Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Wanted: Foreign Language Tapes

I'd love to have some tapes to help me learn a new language I would like to speak. I'm good with English, I know some Hebrew, a little French, and I took 3 years of Latin (God knows why!) in high school. I'll tell you where I can't communicate, though. At the counter in any Starbucks. I see people with fun, tasty looking beverages, but I don't know how to get them. I hear them saying things that are not on the menu. They must be native speakers. I need tapes to listen to in the car.

tape: Please repeat. Venti.
me: Venti.
tape: Venti macchiato.
me: Venti... what?
tape: Venti macchiato.
me: Venti macchiato.
tape: It is customary to end your order with "please." Please repeat. Venti macchiato, please.
me: Venti macchiato, please.
tape: you have reached the conclusion of lesson 37. please turn the tape over to learn about frappucino and why we call the smallest cup "tall."

I think this would be very helpful. Not just to me, but to others who would like to enjoy a cup of coffee at the hip, neighborhood coffee place, but who didn't grow up in whatever country speaks this language regularly. Maybe the State Department has a program that they use for diplomats. Perhaps one day I can be an ambassador of coffee.

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