What do you do when a bad hair day leads to a bad hair month? Get a haircut! Join Andrew and Suzanne as they explain how to book a hair appointment and other types of appointments.

   

Fun fact

Human hair is surprisingly strong. In fact, each individual strand of hair can support around 100 grams. This means that a whole head of hair (around 100,000 strands) can support the weight of two elephants!

Expressions included in the learning materials

* I’d like to make an appointment for [sometime]

* Does [someone] have any time on [sometime]?

* A walk-in/walk-in

* To squeeze [someone/something] in

* That works for me

Sample transcript

Andrew:           Today, we have a brand new Real Talk episode for you all.

Suzanne:        Yup. And this episode we’re going to learn how to make an appointment for a haircut. This is good.

Andrew:           Every couple of months or every couple of weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows, your hair will get too long and you need to get it cut.

And before you can get it cut, you’ll need to make an appointment at a hair salon or even a barbershop.

Suzanne:        Yeah, for a guy, right? A barbershop.

Andrew:           Yeah. Unless, I guess you go to a place where walk-ins are accepted.

Suzanne:        OK, but what does that mean, Andrew? What is a walk-in?

Andrew:           A walk-in means that you don’t need an appointment. So in my experience, if you need a haircut and you go to a cheaper barbershop or salon, these places usually accept walk-ins. You can just walk in the door and ask to get your hair cut.

Suzanne:        OK.

Andrew:           But if you go to a place that’s a little fancier or more expensive …

Suzanne:        Mmhmm.

Andrew:           You’re going to require an appointment.

Suzanne:        OK.

Andrew:           By the way, Sue, you mentioned it very briefly just a moment ago, but some of our listeners might still have some questions. Could you explain the difference between a barbershop and a salon?

Suzanne:        Absolutely. Well, a barbershop usually attracted men, male clients, because they would walk in and get a shave and a haircut. So the barber would actually use a razor and give them a good shave, and also a haircut. In fact, in New York City … He’s still there, John’s Barbershop on 13th Street and University. And he is this old Italian guy, speaking only Italian, and he has man after man coming in and doing a shave and a haircut still to this day.

So that is usually the case. Sometimes they do women’s haircuts, but it’s rare.

Andrew:           Yeah.

Suzanne:        A salon, on the other hand, is geared more toward the female client or a client that wants a fancier style.

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