Hopes for 2012

Neil and Rob have an informal chat about the New Year and talk to other members of the BBC Learning English team about their hopes for 2012.

to look forward to something - to want something to happen

lean - thin but strong and fit

to get hitched - an informal expression meaning to get married

to miss your chance - to fail to take advantage of an opportunity

to brush up - to revise or improve your knowledge of something

to be sick of something - to be annoyed or bored by something

Original page

Neil: Hello, I'm Neil.

Rob: And I'm Rob.

Neil: And welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Today we're looking forward to this New Year which stretches out ahead of us…2012. Now

Rob, you'll have to remind me, there is something happening in London in 2012, I can't quite remember what it is.

Rob: Have you been asleep Neil, or are you just having a joke with me?

Neil: I think both…

Rob: Well of course we at BBC Learning English are based here in London and after years of waiting we have finally arrived in Olympic year.

Neil: And we'll get in to more of the Olympics later in the programme. Before that I have a question for you, Rob. 2012 is not the first time the Olympics has come to London. It is in fact the third time London will have hosted the Games. The last time they were here was 1948, but when was the first time? Was it:

a)      1918 b) 1908 c) 1848

Rob: Well, it can't be as far back as 1848, as I don't think the modern Olympics had started then. So I'm going to go for the middle one, 1908. 

Neil: OK. Well we'll find out the answer. But now we're talking about hopes and what you are looking forward to in 2012. What are your hopes, Rob?

Rob: My hopes, as every year, are to get fit and eat more healthily.

Neil: Well people are listening to this and can't see you. I can assure people that you are not a fat man.

Rob: I could be leaner.

Neil: Well good luck with that one.

Rob: What about you, Neil?

Neil: As for me, it's going to be a big year for me. My wife and I are expecting a second child at the end of February. So that's going to be dominating my year.

Rob: And you'll be hoping for more sleep. That's your hopes.

Neil: Well I was hoping for more sleep but it's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. We've been asking some of our colleagues from BBC Learning English what their hopes are and what they're most are looking forward to in 2012.

Vox

Well, I would like to say the Olympics but, unfortunately I didn't get any tickets, so I think probably what I'm looking forward to most is going to Disneyland, Paris so I can be a child again and go on all the rides and meet Mickey Mouse.

I'm currently a student doing a Master's degree, so in 2012 I look forward to finishing that successfully and to getting a bit of rest.

Three of my very good friends are getting married so I'm looking forward to going to a lot of weddings because I love weddings and I just think it'll be a lovely day of drinking and being happy and watching my school friends getting hitched and going off into the distance with their

lovely husbands.

Neil: Some interesting responses there – and the Olympics was only mentioned once, so perhaps it's not as much a part of people's lives as you'd think. One of our colleagues there, Carrie, mentioned that she's looking forward to going to  Disneyland Paris. Is that something you'd fancy, Rob? Do you have any secret childish dreams you still want to fulfil?

Rob: Well luckily I've already been to Disneyland, so I think I'd really like to go to Lapland to meet Santa Claus, because apparently he really lives there.

Neil: Right, OK, well it's a long wait, you're going to be waiting until the end of the year for that – you've just missed your chance but good luck with that one. Another of our colleagues, Kaz, mentioned that he's also studying at the moment, as well as working. How about you, Rob? Do you have any academic ambitions?

Rob: Only really to do my degree again and perhaps get a better grade this time.

Neil: Right, I always promised myself that I'm going to brush up a language I've failed to learn before and I think I'll say that to myself again. The final colleague we spoke to, Michelle, mentioned that three of her friends are getting married. I went to a wedding for the first time in a long time in the summer. Do you have any such wedding plans?

Rob: No. Well, I've been to a lot of weddings recently, but actually this year looks like being wedding free. All of my friends are married. I suppose we're looking forward to the next stage in their life – whatever that may be.

Neil: Michelle used an interesting expression there – she said to get hitched. To get hitched is an informal expression for getting married. So let's end our programme where we started – with the Olympics. Rob, are you excited?

Rob: I am excited. I've got tickets for the Olympics and the Paralympics, so I'm very lucky.

Neil: Wow! What events have you got tickets for? 

Rob: For the Olympics I've got athletics and the football. And I've got athletics and swimming for the Paralympics, so it should be very exciting for me at least. Let's hope we win some gold medals.

Neil: Well you're a lucky man because a lot of people applied and a lot of people were disappointed and you've got some fairly popular sports there as well. 2012 Olympics: will this be the even that defines the year for us in the UK, do you think?

Rob: I think so. I don't think we can avoid it really, I think it's really going to be a big thing for us in this country.

Neil: I think you're probably right. By the end of the year we might be happy to see the end of it!

Rob: We'll be sick of it by then.

Neil: Let's just hope it goes well. Now it's time for you to answer our quiz question,

Rob. It's the third time that London will have hosted the Olympics: when was the first time?

Rob: I said 1908 here in London, wasn't it.

Neil: Yes, you are absolutely correct: it was 1908. So that means all we have time for now is to wish our listeners a Happy New Year.

Both: Happy New Year