تدريب Shadowing: Speak About Your Hometown in English | Easy English Podcast - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية عبر الفيديو

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy, where we make English simple and enjoyable.

I'm Sarah.

And I'm Mike.

Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now.

Mike, I have a quick question for you.

Uh-oh.

Your quick questions are never quick.

This one is.

What is your hometown famous for?

Oh, easy.

We have a very big roundabout.

A roundabout?

You mean the circle in the road where the cars drive around?

Yes, a very big one.

People from the next town drive over just to look at it.

Mike, that is the saddest tourist attraction I have ever heard.

Hey, it has flowers in the middle.

In summer, it's actually beautiful.

A beautiful roundabout.

Okay, that's amazing.

And honestly, perfect, because today we're talking about hometowns.

Our hometowns, your hometowns, everybody's hometowns.

And how to talk about them in English, because this comes up all the time.

It really does.

You meet someone new, and the second or third question is always, so, where are you from?

And it's such a nice topic.

Everyone has feelings about their hometown.

Some good feelings, some not so good.

Oh, we'll get to that.

And listeners, stay with us, because later, Mike is going to try to convince you that small towns are better than big cities.

I am going to convince you.

I have facts.

You have a roundabout, Mike.

A famous roundabout.

Okay, so let's start here.

Mike, tell me more about this little town.

What is it actually like?

Well, it's small.

Old buildings, narrow little streets, a tiny market square.

It's very quaint.

Ooh, quaint.

That's a lovely word.

Can you explain it for everyone?

Sure.

Quaint means small, old, and charming, in a cute way, like a place from a postcard.

Yes.

So, an old town with little stone houses and a tiny bakery.

You'd say, oh, it's so quaint.

Exactly.

It's a compliment.

It means pretty and charming, but in an old-fashioned way.

I like that.

But Mike, be honest.

Quaint also means there's nothing to do, right?

Okay, sometimes.

When people can't think of anything good to say, they say, it's quaint.

It's quaint is the polite way to say, I was bored out of my mind.

Wait, hold on.

When the town makes me feel that way, am I bored or boring?

I always mix those two up.

Ooh, classic trap.

Think about it.

Does the feeling describe you or the town?

Right.

The feeling is inside me, so I'll say bored.

Exactly.

You were bored.

The town was boring.

Nice one.

See, even I need a quiz sometimes.

But my town really is charming.

It's just also very far away.

How far?

Sarah, we are out in the sticks.

Out in the sticks.

Explain that one.

It's a great phrase.

Out in the sticks means far out in the countryside, far from the cities, far from everything.

Very rural.

So no big shops, no train station, just fields and quiet?

Fields, quiet, cows, and one roundabout.

Back to the roundabout.

Okay, that's a great phrase.

I grew up out in the sticks.

Very natural, very British.

And honestly, I kind of loved it out there, but we'll come back to that.

Mysterious.

Okay, listeners, quick one for you.

What is your hometown famous for?

And don't say nothing, everywhere is famous for something.

Tell us in the comments.

We're so curious.

Okay, my turn.

Sarah, you grew up in a big city.

Tell everyone what that's like.

I did, and I love it.

My city is busy, full of people, full of noise.

It's very bustling.

Bustling.

100

That's a perfect word for a city.

101

Yes, bustling means full of busy activity.

102

Lots of people moving around.

103

Lots of energy.

104

The market was bustling with people.

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So a bustling street is a busy, lively street with lots happening.

106

Exactly.

107

And my city is also huge.

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It just goes on and on and on.

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It's very sprawling.

110

Ooh, sprawling.

111

What does that mean?

112

Sprawling means spread out over a very large area, like a city that grows and grows in every direction.

113

So you can drive for an hour and you're still in the same city?

114

Yes, that's a sprawling city.

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London is a sprawling city.

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It just keeps going.

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See, that sounds stressful to me.

118

Sometimes it is.

119

When it's too crowded, too noisy, too many people, I feel claustrophobic.

120

That's a big word.

121

Break it down for us.

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Claustrophobic means you feel trapped, like there's no space and you can't breathe.

123

Usually we use it for small rooms.

124

Like a tiny elevator with 10 people squeezed inside.

125

Exactly.

126

But you can also feel claustrophobic in a huge crowd.

127

Too many people, too close.

128

The train was so full, I felt claustrophobic.

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See, this is my point.

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In my town, you never feel claustrophobic.

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No, because there's no one there.

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There are people.

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Sometimes.

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Sometimes.

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Okay, listeners, this is the big question of the day.

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Small town or big city, which one are you?

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Comment right now and tell us your team.

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Team city or team quiet?

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Team quiet, obviously.

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Of course you're team quiet.

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Okay, let me ask you something about your bustling, sprawling city.

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How do you even get around?

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Oh, public transport.

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Buses, trains, the metro.

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I almost never drive.

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See, that's so different.

147

In my town, you drive everywhere.

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There's no bus.

149

No bus at all?

150

There's one bus.

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It comes twice a day.

152

And if you miss it, you walk.

153

Twice a day?

154

That's not a bus.

