#90 Talking about role models
Different phrases you can use when talking about people you admire:
I really look up to my grandpa.
I've always admired him.
He's had a big impact on me.
I would say she led by example.
They didn't just talk — they followed through.
She's the kind of person who walks the talk. If you look up to someone , it means you admire them. To speak highly of someone means to talk about them in a very positive way. If you lead by example , you're showing others how to behave by doing the right thing yourself. We say someone follows through when they do what they said they would do. A role model is someone who sets a good example and makes us want to grow and improve. When someone has a big impact on someone, they them really make them think and change them in a meaningful way.
In the dialogue Allan and Claire use the present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) to talk about things that started in the past and are continuing to have an impact on the present, and the past simple (verb + ed) to talk about thing that happened in the past and are finished. When Allan talks about his feelings for his grandfather and his impact on him, he uses the present perfect because he still has these feelings:
Allan: I've always admired him. (have + admired) He's had a big impact on me (has + had) But this grandfather has passed away, and so when Claire talks about what his grandfather did in the past to cause such feelings, she uses the past simple: Claire: … someone who always led by example (led)
Allan: .. He didn't just talk —he followed through….. (did + not + talk; follow + ed)
…person who walked the talk (walked)
Cultural information:
Baker Boy is a proud Yolngu rapper, dancer, and artist whose powerful work has inspired audiences across Australia and beyond. Blending English with Yolngu Matha—his traditional language—his music brings a unique voice to the Australian hip-hop scene while celebrating and sharing Indigenous culture. A multi-award-winning performer, Baker Boy was named Young Australian of the Year in 2019. Discover more about his music and story at bakerboyofficial.com .
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript) SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia. Think of someone you admire. Someone who taught you, helped you, inspired you, or showed you how to be a better person? My name's Kate, and I have a lot of different role models. A role model is someone who sets a good example and makes us want to grow and improve so that we can be more like them. They could be a family member, a teacher, a friend, or even someone we've never met. In this episode, we'll learn some easy ways to talk in English about our role models. You'll hear useful phrases, real examples, and a few stories from me too! Let's get started. Today, I'm taking you to a small, cosy café. The soft clink of coffee cups and the low hum of conversation fill the air. Allan and Claire are sitting by the window, watching people stroll past as they chat. The smell of fresh coffee beans drifts around them. Claire wraps her hands around a warm mug, smiling as Allan begins to talk about someone close to his heart.
Allan:
I miss my grandpa. I always looked up to him.
Claire:
Yeah, you always speak so highly of him.
Allan:
I do. I've always admired him. He's had a big impact on me.
Claire:
Would you say he's someone who always led by example?
Allan:
Yes, I would. He didn't just talk—he followed through. He was the kind of person who walked the talk. Beautiful conversation, isn't it? It made me think about my number one role model — my mum. She's has always been the kind of woman who moves mountains for her children. No matter how hard life got when we were young, she never gave up. She worked long hours, cooked and cleaned at home, and still found time to support me and my brother every step of the way. Whenever something is difficult and I feel like life is too hard, I think of her — and I keep going. She's truly my inspiration, and now I'm getting emotional. Let's get to work and take a closer look at some of the useful phrases Allan and Claire used, so you can talk about your own role models too.
Allan first said,
I miss my grandpa. I always looked up to him. If you look up to someone, it means you admire them. You think they're a great person, and you respect what they do or how they live. And when you admire someone, you might try to be more like them or learn from their example.
Claire then said,
You always speak so highly of him. To speak highly of someone means to talk about them in a very positive way. When you speak highly of someone, you talk about all the things you admire about them — their qualities, actions, and character. Allan speaks highly of his grandpa because he respects and looks up to him. So, when you admire someone, you often speak highly of them to others.
Next, we have,
I've always admired him. He's had a big impact on me. Allan's grandpa had a big impact on him. When someone has a big impact on you, they make you think and they change you in a meaningful way. They influence your thoughts, your actions, and even your values. This big impact can be a result of something someone says, or something someone does, or even just how they live their life. For example, have you heard of Baker Boy? He's a Yolngu rapper, dancer, and artist that has inspired so many people. His music blends English and his native language, Yolngu Matha. Baker Boy brings Indigenous culture to the Australian hip-hop scene and has won many awards. He was celebrated as the Young Australian of the Year in 2019. He's young, but definitely a role model!
Let's go back to our dialogue, Claire said,
Would you say he's someone who led by example? Led by example. If you lead by example, you show others how to behave by doing the right thing yourself. Instead of just telling people what to do, you show them the right thing to do through your own actions. Can you think of someone who has led by example?
