ESL Podcast - Previous Episodes

Slow dialog: 1:28 Explanations: 3:39 Fast dialog: 14:36 Clerk: Can I help you? Sandy: I’m looking for an MP3 player, but I don’t know a lot about them. Clerk: We have a large selection, as you can see. Sandy: Wow, I really don’t know where to begin. Clerk: What do you want to be able to do? Sandy: I just want something small and portable that I can use to listen to music that I rip from CDs. I also want to be able to download songs off the Internet. Clerk: Most of the players you see here can do that. One thing you have to watch out for is that some music websites are proprietary. That means that you can only listen using certain types of players. Sandy: That’s what I’m worried about. Clerk: Well, this one plays music in a lot of different file formats and is compatible with most of the major music download sites, both proprietary and open-source. It comes with an FM tuner, a built-in battery charger, and good quality headphones. Sandy: What about it’s storage capacity and charge time? Clerk: It has 30 gigabytes of memory and can hold about 7,500 songs. You get about 15 hours of music playback on one charge and it charges up in about four hours. It has a nice screen, too, that’s backlit. Sandy: It looks like what I’ve been looking for. I’ll take it. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialog: 1:14 Explanations: 3:26 Fast dialog: 15:21 Patricia: What do you think of our new neighbor? Ray: I don’t know. I haven’t met him yet. Patricia: Me neither, but I think he’s a shady character. Ray: Why do you think that? Patricia: Well, when he was moving in, I tried to shoot the breeze with him and he was shifty. When I asked him what line of work he was in, he was very evasive. Ray: Maybe he just didn’t want to talk to a busybody when he was busy moving boxes. Have you thought of that? Patricia: I wasn’t being a busybody. I was just being neighborly. When I offered to help him, he practically kicked me out of his apartment. Ray: Okay, you must be right. He’s probably a serial killer. Patricia: I wouldn’t put it past him. Ray: Come on. My guess is that he just wants some peace and quiet. Patricia: He wants peace and quiet to do what? That’s what I want to know. Ray: I think we should just mind our own business. Patricia: You can do what you like, but I’m going over there and I’m getting some answers. If I have live next to him, I’m entitled to know something about him. Ray: Why don’t you leave the man alone? He’s entitled to some privacy. And plus, he probably won’t let you in. Patricia: That’s what you think. I’m not taking no for an answer. Ray: That poor man! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: Socially Responsible Companies case study, to be at sea, to knock someone’s socks off, to take one’s time Words: bottom line impact sustainable shareholder stakeholder to inch up behind the scenes pension investors commonplace to engage array case study to be at sea to knock someone’s socks off to take one’s time

Slow dialogue: 1:42 Explanations: 4:36 Fast dialogue: 17:05 Before I started my new job, I didn’t know that I would be working so closely with another employee of the company. I was used to a lot of autonomy in my last job, and I have always been self-directed. I didn’t need close supervision and the boss never had to worry about me slacking off. To tell the truth, I was a little apprehensive about working in a team after having had so much independence. To my surprise, though, I liked the collaborative environment and I think I actually do better work because of it. Of the two of us, Delilah is the creative one. While I’m a little adverse to risk, Delilah is always challenging the status quo. She often has good ideas, and because I’m pretty resourceful, we often find a way to put those ideas to work. Delilah has great follow-through, too, and I never need to worry that things will fall through the cracks. I think the key to our success in working together is that neither one of us tries to exercise authority over the other. We respect each other’s abilities and we know when to take charge and when to back off. If you had told me a year ago that I would be working in a team environment and enjoying it, I would have told you that you were crazy. But I guess the old saying isn’t true: You can teach an old dog new tricks. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-life Crisis Slow dialog: 1:21 Explanations: 3:38 Fast dialog: 14:08 Bella: I think my husband is going through a mid-life crisis. Russell: What makes you think that? Bella: He just traded in his car for a very expensive sports car, and he’s filling the house with gym equipment. Russell: Uh oh, that’s a bad sign. Do you know what may have triggered this? Bella: I’m not sure, but he was passed over for a promotion at work a couple of months ago, and his new boss is 15 years younger than he is. Russell: That would do it. Bella: What really worries me is that he’s been talking about quitting his job altogether and becoming a full-time writer. He always wanted to become a successful writer. Russell: That’s sounds familiar. When my brother went through a mid-life crisis, he spent a lot of time reflecting on his life and regretting giving up music to get a full-time job. He saw himself as being washed up and he was fed up with everything. Bella: What did he do? Russell: Well, he’s probably not a good example of what your husband would do. Bella: Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell me. Russell: Well, if you must know, he got a divorce, married a woman half his age, and tried to start a rock band. Bella: Oh, no! That’s just what I was afraid of. Russell: I’m sure that won’t happen with your husband. You two have a great marriage. Bella: I thought so, too, but you never know. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American folklore: Bigfoot Who’s on First?, to tear apart, Cliff Notes, to fall out of love Words: UFO folklore Pacific Northwest hoax sighting creature comedy routine duo nickname play on words to tear apart (someone) Cliff Notes to fall out of love love at first sight

