Mari: I'm Mari from Japan and I'm here with Ron from Hawaii. Today we are going to be talking about abilities so let's start with food. Can you cook?

Ron: I can't cook well, but I do cook, so I think the reason why I can't cook well is because I can eat anything, so I don't try very hard to make it take good.

 

Mari: What do you like to cook?

 

Ron: I like to barbecue outside on the grill.

 

Mari: What do you put on your barbecue?

 

Ron: When I cook meat, I don't put much, only salt, pepper, and a little bit of seasoning.

 

Mari: OK. Good. Next, do you think you're a good dancer?

 

Ron: No, I don't think I'm a good dancer and I don't really try to be a good dancer.

 

Mari: Do you not like to dance?

 

Ron: No, I don't like to dance.

 

Mari: At all?

 

Ron: Right.

 

Mari: I heard that you're a good line dancer.

 

Ron: I would like to learn how to line dance, and I do like country music but I haven't been officially taught how to line dance.

 

Mari: So you don't dance at all?

 

Ron: No.

 

Mari: Next, are you a good singer?

 

Ron: No, I'm not a good singer but I do enjoy going to Karaoke.

 

Mari: What do you like to sing?

 

Ron: In Hawaii, when I go to Karaoke I enjoy singing Hawaiian music. If I'm in Japan I like to sing other English songs that they have, usually country music or 80's or 90's music.

 

Mari: Good. That's good. Do you think you're a good student?

 

Ron: I don't know if I'm a good student. Growing up I was not a good student but now I am trying harder to be a good student.

 

Mari: How were you not a good student growing up?

 

Ron: I didn't enjoy going to school and I didn't try very hard in school. Now I try a little harder. I make an effort.

 

Mari: Can you talk more about your effort? What do you do to try to be a good student?

 

Ron: I try to listen to the teachers now instead of doing my own thing, and I try to complete everything with good quality.

 

Mari: That's good. And, last do you think that you're a good athlete?

 

Ron: Growing up I was a good athlete. I played a few sports. Now I don't play any sports anymore because I'm old, but growing up I think I was a good athlete.

 

Mari: What sports did you play?

 

Ron: I played American football, baseball, and soccer.

 

Mari: Which one is your best sport?

 

Ron: I would say football. American football is my best sport.

 

Mari: How long did you play?

 

Ron: I played since I was eleven until age twenty-two.

 

Mari: So for eleven years. And you played when you were in university?

 

Ron: I played at the University of Hawaii.

 

Vocabulary

 

grill

 

I like to barbecue outside on the grill.

 

When we grill something that means we cook it on metal bars over an open fire.  Note the following:

 

Let's cook on the grill tonight.

We cooked burgers at the beach on a small grill.

at all

 

So you don't dance at all?

 

Something we don't do at all is something we never do.  Note the following:

 

I don't speak German at all -- not even one word.

You never eat vegetables at all? That is sad.

line-dancer

 

I heard that you're a good line-dancer.

 

In a line dance, people line up without partners and follow a pattern of steps usually to American country music. Note the following:

 

That bar has line-dancing on Tuesday night.

My sister is a good line-dancer.

officially

 

I haven't been officially taught how to line-dance.

 

Something that is taught officially requires formal instruction and often results in certification.  Note the following:

 

I never learned how to officially fly a plane, but I know how.

To scuba dive, you really need to officially take some courses.

do my own thing

 

I try to listen to the teachers now instead of doing my own thing.

 

When we do our own thing that means we do things our own way.  Note the following:

 

Some students hate to follow instructions. They always want to do their own thing.

I used to always do my own thing. Then, I joined the Army and that changed real quickly