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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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373 - Ordering Food Delivery

Author: Center for Educational Development
Fri, May 16, 2008

Slow dialogue: 1:16
Explanations: 3:17
Fast dialogue: 12:03

Order clerk: Hello, Torino’s Restaurant.

Nancy: Hello, I’d like to place a delivery order.

Order clerk: Can I have your address and the major cross streets, please?

Nancy: It’s 1212 Main Street, and the nearest cross streets are Speedway and Highland.

Order clerk: Okay, it looks like you’re in our delivery area. What would you like to order?

Nancy: I’d like an order of spaghetti. Does that come with any sides?

Order clerk: You have a choice of soup or salad.

Nancy: I’ll have the salad.

Order clerk: Is that all? We have a $15 minimum for delivery orders.

Nancy: In that case, I’ll also take an appetizer sampler plate.

Order clerk: Okay, that’s one order of spaghetti and an appetizer sampler plate. You’re still $3 short. Would you like a drink or some dessert?

Nancy: I’ll take an iced tea.

Order clerk: All right, but you’re still a dollar short.

Nancy: What can I get for a dollar?

Order clerk: There’s nothing on the menu for a dollar, ma’am.

Nancy: And you won’t deliver my $14 order?

Order clerk: That’s our policy, ma’am.

Nancy: All right, you win. Give me an order of bread. How long will that take?

Order clerk: You should get your food in about an hour.

Nancy: An hour?!?

Order clerk: Yes, ma’am. You’ve ordered a lot of food and it takes time for us to prepare it.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: Bluegrass music; résumé versus curriculum vitae, the number 0 versus the letter O, one over the other

Words:
to bring over
to pass down something
to flatten
bridge
basically
roots
origins
melody
acoustic
fiddle
banjo
bass
résumé
curriculum vitae

Slow dialogue: 1:20
Explanations: 4:28
Fast dialogue: 15:36

Wanda: I can’t take it anymore. I try to put up with Robert, but I’ve had enough!

Dana: I’m not surprised. That guy is a big bully and it’s time somebody stood up to him. What has he done now?

Wanda: This was the last straw. We’re both managers and we’re supposed to work together, but Robert looks for every opportunity to put me down in front of our employees. This morning, I presented an idea about upgrading our computer equipment and he jumped down my throat.

Dana: What did he do?

Wanda: He said that the idea was stupid and that he couldn’t understand how anyone could propose it. He said this in front of everybody. I was too stunned to respond, so I just stood there.

Dana: That’s totally inappropriate and unprofessional.

Wanda: He’s arrogant to everybody, but especially to me. He always says he’s just being honest when he makes a biting remark, but I’m realizing that that’s just his excuse to be rude. He treats everyone with contempt. I really don’t know what to do.

Dana: I know people like Robert. They’re so insecure that they have to belittle everyone else to make themselves feel better. They have really poor social skills and don’t know how to have a conversation or to disagree without being a jerk.

Wanda: That may be, but what should I do about him?

Dana: There’s only one way to handle a bully.

Wanda: How?

Dana: You have to call his bluff. If he criticizes your plan, ask him to back it up with evidence or a specific reason. If you disagree with him, keep your cool, but tell him why. Most bullies back down when someone stands up to them.

Wanda: Okay, it’s worth a try. I’ve been trying to keep calm and maintain a professional atmosphere in the office, so I haven’t confronted him, but I will if you think it’ll help.

Dana: I do. And if that doesn’t work, tell him to act his age, not his shoe size!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:34
Explanations: 3:23
Fast dialogue: 13:31

Caridad: Look at this! The president of McQuillan University is stepping down. He submitted his resignation this morning after an undergraduate student made allegations that they had an affair and that she’s pregnant with his baby.

Nate: That’s terrible. Maybe they were in love.

Caridad: In love? He’s married and has four kids, and when she first went public about the affair, he denied it and said that she had made up the whole story. Would someone in love try to cover up something like this?

Nate: Who knows? The president of a major university is a person with a lot to lose. I’m not making excuses for him, but maybe he lost his head.

Caridad: Of course he had a lot to lose. Anyone who is in the public eye like he is shouldn’t be playing with fire. He’s an embarrassment to his family and to his university.

Nate: I still think there could be extenuating circumstances. All you know you’ve learned from one newspaper article.

Caridad: That much is true, but I know one thing: Whatever happens to him, it serves him right!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: The Betty Ford Center; poker; to be short on time versus time is running out, past year versus last year, supervisor versus manager

Words:
addiction
rehab
painkiller
intervention
residential
counselor
hand
tournament
champion
endorsement
to show (one’s) hand
poker face
to raise the stakes
to be short on time
time is running short
past year
last year
supervisor
manager

Not everything can go perfectly. Find out about how to describe bad experiences in English in this episode.Slow dialogue: 1:14
Explanations: 3:12
Fast dialogue: 15:36

Caterina: I can’t believe I let you rope me into seeing this performance. It was so lame!

Oliver: Okay, you’re right, it was the pits. I had no idea it was going to be amateur hour. When I saw the ad in the paper describing this as an experimental play, I thought it might be interesting. Was I wrong!

Caterina: I didn’t understand that play at all. The music, if you can call it that, was atrocious. How can anyone be expected to listen to that for more than three seconds without going crazy? I wish I could get those two hours of my life back!

Oliver: Yeah, it’s left a bad taste in my mouth, too. Let’s go see something else. I want to put this whole experience behind me.

Caterina: Benjamin’s Bar is having open-mic tonight. Do you want to check it out?

Oliver: No way! Wild horses couldn’t drag me to another amateur show. How about a movie instead?

Caterina: Okay, I’d go to a movie.

Oliver: You’d better pick one, though. Look what happened when I was left to pick a play.

Caterina: Forget about it. We’ll just chalk it up to temporary insanity.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Find out about how to talk about the military services in this episode.Slow dialog: 1:23
Explanations: 2:52
Fast dialog: 14:30

Chantelle: Attention! Aren’t you supposed to salute?

Robert: You’re not my superior officer. Stop goofing around. I’m busy.

Chantelle: You’re packing already? You don’t need to report to duty for two days. Are you afraid they’ll think you went AWOL?

Robert: I just want to be prepared. Now, leave me alone so I can finish packing.

Chantelle: Am I dismissed? Maybe I want to enlist, too? I think I would look good in camouflage make-up and fatigues.

Robert: Being in the military is no laughing matter. Do you really think that the most desperate recruiter would want you?

Chantelle: That’s not very nice. I have as much discipline as you do...about some things. You may find yourself in a foxhole with me someday.

Robert: Whatever deployment you’d get, I’d make sure I’m on the other side of the world!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: Working as an actor in Los Angeles
nevertheless versus despite versus even though, to screw up

Topics: Ask an American: Starving Artists
as a matter of fact, process versus procedure, to haggle

Topics: Famous Americans: Grandma Moses
GED Tests, since versus from, is to do (something), calligraphy versus penmanship

Topics: Cities: New Orleans
9-1-1 emergency services, his or her, you don’t need to know versus you need not know, incident versus accident