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English as a Second Language Podcast by Center for Educational Development

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girijad83, February 17, 2006
Reviewer: girijad83 from India

'English as a Second Language' podcast is published by the Center for Educational Development, Los Angeles. Hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, it is broadcast on weekdays and is targetted at those who are learning english as a second or a foreign language. Each podcast is divided into two parts- the first features a dialogue or a story, and the second explains new words and phrases from the story. Finally, there is a rapid version of the story, narrated in the same way a native english speaker would.

This is a highly educational podcast for those learning english as a second language. The host speaks slowly and utters each syllable distinctly, so that listeners have no difficulty following what he says. He uses both formal and informal language, but explains the nuance of each new word or phrase. Apart from the format of the podcasts, I also liked the topics chosen by the host, such as Reading Magazines, Getting a Haircut, Teamwork, etc. They would be useful to young and adult learners alike. I recommend this podcast to everybody who wants to brush up their spoken english.

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416 – Finding a Niche in Business

Author: Center for Educational Development
Mon, Oct 13, 2008

Slow dialogue: 1:18
Explanations: 3:25
Fast dialogue: 14:20

Hello, business students. I’m here today at your professor’s request to talk to you about the importance of finding your own niche in business. Conventional wisdom says that people in business need to diversify their skill sets so that they can be the most flexible in whatever field they decide to enter. While there is some truth to this, that’s only half of the picture.

Those who diversify too much run the risk of being a jack of all trades and master of none. Not having a focused set of skills may also be seen as indecisive from the standpoint of a potential employer, and your application may fall by the wayside as a result. Having a niche will help you stand out in the crowd.

In business, it’s a balancing act between having the general skills that any company will want, and also possessing specialized skills that will make you the go-to person in your organization. Keep this in mind and you’ll go far.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:26
Explanations: 2:58
Fast dialogue: 15:09

Ray: My mother is coming for a visit, which means we need to do some spring cleaning this weekend.

Debra: I’ll get the duster, if you’ll get the broom.

Ray: I’m serious. You know how nit-picky my mother is and I want our house to be neat and tidy.

Debra: Fine, fine, I understand. You don’t want her to know we live in a pigsty.

Ray: I’m not saying we live in a pigsty, but the house is a little messy and dusty. It wouldn’t hurt to straighten up a little bit, that’s all.

Debra: I’m willing to pitch in, but I’m not going to spend the entire weekend slaving away to get this house spotless. Your mother won’t love you any less if you’re not a neat freak.

Ray: You don’t know my mother very well.

Debra: I know her well enough. I don’t want to spoil her fun. If she can’t complain about our dirty house, what will she complain about?

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Cities: Salt Lake City; university admissions; within versus inside versus interior; so much for; to want out

Words:
to persecute
temple
canyon
to be home to
admissions
to get a feel for
due
rank
top-tier school
back-up school
to enroll
deferred admission
interior
so much for
to want out

Slow dialogue: 1:27
Explanations: 3:20
Fast dialogue: 17:04

Ben: Why are you squinting like that?

Lauren: I left my glasses at the office.

Ben: You mean you can’t see?!

Lauren: I can see pretty well. What was that yellow sign we just passed?

Ben: It said, “Dead End.� Stop! Turn around.

Lauren: I can’t. That sign says, “No U-turn.�

Ben: Okay, but we can’t keep going. Those signs say, “Do Not Enter� and “One Way.�

Lauren: Okay, fine. I’ll just pull off the road and you can drive.

Ben: You can’t. That sign says, “No Stopping.� Hey, you just made an illegal U-turn!

Lauren: What else could I do? Anyway, we’re back on track now.

Ben: Watch out for those speed bumps! You really are blind without your glasses. You’re going too fast. According to that sign, this is a school crossing zone. The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour.

Lauren: That’s only true when the lights are flashing. Is that a “Detour� sign?

Ben: I can’t believe it. Will I never get home?

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:17
Explanations: 3:15
Fast dialogue: 13:55

Andre: Mom, I can’t believe I got stuck with Matt as my lab partner in school.

Josephine: Matt? Do I know Matt?

