Shadowing Practice: Aging Like a Fine Wine | British English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

547 sentences

If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and good night, everybody, and welcome back to British English Pod,

your weekly podcast where I speak relatively slowly and clearly, going over different topics that I teach in class,

teaching you slang, phrasal verbs, expressions, and much more.

So, I hope you're ready to enjoy some comprehensible input about this week's topic,

all related to aging.

So buckle up, lean back, or if you're going for a walk, you know, just close your eyes and enjoy.

So let's begin.

Yes, welcome, everybody.

As I said, today I'm going to be speaking all about aging, about getting older, something that scares most of us.

A lot of people are worried, anxious, and a little bit, I don't know, apprehensive about getting older.

But it's something that happens to all of us.

It's part of life.

So I guess all we have to do is embrace it and try to age gracefully.

Age like a fine wine.

And I know some people say you shouldn't ask someone their age.

And some people get offended when you ask them how old they are.

For me, I don't mind if people ask me.

And I don't think it should be a problem to ask other people.

But let me know in the comments.

Do you think it's wrong to ask someone their age?

Should we avoid this question when you're getting to know someone or not?

Let me know in the comments.

And if you don't mind sharing, let me know.

How old are you?

You probably know this already, but I am.

And I always forget it.

In recent years, I'm realizing that I'm getting older because now I've kind of stopped counting.

I think since turning 30, I just say I'm in my 30s.

When in reality, I am 33.

Am I 33 or am I 34?

You see, this is what I mean.

I keep forgetting all of the time.

I don't know how it happens, but that is a sign that I'm getting old.

It is what it is.

But now I am 33 years young and this September I will be turning 34 years old,

which just the idea of turning 34 and then saying I'm in my mid-30s already sends shivers down my spine.

I'm like, oh, I'm in my mid-30s now.

It feels like yesterday when I was in my early 20s.

And as I was mentioning last week or maybe the week before, time really does fly.

It passes so quickly.

So that's why we should really try to seize the day, to take advantage of every day,

to make the most of every day, you know, carpe diem, seize the day.

But yeah, if you want to share with us, let us know in the comments.

How old are you?

And well, where are you from?

I'm 33 and I'm from England and let's begin with the topic with some usual conversation questions.

The first conversation question is would you like to live to a hundred years old?

Why or why not?

Well, yeah.

I mean, if I've got the opportunity to live until I'm a hundred then I'd probably say yes,

but it all depends on what kind of condition you will be in when you are a hundred years old.

If you're going to be a hundred and you're still able to walk and you're still able to eat,

and if you are able to have a little bit of independence and you're still seeing your family on a regular basis,

then absolutely, I would love to live until I am 100 years old.

But that's not usually the case.

Most people, when they reach their 80s or 90s, your health starts to decline.

For some people, they have great genes, so they're still in great shape.

They are fit as a fiddle at this point.

But I think most people, as you reach your 90s,

your ability to be free and independent does definitely suffer.

So if I could live to 100 being in great shape, absolutely, I would bite your hand off.

If I'm just going to be kind of suffering in a care home or a nursing home, then what's the point?

I might as well just say, to heaven I go, or hell, depending on how I have been behaving during my life.

But heaven, let's say heaven.

Number two, do you think age is just a number?

Because this is one of these very, very stereotypical quotes that people say,

usually to try to tell people as they're getting older, that it's not a big deal.

You're still young at heart.

You're still just a spring chicken.

So is age just a number?

Well, yes and no. Because there are some people who seem to age much faster than others.

And I don't really mean physically, but I mean psychologically, mentally.

Some people, as they get older, they just accept the fact that they are older

and they become less adventurous and they don't do as many fun things as they used to.

But then on the other hand,

I've met other people who are already relatively elderly and they keep living a very young, active life.

Here I compare grandparents in England and grandparents in Spain.

And I know I'm always using Spain as the example, but it's the country I have the most contact with.

But of course, what happens in Spain tends to be similar to what happens in many other Mediterranean countries

and perhaps in South America and maybe even Southeast Asia as well.

But in the UK, perhaps because of the weather, as you get older, you tend to stay in more.

You don't really socialize as much.

You might have one day per week when you might go shopping

or you might go to bingo club or another community club.

