Speaker A
And what about this internet thing? Do you know anything about that? Sure.
Learn English with Bill Gates interviews covering tech history, vocabulary, and expressions about the internet, computers, and business.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Bill Gates played a crucial role in popularizing personal computers and technology.
- Understanding idioms and business vocabulary enhances English fluency in tech contexts.
- Motivation and passion are key drivers behind innovation and success.
- Learning English through real interviews helps grasp natural expressions and pronunciation.
- Technology evolves rapidly, and being adaptable is essential.
What the video covers
- The video features Bill Gates discussing the early days of the internet and personal computing.
- It includes explanations of advanced English expressions and vocabulary related to technology and business.
- Bill Gates shares insights from the 1980s to 2000s about Microsoft’s growth and his personal journey.
- The lesson highlights useful idioms like 'ring a bell' and terms like 'breakthrough' and 'broadcast'.
- Viewers learn about Bill Gates’ background as a self-taught programmer and Harvard dropout.
- The video explains business concepts such as revenue, profit, and company ownership.
- It emphasizes natural English usage with examples and pronunciation tips.
- The lesson encourages using the Real Life English app for vocabulary practice.
- Bill Gates discusses motivation beyond money and avoiding burnout in a fast-paced industry.
- The video combines historical tech context with practical English learning.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to the Internet and Bill Gates
- 00:38Broadcasting Baseball Games Online
- 01:38Explaining the Internet and Breakthroughs
- 03:27Idioms: Ring a Bell Explained
- 04:32Bill Gates Early Career and Microsoft Growth
- 05:30Motivation Beyond Money and Avoiding Burnout
- 07:29Vocabulary: Computer Wiz and Dropout
- 08:08Business Concepts: Revenue and Company Ownership
- 09:10Pronunciation Tips and Connected Speech
- 10:18Final Thoughts on Innovation and Engagement
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
What the hell is that exactly? Well, it's become a place where people are publishing information. So, everybody can have their own homepage.
Speaker A
Companies are there, the latest information. It's wild what's going on. You can send electronic mail to people.
Speaker A
It is the big new thing. Yeah. But, you know, it's easy to criticize something you don't fully understand, which is my position here.
Speaker A
Go ahead. But I can remember a couple of months ago there was like a big breakthrough announcement that on the internet or on some computer deal they were going to broadcast a baseball game.
Speaker A
You could listen to a baseball game on your computer. And I just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?
Speaker A
Today we're learning English with one of the most fascinating figures in tech history, Bill Gates.
Speaker A
Hi, I'm Bill Gates. He is not only one of the richest people on earth, but also one of the most generous. He's actually pledged to donate 99% of his fortune to charity through the Gates Foundation.
Speaker A
And in today's lesson, we're going back in time to the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s to hear Bill talk in three different clips about the early days of computers and his incredible journey making personal computers what they are today.
Speaker A
You'll learn tons of useful vocabulary about technology, business, and also everyday expressions that you can use in any conversation. We'll start by learning the advanced expressions from the clip we just watched where Bill is trying to explain this new thing called
Speaker A
the internet. Well, it's become a place where people are publishing information. So, everybody can have their own homepage.
Speaker A
Companies are there, the latest information. It's wild what's going on. You can send electronic mail to people.
Speaker A
It is the big new thing. When he says it's wild, he means it's crazy, exciting, and developing fast in unpredictable ways. You might hear people say, for example, that the changes in AI technology are wild right now. Or say you feel that the city where
Speaker A
you live has changed a lot lately. You could say it's wild how much the city has grown in just five years. But I can remember a couple of months ago there was like a big breakthrough announcement that on the internet or on some computer
Speaker A
deal they were going to broadcast a baseball game. A breakthrough is a major discovery or achievement that solves a problem.
Speaker A
Like during the COVID-19 pandemic when a vaccine was finally discovered that was a medical breakthrough. So the breakthrough that Letterman is referring to is that they broadcast a baseball game via the internet. To broadcast means to transmit audio or video to a
Speaker A
wide audience originally via radio or TV. You could listen to a baseball game on your computer. And I just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?
