Metropolitana - Lettura - Trascrizione
Hello everybody! Welcome to the EnglishBlog. In this podcast, you’ll be learning some interesting English on the market research conducted by the London Underground, to see how the sound of voice affects people.
Before starting, let me first explain that the lesson is divided into two parts:
PART ONE: you’ll be listening to some useful English expressions; you’ll then hear a short explanation of these words, followed by an example of how they are used.
PART TWO: you’ll be listening to information about The London Underground’s technical voice system.
So let’s start!
Woman: Have you ever been on The Tube and listened to the famous voice “Mind the Gap”?
Listen and learn:
Woman: Announcements
Man: An announcement is a noun that tells people about something. On the underground there are lots of announcements to tell people what the next stop is, if they have to change trains at a station and the infamous Mind the Gap announcement as people get on and off trains.
Listen to this short conversation:
Man: Gosh it’s so crowded in here. I didn’t hear if the next stop is Victoria station.
Woman: Check the map then.
Man: I can’t see it, I forgot to put my glasses on.
Woman: Listen there’s an announcement.
Woman: The next stop is Victoria station, change here for the Northern line…
Man: Quickly this stop is ours.
Woman: Mechanical announcers
Man: The announcements made on the underground are digital voices, that make computerised announcements for each route.
For example:
Woman: Mind the Gap!
Man: Mind the Gap!
Woman: Soundalike
Man: “A soundalike” is somebody who has a similar voice to somebody else, usually somebody famous.
For example:
Woman: I’ll have a cup of tea please.
Man: You sound just like the Queen of England, when you put that voice on.
Woman: I know, it’s funny isn’t it.
Woman: Rush hour
Man: The rush hour is the times each day when there is a lot of traffic because people are travelling to or from work. As British office hours are usually from 9am to 5pm, the London Underground is chaotic between 8 and 9am and 5 and 6pm.
For example:
Woman: It’s crazy in here.
Man: I warned you if we left the hotel at 8.30am, we’d hit the rush hour, but you wouldn’t listen.
Woman: I know,I’m sorry. Listen for the announcement for Oxford Circus, I can’t hear a thing.
Man: Shall we get off at the next station and walk?
Woman: That’s a fantastic idea, let’s go!
Woman: Now let’s listen to some information about The London Underground’s voice system adapted from www.BBC.co.uk
Research by London Underground shows that a breathy female voice is the most popular choice for announcements on Tube trains.
The company is now planning to replace some of its more mechanical announcers with the calmer tones of a Marilyn Monroe soundalike .
A warmer voice might reduce tensions on the often packed rush-hour trains. ''We have a variety of announcements on a lot of trains and it seems that people respond to some voices better than others", said a spokesperson "A digitised voice can be irritating if you have to listen to it a lot". The voice has been nicknamed ‘Sonia’ by some Tube workers, because ‘she gets Sonia nerves’ (= ‘she gets on ya nerves’).
"We have done some market research”, the spokeswoman explained, “and the voice that most people preferred was one that sounded a bit like Marilyn Monroe. People said she sounded very pleasant, as if she was smiling as she spoke to you."
Woman: If you wish you can hear this lesson again. In the meantime we hope we have helped you to be more confident with your English. Watch out for the next topic. Thank you for using the EnglishBlog.
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