ESL Podcast

Learn how to ask for clarification in English in this podcast. Slow dialog: 0:54 Explanations: 2:29 Fast dialog: 12:46 I was negotiating a contract with a new business partner, and we had a meeting to clarify the terms. Bill: If I understand the terms correctly, the length of the contract would be one year with a one-year option. Is that correct? Ms. Samuels: Do you mean the contract for equipment rental or the one for training? Bill: I was under the impression that both contracts had the same terms. Ms. Samuels: Yes and no. Let me see if I can clarify that. The terms are the same except that the contract for training has a clause that allows for the cancellation after the first six months. Bill: Could you elaborate on that? Ms. Samuels: Sure. What I mean is that either side could cancel the training contract after the six months as long as it’s in writing. Bill: Let me see if I have that right. This contract is for six months of training, but if it isn’t cancelled, continues for another six months. Is that right? Ms. Samuels: Yes, that’s right. Bill: Okay, that’s clear enough. Let’s move on to the other terms . . . Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Learn how to make a hotel reservation in English in this podcast. Slow dialog: 1:27 Explanations: 4:21 Fast dialog: 14:53 I just finished a huge project at work and I needed some down time. I decided to take a short vacation. I liked the idea of a long weekend out of town. My friend Sara offered to let me crash at her place in San Francisco, but I decided to stay at a hotel instead. Sara has a couple of roommates and I thought it might be too crowded. I called the toll- free reservation number for a major hotel chain. The reservation agent was very helpful, after I got through the long phone tree. Agent: Dutton Hotels. How may I help you today? Jeff: I wanted to check rates and availability for your San Francisco location. Agent: Certainly, I can help you with that. Will that be the downtown or waterfront location? Jeff: The waterfront location. Agent: What date do you plan to check in? Jeff: I'd like to check in on October 12th and check out the 15th. Agent: Okay, let me see what we have. For how many? Jeff: One. And, if possible, I'm looking for a non-smoking room. Agent: Sure, we have a non-smoking queen with an ocean view for $189 or a standard room with a courtyard view for $139 a night. Jeff: I'd like to book the standard room. Agent: Okay, your last name? Jeff: Rama. Agent: And, your first name? Jeff: It's Jeff. Agent: Okay, I have you booked in a standard non-smoking queen, checking in on October 12th and departing the 15th. What major credit card would you like to use to guarantee the reservation? Jeff: A Visa. Agent: The number and expiration? Jeff: It's 7388- 2424-3535- 1818 and the expiration is 05/08. Agent: Your confirmation number is PD672. Is there anything else I help you with? Jeff: No, that's all. Thanks. Agent: Have a nice day and thank you for calling Dutton Hotels. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Classic TV & Movies – Mission: Impossible; Famous Americans – Alfred Stieglitz; satisfactory versus satisfying; damaged goods and majorly unfair Words: mission trained agent force high-tech disguise to disavow to self-destruct special effects editor secession pictorialism satisfactory satisfying damaged goods majorly unfair to kill (someone) with kindness

