Speaker 1: Something interesting. I started my own company, Happy English in
twenty ten, but it wasn't until several years later that
it dawned on me that both of my grandfathers were
also entrepreneurs. As immigrants, their families came to America seeking
the prosperity and upward mobility that came along with the
American Dream. I think that's where I get my ambition
and perseverance. Let's discuss.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City, and here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
This is Happy English Podcast, Episode seven third, The American Dream.
In this episode, I'll share the story of what the
American Dream means, how it has influenced people's goals and ambitions,
and then we'll look at some key vocabulary words that
will help you understand and talk about this idea. Let's
get started. The American Dream is more than just a phrase.
It's an idea that has driven the hopes and ambitions
of countless people for generations. At its core, the American
Dream represents the belief that anyone, regardless of their background
can achieve success through hard work, determination, and perseverance. This
idea has inspired people from all over the world to
come to the United States hoping to build a better
life for themselves and their families. The origins of the
American dream can be traced back to the early days
of the United States, when settlers came to the New
World seeking freedom and opportunity. Over time, this dream evolved
to include the pursuit of not just survival, but prosperity.
It's often said that the American dream is all about
having the opportunity to rise from humble beginnings to great success,
whether that means owning a home, getting a good education,
or starting a business. However, achieving the American dream has
never been easy. It often requires people to overcome significant
obstacles and face challenges head on. For some, the dream
might seem like a long shot, but many believe that
with enough effort and determination, anything is possible. This belief
in upward mobility, the idea that you can move up
the social and economic ladder through hard work, has shaped
the ambitions of generations of Americans. In modern times, the
American dream continues to influence how people think about their
goals and what it means to be successful. Whether it's
striving for financial security, personal fulfillment, or the freedom to
pursue your own passions, the American Dream remains a powerful
force in shaping the aspirations of individuals across the country.
And now let's check out some of the key vocabulary
from this lesson. The first word is the noun perseverance.
Perseverance means the determination to do something despite different difficulty
or delay in achieving success. Here are some examples. When
starting your own business, you need to work hard and
have perseverance. Perseverance is essential when pursuing the American Dream,
as the journey can be challenging. Through perseverance, Lucy was
able to graduate from college and build a successful career. Next,
the story mentioned the idea of upward mobility, which means
the idea of being able to move to a higher
social class or economic position for example. Upward mobility is
a key aspect of the American Dream, allowing people to
improve their lives. Frank's new job offered him upward mobility
with opportunities for promotions and higher pay. Education is often
seen as a pathway to upward mobility. He in the
United States, the noun prosperity means the state of being successful,
especially when people have money and everything that is needed
for a good life. Here are some examples. The American
dream involves achieving prosperity through hard work and determination. Many immigrants,
like my Italian grandparents, came to the United States seeking
prosperity for themselves and their families. The community's prosperity grew
as new businesses and jobs were created. The last word
for today is ambition, which means a strong desire to
achieve something, usually requiring determination and hard work. Here are
some examples. Jack's ambition to succeed in his career drove
him to work long hours and take on challenging projects.
The American dream is closely linked to the ambition to
improve one's life and achieve success. Ms Johnson's ambition led
her to pursue a higher education and strive for a
leadership position. Keep in mind, the best way to remember
this and any other word or phrase in English is
to take that word or phrase, write it in a
sentence that's true for you or true in your world,
and then memorize your sentences. Did you know that you
can get the chance to practice this kind of English
with me directly. You can get more practice using your
English when you join my podcast Learner's study group. There
you can make new friends, join us for live group
lessons every week where we practice these podcast lessons together.
Plus you get access to the pdf, transcript and audio
download for every Happy English podcast in the past and
in the future. And on top of that, each episode
has exercises where you can practice this English point with
speaking and writing checked by me. To learn more, just
visit Myhappy English dot com and choose podcast lesson seven
thirty nine. Remember, learning another language is not easy, but
it's not impossible, and I'm here to help you on
your journey.
Speaker 2: This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please
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Happy English.