155

That's a special event.

156

It kind of is.

157

But here's the funny part.

158

In a small town, you don't really need it.

159

Everything is close.

160

Everything is within walking distance.

161

Ah, within walking distance.

162

That's a useful phrase.

163

It means close enough to walk there.

164

Right.

165

The shop, my friend's house, the school, all within walking distance.

166

Or, wait, do I say I go to work on foot or I go to work by foot?

167

Help me out, Sarah.

168

Ooh, sneaky one.

169

We say by car, by bus, by train, but walking is special.

170

Hmm, right.

171

It's the odd word out.

172

So it's on foot.

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I go to work on foot.

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Exactly.

175

By car, but on foot.

176

That one catches everyone.

177

Alright, here's something interesting about both our places.

178

They change over time.

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Oh, that's true.

180

My city looks completely different now.

181

Mine too.

182

There's an old part of my town that's not great.

183

It's pretty run down.

184

Run down.

185

That's a really useful one.

186

What does it mean?

187

Run down means old and in bad condition.

188

Broken, dirty.

189

Nobody is taking care of it.

190

So, a run down building is an old building that's falling apart?

191

Exactly.

192

That part of town is really run down.

193

Half the shops are closed.

194

We have areas like that too.

195

But here's the funny thing.

196

Some of those run down areas become cool.

197

Oh, you mean they become up and coming.

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Yes, up and coming.

199

Tell them what that means.

200

I love this word.

201

Up and coming means a place that's becoming popular and improving fast.

202

It's not famous yet, but it's getting there.

203

So first it's run down, then artists move in, then little cafes open, and suddenly it's up and coming.

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And then it's expensive.

205

Always.

206

There's this one street near me.

207

It's been popular, do I say for five years or since five years?

208

Good one to pause on.

209

Is five years a period of time or a starting point?

210

It's a length of time.

211

Five whole years.

212

So I'll go with four.

213

Spot on.

214

For five years, a period.

215

Since 2019, a point in time.

216

Easy to mix up.

217

So there's this one street near me, five years ago, empty and sad.

218

Now a fancy coffee shop.

219

right next to a shop that's been closed since I was a kid.

220

That's so funny.

221

A $5 coffee right next to a broken window.

222

That's an up-and-coming area in one sentence.

223

And usually all this new stuff gets built on the outskirts, right?

224

Good one.

225

On the outskirts means on the edge of a town or city, not the center, the outer part.

226

So new shopping centers, new houses, they build them on the outskirts because there's more space.

227

Exactly.

228

We live on the outskirts of the city, so it's a bit quieter.

229

Very common, very useful.

230

We live on the outskirts of town.

231

Nice and smooth.

232

You'll hear that one all the time.

233

I like the outskirts, actually.

234

Close to the city, but not in the chaos.

235

Of course you like the outskirts.

236

You like anything quiet.

237

Who's team quiet now?

238

Okay, okay.

239

Maybe just a little bit.

240

Mike, I have to ask.

241

What do you actually miss about your town and keep it real?

242

Honestly?

243

The food.

244

Ooh, the food.

245

Always the food.

246

There's this little bakery near the famous roundabout.

247

This bakery makes fresh bread every morning, and the smell?

248

Oh, I miss that smell.

249

See, that I understand.

250

Food is the thing everyone misses.

251

What about you?

252

What do you miss?

253

The food, too, honestly.

254

There's a tiny noodle place near my old flap.

255

Cheap, busy, a little messy, but the best food in the city.

256

And you can't find it anywhere else?

257

Nowhere.

258

I've tried.

259

It's never the same.

260

The hometown version is always better.

261

It's true.

262

Food from home just hits different.

263

Hits different?

264

Listen to you using the slang.

265

I'm a cool guy, Sarah.

266

You have a famous roundabout, Mike.

267

You're not cool.

268

Rude.

269

Okay, listeners, here's a fun one.

270

What food do you miss from your hometown?

271

Tell us in the comments.

272

And now I'm hungry, so make it good.

273

Okay, but here's something I think is really special about small towns.

274

Oh, you're admitting small towns are special now.

275

Don't get excited.

276

But in a small town, everyone knows everyone, right?

277

Oh, completely.

278

We call that a close-knit community.

279

Close-knit.

280

Explain that one.

281

Close-knit means the people are very close and connected.

282

They know each other, they help each other, like one big family.

283

That sounds lovely, actually.

284

It is.

285

Until you do something embarrassing and the whole town knows by lunchtime.

286

Oh, no. Oh, yes.

287

You drop your shopping in the street at 9 in the morning, and by noon, your grandmother has heard about it.

288

That's the dark side of close-knit.

289

Word gets around fast.

290

Everyone knows your business.

291

Word gets around.

292

That means news or gossip spreads quickly.

293

Very quickly.

294

In a small town, you can't keep a secret.

295

In your big city, nobody even knows your name.

296

That's true.

297

My neighbors and I just nod at each other.

298

Twelve years, I still don't know their names.

299

Twelve years?

300

Twelve years.

301

We nod.

