Fraternity Sorority I B Person Good Listen Group

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A big part of university life in America is the fraternity and sorority. Since many people do not know what they are, let me explain a little so you understand what I'm talking about in this session.

Fraternity and sorority is a group of people that get together and live in a big building. They are in a special group that is defined by their own rules. Most of the students live in either apartments or dormitories, but an alternative is to live in a fraternity or a sorority. I don't know the short name for sorority, but the short name for a fraternity is a frat. It all depends on the sentence whether you should call it a fraternity or a frat. Also, fraternity and sorority have names and they are already established. The names are always Greek and so they named the area where these buildings are located, Greek Row.

Fraternity is the terminology used for guys, and sorority is what they use for the ladies. So if you are a guy, you will be looking at fraternities, and if you are a lady, you will be joining a sorority.

The price to live in a fraternity or a sorority is similar to the price of dormitories. There are many sizes, but as an example, a fraternity house might have 50 rooms. All rooms either hold 2 or sometimes 3 people. There is a kitchen and food is served at specific times.

If you want to get into a fraternity or sorority, you usually have to apply and interview with existing members. Popular ones are very picky and will not let some types of people in. Others are desperate to fill their rooms so they will accept anyone.

Almost everyone who has been in a fraternity or a sorority never regrets it. There are more people who regret not having lived in a fraternity than having lived in one. So if you plan on attending a university in the states and will be there for more than 2 years, you should definitely consider the frat or sorority life.

Here are some examples of fraternity and sorority names. I do not know these fraternities or sororities. I am using this as an example so you understand the naming scheme.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Kappa Sigma Fraternity
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority

Fraternity and Sorority - General

In this session, we will cover some of the things you need to know how to say if you decide to join a fraternity or a sorority, or if you are just talking with a member.

How do you like being in a fraternity?"
What is it like living in a sorority?"
How often do you hold parties in your frat house?"
Is it hard to get into a fraternity?"
What are the popular sororities?"
Which sorority has a reputation for putting out?"

Other comments you might hear will be...

Those sorority chicks really know how to party."
All the frat boys want to do is get you into bed."
Some fraternities are very studious."
He's a good friend from my fraternity."
The Delta house is having a party this Friday. You wanna come?"
We're going to crash the Sorority party this weekend."

Crash in this sentence means to go uninvited.

Fraternity and Sorority - Joining

If you are trying to find a fraternity or a sorority to join, you would either need to know someone in that group already, or find an advertisement in the local school paper, or go to the fraternity or sorority house and ask how to become a member.

Here are some things you can say initially:

Hi, I was interested in joining a fraternity. What is the process to get in?"
Hi. I was wondering what I needed to do to get into this sorority."
Are you taking in members now?"
Where can I find information on joining this sorority?"

After the initial sentence, they should respond with more information. Here is an example.

We take new members every semester. All you need to do is fill out this application, and then we will contact you for an interview."
Every Monday at 10 am, we have an informational session about our sorority. I highly recommend you attend if you are interested."

If you ask a question about information, they might respond with a question such as,

What would you like to know?"

You can ask the following questions if you have this opportunity.

How much does it cost each month?"
What meals are included with the monthly rent?"
How many people are in this sorority?"
What activities do you have in this fraternity?"
Do you have tours of the building?"
What is the policy during summer break? Can we stay in the frat house during the summer months?"
How long has this fraternity been around?"

Fraternity and Sorority - Interview Questions

When you are trying to get into a fraternity or a sorority, you might have to interview. Lot of the interview questions are geared towards who you are. They are trying to determine if your personality matches what the group represents.

Why should we let you in this fraternity?"
What do you want to gain from your experience in a fraternity?"
What can you bring into this sorority?"
What are your hobbies?"
What do you usually do on a weekend?"
Do you like to go to parties?"
What type of music do you listen to?"
Where did you grow up?"
Do you play any sports?"

Before answering these questions, it is important to find out what type of fraternity or sorority you are applying for. Sometimes a good answer for one group will be a terrible answer to another. Most of the time, fraternities are about having a good time with friends.

Why should we let you in this fraternity?"
I'm a fun person to be with, I have a good personality, and I like to have fun."

What do you want to gain from your experience in a fraternity?"
The most important thing is getting good memories of good times with good friends."
Meeting people and making friends who like the same things I do. I also think it is important that the friendship goes even beyond the college years."

What can you bring into this sorority?"
My parents have a boat, and I can use it to have fun parties on it in the summer time."

What are your hobbies?"
I like to play basketball and football."
I like to go shopping and have drinks with my friends."

What do you usually do on a weekend?"
I either throw a party or go to a party."

Do you like to go to parties?"
Hell yeah!"

What type of music do you listen to?"
Mostly rap, hip-hop, and top 40's."

Finally, if you decide to join a fraternity or a sorority and you pass the interview, you will have to go through initiation. Some places are real easy, but some places can be a little weird. For example, you might have to run down the street in your underwear, or you might have to kiss 10 different people, or you might have to drink a lot. What ever it is, it's usually a surprise. Try to get as much information as you can before you join the group.

Fraternity and Sorority - Interactive Practice

Click on Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear only Person B through the audio file. There will be a silence for you to repeat the sentences of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the conversation is native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each sentence is too fast for you. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.