But you might have to get the bus there or you've got to get a lift.

And then maybe you'll see your family one day a week and it feels like a lonelier and more stagnant life.

While in Spain, what I've seen is that as people get older,

maybe because they live in city centers more often and they have a bigger sense of community,

their lifestyles and social lives don't change anywhere near as much as they do in the UK.

The weather obviously plays a part,

but you'll have granddads, grandmas going out for breakfast in the morning with their friends,

then they'll go for a quick walk, then they might meet some family in the evening, and it feels much more sociable.

And this is one of the things that helps us to live better for longer,

and is avoiding loneliness and staying as active as possible.

Because if you end up just being lazy and stationary without moving that much,

I feel like it speeds up the aging process.

So I think age is more noticeable in the UK compared to in Spain as a case study example,

where people seem to live better for longer.

That's what I'd say.

100

Now, number three, what habits help people age gracefully?

101

Well, here I'm recapping some of the points I made, but one habit is maintaining a good social life.

102

The next habit is, of course, eating lots of fruit and vegetables and a healthy diet.

103

Another one would be, I think, weightlifting.

104

And I don't do a lot of weightlifting at the moment, but I know I'm going to have to start doing it in particular as I reach my 50s

105

because I think this is

106

when your muscle mass starts to kind of disappear as you get older if you don't train it.

107

So weightlifting and doing strength training is really important as you start to become middle-aged and beyond.

108

So I think socializing, a healthy diet and weightlifting or exercise in general help people to age gracefully.

109

And I'd say having a good skincare routine as well, of course, makes an impact too.

110

Number four, should adult children look after their elderly parents?

111

Should adult children look after their elderly parents?

112

Um, yes, to a certain extent.

113

Of course, if your parents are getting older and they're becoming less independent, then you have to help them out.

114

You have to take care of them and look after them, obviously.

115

But there's only so much that you can do.

116

You can't completely sacrifice your life as your parents are getting older and require more help.

117

I think that's where the state has to intervene a little

118

bit to be able to help us grow older in a more dignified way.

119

Because your children, of course, should be helping you.

120

They should be going to see you as often as possible, socializing with you as often as possible, making plans with you.

121

This is the key role, I think.

122

And then if your elderly dad or mom needs a lift to the hospital

123

or to the doctors or they need to do something else, then of course you've got to be there for them.

124

But you can't just drop all of your commitments because, I guess, if you are looking after your parents,

125

you still have maybe your children to take care of.

126

So there's only so much you can do.

127

You can't juggle so many of these responsibilities.

128

So for that reason, I'd say

129

that maybe half of the responsibility lies with adult children

130

and the other half lies with the state to be able

131

to make it more affordable to hire a full-time carer or to organize different activities for people to age more gracefully.

132

Number five, what can society do to reduce loneliness among elderly people?

133

Now, I used to work at a kind of retirement activity center when I was in Seville.

134

And it's funny because I know,

135

well, I've heard that I have a couple of listeners who now attend those English classes.

136

So if you are listening, let me know because it is a company called Aires Creativos,

137

which is Creative Airs, literally translated.

138

And I used to work there just teaching, I think it was four hours per week.

139

So it was a couple of hours on Monday,

140

a couple of hours on Wednesday and this kind of retirement center would organize different trips,

141

classes, and random activities like a social club at a very, very, very affordable rate.

142

So when I was teaching, the classes were humongous.

143

There were like 35 people in this class, but they weren't really there to revolutionize their English level.

144

I think it was a combination of maybe already speaking a bit of English and wanting to improve it,

145

but also just to have somewhere to go to meet up with your mates, some kind of like sociable club.

146

So that's something that society can do.

147

I do think it's a really good idea for business to be able to open different centers with affordable prices

148

so that people, as they enter retirement, have somewhere to go where they can chat to people, stay in touch with them to reduce loneliness,

149

whilst also learning something at the same time.

150

You know, killing two birds with one stone.

151

So that is something that I think society should absolutely do.

152

Try to organize more social events for people as they get older.

153

And I think this is something that's about to happen.

154

And it is a change that is already being made.

155

It's already being put into place.

156

Because we know that in most of the Western world, so-called Western world, we have aging populations.

157

So you have more and more retired people and less and less young working people.

