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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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ola33

ola33

Japan

Have never been a teacher’s pet. Great man’s favor is uncertain. But playing favorites is very common and if you’re not the one, Thanks God, than celebrate! For it would be too much stressful adn probably disappointing after.

03:38 AM Nov 26 2013 |

ahmedghieth9

Egypt

in my work there are many disparity ,salary ,getting pormotion ,vecation , we need more fair

08:39 AM Oct 29 2011 |

KardelenF

KardelenF

Turkey

Great lesson


I am learning

04:56 PM Oct 21 2011 |

 julito

julito

Argentina


 My last job was working in a office, everybody could see that the boss  had a crush on the  new and glamorous secretary. Didn´t mind if she  arrived late or  instead of working  were  texting all the time. I can undestand if Mason is pissed off . Devan, you are not a good  leader, cut it out !!  you are not helping the environment.    

12:10 PM Mar 02 2011 |

ruanjable

ruanjable

China

there are many people in China are play favorites for their significant other. So many things here are not on the up and up.

02:11 PM Nov 03 2010 |

eng_fabio.jesus

Brazil

very good! 

09:23 PM Feb 18 2010 |

fatomata

fatomata

Morocco

hhh funny way to bring up a very common issue. you r right green-eyed!

04:13 PM Dec 30 2009 |

becomeeco

Sudan

exactly

09:20 AM Dec 19 2009 |

becomeeco

Sudan

exactly

09:20 AM Dec 19 2009 |

Green-eyed

Green-eyed

Russian Federation

HEY!!! People, did you notice? D-I-S-P-A-R-I-T-Y is not a seven-letter word as Jason asked =)))))  Tongue out  and he swallowed it 

01:43 PM Dec 08 2009 |

oNursaL

Turkey

exactly

06:26 PM Dec 01 2009 |

abdo405

Nigeria

wonderfull lesson good for learning

06:16 PM Dec 01 2009 |

erick tahuilan

Mexico

good

03:51 AM Dec 01 2009 |

ligen

ligen

China

Cool

11:26 AM Nov 26 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Hummm I have never any teacher or boss like that…If the boss is a woman I guess,maybe she has an interesting in you…Now,if boss is a man,I don't know…It sounds a little "strange" isn't it? :P hehe

01:15 AM Nov 25 2009 |

judith_guo

judith_guo

China

nice materials , i love it so much …Kiss

12:38 AM Nov 24 2009 |

tiagon85

Brazil

There is a boss in every company who play favorites, and it can be dangerous if someone even receiving good payments is not doing a good job.

05:48 PM Nov 22 2009 |

mermaid.

mermaid.

Turkey

 "Playın' favorites to someone "really common in our lives I thnk ıt starts at the school wth some teachers's playın favorites to a special student ,and goes on wth the boss at the workplace;)

ths ıs the way ıt works..unfortunately

12:04 PM Nov 22 2009 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

A thousand times I met people who were in charge and played favourites, but the good news is that they all came to a bad end. Life is an unfair thing on its own, but when you act not as you are supposed to you may gain many enemies, and that won't help you succeed on your leading position anyway. 

Truth is powerful, that is how it all works.

12:34 PM Nov 20 2009 |

sveta1209

sveta1209

Taiwan

It is inappropriate to play favorites to someone in the workplace. For this situation  will cause the other employees to feel depressed so that reduce their work efficiency.

06:19 AM Nov 20 2009 |

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