Speaker A
This is a nice dramatic expression. When something rings a bell, it means it sounds familiar. It reminds you of something. Check out these examples.
Speaker A
A while back, I was assigned to keep tabs on a musician, MC Jagger, who was in this British band, Rolling Stones.
Speaker A
Rings a bell. We believed he was on the planet to breed with Earth women.
Speaker A
Have we met? No. My memory is a little fuzzy, but your face rings a bell.
Speaker A
So, in the clip, Letterman is actually being sarcastic. He's basically saying, "Wait, don't we already have something that broadcasts baseball games? It's called a radio." Now, this is a great expression you can use to sound more natural. And today, we'll cover 25 more.
Speaker A
That's why I highly recommend you use the Real Life English app to save and practice all these words, which will help you never forget them and be able to confidently use them in your next conversation. Our magic flashcards will
Speaker A
make new expressions like these stick in your brain like super glue, and you'll be amazed how easy it will be for you to use them naturally in English conversation. So, get free access now by clicking the link in the description
Speaker A
using your phone. Now, let's watch the next clip from way back in 1984. Here we meet a much younger Bill Gates talking about the early days of Microsoft, why money isn't his main motivation, and how he avoids burnout in such an intense
Speaker A
industry. Let's watch. Bill Gates is a computer wiz. He taught himself programming at the age of 13, was a dropout at Harvard, and started the company we've just described at the age of 19, now 28. What are your annual
Speaker A
revenues at Microsoft? We're expecting to do just over 100 million this year. What, at what age did you yourself become a millionaire?
Speaker A
Well, Microsoft's a company owned primarily by its employees. And it's not easy to put a value on it. Our first big contract was in 1975.
Speaker A
And you were what, 20? 21. Yeah. Are you kind of half telling me though that you're not in it for the money?
Speaker A
I don't think anyone at the company's in it for the money. It's a much more exciting field than trying to measure exactly how much we're selling or how much it's worth. The creation of these programs is something you can
Speaker A
sit down and see people enjoying and solving real problems. If you had stayed at Harvard a few more years, would this computer revolution have passed you by? Perhaps things move very quickly in the industry and it was
Speaker A
really the urgency to get out there and be the first one to put a BASIC on the microcomputer that caused me to drop out.
Speaker A
You're called a genius and I will, well no, I don't think that embarrassed you at all. They call you a genius. Part of your genius is that you are a computer wiz and the other is that you did have
Speaker A
the business acumen to turn it into a working company. Are you a business genius too?
Speaker A
Well, I wouldn't say genius. I enjoy working with the people, talking about what we're going to get done, getting real excited, making sure that the structure is there, that the ideas get measured properly, and really
Speaker A
leading the company. That's exciting. At the age of 28 in a field of work, world burnout is common. Are you going to burn out before you're 30?
Speaker A
No. How do you know? Well, the work we're doing is not like, you know, we're doing the same thing all day long. We go into our offices and think up new programs. We get together in meetings. We go out and
Speaker A
see end users. We talk to customers. There's so much variety and there's always new things going on. I don't think there'll ever come a time when that would be boring.
Speaker A
Bill Gates is a computer wiz. He taught himself programming at the age of 13, was a dropout at Harvard. A computer wiz is someone who is extremely skilled and talented with computers. Whiz, originally coming from the word wizard,
Speaker A
meaning the wise man, is an informal word used to refer to a person who's brilliant at something. For example, maybe you have a friend who can solve math equations in seconds. So, you could say they're a math wiz. Now, a dropout
Speaker A
is a person who left school or college before finishing. It comes from the phrasal verb to drop out. Bill actually dropped out of Harvard University to start Microsoft.
Speaker A
What are your annual revenues, Microsoft? We're expecting to do just over 100 million this year.
Speaker A
Revenue is the total amount of money a company receives from selling its products. It's different from profit.
Speaker A
Revenue is all the money coming in before you subtract expenses. Profit is what's left after expenses are paid.
Speaker A
Now, here's something interesting Bill mentions. What, at what age did you yourself become a millionaire?
Speaker A
Well, Microsoft's a company owned primarily by its employees. And it's not easy to put a value on it.
