EC087_Guide.pdf

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ENGLISH CAFÉ – 87

TOPICS

Trouble with my car; Ask an American: Home Schooling; breakthrough versus to

break through, to ride shotgun

_____________

GLOSSARY

to stick (something) into (something) – to put something into something else,

usually into a hole

* Could you please stick that pan into the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes?

ignition – the part of a car that one puts a key into to make the car turn on

* To start the car, just put the key in the ignition and turn it.

to turn over – to have a car’s crankshaft (a part of a car’s engine) make one

circle when the key is turned in the ignition

* When I turned the key, I could hear the engine turning over, but the car wouldn’t

start.

jumper cables – two long wires covered in plastic (one black and one red) that

have metal ends so that one end is attached to a car that is running and the other

end is attached to a car that has a dead battery, so that the second car’s battery

is charged and begins working again

* Be sure to always keep jumper cables in the back of your car, just in case your

battery dies.

to home-school (someone) – to teach a child at home instead of sending him or

her to an elementary or high school

* Melanie wants to home-school her children because she doesn’t think that the

public schools provide the education she wants for them.

to be better off – to be more successful, richer, or in a better position if one does

something

* Chelsea would be better off living in a cold climate because she’s allergic to all

the flowering plants in warm areas.

primary – main; principal; most important

* Our primary reason for moving to Jacksonville was because Irma got a job

there, but we also liked other things about the town.

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 87

character – the things that are part of one’s personality; the things that make

one different from other people; the qualities that make someone interesting,

special, and unique

* She’s beautiful, but how is her character? Is she honest, kind, and trustworthy?

to mature – to grow older, wiser, and more responsible; to begin to behave like

an adult

* Janine matured a lot when her mother died last year and she had to start

helping her father take care of her brothers and sisters.

to find oneself – to realize that one is in a particular situation; to be in a situation

that one didn’t expect

* Geraldo woke up to find himself in a hospital bed with no memory of the car

accident.

to draw on/upon – to use one’s knowledge, money, or past experience to help

one do something

* Raul drew upon his years of experience as an architect to build a toy house for

his daughter’s dolls.

diverse – of many different kinds or types; not all the same

* This park is famous for its diverse plants, including more than 200 kinds of

trees.

critic – a person who says good or bad things about something to give his or her

opinion about something, usually a book, movie, restaurant, or a piece of artwork

* Let’s read what the film critics wrote about the new movies and then decide

which one we want to see.

to break through – to make an opening and get access to a place where you

couldn't go before

* Were you watching the news when the Germans broke through the Berlin Wall?

breakthrough – a major and sudden important development or discovery

* The Wright brothers made an important breakthrough when they built the first

airplane.

to ride shotgun – to sit in the front passenger seat of a car, next to the driver

* Quincy always rides shotgun, because he gets dizzy and sick if he sits in the

back seat.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ENGLISH CAFÉ – 87

WHAT INSIDERS KNOW

Movies about School:

Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club , Dead Poet’s Society

Many of Hollywood’s movies about school have an “anti-establishment view,”

meaning that they are about people who “rebel” (fight against authority) against

the standard educational system. Some of the best known movies of this type

are Ferris Beuller’s Day Off , The Breakfast Club and Dead Poet’s Society .

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a “classic” or very well known and popular comedy that

was filmed in 1986. It is about a high school student named Ferris who says that

he is sick but is actually “playing hooky,” or not going to school when he should.

His best friend and his girlfriend play hooky with him. The people who don’t

believe that he is sick try to “catch him,” or prove that he is lying. The three

friends have many funny adventures that day.

The Breakfast Club is a drama that was filmed in 1985. In the movie, five high

school students with very different personalities are sent to “detention,” which

means that they are punished for doing something wrong by being told to spend

all day Saturday in a room at school. The movie looks at how these five

“strangers” (people who don’t know each other) begin to fight and argue and

then, later, begin to share their secrets and become friends.

