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Tapescript 2
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Homesickness
NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning
English. I’m Jennifer and I’m joined by Finn.
Finn: Hello Jen. In this programme, we’re going to talk about
homesickness. That’s the feeling that you get when you’re away from home
and miss it – feel sad because you would like to be there. Do you ever get
homesick, Jen?
Jennifer: Oh yes. I live in London now, but I was born in the north-east of
England, which is a three-hour train journey away. Sometimes I wish I could
go back home and see my family. How about you?
Finn: I’ve felt homesick when I’ve spent time in other countries. It’s
very common and a lot of people suffer from it.
Jennifer: We’ll talk soon about some tips that you can use to combat, or
overcome, homesickness, but first, a quiz question.
Finn: Ok, I’m ready.
Jennifer: What percentage of students experience homesickness in their
early days at university?
a) 50%
b) 60%
c) 70%
Finn: I’m going to say b) 60%
Jennifer: We’ll find out if you’re right at the end of the programme. So,
if you are homesick, how does it feel?
Finn: Well, I think you can often feel very lonely, especially if you’ve
moved to a foreign country where the language is different to yours. You
can feel quite isolated – feeling that you’re on your own with no one to help.
Jennifer: That’s true. It’s often very difficult when you don’t know many
people. It’s stressful. It can be hard to make friends, and you will often think
about your friends and family back at home.
Finn: You could say that you pine for your home. That means that you
really want to go back and see some familiar faces, or people you know.
Jennifer: I miss my friends and family lots. But when I’m feeling
homesick, I also miss places, sounds and smells!