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Let Someone Go
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Let Someone Go English, baby! Video Lesson
让某人离开

Learn the meaning of the English phrase 'Let Someone Go' in this English lesson

Date: Oct 30 2012

Themes: Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: Phrasal Verbs

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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There is a saying, “If you love someone, let him go.” But in business, a boss will let someone go because they don’t love that person’s work. There are many ways to talk about losing one’s job: getting fired, sacked, or laid off. If your boss says she has to let you go, it is a polite way of saying you are no longer needed at work.

Letting someone go can also mean saying goodbye. It can be hard for friends to let each other go, but Devan and Marni are having more trouble than most. Learn this English phrasal verb and find out who may not have a job by the end of this English lesson.

俗话说,“如果你爱他,就让他离开。”不幸的是,在工作中,老板让某人离开,是因为他们不满意那个人的工作。失去工作有很多种表达方式:炒鱿鱼、被解雇或被开除。如果你的老板说不得不让你离开,那么这只是用礼貌的方式来表达已经不再需要你工作了。

此外,让某人离开也意味着告别。朋友之间很难让彼此离开,但德凡和玛尼的烦心事更多。在本课程结束时,找出他们的哪位朋友可能还没有工作。

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Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Devan

Marni

Marni

Amanda

Amanda

Devan:  Are you sure that there’s no other way?

Marni:  Devan, you’ve seen the books. The company is in real trouble, we have to do something.

Devan:  I know. I just can’t believe it’s come to this. When I started this company, I thought it was going to be so great. Not just for me, but for all of us. I can’t believe we have to let someone go!

Marni:  I know. Letting someone go is never easy, I understand that, especially when it’s a friend of ours. But we have to do something. The company is in trouble. We can’t go any further without laying someone off.

Devan:  Shhh! Here she comes.

Marni:  Oh God…

Amanda:  Hey, ladies!

Devan:  Hi, Amanda.

Marni:  Hi. How are you?

Amanda:  OK, so what’s this secret meeting about, hmm? Tell me you’re not talking about giving me a promotion already? I mean, I want to climb the ranks just like everybody else, no special treatment. Even if we have been friends for, I don’t know, ever!

Devan:  She’s right, I can’t…I can’t do this, I’m sorry, I can’t do this. I can’t let Amanda go!

Amanda:  What? You’re talking about letting me go? So, I get Mason to let me back in and now you guys are going to let me go? What?

Marni:  I’m so sorry, Amanda, I don’t want to do this any more than, you know, anybody does, but we have to let someone go. The company is in trouble and you’re the most recent hire so, it just…I’m so sorry, but it has to be you.

Amanda:  Ok, but why me? I mean, don’t I do a great job?

Devan:  Yes.

Amanda:  If you’re going to fire someone, maybe someone like Jeff or Dale or someone who isn’t one of your dearest, closest friends?

Devan:  That’s an idea!

Marni:  No. I’m taking charge here. Amanda, I’m so sorry, I don’t want to do this, but the company is in real trouble financially. I have to let someone go. You’re the most recent hire, it just has to be that way. I’m so sorry.

Amanda:  OK, so, you guys are in trouble financially, right? Is that the problem?

Devan:  Yes.

Amanda:  Tell you what, let me check the books. How about before you guys let me go, let me see if there’s something I can do. OK?

Devan:  OK!

Amanda:  Will you do me that?

Marni:  Sure! I mean, if you can work miracles, that would be great.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Marni and Devan are having a meeting, and Marni tells Devan that the company is in financial trouble. The only solution is to let someone go. Devan is very sad and does not want to do this. After all, her employees are her friends.

Just then Amanda arrives and jokes that Marni and Devan must be planning to give her a raise, but soon learns that she is being let go. Amanda tries to convince Devan and Marni not to let her go because the three women are good friends. Devan is convinced, but Marni steps in and says there is no other choice. Amanda was the last person to be hired, so she must be the one to go.

Then Amanda has an idea. Perhaps she can help fix the company’s finances. Marni and Devan agree to let her review the books before they make any final decisions.

Are Devan and Marni being good business owners? Are they being bad friends? Have you ever been let go?

 

Comments

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marija luiza

Mexico

To be honest, I don’t like her opinion, because Amanda sounds like a good element for the company. I absouluty agree that she was the last but right now, she looks worried about the company, and looking for solve the problem. 


They need to talk with all the company, and after that look for any decision.


We don’t need to mix they friendship with the job. 


I have never been let go, but I work a lot and care my job

06:36 PM Nov 02 2012 |

DarknessLight

Germany

Losing the company would be worse than losing their friend, they’d all be unemployed, but if they ARE truly close friends they’d still be, even if they had to let go one of their friends for the company’s benefit. Letting go one friend is worth saving the company and all of it’s staff.

04:37 PM Nov 01 2012 |

ramin_mepr

ramin_mepr

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

seems like Marni is a fantastic manager. although Amanda is a close friend of her,she doesnt get carried away and she decides logically, not every one can do that (neither do i).

08:22 AM Nov 01 2012 |

Moriza

Moriza

Ukraine

It,s one of the unpleasant situation that we  face hearing the words “you have to go or let you go”.In that moment you can think “why me?for what?”.And it,s double unpleasant to hear such words from your friends.You can think “oh,no,they are my friends.How they can do it with me?”


But Amanda didn,t become puzzled,as we see,she tries to find a solution of the problem in her own way.Wonder,what will she offer?