Learn about how to talk about common women’s health issues in English in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:20 Explanations: 4:17 Fast dialog: 19:34 Matt: Hello, viewers! On our show today, we have Dr. Rodriguez, who is here to tell us about women’s health. Welcome, Dr. Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez: Thanks for having me. Matt: Tell us. As a gynecologist, what one piece of advice would you give to women to help them stay healthy? Dr. Rodriguez: Well, as part of their regular checkups, they should be getting a gynecological exam. Matt: This may surprise you, but I’ve never had one. Ha, ha! Dr. Rodriguez: When women come in for an exam, I check several things. I do a breast exam to check for lumps to detect breast cancer. I also show women how to do this at home on their own. Matt: Is that all? Dr. Rodriguez: No, I do a pelvic exam and a Pap smear to rule out cervical cancer. I also look for anything problematic, such as unusual discharge or signs of STDs. Matt: That sounds painful. Ouch! Dr. Rodriguez: It’s not painful and it’s very important. I also discuss with women their menstrual cycles, issues related to being sexually active, birth control methods, fertility issues, and menopause. Matt: I didn’t know what I was missing! Dr. Rodriguez: My point is that it’s important for women to talk to their doctor about any medical issues they may have. Matt: And my point is: I’m glad I’m not a woman! Dr. Rodriguez: That’s not the message… Matt: Thanks for coming in, doctor. And now, let’s talk about something really important – celebrity news! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Did you steal my lunch today? Learn about blaming other people for something they may not have done in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:13 Explanations: 3:49 Fast dialog: 17:40 Pierre: What happened here?! Marie: It looks like somebody trashed your experiment. Pierre: It’s ruined, completely ruined. Marie: Who could have done this? Why are you looking at me like that? Pierre: Very few people have access to this lab and even fewer know which of these experiments is mine. Whoever did this knew how to do maximum damage. Marie: And you’re accusing me? I helped you with that experiment. I’d sooner ruin my own work than intentionally damage someone else’s, much less yours. What would be my motive? Pierre: Maybe you gave me a little too much help and now my work is outshining yours. Marie: Your suspicions are completely unfounded. I’ve never been jealous of any attention you’ve received. You’re totally off base. Pierre: Maybe you’re right. I’m sorry. I just can’t believe what’s happened. Marie: I’d be upset, too, but let’s not do any more finger-pointing. We need more information before we accuse or exonerate anyone. Let’s try to stay calm. Pierre: Yes, of course, you’re right. Hey, what happened to your workspace? It looks like it’s been tampered with. Marie: What?! I’ll kill whoever did this! I’ll kill them! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Couples often disagree on how to spend their money. Learn how not to solve this problem in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:25 Explanations: 4:14 Fast dialog: 18:20 Ezra: Wait a minute. What happened to the $500 in our joint account? Charlotte: I probably paid bills with it. You know that our paychecks barely cover our monthly expenses. Ezra: I know, but I was counting on that $500 to pay for new tires for my car. Charlotte: Do you really need new tires right now? The way I look at it, if there’s any balance in our account, I have dibs on it for some new shoes. Ezra: Forget it. The tires are a necessity and your shoes are not. We’re each supposed to have $150 a month for discretionary spending for nonessentials and new shoes definitely falls into that category. Charlotte: You don’t need to spend $500 for a set of new tires. You just want to splash the cash for some fancy ones. Ezra: Let’s stop arguing about who gets to spend the money and first figure out what happened to it. According to this, the money was withdrawn from our account for automatic contributions to our retirement accounts. Charlotte: Our what? Ezra: Our retirement accounts. Remember last month we decided to start saving money for retirement? Charlotte: Whose harebrained idea was that? Do you think we can get the money back? Ezra: I’m not sure, but if we can, I have dibs! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Do you want to bring you dog or cat with you on your vacation? Learn how difficult that can be in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:14 Explanations: 3:16 Fast dialog: 14:48 Amin: I can’t stand to be away from Fifi for two weeks. Can’t we bring her along? Eva: We’ve talked about this before. Our dog does not like to travel. We’ll board her. Amin: What if we get a really big crate or carrier that Fifi will feel comfortable in? Eva: It won’t make a difference if she’s left out on a hot tarmac and has to spend hours in cargo hold. Amin: It’ll be well ventilated and the crate will be large enough for her to turn around in. Eva: She’ll still bark and whimper and you know it. Do you want her to suffer? Amin: Of course not. What if she can travel in the cabin with us? Eva: She’s too big. Amin: We could change our travel plans, drive instead of fly. Eva: We’re not changing our travel plans. She’ll be fine at the kennel. Amin: She’ll have separation anxiety. Eva: Are you talking about the dog or about you? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Please don’t go! Please don’t go! Listen first to this episode about telling people to go away. Slow dialog: 1:12 Explanations: 3:21 Fast dialog: 16:34 Joshua: Beat it and don’t come back! Rosa: What’s all the noise? Joshua: It’s the neighborhood kids. All I want to do on this sunny afternoon is sit out on the porch and enjoy the day. But those neighborhood kids keep coming around and making all kinds of noise. Hey you, shoo! Rosa: They’re just trying to get a rise out of you. Maybe if you ignore them and stop waving them off and telling them to run along, they’ll go away on their own. Joshua: If I don’t tell them to get lost, they’ll sit here in front of my house and clown around. They’ll make so much noise it’ll wreck my peace and quiet. Hey, I see you. Take a hike! Rosa: I think I know what to do to get you that peace and quiet. I’ll be right back. Joshua: Where are you going? Rosa: I’m going to get a plate of cookies for those kids. Joshua: Are you crazy? Are you rewarding those rowdy troublemakers with cookies?! Rosa: It’s a bribe and it always works. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Movies – Ben-Hur; Carlsbad Caverns National Park; duty versus responsibility; Creedence Clearwater Revival Words: to risk reputation to be based on slave elaborate to gross to witness cavern acidic to erode stalactite stalagmite duty responsibility revival What’s up?

