Dialogue

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Intro
Imagine you've just landed after a long flight to America and you're almost free! But first, you need to go through passport control. What will they ask you? How should you respond?
Hi. Alisha here.
Navigating passport control isn't as hard as you might think! In this lesson, you'll learn how.
Gustavo has just arrived in New York. He's in line at passport control.
Let's watch!
Dialogue
Customs Agent: Next.
Customs Agent: Passport, please.
Gustavo: Hello. Here you are.
Customs Agent: How long will you be staying?
Gustavo: For six weeks.
Customs Agent: And where will you be staying?
Gustavo: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Customs Agent: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Gustavo: I'm here on business.
Customs Agent: Okay. Thank you. Welcome to the United States.
Now with subtitles!
Customs Agent: Next.
Customs Agent: Passport, please.
Gustavo: Hello. Here you are.
Customs Agent: How long will you be staying?
Gustavo: For six weeks.
Customs Agent: And where will you be staying?
Gustavo: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Customs Agent: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Gustavo: I'm here on business.
Customs Agent: Okay. Thank you. Welcome to the United States.
Vocab
Here are the key words from the scene.
Brandon: passport (slow) passport
Brandon: please (slow) please
Brandon: Hello (slow) Hello
Brandon: business (slow) business
Brandon: okay (slow) okay
Brandon: thank you (slow) thank you
Phrase and Usage
Alisha: In the scene, what did Gustavo say when he gave his passport to the immigration officer?
GUSTAVO Here you are.
Alisha: This short sentence helps indicate that someone is giving something to someone in response to a request. First is the word
Brandon: here
Alisha: Next is the word
Brandon: you
Alisha: And last is the word
Brandon: are
Alisha: Together it's
Brandon: Here you are.
Alisha: Try saying this as Gustavo hands his passport over to the immigration officer. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak)
Brandon: Here you are.
Alisha: At the end of the scene, how does the immigration officer welcome Gustavo?
Brandon: Welcome to the United States.
Alisha: This is a polite, and sometimes friendly, way to indicate to someone that you're glad to have them to a home, place of work, or another place somehow belonging to you. It starts with the core phrase
Brandon: welcome to
Alisha: and then finishes with the location. In this case,
Brandon: The United States.
Alisha: Try saying this after the immigration officer speaks. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak)
Brandon: Welcome to the United States.
Focus
Alisha: Do you remember the first question the immigration officer asked after Gustavo gave him his passport?
IMMIGRATION OFFICER How long will you be staying?
Alisha: Immigration officers ask this question to find out about the length of a visitor's stay. They want to know if a visitor plans to stay for 2 weeks, for example, or 1 month. First is the phrase
Brandon: How long
Alisha: Next is the word
Brandon: will
Alisha: After this is the word
Brandon: you
Alisha: and last is the phrase
Brandon: be staying.
Alisha: Gustavo responds with a length of time.
Brandon: For six weeks.
Alisha: First is the word
Brandon: for
Alisha: Next is the number
Brandon: six
Alisha: And last is the word
Brandon: weeks.
Alisha: Together it's
Brandon: For six weeks.
Alisha: The sentence structure to answer the question, how long will you be staying is: For + number of days or weeks. Imagine you're going to stay for two weeks. Answer the question
Brandon: How long will you be staying? {PAUSE}
Brandon: For two weeks.
Alisha: Do you remember the second question the immigration officer asked Gustavo in the scene?
Immigration Officer: Where will you be staying?
Alisha: This question is identical to the first question, except instead of saying
Brandon: How long
Alisha: The immigration officer asked
Brandon: where
Alisha: The immigration officer is asking to find out which hotel or address a visitor will be staying at. Again, it's
Brandon: Where will you be staying?
Alisha: In response, Gustavo gives the name of his hotel.
GUSTAVO At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Alisha: First is the word
Brandon: At
Alisha: And after this is the name of the hotel.
Brandon: The Four Seasons Hotel.
Alisha: Together it's
Brandon: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Alisha: The sentence structure to answer the question
Brandon: Where will you be staying
Alisha: is at + your hotel name. Imagine you'll be staying at the Plaza Hotel. Answer the question
Brandon: Where will you be staying? {PAUSE}
Brandon: At the Plaza Hotel.
Alisha: Do you remember the third question the immigration officer asked in the scene?
IMMIGRATION OFFICER What's the purpose of your visit?
Alisha: The immigration officer asks this to understand why Gustavo is visiting. First is a contraction of "what" and "is"
Brandon: What's
Alisha: Next is the word
Brandon: the
Alisha: After this is the word
Brandon: purpose
Alisha: Next is the word
Brandon: of
Alisha: Following this is the word
Brandon: your
Alisha: and last is the word
Brandon: visit
Alisha: Together it's
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit?
Alisha: In response, Gustavo answers
GUSTAVO I'm here on business.
Alisha: This starts with the core phrase
Brandon: I'm here on
Alisha: First is a contraction of "I" and "am"
Brandon: I'm
Alisha: Next is the word
Brandon: Here
Alisha: And after this is the word
Brandon: "On"
Alisha: Together it's
Brandon: I'm here on
Alisha: Following this core phrase is the word
Brandon: Business
Alisha: All together it's
Brandon: I'm here on business.
Alisha: This means that Gustavo is in the country to do business, and not just to sightsee. Alternatively he could have said
Brandon: I'm here for pleasure.
Alisha: This is the same pattern as the first response. The only difference is that
Brandon: on business
Alisha: Has been taken out and
Brandon: for pleasure
Alisha: is used instead. Again, that's
Brandon: I'm here for pleasure.
Alisha: Now you try! Imagine your trip is for sightseeing. Answer the question.
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit? {PAUSE}
Brandon: I'm here for pleasure.
Alisha: Now, imagine you are visiting the U.S. on business. Answer the question.
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit?
Brandon: I'm here on business.
Practice
Alisha: You've arrived to the United States and you'll need to go through passport control. Ready? Here we go.
Alisha: The immigration officer asks you to show her your passport. What do you say when you give your passport to her?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: Here you are
Alisha: How do you answer the question, how long will you stay?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: For [E: the number of days or weeks]
Gustavo For six weeks.
Alisha: How do you answer the question, where will you stay?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: At [E: your hotel name]
Gustavo At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Alisha You are on business in New York. How do you answer the question, what's the purpose of your stay?
(5 second pause)
Gustavo I'm here on business.
Alisha Great job! You're ready to go through passport control! Keep up the good work and remember to practice!

Outro
Well done!
Now, watch the scene one more time. After that,
practice with us in the comments until you're ready to go!
Bye.

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