Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Becky: Making Small Talk in English. Becky here.
John: Hi, I'm John.
Becky: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to inquire about one's likes and dislikes. The conversation takes place at an office.
John: It's between Thomas Gray and Linda.
Becky: The speakers are friends, therefore, they will speak informal English. Okay, let's listen to the conversation.
DIALOGUE
Thomas Gray: I'm sorry to ask, Linda, but where are we meeting tonight?
Linda: You can meet us at the restaurant.
Thomas Gray: Just to confirm, what time do we need to be there by?
Linda: By seven p.m. It's the Thai restaurant right by the subway. Do you like spicy food?
Thomas Gray: Yes, I do. I love Thai cooking.
Linda: It's a really good restaurant, so I'm sure you'll love it.
Becky: Listen to the conversation one more time, slowly.
Thomas Gray: I'm sorry to ask, Linda, but where are we meeting tonight?
Linda: You can meet us at the restaurant.
Thomas Gray: Just to confirm, what time do we need to be there by?
Linda: By seven p.m. It's the Thai restaurant right by the subway. Do you like spicy food?
Thomas Gray: Yes, I do. I love Thai cooking.
Linda: It's a really good restaurant, so I'm sure you'll love it.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Becky: The conversation this time carries on from the last lesson, with Thomas getting ready for his night out with his co-workers.
John: Yeah, thankfully he likes Thai cooking!
Becky: I wonder what kinds of things he’ll talk about with his co-workers...
John: Well, they might have some business to talk about, or they might make small talk.
Becky: Yeah, if he doesn’t know his co-workers that well, it will definitely be small talk.
John: In the business world, you’ll often have to make small talk with strangers.
Becky: Clients, customers, co-workers… What are good and safe topics for small talk?
John: A general topic that you can use with anybody is the weather.
Becky: How about with people you know a little?
John: You can be a little more specific, and ask them about something you think they like.
Becky: Like sports, TV shows, or general questions about their family.
John: Small talk may seem like a chore, but it builds good relationships and helps develop your English!
Becky: Okay, now onto the vocab.
VOCAB LIST
Becky: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this lesson. The first word is...
John: to ask [natural native speed]
Becky: to request something from someone
John: to ask [slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: to ask [natural native speed]
Becky: Next, we have...
John: to meet [natural native speed]
Becky: to come into the presence of someone
John: to meet [slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: to meet [natural native speed]
Becky: Next up is...
John: subway [natural native speed]
Becky: underground train in a city
John: subway [slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: subway [natural native speed]
Becky: Next, there’s...
John: to confirm [natural native speed]
Becky: to double check, to make sure
John: to confirm [slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: to confirm [natural native speed]
Becky: Next, we have...
John: by [natural native speed]
Becky: not later than
John: by [slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: by [natural native speed]
Becky: And lastly...
John: cooking [natural native speed]
Becky: food prepared in a particular way
John: cooking[slowly - broken down by syllable]
John: cooking [natural native speed]
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
Becky: Let's have a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first word is...
John: subway
Becky: ...meaning "underground train in a city."
Becky: We can break “subway” down into two smaller words.
John: The first is “sub,” which means to be in a lower position.
Becky: The second is “way,” which means “direction” or “route.”
John: So together, it refers to a train that runs underground.
Becky: Can you give us an example using this word?
John: Sure. For example, you can say “I take the subway to work.”
Becky: Okay, what's the next word?
John: to confirm
Becky: ...meaning "to double-check, to make sure."
Becky: This is a verb.
John: It means to double-check information that you believe to be correct.
Becky: Both the past tense and past participle are “confirmed.”
John: If you’re not certain that the information is correct, instead of using “to confirm” you can use “to check.”
Becky: Can you give us an example using this word?
John: Sure. For example, you can say “Let me confirm the meeting details.”
Becky: ...which is like saying "Let me make sure of the meeting details."
Becky: Okay, now onto the lesson focus.

Lesson focus

Becky: In this lesson, you'll learn about how to inquire about one's likes and dislikes. If you go out for a meal with someone, you might need to know what food they like and don’t like.
John: And, there are many other occasions where you might need to know someone’s likes and dislikes.
Becky: Plus, it’s good for small talk!
John: Right! You can ask someone using the phrase “Do you like…” followed by a noun.
Becky: Let’s hear some examples.
John: “Do you like pizza?” “Do you like sports?”
Becky: You can also ask about a topic, such as food or animals. You can do this using “Which (group) do you like?” or “What group do you like?”
John: For example, “What sport do you like?” or “Which season do you like?”
Becky: You use “which” when you are asking someone to choose from a set group of options.
John: There are only four seasons, so this is a set group of options and using “which.”
Becky: However, there are so many sports that we can’t count them, so we use “what.”
John: You can also ask for preference between two options, with “Which do you like, A or B?”
Becky: For example, “Which do you like, Italian food or Chinese food?”
John: An informal way of asking is “How do you feel about…?” “How do you feel about the Yankees?”
Becky: You can answer these questions with some simple sentences.
John: Yes, what you need to remember is “I like” and “I don’t like.”
Becky: For example,
John: “I like football.”
Becky: or
John: “I don’t like Chinese food.”
Becky: You can give more details and level up your English by saying “I think that…” and using an adjective.
John: “I think that football is exciting.”
Becky: or
John: “I think that Chinese food isn’t good.”

Outro

Becky: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye!
John: See you!

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