English, baby!

Music Man

Date: Sep 03 2002

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.

Hi Friends!
I hope you are all enjoying the end of August. We certainly are here! This week Miguel and Zach talk about Zach’s musical talents! It turns out that Zach has a real passion for the guitar and other instruments. Listen in as he and Zach discuss his hobby below!

Dialog

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

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

Miguel

Zach

Miguel: So Zach… Nedra was telling me- you said you play the guitar. Is that right?

Zach: Yeah, I do. I play the guitar. Uh, I also play the banjo and the mandola.

Miguel: Okay.. What’s a mandola?

Zach: Well, you know, it’s kind of like a violin, uh, there’s also a viola. It’s kind of the same thing with a mandolin and a mandola. It means uh, it’s a little bit lower sound- the pitch is a little bit lower.

Miguel: Okay, but you play it with a bow or you pick it?

Zach: Uh, you pick it. So, it’s kind of like a mandolin, but the sound is a little bit lower.

Miguel: Alright, well… Whatever. Um, so how did you get into playing these instruments? How long have you been doing it?

Zach: Probably about ten years or so. I started playing guitar. Uh, recently I got into bluegrass music, and I’ve been playing, uh, banjo for about two or three years.

Miguel: What… Who do you play with? Do you just play by yourself on your front porch, are you in a band, or what?

Zach: Well, I’m not in a band right now, but I usually play along with albums- put a CD on or something. Uh, I’m hoping to start a band soon though.

Miguel: Can you sing too, or do you just play the guitar and these other weird instruments?

Zach: Well, I sing, but the question of can I sing is probably not, not really. Not very well.

Miguel: So you’re not very good. You do sing, but you’re not a good singer.

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Discussion

This is a very difficult conversation to follow because both Zach and Miguel speak in a way that is probably not like what you have studied in your books.
When Miguel says to Zach, “Okay, but you play it with a bow or you pick it?” He is really asking Zach how he plays the mandola. However his question is phrased as a statement. If you listen to Miguel speak these words, you will hear his tone of voice rise at the end of his sentence. This inflection lets Zach know that Miguel is asking him a question.
You may have also been confused when you heard Miguel ask Zach, ” Can you sing too…?” Of course Zach can sing. What Miguel wants to know is if Zach is a good singer. When Zach answers, he lets Miguel know that he is not good enough to be the lead singer in a band.
If you have questions about this type of language usage, come to our message boards at any time! We are always happy to answer your questions! I hope you all have a great week friends!
Tanis