158

It's this demographic shift and change, which arguably is a big problem,

159

but it is what it is.

160

That is what is changing at the moment.

161

So businesses and our economy maybe needs to start to incentivize companies,

162

activities, courses for people who are in retirement because, well, if they have a pension,

163

then they're willing to spend it in order to maintain a high quality of life.

164

Good.

165

Now, one more question.

166

Number six, should the retirement age keep increasing?

167

Should the retirement age keep increasing?

168

Well, I know in France, I think a year ago or maybe two years ago,

169

there were lots of protests and there was a big strike because the president of France wanted to raise the retirement age.

170

And I think he wanted to raise it from 62 to 64 or something similar.

171

and to be honest at the time I remember looking

172

and thinking wow French people retire when they're 62 that's incredible

173

that is amazing like 60 the 60s and the new 50s

174

so that would be like me thinking that in 20 years I'd be retiring

175

and fair play to the French because as soon as they disagree with something that the main central government is doing,

176

they'll let you know, and they will go on strike, they will start protesting, and usually they get what they are kind of claiming.

177

So I think it's a lesson we could all learn from the French to really protest, strike, and fight for our rights.

178

But that being said, we have mentioned i have already said that we have an aging population

179

and france is no different so something's got to change because

180

if not the economy can't possibly keep giving people a great pension for

181

so many years when you have fewer and fewer people in the workforce because it is a zero-sum game.

182

Because if you have retired people getting a very good pension for so long, somebody's got to pay for it.

183

So who's paying for it?

184

Well, it's the young people who are working and paying extremely high taxes.

185

So there's got to be some kind of middle ground.

186

And I think it is quite acceptable to tell French people

187

that maybe they need to work for another two or three years,

188

which would probably still be below the average retirement age in the rest of Europe

189

and the rest of the world because the last time I checked in the UK,

190

I think it's when you're 67 or 66 when you get your public state pension.

191

Of course, sometimes you can take early retirement

192

and you can get your private pension and then a few years later get your state pension.

193

So I think it is inevitable that the retirement age continues to increase.

194

That's why each individual needs to take on a little bit of responsibility, knowing that we must, well,

195

save money and invest in properties

196

or the stock market to be able to have a little bit more financial independence when we reach 60,

197

70, 80 years old.

198

And that's where the magic of compound interest comes in.

199

Have you heard of compound interest?

200

I mentioned it maybe six months ago when the topic of the podcast was money, money, money, money.

201

Because if you invest 1000 euros right now in a global stock market and it increases on average 10% per year,

202

well, you have a snowball effect, a domino effect.

203

So then in 30 years,

204

this amount of money will have increased so much without you needing to invest that much more.

205

And this is the magic of compound interest.

206

Because what you have invested compounds, it multiplies over the years.

207

So that's something that I am aware of at the moment.

208

And I think more and more people are becoming aware of it

209

because we can't really rely on our governments to be able

210

to provide us a livable pension like people have now or like people from the last generation had.

211

I might be wrong.

212

Maybe AI and robotics will mean

213

that robots will do all of the work for us and states will be extremely generous and give us a very, very good pension.

214

But, you know, I'm a skeptic in many, many things, and this is no different.

215

Now, a couple of little questions related to the topic.

216

First one.

217

How do you feel about plastic surgery.

218

You know, Botox, getting a nose job, all of these different things to try to maintain a youthful experience,

219

experience, no, a youthful appearance as you age.

220

Now, personally, I'm not a big fan of plastic surgery, but I think everyone is free to do whatever they want.

221

If somebody wants to get plastic surgery because they have some kind of complexion that they don't feel very proud of,

222

then by all means, be my guest.

223

But I do think that a lot of celebrities take it a little bit too far.

224

And you'll notice celebrities who were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s

225

looking fantastic and youthful and they would continue to look great in their 50s 60s

226

and 70s but they just get a bit too much Botox

227

or too much plastic surgery so then

228

when they're smiling their skin doesn't change it's fixed it's set you can't see any wrinkles at all

229

so for that reason And I respect certain celebrities who are choosing to age gracefully without going under the knife.

230

Nice expression, to go under the knife is to get surgery.

231

Then we have anti-aging products, moisturizers, different creams.

