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.
Have you ever felt like you just don’t belong somewhere? Ever since he helped Marni and Devan’s companies merge, Jeff has been working out of their office. But things were a lot different at the office where he used to work. He doesn’t seem to have much in common with the other employees. He’s having trouble fitting in.
Nonetheless, Jeff has been trying to make friends around the office. He tells Beren about how he has been feeling like a fish out of water. A fish out of water is someone who is out of their element, like a fish on land, and feels like their environment doesn’t suit them. Someone who overhears Jeff talking shows up and proves him right.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
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.
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Jeff: Hey, how’s it going, Beren? Do you have a moment?
Beren: Just a second… I’m downloading some tunes. What’s up?
Jeff: I was just curious, since the companies have merged I’m going to be working in this office…
Beren: Are you excited? It’s fun! It’s fun over here, we love it!
Jeff: I’ll be honest with you, I feel kind of like a fish out of water.
Beren: Fish out of water. This is an unusual environment for you? You don’t feel comfortable or at home?
Jeff: Um, yeah, it just really doesn’t suit me.
Beren: Doesn’t suit you? What do you mean?
Jeff: Well, speaking of, nobody wears suits around here. I’m used to that.
Beren: Wearing a suit? You can wear a suit if you want to.
Jeff: You guys are…
Beren: But you don’t have to.
Jeff: No offense, you’re dressed like bums. Well, that aside, I went to get a company car the other day. What’s with the expense accounts at this place?
Beren: Expense accounts? No, no, no, no. We’re lucky if we get pizza parties once a month. There is no company car. But, there’s other perks, you know?
Jeff: For instance?
Beren: You don’t have to wear a suit! You can wear whatever you want.
Jeff: I like wearing a suit.
Beren: Okay. Sounds like this place is really alien to you. You are a fish out of water. Do you think you can come around? Try to fit in a little?
Jeff: I guess. I’m not going to promise to like it.
Beren: I can give you the IT guy’s number. You guys can carpool? It’s kind of like a company car?
Jeff: No, no, no.
Beren: Alright…
Jason: Hey, new guy! Hold this! I guess you got some water now!
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Jeff reaches out to Beren to see if she can help him understand how his new office works. He’s used to a very serious work environment where everyone wears suits and there are company cars for the employees to drive. Since his new company is nothing like that, he fees like a fish out of water.
Beren suggests that maybe he could carpool with someone else from the office. Just then, Jason runs up with a giant bottle of water and hands it to Jeff. He’s so surprised, he almost falls over. Jason must have heard him say that he feels like a fish out of water and decided to pull a prank on him, thereby demonstrating that he is, in fact, a fish out of water.
Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? How did you learn to fit in?
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