Dead Poet’s Society is a drama about young men at a “boarding school,” which

is a school where students live while they study. An English teacher introduces

the boys to the Dead Poet’s Society, which is a secret club or organization for

people who enjoy English literature. Through their experience, the boys develop

strong friendships and learn to “go against the status quo,” or not do the things

that people expect them to do.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ENGLISH CAFÉ – 87

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to ESL Podcast's English Café number 87.

This is English Café episode 87. I'm your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you

from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles,

California.

On this Café, I'll tell you a little about some problems I had recently with my car.

We're also going to talk about home schooling in the United States as part of our

“Ask an American” series. And as always, we'll answer a few of your questions.

Let's get started.

Before I forget, let me remind you to visit our website at eslpod.com, and

download a Learning Guide for this episode.

Well, I've had some problems with my car this past week that I thought I would

tell you about. I went out to my car, which is parked in the garage next to my

house, and I took the key out, meaning I took it out of my pocket. I opened the

car and then I stuck the key into the ignition. We use the verb here “to stick”

when you have something like a key that you are putting into a lock.

Well, I “stuck” (which is the past tense of stick) the key into the “ignition,” which is

what starts the car. The “ignition” (ignition) is like a lock – it looks like a lock –

you turn the key, and as you turn the key the car should start. The motor in the

car – the engine in the car, motor and engine are the same thing here – should

start running. Of course, when I turned the key, the car did not turn over. When

we say a car “turns over,” we mean it starts – the motor or the engine starts to

run – starts to work – starts to function.

The motor did not turn over. In fact, I heard the worst sound you can hear, which

is nothing! Clearly, the battery for the car was dead. When we say the battery

“is dead,” we mean it doesn't have any more power in it. So, I had to take my

wife's car, and I had to connect what we call “jumper cables,” (jumper) cables,

and these are wires that go between the battery of one car that is working and

the battery of another car that is dead – not working.

I was able to start my engine – start the motor. It turned over when I had my

wife's car's battery connected. I took the jumper cables off and I drove to the

mechanic. The “mechanic” is the person that fixes your car, or should fix your

car. When I gave him the car, he looked at it and said there was nothing wrong

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 87

with the battery, that the battery was working just fine, and so was the rest of the

engine.

So, I don't know if that was good news or bad news. It was good news because I

did not need to spend more money on my car. It was bad news because I had to

drive all the way over to the mechanic to have him tell me that nothing was

wrong. This happens to me a lot, I have something that doesn't work – that

breaks or breaks down, we would say, meaning in stops working, like a machine,

a computer, a car. Then, when I take it to someone to get it fixed, it starts

working again. So, that is the story of my car this week.

Today we're going to do one of our “Ask an American” series of episodes, where

we listen to other speakers talk about a topic. They talk about it at a normal

speed – at a fast speed – but we stop and explain what they are saying so you

can understand it better.

Today's topic is “home-schooling.” In the United States, there are some parents

who do not want to send their children to a regular school, but want to teach the

children at home. So, the parent is the teacher. This might seem very unusual in

some countries, but it has become very popular in many parts of the United

States.

Normally, a child must go to school between the ages of six and, depending on

the state, 16. But if the parent says that he or she wants to educate the child at

home, that is possible. Some parents do not send their children to school

because of religious reasons; they want the child to grow up with their own

religious beliefs. Some parents don't send their children to school because they

don't like the schools; they don't think they are very good. So, there are different

reasons for people to home school. Notice we use that as a verb, “to home-

school” means to teach your children at home.

There was a story about this topic recently on the Voice of America, and we're

going to listen to a few quotes from students and parents about home-schooling.

The story says that there are about 750,000 children who are taught at home in

the United States. Some people think it's a good idea; some people think it's a

bad idea.

We'll start by listening to a quote from a 13-year-old girl, who is taught at home.

Here's what she says about being home schooled. Remember, she'll be

speaking fast, but we'll explain it and listen to it again in a minute.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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