232

And here I think this is a completely different debate and discussion.

233

Because I know many people use anti-aging products

234

and a lot of people use a daily moisturizer to try and rejuvenate your skin.

235

And this is something that I think makes sense.

236

And most people should do it, even if it's an extra expense on your monthly shopping list.

237

And I always keep telling myself that I'm going to do this.

238

And I keep saying,

239

Louis you should start moisturizing you should start wearing daily SPF protection to keep your skin looking good and youthful

240

but I keep putting it off I keep avoiding it I feel a bit lazy about it I must admit

241

because usually I am the typical guy so when I wake up I brush my teeth and I usually have a shower,

242

but if I don't have a shower, then I'll just put some water on my face.

243

And at night, I do the same thing.

244

I'll always brush my teeth and I just put some water on my face.

245

And I feel lazy about doing anything extra.

246

And I know some people will have a full nighttime cream routine of moisturizing.

247

And in the long run, it will probably pay dividends and it will probably look fantastic.

248

And their skin will look like the skin of a teenager when they're in their fifties.

249

So maybe this is a message to myself.

250

From tonight, I'm going to start moisturizing and using anti-aging products.

251

Let's see how I feel about it tomorrow.

252

Now, as usual, let's have a look at a dialogue.

253

The last couple of weeks, I've been reading texts, so I thought I'd return to some dialogues.

254

And it's a dialogue about how we age and get older.

255

So all I want you to do is listen and try to understand everything.

256

And if you didn't understand any expressions, well, I'm going to recap and go over them.

257

So do not worry.

258

And I'm going to try to change the voices.

259

And the conversation is between Sarah and Tom.

260

Okay, let's get started.

261

Sarah, have you noticed how our parents suddenly seem much older?

262

It feels like it happened overnight.

263

Tom, I know.

264

One minute they're running around after us, and the next they're talking about retirement, aching knees and reading glasses.

265

It's a bit of a reality check.

266

Sarah.

267

My dad keeps saying he's not as sprightly as he used to be, but he's still determined to do everything himself.

268

Tom.

269

That's pretty common.

270

A lot of older people don't like admitting they've slowed down.

271

They don't want others to think they're becoming frail.

272

Sarah.

273

My grandmother's exactly the same.

274

She'll refuse help even when she's clearly struggling to get about.

275

Tom.

276

Pride plays a huge part.

277

Nobody wants to lose their independence.

278

I think that's why some elderly people are reluctant to move into a care home.

279

Sarah.

280

True.

281

Although I can understand both sides.

282

Looking after an aging relative can really take its toll on families, especially if someone develops dementia.

283

Tom Definitely.

284

People often underestimate the emotional strain.

285

Being a full-time carer can be exhausting.

286

Sarah At the same time, I think many older people are unfairly written off.

287

Just because someone's in their 70s or 80s doesn't mean they're incapable.

288

Tom Exactly.

289

My neighbor's 82 and he's still sharp as a tack.

290

He does crossword puzzles every morning and somehow knows more about technology than I do.

291

Sarah.

292

That's brilliant.

293

It proves that staying mentally active really does pay dividends.

294

I suppose the odd saying, use it or lose it, has some truth to it.

295

Tom.

296

Absolutely.

297

And staying socially active matters just as much.

298

Loneliness can be every bit as damaging as physical illness.

299

Sarah.

300

I couldn't agree more.

301

Some retired people lose their sense of purpose because work gave their lives structure.

302

Tom.

303

Which is why hobbies are so important.

304

volunteering, joining clubs, or even learning a language can keep you on your toes.

305

Sarah.

306

It's funny, isn't it?

307

When we're young, we can't wait to grow up.

308

Then once we hit our 30s, we start worrying about getting older.

309

Tom.

310

That's human nature.

311

We spend years trying to fight the aging process, but it's inevitable.

312

Sarah.

313

Maybe the goal shouldn't be to stay young forever, but to age gracefully.

314

Tom.

315

I agree.

316

After all, getting older beats the alternative, right?

317

Okay, there we have the text, the dialogue.

318

I hope you liked it.

319

And what did they say?

320

Well, to recap, they were talking about how our parents get older

321

and they become frailer and they don't want to admit

322

that they are slowing down and they don't want to go to a care home either.

