EC083_Guide.pdf

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 83

TOPICS

Ask an American – International students in the U.S.

don’t versus doesn’t; ain’t; you singular versus you plural

_____________

GLOSSARY

to get along with (someone) – to be friendly and not fight or argue with

someone; to have a good and friendly relationship with someone

* Do you get along with your sister and brother well?

fake – not real; false; not genuine

* Marciana was very upset when she learned that there was a fake diamond in

her wedding ring.

genuine – real; true; sincere; not false or fake

* Jefferson saw a genuine improvement in his health once he started taking a

new type of medicine.

to pig out on (something) – to eat a very large amount of something, especially

if it isn’t very healthy

* Antonio and his friends pigged out on hot dogs and hamburgers while they

were watching the baseball game.

Buffalo wings – chicken wings that are cooked in oil and a spicy (hot) orange-

colored sauce

* At many restaurants, you can choose how spicy you want your Buffalo wings to

be.

buffalo – a very large and strong North American animal that is bigger than a

cow and has long hair and short horns

* Have you ever eaten buffalo? Many people think it tastes better than beef.

impolite – rude; not polite; without good manners; saying and doing things that

offend or bother other people

* In the United States, it is considered impolite to rest your elbows on the table

while eating.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 83

absolutely – definitely; certainly; without a doubt

* I would absolutely love to go to the beach with you this weekend. Thank you so

much for the invitation!

modest – humble; presenting one’s abilities and experiences in a moderate way

* I wish Sandra would be more modest about her achievements, and stop telling

everybody how much money she makes and how big a house she is.

to sell (oneself) – to present one’s abilities and ideas very positively and very

well, so that one is judged positively or the idea is liked by others

* Mahoud sold himself very well during the interview and the company offered

him the job the next day!

lyrics – the words to a song; the words that are said while singing

* I never knew what this song was about until I read the lyrics!

ain’t – a word used in nonstandard or informal English to mean am not, are not,

is not, have not, has not, do not, does not, or did not

* Mom says that she ain’t going to cook tonight.

Say it ain’t so! – a funny phrase used to show disappointment or disbelief

* When Akahito learned that the family was going to Springfield instead of Maui

for vacation, she said, “Say it ain’t so!”

you all – a phrase used in English to address (talk to) two or more people at

once

* You all should come here tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. for the early morning meeting.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 83

WHAT INSIDERS KNOW

Foreign Words and Phrases Commonly Used in English

American English uses many words and phrases from other languages. These

are sometimes called “loanwords,” because they are borrowed without translation

from other languages. Here are some common words and phrases that have an

“international origin,” meaning that they came from languages that are spoken in

other countries.

Hasta la vista is a Spanish phrase that means “see you later.” Speakers of

American English sometimes use it to say goodbye to friends. We also talk

about siestas, a Spanish word for afternoon “naps” (short periods of time when

people sleep during the day).

C’est la vie is a French phrase that means “this is life,” or “that is life.” Speakers

of American English use it when they talk about a situation that they have no

control over – it’s simply a part of life. For example, if someone is complaining

about not having enough time in the day, you might say, “C’est la vie,” meaning

that everyone has that problem and there’s not very much we can do about it.

When someone “sneezes,” (pushes air quickly and loudly through one’s nose,

usually when one is sick or has an allergy), Americans sometimes say,

“ Gesundheit!, ” which is a German word meaning “good health.” Other Americans

just say “bless you” after someone sneezes.

Americans also talk about bungalows. Bungalow is a Hindi word that refers to a

specific type of one-story house in India, but many smaller single-family homes in

the States are also referred to as bungalows.

In Afrikaans, the word “trek” means a very difficult journey. Americans

sometimes talk about “trekking in the mountains,” which means walking long

distances outdoors, usually for many days.

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 83

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to ESL Podcast's English Café number 83.

This is ESL Podcast's English Café number 83. I'm your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan,

coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los

Angeles, California.

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com to download a Learning Guide for

this episode. You can also look at our ESL Podcast Store, which has additional

premium courses.

In this Café, we're going to talk about international students - students from other

countries, who come and study in the United States, and what some of the

problems and questions they have about coming to the US once they get here -

once they live here. We're going to hear some quotes from some teachers and

some students, so it will be like our “Ask an American” series. And as always,

we'll answer a few questions. Let's get started!

Students who come to the United States to study often have many questions and

sometimes problems in understanding American life and in understanding

English. I wanted to spend a little time talking today about a university here in

California, the University of California, Berkeley, which is probably the best public

university in California, and one of the best universities in the United States.

The university gets many international, or foreign, students, and recently they

started a class called “America 101.” The numbers “101” are used in the

American university system to mean a very beginning or basic class. So,

“America 101” is a class about America - the United States - introducing

American ideas and explaining things that students might have difficulty with.

We're going to start by listening to some students and teachers talk about what

some of these problems and differences are. They're going to be speaking at a

native rate of speech - a little fast, but as always, we will listen first and then go

back and explain what they were saying. Let's listen:

[recording] First student: Americans, they have to do everything by themselves.

Second student: You can get along here easier by yourself than any other

country.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 83

First Student: They have this, you know, smiling face.

Third student: Well, to me, most of those smiles are not genuine. It's just

something plastic.

These are some international students giving their opinion about Americans, and

their impressions, or ideas about Americans. The first person says:

[recording] Americans, they have to do everything by themselves.

“Americans, they have to do everything by themselves,” without anyone else

helping them, which is probably true for many Americans; they want to feel

independent. Another student says:

[recording] You can get along here easier by yourself than any other country.

She says “you can get along here” by yourself easier “than in any other country.”

To “get along” means to survive; to live; to be able to have a life.

Next, the students talk about Americans and their smiles, and what that means:

[recording] First student: They have this, you know, smiling face.

Third student: Well, to me, most of those smiles are not genuine. It's just

something plastic.

One student says Americans have these smiling faces; I think that's a very

interesting observation. Many people in the US, especially here in California,

when you first move here seem very friendly, especially at the store or in the

restaurants; the people who work there often smile a lot to make you feel better -

to make you feel welcome.

But, one of the women says that these smiles are fake (fake). “Fake” is not real.

The opposite of “fake” is “genuine” (genuine). “Genuine” is real, or actual. So, a

fake smile is when you are smiling but you don't mean it - you're not happy - and

a genuine smile would be when you are really happy inside.

You can use those words, “fake” and “genuine,” for many things. You can have a

“genuine photograph,” and then you could have a “fake photograph,” where you

change the photograph on your computer to make it look different than it actually

is; that would be a “fake photograph.”

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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