Just like Allan's grandpa, who, as Allan says,
He didn't just talk—he followed through. He was the kind of person who walked the talk. He followed through. We say someone follows through when they do what they said they would do. So, someone who walks the talk doesn't just make promises — but keeps them. When someone follows through, it means that you can trust what they say because they actually take real action. We can also say that someone walks the talk when their actions match their words. Sign up for previews, updates and to provide feedback. A big thank you to Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan who voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant. For more on NAIDOC Week, check out Celebrating NAIDOC week | SBS NITV.
LISTEN TO
SBS English
08/09/2023 27:29 English
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Who gets what in Denise Richards, Aaron Phypers split
Denise Richards' husband, Aaron Phypers, has filed for divorce from the actress after nearly seven years of marriage. The self-employed businessman cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for their split, Realtor reports. In court documents filed by Phypers, 52, who wed Richards, 54, in 2018 after just one year of dating, he also lifted the lid on their finances. Phypers admitted in the filing that his monthly income is next to nothing, while estimating his estranged wife rakes in around $US250,000 ($A383,000) a month from her OnlyFans account and her on-screen work. According to Fox News, the legal documents also contain information about the duo's spending habits. Phypers stated that their monthly expenses total around $US105,000 ($A160,000). About $US20,000 ($A30,000) is spent on clothing, $US18,000 ($A27,000) rent, $US15,000 ($A23,000) restaurants, $US8,000 ($A12,260) utilities and $US7000 ($A10,700) child care services. The former wellness professional explained he has not been able to contribute to these monthly costs since October 2024, when he was forced to shut down his Malibu health centre, Quantum 360 Club. In his petition, Phypers requested spousal support from the actress — and asked to keep their assets and debts as separate property, including his power tools, motorcycle, and sports car. Although the former lovebirds don't share any children, it was previously revealed that Phypers was in the process of adopting his wife's 14-year-old daughter, Eloise. However, it is unclear whether that application was ever completed. It is also unclear what the former couple's living arrangement will look like after their split — the date of which is listed in the filing as July 4 — having already set up a somewhat unique home situation for themselves long before their marriage began to fall apart. Richards lifted the lid on their unconventional home life during an episode of her reality series, 'Denise Richards and Her Wild Things', in which she stars alongside Phypers as well as her daughters, Sami, Lola, and Eloise At the time, she confessed that her current set up was 'a little confusing,' particularly because she owns a Malibu home that she doesn't actually live in — and had instead handed over to her husband's family to use as their own residence. 'My living situation is a little confusing,' she said. 'I don't live in our [Malibu] house. Aaron's mum and dad and his brother … they were going to stay for a few months, [but] it's been over three years.' Instead, Richards and her family moved into a rented townhouse to get some 'more space.' And such was the appeal of the unit she initially leased that she ended up renting two additional homes. 'I needed some space, so I rented a townhouse,' she said. 'And then I rented another one and another one, so I have three of them.' The former 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star explained each of the properties served a different purpose, revealing she and her family were using the abodes almost as though they were rooms in a house. 'One's an office, one's a studio, one's for Lola and Eloise and for us to sleep in, and then when Aaron and I want privacy, then we sleep in the studio,' she said. 'I told Sam and Lola that we can be like 'Melrose Place,' and they're like, 'What's that?'' Although she did not reveal the cost of her multiple rentals, Phypers' divorce disclosures suggest the duo were spending around $US18,000 ($A27,000) a month on housing — which would mean that each of the townhouses costs $US6,000 ($A9,100) to lease. The duo have not yet shared whether Phypers will continue to live in one of the properties, or if his family will be permitted to stay in Richards' Malibu home in the wake of their split. Three months before the news of their divorce broke, Richards' eldest daughter, Sami, lifted the lid on the somewhat turbulent environment inside the family's home. The 21-year-old confessed in April that she and her mother didn't speak for close to a year after she made the decision to move out of the house and in with her father, Charlie Sheen. The model blamed her move on the 'constant' fighting that was going on at her mother's house, admitting that she 'felt like the odd one out' inside the dwelling. 'I was living at my mum's, obviously, with Aaron [Phypers] and Lola, and we were all fighting constantly,' she said during an appearance on Gia Giudice's podcast, 'Casual Chaos.' 'I did not get along with anyone. I kind of felt like the odd one out and being the older sister, the blame was, like, always thrown on me for everything. 'I was really struggling mentally in that house, and there's obviously a lot that I wish I could say, but I'll get in trouble for saying [it].' Sami initially announced her decision to leave Richards' property in a video posted to TikTok. The media personality referred to her mum's abode as a 'hell house' and claimed she had been 'trapped in an abusive household.' In response, an unnamed insider told People magazine that Richards had been struggling to come to terms with her daughter's decision. The former 'James Bond' star believed she had simply been setting 'normal' boundaries for her then-17-year-old child. Richards and Phypers began dating in June 2017, having met for the first time at his wellness centre in Malibu, where the actress was undergoing 'preventative DNA repair,' she later revealed. They quickly struck up a romance and tied the knot in a private ceremony in Malibu just one year later. Prior to his relationship with Richards, Phypers was briefly married to 'Desperate Housewives' star Nicollette Sheridan. They finalised their divorce in August 2018. Meanwhile, Richards had a very highly publicised marriage to actor Sheen from 2002 and 2006, and the duo share two children — Sami and Lola. The actress had previously insisted that she would never get a divorce again while reflecting on her separation from Sheen, admitting that she hated the 'Judgement' she faced after their split. 'The judgment from other people and being made out to be this awful woman, I'll never get divorce, even if we hate each other,' she said.
