[start of dialog]

Paul: All done.

Samantha: You’re done with your paper? How can that be? I’m just getting
started.

Paul: I’m just a better student than you are.

Samantha: Let me see that. You didn’t write this.

Paul: No, I didn’t. I downloaded somebody’s paper from some website and
slapped my name on it. The professor will never know. Wise up. Do you want
me to find one for you?

Samantha: No way! Not only is it cheating, if you get caught, you could flunk the
class or get expelled.

Paul: Don’t be such a goody two-shoes. Everybody does it. I know a guy who
pays somebody in another state to write all of his papers for him and another guy
who lifts his papers from old books. Don’t tell me you’ve never paraphrased
ideas from a source and represented them as your own.

Samantha: Are you kidding me? Borrowing ideas from a book with proper
attribution is what you’re supposed to do. You, on the other hand, are
plagiarizing your way to your degree.
Paul: Damn straight! Look who’s done with his homework and who is still
working on hers.

Samantha: I’d rather earn what I get and know that I didn’t shortchange myself
out of an education!

[end of dialog]
ESL Podcast 911 – Correcting and Explaining
in Conversation
[start of dialog]

Danny: You look like you need to relax.

Sybil: Excuse me?

Danny: What I mean is, you look like you could use some R and R.

Sybil: I didn’t know I looked tired and worn out.

Danny: No, what I’m trying to say is, people need leisure time once in a while.

Sybil: Yes, that’s certainly true.

Danny: The human body needs downtime to recuperate and to regenerate.

Sybil: Okay, I guess that’s true.

Danny: Let me rephrase that. People need time away from work to get ready for
more work.

Sybil: Are you saying you’re planning on giving me more work?

Danny: No, no, no. Let me put it another way. It’s imperative that you don’t
work this weekend.
Sybil: Why? What’s going on this weekend? Are you saying that something big
is happening in the department this weekend and I’m being left out?

Danny: No, not at all. What I’m trying to say is…[sigh]…would you like to go out
with me Saturday night?

Sybil: Oh, I guess I didn’t catch your drift earlier. You’re asking me out for
Saturday.

Danny: Yes, I am.

Sybil: Then, I accept.

Danny: Really?

Sybil: Yes, as long as you promise never to ask me out on a first date ever
again!

[end of dialog]

ESL Podcast 912 – Working as a Lobbyist
[start of dialog]

Cody: You’re not the kind of person I would expect to work as a lobbyist.

Jada: Why not?

Cody: I picture lobbyists as being kind of pushy and corrupt, using underhanded
tactics.

Jada: It’s not like that at all, at least not for me. I just use my powers of
persuasion to help my clients.

Cody: So what do you do exactly?

Jada: I meet with legislators and try to sway them to support laws that are
favorable to the people and companies I represent, and to discourage them from
voting for laws that aren’t.

Cody: You’re a spokesperson for your clients, then.

Jada: I’m more than that. I work for clients in the private sector and in
corporations, as well as for special interest groups. I advocate for what would
benefit my clients in a way that they can’t do themselves directly.

Cody: Isn’t there sometimes a conflict of interest? Let’s say your client this
month wants a law passed and your client next month doesn’t. What happens
then?
Jada: I’m a gun for hire. I do my best for my client, whichever that client is at
that moment.

Cody: I’m glad to hear you say that. I could use the services of a good lobbyist.
I’ve been trying to get my wife to agree to buy a new boat…

Jada: Stop right there. In this case there is a conflict of interest. Your wife
talked to me last week and wants me to have a little talk with you about that new
boat…

[end of dialog]

ESL Podcast 913 – Experiencing Motion Sickness

[start of dialog]

Ashley: You don’t look so good. What’s wrong?

Terrell: I felt motion sickness watching that movie. The camera jerked around
and it made me dizzy.

Ashley: It didn’t bother me. The hand-held camera used to film the movie had
that effect on you?

Terrell: I’m susceptible to motion sickness. You should see me on a boat. The
rocking motion makes me seasick and nauseous. When I was a kid, I used to
get carsick every time my family took a road trip. My parents always had a barf
bag ready.
Ashley: Wow, that sucks.

Terrell: Yeah, and don’t even try to get me on an airplane. Just the starting of
the engines makes me feel airsick and looking down gives me vertigo.

Ashley: So how do you travel?

Terrell: Very rarely and usually with one foot on the ground!

[end of dialog]

ESL Podcast 914 – Wanting Peace and Quiet

[start of dialog]

After three days of travel and meetings, I returned to my hotel room ready for
some downtime. All I wanted was some peace and quiet so I could get a good
night’s sleep.
…

[phone rings] Carl: Hello.

Hotel staff: Hello, Mr. Mendez. I’m calling to welcome you to our hotel. I hope
you’re finding everything to your satisfaction.

Carl: Yes, yes. Everything’s fine. I just want to get some rest right now.

Hotel staff: Of course, Mr. Mendez. If there’s anything we can do for you, don’t
hesitate to ask.
…

I hung up the phone and turned off the ringer. I didn’t want any more unsolicited
phone calls. But then, there was a knock on the door.
…

Hotel staff: Hello, sir. I’m here to turn down your bed. May I come in?

Carl: I don’t need the bed turned down, thanks.
…
Before I closed the door, I put the do-not-disturb sign on my door. I wanted no
more interruptions.

All of a sudden, a loud alarm went off. I opened my door and a hotel employee
was explaining that there was a small fire in the kitchen and that the guests were
being evacuated. We would have to leave the building immediately.

I left my hotel room and wondered if there was a vast conspiracy to rob me of my
sleep or if I’m just the unluckiest guy in the world!

