Shadowing Practice: Can you understand this ADVANCED ENGLISH chat using Superlatives? - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

577 sentences

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

And I'll be dreaming and thinking like,

oh, my teeth are falling out or it's like my teeth are becoming loose.

So it's as if I would brush my teeth the next day

and then my front tooth would become loose and fall out.

And I'm like, oh, no, this is like my worst nightmare.

I don't want this to happen.

My teeth aren't the best they're a little bit crooked

but still imagine losing one of your two front teeth and this happens on a regular basis.

Hello hello hello welcome back everybody to another British English conversation with me

and my mum and you might be able to see

that it looks pretty bright and sunny both here in brussels

and over there back in west yorkshire so mum is it a nice sunny day over there

hello everyone yes it's absolutely beautiful it's spring light the sun is shining um

i'm going pink for you know the season um yes

it's it's a lovely day i'm feeling better i've been full of cold streaming eyes um

so everything's looking good i could be tempting fate when i there is.

It might suddenly start to rain.

I'll get another cold.

But yeah, it's lovely.

It's a beautiful day.

Well, hopefully you don't tempt fate.

And if you tempt fate, it's like you say something positive, maybe optimistic, and then typically something bad would happen after.

It's like Murphy's Law, right?

If anything bad could happen, it will happen.

So hopefully you're not tempting fate but let's get started

because we've got another kind of continuation of what we did a few weeks ago

when we were chatting about different simple questions using comparatives

and we thought well we might as well continue with something similar with like 15 different conversation questions each using a superlative.

So mum you've done your homework right you've been preparing i just didn't want to be caught out

if you asked me something and my mind would just go blank

so i'm i have a rough idea of what you're going to ask me

but i'll just i'll just blag it

if not i'll just be off the cuff

and just answer whatever springs to mind fantastic

and of course as you use natural advanced words

and phrases i'll do my best to explain them as well someone said that she'll just blag it.

If you blag something, it's kind of like you wing it.

You play it by ear.

You do something, adapting and improvising without having pre -prepared it.

And she also said that I'll be speaking off the cuff.

And if you do something off the cuff, you do it in the moment without having prepared it in advance.

So fingers crossed, it goes well.

so mum the first question I'm going to ask you I'm just going to share my screen briefly

so then people can see which questions I'm asking my mum

and which ones she will be asking me

so the first one is a nice beautiful one

so mum what's the most beautiful place you've ever been to

and why was it

so beautiful well to be honest our holidays now seem to be based on where you are

so obviously you went to the university of liverpool you got your degree you did the spanish

and the italian so we have been to spain and italy

and italy quite a lot so um palermo in sicily was lovely

but my favorite has to be seville and the most beautiful place

if you haven't been it's the cathedral it's absolutely it's gorgeous inside

but you can actually walk up the tower as well

and i hate heights so you know this was something

that i really i don't know i was undecided whether to do it

but it's a it's a wonderful structure it's solid at the top

and you can see the whole city

and that's just the most beautiful place i've ever been to

but we also live near the orchardale

so sometimes you don't have to go somewhere special

you don't have to go a long way you can just find beauty in nature

or just nearby to where if you know

if you're lucky enough to live somewhere close to the countryside now i concur with you absolutely

that seville is one of the most beautiful cities in the world

i know we have some people from spain listening

and i'm sure they'll be happy like come on yes spain and it is gorgeous it's jaw -droppingly beautiful.

And it's strange because usually most people associate beauty with the beach and oceans.

And Seville, I mean, it has a beautiful river, but it doesn't have the beach.

It's, if you ask me, the only downside about Seville, if only it had a beach just 10 minutes away,

then I'd be like saying, all right, it's perfect.

It's unbeatable.

But no, it doesn't have one, unfortunately.

and continuing with the same kind of topic um what's the best holiday

you've ever been on the best holiday you've ever had we've had lots of lovely holidays um

but i am quite sentimental so i would say

that the best holidays are going back years and years

when you and your sister that you were just small children

and there's just something about just simple holidays then

and obviously your little cousin came along as well obviously there's an age gap

and it just it was somewhere called primrose valley near filey it was actually a caravan holiday

so we're all packed in those are those grandparents auntie uncle cousin it was i think it was

because we were all together i mean ironically we do still go not in a caravan we're too big for

that and we we've got a bit more choosy, we like a bit more luxury and space and more amenities,

but they were the best memories, yeah.