SBS Australia
4 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Bonus Practice: #90 Talking about role models
Speaking out loud will help to improve your English speaking fluency and will make it easier for you to remember new vocabulary. This bonus episode provides interactive speaking practice for the words and phrases you learnt in #90 Talking about role models | First Nations Elders (Med). Allan: I miss my grandpa. I always looked up to him. Claire: Yeah, you always speak so highly of him. Allan: I do. I've always admired him. He's had a big impact on me. Claire: Would you say he's someone who always led by example? Allan: Yes, I would. He didn't just talk—he followed through. He was the kind of person who walked the talk. Learn the meanings of the phrases used in this dialogue: SBS English 08/07/2025 12:19 English Credit: Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant. For more on NAIDOC Week, check out Celebrating NAIDOC week | SBS NITV.
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
The teen 'Luddites' rethinking how they use tech ahead of Australia's under-16s social media ban
Like many young New Yorkers, Jameson Butler was 10 years old when she received her first mobile in 2017. It was a smartphone with access to a plethora of distracting social media apps. By 12, she was so "engrossed" in her small screen that it began to trouble her parents and, though she didn't admit it at the time, herself. "My screen time [then] was around five to six hours, which is a pretty decent chunk of my day, especially considering the fact that I was in school for eight hours," she tells ABC Radio National's Science Friction. So at 14, Ms Butler did something few others her age would even contemplate; she stopped scrolling, deleted her social media accounts, and gave up her smartphone. What she discovered was that life had much more to offer her outside of a hand-held device; Ms Butler could finally pay attention to the world instead of living life vicariously through strangers on the internet. To make sure she was still contactable in emergencies, Ms Butler bought a "dumbphone" without any apps. "The flip phone just made so much sense," she adds. She thought she was the only one who felt this way until she met Logan Lane, a high school student two years her senior with similar beliefs. Together they formed the Luddite Club, a group that promotes the "conscious consumption of technology" among teens and young adults. The name is inspired by the original Luddites, textile workers in England who formed a rebellion during the Industrial Revolution, raiding factories at night to destroy the machines threatening their livelihoods. But Ms Butler and her fellow Luddite Club members don't think of themselves as revolutionaries; their goal is simply to "empower young people and give them the tools they need to help themselves". The idea of building safe offline spaces, especially for children, is catching on in other parts of the world. A town in France introduced a ban on the public use of phones last year, and parents are forming community groups to prevent their children from accessing phones until they are older. Here in Australia, a ban on under-16s accessing some social media platforms will become law in December 2025. But who is best placed to impose these restrictions? Should it be up to governments, organisations or individuals? Ms Butler is now 18 and isn't planning to get a smartphone for as long as possible, even if "having a flip phone in 2025 definitely make[s] … life harder in some aspects". "Especially as we now see QR codes, links to websites everywhere. A lot of my schoolwork is online," she acknowledges. Her dedication has surprised her parents, who didn't think her smartphone-free status was going to last. "I definitely spend more quality time with my family. I'm more present at family dinners, I do my schoolwork faster, I have better grades, I'm more organised, I'm more on top of everything, I've become a lot less scatterbrained," she says. The idea to unite like-minded New Yorkers in forming the Luddite Club was fuelled, in part, by Ms Butler's and Ms Lane's own experiences navigating a less tech-dependent lifestyle. "We realised the hardest part about making that transition [is] the feelings of isolation that come with it and a lack of community," she says. However, finding teens and young adults who share their views is difficult, with many not convinced that giving up their phones is the ticket to a better life. Critics argue the Luddite Club is classist and that living without a phone is a privilege, given many people use it to be included in society. "[The perception is that] … we have all these rules for Luddite Club and requirements to join, when in reality, that's not true," Ms Butler explains. Those who do take part are only required to follow one rule at their regular Luddite Club meetings: put any devices away for the duration of the gathering. "Other than that, the Luddite Club is very free-range and spontaneous," Ms Butler says. "We like to keep the Luddite Club very loosely structured because we've noticed that when you take these devices and these distractions away from people, they don't need prompting, immediately meaningful conversations [are spawned]." The Luddite Club has now expanded beyond New York to states like Florida and Philadelphia. But the bigger issue may be spreading their message to adults. "Now I'm the one at family dinner like, 'Mum, get off of