[upbeat music]

Emily: Hello and welcome to putting English to work. I'm Emily Mitchell and I'll be your host and teacher today. In this lesson, we will learn how to rent an apartment. Before you can rent an apartment, you need to know how to look for one. You also need to know what you want in an apartment. Let's see how our friends, Marta and Rosalba, find a new place for Marta to live.

Rosalba: How about this apartment?

Marta: In Beverly hills? Not yet.

Rosalba: Have you found anything?

Marta: There are a few apartments that I will call in a while.

Alberto: I'll see you tonight Rosalba. Goodbye, Marta.

Marta: Bye, Alberto. Rosalba, thank you for letting us stay here for so long.

Rosalba: I'm glad you are getting your own apartment, but Alberto and I will miss you.

Emily: Hello and welcome back. Let's review what you just saw. What is Marta looking for? Marta is looking for an apartment. Are Marta and Rosalba looking in the newspaper to find an apartment? Yes, they are. Has Marta found any apartments in the newspaper? Yes, she has. In whose apartment are Marta and Jose staying?

They are staying in Rosalba's apartment. Let's see what happens next. Does Marta find an apartment? Does Alberto need Marta's help? Let's watch and listen.

Marta: Hello, my name is Marta Rendon. I am calling about the apartment that is for rent, is it still available? Can I make an appointment to see it today? Yes, that's a good time. Thank you. That one sounds good and the price is right. I made an appointment to see the apartment today at 11 o'clock with the manager, his name is Ivan.

Rosalba: Good. Look at this one. It's one bedroom, $400 monthly, large kitchen, garage, near stores, and school.

Marta: That sounds great, but Jose and I have decided that the apartment that we rent has to have two bedrooms. That apartment won't work for us.

Alberto: I can't get the car started, will you please help?

Marta: Of course.

Emily: While Marta goes to look at Alberto's car, let's review what we have just seen. When Marta calls about the apartment, does she introduce herself? Yes, Marta introduces herself. Does Marta make an appointment to go to see the apartment? Yes, she does. How many bedrooms are Marta and Jose looking for?

They are looking for two bedrooms. Why does Alberto come back to the apartment? There is a problem with his car. Good work! Let's keep watching.

Rosalba: Thank you for helping Alberto with the car. I married him for his looks not his mechanical skills.

Marta: It was very easy. The fuel line was clogged. I fixed it very quickly. Dad showed me how to fix that kind of problem when I was 12 years old.

Rosalba: Dad was always teaching you about cars. Marta, have you told Jose about Roberto, yet?

Marta: Not yet, but I will tell him soon.

Rosalba: We better get going.

Emily: I wonder why Marta hasn't told her husband about Roberto. Who is Roberto? Well, let's get back to Marta and Rosalba, and see how their appointment turns out.

Marta: What time is it.

Emily: 11:10 o'clock.

Marta: The appointment was at 11 o'clock.

Rosalba: We were on time.

Marta: What if he already rented the apartment? I'm worried.

Rosalba: Don't worry, he'll be here soon.

Ivan: I am sorry to be late, I am usually on time. The clerk at the hardware store was very slow. I'm Ivan.

Marta: I'm Marta Rendon and this is my sister, Rosalba Martinez.

Ivan: Very nice to meet you. The apartment is upstairs. I'm still doing some work on it, but I think you'll like it. Let's go see it.

Emily: This looks like a nice neighborhood, doesn't it? What time was Marta and Rosalba's appointment with Ivan? The appointment was at 11 o'clock. Where Marta and Rosalba on time for their appointment? Yes, they were. Was Ivan on time for his appointment with them? No, he wasn't. Did Ivan apologize for being late?

Yes, he did. Is Ivan usually on time? Yes, he is. Good. Now let's take a look at the apartment.

Ivan: So what do you think?

Marta: I like it very much. Could you tell me what is required in order to move in?

Ivan: The monthly rent is $535. You must have the first and the last month's rent in order to move in plus a $500 security deposit.

Marta: What's a security deposit?

Ivan: A security deposit is money you pay to the landlord, in case there is damage to the apartment.

Rosalba: Marta and Jose wouldn't do anything to the apartment.

Ivan: Of course not, but a security deposit is insurance for the building owner. You must fill out this application, put in as much information as you can. I have a few things to do. I will be back in a few minutes.

Marta: OK, thank you.

Emily: It looks like Marta and Jose, might have a new place to live. Let's give Marta a moment to fill out the application. Does Marta like the new apartment? Yes, she does. How much is the monthly rent? The monthly rent is $535. Do Marta and Jose need to provide first month's rent, last month's rent and a security deposit? Yes, they do.

Does Ivan give Marta an application to fill out? Yes, he does. Now that Marta has had a moment to fill out the application, let's see what other things she needs to do. Does Ivan need more information from her? When can they move in? What does Jose think of the new apartment?

Ivan: Your husband is a Gardener. I don't like working in the garden. Our Gardener is out and I have to do all his work plus my own work.

Marta: What is wrong with him?

Ivan: He is sick, but he will be back next week. Where does your husband work?

Marta: He works for Rigo's Landscaping. They do the gardens for many of the big buildings in the city. He's a very busy. Sometimes, he works six days a week.

Ivan: And you Marta, what do you do?

Marta: I am a mother and a housewife and I'm also a student. I'm studying auto mechanics.

Ivan: Really? What does your husband think about that?

Marta: Jose is a good husband, he's very thoughtful and nice.

Rosalba: Oh, yes.

Ivan: And you, Rosalba, what do you do?

Rosalba: I'm a hairdresser.

Ivan: Are you planning to move in here with Marta?

Rosalba: No, my husband and I have our own apartment. I'm just helping out.

Marta: And you Ivan, what else do you do?

Ivan: I am a student. I study air conditioning heating. Well, your application is complete and it looks great. If there aren't any problems, you can probably move in this weekend.

Emily: It's a nice apartment, isn't it? What does Jose do for a living? He's a gardener. Is Marta a student? Yes, she is. What is Marta studying? Marta is studying auto mechanics. Is Rosalba a student? No, she is not. Does Ivan approve Marta's application? Yes, he does.

When can Marta and Jose move in? They can probably move in this weekend.

Marta: That's great news! My husband will be very happy to hear that we got the apartment. I will talk to him when he gets home. I will call you tomorrow to make an appointment so that he can see the apartment. Thank you for all your help today. Goodbye.

Rosalba: You got it?

Marta: We got it!

Rosalba: Congratulations!

Jose: What happened? We found an apartment. We can move in this weekend.

Jose: That's great, but can we afford it?

Marta: It's going to be a little hard, but I think we can do it.

Rosalba: Especially if Marta starts working--

Marta: The manager said that you can see it tomorrow if you'd like.

Jose: No, I don't have the time. If you like it Marta, that's good enough for me. This is great. I will get some help and we can start moving in this weekend.

Emily: Do Marta and Jose get the apartment? Yes, they do. Is Rosalba happy for Marta and Jose? Yes, she is. Is Jose excited about moving into the new apartment? Yes, he is. Good work!

[upbeat music]

Emily: It's important to ask questions when renting an apartment. Let's practice asking for information. Listen to Marta and Rosalba, you will have a chance to repeat what each of them says. If you need more time, you can always press the pause button on the VCR.

Marta: How many bedrooms are there in the apartment?

Ivan: The apartment has two bedrooms.

Rosalba: Would it be possible to paint the kitchen?

Ivan: Yes, I will paint the kitchen.

Rosalba: Can the ceiling be fixed?

Ivan: Yes, I will fix the ceiling.

Marta: What is required to move in?

Ivan: We will need the first and last month's rent, as well as, a security deposit.

[upbeat music]

Emily: There are several words that are important to know, as a person looks for an apartment. Let us review the various words that have been used by Marta and Rosalba in their search. You will have time to repeat each word and practice the pronunciation. If you need more time to practice, you can always press the pause button.

What are Marta and Jose looking for? They are looking for an apartment. Where do Marta and Rosalba look for apartments? They look in the newspaper. Each month, Marta and Jose will pay $535 for what? They will pay the money for rent. What else must Marta and Jose pay, in order to move in?

They must pay a security deposit. What does Marta need to fill out for Ivan? She must fill out an application. You did a great job with that exercise. Let's move on to the focused listening section of our lesson. You will need a pencil and your worksheet or a piece of paper.

When renting an apartment, it is important that agreements are clear and understood. In this next section of our lesson, we will practice being understood. Your worksheet looks like this. Look at the worksheet, watch the three short scenes. Listen carefully.

[knocking on the door]

Marta: Hello, Ivan. This is my daughter Karina and this is my husband Jose. We're here to move in.

Ivan: Hello Karina, it's nice to meet you. Hello Jose, it's nice to meet you.

Jose: Nice to meet you too.

Ivan: I'm sorry Marta, when I said you could move in on the weekend, I meant Saturday. I'm still doing some repairs and painting. The apartment is not ready yet.

Marta: I'm sorry, I always thought that the weekend started on Friday.

Ivan: I should have been more clear. I should have said you can move in on Saturday not Friday.

Emily: Let's look at and listen to three descriptions of what caused the problem. Circle the number of the best answer on your worksheet or write the number on your paper. Number one, Marta and Jose had too much furniture. Number two, Marta and Ivan hadn't set a specific day to move in.

Number three, Marta and Jose wanted to surprise Ivan. The correct answer is number two, Marta and Ivan hadn't set a specific day to move in. Let's try again and watch Ivan and Marta.

[knocking on the door]

Marta: Hello, Ivan.

Ivan: Hello, Marta. I spoke with Jose about the gardening. He has a lot of great ideas, he is very smart. I just stopped by to see how everything is going.

Marta: Everything is fine, but didn't I ask if you could fix this light?

Ivan: I'm sorry. I wrote it on my list, but I just haven't gotten to it yet.

Marta: Jose was going to install a new light fixture in here today. I needed it fixed right away.

Ivan: I can fix it tomorrow.

Emily: Now look at and listen to three descriptions of what caused the problem. Circle the number of the best answer on your worksheet or write the number on your paper. Number one, Marta didn't tell Ivan that the light should be fixed right away. Number two, Ivan didn't feel like doing the work.

Number three, Jose forgot to tell Marta that he was going to install a new light fixture. The correct answer is number one, Marta didn't tell Ivan that the light should be fixed right away. Let's try again and watch Ivan and Jose.

Jose: Oh, Ivan, I have a problem. For three days now I have not been able to use my parking space, someone is always parking a blue Chevy in it.

Ivan: Jose, that's my car.

Jose: Why are you in my parking space?

Ivan: Jose, that's my parking space. When I said your parking space was at the end of the carport, I meant, the other end. I was wondering why you were parking on the street.

Jose: That explains it. Thank you.

Ivan: You're welcome.

Emily: Now look at and listen to three descriptions of what caused the problem. Circle the number of the best answer on your worksheet or write the number on your paper. Number one, Ivan parked his car wherever he wanted. Number two, Jose preferred parking on the street. Number three, Jose didn't know where his parking space was.

The correct answer is number three, Jose didn't know where his parking space was. You can stop the tape, rewind and replay the conversations if you need to try this exercise again. This time, you learned about renting an apartment, you learned about using newspaper advertisements, and also, about some important questions to ask.

Next time, you will learn about oral agreements and more about using a telephone. Thanks for taking the time to study with me today.

[upbeat music]

[calm music]