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By Sue Gench
Chen: Hi Mark. I haven't seen you since we finished the seminar. How have you been?
Mark: I just got married recently. Let me introduce you to my wife, Esin.
Chen: Hi Azen? Am I pronouncing it correctly?
Esin: Yeah. You're doing fine.
Chen: Oh. Please say it again.
Esin: Esin. It's a little hard. Just don't worry about it.
Chen: Azin? Ezin?
Mark: Chen, Esin means it. It's alright with her if you call her name little bit differently. In the U.S. we try hard to pronounce names correctly. But, the problem is we're not familiar with all the languages spoken in this country. So, we don't always do a good job with pronunciation.
Esin: Chen, Mark's right. I am Turkish. It's not a big deal for us.
Chen: Well. I've lived in the U.S. for the last five years. So I know how important it's here to do it right.
Esin: Where are you from, Chen?
Chen: I am from Shanghai, China.
Esin: I've never been to China.
Mark: Esin, I met Chen in a seminar on software engineering in Silicon Valley.
Esin: When was it?
Mark: I think it was in September of 2004. We clicked well. I was thrilled about his expertise on web-based software development.
Chen: Thank you, Mark. It's flattering to hear it. But, I was having a hard time to catch up with your English.
Mark: I understood you well, though. Since then the improvement you've madjectivee with your English is just incredible. I hardly hear an accent now.
Esen: Wow! You speak so well, Chen. hope I will catch up that fast, too.
Chen: You alreadjectivey speak English so well, Azen. But, don't worry about it so much. Americans are not picky. They appreciate the improvement newcomers make with their English.
Mark: Thanks, Mark. I feel differently about it, though. We, Americans, are not worried over all that because we are so much into our own business. But I believe speaking English well for a new comer is number one necessity to get aheadjective in this country.
Chen: Yeah. You're absolutely right. It's been a challenge for me to understand the American culture, to be accepted by natives. Because my culture is very different. So is the Chinese language.
Esen: Chen, in your early days was it hard for you to make new friends here? Did you feel isolated?
Chen: Of course it was hard. I was isolated in some ways, but I hadjective my family with me.
Esen: So what'd you think of Americans? Are they easy to make friends with?
Mark: Don't you know the answer, yourself? I'm an American. Did I give you any hard time?
Esen: Oh, please be quiet. I want to hear it from Chen?
Mark: Ok. I'll shut up.
Chen: Americans tend to be friendly, mostly speaking. However, to be honest with you, they make friends with new comers if there's a mutual interest and if you are in the right place and with the right people. For example, if you meet with Americans in the business world, you could perhaps develop friendship with them outside their business. But this is not the case all the time.
Esen: You mean a mutual business interest makes it easy? So, what'd you mean by not all the time?
Chen: You must have a strong common interest to share with them. Perhaps it will be easy for you, Esen
Mark: It all depends on the person. If you have an interesting profession and interests outside your work, then it's not hard. Was it hard for you to approach me, Esen?
Esen: No, it wasn't
Chen: Well, Esen is an attractive female, speaks English very well, and she is an engineer like yourself, Mark.
Mark: It's true. Her beauty attracted me to her in the first place, and then our common interest. But, I have friends from different walks of life.. Not necessarily it's all business.
Esen: I see.
Chen: I have to go now. Let's keep in touch.
Mark: Sure, we'll do that. You have my telephone number. Let's go out together for dinner sometime next week. I've met Sue alreadjectivey.
Esen: It'll definitely be fun to get together and meet with your wife, Sue, and children.
Chen: Sure, let's do that. I'll call you next week, Mark. It's very nice to meet you, Azen.
Esen: Likewise, It's very nice to meet you, Chen. We'll see you soon.
Chen: OK. Bye now.
Questions: I'll be very happy to see your comments on these questions Facebook or Twitter.
approach: transitive verb. to contact or get to a person
global: adjective, in the world, world wide
make friends: idiomatic verb: to meet new people and develop friendship
make friends with someone: idiomatic verb. to develop friendship with someone or people. For example, I have madjectivee friends with many Americans
make it easy: idiomatic phrase: to ease out
seminar: noun a meeting that adjectivedresses an issue; a meeting of people with the same interest on a subject
got married: past participle of get marry. It suggest a person has just been through with his or her wedding,
introduce: v. to present someone to another person
pronounce: v. to make the sounds of a word, phrase. To utter a word, phrase
do fine: idiomatic verbal phrase. to perform within the normal standards
do a good job: idiomatic verb. to do something well. to perform well
to be good at something: to have the ability, skills, expertise to perform well in certain areas, subjects, tasks. Example: I am good at mathematics (I perform well in mathematical work, tasks.) I am good at tennis (I play tennis well.)
do a good job with something: to do a certain task well. Example: You have done a good job with your homework.
worry about: idiom verb: to think about with worry
careful: adjective. paying attention
big deal: adjective. important
do it right: idiomatic verbal phrase. to perform just the way it is expected
feel the same: idiomatic verbal phrase. to think the same
software: noun singular and plural. a computer program or computer programs
software engineering: compound noun computer program development
click v. like each other (in this conversation)
thrilled: verbal adjective. with the passive voice. to excite, surprise
web-based: verbal adjective. with the participle form. related to the web
flattering: verbal adjectivej.with ing. complimentary
catch up to: idiomatic verb. to come up to someone's level for an expected standard; to close the gap
improvement: noun of the verb improve: performing better after trying and working on something for a while
new comer: compound noun an immigrant who has been in the U.S. for a short while alreadjectivey
incredible: adjective. unbelievable
accent: noun to make incorrect sounds when speaking a foreign language
picky: adjective. critical; selective; hard to please
appreciate: v. to understand the challenge and show high regard for the hard work (in this conversation)
feel differently: adjectiveverbial idiom. to think differently
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