Unit 1: Listen Here
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Session 6
Can considering death help to improve our lives? Today we listen to the thoughts of an end-of-life carer.
Waa’ee du’a hubachuun jireenya keenya fooyyessuu danda’aa? Har’a yaadawwan kunuunsitu namoota du’uutti jiranii caqasna.
Activity 1
What can thinking about death teach us about life?
Can considering death help to improve our lives? Today we listen to the thoughts of an end-of-life carer.
Waa’ee du’a hubachuun jireenya keenya fooyyessuu danda’aa? Har’a yaadawwan kunuunsitu namoota du’uutti jiranii caqasna.
Before you listen
Consider the following questions:
1) When you consider death, what are your main thoughts and emotions?
2) What positive effects could thinking about death provide us with?
Listen to the audio and take the quiz.

Caalii
Yooyyaa! Odeessaalee Afaan Inglizii sirri ta’an akka hubattuuf bakka itti si barsiifnu gara ‘Listen Here’ baga nagana dhufte! An Caaliidha.
Tom
And I’m Tom! Hi everyone!
James
And I’m James.
Caalii
Har’a waa’ee du’uu dubbanna! Do either of you ever think about dying?
Tom
Not really, no.
James
I tend to avoid it. It’s a little bit depressing!
Tom
It is depressing.
Caalii
'Depressing' jechuun kan nama dhiphisu jechuudha. Kiliippiin har’aa, kan ‘end-of-life companion’ irraa argamefi waa’ee nama namoota du’utti jiraani gargaaru tokkooti. Kutaa jalqabaa kiliippichaa haacaqasnu. Muuxannoowwanshii ibsuuf maqibsa kam irra deebitii?
Insert
I remember the first time I ever saw a dead body and that has a really profound effect on me. There was such a profound feeling of absence. And it really made me think... What is this? What is life?
Tom
She said ‘profound’.
Caalii
‘Profound’, jechuun ulfaataa jechuudha.
James
Did you know that profound comes from Latin? Profundis means ‘deep’, which has a similar figurative meaning.
Tom
Ah, James! You just demonstrated our pronunciation point for the day - ‘has a’. How does the speaker pronounce these two words? Let’s listen again!
Insert
I remember the first time I ever saw a dead body and that has a really profound effect on me.
Tom
What was it, James?
James
‘Has a’. Say it with me.
a
has a
has a really profound effect.
Tom
Thanks James! And the speaker has a really profound question, too! ‘What is life?’ That’s profoundly difficult to answer!
Caalii
It certainly is! Waa’ee du’aa yaaduun ‘a reality check’ dha. Kunis addunyaa kanarratti qabatamatti waan dhuga taé tokko dha nama yaadachiisa jette jalqabuun dubbatutti. ‘You’ fayyadamuunis kanneen ishe caqasanitti himti. Gorsa akkamii kennitii?
Insert
What is this? What is life? And it's a reality check, isn't it? You can’t get complacent. I think, if you do the job that I do, I chill out more and I do less and I got rid of lots of achiever fever. I don't worry so much. Because the value is in the moments. It's not in the things that you... the achievements that you rack up.
Tom
She says ‘you can’t get complacent’.
Caalii
‘Complacent’ jechuun kan itti quuftu ykn gammaddu. She’s suggesting that we always need to apply thought to the way we live, right?
Tom
That’s right, and she also said that her job helps her to ‘chill out’, which means to relax.
James
Interesting. Maybe realising that life is short helps her to ‘get rid of’ her stress and worry.
Caalii
‘To get rid of’ jechuun ofirra achi gatuu ykn dhabamsiisuu jechuudha. What else does her job help her to get rid of? Listen again for the phrase.
Insert
I think, if you do the job that I do, I chill out more and I do less and I got rid of lots of achiever fever.
James
She said she ‘got rid of achiever fever’. Fever is a form of illness.
Tom
And an achiever is a person who achieves!
Caalii
‘Achiever fever’ – ibsannoon kun milkaa’ina karaa ykn haala garii hintaaneen dhufu eera. Do you have achiever fever, James?
James
No, not really. But I do think professional and personal achievements are important. Did you hear what the speaker said is most important, though?
Caalii
Yeroo dhumaatiif dhaggeeffadhu. Waa’ee dudhaa, ‘value’ jireenyaa dubbatichi yaada xumuraa maalii eeraa?
Insert
I chill out more and I do less and I got rid of lots of achiever fever. I don't worry so much. Because the value is in the moments. It's not in the things that you... the achievements that you rack up.
James
She says the value of life is ‘in the moments’. Moments meaning the small, everyday parts of life, right?
Tom
Correct, I think she’s saying that appreciating every second of life is more important than concentrating on the achievements that we rack up.
Caalii
‘To rack up’ jechuun kuufachuu jechuudha.
James
And we’ve racked up quite a few minutes for this show!
Tom
We have! I hope today’s episode has had a profound effect on you, not a depressing one!
James
Bye everybody!
Tom
Bye!
Caalii
See you next week for more Listen Here! Bye!
Listen to today’s clip in full here
Source: The Power of Negative Thinking
Language features
to get rid of
To get rid of means ‘to throw away’ or ‘to discard’. This expression is followed by a noun phrase, which usually describes something which we no longer want, need or require.
You need to get rid of some of your old clothes! There is no space in the wardrobe.
We can change the main verb, get, to use this expression in different tenses.
When I lived in the countryside I had a car, but I got rid of it when I moved to the city.
to rack up
To rack up is a phrasal verb which means ‘to accumulate’ or ‘to obtain’. It is often used to describe large amounts of something.
I think it’s more important to appreciate the friends you have, instead of trying to rack up new ones.
The football team have racked up their fifteenth victory this season!
moment
We usually use the noun moment to describe a short period of time.
There were several moments during the meeting when I wanted to speak, but I didn’t.
Moment can also mean ‘a situation’ or ‘an opportunity’.
I am waiting for the right moment to propose to my girlfriend.
What can thinking about death teach us about life?
4 Questions
Choose the correct answer.
Deebii sirrii ta’e fili.
Help
Activity
Choose the correct answer.
Deebii sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Maqibsamiira faallaa (negatiivii) ta’e ibsu si barbaachisa.Question 1 of 4
Help
Activity
Choose the correct answer.
Deebii sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Ijaarsa ibsannoo dhaabbataa kana keessa deebi’uuf, kutaa xinxxallii qooqichaa qalbeeffadhu ilaali.Question 2 of 4
Help
Activity
Choose the correct answer.
Deebii sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Jechi kun gocha ‘think’ ibsa.Question 3 of 4
Help
Activity
Choose the correct answer.
Deebii sirrii ta’e fili.
Hint
Gocha gaalawaa kana ijaaruuf maqduree tokko qofa fayyadamuu dandeenya.Question 4 of 4
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
Do you have achiever fever or do you prefer to live in the moment? Tell us on our Facebook group.
Join us for our next episode of Listen Here! when we will learn more useful language and practise your listening skills.
Sagantaa Listen Here kan qooqa daran faayida-qabeessa ta’an keessatti barannuufi daandeettiiwwan dhageettiikee ittiin shaakaltutti yeroo itaanu walitti deebina.
Session Vocabulary
depressing
dhiphisaa
end-of-life companion
Miiltoo/gargaaraa yeroo dhuma jireenya (lubbuun baatuu)
profound
ulfaataa
a reality check
mirkaneessa dhugaa qabatamaa
complacent
kan itti quuftu/gammaddu
chill out
bashannanuu
achiever fever
Humnaan milkaa’ina kan argatu (qarxamsaa)