ESL Podcast - Previous Episodes

Topics: Ask an American: minority doctors; if I were; I wish I were; near versus close; to hold (something) against (someone) Words: study to establish practice outcome credibility health professional to result compliance prescription exchange truly makeup culturally competent near close to hold (something) against (someone)

Slow dialogue: 1:21 Explanations: 2:45 Fast dialogue: 15:39 Terrell: Where have you been? Sally: At the hospital, again. My doctor is putting me through another battery of tests. Terrell: She still hasn’t been able to zero in on the cause of your pain and make a diagnosis? Sally: No, she hasn’t. Part of the problem is that my symptoms are intermittent, and they seem to flare up only when I’m not under observation. The symptoms themselves are ambiguous, so finding the root cause hasn’t been easy. Terrell: I can see how that would be mystifying and frustrating. Are you still in a lot of pain? Sally: The mild pain in my legs seems to be chronic, but the severe pain in my back is occasional. Terrell: I guess you’re not up for going out tonight. Sally: After a day of being poked and prodded like a guinea pig, all I want to do is to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a good book! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:28 Explanations: 3:00 Fast dialogue: 14:54 Steve: I’m finally home and I’m hungry. What’s for dinner? Brandy: I’m making a new dish. I think you’re really going to like it. Steve: Oh, good. Bring it on. Brandy: Well, I miscalculated the cooking time a little and it’s going to take longer than I originally planned. I know you’re famished. Here’s a snack for you to munch on while you wait. Steve: I’m half-starved. I skipped lunch and had to work late. Brandy: I know, but I also know you’re dying for something really good. I promise that it’ll be worth the wait. Steve: Okay, but I could eat a horse right now. Bring me something else to snack on. Brandy: Don’t be too greedy and eat too much. I don’t want you to spoil your appetite. I know that what I’m cooking is something you’ve been craving for a long time, and you want to save your appetite for it. Steve: All right. I’ll wait. How much longer will it be? Brandy: Oh, maybe another hour or a little longer... Steve: Another hour?! I’ll be dead and buried by then! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: The Extension Courses System; Famous Americans: Lizzie Borden; Boston accent/dialect and the Boston Brahmin; to speak out of turn Words: to be enrolled hobby offbeat palm reading certificate step- hatchet prime suspect sensational to speculate detective motive to convict dialect Boston Brahmin to speak/talk out of turn identical twins fraternal twins

Slow dialogue: 1:07 Explanations: 2:48 Fast dialogue: 16:13 Augie: Today’s the day. I’m giving you the heads up. Our company is rolling out its new line of cell phones. Lillian: I can see you’re excited about it. What’s so special about the new products? Augie: This line of phones has state-of-the-art technology and never-before-seen features. It’s been in development for over a year and it’s been really hard keeping it under wraps. Lillian: I thought information was leaked weeks ago. Augie: Those were just rumors, and the company put a clamp on those pretty quickly. Lillian: Wasn’t the new line supposed to come out next month? Augie: That was the original plan, but since McQ Corp. is coming out with its own line of phones soon, we wanted to get a jump on them. Lillian: And steal their thunder. Augie: Yes, and steal their thunder. We had to scramble to get the phones ready ahead of schedule, but I think it was worth it. They’re really going to make a splash. Lillian: I hope so. I hope all of this hype has been justified. Augie: Oh, it will be. I’ll know soon enough. Lillian: How? Augie: You’ll be begging me to get you one. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:16 Explanations: 3:18 Fast dialogue: 16:57 Mariela: Wow, it looks like you’re working on a big project. What are all these pages and pages of notes for? Will: I’m preparing for my date with Christine. I want everything to be well-planned and to go without a hitch. Mariela: Okay, but I still don’t understand why you’re making such detailed plans. Will: I want to be ready for every contingency. For instance, I planned a picnic, but if it rains, I’ll take her to lunch at the Garden Cafe instead. Mariela: Don’t you think you’re taking the spontaneity out of your date? Why don’t you play it by ear? I know you don’t like to fly by the seat of your pants, but maybe she’ll have some ideas about what she’d like to do. Will: Oh, I’ve taken her preferences into account. If she wants to do something active, we can go bowling or take a long walk. If she prefers something more passive, we’ll go to a movie. Mariela: Well, it sounds like you’ve mapped out every possible alternative. Hey, what’s this? Will: Give me that! Mariela: I see you’ve mapped out more than just your date. You mapped out the entire trajectory of your life together: Get married in two years, have your first child two years after that... Will: That is not meant for you. And plus, it’s just a tentative plan... Mariela: You mean Christine will have some say in it? Will: I may let her pick our children’s names. Now, get out of here, will ya?! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: On the Waterfront; Famous Songs: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”; bet versus wager versus gamble; U.S. versus U.S.A.; can’t help (doing something) Words: waterfront mob union deed whistleblower to give away the ending uplifting slave to do (something) justice chariot to swing bound to bet to wager to gamble U.S. / U.S.A. can/could not help