Speaker A
He's saying this because back then Microsoft was a private company, a company owned by a small group of people, often the founders and employees. But later they went public, meaning they became a public company where anyone can buy shares on the stock
Speaker A
market. Now listen again to how Bill pronounced this phrase. And it's no
Speaker A
This is a good phrase for practicing advanced pronunciation. And there is a couple patterns of connected speech in it that are worth looking into. This will really help you understand how he was able to say that whole phrase so
Speaker A
quickly. So, first put a value was all linked as if it were a single word. But instead of pronouncing put a value because Bill Gates is American, the T sounded like a fast D there. Put a value. It's the same sound we hear in
Speaker A
water instead of water. Next, the words on it become on it. Here the N sound links to it and the T from it becomes a stop T which basically sounds like a sudden pause it. It I it. So the entire
Speaker A
line sounds like put a value on it. Put a value on it. Let's practice it by repeating after bill.
Speaker A
To put a value on it to put a value on it. I just want to remind you of how important it is to practice the expressions you are learning. And thousands of learners just like you have found that our app is the perfect tool
Speaker A
for doing that. Take Kate from Ukraine for example. She said the app is so convenient for learning English. That's because the real life app makes learning English a fun natural part of your life.
Speaker A
So if that sounds like something you want too, give it a try. It's free to download. Just click the link in the description below using your phone. Our first big contract was in 1975.
Speaker A
And you were what, 20? 21. Yeah. Are you kind of half telling me though that you're not in it for the money?
Speaker A
By halftelling, she means he's kind of saying it, but not directly or completely. Like he's indirectly admitting his main motivation at Microsoft isn't money. In other words, he isn't in it for the money. When you're in it for something, that's your
Speaker A
main motivation. what you're trying to get out of the situation. For example, a question you could hear when someone wants to know what benefits they'll get in a situation is, "What's in it for me?" See this example from Spider-Man.
Speaker A
I'm trying to get Ned and MJ a second chance at getting in. What's in it for me?
Speaker A
I'm risking a lot just talking to you. If you had stayed at Harvard a few more years, would this computer revolution have passed you by? When an opportunity passes you by, it means you miss it. The chance comes and goes, and you don't
Speaker A
take advantage of it. It's like a bus passing by your stop without you getting on.
Speaker A
Kimmy says, "If you love someone, you say it. You say it right then, out loud.
Speaker A
Otherwise, the moment just passes you by. Passes you by. Perhaps things move very quickly in the industry and it was really the urgency to get out there and be the first one to to put a a basic on
Speaker A
the micro computer that caused me to drop out. Basic is the name of a computer programming language. Back in the 1970s and 80s it was one of the easiest programming language to learn which is why Bill wanted to put it on early
Speaker A
personal computers PC. You're called a genius and I will well know that I don't think that embarrassed you at all. They call you a genius. Part of your genius is that you are a computer wiz.
Speaker A
In English, genius isn't just a noun describing a person. We can also use it to talk about their special talent. For example, Mosert's musical genius was recognized when he was just a child.
Speaker A
Part of your genius is that you are a computer wiz and the other is that you did have the the the business acumen to to turn it into a working company.
Speaker A
Acumen means the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions in a particular area. You'll almost always hear this word paired with another word that specifies the type of skill like business acumen, financial acumen or political acumen. So business acumen is
Speaker A
the skill of understanding business and making smart business decisions. At the age of 28 in a field of work world, burnout is common. Are you going to burn out before you're 30? Burnout is when you become extremely tired from working
Speaker A
too much to the point where you can't continue effectively. It's physical and emotional exhaustion from overwork.
Speaker A
Bill's insight into this is really interesting. If you're excited and engaged by what you're doing, you're less likely to burn out even while working as hard as he was.
Speaker A
Uh we go into our offices and think up new programs. We get together in meetings. We go out and see end users.
Speaker A
We talk to customers. End users are the actual people who use a product, the final customers who use it in their daily lives. Hey guys, if you're enjoying this lesson, I want to let you know that we release the full version
Speaker A
with another great interview clip with Bill Gates on our real life app. You can watch this full version for free by clicking the link in the description below.