Andre: He lives down the street. He’s Mr. and Mrs. Kemp’s son. He’s a total airhead.

Josephine: Oh, I remember him. He was at your birthday party.

Andre: Yeah, when I was nine years old! That guy is so dense!

Josephine: Matt was always considered a gifted child. He seemed bright and perceptive, and his parents thought he’d go far.

Andre: If you ask me, he’s not all there. Every time I look over at him in class, he’s staring off into space. He doesn’t seem like the kind who’s very quick on the uptake.

Josephine: You know, some very smart people can seem spacey to the rest of us. Maybe he’s just thinking when he stares off into space.

Andre: Maybe. All I know is that my science grade is riding on how we do in the lab, so I hope he shapes up.

Josephine: I’m sure he will. And even if he doesn’t, you’re clever enough to still do well in the class.

Andre: Thanks, Mom, but I wouldn’t bet on it!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: childhood obesity; besides vs. furthermore vs. moreover; wink-wink; thrill

Words:
to be doing
veggie
grass-fed
organic
salad bar
to line up
to segue
processed food
refined
high fructose corn syrup
whole food
with an eye in the long run toward...
furthermore
moreover
besides
to give the wink-wink
thrill

Slow dialogue: 1:40
Explanations: 3:55
Fast dialogue: 17:38

Joachim: I’m really having second thoughts about hiring a firm to do corporate spying for us. I don’t want to do anything that’s ethically questionable.

Dawn: We have no choice but to do it. All of our competitors conduct corporate espionage.

Joachim: I can understand spying on our competitors, but I draw the line at having us snoop on our own employees.

Dawn: We wouldn’t unless our backs were against the wall. I know you’re thinking about Hewer Placket hiring investigators to find a leak in their company. I’m sure it was a hard decision for them, but they couldn’t allow anyone in their own company to leak trade secrets.

Joachim: True, it was necessary, but I don’t like being deceptive with our own employees. I won’t allow wiretaps or any invasion of privacy.

Dawn: Our first priority would be damage control, not privacy. In any case, we’re not making a decision to spy within the company right now. We’re only after our rival’s information. The investigators we’re hiring know the difference between legal and illegal spying. They’ll schmooze at trade shows, scour legal records, and do other things like that. They’ll know where to draw the line.

Joachim: I hope you’re right. I don’t want to end up on the front page of the Times!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:31
Explanations: 3:03
Fast dialogue: 13:36

Frank: Hand me that bag of potato chips.

Katie: Here. You mean you’re still hungry after two burgers and French fries?

Frank: Yeah, I am. I’m a growing boy. Where’s the popcorn?

Katie: I can’t believe we’re eating all of this junk food. I’m supposed to be watching what I eat.

Frank: Forget about it. Who can watch a football game without stuffing their faces? It’s an American tradition.

Katie: Where did you get those candy bars?

Frank: Some kids were selling them door-to-door and I thought it was my duty to buy some.

Katie: It was your duty to buy 10 candy bars?!

Frank: What can I say? I’m a softy.

Katie: I’m getting another soda. Do you want one?

Frank: No, thanks. But while you’re up, can you hand me the phone?

Katie: Sure, why?

Frank: I’m ordering a pizza.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: The Chinese Exclusion Act; Library of Congress and the public library system; I thought versus I think; anyway versus however; to make (someone) earn (something)

Words:
Immigration
to resent
act
to exclude
citizen
ethnic
to repeal
library
to check out books
Congress
collection
significant
anyway
however
to make (someone) earn (something)

Jeff: Hello and welcome to ESL Podcast’s third anniversary video podcast. We are now three years old, and as we do every year we are recording a short video podcast for you. This year, we asked you to send us some questions to answer, and in this podcast I and Lucy will be answering some of your questions.

So, the first question is: “How did the podcast get started?� Well, back in the spring of 2005, three years ago, I read about podcasting in the newspaper and I decided to investigate it and learn about it. It sounded very interesting, a very good way to reach many people directly, and I wanted to do some more English teaching over the Internet. And on July 22nd, 2005 we had our first ESL Podcast episode, and here we are three years later.

