BBC Learning English

Talk about English

Memory
Thursday Nov 22nd, 2007

About this script, Neil says …

Sorry, this is not a word for word transcript of the programme as broadcast. This is the script I
used when I went into the studio but it isn’t always exactly what I said during the programme.

Neil: Hello, I’m Neil Edgeller and this is Talk About English from BBC Learning
English. Today’s programme is all about memory. What’s your earliest
memory? Do you have a good memory? And how can you improve your
memory to help you study English. To help me answer all these questions I’m
joined in the studio by Dr. Ashok Jansari, an expert in memory from the
University of East London.

Guest: (Hello, nice to be here)

Neil: We also hear from Lui, a caller to the programme from Spain about her earliest
memories.
Caller
My earliest memory is from when I was about four years old.

Neil: We’ll have our usual ‘word facts’ throughout the programme, and joining in
the discussion today is Amber Barnfather, who works here at BBC Learning
English. Hi Amber, have you got a good memory?

Amber: (responds)

Neil: All of that and more in today’s Talk About English.

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Neil: Amber, what are your earliest memories?

Amber: (responds) How about you, Neil?

Neil: When I was three years old, my family and I moved to Canada. I can remember
the morning we left, but the only thing about it I can remember is the pattern of
the bedspread I was sleeping under. It was a kind of purple checked pattern and
all I remember about the day is being in that bed. I have no idea why I can
remember that, but it was obviously a very important day in my young life. I’m
dying to ask our guest, Ashok, all about these things, but before we start, here’s
our first WORD FACT.

WORD FACTS
Our first word is ‘memory’ – m-e-m-o-r-y – memory. Memory is the ability to remember
things. In this case it’s an uncountable noun.
A: What are we doing on Saturday again?
B: I’ve told you a hundred times, we’re going to visit Bill and the kids. Honestly, your
memory is terrible.
Memory is also a countable noun. It means something, such as an event, you remember from
the past.
A: Did you have a happy childhood?
B: Yes, I’ve got lots of beautiful memories of summers on the beach.
WORD FACTS – AND THAT’S A FACT!

Neil: Our guest on the programme today is Dr. Ashok Jansari who’s a lecturer in
psychology and whose special interest is human memory. Welcome to the
programme, Ashok. First of all, how did you get interested in this subject?

Guest: (replies)

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Neil: We’ve heard some examples already of some early memories. They seem to be
quite random. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious reason for them. Why do
we remember certain things and not others?

Guest: (replies)

Amber: You often hear people say they’ve got ‘a good memory’, or ‘a bad memory’.
Why can some people remember more than others?

Guest: (replies)

Neil: And that brings us onto our next WORDFACT

WORD FACTS
Next, some memory expressions. First,‘to jog somebody’s memory’ – jog is spelt j-o-g. To
jog someone’s memory means to give them a little bit of information to remind them about
something.
A: Haven’t you got something for me?
B: What do you mean?
A: Let me just jog your memory, it’s October 15th today. Does that mean anything to you?
A: Oh no I’m so sorry, I’ve never forgotten your birthday before. Ahh…
If someone can remember something in exact detail we say they’ve got a photographic
memory, because it’s like a photo. And if someone can remember things for a very long time,
we say they’ve got a memory like an elephant.
WORD FACTS – AND THAT’S A FACT!

Neil: You’re listening to Talk About English from bbclearningenglish.com. In this

programme we’ve been talking about memory.

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 We’ve just heard the expression ‘to jog someone’s memory’. It’s strange how
sometimes a certain song, or a smell can jog your memory and bring back
certain memories. Why does that happen, Ashok?

Guest: (replies)

Amber: Are photos a reliable way of jogging memory? I’m asking this because
sometimes I’m not sure if what I can remember is an early memory or whether,
in actual fact, I’m just remembering a photo.

Guest: (replies)

Neil: And now it’s time for our caller, Lui from Jaen in Spain

Caller

Neil: Hello, Lui. Welcome to the programme.