Facebook'," the teenager says. More than half of Australian children aged 10 to 13 own a mobile phone. And much of the debate about social media and devices recently has focused on those aged 16 and under. High school teacher and mum Steph Challis lives in regional Victoria and is founder of The Phone Pledge program, a group of mums trying to keep their children off screens until at least 16 years of age. She understands why some people see hypocrisy in parents and teachers telling kids not to use their phones when the adults around them are also using the devices. But Ms Challis claims we should be setting an age limit on when to access phones because they pose a greater risk to a child's development. "[Social media is] harming their brain; it's changing the way their brains develop, much more so than it would be for someone who's 25 and above," she says. Part of what has prompted her to found the program is her own teaching experiences with tired students who "openly admit a lot of that [tiredness] is because of their electronic devices". She was also inspired by Jonathan Haidt's hugely popular yet controversial book, The Anxious Generation, and a survey she did that found many parents in her district were similarly worried about their children's phone use. "If we reach parents that were probably going to give their children a smartphone and a TikTok account in grade five [age 10], and they decide to wait until year seven and year eight, that's still progress and that's still something to be celebrated," she says. Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and describes the compulsive overconsumption of digital media as a "collective problem" that requires "collective solutions". "It's not enough to just moderate the content or try to limit our time, we need actual physical spaces and times when we all come together with no internet connection," she says. She notes that it's amazing that in "this day and age you can have a spiritual experience just by not carrying your phone with you". "Comedy clubs, music events, all kinds of people are really recognising that what makes for a meaningful gathering of humans is the extent to which they are psychologically investing in the moment." A small French town 50 kilometres south of Paris is going one step further by imposing a local smartphone ban on everyone, regardless of age. Seine Port is home to 2,000 people. Its mayor, Vincent Paul-Petit from the right-wing party Les Républicains, introduced the scheme, which passed a referendum with a slim margin of 54 per cent in favour last year. Individuals are discouraged from scrolling outside the school gates, in shops, cafes, restaurants, parks and even footpaths. "[The ban] was a form of provocation to help everyone wake up to this social issue, which is a huge issue, a huge social difficulty," the mayor says. It has been welcomed by some. "The shopkeepers are very happy with the progress we've felt in the town. They've all put a sticker inside their stores, a big sticker, saying 'screen-free spaces, smartphone-free spaces'," Mr Paul-Petit says. "They appreciate being able to interact with their customers." But not long after the success of the referendum, Mr Paul-Petit discovered he didn't have the power to prohibit smartphone use, so the "ban" has been replaced by a voluntary charter. And he admits there are some who don't want to follow it. "[People] say: 'Hide your phone, the mayor is coming.' … It's rather amusing," he says. Time will tell whether other places follow Mr Paul-Petit's lead. But the debate remains as to whose role it is to limit smartphone and social media use. For example, when legislation was passed in 2024 banning under-16s from accessing some social media, media reports claimed it set "Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated, or have said they plan to legislate, an age restriction on social media". The ban will not take effect until the end of the year. But critics — including Elon Musk, who owns the social media platform X — claim the move is a "backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians". Professor Lembke has praised the Australian government's approach and says when she talked about banning smartphones from schools 15 years ago, "people looked at me like it was absolutely crazy". "Now it's happening, so I'm super hopeful. Humans are adaptable," she says. Others are more sceptical about whether social media age restrictions will be followed by young people. A few teens impacted by the ban say they will find a "secret" way to continue to use social media platforms. Jameson Butler says these decisions should be left to individuals. The choice to consume less technology should be "consensual and empowering", she adds, and not the result of a ban. "I remember honestly being very annoyed every time my parents would try to tell me how bad the smartphone was because it was just … so entertaining," she says. "I didn't want to put it down … And despite all the times my parents tried to warn me and tried to limit my screen time, it wasn't until I reached the conclusion that my phone had been harming me … that I really decided to do something about it." She says that's part of the reason why she and her friends formed the Luddite Club. "What sets us apart from other, offline organisations and foundations … [is] a lot of them centre around parents and parenting," she says. "[But] we see that kids are really not going to always listen to their parents."
