5.4.1

ADVISER: Good morning, how can I help you? STUDENT: Good morning. Umm, I understand you help fix up students with host families.

ADVISER: That’s right. . . are you interested in. . . ? STUDENT: Yes. . . ADVISER: Well please sit down and I’ll just take a few details.

STUDENT: Thank you. ADVISER: Right now. . . what name is it? STUDENT: Jenny Chan.

ADVISER: Can you spell that please? STUDENT: Yes. . . J-E-N-N-Y C-H-A-N.

ADVISER: Right. . . and what is your present address? … …

ADVISER: Good morning, how can I help you? STUDENT: Good morning. Umm, I understand you help fix up students with host families.

ADVISER: That’s right. . . are you interested in. . . ? STUDENT: Yes. . . ADVISER: Well please sit down and I’ll just take a few details.

STUDENT: Thank you. ADVISER: Right now. . . what name is it? STUDENT: Jenny Chan. ADVISER: Can you spell that please?

STUDENT: Yes. . . J-E-N-N-Y C-H-A-N. ADVISER: Right. . . and what is your present address?

STUDENT: Sea View Guest House, 14 Hill Road. ADVISER: OK, and do you know the phone number there?

STUDENT: Yes. . . I have it here, ummm. . . 2237676, but I’m only there after about 7 pm. ADVISER: So when would be the best time to catch you?

STUDENT: I suppose between 9 and, let me see, half-past, before I leave for the college. ADVISER: Great. . . and can I ask you your age?

STUDENT: I’ve just had my nineteenth birthday. ADVISER: And how long would you want to stay with the host family?

STUDENT: I’m planning on staying a year but at the moment I’m definitely here for four months only. I have to get an extension to my permit.

ADVISER: You’re working on it? Fine. . . and what will be your occupation while you’re in the UK? STUDENT: Studying English?

ADVISER: And what would you say your level of English is? STUDENT: Umm. Good, I think I’d like to say ‘advanced’ but my written work is below the level of my spoken, so I suppose it’s intermediate.

ADVISER: Certainly your spoken English is advanced. Anyway, which area do you think you would prefer?

STUDENT: Ummm, well I’m studying right in the centre but I’d really like to live in the north-west. ADVISER: That shouldn’t be a great problem. . . we usually have lots of families up there.

… … ADVISER: And do you have any particular requirements for diet?

STUDENT: Well, I’m nearly a vegetarian. . . not quite. ADVISER: Shall I say you are? It’s probably easier that way.

STUDENT: That would be best. ADVISER: Anything about your actual room?

STUDENT: I would prefer my own facilities - ’en suite’, is that right? And also if it’s possible a TV and I’d also like the house to have a real garden rather than just a yard, somewhere I could sit and be peaceful.

ADVISER: Is that all? STUDENT: Well. . . I’m really serious about improving my English so I’d prefer to be the only guest if that’s possible?

ADVISER: No other guests. . . Yes, you get more practice that way. Anyway, obviously all this is partly dependent on how much you’re willing to pay.

What did you have in mind? STUDENT: I was thinking in terms of about £60-£80 a week, but I’d go up to a hundred if it was something special.

ADVISER: Well I don’t think we’d have any problems finding something for you. STUDENT: Oh, good. ADVISER: And when would you want it for?

STUDENT: I’d like to move in approximately two weeks. ADVISER: Let me see, it’s the 10th today. . . so if we go for the Monday it’s the 23rd March. . .

STUDENT: Yes. ADVISER: Right. . . good, and if I could ask one last question. . .