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| A Letter from the Authors | |
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| Hi there! Thanks for choosing our book. We think it shows just how smart you are | |
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| We had a lot of fun writing this book, and we hope that you���ll have a lot of fun reading it. Well, have fun, but also learn a lot about the English language and American culture | |
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| We���ve always loved English���the sound of the words, the fun of the idioms, and the interesting way the words work together. We also know that learning all this stuff can be a challenge to English language learners. And that���s where our book comes in! | |
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| English the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language and Culture in the U.S. is your very own ... well, guide, to... yes, American language and culture. You���ll find tons (a lot!) of vocabulary, all of it used in real-life ways. We���ve included tons of informal language���the stuff you really hear every day. And we take a look at American customs��� birth to death, and everything in-between! | |
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| We hope this book will be a help in your adventure learning English. Good luck! | |
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| How This Book Works | |
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| This book has 21 units packed with language and culture! | |
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| Each unit has a main topic divided into two or three cultural readings. In these readings and the dialogues that follow, you���ll find real English, not the simplified language you find in most ESL books. The units are full of vocabulary and informal language��� tons of idioms, phrasal verbs and slang���bold within the text, then listed at the end of each section with a simple explanation. Listen to the CD for native speaker pronunciation of the dialogues, then pause and repeat to practice! | |
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| Look for grammar reminders, idiomatic expressions, culture tips, and fun facts. Oh, and don���t forget to check your understanding (and memory) with the special review sections. You���ll find them after every three units | |
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| Good luck, and have fun! | |
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| Unit 1 - New Friends | |
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| New country? New friends! | |
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| But how do you meet them? | |
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| Making new friends is an exciting part of moving to a new place, but sometimes it���s hard to know just how formal to be with new people. Americans are usually very casual. They���re also very friendly. This is a good thing, but it can be tricky. Everyone knows that good old basic English phrase, �ǣHello. It���s nice to meet you.ï¿½Ç Oh, yeah, we bet you were ready for that. Well, you may be ready, but then you may be surprised to learn that you won���t hear that phrase very often. �ǣHello. It���s nice to meet youï¿½Ç is okay for first-time introductions, but when friends meet socially, the conversation will probably sound more like this | |
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| ALAN: Hey, Lia! It���s good to see you | |
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| LIA: You, too. I haven���t seen you in a few days. How are you? How���s it going? | |
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| ALAN: Not bad. I���m so busy with the classes I���m taking. How about you? | |
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| LIA: I���m okay. I know you���re busy with classes. My job���s really hectic this time of year, too. What���s new with you? | |
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| ALAN: Nothing much. I���m on my way to the mall. I need some time off! Do you remember Lana? She���s there. Ha! She���s always at the mall! I think a lot of our friends plan to just hang out at the mall tonight | |
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| LIA: Who? Oh yeah. I remember Lana. She���s the one with the scary-looking dog. I don���t want to hang out with that dog! | |
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| ALAN: Ha! You aren���t afraid of that little tiny dog, are you? Well, I���m sure Rover isn���t at the mall | |
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| LIA: Actually, I���m headed to the mall later, anyway. There���s a huge sale going on. I think they���re open extra late | |
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| ALAN: Great! Maybe I���ll see you there | |
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| LIA: Sounds good. We���re both good shoppers! If I get there before you leave, maybe I���ll see you. After all, we aren���t leaving until we see all the sales. And I���m not leaving until I have some cute new shoes! | |