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Manners

Manners

Date: Sep 18 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

American mothers always say, “Mind your manners” when their kids snap at someone. A good parent raises kids who are polite. Kids who chew with their mouths closed and don’t make a mess when they’re eating. Kids who say “please” and “thank you” when it’s appropriate and don’t speak too loudly.

Amanda’s parents made sure she grew up to be polite. Mason’s parents tried really hard but…well, read for yourself…

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Amanda

Amanda

Mason:  Amanda, when we were out the other night, I was kind of noticing, this is a weird thing, but, you have great manners!

Amanda:  Thanks. I was raised that way.

Mason:  Where did you learn? Did your parents just teach you?

Amanda:  My parents. They beat it into me to always be polite…

Mason:  Are you serious?

Amanda:  ...that rudeness was the sin of all sins.

Mason:  Obviously my parents didn’t do their job because…I’m not kidding…when I was in like 5th grade, they sent me to a manners class.

Amanda:  Oh, etiquette, right?

Mason:  Yeah, it was like etiquette. It was the old sort of finishing school brought into the 20th century.

Amanda:  I actually thought those were only for girls.

Mason:  So did I! It was called Spit, Polish and Shine.

Amanda:  Okay. What was the one take away for you?

Mason:  I’m proud to say…I failed!

Amanda:  You’re proud to say you failed?

Mason:  I did.

Amanda:  Oh.

Mason:  But they tried to teach us…the butter spoon...and this knife and that five forks and there was…

Amanda:  I suppose there’s different families of manners, but that’s kind of being…what, proper? Versus being not rude and considerate.

Mason:  Then there’s holding the door open and saying “bless you” when someone sneezes.

Amanda:  Absolutely. Not making your wife sleep in the wet spot.

 

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Discussion

When Amanda and Mason were out together recently, Mason noticed that Amanda has really good manners. She says that her parents beat it into her, which means they were really serious about teaching her manners.

Mason’s folks, however, had to send him to an etiquette school, which he failed! But what they were trying to teach him there was a lot of fancy customs, like which size fork to use for which course of a meal. Amanda says that that stuff isn’t as important as just generally being considerate. You know, not making your wife sleep in the wet spot.

Wait, what?! What is she talking about?

We have no idea.

Do you have good manners? What’s considered to be good manners in your country?

As Mason mentioned, it’s polite to say “bless you” when someone sneezes. What do people say in your country?

 

Comments

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nonaaa-000

nonaaa-000

Saudi Arabia

thanxx i like this lesson

03:29 AM Sep 19 2007 |

engdude

India

sometime educated people too forget how to behave in proper manner it makes so sad…

07:07 PM Sep 18 2007 |

babyxiao

babyxiao

China

1, to kuailederen126: there are .. ... postcard of english ubiquitous in the internet, just look for them by google or … .

2, good manner is a good medicine for a society, if many people do not have it somewhere, should have problem, for instance frequent dispute or even violence.

3, for us every individual, i fairly think it is even more important to still have good manner at home, since most people tend to behave worth at home, not on purpose, but more or less due to be relaxed facing family.

love our family, and do not hurt them even not on purpose. official manners are not necessary at home, a mere attention be paid would be enough.

:-)

 

 

04:56 PM Sep 18 2007 |

kuailederen126

French Southern Territories

Every good friend, I want to look for postcard of English, can anyone help me?

03:46 PM Sep 18 2007 |

minhchauna

Angola

have mistake in listening this lesson.I can’t hear!

02:56 PM Sep 18 2007 |

naazia

naazia

Pakistan

good lesson…..really manners makes man good or bad…..in our religion the etiquette after sneezing  we say"yarhamuk-Allah" means (may Allah have mercy on you).

02:15 PM Sep 18 2007 |

tear_drop

tear_drop

Poland

In my opinion good manner are very important in our life. I'm grateful to my parents for the way their raised me, how they educated me.

In different country manner are different, for example; when man open and hold door for me it's mean that he has good manner, in my country man is always the one to carry bags from the shops, to help with someone difficult/ hard, but not everywhere is the same.

What about burping aloud is that good manner ? In my country it isn't but for instance in United Kingdom on Germany is something normal. What do you think about it ?

Probably every country has it's own etiquette.  

02:12 PM Sep 18 2007 |

armess

armess

Turkey

manners are really important in our social and private life.ıt is the way you live.no one likes rude manners and rude people.ı think it is a necessity of being human,because we can t  live like animals,am ı wrong?

ın my conutry when someone sneeze we say a phrase means "live long".it's turkish saying is "çok yaşa"

ı read the text an diialogue but ı did not see this sentence:

"not making your wife sleep in the wet spot"

ıf you know,please let me know.

 

 

09:35 AM Sep 18 2007 |

QuangGiap

QuangGiap

Viet Nam

I'm living Viet Nam. I think manners is important. It is cultural and feature of each national. Our manners is friendly, smile, hospitable, etc. When we meet each other, we often ask about health, family, job and world. We rarely speak about weather, money, etc. When you visit my family, you are offered to eat wiht my family. I hope you visit my country and visit my family.

09:34 AM Sep 18 2007 |

Little Fool

Hong Kong

I think that we must have a good manners. If someone sneezes, we say excuse me in my country.

08:31 AM Sep 18 2007 |

all4all

Tunisia

in our country we say bless you to the one who sneezes.but good manners are not to be taught at schools they are to be acquired at home mainly!!

07:58 AM Sep 18 2007 |

ejazawan

ejazawan

Pakistan

i think manners are play a very important role in our life.

07:12 AM Sep 18 2007 |

explorer143

Pakistan

A man's fortune is frequently decided by his first address. If pleasing, others at once conclude he has merit; but if ungraceful, they decide against him.

07:07 AM Sep 18 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

i can say our soul needs food, and that food is manner, if you have a good behavior all people love you and respect every parts of your life

07:02 AM Sep 18 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

In somaliland we say when some one sneeze Allah bless you, and it is one of goodmanners which is  required to grew up with kids 

06:59 AM Sep 18 2007 |

explorer143

Pakistan

“Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners”

06:17 AM Sep 18 2007 |

olyalya

Kazakhstan

I think that manners it is very important.because in the begining all people look at you, on your behaviour, and then they draw a conclusion. I think that we should make a impression :)

05:33 AM Sep 18 2007 |

boxu

boxu

Indonesia

sometimes the manner is important, but in the other side, it makes me sick, so it depends on situation…... yeah i think

04:34 AM Sep 18 2007 |

kelubatra

kelubatra

United Arab Emirates

I  really liked this lessons  :),

etiquette  is very important ,but people don't do it all the time ..

any way we say yarhamuk allah (which have the same meaning as God bless you )in my language .

Thanks Amanda & Mason for the nice lesson!!!

 

04:11 AM Sep 18 2007 |

yanyan5656

yanyan5656

China

good manners is really important.but i didn't mean u r not good girl or good boy.cause i think wether u r nice person is most  depends on ur quality

04:04 AM Sep 18 2007 |

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