ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 593 - Going Shopping

<--- Click on the picture to go.


Carin: We’re going to be late for school. Hurry up! 

Hwan: I’m not going to school today. I’m sick. 

Carin: You’re not sick. You’re playing hooky. You’re not going to put one over on Mom. She’ll know you’re faking. Get up! Let’s go! 

Hwan: No, she won’t, and why are you giving me such a hard time? It’s not like you’ve never played hooky before. 

ESL Podcast 592 – Dealing with Website Hackers

<--- Click on the picture to go.






Valerie: You’ll never guess what happened over the weekend.

Bill: What?

Valerie: Our website was attacked by hackers, and nobody could access it.

Bill: You’re kidding! What did they do? 

ESL Podcast 591 – Handling a Traffic Stop

<--- Click on the picture to go.






I was having a great day until I saw the police car behind me with its loud siren and lights flashing. I pulled off the road and waited for the officer to approach my car.

Officer: May I see your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and car registration, please? 

ESL Podcast 590 – Paying Airline Fees

<--- Click on the picture to go.






Justine: So that’s the plan. We drive to San Francisco, then to Portland, then to Seattle, and then to Vancouver.

Howie: What? Why are we driving to Vancouver instead of flying?

Justine: Haven’t you noticed all of the fees the airlines are tacking on these days? First, there were the fuel surcharges and now, there is a whole slew of added fees. 

ESL Podcast 589 – Having Skin Problems

<--- Click on the picture to go.

Mother: Doctor, this is my son Danny. I brought him in so you could look at his rash. 

Doctor: Okay, Danny. Have a seat on the exam table. How long have you had the rash? 

Mother: My son has had that rash for about two weeks. It started out as a blister, and then it got really itchy and turned red. Could it be an infection? 

ESL Podcast 588 – Hiring Business Consultants

<--- Click on the picture to go.

Erica: So your suggestion is to hire outside consultants to handle the extra work associated with the expansion.

Stefan: I think there are a lot of benefits: we get someone with the right expertise quickly, we can use him or her as needed, and we can save on employment taxes and benefits.What’s not to like?

Erica: I’m just not sure that’s the right move right now. 

ESL Podcast 587 – Feeling Disillusioned

<--- Click on the picture to go.






Daniela: I did it. I finally met Mandy Timpkin.

Tony: Mandy Timpkin, your idol?

Daniela: Yeah, I stood in line for two days at her book signing and finally met her. It was a big disappointment.

Tony: Really? I thought she could do no wrong, as far as you’re concerned. 

ESL Podcast 586 – Getting a Girlfriend/Boyfriend Back

<--- Click on the picture to go.






Grace: What are you doing?

Yuji: I’m working on a plan to get April back.

Grace: I think that’s a lost cause. You guys broke up three months ago. There’s no way she’ll take you back.

Yuji: Watch me prove you wrong. When I tell April about all of the ways I’m going to change and to make her happy, she’ll let bygones be bygones. 

ESL Podcast 585 – Being Clear or Confusing

<--- Click on the picture to go.






Laurent: So I’m confused. Who’s David again?

Bethany: David is my roommate’s friend’s brother. Haven’t you been listening?

Laurent: I have, but how am I supposed to keep all of these people straight? Your stories are always so convoluted, with too many twists and turns. Why don’t you try telling astraightforward story for once? 

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 18 - Getting Around (Fast)

Getting around in the United States is sometimes not very easy. Most people own their own cars, but not everyone can foot the bill for the car, plus the insurance, gas, and maintenance. Most big cities have buses, but they are much slower than a car. Several cities in the U.S. have subway systems, but many do not. There are even fewer trains that transport daily commuters. In cities such as Los Angeles, public transportation is much more limited than in other countries.
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 17 - Going to the Movies (Fast)

I love watching movies. I like a lot of different genres. No matter what my mood is, I can always find something that fits the bill. When I'm feeling down, I sometimes like a good comedy. My favorite are romantic comedies. The plot is pretty simple. A boy meets a girl and there are road blocks to them getting together. The lead actors are usually likable people, the supporting cast give comic relief andvillains are people we love to hate. In the end, though, there is usually a happy ending. Romantic comedies, or comedies in general, can be predictable but they're also pretty entertaining. I don't go out of my way to see slapstick or physical comedies that much. But, once in a while, I catch a good one on TV.
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 16 - Summertime Vacations (Fast)

I think the best summer vacation I've ever taken was when I went out East a few years ago. Two of my friends and I went on a two-week road trip. At the time, I was living in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the Midwest of the United States. Anyway, we started off camping every night, but that got real old, real fast. So we started checking in to hotels after about the third day. We were headed for Washington, DC first. Checking in to the hotel was always a bit of a hassle. I wanted to sleep in a double bed, my friends wanted to get a king to share.Lodging is more expensive at a hotel than in a campground, but it is much, much more comfortable!
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 15 - Going to a Concert II (Fast)

My friend Ben and I have been waiting a month to see our favorite band in concert. This was the night. We were so excited. In a smallvenue like the Whiskey, there wouldn't be a bad seat in the house.

So, we get to the Whiskey really early to find street parking and snagged a spot about four blocks away. Then, we got in line which was already about 20 deep. There were two bouncers outside of the bar and they weren't letting anybody in yet. We waited and waited in line. Finally, the line started to move. When we got to the head of it, one of the bouncers checked our tickets and one of the other employees of the club put a wrist band on each of us. I guess this was to let the employees in the bar know that we belonged there and we weren't crashing the party.
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 14 - Going to a Concert I (Fast)

I heard on the radio this morning that my favorite band was going to be in concert here next month. I was so excited. The first thing I did was to call my friend Ben who is also a big fan of the band. Not only was the band playing in town, they were going to play at a bar called the Whiskey. The Whiskey is known as a small, intimate venue so we‚Äôd be able to get close to the band. It's not a bigamphitheater where you can't even see the band from the nose-bleed section. This would be the ultimate concert experience if only we can get tickets.
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 13 - Dining at a Restaurant II (Fast)

I love coming to this Italian restaurant. The appetizers and desserts are to die for. When the waiter came to our table to take our order, my friend ordered a lobster ravioli dish, and I ordered my favorite, lasagna. The waiter then asked us, "Would you like a soup or salad with that?" My friend said yes; I passed on both.
To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 12 - Dining at a Restaurant I (Fast)

Well, I love going out to restaurants to eat. One of the best experiences I've had recently was at a place here in Los Angeles called Il Fornaio. It's an Italian restaurant in a very nice part of Beverly Hills. I don't go there very often--I can't really afford it, but every once in a while I'll treat myself.


To go to this week article click on the picture above.

ESL - English as Second Language - Podcast 1 - Introduction

ESLPodcast is designed especially for people who are intermediate or advanced speakers of English, but want to improve their listening and speaking skills. These podcasts are always free. There will be many different topics for our podcasts. We try to talk about topics that you will find interesting. All of our podcasts use “real English”—the normal, everyday English you will find among native speakers in the United States. ESLPodcast is not a textbook or a course. It is a way to listen to real native speakers talking as they do everyday in English. ESL Podcast tries to provide you with English you can understand. We speak at a slightly slower rate, but always use normal, native speaker English to help you improve. Every Sunday we'll be posting a new article. To go to this week article click on the picture above.