The podcast originally was done by me during the first week or two, and then Dr. Lucy Tse came and started writing the scripts and helping produce the podcast, and basically making it more professional, and Lucy and I now work together as a team to do that.

We also have other people that help us now with the podcast in different ways. Adriano, our webmaster, is an excellent technical person, and he helps us with all of the website information that we need. We have Jessica, who does a lot of our writing, especially for the Learning Guides, and she also now does some customer service. She helps us with our communications with you, the listener. And we also have Sue, who does what we call postproduction. She does all of the editing and putting the audio together and making sure everything sounds good, and she also does some video editing. So, Sue is an expert in many things. And, we are very lucky to have someone as talented as Adriano, someone as smart and as creative as Jessica, and someone who’s such an expert in all things technical, that being Sue.

Next question is: “How did we think people would receive the podcast? Did we think it would be a success?� And the answer is absolutely not. We were very surprised, shocked when we got 100 listeners, and then 500 listeners, and soon after 1,000 listeners. Now we have thousands and thousands of listeners all over the world, and we are very happy but very surprised, and we have always been surprised by that.

Someone asked: “How long does it take to record and produce the podcast?� Well, if you start from the writing of the script, which Lucy does, and the Learning Guides, and recording, and the editing, and the web work, and all the rest, it’s probably a total time for all of us together of somewhere between 10 and 12 hours per episode – each episode. So, we do three episodes a week plus we do special courses, so it’s – it’s a very big job, but we love doing it. We really enjoy it.

Someone was commenting on my reading of the scripts and wanted to know if I had an acting career – if I was an actor. Well, I live here in Hollywood, in Los Angeles, and actually I was an actor many years ago, more than 20 years ago. I was in a movie, you may have heard of it, called Star Wars with Harrison Ford. Harrison’s a great guy! I was the character called Chewbacca, who was the big gorilla with all the hair all over his body. That was me! And unfortunately, as you can see no more hair, so no more acting jobs for me.

When did Lucy and I first meet? Well, Lucy and I met more than 15 years ago. We met in graduate school. We were both studying here in Southern California and we met at, I think, the first class we had together. We were studying the similar subject. We also worked in the same building, teaching English to international students at the university. So we’ve known each other for a very long time.

Now, some of you have also asked questions of Lucy, and many of you wanted to see what Lucy looks like. So, I’m going to invite Lucy. Lucy, would you like to come and sit down?

Lucy: Sure. Hi Jeff. Hi everybody.

Jeff: Hi Lucy. Thank you for coming.

Lucy: Um...Jeff, you’re the tech expert, but are you sure the camera is on both of us?

Jeff: Yeah, let me see here. Yup, there it is. It’s there, it’s there.

Lucy: Okay. Some of you asked questions of me as well, so I’ll answer a few of those. One of you wanted to know how I came up with the script ideas for the podcast.

To me, the scripts are just a small part of the podcast, really. Jeff does all of the hard work. Coming up with the script ideas isn’t that difficult. I try to think of situations that are common or that may be helpful, and then I write a script around that. Some of the script ideas are sent to us from the listeners, like you, and I want to thank all of you for your suggestions. Those are very, very helpful to me. For me, writing the scripts is one of the best parts of my job; it’s really fun to do.

Another question is: “What is it like working with Jeff?� As Jeff said, we have known each other for many, many years. In the old days, when we were graduate students and then later as professors, we worked with each other quite a lot doing research and doing writing projects. We both have strong opinions, but since Jeff has all the good ideas, and he’s always right, it’s great working with him. There’s a saying: “What you see is what you get.� Jeff, on the podcast, is the way he is in real life. He’s very funny, and he sings just as well as he does on the podcast. I know, because my office is right next to his!

And the last question we’re going to be answering is for both of us. A listener wanted to know if we get tired of doing the podcast. What about you, Jeff?

Jeff: No, I don’t get tired of doing the podcast. I love doing the podcast. I love doing the recording and all of the other things. So no, I have not and do not get tired of the podcast.

Lucy: Me, neither. I like the creative part of it, thinking of new ideas, the writing part of it, and I love hearing from our listeners. So, I can imagine doing this for the next...oh...20 years. Right Jeff?

Jeff: 20? 20 years?

Lucy: 20 years.

