ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION and ENGLISH CONVERSATION – Learn English Conversation | Rachel’s English

In this American English lesson,

we're going to sit down with my dad and talk about where he works now that he's mostly retired.

You'll learn the phrasal verb ‘boot out’,

how to use space and room, a shortcut to make the word ‘months’ easier to pronounce, and much more.

We're going to listen to the first 15 seconds or so of this conversation.

Then we'll study some of the words—how they're being used and how they're pronounced.

Pay attention to booted out, space, and often from home.

Are you still going into work at all these days?

No. Actually, I finally got booted out in my second office.

Really?

Yeah.

I didn't know that.

Well they, they're...they have all kinds of issues with space.

Yeah.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

Did you hear my dad use the phrasal verb booted out?

Finally got booted out in my second office.

Really?

Booted out.

This is just like kicked out.

It means to be asked or forced to leave a place, job or situation.

My dad, though he was mostly retired, still had an office at the University where he worked.

But after many years, they needed the office for someone else and booted him out of it.

Finally got booted out in my second office.

Really?

Notice my dad isn't pronouncing the T in 'booted' as a true T.

That would sound like: booted, booted.

But instead, it's: booted.

That's a flap T.

The tongue bounces once against the roof of the mouth

and the teeth don't need to come together the way they do for a true T.

Booted. Booted.

This is how we pronounce the T when it comes between two vowels

but doesn't start a stressed syllable in American English.

Finally got booted out in my second office.

Really?

Yeah.

I didn't know that.

Well they, they're...they have all kinds of issues with space.

The way my dad is using 'space' is interchangeable with the word room.

These are nouns that mean an area that's available or unoccupied.

The university doesn't have enough space.

It doesn't have enough room for my dad to have an office anymore.

Of course these words have other meanings as a noun.

What you might think of as outer space, or a room with four walls like a living room, dining room, etc.

But let's come up with a few more sample sentences where we're using the words to mean 'available'.

The garage is used for storage, there's no room to park.

Or the garage is used for storage there's space to park.

Sometimes, when I'm reading at night to my son Stoney, he sits really close to me.

So close that he's sitting on my arm, and I can't turn the page.

I might say: Can you scoot over, Stoney?

I need a little more room.

Or I could say: I need a little more space.

They have all kinds of issues with space.

Yeah.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

You may also use these nouns as adjectives.

Then they become spacious and roomy.

Our minivan is much more spacious than our Volkswagen.

Or our minivan is much more roomy than our Volkswagen.

They have all kinds of issues with space.

Yeah.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

'Work from home' is the phrase be used for working remotely at your computer in your home office.

From is the preposition we usually use, though you may use at as well.

I work at home one day a week.

Not 'in' but 'from' or 'at'.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

And that often from home.

Listen to how my dad pronounces 'from'.

Its reduced.

It's not from, longer with the full UH as in butter vowel, but it's reduced to the schwa and said really quickly.

Often from home.

Often from, from, from.

Practice that with my dad.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

Do you notice how he's pronouncing often?

Without the T sound.

This word can be pronounced either way.

Often or often.

But it's a bit more common to drop the T and that's what I encourage you to do.

That often from home.

Often.

Often.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

Now we'll listen to another thirty Seconds.

Pay attention to stuff, how I say okay, the pronunciation of months, and the word 'bummed'.

I now have my stuff stored in one bookshelf and two file cabinets.

Why have it there at all?

Well, these, I have a lot of things at home but these are things that I just wouldn't use very often.

>> So if I need them, I’ll go down. >> Okay.

So how long ago did that happen?

Oh, two months ago.

Are you bummed?

I was a little bummed about that.

Stuff.

This is a generic term we often use to mean possessions.

I have too much stuff.

I need a second suitcase.

Or as my dad said, I now have my stuff stored in one bookshelf and two file cabinets.

I now have my stuff stored in one bookshelf and two file cabinets.

However, it can also refer to things that are not tangible, not objects.

For example, I have a lot of stuff to deal with at work.

This could be an employee who's not cooperating, a client who's unhappy.

What I'm dealing with is the difficulty, not an actual thing, not an object.

You could also say: I have a lot of stuff to do.

That means I'm busy.

You may also hear the phrase: He really knows his stuff.

That means he's very smart and informed, relating to a specific topic.

We also use this as a verb.

Meaning to try to make something fit with force.

There's no room in my bag for shoes.

Can't you stuff them in?

Did you notice how I use the word 'room' there?

I could have also used 'space'.

There's no space in my bag for shoes.

Can't you stuff them in?