Just that innocence of childhood.

Perfect.

And I enjoyed it too.

No, I mean, in my case, I'll always cherish these moments and really adore spending time with grandparents,

auntie, uncle, little cousin, and we'd always go

and we'd stay in this very small caravan

so we'd all be kind of sleeping on the sofas at least the kids would be sleeping on the sofas

but that's what made it memorable and what made it cool

because when all the grown -ups went to bed that'd be

when we'd maybe play cards

or we'd be having a look at the neighbors to see what they'd be doing it was

when we had a little moment of mischief

and maybe even calling a random number and saying hello I am your mum

100

so we would prank call people when we were very very young

101

and that's what made it I think memorable yes I thought you were having midnight feasts

102

but we're all very innocent as well we were just kids we were having a good time

103

And that's why it's very memorable.

104

And, you know, times have changed.

105

We don't want to be staying on the sofa, you know, sleeping over until late at night.

106

But you look back on these things and think, oh, what a time.

107

What a lovely moment.

108

you see i'd also add to that that my best holidays have been

109

when i've been traveling around in far places going on big adventures

110

and i remember because i was speaking to a student from brazil earlier

111

when i went to iguaçu which is one of the seven wonders of the world

112

And it's a bunch of waterfalls on the border between

113

Brazil and Argentina and Paraguay.

114

And this was whilst I was still at university.

115

And because everything was so strange, alien, foreign and different, it made it so exciting.

116

So that's why maybe my time traveling around

117

South America, Argentina and Brazil, that was when I was like, oh, this is amazing

118

but for completely different reasons to why I also loved my holidays with the family and staying in a caravan.

119

Completely different reasons.

120

Awesome.

121

And now we've spoken about our best holidays.

122

So let's move on to our worst.

123

Mum, can you think of any bad trips that you've been on?

124

well i can

125

and it was actually well we have been on some some not great holidays your dad

126

and i but the worst one unfortunately was our honeymoon and

127

that was because we got married in september

128

and bear in mind this was before the internet

129

so you couldn't look at all the pictures online

130

so you just sent off and you got a brochure a sort of a leaflet

131

and i should have known

132

when it was a drawing it was a sketch of a hotel

133

so that should have raised alarm bells rather than the photograph

134

so when we turned up it was next to it was scruffy it was next to a busy road

135

I think they'd virtually closed for the holiday season, so we were the only people staying there.

136

When we went for breakfast in the morning, there was literally our table, one waiter.

137

The chairs were on all the other tables, and there was dust sheets.

138

It was just crazy.

139

But it got better because it couldn't have gotten much worse

140

because the room was scruffy scruffy the the drawers the covers everything was falling apart the wardrobe

141

so we actually then drove around and found a really really posh hotel

142

and the only thing is we could then only afford to stay two more nights instead of the full week

143

so it was a short honeymoon it started off badly

144

but it got way better quite

145

so i mean this is not not a good sign

146

that your worst trip was your honeymoon

147

but we have been married over 40 years now

148

so something went right it didn't end the marriage at least thank god for

149

that thank god for that it wouldn't be here

150

and you said it was scruffy so the place you stayed in was very scruffy

151

and scruffy is a nice adjective

152

which means like a bit messy a bit dirty

153

it's kind of the opposite of somewhere that's tidy it's posh it's nice

154

so yeah you stayed in a scruffy hotel it's kind of like a dodgy place

155

all right cool now um mom could you ask me the next question i don't know

156

if you've got any notes over there

157

or what what's the question please it is about the most interesting person

158

you've ever met okay lewis who is the most interesting person you've ever met well i'm not sure

159

because interesting could be uh interpreted in different ways

160

because often british people we will say ah that's interesting

161

and we will like pause and hesitate when usually what you're meaning

162

when you say that someone or something is interesting is saying

163

that it's a bit strange or it's a bit unusual

164

so I've met many very interesting or unusual people

165

but I think they are interesting for good reasons as well

166

because you can learn from these people

167

so there are many people who are great storytellers

168

and they tell amazing stories and

169

that would therefore be a very interesting person like granddad for example was very interesting

