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Playing Favorites

Playing Favorites English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Nov 17 2009

Themes: Romance, Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: Passive Voice

Intro

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

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

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A good leader treats everyone equally. But it can be hard to be a good leader when one of the people you’re leading is your significant other.

With how hard Devan has been making everyone work lately, it seems like she almost forgot that Jason is her boyfriend. Well, as we find out on this week’s episode of the English, baby! soap opera, she might be treating him a little bit differently after all.

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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.

Devan

Devan

Jason

Jason

Mason

Mason

Devan:  Honey, what’s a six-letter word that’s a country that’s also a Thanksgiving food?

Jason:  Uh, Turkey!

Devan:  Turkey! Oh, you’re so smart.

Jason:  I love crossword puzzles.

Mason:  Hey guys.

Devan:  Hey.

Mason:  How you doin’? You mind moving your feet there a little bit?

Jason:  Yeah, sure.

Devan:  Just doin’ my job, you know.

Jason:  Yeah, yeah.

Mason:  I hear things sometimes while I’m off sweeping the floors. I get all the dirt, you might say, both in the metaphorical sense and the physical sense around this office.

Devan:  Has Marni been here?

Jason:  When you’ve heard all that dirt, have you heard a seven-letter word for a psychological disorder?

Mason:  Um, I think they call it disparity. Right?

Jason:  That might work. Let’s see.

Mason:  And what I mean by disparity if you follow me here, and just hear me out, is that, um, I’ve heard some talk that maybe things aren’t exactly on the up and up, not exactly fair. How people are being treated around the office.

Devan:  What do you mean? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.

Mason:  You know, I mean…Did you enjoy your bonus, Jason?

Jason:  Yeah. I mean, a five hundred dollar bonus, like, who wouldn’t enjoy it? You know?

Mason:  Yeah. Five hundred dollars is not what I got for my bonus and I think…

Jason:  Oh, really?

Mason:  I don’t think that was the norm, let’s say. If you get my drift.

Jason:  I see.

Mason:  Are you saying that…

Mason:  Just, you know, thought…Might be time to take out the trash, you know, clean up our act around here.

Devan:  Mason, Mason, I think…

Mason:  Just doin’ what I’m paid for here.

Devan:  I can explain. I…

Jason:  I think he thinks you’re playing favorites.

Devan:  You were supposed to keep that secret!

Jason:  Sorry. You have to tell me if you’re gonna play favorites, honey.

Devan:  Well, of course you’re my favorite. You’re my bear.

Jason:  Well, I’ll tell you what. I spent that five hundred dollars on season tickets to the Trail Blazers, so…

Devan:  And you’re gonna take me?

Jason:  Of course.

Devan:  But next time don’t tell the others and don’t you dare mention what I’m paying you as your hourly wage.

Jason:  Oh, OK. Good. I won’t mention it to anyone except…

Devan:  If they ask, minimum wage across the board.

Jason:  OK.

Mason:  What the…

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Unlike some days where Devan makes everyone work really late at her company, she and Jason are having fun playing a game when Mason walks in.

Mason says his job as janitor is to keep things clean, and that he’s noticed a bit of a mess in the company with the way Jason gets special treatment. Everyone got a holiday bonus, but Jason’s was much bigger than the rest.

Jason didn’t realize he was getting special treatment, but Devan tells him to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone how much money he’s making. Have you ever had a boss or teacher who likes to play favorites?

 

Comments

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siako

United States

Hello dear,
my name is vivian siako,i saw your profile on this site  today and it really attracted me to contact you so that we can know ourslf better.please you can send me an email to my box() so that i can send you my picture to see me.i am expecting to read your email soonest.
your friend
vivian

10:35 PM Nov 19 2009 |

Meyra

Meyra

Turkey

Hey I can't watch videos too :(  Instead of video there is this sentence : English, baby! English Lesson Video…..

12:12 PM Nov 18 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

poor mason Frown

06:04 AM Nov 18 2009 |

trongdu

trongdu

Germany

A leader good and equally not easy for everybody. 

 

01:50 PM Nov 17 2009 |

goreeza

goreeza

Thailand

They reading a good i like :)

lessons english web englishbaby very good !! XD  5 5 5 5 5+

12:38 PM Nov 17 2009 |

noguti

noguti

Brazil

Hm.. playing favourites is, of course, unfair… but it does exist…

and in the other hand, we got the apple polisher, what about them?

12:11 PM Nov 17 2009 |

Atlas Lion

Atlas Lion

United Arab Emirates

it is like "WAST" in Arabic

 

it is totally prevented in Islam

 

12:00 PM Nov 17 2009 |

Ahn Soo-hyun

South Korea

At first, I can't understand what they are saying, but now I got it.

I think playing favorire is unfair and that boss is not good. I'm a teacher and I slould be careful to deal with students.

 It is bad example of playing favorites!!! 

09:04 AM Nov 17 2009 |

westcoastdentalclinic

Viet Nam

www.westcoastinternational.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ho-Chi-Minh-City-Vietnam/Westcoast-International-Dental-Clinic/101840467944?v=wall

07:32 AM Nov 17 2009 |

constance1986

China

yea,it's so normal.i think this phenomenon exists in every country

04:42 AM Nov 17 2009 |

Mebal Lee

Mebal Lee

China

well, obviously I'm not my boss's favorites Cry

03:17 AM Nov 17 2009 |

fedorame

fedorame

China

I think it is unavoidable for someone to play favorites, and no matter if you get benefit. It is some kind of human nature, to treat your fav better.So just stay cool, and be a better you.

02:29 AM Nov 17 2009 |

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