Slow dialog: 1:20 Explanations: 3:34 Fast dialog: 14:10 Tobias: I really don’t understand why we need new furniture. After we’re married, we’ll just take the things from each of our two apartments and that should do the trick. Renee: We each have some things we can keep and use, but it would be nice to have pieces that match. Right now, we have six dining chairs, each in a different style, and none of them are in the same style as the dining table your uncle is giving us as a wedding present. Tobias: Yeah, that’s true. At least, we won’t have to shop for bedroom furniture. We’re lucky that your parents are giving us some hand-me-down things, including a dresser, two nightstands, a headboard, and a wardrobe. All we need is a bed. Renee: Yeah, we got lucky when they decided to get new furniture and to give us their old pieces. That just leaves the living room. Tobias: But we already have a couch and a love seat. Renee: That’s true, but we still need a coffee table, two side tables, and at least two table lamps and a floor lamp. Tobias: Do we really need all of that? Renee: If we plan to entertain, we do. Tobias: All right. I was just hoping to get home in time for the game this afternoon. Renee: No problem. We only have six more stores to visit after this one. Tobias: Six?! Renee: Yes, now come on. How are you going to get home in time for the game if you don’t hurry up? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialog: 1:26 Explanations: 3:28 Fast dialog: 15:00 Daniella: Could you tell where I can find a drugstore? Hotel clerk: Sure. There’s one up the street near the corner of Selma and Main. If you get to Abreu Avenue, you’ve gone too far. It’s set back from the street so it’s a little hard to find. Daniella: Oh, that’s okay. I’ll keep an eye out for it. Hotel clerk: You know, I just remembered that there’s a bigger and better drugstore around the block. It’s no more than a three-minute walk. Go out the main doors of the hotel, hang a left, go straight for about a quarter of a mile, and then make another left at the first street. Daniella: Okay. I think I’ve got that. Thanks. Hotel clerk: Now, if you want a drugstore with a pharmacy, you’ll need to walk a little farther. Go out these doors, walk roughly three blocks until you get to a dead end, turn right, cross the street, and you’ll see a bank. It’s kitty-corner from the bank. You should be able to walk there in five minutes, give or take. Daniella: Thanks. Thanks a lot. I think I’m all set. See you later. Hotel clerk: You know, I just remembered that there’s another drugstore... Daniella: Thanks, but I’ve really got to get going. Bye. Hotel clerk: Well, some people just don’t appreciate other people’s help! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Why Americans don’t use the metric system, how to dress in Los Angeles versus New York, yutz, to go back to square one, what to call your cousin’s son, I’m done with you Words: signatory to establish commission competitive dress code to crack the code underdressed to try too hard to look smart the Industry financial sector flyover country first cousin distant relative

Slow dialog: 1:20 Explanations: 3:56 Fast dialog: 15:11 Franz: I’ve just switched over to this program and I can’t figure out how to format my document. Can you help me? Helen: I can try. Let’s take a look. What do you want to do? Franz: I want to change the margins so that I can fit more on a page. I don’t know how to change the default settings. I also want to put this section on a separate page. Helen: Okay, you can adjust the margins by moving this up and down, or from side to side. If you want this section on a separate page, just add a page break. Franz: Oh, I see. What if I want to add a header or a footer? Helen: You go to this pull-down menu and select the header and footer option. Then, you can type in the text you want. If you want to add a page number, just insert one by selecting it from this menu. Franz: That seems easy. What if I want to change the font? Helen: You can change the font style or size by selecting the text and then making the change on the toolbar. See? Franz: Yeah, that seems simple enough. I also want to change the orientation of the page. How do I do that? Helen: Right now your document is portrait. To make it landscape, you just go to “Page Setup” and change it. Franz: That all seems pretty easy. I think I’ve got it. Helen: Good. Give it a try. If you get stuck, I can try to help. Franz: Okay, great! Now, can you go over again how to change the margins, insert a page number, change the page orientation, and add a footer? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Special Announcement Hello, this is Jeff McQuillan from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California, with a special announcement about ESL Podcast. First, I want to thank all of you for listening and supporting our podcast. We have three new features we want to tell you about. First, ESL Podcast now has a blog. This blog allows us to post messages for our listeners about topics that we don’t have time for in our regular podcasts or English Cafes. It also gives you information that helps you better use our podcasts and also what we might call “insider information” about what is happening at ESL Podcast and with us—Jeff and Lucy. Go to our website today to take a look, at ESLPod.com. Click on the Blog item in the menu to see our new blog. Another exciting change is in our ESL Podcast Memberships. We now have two memberships you can choose from: a Basic Membership and a Premium Membership. The Basic Membership gives you 12 new Learning Guides each month, and you have two weeks to download each Learning Guide. The Premium Membership gives you access to all of our Learning Guides, over 250! And, you can download, with our Premium Membership, the Learning Guides anytime, as long as you remain a member. The Basic Membership is $10 each month; the Premium Membership is $60 for the first month and $10 for each month after that. So, the first month the Premium Membership is $60, the second month is $10, and the third month is $10, and so on, until you cancel. We are very excited to be able to give listeners these two options. To find out more, go to ESLPod.com and click on “Learning Guides” in the menu for more information. Finally, we have a new course in our ESL Podcast Store. As many of you already know, we have very special Premium Courses on different topics in the ESL Podcast Store for both business and daily English. Our new course is called “English for Business Meetings.” This course teaches you both formal and informal business English needed to participate in business meetings. The course follows two meetings from start to finish, and you’ll hear different speakers giving information, asking questions, discussing topics, and running the meetings. The formal business English is appropriate for important meetings, such as for presentations at conferences or annual company meetings. The informal business English used is useful for smaller meetings, such as daily office meetings or for talking with or interacting with your co-workers. We’re very excited about these new features. Lucy and I hope that you will visit our website today to check out our new blog, our new memberships, and our new Premium Course, English for Business Meetings. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening.