323

So they highlighted how important it is to have structure in their lives through hobbies, but also work as well.

324

And it's difficult to admit when you are getting older, but ultimately it's something that is always going to happen.

325

So we have no other choice but to age gracefully because, as they said right at the end,

326

the alternative definitely isn't a good option.

327

Okay, allow me to match these synonyms and then we'll keep having a chat.

328

The first one was happen overnight.

329

And if something happens overnight, it happens really quickly.

330

The second one is not as sprightly as he used to be.

331

And this is similar to the other expression, which is no longer a spring chicken.

332

And it means that you are no longer young and fit.

333

You're not as sprightly as you used to be.

334

The third one is keep you on your toes.

335

If something keeps you on your toes, it keeps you active and alert.

336

So let's see, which one is that?

337

Hmm, maybe it's not the best synonym, but it is continue to pay attention.

338

Stay alert.

339

It keeps you on your toes.

340

The fourth word is frail.

341

If you are frail, you are weak and it's usually associated with being weak because you are old.

342

The fifth one is struggle to get about.

343

We could also say struggle to get around.

344

Both of them would mean have difficulty moving.

345

I struggle to get about.

346

Now, I've used it multiple times.

347

If you age gracefully, it means that you get older in a good way.

348

You age like a fine wine.

349

After that, we have a full-time carer.

350

And a carer is someone who looks after you, who takes care of you.

351

So, it's someone who takes care 24-7, or at least almost 24-7.

352

The eighth phrase is be written off.

353

If you are written off, it means you are dismissed, ignored.

354

The dialogue said that a lot of older people tend to be written off when they're still able, just as able as everybody else.

355

Number nine is sharp as a tack.

356

Sharp as a tack.

357

And this one isn't that common, to be honest.

358

But if you are sharp as a tack, you're super sharp, it means you are very smart and alert despite your old age.

359

And then the 10th is pay dividends.

360

If your healthy lifestyle pays dividends, it means that it pays off.

361

It gives good results over the long term.

362

Think about, again, owning stocks.

363

If you own stocks, a lot of them pay you a dividend, a very, very small annual fee or quarterly fee.

364

Well, a payout.

365

So it's kind of giving you a reward for being patient and doing the right thing.

366

Awesome.

367

Now, let's do the gap fill.

368

Let's have a look at some more examples.

369

So, I'm going to read it twice.

370

The first time, I will just beep, and the second time, I'll fill in the gap.

371

Although she's 89, she's still beep and beats everyone at chess.

372

Although she's 89, she's still sharp as a tack and beats everyone at chess.

373

Looking after his father became a full-time job, so he eventually became a beep.

374

Looking after his father became a full-time job, so he eventually became a full-time carer.

375

She hopes to beep by staying active, eating well and maintaining a positive attitude.

376

She hopes to age gracefully by staying active, eating well and maintaining a positive attitude.

377

Since his hip operation, he's started to beep and rarely leaves the house alone.

378

Since his hip operation, he's started to struggle to get about and rarely leaves the house alone.

379

Success doesn't usually beep.

380

It often takes years of hard work.

381

Success doesn't usually happen overnight.

382

It often takes years of hard work.

383

People over 60 shouldn't beep simply because of their age.

384

Many have valuable experience to offer.

385

People over 60 shouldn't be written off simply because of their age.

386

Many have valuable experience to offer.

387

My granddad isn't not anymore,

388

but he still enjoys long walks whenever he can.

389

My granddad isn't as sprightly as he used to be anymore, but he still enjoys long walks whenever he can.

390

Regular exercise and reading every day will beep later in life.

391

Regular exercise and reading every day will pay dividends later in life.

392

Teaching teenagers certainly beep because you never know what they're gonna say next.

393

Teaching teenagers certainly keeps you on your toes because you never know what they're gonna say next.

394

And finally, after the illness, she looked incredibly beep and needed help standing up.

395

After the illness, she looked incredibly frail and needed help standing up.

396

So all of these words were quite advanced, quite difficult, quite tricky.

397

So I hope you're still here and following the lesson.

398

And now let's have a bit more of a chat.

399

I've got some more questions, but I'm not going to share them.

400

I'll just read a few of them out.

