English, baby!

Getting a Haircut

Date: Aug 08 2003

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.

Getting a good haircut is one of life’s little luxuries. It always feels good to have a fresh new look. However, if you’re living in a foreign country, getting a haircut can be a harrowing experience. It can be scary to try to explain to someone how you like your hair cut.
Read on to learn some of the things you’ll need to know if you want to get your hair cut in an English-speaking country.

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.

If you are going to a new hairstylist, s/he will ask you questions about your hair. For example, s/he may ask things like:
So, what would you like to have done to your hair today?
How would you like your hair done today?
How do you normally like to wear your hair?
How do you usually style your hair?
What do you like about your hair and what do you dislike about it?
What’s your hair ritual? What do you do every morning when you wake up?
Do you use product in your hair?
Do you put gel or mousse in it?
You should think about the answers to these questions before you go to the hairstylist so you’re able to explain what you want done to your hair.
It’s also helpful to describe what you have done to your hair for the past couple of years when you see a new stylist. S/he will need to know if you have dyed it, bleached it, permed it, and how damaged it might have been from chlorine, wind or the sun. This helps the stylist better understand what products should be used on your hair.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

I enjoy getting my hair cut. I usually go to the barber every three weeks. I always go to the same barber, so she knows exactly how I like my hair cut. However, when I lived in Japan, it wasn’t so easy. My Japanese wasn’t perfect, so it was a struggle to explain exactly what I wanted.
Hopefully you can find a barber or hairstylist you like, so s/he can always give you a cut that looks good.
Take it easy,
John

Comments

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

the first time i did my hair i was 6 years old…they told me that they’ll cut my hair just 2 centi meters but they cut it much more than that….after that i was just crying…it was terrible…and the last time that i did my hair was this summer…now i am disappointed and I’ll never do that again!

they were long and straight and also black…not only my self but also all of my friends loved my hair and they were shocked when i cut them!

ola33

Japan

A very useful lesson as for the voc to explain what you really want to have done to your hair. Sometimes you don’t know yourself, let alone explaining it to a stylist in a foreign language. Actually, to my view, I think, a good stylist should tell you what is good for you and how it’s better to have your hair done. Sometimes what they’re good at is to sell you extra super expensive products that you actually don’t need. But you buy them as a gullible customer and think they will do wonders:) as life’s little luxuries do.