[end of dialog]

ESL Podcast 915 – Learning to Read Music

[start of dialog]

Mike: You have a great voice. You should join our choir.

Grace: I don’t know anything about music. I can’t even read music.

Mike: It’s not that hard. I could teach you. Look, this is a piece we’re working on
right now.

Grace: What’s that weird thing at the beginning?

Mike: That’s the clef. It tells you which note each line and space on the staff
represents.

Grace: Okay. What about these numbers?

Mike: That’s the time signature. It tells you how many beats are in each
measure, and what kind of note gets one beat. This little number above there
gives you the tempo.

Grace: Hmm, that’s kind of complicated. Why are all of these notes stacked on
top of each other?

Mike: That’s to indicate a chord, with two or more notes played together at the
same time. See? Musical notation is really very simple.
Grace: I don’t think I got all that.

Mike: I’m happy to help you until you get the hang of it. We could even work on
some duets. We could sing harmony or I can accompany you on the piano.

Grace: I think you’re overestimating my singing ability, but I’m willing to give it a
try. At least, I think I can stay on pitch. I just don’t want to embarrass myself too
much.

Mike: I think you’re overestimating the quality of our community choir!

[end of dialog]

ESL Podcast 916 – Being Forced Out of a Position

[start of dialogue]

Julianna: Ha ha! The wicked witch is dead!

Hugo: What are you talking about?

Julianna: Bettina is stepping down as chairperson of the committee. I thought this
day would never come.

Hugo: That’s a big surprise. I never thought I’d live to see the day when Bettina
would willingly give up her position.

Julianna: It wasn’t her choice exactly. The rest of the committee forced her out,
saying they couldn’t work with her anymore. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Hugo: But I thought she had the support of the higher-ups and they wanted her in
the position.

Julianna: Well, she’s somehow fallen from grace and they can’t wait to see the
back of her. It’s nice to see her get her comeuppance – finally!

Hugo: Maybe we’re not getting the full story. Maybe she had personal reasons
for leaving.

Julianna: Whatever the reason, we’ll be rid of her once and for all. Hallelujah!

Hugo: How do you know the next chairperson won’t be worse?
Julianna: Bite your tongue!

[end of dialogue]

ESL Podcast 917 – Types of Families
[start of dialogue]

Patricia: Okay, we’re nearly done setting up for the neighborhood party. I got
some nametags with “father,” “mother,” and “kids” printed on them, with a space
for people to write their names. It’ll be easier for people to introduce themselves
and make friends.

Ed: The nametags are a good idea, but we have to keep in mind that in this day
and age, there are a lot of unconventional families. We won’t just have nuclear or
traditional families coming.

Patricia: I don’t see how that makes a difference.

Ed: Don’t you? What if we have same-sex families? We need to be ready to hand
out two “father” or two “mother” nametags. There are also a lot of stepfamilies
with more than one set of parents.

Patricia: Well, the men are all “fathers” and the “women” are all mothers – that’s
simple. I still don’t see the problem.

Ed: What if the children are being raised by grandparents? Some of the men
could be grandfathers and some of the women grandmothers.

Patricia: Okay, we might have some of those families.

Ed: And don’t forget that some parents are divorced or are single parents. Their
current partner may not be their spouse. It wouldn’t be appropriate to give them
“father” or “mother” nametags. We might even get foster families, in which case,
the nametags may not be applicable at all.

Patricia: I give up. Forget I ever brought up these nametags. I’ll get blank ones
with nothing on them.

Ed: That’s a good idea. Given the complexity we live in today, choosing simplicity
might be the way to go!

[end of dialogue]

ESL Podcast 918 – Preparing for a Disaster

[start of dialogue]

Lilly: Quick, we need to go get some supplies. I was listening to talk radio on my
way home from work, and this guy was on talking about how doomsday is
coming and we need to prepare.

Paul: Oh no, not this again. You have to stop listening to that garbage on the
radio. Listen, there is no impending doom, and this guy was just crying wolf.

Lilly: No, he wasn’t. He had proof that the world is going to end soon and he was
sounding the alarm. Those people killed in the storm last week? They were the
canaries in the coal mine. Disaster is coming!

Paul: Let me be the voice of reason for a minute. How many times have you
believed that the world was ending in the past few years?

Lilly: A few times, but this is for real. There’ll be a disruption of services, a run on
food and water, and chaos!

Paul: Let me ask you this: if the world is ending, aren’t we all just going to die?

Lilly: Not if you have an underground bunker. Start digging!

[end of dialogue]

ESL Podcast 919 – Visiting Childcare Centers

[start of dialogue]

Adam: What’s that?

Noelle: It’s a list of questions I’m going to ask at the childcare center when we
visit today. I want to be prepared.

Adam: We already know that it’s licensed and has a good reputation. What other
questions are you going to ask?

Noelle: Lots. For instance, I want to know what the ratio is of children to each
childcare worker and what their staff turnover rate is.

Adam: Okay, I guess those are important questions.

Noelle: And I want to know what their policies are on disciplining the kids and
what kinds of meals and snacks they serve.

Adam: Also good questions.

Noelle: And I want to find out their policies on sick kids and if they allow late pick-
up.

Adam: Yeah, I guess those are really good questions, too.

Noelle: And I want to know if I can observe any time I want to and if there is a
secure check-in/check-out system.
Adam: Those are all good questions, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that
you’ve done your homework.

Noelle: That’s why you married me, right? Because I’m so practical?

Adam: If that’s why I married you, wouldn’t that make me the practical one?

[end of dialogue]