ESL DIALOGUES
BY YERUSALEM WORK
© 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BUSINESS
SCHOOL
FAMILY
ROMANCE
RELIGION
BUSINESS
YOADAN: Being an entrepreneur takes risks.
HENOK: It requires significantly more risk than a regular 9 – 5 job where you trade time for dollars (birr).
YOADAN: However, it’s worth the investment. It’s more rewarding to translate your own vision into reality than to hide behind someone else’s mission statement. Instead of plodding along, entrepreneurs persevere and add real value to diverse economies.
HENOK: It’s important to have ownership in the company where you work. The most satisfying aspect in the workplace is watching actual growth – building something from nothing.
YOADAN: People can improve the quality of goods and services. They can streamline workflow. They can be visionaries. The key is to find your purpose: the reason you devote your life to a cause. You have to learn how to offer something that is of benefit to a wide audience. Yes, make your mark.
HENOK: You are an inspiration, Yoadan. As a woman and a business owner, you are blazing a trail.
YOADAN: You, Henok, set the bar high for doing business in Ethiopia. You lead with integrity. The next generations of businesspeople have big shoes to fill.
HENOK: Forward march!
YOADAN: Onward and upward.
HENOK: May future generations rise to achieve even greater heights.
YOADAN: Amen!
SCHOOL
AIDA: My professor is so discouraging. He said that some people have a mind that limits them to one language. I’m working on my Amharic, but it’s not paying off. Communicating in English is more natural for me.
BIRTUKAN: I empathize with you. I struggle with Amharic, but I don’t want to give up, either. I wish Ethiopian people wouldn’t laugh at my American accent. I don’t laugh at recent immigrants.
AIDA: It makes me self-conscious when I hear laughter as I open my mouth to speak.
BIRTUKAN: Grades are important, as well. I wish the school system charted progress on a scale. I’m in a better position to speak Amharic today than I was a year ago, but they compare me to native speakers who grew up in Ethiopia. I’ve mainly studied in the US, so, of course, I sound different.
AIDA: Yeah, everyone has a different measure of success. If only we divided people based on background and level of education in a certain subject, then we would be in classrooms surrounded by likeminded individuals. Education is not one-size-fits-all.
BIRTUKAN: We all have our strengths.
AIDA: One strength everyone should strive for is compassion.
BIRTUKAN: Agreed!
FAMILY
MEHERET: The pandemic has really isolated us socially. I miss my family. We are spread so far apart – all over the globe.
TEIGEST: My family does a weekly Zoom call on Sundays.
MEHERET: That’s good. Thank God for technology. How’s work?
TEIGEST: We are in hybrid mode, so I divide my time between my home office and the corporate office downtown. And you?
MEHERET: I mainly see my patients online. We’re focused on telehealth. We use different apps and FaceTime.
TEIGEST: I wish I could travel more, but I don’t think it’s safe. I don’t want to risk catching COVID-19.
MEHERET: Be brave. It’s the new norm. Learn to adapt.
TEIGEST: You’re probably right. I should adjust. I don’t want to live in fear of the virus the rest of my life. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted.
MEHERET: Me, too. We’ve done the best we can to protect ourselves. Now let’s take a leap of faith.
TEIGEST: Thanks, sweetheart! I will.
ROMANCE
DAWIT: If I had to choose my type, I’d say I’m interested in the girl next door.
RAHEL: I want a knight in shining armor.
DAWIT: Here is my shield and sword.
RAHEL: You had me at salam.
DAWIT: You’re a real catch.
RAHEL: I’m grateful we crossed paths. It’s not every day you find someone with whom you can be vulnerable.
DAWIT: Yes, I rarely show my interior – my emotional life and imagination are reserved for a select few.
RAHEL: I’m happy to be in the VIP section, with an all-access pass.
DAWIT: Yes, my dear. I think the search is over. I’ve found the one. Now, I have a single question to ask.
RAHEL: Yes! Ask away.
DAWIT: Can we split our time between Ethiopia and DC? I’m binational. I miss home. East Africa and the east coast (the mid-Atlantic region) are both home to me.
RAHEL: Moi aussi. Request granted.
DAWIT: This is the beginning of a true love affair.
RAHEL: True love. A genuine start.
RELIGION
ABEL: The church is the most important aspect of my life, but I have friends who belong to a mosque. In fact, I admire Muslims for their commitment to daily prayer.
SIHAM: Islam is more than five daily prayers. It’s a way of life. Without submitting the obligatory prayers, a Muslim has left the fold of Islam. However, Islam is more than words and prostrations. It’s a powerful connection to the Creator. It’s not just a performance of faith.
ABEL: It’s amazing how much Christians and Muslims have in common. If I had to pin down Christianity, I would say it’s a way of life, as well. I pray, but my faith influences everything, even day-to-day decisions, like what to eat, what to wear, etc.
SIHAM: We even have rules on how to sleep and enter or exit the bathroom. Muslims are pretty strict.
ABEL: I respect your traditions. I just go by my own.
SIHAM: To you be your religion and to me, mine.
ABEL: I hope I can learn more about Islam through you.
SIHAM: I’d be happy for you to closely examine Islam. Please visit a local mosque and talk to the imam. Imams lead congregational prayer. They can answer questions better than I can. It’s your invitation to Islam.
ABEL: Thank you, sister! God bless.
SIHAM: God bless you!
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