ESL Podcast 504 - Training Inexperienced Employees

newbie - informal term for novice; someone who is doing something for the first time; someone who is new and inexperienced in a particular position or task

I always try to avoid the newbies at the grocery store, because it takes them a long time to complete a transaction when they're still learning to use the cash register.

wet behind the ears - inexperienced; doing something for the first time

Are you trying to hire someone who has a lot of experience, or someone who's still wet behind the ears?

veteran - someone who has a lot of experience doing something

Don't worry, Marcus can help us. He's a veteran at solving these kinds of problems.

expertise - having deep knowledge about something; having special and deep understanding about a specific thing or area of study

Which professor has the most expertise in quantum physics?

to prop (someone or something) up - to support someone or something; to help someone or do something, or to help something happen

His parents' love props him up in difficult times.

to stand on (one's) own two feet - to be independent; to do something on one's own, without help from other people

Rachel is very proud that she has a job and can pay for her living expenses. She's finally standing on her own two feet.

novice - newbie; someone who is doing something for the first time; someone who is new and inexperienced in a particular position or task

Many novice tennis players make the same mistake, trying to hit the ball too hard.

cornerstone - someone or something that is necessary for the success of a project or organization

Good customer service is the cornerstone of our business's success.

naïve - without very much experience in life, so that one trusts other people or believes what other people say too easily

I can't believe you were so naïve that you believed that email and wrote a check to that person. You'll never see your money again!

reckless - doing things that are risky, without thinking about the bad or dangerous things that might happen as a result

The students watched an instructional film in school and learned that driving while drunk is reckless. They might hurt or kill other people, or themselves.

adept - able to do something quickly, easily, and well

Ophelia is adept at baking desserts, but she isn't very good at cooking meals.

inept - incapable; unable to do something; without the ability to do something well

Dean is so inept at driving that few of his friends will ride in a car with him.

recruit - a person who has recently joined an organization or workplace

We plan to hire 20 new recruits this fall.

old hand - a person who has a lot of experience doing something and knows how to do it very well

He's an old hand at fishing.

to take (something) with a grain of salt - to not believe everything that one is told; to decide which parts of something to believe; to know that something isn't completely true

Jackie has good intentions, but take what he says with a grain of salt, because sometimes he doesn't really know what he's talking about.