170

because he was a great storyteller

171

but then there are other people like for example one of my students is a football manager

172

and he's spanish and has managed in different countries at a high level

173

and i love having classes with him

174

because i get to find out all of these interesting things

175

and stories about places he's been people he's met

176

and then of course there are interesting people who are just a little bit weird

177

and mum how about you can you think of any very interesting people

178

that you've met well

179

I haven't really met anybody famous as such um interesting for

180

me like you say is how do you define interesting i worked with somebody

181

when i worked at british telecom years and years ago

182

and she had traveled everywhere there's no children

183

so their whole life as they just booked holiday after holiday

184

and the thing she could tell you was marvelous it was lovely but

185

after a while it's that's just second hand to me

186

so sometimes i had a teacher of english literature

187

and she was very well read so she could debate things

188

so she was interesting she could you know discuss things so

189

that made her an interesting person me not so much i think you're an interesting person of course back yourself

190

all right moving swiftly on to the fifth question

191

and of course now we gotta focus a little bit on food

192

so we'll start with what's the tastiest meal you've ever eaten

193

and in my case the tastiest meal I've ever eaten

194

I can't quite put my finger on it I can't quite say exactly one meal

195

that was the tastiest I've ever eaten

196

but every time I do go back to um my fiance's house back in seville

197

and back in cavies by the beat we always go to the same places

198

because we know that there is a particular dish with octopus

199

that is oh absolutely to die for and

200

that there's another place with these really cheap affordable but delicious tapas

201

and we could have it over and over again we could have it on repeat

202

so whether it's the tastiest I've ever eaten I'm not sure

203

but it never lets me down it always satisfies me I love octopus

204

but I feel a little bit guilty sometimes eating octopus

205

because you know it's supposed to be a very very intelligent animal but it's so tasty

206

mum how about you what's the tastiest meal you've ever eaten um i think it was

207

when we went to australia and went somewhere called noosa

208

which was obviously on the coast so that was a beachside restaurant

209

and again i have fish um and bearing in mind

210

that for many years i was vegetarian

211

it was quite unusual for me to to you know to have well it's pescatarian isn't it

212

if you have fish um so it was unusual

213

but it was just so good

214

because it was fresh it was you know you could see the waves just sort of lapping gently

215

and so that was oh that was lovely yeah it was really really nice

216

and the only thing is because obviously I was vegetarian I'm not now

217

but I was vegetarian so I did just struggle with the fact

218

that it came it was like the whole fish the eye the tail

219

so that was slightly but it was delicious yes and despite

220

that now you're saying it's the tastiest meal you've ever had so it didn't put you off too much you know

221

just a lettuce leaf over the eye just cover it you know out of sight out of mind

222

which is a lovely expression which means

223

if you don't see something then let's say you don't worry about it it's out of sight out of mind

224

and another question related to food what's the most unusual dish that you've ever tried?

225

Well, I can ask you this as well, but basically we went to a friend's and she's a very,

226

very good cook, but I think she was in an experimental phase and we had venison, sort of deer, and it was in a chilli sauce,

227

but there was dark chocolate in it.

228

I would describe that as interesting.

229

Yeah, very it was it was unusual

230

and it was really nice to try it but i won't be cooking it anytime soon

231

but it was so lovely

232

because it is nice sometimes i'm just a little bit too safe

233

so i don't take chances and i'll make the same thing

234

so it's actually nice to go somewhere where somebody will cook something

235

and you might love it you might not love it but

236

if you don't try it so yes that was unusual i'm not sure meat

237

and chocolate are my thing no but it doesn't seem to add up

238

if you ask me they don't seem to go hand in hand

239

and to go together but i mean chocolate's always tasty venison is usually tasty

240

so separately perfect mixing them not convinced it's interesting

241

okay and how about we move on to something different other than food

242

and related to films

243

and mum I know you're not really a big movie buff are you you don't tend to watch

244

that many films do you I don't really I think

245

this is a question I'm probably batting back to you I'll hand this over to you

246

because I just I love to go to concerts

247

so it's not like I don't like to be surrounded by people

248

but if I'm watching a film usually maybe I'm just lazy

249

and I just watch it at home you know

250

when it comes on you know when it's been out a

251

while I think that one of the last ones I went to um

252

and as an adult and I think it was the Lion King

253

and it was computerized and I cried well who wants to do that in public so

254

Lewis this one's for you okay well the question is what's the best film you've seen this year

255

and we're recording this the first week of march

256

so i doubt we've watched that many films i'm trying to think

257

which films i've watched this year and well one

258

that i watched last sunday it was called los domingos which is sundays questions.