08:36 AM Oct 31 2012 |

Ismail1986

Ismail1986

Saudi Arabia

Thinking about everyone works in the company like a part of family .. a company that run things this way.. will pass most bad situations that’s mean trust and taking ideas from the team,sharing the problem.. is a part of finding a solution before taking ” Letting Someone Go  ” decision.

06:47 PM Oct 30 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Cruel subject we have today,  nonetheless very real in the corporate world , you know that person and family ,even have had diner with him/her and now the top ranks  orders you  to brake the news  to that guy  that  the company no longer requires his/her services.How stressful must be , how to face this situation.  i  have read in a newspaper that  a corporate  received a text-message saying:” We have to let you go” , the point is that  a couples of days before he had been playing golf with his boss.No anesthesia, sorry,  patting on the shoulder as  Marni  did . sucks. By the way ,I don´t  like that Amanda to save her  head  suggested to the” executioner” the head  of Jeff  or DaleUndecided

04:08 PM Oct 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

sophoal

Cambodia

I have never been let someone goes and I hate to do that too… but for my idea I think that sometimes u do many mistaks or sometimes you are a new staff for example as the dialog above two ladies are discusing about let someone go, they say that becasue of the real drouble financially and the person they are going to let go is their best friend. They don’t want to let she goes but they’re no chioce and otherwise she is the most recent staff ,, so they have to let she goes. Of course, for the new staff being start to work for the first time in the company or organization, when the company has drouble or down the first they have to let go is whom just works recently because they don’t have experiences and they don’t know the company well.

03:47 PM Oct 30 2012 |

khaled_islam

Yemen

you know guys nowadays we live in a bad  global condition  particularly in therms of the economic aspects  when you see alot of ppl in the wellfair offices stand in line  are waiting a helping that’s unfortunate thing ,so noone these days can get a appropriate job without certifcates or experiences he or she has to be educated enough to be able to show her,him skills to her,him boss , do you know guys nowadays working in a samll company is better than working in a big company did you know why ? cuz big companies are more unable to control itself around the world but the samll companies is more different that those… ultimately : nowadays expect everything to ba able to continue this life..

03:43 PM Oct 30 2012 |

KarenP

KarenP

China

I have never been let go,yet i have been let my previous companies  go a lot.I want to find a suitable company where i can develop my carrer at least 2 years!It`s difficult to find a good company nowadays.:(

12:29 PM Oct 30 2012 |

KarenP

KarenP

China

I have never been let go,yet i have been let my previous companies  go a lot.I want to find a suitable company where i can develop my carrer at least 2 years!It`s difficult to find a good company nowadays.:(

12:29 PM Oct 30 2012 |

Irene Forever

Ukraine

Troy, it’s  true.


There is nothing constant: neither love nor friendship, unfortunately.

12:06 PM Oct 30 2012 |

2 people like this

Nabilo

Nabilo

Germany

Whether Devan and Marni are good business owners or not, I think, we can not check that on the basis of this conversation, because we can not find out what exactly the cause of this financial problem. The fact ist that there is a financial problem and it must be solved. Such problems are common in the companies all over the word and to decide that the most recent hires are being let go is a common and even an overcorrect measure. So as far as I can see the decision at least seems to be correct. However Devan and Marni will give Amenda a chance to solve the problem in order that she can stay at the company. Devan and Marni will do that only because Amenda is a close friend of them. 


So my conclusion: Marni met the correct decision and is stronger than Devan in company matters, on the other hand Devan believes more in maintaining the close friendship.

12:03 PM Oct 30 2012 |

Mariana101

Mariana101

South Korea

True that, We must think about finding sultions before we firing someone, Cause when we fire him, This someone will no longer have a job and no longer can support his family if he didn’t find a better job.

10:43 AM Oct 30 2012 |

foz12

foz12

Saudi Arabia

That’s true why don’t they just figured out of the company problem before they lay off Amanda.
how I wish her to stay, because she’s funny and sweet person.

mojtaba

mojtaba

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

no until now I don’y ever been let go because i work for myself 

09:12 AM Oct 30 2012 |

kowatch

kowatch

Hungary

I think their decision was correct. They gave her a last chance and now Amanda can show that she is a great employee. 


I haven’t had job yet.


There are advantages and disadvantages when you employ friends. You know them and their abilities, you know how to motivate them and you can discuss the problems easily. The disadvantage is your company can be in trouble and you have to lay off your friend which is not good for friendship. 

Irene Forever

Ukraine

“First think, then do!”. It’s the right rule for everything.


I don’t think, Devan and Marni are being good business owners. They aren’t even sure if it’s really the serious trubles with the company, if they consider that Amanda can do something to settle the matter. Why not do it before saying her about letting go? A great company, I would say ironically, if instant dismissal can solve the problem.:)  It’s a very strange position as for owners. They are just not enough experienced businesswomen.:) 


I wish Amanda could put the business rightly.:) It would be a a fun. So, who would have to be fired  in such a case? :)))

atefe-godarzi

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

in my openion,yes they are best friends and they have to do this they love all of their friends but the company is in trouble so…i think Amanda shoudn’t be sad with them they have to do…


no i haven’t had this experience before because i’m a house wife!Wink

07:21 AM Oct 30 2012 |

ramsin1991

ramsin1991

Nigeria

It is true

07:00 AM Oct 30 2012 |

silvia_2c@live.com.mx

Mexico

it is good, but it is difficult to take a decission even if the person  you want to let  go is your friendoCry

02:18 AM Oct 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

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