Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
When you’re in a relationship, you spend a lot of time getting to know someone really well. And often, when a relationship ends, the people involved never see each other again or at least never spend much time together. But why shouldn’t they? Since they know each other so well, if they can put aside whatever caused the relationship to end, couldn’t they be good friends?
Well, it’s easier said than done. It’s hard to turn a relationship into a friendship and it’s also hard on your new partner. You have to be really secure to be OK with your girlfriend or boyfriend hanging out with his or her ex. Beren and Devan are currently on opposite sides of this situation. Listen to them talk about it.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Beren: I’m a kind of weird position. One of my exes keeps on contacting me and it’s not like we’re friends because I think that’s weird to be friends with somebody you used to date when you’re dating somebody new. Have you ever had an experience with that?
Devan: Oh totally. My boyfriend is still really good friends with his ex and that bothers me.
Beren: Like, do they talk on the phone or talk in person or…
Devan: They email each other a lot and he’s always like, “Oh, I think it’s really great that we can still be friends, but it kind of puts you in a weird situation…” Does your girlfriend…does she care that your ex is contacting you?
Beren: Um, yeah, she gets a little weirded out about it. I would be too after so much time has passed…You have wonder why they’d want to be contacting you. And by the same token I know plenty of people who are friends with their exes and it seems to work. And I think maybe there’s a stigma on it which is why people are naturally more prone to be jealous.
Devan: I think also depends on how the relationship ended too and how much time has passed.
Beren: Yeah, I agree.
Devan: I think that if my boyfriend talked to his girlfriend from high school who was like his first girlfriend and they haven’t seen or been together for like 10 years that wouldn’t bother me so much as the ex girlfriend he talks to all the time is the girl he dated right before he dated me, so that makes it a little more weird, you know?
Beren: I can see that.
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Discussion
Someone Beren used to date has been trying to get in touch with her because she wants to be friends. But she can’t figure why, after all this time, her ex would want to be friends with her. Plus she’s worried it will be hard on her new girlfriend. And rightfully so. Devan explains that her boyfriend is friends with his ex and it bothers her.
Devan thinks that it makes more sense to be friends with your ex if a lot of time has passed. But her boyfriend is friends with the woman he was with right before her and it freaks her out.
How would you feel in Devan’s position? Are you friends with anyone you used to date?
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