259

And it was actually one of the most highly rated and most awarded films in the Goyas.

260

And the Goyas is the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars or the BAFTAs in the UK,

261

which is essentially an awards ceremony for the best films that were released last year, 2025.

262

so we decided to watch this film los domingos sundays

263

and i didn't really know what i was getting myself in

264

for i didn't read anything about it before choosing to watch it

265

and then quickly it became apparent

266

that the film was about a girl who had had a bit of a traumatic life as a child

267

and she was being taken care of by her aunt

268

and her grandma her dad wasn't really paying that much attention to her

269

and she had become very very religious and she wanted to become a nun

270

so it was about the family situation of adapting to her decision to become a nun

271

which must be quite a shock for many people thinking

272

that you've got different ambitions for your daughter to maybe go to university

273

or to have a family so it was essentially about the decision

274

and turmoil of this family throughout this big life change of signing up to go

275

and live in a convent and not speak

276

and not have a phone with her

277

so I got a little bit bored I'm not gonna lie

278

so it wasn't exactly my cup of tea I could maybe see

279

that it was interesting and I could see why other people liked it

280

but I think a lot of the time there are films

281

that film critics love and they really appreciate the acting and the script and the dialogues.

282

But then maybe the average viewer wouldn't be such a big fan of.

283

And I class myself as an average viewer.

284

And I was watching it and there were times

285

when I was grabbing my phone and checking the football or grabbing my phone and going on Instagram.

286

So for some people, it might be the best film of the year.

287

For me, meh it was a bit boring horses each to their own and they don't all like the same things

288

everybody's different of course each to their own now a question for you mum who is the funniest person you know

289

well probably your cousin as a child children are naturally quite funny anyway

290

because they've no filter they just say as it is um

291

and he just used to be

292

so funny the the expressions he would come out with um

293

he spent a lot of time with his granddad my father

294

so he he was he would use some some expressions

295

which were a little bit old -fashioned but he's just

296

and he's still now even though he's an adult he's a really funny guy and he's just yeah he's lovely

297

yeah not I mean my dad he was just like telling jokes the whole time he'd love a punchline

298

and my mum was always just like oh Arnie not another joke he would even

299

if we went to the supermarket he would tell jokes to the lady on the checkout

300

and mum would just be so embarrassed but

301

so he was funny in a different way

302

so perhaps you know his grandson took a him

303

but he's funny he's good with the the comeback the one -liners perfect

304

and use a nice phrasal verb there which is

305

that maybe my cousin has taken over my grant taken over taken after my granddad

306

and to take after someone is to be similar to them when speaking about your parents or your grandparents.

307

So I think I have taken after my mom and my dad.

308

And you also mentioned a punchline.

309

And the punchline is the final part of a joke when hopefully, all being well, everybody will start laughing.

310

And that's how you'll know if the joke landed or not, if it has a good punchline.

311

All right, let's not speak more about films because I've already mentioned

312

that relatively boring film that i watched

313

and let's skip to the most talkative person in your family hmm the chattyest person in your family

314

i would say

315

that i'm definitely not the most talkative person in my family I'm not the chattiest person in my family

316

which is strange because of course I speak almost for a living

317

but then when I'm chilled out relaxing at home I can be quite quiet and reserved

318

and I keep myself to myself mum I'd say

319

you're quite a talkative person can you think of anyone else who might be more talkative than you

320

um yes i absolutely can and that's your nephew that's our my two -year -old grandson

321

because he's the age where he's he's got a lot of vocabulary um especially

322

i mean maybe we're biased we think he's he's very clever

323

because he's talking all the time and he's asking why

324

and what and and that's obviously how they learn and he literally

325

when we look after him two days a week

326

when he goes home we've had a wonderful time

327

but i'm a bit like you then i'm all talked out

328

because i've literally been answering questions all day long

329

and thoroughly enjoyed it but he literally just talk talk talk talk talk

330

so once he's gone it was just like

331

but yeah it's great it's great

332

it's a lovely age exactly a very chatty age as well a very talkative age part of fact all right

333

Now, you were telling me before we started recording, and I was quite shocked because you were mentioning the strictest teacher you ever had.