302

That's our whole relationship.

303

See, that's a bit sad, though.

304

It is a bit sad.

305

Okay, fine.

306

Point to the small town.

307

Okay, now it's time.

308

The big one.

309

The thing small towns do better.

310

Remember I promised this?

311

I remember.

312

Go on, convince me.

313

Small towns feel like home, even when they're small and old and far away.

314

They feel warm.

315

They feel homely.

316

Homely.

317

Nice.

318

What does that mean?

319

Homely means simple, warm, and comfortable.

320

Not fancy, but cozy.

321

The kind of place where you instantly feel relaxed.

322

So, a homely little house with a warm kitchen and a soft sofa?

323

Yes.

324

Their kitchen is so homely, I never want to leave.

325

It's a lovely feeling.

326

Okay, that is a beautiful word.

327

I'll give you that one.

328

And here's my real point.

329

When I first moved away, I missed it.

330

The quiet.

331

The friendly faces.

332

The bakery.

333

The town I always called boring.

334

Aw, see?

335

This is where you go soft.

336

A little.

337

But here's the thing about hometowns.

338

Even the quiet, quaint, out-in-the-sticks ones, they grow on you.

339

Ooh, it grows on you.

340

That's a great phrase.

341

Explain it.

342

It grows on you means you like something more and more over time.

343

At first you're not sure, but slowly you love it.

344

So maybe you didn't like a place at first, and now you love it.

345

So would I say it grew on me or it growed on me?

346

Ha!

347

Careful.

348

Grow is an irregular verb.

349

It doesn't follow the normal rule.

350

Right.

351

No ED for this one.

352

So the past is grew.

353

It grew on me.

354

Spot on.

355

Grow, grew, grown.

356

Never growed.

357

Good catch.

358

It really grew on me.

359

You can use this for anything.

360

A city, a meal, a person.

361

I didn't like this song at first, but it really grew on me.

362

Supernatural.

363

That's my favorite phrase of the whole episode.

364

That's my whole argument, by the way.

365

Big city, small town, doesn't matter.

366

Your hometown grows on you.

367

Okay, that was actually sweet, Mike.

368

I'm impressed.

369

Was it the roundabout?

370

Did the roundabout win you over?

371

No, absolutely not the roundabout.

372

One day, Sarah.

373

One day you'll love that roundabout.

374

Don't push your luck.

375

Right.

376

Before we go through the words one more time, let's get your mouth moving.

377

Repeat each line after us.

378

Say it right out loud.

379

I grew up out in the sticks.

380

It's within walking distance.

381

We live on the outskirts of town.

382

This place really grew on me.

383

Lovely work.

384

Those four will sound great in a real conversation.

385

All right, now let's do a quick recap of all today's words.

386

First, quaint, small, old, and charming.

387

What a quaint little village.

388

Out in the sticks, far out in the countryside.

389

I grew up out in the sticks.

390

Bustling, full of busy activity.

391

A bustling city street.

392

Sprawling.

393

Spread out over a big area.

394

A sprawling city.

395

Claustrophobic.

396

Feeling trapped with no space.

397

The crowd made me feel claustrophobic.

398

Run down.

399

Old and in bad condition.

400

A run-down old building.

401

Up and coming.

402

Becoming popular and improving fast.

403

It's an up-and-coming area.

404

On the outskirts, on the edge of a town or city.

405

We live on the outskirts.

406

Homely.

407

Simple, warm, and comfortable.

408

Their home is so homely.

409

And it grows on you.

410

You like it more over time.

411

This place really grew on me.

412

We also had a few bonus phrases.

413

Within walking distance, close knit, and word gets around.

414

Those are so useful for talking about where you're from.

415

They really are.

416

And now we want to hear from you.

417

Yes.

418

Tell us in the comments, where are you from?

419

And give us one word to describe it.

420

Is it quaint, bustling, run down, out in the sticks?

421

And one more thing.

422

Tell us one thing you miss and one thing you would never miss. Be honest.

423

We won't tell anyone.

424

We read every single comment, so don't be shy.

425

And if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give us a like.

426

Share it with a friend from your hometown.

427

They'll know exactly what we mean.

428

Thank you so much for spending time with us today.

429

Keep practicing, keep talking, and remember, even a town with one roundabout has a story.

430

Stay curious, everyone, and we'll see you in the next episode.

431

Bye, everyone.

432

Goodbye.

433

you

ما هي تقنية التظليل الصوتي؟

التظليل الصوتي (Shadowing) تقنية تعلم لغة مدعومة علمياً، طُورت أصلاً لتدريب المترجمين الفوريين المحترفين. الطريقة بسيطة لكنها قوية: تستمع لصوت إنجليزي أصلي وتكرره فوراً بصوت عالٍ — كظل يتبع المتحدث بتأخير 1-2 ثانية. تُظهر الأبحاث تحسناً كبيراً في دقة النطق والتنغيم والإيقاع وربط الأصوات والاستماع والطلاقة.

تدريب Shadowing: Speak About Your Hometown in English | Easy English Podcast - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية عبر الفيديو

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