Pre-Intermediate Listening Practice

Richard: Oh wow!

Stephanie: What's that you're looking at, Richard?

Richard: Look at this photo my friend sent me by e-mail, Stephanie. It was taken at a garden party we had in the summer when I was in Thailand teaching English a few years ago.

Stephanie: I never knew you had been to Thailand. How long were you there for?

Richard: Oh not long, about 8 weeks, but we all had a great time. Enjoyable AND educational. This was the evening before we came back home, oh what great memories. Here, have a look...

Stephanie: Where are you? I can't see you.

Richard: I know, what a shame. That's me in the back, almost hidden. Can you see me? I'm sitting next to Carlos wearing the pink shirt. I'm wearing a white shirt.

Stephanie: That could be anyone!

Richard: I didn't know they were taking the photo. That was a wonderful group of people. I'm listening to Sara tell a joke. She was from Manchester in England.

Stephanie: The blonde girl?

Richard: Yes, I still hear from her sometimes. She sent me an e-mail only last week. Now she's working in advertising in London.

Stephanie: The guy sitting next to you is Carlos, you said?

Richard: Yes, a very shy person but really friendly once you get to know him a bit. He was from Bogotá. Where's that, Peru?

Stephanie: Hmm, Colombia, I think.

Richard: And he was one of the best teachers there. He gave me so much help.

Stephanie: What about the girl sitting in front of you drinking a Coke?

Richard: Oh what was her name? Melissa, I think. She was from San Francisco and our birthday was the same day.

Stephanie: Erm, July the 5th.

Richard: The eighth! Your memory is awful. Melanie, she's called, not Melissa. She just wanted to sunbathe every day, I remember.

Stephanie: What about the girl in the flowery top who's laughing. She looks like a really friendly person. Those white shoes of hers are gorgeous.

Richard: She was also English. Jackie, her name was. She was sort of the team leader. She had been teaching there for about two years so knew what she was doing. Well, better than me anyway!

Stephanie: Did you like teaching English? Were you teaching kids or adults?

Richard: It was fun and we were teaching the kids out there, but I only wanted to do it for a few months.

Stephanie: Who's that good looking guy on the right wearing the sandals?

Richard: I have no idea. He was only there for the last couple of days. He was a new arrival so he was going to teach the following few months. I think he was Irish but I don't know what his name was. My best friend there was Rob. He's sitting next to me wearing that gray shirt. I saw him in LA only a few weeks ago. He asked me to go and teach with him in China! Haha, no chance!

Stephanie: That girl he's with looks very friendly with him! Was that his girlfriend?

Richard: No, his wife! They've been married since they were both 17 or something. Rita, no, Maria Rita is her name. She's Spanish. They met when Rob was teaching in Barcelona.

Stephanie: You forgot one, the guy on the right at the back with the striped shirt.

Richard: He was on the hotel staff. I think he was just trying to chat to Sara.