Unit 3 Section 4: Likes, dislikes and advice

This is the fourth in the series with Habib. He talks about his job, what is involved and why he is a self-employed taxi driver.

Use your listening skills to correct mistakes and answer questions. You can then read an email from Habib, answer questions and write your own email. You will also have the opportunity to discuss and voice your opinions in the comments section. Most of all, you will be able to learn what it’s like to be a self-employed taxi driver in the UK. Please read ‘Before you listen’ first.

Before you listen

How to get the best from the activity:

It is a good idea to have a dictionary so that you can find the meanings to new words. It is also very helpful to have a pen/pencil and notebook. You can write lists of words or phrases you have learned. You can then practise the new words/phrases. If you practise a lot, you will remember them!

Before you listen, you can choose to learn the easier way or the harder way.

The easier way:

Look at the activities before you listen.
Use a dictionary to find meanings of words you don’t understand.
Then listen to the interview.
Listen to parts of the interview separately.
Listen to the interview for as many times as you need to.
Read the transcript after you have listened.
Then do the activities.

The harder way:

Listen to the interview.
Only listen to the whole interview once.
Do the activities.

If you prefer, you can download a printable version of the activities, the answers to the activities and a transcript of the recording.

Printable Version

Answers

Transcript

Preparation

In this section of the interview, Habib talks about what he likes and dislikes about his job. • What do you think would be the best part of the job? • And the worst part? Listen to the recording. Does Habib mention any of your ideas?

Habib Section 4 by ESOL Nexus

Task 1 - likes and dislikes

Listen to the recording again and do the activity.

Habib Section 4 by ESOL Nexus

Which of the following does Habib like and dislike about taxi driving? Put the statements into the correct box; if he doesn’t say them, put them into the ‘doesn’t say’ box.

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Task 2 - contractions

For the next activity use your listening skills to count the words in a phrase and your knowledge of contractions/apostrophes. Decide how many words are in each phrase. In spoken English we use a lot of ‘contractions’ (words that are shortened), e.g.

She’s young (she is);
he’s been here for 10 years (he has).

N.B. Contractions, e.g. we’re (we are) count as 2 words.

There is a transcript at the bottom of the page or you can download a printable transcript here.

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Task 3 - health and safety

Habib mentions one key risk for taxi drivers: drunk and aggressive customers.

What other key risks are there for taxi drivers?

Click here for the Health and Safety Executive website to compare your answers (scroll down to the section called ‘key risks’).

What advice do you think Habib would give to other taxi drivers about dealing with aggressive customers?
How could a taxi driver keep himself/herself safe?

Read the ‘key training messages’ on the Health and Safety Executive website. (Scroll down to ‘Successful Measures’)

Transcript

Trudie: So you were saying about drunk people?

Habib: Yeah.

Trudie: Have you had any problems. Are they OK or..?

Habib: Sometimes, you’re going to meet different kind of people, you know. Some very aggressive, sometimes very nice people, you know, it depends.
(6.10)

Trudie: What if they’re aggressive? How do you cope with that?

Habib: I just ignore.

Trudie: The best way.

Habib: The best way cos I’ve got kids. I don’t want any trouble, you know. I just ignore. Let them say what they want say.

Trudie: I suppose that’s quite a difference to Afghanistan?

Habib: Yeah.

Trudie: Cos you don’t have drunk people?

Habib: Not at all.

Trudie: No, so that’s a culture shock, isn’t it?

Habib: Yeah.

Trudie: So, what do you like most about your job as a self-employed taxi driver?

Habib: Well, to be honest, as I told you before, it’s just because of my kids and timing that I leave and I got enough time for my babies, you know. That’s all.

Trudie: And you don’t have a boss watching you?

Habib: Oh yeah that’s true; there’s no-one watching you, you know. No-one saying what time you have to come to work, what time you go, do this, do that. Not at all. You’re your own boss, actually.

Trudie: That’s good, so not so much stress?

Habib: No, no, no.

Trudie: Now, is there anything you dislike?

Habib: Well just the drunk people. Well, it’s a part of the job I am doing, but to be honest I don’t like it that much.

Trudie: No, I don’t think anyone would like that.

Trudie: Em, and so I suppose you would say that’s the most difficult part of the job, coping with that?

Habib: Yeah.

Trudie: Do you ever get anyone being sick?

Habib: Well, yes, specially weekend. They drink a lot. Especially if it’s a long journey, they do.

Trudie: And this is drunk people?

Habib: Thanks God I got carrier bags in my back seat.

Trudie: So do you give them the carrier bags to be sick?

Habib: All the time I just checking if they… ‘can you please pick up the carrier bag?’

Trudie: So you’re prepared?

Habib: Yeah.

Trudie: So that’s advice you could give to other taxi…– have plenty of carrier bags if you want to be a taxi driver in England?

Habib: Yes. Not all the time, it’s just the weekend, you know, after midnight.

Discussion

What do you think you would like about being a taxi driver? What wouldn’t you like? Post your comments on the website.

Don’t forget to try the other activities in this series. There is much more to learn about with Habib, why not try the next unit:

Unit 5: Future plans and customers

Alternatively, you could find out about Laura, a self-employed cleaner.

For more information about becoming self-employed, go to Unit 1.

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Unit 3 Section 4: Likes, dislikes and advice

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