334

So who is this guy?

335

Tell us about your strictest teacher ever.

336

To be honest, Lewis, it wouldn't happen now.

337

But bear in mind that I was born in the 60s, so in the 70s, teachers really could more

338

or less do anything they wanted

339

and we had um a lovely wine i think i'd be about nine

340

because um mr little he was called but obviously everybody seems huge

341

so he didn't seem little at all and he was he was broad

342

and he he had a thing about grammar and manners

343

and one of the young boys asked him

344

if he could have a drink so obviously he said you know please sir can i have a drink then technically

345

he then Mr Little sort of said I don't know can you

346

because that's like saying am I able to and

347

so he was saying you need to say please may I have a drink

348

which I thought was just a bit off

349

because it was a young boy and he was asking nicely he'd got the manners

350

and this conversation went on

351

and obviously the little boy didn't he couldn't get the distinction he didn't know the difference

352

and the next thing there was a blackboard

353

and we used to use chalk which makes me sound so

354

so old and we used to have a wooden blackboard rubber

355

so you'd write on the blackboard rub it out

356

and mr little threw the blackboard rubber

357

which was this big wooden thing across the room

358

it landed against the wall just over the boy's head

359

he clearly didn't mean to hit the boy's head you know he could have

360

and islands were also shocked but honestly we were the most well -behaved children in

361

that class because if not it was like oh the blackboard rubber

362

but but now that wouldn't happen because parents would be like what is going on

363

but back in the day teachers yeah they could he actually he actually did break another child's arm

364

but unintentional broke a child's arm intentional because we had this thing where I used to throw this ball, like a softball, I think,

365

and this boy tripped over it.

366

So actually, he was a nice man.

367

And I think he was mortified.

368

That means he was shocked, was the teacher.

369

He was apologising.

370

So he was a nice man.

371

It was different times.

372

He was very strict.

373

I don't think you had any...

374

You seem to get on really well with your teachers.

375

I mean, Lewis, you were good at school.

376

You were well behaved.

377

No, but you tried and you were good at sports as well.

378

So I don't remember you having, you know, any teachers that, you know, you were afraid of.

379

I was the model student, Mum.

380

But no, I can't remember having any very, very strict teachers.

381

Of course, there'd be teachers who would maybe raise their voice

382

if somebody else was misbehaving to tell them off

383

but usually I didn't get told off and

384

if I did it was just these little things insignificant things where maybe I misbehaved slightly

385

but was never anything serious so I was never intimidated by any teachers

386

and I never felt threatened by any teachers like it seems like your class did with Mr Little

387

the guy who broke somebody else's arm.

388

That sounds pretty serious.

389

I wasn't expecting that.

390

Time has definitely changed.

391

Yes, it was definitely an accident.

392

Let it go on record.

393

It was definitely an accident.

394

It sounds awful.

395

He's probably long gone now as well.

396

But yeah, he was a nice guy.

397

I'm sure he was.

398

I'm sure he was.

399

But yeah, he was the strictest teacher my mum's ever had.

400

hmm now um let's skip the next question

401

which is the most stressful part of your job

402

because mom you're retired you don't have to worry about these things anymore

403

from there how about the most useful app mom what is the most useful app on your phone

404

i think for me it's probably google maps you know

405

because of course social media apps are so useful

406

and it forms part of my day -to -day

407

and my my job my life

408

but it's maybe not the most useful in terms of like survival

409

and i think google maps like if i'm ever traveling anywhere i'd be completely lost

410

if i didn't have google maps i don't think i'd be able to read a physical map

411

and at least with google maps it will track where you're going as well

412

so you can orient yourself and figure out whether to turn right left go straight forward

413

or turn around

414

so that's what i would say how about you i think actually mine's a little bit on the same theme

