B1-01Quarter-Life Crisis
Late evening at their usual café. Tina has been quiet, stirring a cold matcha latte. Then it spills out.
CEFR B1 / 60 EPISODES
Finding a Way Forward
Work, the future, and relationships. Their world expands as they put experiences and feelings into words.
Expressing your ideas · English with optional Japanese translations
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B1-01
B1-02Crisis at Work
It's late at night in the office. Frank and his coworker, Priya, are racing to meet a deadline for an important client. The pizza arrived an hour ago.
B1-03After the Lecture
Frank stayed late after today's philosophy lecture. The topic was agency. He finds Tina at their usual table.
B1-04I Wish I Had Studied
The night before a big exam. Tina's notes are everywhere. Frank has come over with coffee.
B1-05Tech Support Call
A file Frank worked on for weeks is corrupted. He has called tech support. He has also prepared notes.
B1-06Failing Adulting
Tina's kitchen. A scorched pot sits on the stove like evidence. Frank is inspecting it.
B1-07Visa Application
Tina is at a government office submitting her visa application. The "place of birth" box still feels strange when home is beyond the stars.
B1-08Group Project Hell
Frank's group project nearly collapsed. The teammate everyone trusted vanished on the day it was due.
B1-09Public Transit Complaint
Tina has come to complain about constant train delays. She's been dealing with them for months and wants real action.
B1-10The Ex Saga
Frank and Tina are taking a study break in Tina's room. Their books are still open on the table.
B1-11Tina's Mother Calls
Tina's mother called during lunch. Lately, she's been asking about Tina's career more often. She also mentioned a certain tall friend she'd met during the campus tour.
B1-12Lost in Translation
Tina is telling Frank about a trip to a country where hardly anyone spoke English. It reminded her of her first week on Earth.
B1-13Investment Consultation
Frank is meeting a financial advisor for the first time. He wants to start investing but is nervous about the risks.
B1-14Roommate Problems Pt.2
Tina is in her room with Frank. Her roommate has just asked her to clear her books off their shared table.
B1-15Travel Itinerary Planning
Tina is planning a ten-day trip at a travel agency. The agent has a map and an itinerary on the desk.
B1-16Sibling Rivalry
Tina is opening up to Frank about growing up in the shadow of her high-achieving older sister. A recent conversation with that sister surprised her.
B1-17Doctor's Diagnosis
Frank has returned to Dr. Okafor's office for his test results. At his last visit, he said he'd been feeling tired.
B1-18If I Won the Lottery
Tina and Frank are in Tina's room, talking about what they'd do if they won the lottery.
B1-19Court Witness
Tina is a witness in a package-theft case. She saw a man carrying a box out of her building after her morning run.
B1-20Apartment Hunt
Tina has just viewed an apartment. At a café, she and Frank are looking at more listings on her phone.
B1-21Interview With a Writer
Frank is interviewing a novelist he has read for years. He has prepared three pages of questions.
B1-22First Paycheck
Tina got her first paycheck today. She's showing Frank the items in her online shopping cart.
B1-23Real Estate Tour
Mr. Doyle is showing Tina apartment 5B. Sunlight fills the room. He has brought the lease and the keys.
B1-24First Date Rewind
Tina is meeting Frank at their usual café after her first date with someone new.
B1-25Booking a Cruise
Tina is at a travel agency, choosing a cabin for a week-long cruise. She wants a good view of the ocean.
B1-26Financial Planning
Tina has brought a list of her monthly expenses to a meeting with a financial planner.
B1-27Breakup Counseling
Tina is seeing a counselor after her breakup with Mark. They're discussing the weeks before they separated.
B1-28Friend Drama
Tina and Frank are in her apartment. Last night, she went out for drinks with her book club.
B1-29Insurance Claim
Tina is at an insurance office with her phone. She's preparing a claim for water damage at her old apartment.
B1-30Awkward Family Dinner
Tina has stopped by Frank's room after a family dinner. He puts down his book as she comes in.
B1-31Apartment Renovation
Frank is showing a designer around his apartment. A tall bookcase stands in front of the living-room window.
B1-32Office Crush
Tina and Frank are at their usual café after work. Tina has news about the coworker she likes.
B1-33Wine Tasting
Frank is at a wine tasting. A friend recommended a white wine from a small mountain winery.
B1-34Job Interview Disaster
Tina has just come back from a job interview. She knocks on Frank's door, still holding her interview notes.
B1-35Job Reference Call
A hiring manager is calling Frank for a reference. The candidate is an engineer he trained himself. Frank has notes ready.
B1-36Stuck in Traffic
Tina and Frank are stuck in traffic on their way to dinner. Frank checks the arrival time on his phone from the passenger seat.
B1-37Negotiating a Contract
Frank is meeting Ms. Vance, a buyer for a store chain. They're discussing a regular order for his company's water-testing kits.
B1-38Hangover Regrets
It's the morning after a party. Tina is on her sofa. Frank has brought her a glass of water.
B1-39Job Promotion Talk
Frank is meeting his boss about a promotion. He has opened his notebook and is taking notes.
B1-40Career Change Talk
Tina has brought a job offer to the café. She and Frank are looking over the details.
B1-41Resigning from a Job
Frank is in his boss's office with a folder of notes.
B1-42Diet Failures
Tina is at Frank's apartment, telling him about her latest diet.
B1-43Hospital Discharge
Frank is ready to leave the hospital. Tina is with him as his doctor hands him written instructions.
B1-44Quitting Social Media
Tina is looking at her phone. An unopened book lies on her desk, beneath her star map. Frank is visiting.
B1-45Restaurant Review
A few days after their week off social media, Frank and Tina have dinner out. They're now writing a review on Tina's phone.
B1-46Reunion After Years
Outside a café, Tina runs into her close friend Lena. They haven't seen each other in two years.
B1-47Counseling Session
Tina is back at the counselor's office. She's sitting on the couch with a family photo open on her phone.
B1-48Friend's Bad Decision
Tina is visiting Frank. She's worried about a friend's boyfriend and wants to talk to her about him.
B1-49Press Conference
About a year after changing jobs, Frank is presenting new lab-safety rules at a press conference. Tina watches from the back.
B1-50Late Night Existential Crisis
It's late at night. Tina calls Frank from her room after watching a video. He answers on the first ring. He was still reading.
B1-51Stars and Stitches
On another evening, Frank and Tina sit on the steps outside their apartment building, looking at the stars.
B1-52Tax Advice
Frank is meeting an accountant about his tax return. He opens a binder of income records and receipts.
B1-53Frank Actually Cries
Frank and Tina have just watched a movie about a man visiting his father. Tina hands Frank a tissue.
B1-54Charity Event Speech
Frank and Tina are speaking at a charity event for a house-building project. A volunteer sign-up sheet sits beside the cake.
B1-55The Outfit Intervention
Tina visits Frank with a gift bag. She takes out a navy jacket and holds it up for him.
B1-56Speech at a Wedding
Frank and Tina are giving a wedding speech for two close friends. They were there when the couple first met.
B1-57A Letter from the Doctor
Frank has a letter from the doctor who made him. A blank sheet of paper and a pen lie beside it. Tina is visiting.
B1-58Year-End Review Meeting
Frank is having his first year-end review at his new workplace. He and his boss are looking at his list of goals.
B1-59Tina's Homesick Morning
Tina is looking at the star map on her wall. She opens the door for Frank, who has brought coffee as promised.
B1-60The First Real Fight
Tina canceled their Saturday plans at the last minute. Frank hasn't told her how he feels for two days. Now they're at his table. Tina picks up the cup beside Frank.