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.
Sometimes, friendships end with a big fight or a falling out. But other times, you just notice one day that you aren’t really friends with someone anymore. You’re not sure when exactly it happened. You weren’t trying to end the friendship. You just sort of drifted apart.
When you drift apart from someone, you don’t speak very often. Then, you don’t really speak at all. You still like the person, you just are not close friends anymore.
Beren recently had a falling out with Marni and quit her job. When none of the rest of her friends quit their jobs, she accused them of taking Marni’s side. Watch as she comes to pick up her final paycheck.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
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.
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Beren: Hey guys, what’s up?
Jason: Hey!
Ella: Not much. What’s up?
Beren: Trophy, nice. Jeff, always nice to see you.
Jason: Long time no see!
Beren: Yeah. Is Marni here?
Jason: No.
Beren: Good. I’m just getting my last paycheck.
Jason: Beren, where have you been?
Beren: I’ve been around…
Jason: Well, we’ve been, like, calling you and stuff, and trying to hang out, you know?
Beren: I kinda… yeah… I don’t know. It’s not you, it’s me. I have new friends now.
Jason: You do? What do you do now?
Beren: I’m in a moped gang. I do a lot of…
Jeff: Moped gang?
Beren: See, that’s what I’m talking about. You knock it, but it’s cool. You’re over here and I’m over there.
Jason: But I mean, can’t we still be friends since you’re in a moped gang? I mean…
Beren: No! I’m in a gang!
Jason: Wow.
Beren: I only hang out with my gang, pretty much.
Jason: I guess we’ve drifted apart in this short time since you quit.
Beren: Yeah. I mean, you know, a lot happens in two days. I’m going this way, you guys are going this way.
Jason: Well, what…
Beren: I’m changing, you’re not changing.
Jason: Well, shoot, I mean, I guess I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again, so… Like, it’s been… Whoa, yeah, OK…
Beren: Handshake.
Jason: OK… Bye, I guess…
Beren: Bye. Keep polishing that trophy. I’ll see you around, probably not ever, but… It’s been nice.
Jason: Man. Can you believe it’s that easy to just drift apart from somebody?
Jeff: What was that?
Jason: Wow. We didn’t even think about it and just like that, we stopped being close, you know? Stopped being friends just by doing nothing, you know?
Ella: I mean, we had a bond. I saved her life, you know? I paid ransom and everything, like… I kinda felt a connection, you know?
Jason: Ella saved her from kidnapping! You know? That’s pretty…
Ella: Kind of a big deal.
Jason: Serious stuff, you know? We’ve known Beren for a long time, and then to just be, like, oh, we’ve drifted apart, I’m outta here...
Jeff: Well, that shows you how much she appreciates that.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Beren sneaks into the office to get her final check when Marni isn’t there. Jason says he has been trying to call her. He wants to hang out.
But Beren says she has new friends now. She rides tiny motorcycles called mopeds with a new group and that’s all she is interested in doing these days. She says that she and her old friends have drifted apart. She tells them that she is changing but they are staying the same.
Jason tries to hug Beren but she shakes his hand and leaves. He is surprised by how easy it was to drift apart. Ella remembers how she saved Beren’s life a couple of years ago. Jeff says he thinks Beren must not have appreciated her friends very much.
Have you ever drifted apart from someone? How did it happen? How did you feel?
This is Beren’s last English, baby! lesson. Read an interview with her on our blog.
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