Introduction You can improve your ability to talk with native English speakers if you start a conversation about a common topic. Entertainment is a very popular topic with native English speakers. Not everyone loves outdoor sports like scuba diving, snow boarding, mountain biking, and surfing but everyone has an opinion. It is also a great opportunity for you to share your opinions and stories about your media choices. If you have something in common with someone, you can invite them to join you the next time you go to the movies or a concert, ask them which shows, movies, or books they like. Survey How often do you watch TV? I don t even have a TV. I have a TV, but I rarely turn it on. I watch TV on my computer. I watch a few times a week. I watch a little bit every day. I watch for a few hours every day. Do you watch the news a lot? Boring! The news is just too depressing to watch. I watch just enough to keep informed. I watch the local news every day. I watch the local news and world news. I am a complete news hound. How often do you go to the movies? I never have enough time to see movies. Maybe once or twice a year. I go about once a month. I watch a lot of movies but mostly at home. I see two or three movies a month. I see two or three movies a week. Do you read a lot of books? People still read books? I would love to read more, but I don t. I read for school, but I hate it. I read for pleasure, but not so much. I read the newspaper and a few books. I am a voracious reader. I read everything. Do you go to concerts a lot? Nah. I don t like concerts. I used to go when I was younger. I see a few small shows every year. I go to a few big shows every year. I probably go about once a month. I see shows almost every week. Do you spend a lot of time on computers? I hate computers. I like people. I wish I had a computer, but I don t. I use a computer at work, but not at home. I use a computer at home, but not at work. I spend an hour or two every day. I m on the computer 24/7. How many texts do you send a day? What s a text? Texting is too slow. I prefer e-mail. I don t text very often. I text with a couple of people a little bit. I text with a couple of people a lot. I text with a lot of people all the time. Have you ever seen a musical? Are you kidding? Yeah, but I didn t like it. I saw a couple in high school. I like music, but not musicals. I love musicals, but I don t see them much. Yeah, I m really into musicals. Go online for the slide show, interactive quiz, and free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918
Mariʼs Media Mari talks about the various types of media she prefers. Ron: Hi, I'm Ron from Hawaii. I'm here with Mari from Japan. Today we're going to be talking about entertainment, and how often we do these things. So Mari, how often do you watch TV? Mari: I watch the news in the morning and when I come home at night I sometimes watch TV. Ron: Do you have a favorite TV show? Mari: I don't have a favorite TV show. Ron: OK. How often do you go to the movies? Mari: I really like going to the movies. I think I go maybe once a month or maybe once every two months. Ron: And other than that do you rent movies? Mari: No, I don't rent movies but sometimes I download movies. I like to watch comedies - romantic comedies - and a little bit of drama. Ron: What is your favorite movie that you've watched recently? Mari: My favorite movie... I don't know if it was my favorite movie, but a movie that I watched recently is called "27 Dresses". It is about a girl, or a woman who is a bridesmaid twenty-seven times. Ron: That's a romantic comedy? Mari: It is. Ron: Interesting. What about reading? Do you like to read books? Mari: I do like to read books. Right now, I'm really busy with work so I don't have a lot of time to read but when I'm on vacation or whenever I have free time, I like to read books. Ron: What kind of books? Mari: I like to read nonfiction usually. Biographies of people, and I also like to read about like teaching practices so that I can become a better teacher and a little bit of fiction. Ron: And what about concerts? Do you enjoy going to concerts? Mari: I don't go to music concerts. I don't think I've ever been to one actually but I like to go see musicals and I also like to go to sporting events. Ron: Nice talking with you Mari. Go online for the slide show, interactive quiz, and free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918
Task Sheet 1) Media 2) Types 3) How often? [ ] tv news everyday [ ] internet [ ] movies [ ] live comedy [ ] videos [ ] music [ ] books [ ] social networking [ ] concerts [ ] sporting events Task 1 Read the text or listen to the audio. Check the media Mari talks about. What kind does she like? How often does she choose that type of media? Bonus: Are you similar to Mari or different? Discuss with a partner. Task 2 What are the best spots for the places below? Give a reason for each one and then share your ideas with a partner. ex) The best kind of entertainment is books because you can learn so much. 1) The best kind of entertainment is because 2) The best way to listen to music is because 3) The best place to watch a movie is because 4) The internet is because 5) Cell phones are because 6) Concerts are because 7) I donʼt like because Go 8) online I wish for the I didnʼt slide show, like interactive quiz, and because free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918 Go online for the audio slide show, interactive quiz, bonus video and downloadable audio for this activity.