Lui: Hello!

Neil: Where are you from?

Lui: I’m from Jaen, in the south of Spain.

Neil: We’re talking today about memories and I want to ask you: what’s your earliest
memory?

Lui: Well, my earliest memory was probably when I was around four years old. And it’s
quite a strange memory because I was, like, eating, and I remember I was eating chicken soup
and I was watching the news with my father, with my mother, and with my brother, and I
think that there was something about a kidnap or something like that in the news, and
suddenly the phone rang and I was very scared and I start crying.

Neil: That’s a very interesting memory. I wonder why you can remember that in
particular. Do you have any idea?

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Lui: I have no idea. I think that probably it’s because I loved the T-shirt I was wearing! It
was red, it was a strawberry, and I remember that for a long time it was my favourite T-shirt.
Perhaps it’s one kind of thing that I remember to wear that T-shirt in that moment because
perhaps it was the first time I was wearing it or something like that!

Neil: Do you have any other memories connected to that T-shirt?

Lui: Yeah, I was playing in a park as well and I fall down!

Neil: Does this memory come back to you very often?

Lui: No, only when I think about it. Sometimes I have to write a report about this topic and
it’s the very first memory I can remember.

Neil: Is there anything in particular you remember from your early school days?

Lui: I remember my first afternoon lesson was to paint a chicken (always chickens are
present!) and I remember that I was talking with all my foreigners and I didn’t finish on time,
and my teacher punished me and made stay there until I finished it. And I remember that I
was crying because I was scared that I was going to be there all night and whatever!

Neil: And what time did you go home eventually?

Lui: I think about fifteen minutes later or something like that!

Neil: Well Lui, it’s been very interesting speaking to you about your memories. Thank you
very much for joining us.

Lui: Thank you very much.

Neil: And goodbye!

Lui: Goodbye!

Neil: And now it’s time for our final WORD FACT.

WORD FACTS
Our next word is ‘to memorise’ – m-e-m-o-r-i-s-e – to memorise. Be careful because in North
America it’s spelt with a ‘z’ and not an ‘s’. To memorise is a regular verb. To memorise
something means to learn it so that you remember it exactly.
A: What’s 6 times 6?

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B: Are you joking?Didn’t you have to memorise your times tables at school?
If you can remember something exactly because you’ve memorized it, we can say you’ve
‘committed it to memory’. It means you can do something ‘from memory’. It means to do it
without referring to instructions.
A: Can you pass me the map?
B: You must be able to get to work from memory by now! You’ve been working there for 3
months!
WORD FACTS – AND THAT’S A FACT!

Neil: Are you good at memorising things, Amber?

Amber: (replies). How about you Neil?

Neil: If I just sit down and try to remember a list of things I’m completely useless.
But if I try to associate what I’m trying to remember with something
memorable, I have more success. For example, I’m trying to learn Japanese.
The word for foot or leg is ‘ashi’. The character for this looks to me like a little
man with a long leg, so that makes it easy to remember. And the word itself –
‘ashi’ sounds a like the English name Ashley, and a famous English footballer
is called Ashley Cole. So that’s how I remember that one. Ashok, why is it
easier for me to remember all of that than just learning it?

Guest: (replies)

SCHOOL BELL

Neil: That bell means we only have time left for a quick recap.

Spell memory.

Amber: m-e-m-o-r-y, memory.

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Neil: What is the verb which means to try to remember something in exact detail.

Amber: to memorise, to memorise.

Neil: What expression means to remind someone of something?

Amber: To jog someone’s memory, to jog someone’s memory.

Neil: If you can remember something exactly as it is, we say you have a …what…
memory?

Amber: A photographic memory, a photographic memory.

Neil: Well, that’s all we have time for today. I’d like to thank our guest Ashok
Jansari and our caller Lui. Thanks for listening and DON’T FORGET to listen
again next week at bbclearningenglish.com.

All: Goodbyes

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