Speaker A
And what about this internet thing? Do you do you know anything about that? Sure.
Speaker A
What what the hell is that exactly? Well, it's it's become a place where people are publishing information. So, everybody can have their own homepage.
Speaker A
Companies are there, the latest information. It's wild what's going on. You can send electronic mail to people.
Speaker A
Uh it is the big new thing. Yeah. But, you know, uh it's easy to criticize something you don't fully understand, which is my position here.
Speaker A
Go ahead. But I I can remember a couple of months ago there was like a big breakthrough announcement that on the internet or on some computer deal they were going to broadcast a a baseball game. You could listen to a baseball
Speaker A
game on your computer. And I just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?
Speaker A
What does ring a bell mean? To make a loud noise. To sound familiar? To call someone.
Speaker A
Bill Gates is a computer wiz. He taught himself programming at the age of 13, was a dropout at Harvard, and started the company we've just described at the age of 19, now 28. What are your annual revenues at Microsoft? What is revenue?
Speaker A
The total money a company receives, the profit after expenses, or money owed to suppliers.
Speaker A
We're expecting to do just over 100 million this year. What uh at what age did you yourself become a millionaire?
Speaker A
Well, Microsoft's a a company owned primarily by its employees. And it's it's not easy to to to put a value on it. Um our first big contract was in 1975. And you were what, 20?
Speaker A
21. Yeah. Are you kind of half telling me though that you're not in it for the money?
Speaker A
I don't think anyone at the company's in it for the money. It's a it's a much more exciting field than trying to measure exactly how much we're selling or how much it it's worth. The creation of these programs is something you can
Speaker A
sit down and see people enjoying and and and solving real problems. If you had stayed at Harvard a few more years, would this computer revolution have passed you by? If an opportunity passes you by, what happened? You missed
Speaker A
the chance. You shared it with others. You succeeded at it. Perhaps things move very quickly in the industry and it was really the urgency to get out there and be the first one to to put a a basic on the micro computer
Speaker A
that caused me to drop out. You're called a genius and I will well no I don't think that embarrassed you at all.
Speaker A
They call you a genius. Part of your genius is that you are a computer wiz.
Speaker A
And the other is that you did have the the the the business acumen to to turn it into a working company. Someone with business acumen has a large company.
Speaker A
Sharp business judgment or many employees. Uh, is are you a business genius, too? Well, I wouldn't say genius. Um, I enjoy working with the people, talking about what we're going to get done, getting real excited, making sure that the
Speaker A
structure is there, that the ideas get get measured properly, and and really leading the company. That's exciting. at the age of 28 in a a field of work world where burnout is common. Are you going to burn out before you're 30?
Speaker A
No. How do you know? Well, the work we're doing is it's not like, you know, we're doing the same thing all day long. Uh we go into our offices and think up new programs. We get together in meetings. We go out and
Speaker A
see end users. We talk to customers. There's so much variety and and there's always new things going on. Um, and I don't think there'll ever come a time when that that would be boring.
Speaker A
Oh, yeah. Amazing job, guys. Now, if you're new to this YouTube channel, you should know that every single week we make new lessons just like this one with celebrities, movies, TV shows to help you understand fast speaking natives
Speaker A
without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles. So, if that sounds like something you want to be able to do, hit the subscribe button and the bell down below so you never miss any of our new lessons. Now,
Speaker A
remember to go and practice what you learn today on the Real Life English app. You'll find the special link right in the description below that will take you straight to this lesson over there.
Speaker A
What's it mean to you? Uh if you're going to do it, do it. Say what you can do. Do what you say. If you can't do it, don't say you can do it. Don't overleverage yourself. Don't overlever a decision and then jump in
Speaker A
and kind of dip a toe. I think I'll try it out. No. Think if you're going to try it out beforehand, but when it's time to go, dive, finish it, find
Topics:Bill GatesLearn EnglishTechnology VocabularyBusiness EnglishInternet HistoryMicrosoftIdiomsPronunciationTech InterviewsEnglish Learning
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