Bits and Pieces Put the PHRASES in the spaces (Some will be used more than once) ever whenever usually today sometimes recently often really once Mari: No, I don't rent movies but I download movies. I like to watch comedies - romantic comedies - and a little bit of drama. Ron: What is your favorite movie that you've watched recently? Mari: My favorite movie... I don't know if it was my favorite movie, but a movie that I watched is called "27 Dresses". It is about a girl, or a woman who is a bridesmaid twenty-seven times. Ron: That's a romantic comedy? Mari: It is. Ron: Interesting. What about reading? Do you like to read books? Ron: Hi, I'm Ron from Hawaii. I'm here with Mari from Japan. we're going to be talking about entertainment, and how often we do these things. So Mari, how often do you watch TV? Mari: I watch the news in the morning and when I come home at night I sometimes watch TV. Ron: Do you have a favorite TV show? Mari: I don't have a favorite TV show. Ron: OK. How do you go to the movies? Mari: I like going to the movies. I think I go maybe a month or maybe once every two months. Ron: And other than that do you rent movies? Mari: I do like to read books. Right now, I'm really busy with work so I don't have a lot of time to read but when I'm on vacation or I have free time, I like to read books. Ron: What kind of books? Mari: I like to read non-fiction. Biographies of people, and I also like to read about like teaching practices so that I can become a better teacher and a little bit of fiction. Ron: And what about concerts? Do you enjoy going to concerts? Mari: I don't go to music concerts. I don't think I've been to one actually but I like to go see musicals and I also like to go to sporting events. Ron: Nice talking with you Mari. Go online for the slide show, interactive quiz, and free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918
ANSWER PAGE 1) Media 2) Types 3) How often? [ x ] tv news every day [ ] internet [ x ] movies romantic comedy/drama once a month/ once in 2 mo. [ ] live comedy [ x ] videos downloads doesnʼt say [ ] music [ x ] books teaching/biography during vacation or free time [ ] social networking [ ] concerts Task 1 Read the text or listen to the audio. Check the media Mari talks about. What kind does she like? How often does she choose that type of media? [ x ] sporting events doesnʼt say doesnʼt say Bonus: Are you similar to Mari or different? Discuss with a partner. Go online for the slide show, interactive quiz, and free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918 Go online for the audio slide show, interactive quiz, bonus video and downloadable audio for this activity.
ANSWER PAGE: Bits and Pieces Put the PHRASES in the spaces (Some will be used more than once) ever whenever usually today sometimes recently often really once Mari: No, I don't rent movies but sometimes I download movies. I like to watch comedies - romantic comedies - and a little bit of drama. Ron: What is your favorite movie that you've watched recently? Mari: My favorite movie... I don't know if it was my favorite movie, but a movie that I watched recently is called "27 Dresses". It is about a girl, or a woman who is a bridesmaid twenty-seven times. Ron: That's a romantic comedy? Mari: It is. Ron: Interesting. What about reading? Do you like to read books? Ron: Hi, I'm Ron from Hawaii. I'm here with Mari from Japan. Today we're going to be talking about entertainment, and how often we do these things. So Mari, how often do you watch TV? Mari: I watch the news in the morning and when I come home at night I sometimes watch TV. Ron: Do you have a favorite TV show? Mari: I don't have a favorite TV show. Ron: OK. How often do you go to the movies? Mari: I really like going to the movies. I think I go maybe once a month or maybe once every two months. Ron: And other than that do you rent movies? Mari: I do like to read books. Right now, I'm really busy with work so I don't have a lot of time to read but when I'm on vacation or whenever I have free time, I like to read books. Ron: What kind of books? Mari: I like to read non-fiction usually. Biographies of people, and I also like to read about like teaching practices so that I can become a better teacher and a little bit of fiction. Ron: And what about concerts? Do you enjoy going to concerts? Mari: I don't go to music concerts. I don't think I've ever been to one actually but I like to go see musicals and I also like to go to sporting events. Ron: Nice talking with you Mari. Go online for the slide show, interactive quiz, and free downloadable MP3 of this interview: www. : Interview #918