Curated and contributed by Sasha Simmonds, TESOL, Hawai’i Pacific University
Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is a computer programmer working for Initech in Houston. Peter, stuck in his cookie-cutter apartment with paper-thin walls and IKEA furniture, every day is worse than the one before it -- so every day is the worst of his life. To cap it off, Initech has hired a pair of "efficiency experts" to downsize the company. One Friday night, Peter's soon-to-be ex-girlfriend Anne (Alexandra Wentworth) forces him to go to an occupational hypnotherapist to relieve work stress. While Peter is under hypnosis, the therapist keels over and dies. As he never snaps out of his hypnotic state, Peter has a new outlook on life. If something annoys him, he just ignores it or walks away from it. He is completely relaxed and enjoying life for the first time in a long time.
CREDITS:
TM & © Fox (1999)
Courtesy of
Cast: Mike Judge, Jennifer Aniston
Director: Mike Judge
Producers: Daniel Rappaport, Guy Riedel, Michael Rotenberg, Mike Judge
Screenwriter: Mike Judge
Peter and his friend discussing an expression he heard at work.
Transcript:
Peter: Let me ask you something (.)
When you come in on Monday and you’re not
feeling real well does anyone ever say to you, sounds like
someone has a case of the mondays?
Friend: (.) No. No man. Shit no man.
I believe you get your ass kicked saying something like that man.
Joanna and Peter talking about how Peter is planning to quit his job and ask her out.
Transcript:
Joanna: So where do you uh work Peter?
Peter: Initech.
Joanna: an yea (.) what-what do you do there?
Peter: (.) I sit in a cubicle (.) and I update bank software for the 2000 switch
Joanna: What’s that?
Peter: well see they wrote all this bank software (.) and uh to save space they used two digits for
the date instead of four. So like 98’ instead of 1998. Uh so I go through these thousands of
lines of code and uh (.) it doesn't really matter. I uh I don’t like my job and (.) I don’t
think gonna go anymore.
Joanna: (..) you’re just not gonna go?
Peter: yea
Joanna: Won’t ya get fired?
Peter: I don’t know. But I really don’t like it and uh I’m not gonna go.
Joanna: hhh so you’re gonna quit?
Peter: nu-uh not really. Uh (.) I’m just gonna stop going.
Joanna: hhh um when did you decide all of that?
Peter: about an hour ago.
Joanna: really? ‘About an hour ago’ ha So you’re gonna get another job?
Peter: I don’t think i’d like another job
Joanna: hhh so what are you gonna do about money and bills? And
Peter: you know I’ve never really liked paying bills (.) I don’t think I’m gonna do that either.
Joanna: ah ha ha
Peter: heh heh
Joanna: uhhh well so what do you wanna do?
Peter: I wanna take you out to dinner and then I want to go back to my apartment and watch Kung-fu. Have you ever
watched Kung-fu?
Joanna: I love Kung-fu.
Peter: Channel 39
Joanna: totally
Peter: you should come over and watch Kung-fu tonight.
Joanna: okay
Peter: great
Joanna: ok (.) can we order lunch first?
Peter: yea
Watch the first clip and answer the following questions:
How did the first speaker initiate the topic? What words or phrases did they use specifically?
List all topic initiation(s) seen in this clip.
Eg. *jenny says to Mark “can we discuss what happened last night?”
Watch the second clip and answer the following questions:
How did the first speaker initiate the topic? What words or phrases did they use specifically?
List all topic initiation(s) seen in this clip.
Eg. *jenny says to mark “can we discuss what happened last night?”
Re-watch clips 1 and 2 and answer the following questions:
What differences or similarities did you notice in the topic initiations used in clips 1 and 2?
In your own words, describe what topic initiation does in a conversation.
How do you usually initiate topic(s) during a conversation? (list the expressions and strategies you often use)
What challenges do you have in initiating topics?
Each student thinks of a topic to talk about. Think of a second topic to talk about in case your partner also has the same topic.
Go around the room and form pairs in which Student (A) is the first topic initiator. Student (B) should respond appropriately.
After a few turns, Student (B) should find a way to initiate their own topic while student (A) participates appropriately in the conversation.
Review and evaluate the goal of practicing topic initiation in a natural manner.
Examples of topics/situations:
Tell your friend about the party last night
Tell your partner about what happened during the game yesterday
You just found out that your teacher posted the quiz grades, tell your partner
Tell your partner about the good news you received from your boss
You’re waiting in line to buy groceries, and your partner is another customer (initiate small talk with them )