Jeff: Um...sure, yeah! 20 years, absolutely.

Lucy: Yeah.

Jeff: Mmhmm.

Lucy: I think we’re out of time. Like Jeff, I want to thank all of our fabulous listeners for their support, especially our members and our donors who make it possible for us to continue our work and allow us to continue producing these podcasts. So, Jeff, would you like to do a little singing for us before we leave?

Jeff: Well...uh...I would. Thank you, Lucy, for asking me. And I want to thank Lucy Tse, here, for coming on, and especially for being on camera like this, and so people can see you. I think that’s really important.

Lucy: Now that everyone sees what I look like, there’s no mystery anymore.

Jeff: Right. You’ll be recognized everywhere now. So...um...now I would like to sing, but my [clears throat] my voice is a little sore today. So, I promise I will do more singing, though, on the regular podcast.

So, from Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan...

Lucy: And I’m Lucy Tse.

Jeff: And we thank you for watching.

Slow dialogue: 1:21
Explanations: 3:18
Fast dialogue: 14:53

Olivia: Dad, can I ask you a question?

Dad: You just did.

Olivia: I mean, can I ask you another question?

Dad: Ask away.

Olivia: Where do babies come from?

Dad: What? Where did you come up with that one?

Olivia: I don’t know.

Dad: Let me tell you. That’s for grown-ups to know. You’re just a pipsqueak. You mind your own business and I’ll tell you when you’re a little older.

Olivia: Why can’t you tell me now?

Dad: No comment.

Olivia: Dad, what does no comment mean?

Dad: That’s confidential.

Olivia: Why is it confidential?

Dad: That’s personal.

Olivia: Dad, just tell me.

Dad: Never you mind.

Olivia: But I want to know!

Dad: And I want to know why I can’t get some peace and quiet in this house.

Olivia: Oh, Dad.

Dad: Don’t “oh, Dad� me. Just wait and see. You’ll get all the answers you want when you’re older.

Olivia: But Dad, I want to know now. Where do babies come from?

Dad: I’m out of answers. Go ask your mother.

Olivia: I did. Mom said to ask you.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:46
Explanations: 3:55
Fast dialogue: 15:28

Janine: Okay, we need to find one more act for this year’s show. How many more people are waiting to audition?

Calvin: There are two more. Should I call in the first one?

Janine: Yup. Let’s get this over with.
...

Calvin: What did you think of that performance?

Janine: I thought she was flawless. She plays with a lot of passion.

Calvin: Yeah, that’s true, but I wouldn’t call her a virtuoso. The piece she played was pretty rudimentary.

Janine: True enough, but I still think she’s a winner.

Calvin: Let’s hear the next one.
...

Calvin: Well?

Janine: He certainly played with a lot of flair.

Calvin: He has amazing chops, I think. I haven’t seen anyone play with such artistry in a long time.

Janine: Nobody can fault him on mastery of the music, but don’t you think he lacked originality and expressiveness?

Calvin: No, I don’t. I think he’s a winner.

Janine: It’s clear that it’s a stalemate. I want the first performer and you want the second. What should we do?

Calvin: I think we should duke it out and the winner gets his or her choice.

Janine: I have a better idea. We add them both to the bill.

Calvin: That’s brilliant! That’s why they pay you the big bucks.

Janine: I would be flattered if we weren’t all volunteers!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: The CIA; how to become a court interpreter and/or an interpreter for the U.N.; haunting versus haunted; completion versus completeness; to take (somebody) on

Words:
intelligence
foreign
advisor
clandestine
to tap a phone
to bug
to infiltrate
espionage
implication
interpreter
court
to polish
haunting
haunted
completion
completeness
to take on

Slow dialogue: 1:38
Explanations: 3:47
Fast dialogue: 15.25

Candace: Hello.

Mehdi: Hello, may I speak to Candace Cho, please?

Candace: Speaking.

Mehdi: Oh, hello Ms. Cho. My name is Mehdi and I’m interested in applying for the job as assistant manager. Your name was listed as the contact person. Am I calling at a bad time?

Candace: No, not at all. I’m the administrative assistant and I’m fielding calls for the person doing the hiring. What can I do for you?