415

but mine is things like ringo it's it's the parking apps especially

416

because now i am going to a night school um just

417

to brush up on my spanish a little bit more um

418

and just talk to other people so it's dark so

419

when i go and park i don't want to be on some side street

420

and have to walk on my own even though where i go is actually

421

it's a place called solteries it's a world heritage site it's it's very nice

422

but if i'm walking back at nine o 'clock at night i'm not walking down some side street that's dark

423

so i go to the proper car park

424

and i've never any cash on me i can sit in the car i can bring up the ringo app

425

or whatever app it is for the parking i can put how many hours i mean

426

and i like the fact that it reminds you so

427

if you do go somewhere

428

and you're like well just pop into this shop you know say

429

if you're going out shopping and and you just took a little bit longer

430

or you went for a drink you can just you don't have to go back

431

and put cash on you can just add on another hour on the app so

432

Yep, hands down.

433

That's the most useful app I have when I'm out and about.

434

Perfect.

435

Hands down, which is a nice way of saying like without doubt, without a shadow of a doubt.

436

Hands down, it's the most useful app my mum has.

437

Cool.

438

How about the next one?

439

What's the best time of day for you?

440

For me, I'd say usually the best time of day is the moment I finish my last class

441

because then of course I enjoy teaching but

442

if I've got many classes back to back the moment you call call it a day

443

and finish work it's always like

444

you can breathe a sigh of relief

445

you can sit back maybe have some dinner maybe go out for a little walk lie down on the sofa

446

that's usually the best part of the day for me mum how about you

447

I think that's as well because you're so busy

448

and it's back to back

449

and you don't always get breaks I'm what they call an early bird

450

so I like I'm an early riser I like to get up early

451

I think that's the best time of the day

452

if I go somewhere I don't want to waste time just lying in bed I want to be up

453

and out and enjoy especially now when the weather's

454

so beautiful um the only thing is dad um he's a night owl

455

so he likes to go to bed late

456

so that's not always great um

457

because he i sometimes i just go to bed he'll stay up

458

and he'll he'll have started a film i mean the number of times

459

i said shall we watch this oh no i watched that and he but he likes to go out

460

During the day, he's very active with his cycling and his rock climbing.

461

And obviously, he does freelance work as well.

462

So he's doing a lot of photography.

463

So I think maybe that's why he's a night owl, because he likes to unwind.

464

So he can lie in bed in the morning, go and do his stuff, do whatever he wants to do.

465

But then I think after a job or if he's been very busy, like you, he just likes to chill, to relax.

466

So he'll just stay downstairs and maybe, you know, a bit of Netflix or whatever.

467

So, yeah, I could say we live separate lives, but we don't.

468

We don't.

469

We have all that time in the middle.

470

But I'm the early bird.

471

He's the night owl.

472

I mean, the same thing happens with me and my fiancée as well, that I'm much more of an early bird than she is.

473

And she's much more of a night owl than I am

474

and of course whenever I'm back home staying with you guys you can tell

475

that I'll often go up to my room to watch a series

476

and then go to bed an hour before my dad

477

and of course I'm younger so the normal thing would be

478

that it would be the opposite way around

479

but no no he's happy to stay up late

480

and for me I like the feeling of getting an early night sleep

481

so then I feel that the next day is going to be more productive, and I will have rested and,

482

you know, had a good night's sleep.

483

So yeah, we are poles apart.

484

We're very different.

485

Now, let's do one final question, and it's a question that I think is quite interesting,

486

but I want to begin it by saying that usually I don't remember my dreams.

487

Nine times out of 10, I will wake up and my fiance might ask me like, oh, Lewis, what did you dream about?

488

I had this crazy dream about and then tell this amazing story about a very creative, imaginative dream.

489

And I'll just be like, I don't know.

490

I don't remember.

491

I don't remember my dream.