Are you a fan of feline fashion? Do you want to sell your own collection of kitty clothing? Learn how to talk about designing products in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:19 Explanations: 03:31 Fast dialog: 18:29 Thomas: What do you think of my creations? Celeste: These are . . . interesting? Thomas: They’re part of my new product line to be sold under my own label. Celeste: Really? Thomas: Yeah, I’m jumping in with both feet. Everybody advised me to get my feet wet by licensing a collection, but I don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand. Celeste: I thought you started all this by doing custom work. Thomas: I did, but I’m ready to produce an entire line I’ve designed according to my vision, not work to a client’s specs. Celeste: I can understand that. Will you be selling to trade or retail customers? Thomas: Retail. I plan to have showrooms in every major city. See? This is a sample of our product catalog. Celeste: I see. Your products look high-end, but they’re intended for the mass market. Thomas: That’s right. Do you want to take home a sample? Celeste: Um, I guess so. I’d never considered using anything like that. Thomas: Once you sit on a designer toilet seat, you’ll never go back! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Authors – Mary Roberts Rinehart; Famous Songs – “I’ll be seeing you”; to dispense, wedgie, and on principle; to get on with (something), to get along with (someone), and in a nutshell; semi Words: stock market to crash mystery to solidify middle-aged romance fiction play musical to embrace signature song to dispense wedgie on principle to get on with (something) to get along with in a nutshell semi

Not everyone would put their own lives in danger to help others. Find out more on this episode. Slow dialog: 1:39 Explanations: 3:21 Fast dialog: 14:57 Ana Maria: Did you see this news article about the Good Samaritan who stopped to help a stranger and died? Gio: That’s his own fault. Who told him to meddle in other people’s business? Ana Maria: He wasn’t meddling. He saw that a fellow human being was in distress and was selfless enough to try to help. Gio: Doing a good deed, was he? Going out on a limb to help someone in need, eh? Ana Maria: Exactly. I call him a hero. Gio: I call him a fool. You don’t put yourself in danger to help a stranger. That’s just common sense. Ana Maria: So you would have just walked right by and done nothing to help. Gio: If it meant putting myself in jeopardy. You should always look out for yourself, no matter what the situation. Ana Maria: Great, remind me never to get into a lifeboat with you! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Good morning! It’s time to get up so you’re not late for your appointment. Learn the best way to make sure you wake up on time each day in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:36 Explanations: 3:42 Fast dialog: 20:27 Laquisha: What’s in the bag? Yun: Three alarm clocks and a kitchen timer. Laquisha: What are they for? Yun: I have a very important interview tomorrow morning and these will help me prepare for it. Laquisha: How? Yun: The timer will help me time my responses to common interview questions so I don’t run off at the mouth. See? Instead of the stopwatch function, I use the countdown function so I’ll know when to wrap up. Laquisha: And the alarm clocks? Yun: I have a habit of pressing the snooze button after an alarm goes off. I’ve tried different kinds of alarms: ones that buzz, ones that beep, ones that vibrate, and ones that use a ringtone. But I still fall back to sleep. Laquisha: And what do you plan to do with three alarm clocks? Yun: I plan to set the alarms one minute apart and put them around my bedroom. By the time I turn them all off, I should be awake. Laquisha: And if not? Yun: Then maybe I should be applying for jobs as a mattress tester. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