Mehdi: Well, I read the job description and I think I would be a good fit, but I was wondering if there are any special qualifications not mentioned in the description.

Candace: Well, requirements are spelled out in the description, and I don’t have much to add, really. But I do know that the person doing the hiring is looking for someone to start immediately. Can you do that?

Mehdi: Sure, that’s no problem. I’ll be sure to mention that in my cover letter. Thanks.

Candace: If you’ve had experience managing a large staff, be sure to emphasize that in your résumé. Any other questions?

Mehdi: No, no other questions. Thank you very much for your time. You’ve been very helpful.

Candace: Your questions show a lot of initiative. I’m sure you’ll do fine.

Mehdi: Thanks, I really appreciate the vote of confidence.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:27
Explanations: 3:43
Fast dialogue: 15:06

Lyla: Okay, here’s a hypothetical. You ask a girl for her number, but wait two weeks to call her. What gives?

George: Well, that depends. Why?

Lyla: Well, I met this guy two weeks ago at a party. We spent the entire evening talking and I thought we really hit it off. We had a lot of chemistry and we had a ton of things in common. He asked for my number and he said he’d call me the next day. And then, I didn’t hear hide nor hair of him until yesterday, 10 days after we met. How come?

George: What did he say when he called? What was his pathetic excuse?

Lyla: I didn’t talk to him. I wasn’t home and he left a voicemail message. I haven’t called him back yet.

George: Why don’t you just call him and find out?

Lyla: He just called yesterday and I don’t want to seem desperate.

George: Oh, come on. He probably just lost your number and found it yesterday.

Lyla: That’s possible.

George: Or he had to go out of town and just got back.

Lyla: I suppose.

George: Or maybe he was nervous about calling you and just got up the nerve.

Lyla: Do you really think so?

George: Maybe. Or maybe he’s playing hard to get or he’s just not that into you.

Lyla: Oh.

George: But you won’t know if you don’t call him back.

Lyla: I guess that’s true.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous Americans: Amy Tan; Americans with Disabilities Act; to take convincing, full-fledged, dude

Words:
descent
to fight
to give (someone) the silent treatment
promise
life-changing event
expectation
act
disability
to enact
discrimination
accessibility
wheelchair
elevator
ramp
exception to the rule
bars
to take convincing
full-fledged
dude

Slow dialogue: 1:32
Explanations: 3:29
Fast dialogue: 15:00

Dale: I didn’t know you read that forum. What’s your screen name?

Jessie: It’s “jessiegirl,� but I don’t post very often. I like to lurk and follow the different threads, but I prefer to keep a low profile.

Dale: Really? I post all the time. I just put my new web address on my profile, and check this out. It’s my new avatar.

Jessie: That’s cool. I’ve been trying to figure out how to upload a picture for my avatar. Are there instructions in the FAQs?

Dale: I’m not sure, but I can show you how to do it. Have you been following the thread about the presidential campaign?

Jessie: Yeah, I had been...until today.

Dale: Why’s that?

Jessie: I stopped reading when this one guy, “bigman,� started to flame everybody, saying that anyone who didn’t agree with him is an idiot.

Dale: Oh, really?

Jessie: Yeah, he started posting replies, writing in all caps and letting people have it. He quoted people out of context and attacked them. What a jerk!

Dale: Yeah, that guy sounds like a jerk.

Jessie: Hey, what did you say your screen name is?

Dale: Never mind.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:37
Explanations: 3:51
Fast dialogue: 14:19

Ginger: It’s really nice of you to come with me to buy my computer. This is the desktop I’m thinking about.

Kevin: This is okay, but if I were you, I’d buy a laptop. It’s more versatile. You can travel with it.

Ginger: I’m not sure about getting a laptop. The screen is so small.

Kevin: No problem. You can get a separate monitor. This is a good one. You just need a connector and a cable to hook it up to your laptop. Here’s a monitor stand, too, so you can elevate it if you want to.

Ginger: The speakers on the laptop aren’t very loud.

Kevin: You can get these great speakers. You plug them into your laptop and the sound is amazing.

Ginger: I’m not sure about the battery.

