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Quiz

1) What languages does she not speak?

a) Spanish
b) Japanese
c) Thai

2) What language does he not speak?

a) Spanish
b) Japanese
c) Thai

Beg 21 Talking Language

Sarah and Todd talk about what languages they speak and 3) Where does she want to live?
how good they are at speaking them.
a) Thailand
b) Ecuador
Complete the paragraphs with the words in boxes c) Another country

4) Who has been to Puerto Rico?

Sarah: So tell me, what languages do you
speak?
a) He has
Todd: Well, I speak two languages. I speak b) She has
Thai and I speak Japanese. But my c) Both of them
Japanese is not so good and my Thai is just
okay. Now, I live in Japan so I study
Japanese and I use Japanese everyday. Sarah Todd
Grammar Patterns for 'Can' - Showing Ability
I can speak Japanese at the Set 1
supermarket. I can use Japanese at a have • cannot • I
hotel or with a taxi driver, but I cannot long • but • a
have a long conversation. Questions - Can

Yeah. And you, what languages do you speak? 1. What languages can you speak?
2. I need help. Who can I talk to?
Sarah: Well, I speak English, of course. And I speak Spanish and 3. When can you get here?
Japanese. 4. Where can I wash my clothes?

Todd: Wow. Spanish. Affirmative - Can

Sarah: Yeah. I lived in Ecuador, and so I Set 2
spoke Spanish every day, a lot. I used 1. I can read Thai, but I cannot write well.
and • I • day • spoke 2. She can speak English like a native.
to think I was fluent. Maybe I forgot some every • Spanish • so
Spanish now. 3. Bob can help you, and so can Mary.
4. The teacher can check your writing.
Todd: Oh, so you can read, speak, write everything?
Negative - Cannot
Sarah: Yeah. In Ecuador, I did Set 3
everything. I signed my cellphone to • speak • only 1. I can not speak German at all.
contract. I could read that in Spanish. I can • I • enough 2. She can't come to class tomorrow.
was – all of my friends I spoke Spanish 3. We can't read this.
with, and I spoke Spanish all the time. 4. Most people cannot write computer code.
But my Japanese is like yours. I can speak only enough to go
to the grocery or ask when the bus leaves or buy a train ticket. Yes / No Questions - Can
Todd: Yeah. It's difficult. It's hard to
have a good conversation in 1. Can you speak French?
Japanese. But I can read 2. Can your parents drive a car?
Japanese. I studied Kanji. 3. Can you read this?
4. Can Bob fix my computer?
Sarah: Oh really?
Short Response - Can you ___ ?
Todd: So my reading is okay, but
my speaking is just really bad. I 1. Yes, I can. / Yes, no problem. / Yeah, for sure.
have bad pronunciation. 2. Yes, but not very well.
3. I guess you can say that.
So because my Japanese 4. No, not really.
pronunciation is not very good, 5. No, I can't.
Japanese people don't like to speak 6. No, not at all. / I wish.
Japanese with me, I think.

Sarah: My Spanish pronunciation is Set 4

really bad because I always spoke because • I • spoke
with other foreigners who are also with • only • bad
studying Spanish.
So there would be a Korean person, me, Set 5
a Norwegian person, and we were all bad • all • we • so Grammar Challenge
speaking Spanish together. So we all pronunciation • had
had bad pronunciation.

Todd: Yeah. can • cannot • wish • at all • you

Sarah: What about Thai?
1. you speak Thai?
Todd: Yeah. I can speak Thai. My Thai is Set 6 2. I read it, but I can speak it.
different. My Thai pronunciation is okay. I • so • Japanese
So I can have conversations in Thai. I 3. Can play the guitar?
can • better • read
lived in Thailand when I was young, so – 4. I but I can't.
or I was 22 to 26. So I studied it and I
like Thai. But reading in Thai is difficult for me, so I can read 5. Yeah, cannot play either.
Japanese better than I can read Thai but I can speak Thai
better, and my Thai listening is better also.

Sarah: Ah. Do you have any Thai friends?

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Todd: I do have some Thai friends. Set 7
And now, I study Thai on Facebook. So Check Answers
friends • some • I Get Bonus Material
everyday, I check my friends' messages Thai • do • have
on Facebook. And then I use Google
translate to learn new words. So it's very http://elllo.org/english/beginner/
good. Yeah.

Sarah: Do you think you'll live in Thailand again, someday?

Todd: Maybe. I will visit Thailand again. I Set 8
don't think I will live in Thailand again. Thailand • live • think
But I like to go to Thailand because Thai in • will • I
is fun to speak and Thailand has great
food and great weather, good beaches. So it's nice.
Sarah: Oh great.
Todd: What about you? Do you want to live in Ecuador, again?

Sarah: Not Ecuador. I love Ecuador but I Set 9

want to live in another Spanish- I • in • but
speaking country. I'd like to live in want • live • to
Argentina, maybe or Puerto Rico. Puerto
Rico is part of America but they speak
Spanish there.
Todd: Yeah. I hear Puerto Rico is really nice.
Sarah: Yeah. I went there for one week Set 10
and it was just amazing. It has beaches there • for • went
and mountains, and the people are really one • I • week
fun. And it's a really exciting place to
visit.