Slow dialogue: 1:19 Explanations: 4:16 Fast dialogue: 21:30 Mahmoud: My brother emailed about an emergency situation. He needs $300 by tomorrow, but how can I get cash to him within 24 hours if I’m here in Mexico City and he’s in New York? Sharon: That’s easy. You can wire him the money from here and he can pick it up immediately there. Mahmoud: You mean wire him money through the bank? I already checked with my bank and it’ll take at least five days for them to process the wire. Sharon: You can just use a private wire service like Western Union and the money will be available to him immediately. I wire money all the time using Western Union. Here is blank form. I can help you fill it out if you want me to. Mahmoud: That would be great. Hey, this form is for a money transfer. Is that the same thing as a wire? Sharon: Yes, it’s the same thing. Fill out the receiver or recipient information here and the sender information there. Mahmoud: Can I pay in local currency? I don’t have that much cash in U.S. dollars. Sharon: Sure. When you go to the Western Union office, they’ll calculate how much you’ll have to pay according to the current exchange rate. Mahmoud: Is there a fee? Sharon: Yeah, there is, and it’s a little higher if you want the money to be available immediately. If you had more time, you could save a little by using the slower service that makes the money available in three business days. All done? Mahmoud: Yeah, I think so. Now what? Sharon: Now you take this to the nearest Western Union office. They’ll give you a copy of this form with a control number. Your brother can use that control number to pick up the money from any Western Union office in New York. Mahmoud: Sharon, you’re a lifesaver. Sharon: So, what’s the emergency? Mahmoud: Tickets go on sale tomorrow for my favorite baseball team. My brother and I have to get tickets. Sharon: That’s the emergency?! Mahmoud: For us, it’s a matter of life and death. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:15 Explanations: 2:45 Fast dialogue: 16:07 Erik: Why are you wearing that getup? Juliana: I’m trying to stay under the radar. I don’t want to create a mob by going outside without a disguise. People are going to recognize me. Erik: So? Are you trying to tell me that you think you’re famous after being in one play? Juliana: Of course! I’ve had my name in lights and I have to expect people to know who I am. Losing my privacy is the price of fame. Everybody knows that. Erik: I think you may be overestimating the size of your adoring public. How many people went to see your play? Juliana: Enough. By tomorrow, the newspapers will have my picture plastered across their pages and I will have to say good-bye to my anonymity. Erik: If the papers don’t come out until tomorrow, why are you going around incognito? Juliana: I’m just getting ready to meet my fans. Erik: Depending on whether the reviews are good or bad, you may be famous – or infamous. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Cities: Albuquerque; Survivor Reality TV Show; yet; differentiation versus distinction; so near and yet so far Words: desert to settle to occupy Old West outlaw folklore hot-air balloon reality television stranger shelter reward alliance yet differentiation distinction so near and yet so far

