আমরা কথোপকথনের মাধ্যমে মনের ভাব প্রকাশ করি, আমরা একে অপরের চাহিদা মেটাই। কথোপকথন আমাদের প্রাত্যহিক জীবনের অংশ, আমাদের চাকরির অংশ, শ্রেণিকক্ষের অংশ, দোকান, হাট-বাজার, বাস স্টেশন, বিদেশ ভ্রমণ সর্বত্রই আমরা কথোপকথন করে থাকি। এ ধরনের বেশ কয়েকটি কথোপকথন দেয়া হলো। কথোপকথনগুলো ভালোভাবে পড় , সেখানে ব্যবহৃত বাক্যগুলো লক্ষ কর এবং নিজের ভাষায় ব্যবহার করার চেষ্টা কর।

 

Faruk: I think all of you are going to Moulvibazar to see tea plantations. Is that right?

Gloria: I am! Is this the right place?

Faruk: Yes, it is. The bus will be here soon. Is this your first trip to Sylhet?

Gloria: Yes, it is. How about you?

Faruk: No, it isn’t. I’ve been there two or three times before. Please let me introduce myself. My name is Faruk, and I’m from Bangladesh.

Gloria: Hello, Faruk. I’m Gloria. I’m from Mexico.

Faruk: I think you two are also Bangladeshi.

Nabila: Well, we’re actually British. But our grandparents were from Sylhet. You probably know that there are many Sylhetis in the UK.

Faruk: Yes, I’ve heard that.

Nabila:My name is Nabila, and Harun is my husband. Harun, come here and meet our new friends!

Harun: Hello, everyone. Are you all going to see a tea plantation?

Ojal: I am! 

Harun: Is this your first time in Bangladesh?

Ojal: No, it isn’t. I live in Dhaka and work for the Nigerian Embassy. I have lived in Dhaka for six months, but this is my first trip to Sylhet.

Greg: You’re Nigerian! I was in Nigeria a few years ago for vacation. My name is Greg, by the way.

Ojal: And my name is Ojal. Greg, from your accent, I think that you’re American or Canadian.

Greg: I’m American. I live in New York now. And Harun and Nabila, you probably know that there are also lots of Bangladeshis and Bengalis in the New York area.

Harun: Oh, yes. We know that. Bengalis usually know a lot about all the places where other Bengalis live.

Nabila: Ah, two more people are coming here. I think they’ll also want to take the bus to Sylhet. Hello! I’m Nabila.

Danny: Hi, my name’s Danny.

Penny: And I’m Penny. There are so many people here!

Harun: Yes there are. I’ll introduce them to you. I’m Harun, and this is my wife, Nabila, and we are from London. I will try to introduce all the other people. I hope I remember your names. This is Faruk, from Dhaka.

Danny and Penny: Hello Faruk.

Harun: And this is Ojal from Nigeria, but she’s living and working in Dhaka now at her Embassy.

Ojal: It’s a pleasure to meet you both.

Harun: And…and…Oh no. I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten your names. Ojal, can you help me.

Ojal: I think I can. This is Greg from America, and he lives in New York. And this is Gloria, from Mexico. Is that right?

Greg: That’s right!

Gloria: You’ve got a good memory.

Greg: Gloria, you didn’t tell us where you are from. Are you from Mexico City?

Gloria: That’s right! The world’s biggest city. Well, many people say it’s the world’s biggest city, but I’m not sure.

Nabila: Danny and Penny. We don’t know where you are from. I don’t think you’re Bangladeshi.

Danny: (laughing) No, I’m not Bangladeshi. I’m from China, from Shanghai. But there are some Chinese people who live in Bangladeshi, so I could be Bangladeshi.

Penny: But you’re not. And I’m also not from Bangladesh. I’m from Malaysia.

Greg: You’re not from the same place?

Penny: No we aren’t. We met a week ago in Dhaka, and we decided to come to Sylhet together. I’m from Kuala Lumpur.

Danny: And Penny speaks English really well. My English is not very good, so I am happy to travel here with her.

Ojal: Penny, KL is a beautiful city!

Penny: Have you been there?

