Meet the City People and become a more confident communicator in English
To be able to speak English well you need practice!
To learn a language successfully, it is really important to be able to apply what you have learnt in a wide range of situations. When we use language with real people, in real situations, we learn much faster and grow in confidence.
The City People invite you to come and do just that in your own time, in your own way. You can find them at work and at play, in and around The City.
Language is communication. The City People are all real actors who want you to talk to them, you'll find them interesting and above all helpful. Let's meet some of them:
- If you feel like shopping, Donatella can help you find the perfect outfit at her Periwinkles clothes store. (As a Languagelab student your clothes are free).
- For your next job move, visit Bette, to get help with your job search, applications and interviews at Smart Temps.
- Need a break? You are always welcome at the Conversations café to chat with Millie and Pebbles.
- Why not go and talk to Lane, the local newspaper owner, who is happy to discuss the latest news with you.
- For a little creative expression, visit Griffin, who is passionate about writing music for movies and needs you to practice his scripts.
- If you want to listen to a story or two, sit down with Socrates.
If you´re not a talkative person, don´t worry. The great thing about the City people is you can improve your listening skills until you are ready to speak. We will also give you a reference sheet for ideas of what to say. Watch your confidence grow as you learn to chat with different native speakers in real life situations. Improve your listening and spontaneous speaking.
The key is to go and visit them, start talking, enjoy yourself, and realise you can do it!
Meet the City People
Bette Jarman
Age: 52
Primary location: Smart Temps
Objectives: To build Smart Temps into a major temp agency. She also wants to make sure that her daughter, Lane, is happy.
Interests/hobbies: Business, particularly human resource related issues. She also loves movies.
About Betty: She is practical, organised and always thinking of ways to improve things. She loves her family very much. Very business like when she needs to be but is friendly and approachable.
Lane Jarman
Age: 30
Primary location: The City News
Objectives: Lane wants to bring thenews to The City, and firmly believes in the Freedomof the Press. The Paper will have Community gossip, fashion ads, sports reporting, marriages, the events of the community.
Millie Eames
Age: 48
Primary location: Conversations
Occupation: Millie owns and manages the café, Conversations.
Objectives: Millie is always working to get more customers. She really wants her café to be a special place for her customers. She wants them to feel comfortable and to think of the conversation café as their home away from home.
Navine Bosatsu
Age: 57
Primary location: Arts Park
Occupation: Navine runs yoga and meditation classes in the parks.
Objectives: Navine wants everyone to see how beautiful the world is and understand that we are all connected.
Interests/hobbies/expertise: Alternate medicine, nutrition, health, fitness
Pebbles Kronfeld
Age: 28
Primary location: Pebbles works in Conversations.
Occupation: Pebbles works as a waitress in Conversations. She goes on auditions everday. She always turns up in costume at Conversations, which Millie kindly allows. One day she might be Juliette, another day Buffy in the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical. She rarely gets the parts but is full of optimism. She is often ready with her lines for the auditions to go through with the students and ask their opinion.
Objectives: Pebbles wants to be an actress, she needs an 'audience'. She is looking for her big break.
Griffin Morrisey
Age: 38
Primary location: Griffin lives with his wife and one year old baby in a mansion.
Occupation:" Composer for a film. Likes to play the music to visitors and asks them to interact in the scenes or read lines with the music to try out the effectiveness of the music. Each week has a different scene to listen to and work on: cocktail party, barbeque, etc.
Objectives: Griffin's dream is to write, direct and compose the music for a film.
Interests/hobbies/expertise: Films. Music (classical composers, film music especially).
Donatella Benoir
Age: Late 30's
Primary location: Periwinkles is her main location which is appropriate to her love of being social.
Occupation: Donatella is the sales manager at Periwinkles that offers a great choice of the latest fashion and accessories for both ladies and gentlemen.
Interests/hobbies/expertise: Donatella is up with the celebrities. She talks about goings on in Hollywood as if she is a real insider. Donatella watches every fashion show, and reads magazines to stay up to date with the latest fashion tips and gossip.
Socrates Fotherington
Age: 71
Primary location: He frequents the park.
Occupation: He is a philosopher. He talks about the meaning of life. He knows a lot about history. He is a performer in the way that he communicates with other peoples and tells them stories. He wants to know about other people.
Personal/Family: His own history is not known, but hints in that direction come from his poetry and his view on life.
Up to 40 hours per month!
Access to city people is included in all our subscription packs. Join us and drop in on them for up to 40 hours per month.
Elementary students:
Every time you try using your English, you are one step closer to your goal. Experimenting with the language is essential. Just introduce yourself to one of the City People, take a moment to look at the reference sheet, and the rest will follow naturally.
Intermediate students:
Practice makes perfect. Go and talk to the City people, use the reference sheet to help you transform your ideas into reality and you will feel your confidence grow.
Advanced students:
When you meet the City People, try out some of those new pieces of language you´ve just discovered, to see how they work in the real world and, if you need to, you have the reference sheet to help you along.
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