Slow dialog: 1:33 Explanations: 4:11 Fast dialog: 14:14 Marion: I’m trying to decide whether to get cable or satellite TV. Which one do you have at your apartment? Cesar: I have satellite, but I used to have cable. Marion: What’s the difference? Cesar: Not a lot. With satellite, you have to have a satellite dish installed on the roof and you don’t with cable. Otherwise, you get similar options. You can get basic channels and choose from a lot of different premium channels. I have a package that includes the basic channels and some premium movie channels, and I also have a sports package so I can watch all of the soccer matches I want. Marion: How much is the monthly fee? Cesar: I think I pay $59.99 a month, excluding the taxes and fees, but the basic service is probably cheaper. When I had cable, I had to pay a deposit for the cable box, but with satellite, I had to buy the dish outright, but it wasn’t too expensive. Marion: What I want are pay-per-view channels, so I don’t need to run to the video rental store every time I want to watch a movie. Cesar: That’s not a problem. There’s video on demand on both cable and satellite, and there are a lot of movies to choose from. Marion: That’s great. I’ll check out whether my local cable company or satellite service has better packages and make a decision this weekend. Cesar: You could always start with the basic channels and then add services as you go along. Marion: That’s a good idea, especially since I know someone who has premium channels and round-the-clock soccer. Cesar: You bet. Drop by anytime, but don’t forget the beer and popcorn! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American cities: Nashville Grand Ole Opry, school fund-raisers, to hold on to your hat, to be put inside, a blow-by-blow account Words Hall of Fame to be inducted into dialect fund-raiser funds raffle to grow weary to do away with to get rid of burdensome to hold on to your hat to be put inside blow-by-blow account to punch

Slow dialog: 1:29 Explanations: 3:17 Fast dialog: 17:45 Jeng: What did you do this summer? Cynthia: I worked at a summer camp as a nurse’s aide. I thought we would be giving simple first aid, but you wouldn’t believe the kinds of injuries the kids came in with. Jeng: You mean like poison ivy, bee stings, bug bites, and scraped knees? Cynthia: Yeah, we had those, but we also had some pretty serious cases. For instance, the second day of the camp, one of the boys who didn’t know how to swim fell into the lake. He must have hit his head because he was unconscious when they brought him in. We couldn’t find his pulse and the nurse did CPR. Luckily, we got him breathing again right away, but that little boy had a concussion. Jeng: Wow! You’re kidding. That’s serious. Cynthia: That wasn’t all. It’s true that most of the kids came in with superficial scrapes, but some of them had some major wounds. We had to stop the bleeding and bandage them up. We had one girl who needed 12 stitches after she fell out of a tree. Jeng: Geez, I never knew going to camp could be so hazardous to your health! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialog: 1:38 Explanations: 3:54 Fast dialog: 15:19 Remi: We need to get these costumes sorted out. I’m not sure we have ones that will fit each person in this play. Bryan: Let’s see. We need a shirt for Hector. He’s broad-shouldered, so this one would be too small. Any luck finding one over there? Remi: No, but I think I found a dress for Lee Ann. She’s petite and thin, and I hadn’t been able to find anything that would fit someone that slender. All of the other dresses are for women with either pear-shaped or hourglass figures. Bryan: Okay, at least that’s some progress. What about Malcolm? Unlike his brother who is tall and skinny, he’s big and fat. How are we going to find one to fit him? Remi: He’s not fat! He’s stocky. He is really muscular and not at all flabby. Oh, here’s a pair of pants that would fit Pierre. These are perfect, since he’s not long-legged like all of the other men. Bryan: We’re actually doing pretty well, I think. Remi: We just need a costume for you. Bryan: Me?! What do you mean? I’m not in this play. Remi: Oh yes, you are. Ike dropped out, so they need a replacement and you’re the only one who isn’t already in the play. Bryan: Oh, no. I thought I could avoid being in the play by volunteering to help with the costumes! Remi: Sorry, but I don’t think you can get out of it this time. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse