A Dinner Date: What would you say?

Listen and write what you would do in this situation.

An English Test: What would you do?

Listen carefully and write your feelings on the topic.

One Million Dollar Game Show

Listen carefully and write what you would do in this situation. I'm sure you have a number of unique ideas to share.

Bargaining at Stores: Okay or Not?

When traveling to a new country, you have to learn how to shop and buy the things you want and need. However, bargaining or trying to get the shop owner to lower the price is not a universal custom around the world. In some countries, you can try to convince the shop owner to give you a better deal on some jewelery or other items, and some of these exchanges can become heated. In the US, bargaining over the price of an item is rare, except at garage sales or some flea markets. In most cases, the price listed is the price you pay. So, what about in your country? What should visitors know about shopping? Can you haggle (bargain) over the price? If so, under what conditions and situations? Share your ideas.

Randall

Dating: A Difficult Situation . . .

Listen and comment on what you would do if you found yourself in this situation.

Popular Study Destination

In my latest poll, I asked you, my visitors, to select where they are most interested in studying English abroad. As you can see from the results, most visitors chose the United States as their first preference, followed by England, and Canada. Why do you think the United States is a popular destination for students? Why are students attracted to other countries as well? What do students consider when studying overseas (e.g., cost, safety, visa requirements, etc.)? Share your ideas on this interesting topic.

Tipping: How common is it?

One of the most confusing customs is knowing when to tip for a particular service in the United States. For example, customers normally tip between 15-18% when dining at a restaurant, and how much you tip will depend on your feelings about the service. However, for large groups, the restaurant will automatically add the tip to your bill, so you don't really have a choice on how much you tip. Another place where tipping is not so uncommon is at beauty salon or barber shop. There is often a jar on the counter where you can drop in a tip for the stylist. What makes tipping sometimes confusing is that this is not a universal custom around the world. So, please share something about your culture when dealing with tipping? Is it a common practice at all? If so, when do people tip and how much do they leave? If people don't tip, do people do anything instead?

Randall