Slow dialogue: 1:26 Explanations: 3:14 Fast dialogue: 19:19 Andy: Doesn’t it make you sick? We bust our butts around here and the boss brings in his nephew to be the new manager. Nia: You never know. He may be a good boss. Andy: I doubt it. He’s getting this opportunity just because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He didn’t have to pull himself up by his bootstraps like the rest of us. Nia: I’m going to wait and see how he is as a manager. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Andy: If you’re a blue blood like he is, born into privilege and old money, you can do no wrong. Nia: That’s not true. He’ll be held accountable for how this department performs. Andy: But when does somebody like me get a break? Okay, I was born on the wrong side of the tracks. I grew up in a white trash neighborhood. So what? I’ve worked hard to get where I am now. That guy hasn’t paid his dues like I have. Nia: You can complain all you want, but it doesn’t change the situation. He’s the new boss and we work for him. Get used to it. Andy: Get used to it?! Not on your life! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:22 Explanations: 3:43 Fast dialogue: 20:06 Flora: What happened to my car?! Saul: I saw it happen. A car came around the corner and hit the back of your car. Flora: Didn’t the driver stop? Saul: No, it was hit-and-run. The driver just took off. He was driving like a bat out of hell. It looks like he caused some damage. Flora: Some damage?! My car is totaled. I hope whoever it was gets his license revoked. Better yet, I hope the judge throws the book at him and he does jail time. But how are the police going to catch someone who leaves the scene of the crime like this? That guy must be a real jerk! Saul: Take it easy. Maybe he just panicked. It’s probably his first offense. Maybe he’s young and just learning how to drive. Flora: Maybe...Hey, why are you defending the driver? Saul: Well... Flora: You know the person driving the car, don’t you? You’re not an innocent bystander. You’re trying to talk me out of calling the police! Saul: Well, I have this nephew who sometimes borrows my car, and he drives too fast. He did hit your car, but it’s a simple fender bender. Flora: Fender bender?! My car is totaled. Saul: I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks. If you don’t call the police, I’ll make sure it’s repaired. It’ll be as good as new. Flora: Are you trying to pull a fast one on me? Saul: No, not at all. I’ll get your car fixed, right after I wring my nephew’s neck! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous authors: Maya Angelou; Universal Studios; wise versus savvy versus clever; delicatessen; to end up versus to wind up Words: cage racism highly acclaimed to ban honorary degree ritual lecture circuit studio theme park ride set façade wise clever savvy delicatessen / deli to end up to wind up

Slow dialogue: 1:28 Explanations: 3:31 Fast dialogue: 17:32 Josephine: Hello. Ray: Hi, Josephine, it’s Ray. We have a meeting today at 10 a.m. and I was wondering if you would mind if I brought my kids with me. Their babysitter didn’t show up. Josephine: Oh, sure. That’s no problem. Your children are so well-behaved. Even at their age, they have impeccable manners. Ray: Well, they’re not always little angels, but they’re not too much of a handful, thank goodness. Josephine: You know what they say: Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice... Ray: It is probably a little easier with two girls. I feel sorry for my mother who raised six boys. Josephine: Six boys! Ray: Yeah, and before we were born, my father thought that children should be seen but not heard. Was he in for a rude awakening! We were all very unruly. Imagine six boys only one year apart. We got yelled at a lot for being naughty. Josephine: But that’s how boys are, aren’t they? Girls are different. They’re quiet, sweet, and even-tempered. What’s that noise? Ray: That noise is my daughters creating a ruckus fighting tooth and nail over a toy. So much for quiet, sweet, and even-tempered! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:08 Explanations: 3:58 Fast dialogue: 18:35 I was sitting at my local bar waiting for my friends to arrive to watch the game. Two guys sitting a few seats away kept giving me strange looks, and one of them said, “What are you looking at?” I looked around to make sure that he was speaking to me, and before I could respond he said, “You want a piece of me? You and what army? Let’s take it outside.” By this time, I realized that this guy was trying to pick a fight with me and I wasn’t sure what to do. I was hoping that I could make peace with him or at least hold him off until my friends got there. I said to him, “I’m just sitting over here minding my own business. I’m not trying to get in your face. I don’t have a problem with you. Let’s just chill out and I’ll buy you and your friend a drink.” He didn’t seem to like what I’d said. “Chill out?” he said. “I don’t need to chill out. Those are fighting words. Let’s take this outside. I want to see you running with your tail between your legs.” He got up and started to walk toward me. Just then, my friends arrived. When the man saw my six friends walking toward me, he stopped in his tracks. I think he was weighing his odds and doubting his own chances. He turned around and said something to his friend, and then they both got up and walked out the door. That was a narrow escape. I had never been so happy to see my friends as I was at that moment. Needless to say, the first round was on me. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse