English Conversation

LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Innovative English #4
How to Navigate Passport Control
in English

CONTENTS
2 Intro
2 Dialogue
2 Vocab
3 Phrase and Usage
3 Focus
6 Practice
6 Outro

# 4
MAULA NIKMA
INTRO

Imagine you've just landed after a long flight to America and you're almost free! But
first, you need to go through passport control. What will they ask you? How should you
respond?
Hi. Narator here.
Navigating passport control isn't as hard as you might think! In this lesson, you'll learn
how.
Gustavo has just arrived in New York. He's in line at passport control.
Let's watch!

DIALOGUE

Customs Agent: Next.

Customs Agent: Passport, please.
Gustavo: Hello. Here you are.
Customs Agent: How long will you be staying?
Gustavo: For six weeks.
Customs Agent: And where will you be staying?
Gustavo: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Customs Agent: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Gustavo: I'm here on business.
Customs Agent: Okay. Thank you. Welcome to the United States.

Now with subtitles!

Customs Agent: Next.

Customs Agent: Passport, please.
Gustavo: Hello. Here you are.
Customs Agent: How long will you be staying?
Gustavo: For six weeks.
Customs Agent: And where will you be staying?
Gustavo: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Customs Agent: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Gustavo: I'm here on business.
Customs Agent: Okay. Thank you. Welcome to the United States.

VOCAB

Here are the key words from the scene.

English Conversation MAULA NIKMA 2

Brandon: passport (slow) passport
Brandon: please (slow) please
Brandon: Hello (slow) Hello
Brandon: business (slow) business
Brandon: okay (slow) okay
Brandon: thank you (slow) thank you

PHRASE AND USAGE

Narator: In the scene, what did Gustavo say when he gave his passport to the
immigration officer?
GUSTAVO Here you are.
Narator: This short sentence helps indicate that someone is giving something to
someone in response to a request. First is the word
Brandon: here
Narator: Next is the word
Brandon: you
Narator: And last is the word
Brandon: are
Narator: Together it's
Brandon: Here you are.
Narator: Try saying this as Gustavo hands his passport over to the immigration officer.
(freeze action, cue for viewer to speak)
Brandon: Here you are.
Narator: At the end of the scene, how does the immigration officer welcome Gustavo?
Brandon: Welcome to the United States.
Narator: This is a polite, and sometimes friendly, way to indicate to someone that
you're glad to have them to a home, place of work, or another place somehow
belonging to you. It starts with the core phrase
Brandon: welcome to
Narator: and then finishes with the location. In this
case, Brandon: The United States.
Narator: Try saying this after the immigration officer speaks. (freeze action, cue for
viewer to speak)
Brandon: Welcome to the United States.

FOCUS

Narator: Do you remember the first question the immigration officer asked after Gustavo
gave him his passport?
IMMIGRATION OFFICER How long will you be staying?
Narator: Immigration officers ask this question to find out about the length of a visitor's

English Conversation MAULA NIKMA 3

stay. They want to know if a visitor plans to stay for 2 weeks, for example, or 1 month.
First is the phrase
Brandon: How long
Narator: Next is the word
Brandon: will
Narator: After this is the word
Brandon: you
Narator: and last is the phrase
Brandon: be staying.
Narator: Gustavo responds with a length of time.
Brandon: For six weeks.
Narator: First is the word
Brandon: for
Narator: Next is the
number Brandon: six
Narator: And last is the word
Brandon: weeks.
Narator: Together it's
Brandon: For six weeks.
Narator: The sentence structure to answer the question, how long will you be staying
is: For + number of days or weeks. Imagine you're going to stay for two weeks.
Answer the question
Brandon: How long will you be staying? {PAUSE}
Brandon: For two weeks.
Narator: Do you remember the second question the immigration officer asked
Gustavo in the scene?
Immigration Officer: Where will you be staying?
Narator: This question is identical to the first question, except instead of saying
Brandon: How long
Narator: The immigration officer asked
Brandon: where
Narator: The immigration officer is asking to find out which hotel or address a visitor
will be staying at. Again, it's
Brandon: Where will you be staying?
Narator: In response, Gustavo gives the name of his
hotel. GUSTAVO At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Narator: First is the word
Brandon: At
Narator: And after this is the name of the
hotel. Brandon: The Four Seasons Hotel.
Narator: Together it's
Brandon: At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Narator: The sentence structure to answer the
question Brandon: Where will you be staying
Narator: is at + your hotel name. Imagine you'll be staying at the Plaza Hotel. Answer

English Conversation MAULA NIKMA 4

the question
Brandon: Where will you be staying? {PAUSE}
Brandon: At the Plaza Hotel.
Narator: Do you remember the third question the immigration officer asked in the
scene? IMMIGRATION OFFICER What's the purpose of your visit?
Narator: The immigration officer asks this to understand why Gustavo is visiting. First
is a contraction of "what" and "is"
Brandon: What's
Narator: Next is the
word Brandon: the
Narator: After this is the word
Brandon: purpose
Narator: Next is the word
Brandon: of
Narator: Following this is the word
Brandon: your
Narator: and last is the word
Brandon: visit
Narator: Together it's
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit?
Narator: In response, Gustavo answers
GUSTAVO I'm here on business.
Narator: This starts with the core phrase
Brandon: I'm here on
Narator: First is a contraction of "I" and
"am" Brandon: I'm
Narator: Next is the word
Brandon: Here
Narator: And after this is the word
Brandon: "On"
Narator: Together
it's Brandon: I'm
here on
Narator: Following this core phrase is the
word Brandon: Business
Narator: All together it's
Brandon: I'm here on business.
Narator: This means that Gustavo is in the country to do business, and not just to
sightsee. Alternatively he could have said
Brandon: I'm here for pleasure.
Narator: This is the same pattern as the first response. The only difference is that
Brandon: on business
Narator: Has been taken out and
Brandon: for pleasure
Narator: is used instead. Again, that's
Brandon: I'm here for

English Conversation MAULA NIKMA 5

pleasure.
Narator: Now you try! Imagine your trip is for sightseeing. Answer the question.
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit? {PAUSE}
Brandon: I'm here for pleasure.
Narator: Now, imagine you are visiting the U.S. on business. Answer the question.
Brandon: What's the purpose of your visit?
Brandon: I'm here on business.

PRACTICE

Narator: You've arrived to the United States and you'll need to go through passport
control. Ready? Here we go.
Narator: The immigration officer asks you to show her your passport. What do you
say when you give your passport to her?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: Here you are
Narator: How do you answer the question, how long will you stay?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: For [E: the number of days or weeks]
Gustavo For six weeks.
Narator: How do you answer the question, where will you stay?
(5 second pause)
Brandon: At [E: your hotel name]
Gustavo At the Four Seasons Hotel.
Narator You are on business in New York. How do you answer the question, what's
the purpose of your stay?
(5 second pause)
Gustavo I'm here on business.
Narator Great job! You're ready to go through passport control! Keep up the good
work and remember to practice!

OUTRO

Well done!
Now, watch the scene one more time. After that,
practice with us in the comments until you're ready to go!
Bye.

English Conversation MAULA NIKMA 6