English, baby!

Do It Yourself

Date: Sep 21 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

We often pay people to do things for us that we could do ourselves. In fact, a lot of times people don’t even think of doing certain things themselves.

For instance, bands generally didn’t really go around pressing their own records and booking their own tours until the 1980s when bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat started their own tiny labels.

Their approach to music came to be known as DIY, which stands for do it yourself. Beren still associates the term DIY with the punk aesthetic of those bands, but Amanda, while not very punk, is totally DIY.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amanda

Beren

Amanda: You know what’s a great acronym?

Beren: What?

Amanda: DIY!

Beren: Do it yourself?

Amanda: Yup.

Beren: That is a great acronym. Would you consider yourself DIY?

Amanda: Totally. My dream shopping spree would be Home Depot, or Lowe’s or any hardware store.

Beren: Oh, see, like there’s so many different takes on DIY. Whenever I think of DIY, I think of that whole punk aesthetic. I don’t know, ride your bike, and make your own clothes, and go dumpster diving.

Amanda: That’s true. There are different interpretations of DIY.

Beren: It’s good, it fits everything. DIY.

Amanda: Do it yourself. Do it yourself. That’s right. So, what was the last DIY thing you did?

Beren: My last DIY attempt would have been…Eh, well maybe two weeks ago I jumped into a dumpster outside a pizza place to see if there was pizza. I don’t know if that’s DIY or if it just makes me cheap...

Amanda: So, what exactly were you doing yourself there?

Beren: I don’t know, like not paying for something that I could get for free or using something that was going to go to waste.

Amanda: Alright. I changed a faucet the other day.

Beren: That’s very do it yourself.

Amanda: Yup. I saved $200 by not hiring a plumber. So that was worth it to me.

Beren: That is DIY.

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Discussion

Amanda says that she considers herself DIY because her favorite place to have money to spend is the hardware store. This surprises Beren because when she thinks of DIY, she thinks of bike-riding punks who make their own clothes.

Beren says the last DIY thing she did was dumpster dive for pizza. Amanda questions if that’s really DIY. Beren says it is because she’s not paying for something she can get for free and using something that would otherwise go to waste.

But the last DIY thing that Amanda did, while not exactly punk, definitely fits the definition of “do it yourself.” She fixed a faucet in her house rather than paying a plumber $200 to do it.

Are you DIY? What’s something you’re proud of doing for yourself? Can you think of something that you pay someone to do that you could be doing yourself?

Comments

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Johnny Torres

Saudi Arabia

interesting

dhaher

Saudi Arabia

lkn

China

I think i will do it myself!I will save money, I have many hobby!For example, music ,sport ,basketball,shopping and so on!

I do it very much! I like shopping very much! I will buy adidas nike LiNing!

javid2

Afghanistan

hi how are you with your lessone iam working in the office right now .
and i like to speak English .

enamon11

Turkey

I think Amanda is right. DIY is a perfect acronym. who dont need more money? or Who wants to spend much money?

*zozo

Saudi Arabia

i don't think i'm DIYcoz i spend my own mony and my father too . i'll try to be DIY .it's look acool idea.

yan_07

Hong Kong

quite interesting!!

Sweet Shadow

Croatia

DIY gives things a touch of your spirit. It's nice way to improve yourself in lot of new and diferent things. I like to do my own jewel and things like than, ... Try cooking,for example, it's fun and interesting…

panchito

Ecuador

hi where you from

panchito

Ecuador

hi im francisco from ecuador,i have 31 age and living in guayaquil economic capital from my country,someone to want be my friend only write me at my mail ok see you

panchito

Ecuador

zizzy1369

China

I like this lesson~

yugandharbabu

India

helloooooooooo do you interst chat with me

valerie8

Philippines

DIY saves money, promotes healthy living since you exercise my mind,body and creative side of me!

valerie8

Philippines

Yeah, i think i'm a DIY , since i can do anything a can get my hands into, especially in my hobby making crafts like designing a purse, shirts, pants.. when i could buy one or do thing at home like cooking, cleaning my stuffs, really saves a lot of money for me at same time makes me happily occupied…

ejjooem

United States

Well, I don't consider myself DIY. I am all thumbs. I'm a head person.

On the contrary, my husband is a handy man so he knows how to fix things and assembles… He is a DIY. It's good to have such a husband who has opposite traits from mine.