English, baby!

Hostels

Date: Nov 14 2008

Themes: Friend, Travel

Grammar: Adverbs

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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.

So many great traveling stories begin with phrases like, “There was this friendly British girl staying at our hostel and she told us to check out this amazing attraction that tourists don’t normally see…” or, “These Chilean guys from our hostel offered to have a couple of beers with us and next thing you know, we were on a boat in the middle of the Black Sea!”

A big part of adventure of traveling is the other travelers you meet. And when you’re young and don’t have a lot of money to spend, staying in a hostel can be a great way to save and meet exciting people.

Hostels rent travelers beds in big rooms full of other travelers. Some hostels also have single rooms to rent out, but all the guests eat together. Of course, since there are so many people around, not all hostel stories are good and people can be annoying or things can get stolen. Listen to Marni and Mason talk about what they like and don’t like about hostels.

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.

Marni

Mason

Marni: So I just got back from a trip to New York and did a little bit of couch surfing when I was there, stayed with friends.

Mason: Really? Well, I mean, I guess that’s cool when that’s an option, but, uh…

Marni: But…So my other option, I lucked out at the last minute, my friends were there, but I was thinking about staying in a hostel because there’s actually a few in New York.

Mason: A New York hostel might kind of sketch me out. But, you know, I’ve done it a lot and it’s pretty awesome. When you’ve got to mind your budget, it’s a good way to go.

Marni: It’s definitely got this sort of backpacker thing going on.

Mason: It takes you back to your youth with the bunk beds.

Marni: Well, the bunk beds and just. But I try to…I’m kind of big into personal space, so I always try to get my own room.

Mason: Actually, that’s my favorite time to do it. You get two or three friends and if you can book ahead and get a private room it costs you each like 20 bucks a night, maybe.

Marni: Yeah.

Mason: It’s awesome. And you meet cool people there, right?

Marni: It’s true. And it’s good for that whole communal aspect of traveling, wanting to get information and just swapping stories. And there is something to that, but I don’t know, I like my privacy and I’m not really into the whole communal sleeping arrangement.

Mason: I’d totally do it. I probably going for New Year’s up to BC, gonna hook up the hostel.

Marni: Well, it definitely is the…If you’re frugal, it’s the economical way to travel.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

On a recent trip to New York, Marni arranged last-minute to stay with some friends. But she almost stayed at a hostel.

Mason isn’t sure if he’d be comfortable in a hostel in New York, although he does like hostels in general because he likes meeting people there. He also says the bunk beds remind him of being a kid.

Marni always tries to get her own room at hostels because she doesn’t like sleeping with strangers in the room. Mason and his friends will sometimes occupy a three- or four-person room together. He plans to stay in a hostel on an upcoming trip to British Columbia, Canada.

Have you ever stayed in a hostel? Did you meet interesting people there?

Comments

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mecanom

Myanmar

oop. hostle? I'm fond of hostle in which I can get new interesting experiences.

I've stayed in a hostle for 5 years.I got many friends . How good it ?

wherever i go in my country, no problem for visiting.

Do u also like this.

DricaBr

Brazil

I prefer hotel,with queen size bed and my own bathroom. :-)

DricaBr

Brazil

When I was youger i didn't have no problem with staying in a Hostel.

but now that I'm little older I prefer the comfort of hotel. with clean bed, my own bathroom, privacy and room service.

amany7

Saudi Arabia

well, Privacy is the best when you travell coz ur room is the only place you feel safe in , in a foreign country…

hao100

Viet Nam

I dont like to stay in a hostel with strangers. It will be extremely unsafe for girls like me :) you should be a ware of strangers staying in your room. Who knows what they're going to do..i did heard a lot about such hostle..stolen..cheating..However, if i go with a group of my close friends, maybe i will stay in a hostel with them because then there'll be many people and i have nothing to be scared^^"

imaginary-sj

Uzbekistan

great!very intresting

chrysanjur

China

nice to meet you,i'm in chongqing,from shaoyang city,hunan province.but i never find any hostel in our county,which desidation do you live?

mujem

China

Travel is my best like thing.i'll travel in all China ,all the world, if i have much money ! so,i'll must do the best to get my dream!

guobingyou

China

I don't care much about where i stay over.Hostel makes the night funny and interesting,and being alone makes room for me to think and have a good sleep

imadnan0

Pakistan

Hi,

It is good to stay Hotel Or hostel, because you learn the thinking of different people….

myklaleb

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

I didnt sleep in a hostel, I used to sleep in hotels.

Totto

Sudan

That person in the picture above looks very serious and intense. I wonder if he had a good time staying at

a hostel in such a small room. And what is in that little case, and why is he wearing a scarf, is it cold in

there or just that is his style? the red a scarf is a complete contrast to the room and to what he is wearing.

Yes i stayed at a hostel once. It was not a good

experience because I was with other two friends. We

stayed for one night only.

lola-zhang

China

yes,i can book hostel in chongqing .

my email:

Johnson999

China

sounds good. but unfornately, I never try it. especially with some nice girls. ohhhhhhhhh! but in China, it seems that there's no such kind of hostel for thoses travellers. at least, Chinese still doesn't accustom to sleep with strangers together. what a pity?yes or no.

walrus21

Peru

in my last trip to machupicchu, i met a nice american guy who told me very interesting stories about his trips around the world. definitely, hostels are a good place to know all about traveling.