492

But there are certain types of dreams that I do remember

493

and usually they are nightmares and a little bit traumatic

494

and there's one that's kind of recurring that happens maybe once every few months

495

or once every year and I'll be dreaming

496

and thinking like oh my teeth are falling out

497

or it's like my teeth are becoming loose so it's as

498

if I would brush my teeth the next day

499

and then my front tooth would become loose and fall out

500

and I'm like ah ah no this is like my worst nightmare

501

I don't want this to happen my teeth aren't the best they're a little bit crooked

502

but still imagine losing one of your two front teeth

503

and this happens on a regular basis

504

and I looked into it before I investigated it before

505

and I found out that it's quite a common nightmare for people to have I'm not sure

506

if it's related to anxiety or stress

507

or something else beats me I'm not sure but mum you mentioned earlier

508

that you've also previously had this dream right yes

509

so it really must be quite common and

510

and you literally you're dreaming you think it's real and

511

and you it's like move must maybe move your tongue around your mouth

512

and it's like oh my teeth are falling but the relief

513

when you wake up and you look in the mirror

514

and it's like oh they're all there

515

and your teeth are nice teeth you just maybe

516

and visaline i don't know but they've got lovely teeth

517

and it's teeth is such a personal thing as well um

518

it's planning for anything on your face to be fair is part of your identity now my dream is more

519

that i'm being chased so i've been chased

520

but in this these dreams i'm often running away

521

and then bizarrely as i run i start to fly

522

and i hate flying in an aerob so i don't even know where

523

that comes from but suddenly i can flap my arms

524

and up i go so but no my my dreams aren't particularly interesting um

525

but i mean that sounds pretty interesting you're being chased by the police maybe

526

and then all of a sudden start flapping your arms with wings and you fly away

527

they just say it must be something in your subconscious

528

that just comes to the surface as you dream

529

but hey hopefully i won't have this dream again i think now maybe i'm getting used to having the dream

530

so then maybe it doesn't freak me out so much whilst i'm dreaming

531

but i don't know I don't know what the psychology is behind it,

532

but it is always a big relief when I wake up and I'm like, okay, they're all there.

533

All good.

534

Phew.

535

Now, I read a piece of feedback on Spotify or maybe on YouTube a couple of weeks ago,

536

and it was somebody who was saying that they loved these conversations

537

But it would be nice

538

if I could do a little bit of a recap at the end of some of the advanced words and phrases.

539

So luckily, I'm not bad at multitasking, if I do say so myself.

540

So I've been quietly, sneakily writing down some of the advanced words that we've been using naturally during this conversation.

541

So I'm just going to do a quick review.

542

So the first one was tempt fate to tempt fate is kind of like to say something thinking

543

that then maybe this good thing is going to end

544

so i don't want to tempt fate because it's sunny

545

and i hope it continues to be sunny after

546

that scruffy mum mentioned that she went to this scruffy hotel for their honeymoon scruffy a bit messy, a bit dirty, perhaps.

547

Then I used a nice expression which was out of sight, out of mind, which is another way of saying that if you can't see something,

548

it's not going to bother you.

549

It's not going to annoy you.

550

After that, I said, mum isn't really a movie buff.

551

And a movie buff is someone who's really into films.

552

So my mum isn't really a movie buff.

553

Then mum then said, each to their own or to each their own also, which is basically saying everyone's different.

554

I wasn't a fan of this film, but each to their own.

555

I'm sure other people love it.

556

And number one was a punchline.

557

If you're telling a joke, then you want the punchline to be as funny as possible,

558

which is the final word or line to hopefully make people laugh

559

and on this note we mentioned that my cousin takes after my granddad

560

so he is similar to my granddad I take after my mom

561

or my dad and another thing that I think you're aware of

562

but we use it a lot is bear in mind bear in mind which is like telling people realize take into account.

563

Don't forget.

564

So bear in mind, blah, blah, blah.

565

A few more things.

566

We mentioned that Mr. Little would be mortified if he heard us talking about him now.

567

And mortified is like very embarrassed or shocked.

568

It's like, oh no, I was mortified.

569

After that, a world heritage site is unesco a beautiful place that is protected

570

because of its cultural or historical value

571

and then last two hands down is a way of saying without a doubt

572

and finally an early bird is someone who likes mornings and a night owl is someone who likes evenings and nights

573

mum you impressed i am

574

so that's it thank you who says men can't multitask

575

i am joking exactly point proven we're able to do it

576

so thank you everybody for watching or listening thank you mum for joining once again

577

and i'm glad you're feeling better and yeah we'll see you again in a couple of weeks 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

FOR YOU

Recommend Video

207 sentences

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

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

137 sentences

74

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

364 sentences

Advanced English Conversations: Real Slang, Idioms & Listening Practice (B2-C1)

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

563 sentences

English Listening Practice #1 - Real Native Conversation (B2-C1)

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

361 sentences

2716 - This is Us Breaking Down English Grammar

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

37 sentences

5 Common British English Expressions (Episode 3)

Cambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students

16 sentences

Want to sound FLUENT?

TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students

318 sentences

Talk About Your Day Like a Native 🇺🇸 | Advanced English Conversation (B2–C1) | Daily Routine

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

112 sentences

Pronunciation in Use Advanced, Unit 51, How embarrassing

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

185 sentences

How much REAL English can you understand? (native speed)

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Can you understand this ADVANCED ENGLISH chat using Superlatives?”. This video has 577 sentences and 6609 words to shadow. The speech runs for 43:28. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% 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
tasty adjective	/ˈteɪsti/	Having a pleasant or satisfying flavor.
unusual adjective	/ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/	Not usual, out of the ordinary.
fate noun	/feɪt/	The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.
cousin noun	/ˈkʌz(ə)n/	Chiefly with a qualifying word: Any relation (especially a distant one) who is not a direct ancestor or descendant but part of a person's extended family; a…
lewis noun	/ˈluːɪs/	A cramp iron inserted into a cavity in order to lift heavy stones; used as a symbol of strength in Freemasonry.
meal noun	/ˈmiːl/	Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
shock noun	/ʃɔk/	A sudden, heavy impact.
strict adjective	/stɹɪkt/	Strained; drawn close; tight.
sunny adjective	/ˈsʌni/	Featuring a lot of sunshine.
sofa noun	/ˈsoʊ̯fə/	An upholstered seat with a raised back and one or two raised ends, long enough to comfortably accommodate two or more people.
honeymoon noun	/ˈhʌn.iˌmuːn/	The period of time immediately following a marriage.
caravan noun	/ˈkæɹəvæn/	A convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert.
buff noun	/bʌf/	Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
chase verb	/t͡ʃeɪs/	To follow at speed.
brush noun	/bɹʌʃ/	An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including…

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
fall out verb		To come out of something by falling.
hands down adverb		without much effort; easily
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
go back verb		To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go out verb		To leave, especially a building.
stay up verb		To remain awake; to not go to bed.
take over verb		To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

I don't want this to happen.
Mum, can you think of any bad trips that you've been on?
I don't think you had any...
What's the best time of day for you?
I don't remember my dream.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	you've been preparing · i've been traveling · i've literally been answering
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	If anything bad could happen, it will happen · if i'm ever traveling anywhere i'd be
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to be · used to use · used to have
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	i've been · you've done · you've ever been

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 238 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: tooth /tuθ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, breathe /bɹiːð/, thoroughly /ˈθʌɹ.ə.li/, cathedral /kəˈθiːdɹəl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, shock /ʃɔk/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
Long words — get the stress right: unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, vegetarian /vɛ.d͡ʒɪˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tasty, unusual, fate.

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: Can you understand this ADVANCED ENGLISH chat using Superlatives? - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

British English Conversation for Advanced Speakers

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

Walk & Talk By The Beach | Comprehensible Input in English

How to go from B1 to C1 in English

Aging Like a Fine Wine | British English Podcast

English Idiom Masterclass | British English Pod

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

It's my BIRTHDAY! | British English Podcast

British English Conversation about Living Abroad

How to speak about Business in English

Improve your English with SHORT STORIES | British English Podcast

Walk & Talk in the English Countryside | Comprehensible Input

Can you understand this British English Conversation?

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?

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

74

Advanced English Conversations: Real Slang, Idioms & Listening Practice (B2-C1)

English Listening Practice #1 - Real Native Conversation (B2-C1)

2716 - This is Us Breaking Down English Grammar

5 Common British English Expressions (Episode 3)

Want to sound FLUENT?

Talk About Your Day Like a Native 🇺🇸 | Advanced English Conversation (B2–C1) | Daily Routine

Pronunciation in Use Advanced, Unit 51, How embarrassing

How much REAL English can you understand? (native speed)

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?