401

The first opinion is people over 70 should have regular driving tests.

402

What do you reckon?

403

What are your thoughts?

404

What side are you on?

405

I think that, you know, 70 is the new 60.

406

So perhaps people over 70 don't need to have regular driving tests.

407

Maybe if we're talking about 75,

408

closer to 80, then I think it becomes the moment when for everybody else's safety,

409

you've got to make sure that elderly people are still on the ball and able to focus,

410

concentrate and drive cautiously, carefully and safely.

411

So maybe 70 is too soon, but I'd say 75 to 80 is probably when once a year or every two years,

412

there should be a mini driving test to just make sure everything is still in its place.

413

The second opinion is retirement homes are better than living with family.

414

This one's quite a difficult one because it completely depends on your family situation.

415

If you are lucky enough to live in a huge house, then it's better living with family.

416

if i lived in a huge house

417

and we had a couple of extra bedrooms

418

and an extra bathroom then i do think

419

that maybe as your grandparents get older

420

if one of them is widowed then it could be a good idea to live with the family

421

if you've got a big enough family to take it in turns to look after grandma

422

or granddad because just one or just two people probably can't be responsible.

423

But then with retirement homes, they're very expensive.

424

I'm not sure how expensive they are in your country, but in the UK, they cost an arm and a leg.

425

They cost an absolute fortune.

426

My granddad, for example, he's in a nursing home, so it's more expensive because he needs more regular care from nurses.

427

But I think it's costing him upwards of $1,500 per week.

428

Let that sink in.

429

Let that sink in.

430

so obviously it's an absolute fortune and it's a nice place for him

431

and he was lucky to have inherited property from his sister

432

so then he had the disposable income before going into the retirement home

433

but if he hadn't had this money then the state would be paying for it but in a maybe cheaper place.

434

So yeah, retirement homes are so expensive.

435

So if you can live with family, I do think it's better.

436

Next question.

437

Hmm.

438

Is there anything you're worried about as you age?

439

Well, I know that I don't do a lot of checkups when it comes to my health, and I keep thinking to myself, well, I'm only young.

440

I don't need to go to the doctors for an annual checkup.

441

I'm only in my early 30s.

442

But then, as I approach my 40s,

443

I'm probably going to have to go to the doctors once a year or something similar to just make sure everything's okay, because, you know, the famous expression.

444

What was it?

445

Better safe than sorry.

446

So I'm kind of worried about having to go to the doctors quite often because I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac.

447

But again, you just have to accept it and move on.

448

And then the other thing I'm slightly worried about is, of course, illness, disease.

449

And God forbid I ever got anything like dementia,

450

because I think dementia is maybe one of the cruelest illnesses that anybody can develop.

451

Because okay, cancer is horrible, and it kills so many people around the world all of the time. But what's better?

452

To keep your brain's ability and suffer physically until unfortunately you pass away?

453

Or to slowly realize that you're losing the ability to recognize your loved ones,

454

remember their names, remember what you lived together, and then of course pass away in the end anyway?

455

Okay.

456

I think it's a no-brainer.

457

It's very clear that you would rather suffer physically

458

rather than suffering psychologically and mentally and not being able to remember your husband or your wife or your children.

459

So that's something that, to be honest, I don't lose a lot of sleep over it because I'm still young, I think.

460

but when I see elderly loved ones,

461

it's something that does cross my mind. And one more question.

462

If scientists discovered a way to stop aging, would you use it?

463

Would you take it?

464

Hmm.

465

Well, first of all, I think if scientists did develop a way to stop aging.

466

It probably wouldn't be available for everybody, at least not at first.

467

At the beginning, it would be available for the rich and famous, of course, like everything in a capitalistic world.

468

But if I had the choice to be forever young,

469

well, I think I would probably consider it.

470

But I'm not sure.

471

It depends on the rest of society.

472

If I did it, and the rest of my friends and family did it, then go ahead.

473

Let's go.

474

Let's go.

475

Let's live forever.

476

Okay.

477

Now, speaking about that, I don't know about you, but do you recognize this guy?

478

Have you ever seen him?

479

Have you heard of him?