Kevin: It comes with a battery that lasts three to five hours, but you can always buy a spare. Of course, it comes with a power cord, too, so you can just plug it in if your battery runs low.

Ginger: The keyboard is a little cramped, too.

Kevin: That’s what a full-size keyboard is for. You can buy a separate keyboard and mouse and attaching them to your laptop. It’ll be just like having a desktop.

Ginger: Then why don’t I just buy a desktop?

Kevin: If you do, you won’t be able to buy all of these great accessories. That’s half the fun of buying a new computer!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Cities: Chicago; The Star-Spangled Banner; just versus only versus mere; to kick butt

Words:
windy
magnificent
skyscraper
public transportation system
gangster
Prohibition
league
anthem
dawn
twilight
patriotic
mere
to kick butt

Slow dialogue: 1:13
Explanations: 3:03
Fast dialogue: 12:58

Anya: I don’t know how I’m going to get all of this work done before I go on vacation.

Estevan: What you need to do is to delegate. Stop being a control freak and get other people to help you with your work.

Anya: I’ve tried to delegate before, but I ended up having to redo the work myself. It was no timesaver at all. It definitely wasn’t worth the trouble.

Estevan: That’s because you have to delegate in the right way. You can’t just assign a project to one of your employees. You have to give them explicit instructions and measurable goals.

Anya: I did that. I gave my employee detailed instructions and she still let me down.

Estevan: I bet you didn’t ask her to report back to you periodically, did you? To get results, you have to tell your employees to give you progress reports. That way, you can make sure she’s on the right track. See what I mean?

Anya: Okay, maybe you’re right. I know one thing. If I don’t get some help soon, I’ll be spending my vacation at my desk!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:30
Explanations: 3:35
Fast dialogue: 15:23

Bernie: Oh, I’m in so much pain! Where is the medication we got from the pharmacy?

Gloria: It’s right here, but we need to read the label first. Okay, these are the active ingredients and they seem okay. This warning says that we need to watch out for any allergic reactions. It also says to ask your doctor before using it if you have heart problems.

Bernie: I don’t. Can you just give me the medication?

Gloria: I’m checking to make sure the seal under the cap isn’t broken, just to be on the safe side. I also need to read the dosage information so you’ll know how much to take. It says, “Adults (12 years or older): Two tablets every four hours; do not exceed 12 tablets in 24 hours.�

Bernie: That’s fine. That’s fine. Where is the prescription medication from my doctor?

Gloria: Here it is. This one has several warnings. It says that it may cause drowsiness or dizziness. It also says, “This drug may impair your ability to drive.�

Bernie: I don’t plan to drive today or any day soon. Now will you please give me my medication?

Gloria: I will as soon as I get this childproof cap off.

Bernie: I may be dead by then!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: Tattoos; to cover up, talk versus say versus speak, pronouncing certain consonants in the middle of words

Words:
buzz
tattoo parlor
tough guys
broken heart
to commemorate
new born
angst
to put out there
to hop in/into
intricate
to cover up
to speak
to say
to talk

Slow dialogue: 1:21
Explanations: 3:11
Fast dialogue: 15:48

Svetlana: Tomorrow is the first day of junior high. Are you ready?

Quinn: Sure, it’s not that big a deal. I already put some supplies in my new backpack.

Svetlana: Let’s see. You have some folders, a three-ring binder, and a pen. Is that all you’re bringing to school?

Quinn: I don’t have my books yet. I’ll get those tomorrow morning. What else do I need? I’m not in the second grade. I don’t need things like glue, crayons, and construction paper.

Svetlana: No, but you’re missing a lot of stuff. I should know. You have a pen, but no pencils. You have no erasers or highlighters. You have a three-ring binder, but you don’t have any ruled paper or a notebook.

Quinn: I don’t need all of that stuff on the first day!

Svetlana: You want to be prepared, don’t you? Where are your index cards? Don’t you have a calculator? You’ll need it for your math class.

Quinn: Are you kidding me?! If I carry all of that plus my books, who will carry me to class?

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:44
Explanations: 4:34
Fast dialogue: 16:25

Brett: Hi, Mom. Come in. Welcome to my new place. My roommates aren’t here right now or I’d introduce you.