I now have my stuff stored in one bookshelf and two file cabinets.

Why have it there at all?

Well, these, I have a lot of things at home, but these are things that I just wouldn't use very often.

>> So if I need them, I’ll go down. >> Okay.

There, I said: kay, then: mmkay.

These are both variants of 'okay'.

I say this to show that I understand what he's talking about.

I understand his reasoning.

You'll hear both of these variants a lot.

They're both really common.

Kay. Mmmkay.

>> I just wouldn't use very often. >> Kay.

>> So if I need them, I’ll go down. >> Mmkay.

So how long ago did that happen?

Oh, two months ago.

Two months ago.

The word 'months' can be really tricky because we have a TH sound followed by S

and I know my students just hate this combination.

But there's good news here.

There's actually a shortcut that most native speakers do.

Did you hear my dad's pronunciation?

Let's listen again.

Oh, two months ago.

He said: months, with a TS ending rather than THS.

I do this too.

It's really common and I definitely recommend my students use this pronunciation.

Tss. Tss

Months.

Months.

Try that now.

Months.

Two months ago.

Two months ago.

Two months ago.

Oh, two months ago.

Are you bummed?

I was a little bummed about that.

'Bummed' this is informal, slang, but it means to be disappointed.

We might also use the phrasal verb: bummed out.

It has the same meaning.

Are you bummed?

I was a little bummed about that.

Now we're going to listen to the last fifty seconds of this conversation.

At the end, I'm going to ask you a question to test your listening comprehension.

Since he doesn't have an office, my dad will use the library, use a conference room,

use someone else's office, or none of the above?

Listen one more time to choose your answer.

What is the answer?

We did hear mention of the library, or a conference room.

Would you like go in and work at the library? Or is there like a conference room?

>> No. >> No.

>> Not really.

But he said no, he would not use those.

Notice how my dad says the phrase 'not really'.

This is a common phrase and sometimes, with common phrases, we reduce certain words

even more than we normally would.

He dropped the T so the AW vowel connects right into the R.

Not really.

Not really.

Not is stressed even without the T.

This would be a common way to pronounce this two-word phrase.

Try it with me.

Not really.

Not really.

>> No. >> No.

Not really.

>> No. >> No.

Not really.

>> No. >> No.

Not really.

So the first two options are out.

What about the third option?

We did talk about someone else's office.

This guy offered for dad to use his office sometimes.

I can use another guy's office.

Okay, is he also not there that much?

No, he is there but he said he would leave during that time.

Why would he do that? Who is it?

Well, he's a new guy and his wife also works there and she's not there that much.

So he would go over to her office.

Okay.

I would go into his office where I have my stuff stored.

But when I asked if he would do that, dad said: no.

>> Do you think you'll ever do that? >> No.

Yeah 'cause that feels awkward.

So the correct answer is D.

None of the above.

My dad will just work from home.

>> Do you think you'll ever do that? >> No.

Yeah 'cause that feels awkward.

I will just work from home.

Notice he used that phrase again.

Work from home.

With the reduction of the word 'from'.

Work from, from, work from home.

>> I will just work from home. >> Yeah.

Let's listen to the whole conversation one more time and listen again to the words and phrases we studied.

Are you still going into work at all these days?

No. Actually, I finally got booted out in my second office.

Really?

Yeah.

I didn't know that.

Well they, they're...they have all kinds of issues with space.

Yeah.

And since I'm only working one month a year...

Yeah.

And that often from home.

Right.

I now have my stuff stored in one bookshelf and two file cabinets.

Why have it there at all?

Well, these, I have a lot of things at home but these are things that I just wouldn't use very often.

Okay.

>> So if I need them, I’ll go down. >> Okay.

So how long ago did that happen?

Oh, two months ago.

Are you bummed?

I was a little bummed about that.

Because there's no place for you to go.

Yeah.

Would you like go in and work at the library? Or is there like a conference room?

>> No. >> No.

Not really.

So you're done?

Now that... I can use another guy's office.

Okay, is he also not there that much?

No, he is there but he said he would leave during that time.

Why would he do...who is it?

Well, he's a new guy and his wife also works there and she's not there that much.

So he would go over to her office.

Okay.

I would go into his office where I have my stuff stored.

>> Do you think you'll ever do that? >> No.

Yeah 'cause that feels awkward.

>> I will just work from home. >> Yeah.

Thanks to dad for being in this video with me.

For more conversational videos like this one, watch this playlist.

I hope you've learned some interesting things

and that you'll share this video with others who are studying English.

That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.