480

So if you're not watching, I'm showing my screen right now and it is an American called Brian Johnson

481

and he's a billionaire from selling a previous tech company

482

and in the last maybe five years he's embarked on a personal mission to stop aging

483

and I think his campaign is called Don't Die and he's got a very active YouTube profile

484

where he posts lots of scientific research,

485

exercise, diet, all of these different things to try to find the way

486

and spread information on how to live a high quality life for as long as possible and ultimately live forever.

487

So I encourage you to check out his YouTube because some of it's quite interesting,

488

but he's clearly a little bit mental.

489

He's one of these people who is clearly not willing to accept nature's and humanity's path of,

490

well, being born and dying.

491

He wants to hold on to his life at all costs.

492

But nevertheless, it's still interesting to see the conclusions that he draws from different tests and studies.

493

But let's finish with a little bit of vocabulary.

494

So now, before we wrap it up, I encourage you to watch the screen and you can see some images and you have to guess the word.

495

The first one, what is it?

496

What is it?

497

Well, it's an old lady sat on a bench next to a nurse or a full-time carer.

498

So this is showing a care home.

499

And remember, we have care homes and nursing homes, but nursing homes include a bit more professional help.

500

The next one, what we can see is some wrinkles, some wrinkles on a woman's forehead.

501

Next, we have fake teeth.

502

In English, fake teeth that you often get as you get older, they are known as dentures, dentures.

503

Here we have a man and it looks like he's very dapper, very stylish.

504

And what is he holding?

505

He is holding a walking stick.

506

As you get older, most people end up walking using a walking stick.

507

Now, this guy's not that old, but when I was looking for images,

508

I was trying to find the posture of what happens to your back if you don't maintain a healthy posture.

509

So right now he is hunched over.

510

He's hunched over and this shows that he's developing some kind of hunchback,

511

like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

512

And this woman, you can see quite close up that she's got bags under her eyes.

513

Some people, when they're very tired and as they get older, they might have bags under their eyes.

514

Now, similar to a walking stick, it's the one where you sit down and somebody can push you.

515

It is, of course, a wheelchair.

516

A wheelchair.

517

Now we can see a relatively young man whose hair is starting to disappear,

518

but in particular at the sides.

519

This is a receding hairline.

520

So if you are receding, it means that your hairline is going back.

521

And usually if this is happening, you don't have gray hair.

522

Now we can see Pierce Brosnan with lovely grey hair.

523

And a man with grey hair who's stylish or attractive, we call him a silver fox.

524

Now we have an image of a woman who I don't think needs this.

525

But hey, I guess they're trying to show that it could look quite attractive and youthful.

526

But this woman is using something to help her walk, which usually is associated with people with very limited mobility.

527

It is a Zimmer frame.

528

A Zimmer frame.

529

Now, if you have a lot of wrinkles just on the outside of your eyes, they're known as crow's feet.

530

Crow's feet.

531

And I believe this is the last one.

532

If you have trouble hearing, what do you need?

533

What do you use?

534

Well, you use a hearing aid.

535

It aids you, helps you to hear.

536

Simple.

537

Now, I think we're probably going to wrap it up there, but I'm curious.

538

The question that I answered earlier.

539

If you had the opportunity to live until 100 years old, would you want to do it or not?

540

Let me know in the comments.

541

Thank you everybody for watching.

542

I hope you enjoyed this podcast all related to aging.

543

And if you want to discuss this topic and many, many, many, many more using these PowerPoints, you can join the British English Immersion Club,

544

my monthly subscription of group classes, or you can download my application and you can also have private classes

545

if you just want one-on-one and as much speaking as possible.

546

So thank you everybody and I'll see you next time.

547

Bye-bye!