Mom: Hi, dear. This is...uh...nice.

Brett: It is, isn’t it? I know you were a little worried about me moving out and into a house with five roommates. But as you can see, this is a nice place. Let me give you a tour.

Mom: Oh, okay. Isn’t it a little cramped in the house with six people?

Brett: No way! Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the house. Let’s go this way to the kitchen. Watch out for that hole in the floor. I don’t want you to trip. And don’t worry about the “Do Not Cross – Police Line� tape. It’s just a joke.

Mom: This is the kitchen? Why are all of your dishes on the floor? What do you keep in your cupboards?

Brett: Be careful opening them! We’re short on closet space so some of the guys keep their clothes and shoes in them. You never know what you’ll find if you open one. We just have to watch our step when we walk around the kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom.

Mom: You only have one bathroom for six people?

Brett: We’re guys so we don’t really need more than one bathroom. I just have to pay attention to when people take showers if I want enough hot water for my own shower. Watch your head!

Mom: Too late for the heads up! Something just fell on my head.

Brett: Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just a little problem with the ceiling.

Mom: Look out! I think the ceiling is falling down! This place is dangerous!

Brett: It’s nothing. Don’t worry. As long as we stay alert, this is a great place to live.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: D.B. Cooper; the Underground Railroad; extend versus expand; God forbid; brown-bag lunch

Words:
to hijack
threat
unsolved mystery
flight attendant
bomb
parachute
in exchange for
frayed
unconvinced
slave
to escape
to be sympathetic toward
to extend
to expand
God forbid
brown-bag lunch

Slow dialogue: 1:13
Explanations: 3:19
Fast dialogue: 14:01

Agency employee: Tell me why you’d like to sign up with our employment agency.

Kurt: Well, right now I’m working in a dead end job. There are no opportunities for advancement. I’m already at the top of the pay scale, so there’s no chance of another pay raise.

Agency employee: Okay, I’d like to find out a little more about your employment history. Tell me about your last job.

Kurt: Oh, that was a mind-numbing position. I did menial work all day and I burned out in six months.

Agency employee: What about the job you had before that?

Kurt: The problem with that job was that there was a glass ceiling. They would never promote a person like me.

Agency employee: And what about the job you had before that?

Kurt: I only took that job as a steppingstone to the next one, but it turned out to be a stumbling block instead. My boss didn’t like me and wouldn’t give me a good reference.

Agency employee: Okay, so you were not happy with any of the jobs you’ve had.

Kurt: No, they weren’t right for me. I don’t want to be trapped in a dead end job. I want something that will give me personal satisfaction.

Agency employee: I see. Well, we’ll do the best we can. Have you considered working at an employment agency? I’m looking for a new job myself.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:11
Explanations: 3:04
Fast dialogue: 16:15

My best friend, Saul, is getting married. As the best man, it was up to me to plan a bachelor party he’d never forget. All of the groomsmen were chipping in, so we went all out.

I invited everybody over to my apartment. Instead of going to a strip club, we hired a stripper. Before the stripper arrived, we played some drinking games and we gave Saul some gag gifts. We all started to get pretty bombed, but we weren’t thinking of the hangover we’d have the next day.

When the stripper arrived, we told “her� to give Saul a lap dance. He had never had one before and he was really embarrassed! But the best part was when Saul saw the stripper: It was a man! Everyone had a good laugh, and we took some pictures so we’d have incriminating evidence. We poked fun at him for the rest of the night.

And as best man, what was my most important job of all? It was not letting his fiancée find out what happened that night – at least not before the wedding!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous Americans: Great Jazz Artists Josephine Baker and Ella Fitzgerald; the Amish; to be honest versus as a matter of fact; why don’t you versus let’s

Words:
jazz
pearl
world-famous
to drop out
civil rights movement
first lady
improv
postage stamp
buggy
suspenders
strict
to pray
to be honest
as a matter of fact
let’s

Slow dialogue: 1:23
Explanations: 3:08
Fast dialogue: 15:15

Tanya: We’ve been here for three days and I’m still getting lost.

Darren: Here’s a map. These are the residential neighborhoods