next

* Some women are volunteering at the refugee camp, handing out food and helping people learn English.

detention center – a large facility where people are forced to stay until the government decides where they should go next, specifically whether they can stay in the country or whether they have to return to their home country

* Along the U.S.–Mexican border, there are many detention centers filled with children and teenagers who don’t have anywhere to go.

overcrowded – with too many people in a particular area or space; with more people than something was designed for

* This bus is overcrowded. Let’s wait for the next one.

to deteriorate – to worsen; for something’s condition to become poorer; to fall apart

* These old buildings are deteriorating quickly. It’s time to tear them down and build something new.

infrastructure – the systems and structures that allow something to operate well, especially when talking about society or the economy

* Our country needs to invest millions of dollars in basic infrastructure, like clean water, roads, and garbage service.

influx – the arrival of a large number of people or things; the entry of many people or things

* This year, we’ve had an unusually large influx of people from the countryside into the cities to find work.

protection – actions or structures designed to prevent someone from being harmed, hurt, or damaged

* This sunscreen offers protection for the skin against the sun’s rays.

to be repatriated – to be sent back to one’s home country

* Some people think that all illegal immigrants should be repatriated immediately.

stateless – without a country; not recognized as a citizen of any country

* If a child is born on an airplane over the ocean, is he considered stateless?

asylum seeker – a person who has left his or her country because it isn’t safe, and is asking for permission to live in another country

* Asylum seekers need to prove that is was dangerous for them to continue living in their former country.

to be damned – to be doomed or cursed; to be made to suffer for a long time, with no hope or possibility or improvement

* In your religion, is there any hope for those who have been damned, or will they suffer forever?

Comprehension Questions

1. Why did the refugees flee McQuillanland?
a) Because there wasn’t enough food to eat.
b) Because there weren’t enough job opportunities.
c) Because there was too much fighting.
2. According to Tarek, what’s wrong with the refugee camps and detention centers?
a) Too many people are living in small spaces.
b) There isn’t enough food for everyone.
c) A lot of diseases are spreading among the refugees.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

possession

The word “possession,” in this podcast, means something that one owns: “His most prized possession is the medal that his father earned in the Army.” Or, “If you house was burning down, which possession would you want to save, and why?” If something is “in (someone’s) possession,” that person owns it or has it: “Grandma’s silver tea set has been our family’s possession for the past 20 years.” When talking about countries and geography, a “possession” is land owned and controlled by another country: “Which country has the most island possessions in the Indian Ocean?” Finally, the phrase “possession is nine-tenths of the law” means that someone who has something is usually allowed or likely to keep it even if it technically does not belong to him or her.

to be damned

In this podcast, the phrase “to be damned” means to be doomed or cursed, or to be made to suffer for a long time, with no hope or possibility or improvement: “If we do not study history and learn from it, we’re damned to repeat our mistakes.” In religion, people who are “damned” are people who are sent to hell (the opposite of heaven) for believing the wrong thing or for behaving badly: “They believe that all murderers are damned.” The phrase “to try/do (one’s) damnedest” means to try very hard to do something the best that one can: “We tried our damnedest to pass that test, but it was impossible.” Finally, the word “damnedest” means very surprising and is used for emphasis: “Kids say the damnedest things!”

Culture Note

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to help “unaccompanied” (alone; without other people) refugee “minors” (children; people who are less than 18 years old) be safe and develop the “skills” (abilities to do certain things) and knowledge needed to succeed as adults and be “self-sufficient” (able to meet one’s own needs, without depending on others, such as making enough money to cover one’s own expenses).

The U.S. State Department “identifies” (finds and names) young refugees who do not have family members in the country who can take care of them “in the long term” (for an extended period of time; not temporary). Once these refugee minors are placed in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, they are “matched” (paired up) with a “foster care home” where a family or a “group home” (a place where many people with similar needs live together) can help them grow into “adulthood” (the state of being an adult).

The program began in the 1980s and has served almost 13,000 refugee minors. The program always tries to “unite” (bring together) refugee minors with their parents or other “relatives” (members of one’s family). When this isn’t possible, the program tries to provide many of the things that the refugee minors need. This includes housing, food, clothing, medical care, education, language instruction, “career counseling” (help determining what type of job one should try to get), “cultural activities” (ways to learn more about the United States and its people), and more.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - a