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Crossroads Café

Growing Pains (#102)

TV Schedule:

Busboy, Henry Chang, has not told his parents that he has a part-time job at the Cafe. They find out and become angry. They eventually accept the situation when he proves he can keep up with his studies and hold a job. Simultaneously, a very strict Health Department inspector is going over the Cafe with a fine toothed comb. "Culture Clips" features a Ukrainian family that has come to the United States to flee anti-Semitism. "Word Play" demonstrates how to introduce people to one another.

Closed Captioning

Program Description: This English language learner (ELL) series blends comedy and drama to teach English to speakers of other languages. The stories feature characters whose lives intersect at Crossroad Café, a neighborhood restaurant, where together they experience the struggles, conflicts, joys and victories of everyday life.

All Upcoming Episodes

  • Opening Day (#101)

    Mr. Brashov is trying to get his restaurant ready for opening day, but still needs to hire a waitress, cook, and name his cafe. Word Play shows how to get and give personal information, such as when Mr. Brashov asks Henry for his name. Culture Clips enhances understanding of the interview process by showing students how to find and interview for jobs. Closed Captioning

  • Growing Pains (#102)

    Henry's plans start to unravel when he lies about having his parents' permission to work at Crossroads Cafe. The Word Play activity for learning how to make introductions is reinforced as Henry introduces his parents to Mr. Brashov. Culture Clips shows the importance of following some family traditions when living in a different culture. Closed Captioning

  • Worlds Apart (#103)

    An old friend of Rosa's asks her to marry him, but Rosa is unsure. Marriage would mean moving back to Mexico, and how would it affect her goal of one day opening her own restaurant? Word Play talks about things that people want to do, and Culture Clips discusses how U.S. Immigration has chaned over time. Closed Captioning

  • Who's the Boss? (#104)

    Jamal, embarrassed by being a handyman, leads his friends into believing that he is the boss of Crossroads Cafe. Word Play complements the storyline by showing your students how to make apologies. The Culture Clips discusses career changes. Closed Captioning

  • Lost and Found (#105)

    Jess's house is burglarized and Katherine's son, David, is having behavioral problems at school. Jess and David are both surprised and pleased when they find that they can help each other understand and cope with their troubles. Word Play discusses how to tell someone to do something. Culture Clips shows how neighbors can work together to prevent crime. Closed Captioning

  • Time Is Money (#106)

    Mr. Brashov's paperwork for running the cafe is disorganized so Jess suggests that he bring in an effciency expert to help get things back on schedule. Word Play reiterates how different people around the cafe make and take suggestions. The Culture Clips segment emphasizes how time can mean different things to different people and how U.S. Culture reacts toward time. Closed Captioning

  • Fish Out of Water (#107)

    Mr. Brashov's brother, Nicolae, arrives from Romania only to find that life in the United States is not quite what he expected. As Nicolae discovers, living in a new culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing and lonely. Culture Clips demonstrates how hard it can be to make the adjustment to a new culture. The Word Play segment shows your students how to talk about things that happened in the past. Closed Captioning

  • Family Matters (#108)

    Katherine takes a second job so that she can afford to buy her son a computer for his birthday, but her kids don't care about material things, they just want more time with their mother. Word Play shows your students how to offer to do something for someone else, like when Jamal offered to help Katherine choose a computer. Culture Clips discusses problems that single parents sometimes face. Closed Captioning

Past Episodes

These episodes of Crossroads Café aired in the last few months on Iowa Public Television.

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