Beginner Listening Series 1 Lesson 10- Dialogue about Language Speaking in English
In this lesson, you listen to an English dialogue about language speaking.
Previous Listening Lesson
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English Listening Lesson Audio with Script
Lesson Audio
Lesson Script
Jim: Sarah, you’ve taught in a bunch of different places. What countries have you taught again?
Sara: Quite a few. I’ve taught in Korea, Ecuador, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, and the USA.
Jim: Okay, so you’re…
Sara: And China. Sorry.
Jim: Oh wow. So you’re a language teacher; you’ve taught in all these amazing countries. So let’s talk about the languages first. Do you speak Japanese?
Sara: I don’t. I’m embarrassed. I’ve lived here six years, but I don’t. How about you? Do you speak Japanese?
Jim: I do speak Japanese-
Sara: Oh, you do?
Jim: … yeah, but it’s not very good.
Sara: Oh.
Jim: People don’t hear me say it that much, because it’s really bad, but I do speak Japanese. But it’s bad. But what about the other languages? You lived in Korea. Did you study Korean?
Sara: I did. I did study Korean. And I did learn to read very well. But now, I’ve forgotten. So I can’t speak it anymore.
Jim: I heard that it’s relatively easy to learn the alphabet in Korea.
Sara: Yes, it is. It was invented by a scientist to be simple and easy to learn how to read.
Jim: Oh wow.
Sara: So it is very easy.
Jim: What about China? Did you learn Chinese?
Sara: I didn’t. I did study a lot. But, in the end, I found it too difficult. Do you speak Chinese?
Jim: I don’t speak Chinese, but I lived in Thailand for five years.
Sara: Mm-hmm .
Jim: And I do speak Thai, and I did study Thai when I was there. So, yeah.
Sara: Oh, wow.
Jim: And it’s tonal, so it’s kind of similar, in some ways, to Chinese.
Sara: And can you read Thai?
Jim: I can read Thai.
Sara: Oh, wow.
Jim: Yeah, I do read Thai. So actually, my Thai reading is probably better than my Japanese.
Sara: Oh, wow.
Jim: Yeah. But it’s hard, because in Thai the words kind of stick together.
Sara: Mm-hmm .
Jim: Now, you were in Mexico and in Ecuador.
Sara: Yes.
Jim: So do you speak Spanish?
Sara: I do speak Spanish. That was one of my goals for moving there, was to become fluent. And I’m very happy now I can say, “I do speak Spanish.”
Jim: And your husband was with you. Does he speak Spanish?
Sara: Yeah. He does speak Spanish. He studied a lot, and it really improved a lot. So now he can say the same thing. He does speak Spanish.
Jim: And your children?
Sara: They do, too. They speak Spanish.
Jim: Oh, nice. And your children are with you now in Japan.
Sara: Mm-hmm .
Jim: Do they speak Japanese?
Sara: They don’t. They’re learning very quickly. So I think they will improve, and in a couple of months, I can say that they can. But right now, their Japanese is very low.
Jim: So you were just in Mexico. Do you miss Mexico?
Sara: I do miss Mexico. I miss the food the most. I miss the Spanish language. And I miss the music. How about you? Do you miss Thailand?
Jim: I do miss Thailand a little bit, but not too much, because I visit there a lot. So it’s not that big of a deal. I go there usually once or twice a year.
Sara: Mm-hmm .
Jim: But when I’m in Japan, I do miss it. I miss the food, especially. Now we both are outside of the U.S. We don’t live in the U.S. Do you miss living in the U.S.?
Sara: I do miss living in the U.S. I often miss that I understand and I know the culture so well. Sometimes in Japan, I feel like an outsider. And so I do miss being in the USA, and being able to blend into the background. To be just another person.
Jim: Yeah.
Sara: How about you? Do you miss the USA?
Jim: I don’t.
Sara: You don’t?
Jim: No, I don’t miss it at all. So I visit it … I do miss my family, and I do miss some things, especially like the food and the nature. But I don’t miss actually living in America. Maybe because I go back so often. So these days, it just doesn’t seem like a big deal. Now, we are both in Japan. Do you plan to teach somewhere else soon?
Sara: I don’t. I hope to stay in Japan for a couple of years. We are relaxed, we are settled, the children are in school. I hope we can stay here. How about you? Are you going to stay? Or do you have plans to go?
Jim: I do have plans to go, actually. And I want your old job.
Sara: Really?
Jim: I want to work for the U.S. government and I want to work in a different country.
Sara: You should do it!
Jim: I will.
English Listening Lesson Quizzes
Answer the following questions about the conversation.
1) Who taught in Mexico?
a) Jim
b) Sarah
c) Neither of them
2) Who studied Korean?
a) Jim
b) Sarah
c) Both of them
3) Who taught in Korea?
a) Jim
b) Sarah
c) Both of them
4) Who speaks Thai?
a) Jim
b) Sarah
c) Both of them
5) Who speaks Japanese?
a) Jim
b) Sarah
c) Both of them
Answers
1=b
2=b
3=b
4=a
5=a
English Grammar Tips
Do / Does / Did for Emphasis
When we want to emphasize a statement we can use do, does, and did with stress to add meaning.
For negative sentences, extra stress is added to don’t, doesn’t and didn’t to add more emphasis.
Point 1: In present simple sentences, you can use ‘do’ to show emphasis.
(Q) Do you have a car?
(A) I do have a car.
(N) I don’t have a car.
(Q) Do they serve bagels?
(A) They do serve bagels.
(N) They don’t serve bagels.
Point 2: If the subject is third person singular, then you use ‘does’ to show emphasis.
(Q) Does he work here?
(A) He does work here.
(N) He doesn’t work here.
(Q) Does it cost a lot to live there?
(A) It does cost a lot.
(N) It doesn’t cost a lot.
Point 3: If the action happens in the simple past tense, use ‘did’ to show emphasis.
(Q) Did he come to work today?
(A) He did come to work today.
(N) He didn’t come to work today.
(Q) Did they find an apartment?
(A) They did find an apartment.
(N) They didn’t find one.
Point 4: We can add ‘do/does/did’ and ‘though’ to a sentence to show contrast between two actions
I hate math. I do like science though.
He does not have much money. He does have a nice house though.
I got sick on vacation. We did have a good time though.
English Listening Lesson Phrases
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Quizzes for Lesson Phrases
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