| Front |
University Life - Meeting New Students
Listen to the Entire Lesson
As you can see, these portions of our lessons are
dedicated to school. There are many things to learn here, so we are going to
spend numerous lessons on school. But don't worry; only a couple will be geared
towards classes. The rest will be about night life, partying, and having a good
time. Before we start learning about topics such as classes and examinations,
let's learn some general university phrases.
The first type of speaking you will have to do is when you meet new people.
During this time, you can engage in idle small talk. Since you have learned
small talk, feel free to use your new skills. On top of that, let's learn some
new phrases that will help you.
Where
are you from?"
What
high school did you attend?"
What
are you going to major in?"
What
are you majoring in?"
How
many credits are you taking this semester?"
What
classes are you taking?"
What
year are you?"
What
is an easy class to take?"
Where
is the best place to hang out?"
Are
you in the dormitory?"
Where
do you live?"
Why
did you decide to come to this school?"
What
made you choose Berkeley?"
Many of the answer to these questions are general things you should already
know. But it never hurts to review again, so let's go over how we can answer
some of these questions.
Where
are you from?"
I'm
from Seattle, Washington."
I'm
an exchange student from Seoul, Korea."
I'm
from Dublin, Ohio."
I'm
from Southern California."
University Life - Questions and Answers
What
high school did you attend?"
Before we answer this question, keep in mind that a foreigner will not be asked
this question. Usually they will not ask a foreigner because they think that
they will not know the high school you mention. But it is still good to know
how to say such things.
I
went to Lynnwood High."
Lynnwood
High"
I
went to a high school in San Francisco."
A
high school in Olympia."
What
are you going to major in?"
I
haven't decided, but I'm leaning towards biology."
I'm
thinking about majoring in psychology."
Universities in the States are a little different than others. You don't choose
your major until you are in your 3rd year. Basically, you apply to get into a
major your junior year and if accepted, you have a major. If you get turned
down, you have to find a different major, or spend another semester or year
trying to get in. That's why you see so many people not graduate after 4 years.
The problem is that they do not know what to major in.
How
many credits are you taking?"
I'm
taking eighteen credits this quarter."
I'm
only taking 10 credits this semester."
I'm
taking 20 credits this semester."
What
classes are you taking?"
I'm
taking chemistry 135, math 231, and English 101."
This
quarter I'm taking Intro to Sociology, Basics of Music Composition, and Spanish
101."
What
year are you?"
I'm
a junior."
I'm
a freshman."
I'm
a fourth year junior."
I'm
a fifth year senior."
If you wonder how you can be a fourth year junior or a fifth year senior, you
must understand that the number of credits you have completed represents what
level you are. So a fourth year junior is someone who has been in school for
four years, but has the same credits as a junior.
University Life - More Q and As
What
is an easy class to take?"
Fishing
101 is an easy 4.0"
I
thought psychology 101 was an easy class."
Communication
is pretty easy if you're not afraid to make speeches."
Where
is the best place to hang out?"
The
best place to hang out is on the Ave."
Currently,
the bar on 4th and James is the best hangout. Everyone goes there on the
weekends."
Are
you in the dormitory?"
Yeah.
I'm over at Terry Hall."
Yes.
At Buchanan Towers."
No.
I'm commuting from home."
I
have an apartment right next to school."
Where
do you live?"
You
know the McDonalds on the south side? Just 2 blocks from there."
I
live next to the west entrance. There are some apartments behind the
dormitories."
I
live in the dormitory."
I
live in Seattle."
Why
did you decide to come to this school?"
It
was the most convenient."
It
was either this school or the University next to my home. I wanted to get away
from home, so I came here."
I
researched a bit, and found that this school offers exactly what I am looking
for."
This
is the best school that I could afford."
Do
you know where the music building is?"
The
music building is 2 buildings away from the library."
Over
by the fountain. It's the building with the round looking doors."
I'm
not sure. There are maps in the Student Union Building though."
I
think it's over in that direction, but not exactly sure."
Where
is the student union building?"
Ah,
that's what I'm looking for too."
I
was told it was right next to the east parking lot."
It's
the brick building behind the large oak tree."
Remember that when you are talking to somebody, an answer to a question is
another potential topic to talk about. I'll show you an example of a
conversation. Please take note that I ask questions about the answer. Look for
it in the practice session.
University Life - 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.
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Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
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A: "Hi.
My name is Mark."
B: "Mark? I'm Bill. Glad to meet you."
A: "Yeah. So where are you from?"
B: "I'm from Houston Texas."
A: "Oh... I'm from Southern California."
B: "There must be a lot of cute girls over there huh?"
A: "Hell yeah. But most of them are hoochies."
B: "That sucks. So, what year are you?"
A: "I'm a freshman."
B: "This is my first year too."
A: "So what made you decide to come to California for school? I hear
Austin is a good school."
B: "It's aright, but I think Berkeley is better."
A: "So is this where you wanted to come?"
B: "To tell you the truth, I wanted to go to Stanford. I made it on the
waiting list, but ninety nine percent of the people accepted to Stanford go
there. Like, who wouldn't right?"
A: "Very true. But this is still a good school."
B: "I'm not complaining. I just know that I wanted to come to
California. Texas is cool and all, but I wanted to experience different
things."
A: "That's good. Do you know what you plan on majoring in?"
B: "I was thinking about political science, but now I'm leaning towards
English literature. How about you?"
A: "I plan on majoring in double E."
B: "Do you know where the Smith building is? I have to pick up the
syllabus for my psychology class. I missed the first day."
A: "That's a great start. It's over there by the library."
B: "It was nice meeting you."
A: "Yeah. We should hang out later."
B: "Cool. I'll see you tomorrow in class then."
A: "Aright. Later."
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2
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Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
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A:
"Hi. What's your name?"
B: "My name is Jung Min. What's your name?"
A: "My name is Jessica. It's nice to meet you."
B: "Yes. It's nice to meet you too. Are you a new student too?"
A: "No. I'm a sophomore. I take it you are a new student?"
B: "Yeah. It's pretty exciting to be here."
A: "Have fun while it lasts. The excitement wears off real quick.
Especially after you see how much homework you get. Where are you from?"
B: "I'm from Korea. My parents wanted me to go to an American
university, so I came here."
A: "I have never been to Korea. I've been to Japan before, but never
Korea."
B: "Why were you in Japan?"
A: "My father thought it would be a good experience to take a vacation
to a different country. He's so into learning about different cultures."
B: "That's pretty cool."
A: "I thought it would have been more fun if I went without my
parents."
B: "Well, if you ever want to visit Korea, I would be happy to show you
around."
A: "Thanks for the offer. I'll keep that in mind. Oh, the professor is
coming. We'll talk more after class."
B: "Ok." | |