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence

IPA PracticeMaster every sound

VocabularyBuild your word bank

Vocab GameLearn while playing

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

📺 Same Channel

✨ Recommend Video

27 sentences

IELTS Tutor Session: Ageing Populations and Caring for the Elderly

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

237 sentences

How to Leave a Conversation in British English Without Sounding Rude

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

157 sentences

If you're under 30, please watch this video…

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

207 sentences

Stop Saying "I'm Fine" 😮 Say THIS Instead to Sound Like a Native | Talk About Feelings in English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

169 sentences

6.3k

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

241 sentences

Quick Thinks: How to Have Better Conversations About Aging

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

253 sentences

English Listening Podcast - Why is it Hard to Become Advanced?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

68 sentences

Why Does Time Feel Faster As We Get Older?｜全英Talk：长大之后，时间越过越快？如何应对时间贫困？

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

172 sentences

The Daily Habits That Could Add Years to Your Life | This Morning

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

274 sentences

English Podcast for Easy ESL Conversation in Daily Life | Don’t Waste Your Life | Learn English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 547 sentences and 6124 words to shadow. The speech runs for 50:18. The speaker talks at a steady 122 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pension noun	/ˈpɛnʃən/	An annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, serviceman etc. in consideration of past services, originally and chiefly by a government but…
elderly adjective	/ˈɛldɚli/	old; having lived for relatively many years.
topic noun	/ˈtɑpɪk/	A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
sharp adjective	/ʃɑɹp/	Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
nurse noun	/nɝs/	Anyone performing this role, regardless of training or profession.
dividend noun	/ˈdɪvɪdɛnd/	A cash payment of money by a company to its shareholders, usually made periodically (e.g., quarterly or annually).
illness noun	/ˈɪl.nəs/	An instance (episode) of a disease or poor health.
toe noun	/təʊ/	Each of the five digits on the end of the human foot.
retire verb	/ɹəˈtaɪɹ/	To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.
youthful adjective	/ˈjuθfəl/	Young or seeming young.
invest verb	/ɪnˈvɛst/	To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in.
dialogue noun	/ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/	A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals.
overnight adverb	/əʊvə(ɹ)ˈnaɪt/	During or throughout the night, especially during the evening or night just past.
compound noun	/ˈkɑmpaʊnd/	Anything made by combining several things.
loneliness noun	/ˈloʊnlinəs/	A feeling of depression resulting from being alone or from having no companions.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
write off verb		To reduce the book value of (an asset) to zero.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.
go under verb		To descend into a body of water; to founder.
slow down verb		To decelerate.
stand up verb		To rise from a lying or sitting position.
check out verb		To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
close up verb	/kləʊzˈʌp/	To close (remove a gap) completely or fully.
get around verb		To move to the other side of (something, such as an obstruction) by deviating from a direct course or following a curved path.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 157 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: youthful /ˈjuθfəl/, nevertheless /ˌnɛvɚðəˈlɛs/, eighth /eɪtθ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pension /ˈpɛnʃən/, sharp /ʃɑɹp/, dementia /dɪˈmɛnʃə/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, stylish /ˈstaɪlɪʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, affordable /əˈfɔɹ.də.bəl/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, inevitable /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbəl/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pension, elderly, topic.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to work · used to be
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	have been behaving · I've been reading
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've met · I've seen · I've heard
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being made · being put · being said

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Aging Like a Fine Wine | British English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

How to go from B1 to C1 in English

British English Conversation about Living Abroad

How to go from B1-C1 in English | 10 Steps to follow

English Idiom Masterclass | British English Pod

20 British English Phrases That Textbooks Don't Teach You!

Walk & Talk By The Beach | Comprehensible Input in English

Can you understand this British English Conversation?

It's my BIRTHDAY! | British English Podcast

Improve your English with SHORT STORIES | British English Podcast

Walk & Talk in the English Countryside | Comprehensible Input

British English Shadowing with 25 Phrasal Verbs | PART TWO

Kitchen Vocabulary with Mum | Comprehensible Input in English

British English Conversation about FAMILY with my Mum

Can you understand this British English Conversation?

How to speak about Business in English

IELTS Tutor Session: Ageing Populations and Caring for the Elderly

How to Leave a Conversation in British English Without Sounding Rude

If you're under 30, please watch this video…

Stop Saying "I'm Fine" 😮 Say THIS Instead to Sound Like a Native | Talk About Feelings in English

6.3k

Quick Thinks: How to Have Better Conversations About Aging

English Listening Podcast - Why is it Hard to Become Advanced?

Why Does Time Feel Faster As We Get Older?｜全英Talk：长大之后，时间越过越快？如何应对时间贫困？

The Daily Habits That Could Add Years to Your Life | This Morning

English Podcast for Easy ESL Conversation in Daily Life | Don’t Waste Your Life | Learn English

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?