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House Guests

Date: Jul 11 2008

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.

It’s nice to have friends come over, but what about when those friends never leave? Or what about that relative that has no place to stay and ends up sleeping on your couch for a day or 90? That can be pretty annoying.

But sometimes you invite people to stay with you for a long time. Students often stay with generous families eager to show off their culture. Listen to Amanda and Mason talk about the different kinds of house guests.

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.

Amanda

Mason

Amanda: I’m a pretty good hostess with the mostess, but that’s with regard to someone coming over for dinner, drinks…short term.

Mason: Short term.

Amanda: When someone becomes a house guest and they’re…

Mason: There’s different rules at that point, right?

Amanda: Yeah! A week, a month, more…

Mason: It kind of switches, you know, when you’re the hostess, you have to do all these wonderful things for your guests. When someone’s staying for more than three days, they’re basically your butler.

Amanda: I don’t know about that. But you’re right, the roles are a little reversed because you’re putting them up, and so in exchange they need to help out a little bit, around the house…

Mason: Absolutely. No question.

Amanda: ...with cooking and cleaning…

Mason: ...buying groceries every once and a while.

Amanda: They’re not staying at a bed and breakfast and I think a lot of people aren’t aware of those guidelines.

Mason: You know, it’s funny. Have you ever had a foreign exchange student?

Amanda: I haven’t.

Mason: Because we had one when I was younger and they get the rules, right. It was a Japanese exchange student, who are notoriously polite and wonderful house guests, so we had to practically restrain her from doing stuff and letting her enjoy her time.

Amanda: So did you find that you always had to include her because she’s staying with you? That you couldn’t really do anything on your own or watch a show by yourself?

Mason: I suppose since that was a cultural exchange there was a novelty to like…It was cool for me to show her everything that was normal to me but not to her.

Amanda: OK, the whole American experience.

Mason: Yeah, but if it was just a buddy crashing on my couch? Yeah, that would be a burden.

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Discussion

As long as the visit lasts an evening, or even a few days, Amanda likes to host. It’s when someone camps out at her place that she gets upset.

Mason points out that after a few days, the customs change. When you host guests for a little while, you do things to make their visit enjoyable. But when guests stay for a long time, it’s their duty to help out and make their stay as little of an inconvenience for you as possible.

One time Mason’s family hosted a Japanese student. She was so polite that they had to force her to quit helping out around the house and to go out and see the USA. Amanda asks if it was annoying having a student around all the time, but Mason says it was fun to show her things about American culture.

What is the proper way for a long-term house guest to act?

Comments

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Taheralhossamy

Yemen

That is good

ahmedghieth9

Egypt

COOL

andrespretty2

Colombia

For me is pleasant to receive a visit, but during short term, because i like privacy, and to be in silence.

meilin810

Taiwan

I think we should follow host's life style. My friend usually stays for 1~3 days, Usually I'll still do my work, if i have enough time then i'll take him or her to visit some place. So the house guests aren't problems!

green_jim

United Kingdom

cool

ivetmuari

Albania

haloooooo dia very nice my msn

sisilena

China

i'm kinda person like privacy so i dont like visits stay my apartment for long time. i can be a good hostess if only a dinner or something short term but cant put up with long time stay, even though that person is my relatives or close friends. maybe it's cause by i am a person always stay along and like to do things in the way i feel comfortable. when someone around me so long i just feel being barged in. only one person i like him to get into my world. and i wont take him as individual one i take him as myself

VOLTS

Brazil

very good

tutmo

Poland

I very like hosting guests, but i completely agreewith that guests can sometimes be tiring. when one my friends overstayed in my flat i cant do anything, he was everywhere and all the time with me.. terrible!

sterne

Italy

i had 2 cultural-exchange and they were really great!

iris20512

Taiwan

now I know that Amanda is a Japanese~

elainenb

China

Short term visit is OK for me,I can look after the friends good in the short time.

dodo77

Saudi Arabia

as for me , if the guest would stay for a while or (few days) .surely, i well do my best to make him /her enjoyable. but if she/he would stay for along time , i will respect him/her and dealing him as my brother relationship

generally, my proverb which i always praticed is :

(Do as you would be done)