You are only as old as you feel. Learn more about staying young in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:42 Explanations: 3:32 Fast dialog: 18:57 Xavier: What crazy new creams are you trying this week? Aaliyah: I’ll have you know I only use anti-aging products that are scientifically proven. Xavier: Yeah, like that cream that promised to restore your youthful appearance in just two weeks. When are you going to realize beauty products are sold using false claims and promises? Aaliyah: What about you? You jump on the bandwagon of every health fad. Aren’t you eating a bunch of so-called superfoods? Xavier: That’s based on science. The goal is longevity. Aaliyah: And this expensive new computer program? Xavier: It’s to ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s. I’m keeping my mind active. Aaliyah: So we’re both trying to fight the effects of aging. Xavier: I guess that’s true, but I’m going to outlive you. Aaliyah: Yes, but before I kick the bucket, I’m going to look marvelous! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Apollo 11; Famous Americans – Soapy Smith; certainly versus definitely versus surely; to have a crush on (someone) versus to be in love with (someone); out on a limb Words: mission to launch astronaut module to transmit quarantine conman to cheat smooth talker militia corrupt committee certainly definitely surely to have a crush on (someone) to be in love with (someone) out on a limb

Come with us to visit a small town that’s quaint and charming on this episode. Slow dialog: 1:37 Explanations: 4:00 Fast dialog: 17:49 Alisha: Hey, you’re back from your vacation. Where did you go? New York City? Miami? Ramon: I decided to spend my vacation in Maddieville. Alisha: Where is Maddieville? I’ve never heard of it. Ramon: It’s a small town about a six-hour drive from here. I read about it being a throwback to the days of small shops and friendly neighbors, with a charming old-fashioned main street. It was really nice. Alisha: I’m not sure I’d want to travel back in time. It doesn’t sound very exciting. Ramon: It wasn’t as lively as some places I could have gone, but I enjoyed the quaint shops, the unpretentious people, and the genuine friendliness. Alisha: What did you do for an entire week? Ramon: I perused the shops, ate at the family-owned restaurants, and learned about the quirky history of the town by shooting the breeze with the old- timers at the local bar. Alisha: To each his own, but that sounds like dullsville to me. Ramon: Then I guess you wouldn’t want to go back with me this summer for their wine festival. Alisha: Did you say wine? Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss small town charm quite so quickly. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Authors – Louisa May Alcott; Classic TV – Gilligan’s Island; up-to-date versus updated; to work out the kinks and to deserve a pat on the back; to seize the moment Words: to provide for pseudonym volume experience to be base on shipwreck to be stranded mate skipper courage uncharted syndication up-to-date updated to work out the kinks to deserve a pat on the back to seize the moment

Topics: Famous Americans – Lew Wallace; Classic TV – The Brady Bunch; to prevent versus to hinder versus to forbid; integral versus indispensable; to scare off game Words: (the) bar rank to try settler militia historical fiction bunch blended theme song to divorce to relate to rerun to prevent to hinder to forbid integral indispensable to scare off game

Topics: American Presidents – Barack Obama; Famous Songs – “Anchors Aweigh”; diffidence versus timidity versus shyness; receipt versus reception; no problem versus not at all versus no big deal Words: community organizer healthcare candidate rising star biracial campaign slogan grassroots polarized affordable anchor ashore foam diffidence timidity shyness receipt reception no problem not at all no big deal

Topics: American Presidents – Barack Obama; Famous Songs – “Anchors Aweigh”; diffidence versus timidity versus shyness; receipt versus reception; no problem versus not at all versus no big deal Words: community organizer healthcare candidate rising star biracial campaign slogan grassroots polarized affordable anchor ashore foam diffidence timidity shyness receipt reception no problem not at all no big deal