Ojal: Yes, I worked there in the Nigerian Embassy before I came to Dhaka. I think it’s a very comfortable and well-organized city.

 

Danny: You know, Penny and I came here late, so we really don’t know your names. Let’s have a little test. We can ask each other questions about the other people in our group. That way, we will remember everyone’s name, country, and city.

Nabila: That’s a good idea. So, Danny, what’s my name? And where am I from?

Danny: You’re Nabila, and you’re from London. You are traveling with your husband. But I’ve forgotten your husband’s name. Penny, what’s his name?

Penny: His name is Harun. And he’s from London.

Ojal: But that was very easy!

Penny: OK, Ojal, I know you have a good memory, so I’ll ask you a harder question. Who is from the biggest city in the world?

Ojal: That’s easy. Gloria is from Mexico City. And Gloria, who is from the biggest city in the US?

Gloria: That’s Greg. He’s from New York. OK, Greg, now it’s my turn to ask you a question.

Where did Ojal work before Dhaka?

Greg: She worked in Malaysia, in the Embassy in Kulala Lumpur. And, Danny, who has been to Sylhet two or three times?

Danny: I think that’s a hard question. I am sure that you are talking about Faruk because we have said the names of all the other people. I think that before Penny and I came here, Faruk told you he’s been to Sylhet two or three times. But I’m just guessing. Am I right?

Faruk: Yes, Danny. You are right. Ah, here’s the bus. Let’s board the bus and start our trip to Moulvibazar. Once we are inside we can talk more.

 

Ojal: About how long does it take to go to Moulvibazar.

Faruk: I think it will take about one or two hours.

Greg: Is the road good?

Faruk: Yes, the road is pretty good. It’s not very good, but it’s OK. You know that sometimes travel in Bangladesh is slow and uncomfortable. Do you think that’s true?

Greg: Yes, probably. But it isn’t always difficult. However, I want to say that people are really friendly. Everyone wants to help foreigners. They want to help us find places.

Gloria: That’s really true! They want to help us find the bus, find the restaurant, find the cyber café, find the museum. So far, people have been very helpful and kind.

Faruk: I’m glad to hear that. And don’t forget! I also helped you. 

Ojal: And thank you for that, Faruk. So, the bus might be a little slow. Is there anything to see on the way to Moulvibazar?

Faruk: Oh yes. The countryside is excellent. People here say this is the greenest, most beautiful part of Bangladesh. 

Gloria: But maybe people in other parts of the country don’t agree. Maybe they think that they live in the most beautiful part of the country.

Faruk: That’s probably true. People usually love their hometowns.

Penny: Have any of you seen a tea plantation before? Faruk, I’m sure you have seen one. You’ve been here several times. What about the rest of you?

Greg; I haven’t. I’ve only seen them in pictures. They look really beautiful.

Danny: I haven’t been to a tea plantation, but I have been to special rice fields in the mountains. I don’t know the correct word in English, but these fields go up and down the mountains and look like stairs. I saw these in China.

Gloria: I also haven’t been to a tea plantation. I’ve been to other kinds of plantations: banana, coffee. But not to a tea plantation.

Ojal: Penny, I think you’ve been to tea plantations before. Malaysia has many tea plantations.

Penny: That’s right. I’ve been to tea plantations many times in Malaysia. But I didn’t usually go as a tourist.

Greg: Why did you go, then?

Penny: I went because my grandmother and grandfather had a store on the plantation.

 

Narrator: Today we learned a little about a group of people who are in Sylhet. One is Bangladeshi, two are British but with Bangladeshi grandparents, and the others are all foreigners. They are traveling in Sylhet to see different places.

 

Can you remember some things about them? Let’s see.

 

What is the name of the Bangladeshi man? What city does he live in?

 

What are the names of the couple from London? They are husband and wife, and their grandparents were from Bangladesh.

 

Ojal works in an embassy. What embassy does she work in? What country did she live in before?

 

Who speaks better English: Penny or Danny?

 

Is Greg from Canada or the United States?

 

What city is Gloria from? Some people say it is the biggest city in the world.

 

 

ইংরেজি কেন শিখব, কীভাবে শিখব ।। অষ্টাবিংশ পর্ব