Shadowing Practice: Talking about Likes and Dislikes in English - A Real English Conversation with Bob and Jen - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello and welcome to this English lesson where I'm going to try something new.
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This won't be like a formal lesson.
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This is just Jen and I answering questions about things we like
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as opposed to things maybe we don't like or things we prefer, actually.
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So I actually have my daughter behind the camera mic'd up
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and she's going to ask the questions and then Jen and I are going to answer.
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Are you ready?
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I think so.
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I guess Walter's here too.
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Sorry, I feel like he's going to jump on me.
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Yeah, he's fine, right?
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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He's going to go away.
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What do you like better, pizza or hamburgers?
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You want to go first?
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I like pizza.
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I like pizza as well.
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Why?
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If we're at a restaurant, you will get a hamburger and I'll get a pizza.
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Oh, that's true.
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You do like your hamburgers.
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A well-made hamburger is something I do enjoy.
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My favorite food, though, is pizza.
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Yeah.
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But sometimes we have a lot of it, so sometimes at a restaurant I will get a hamburger.
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You will too though sometimes get a hamburger.
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Not as often.
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When have I gotten a hamburger?
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I don't know.
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I've not gotten a hamburger.
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I think at the fast food restaurant you'll get it.
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Oh, I thought, yeah, that doesn't count.
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Yeah.
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Anyways, I would go with pizza.
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Favorite toppings?
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Well, I think because if we're talking restaurant, it's the balsamic chicken, which we don't make at home, right?
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Like the barbecued chicken, balsamic chicken?
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I feel like a balsamic dressing on it.
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I like that one.
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That was yummy.
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We had that last time, right?
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Yeah. And I like meat.
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Like pepperoni, bacon.
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Actually, I don't like sausage.
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And when you get a hamburger, what do you like on the hamburger?
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Tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, relish.
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Yeah, that sounds good.
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What else do you get?
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Cheese.
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Oh, cheese.
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Yeah, you get cheese, and I usually don't get cheese.
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Yeah.
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Okay, next question.
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Oh wait, is there a second question there under the food?
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Yeah.
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What's the second question?
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What food don't you like?
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What food don't you like?
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Oh.
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I don't like really, really spicy food.
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But I do actually enjoy most food. So, you?
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Well, I don't know.
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Fish?
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Can I say fish?
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Yeah, okay, that's true.
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I don't like actually any kind of fish.
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I'll eat tuna and I'll eat.
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And what's Walter's favorite food?
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Anything.
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This dog eats like way too much.
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Anything.
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That's absolutely true.
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Okay, get out.
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Okay, next question.
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What do you like better?
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Sunflowers or pinis?
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Oh, I changed the flowers that I was going to ask.
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Oh.
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Sunflowers or peonies?
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Peonies.
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Oh, why?
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They're like, I wish they, sunflowers have a longer vase life, so that's a pro.
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Oh, as a grower, that's how you're looking at it, right?
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Well, even as a buyer, a sunflower you're going to have at least for a week.
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too if you get it at the right stage.
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So in terms of durability, sunflower.
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Peony is just, it has a nice scent.
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It's not, they're pretty.
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It's just a beautiful seed.
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It's like one of the first main flowers I grow.
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So I think that's why I like them.
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They smell nice.
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They look nice.
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And they're, they're like the first flowers that we, that we, that we see.
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So I guess we're answering this based on.
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Oh, and I would say peonies have a shorter season.
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So you have to really, you like, you don't, Sunflowers you can have from July through well here in Ontario to July through October
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So I don't know maybe I get sick of them because we have them so long.
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I know they're to me They're kind of like strawberries like really good strawberries.
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Yeah, you can get them for about three weeks You can get them year-round, but they're really good ones for three weeks, and then peonies are like strawberries.
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Yeah Okay, okay.
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What flower do you not like?
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I do not like a lily.
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There might be other flowers.
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If we're talking about lilies or flowers that I grow, I don't grow lilies anymore because they stink and they break really easily and they're awkward to work with.
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Yeah, I don't like lilies.
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I don't like glads.
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I'll put a picture on the screen.
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I don't like gladi- why don't you like glads?
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That's kind of like a stick.
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I don't like flowers where it's a stick with other flowers.
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You'll see the picture I'm not describing.
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Some people love glads because you can just do straight glads in a vase.
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It's one thing I don't grow because they get thrift.
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You have to do a lot of chemicals I think to keep glads happy and I don't do chemicals, but a lot of people maybe the older generation.
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I'm just, I don't like that.
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Trying to argue with that.
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Okay, next question.
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What do you enjoy more, a big family gathering or spending time with just a few family members?
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I enjoy spending, big family gatherings are a little bit, sometimes you go and you don't have a chance to talk to everyone.
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So I do like them but not as much as if you just go out for dinner, like we went out for dinner just recently with our son because it was his birthday.
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It was nice to just be out with just us, like just a smaller amount of people of people.
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Big family gatherings often we come home
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and you'll say oh I didn't get a chance to talk to cousin so-and-so or something like that.
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You?
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Yeah, they're efficient like well if you're yeah otherwise, when do you really get to see your whole family?
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Right.
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Like, so it's nice if you can coordinate a day where everyone can come.
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But yeah, like, I like a smaller setting better.
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Like, it's easier to joke around more when it's just my sisters for a whole day.
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That's true, like a smaller group it can be a little more, you joke around a bit more.
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You get past that initial, how are you, what are you doing, what's new, and then you just actually get to hang out a bit more.
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Okay, what do you prefer?
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They both have their pros and cons.
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Yeah, I would agree.
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They're both equal to me.
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Okay.
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Which do you prefer working indoors or working outdoors?
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Who answered the last one first?
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Me or you?
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You did.
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Okay, you go with that.
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Well, obviously.
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Outside.
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I like to be outside.
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Unless it's like really mosquito-y, which has been a problem this year.
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Yeah, right now it's not right here.
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I'm not a big fan of winter.
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Like when it's really cold and a biting wind, I don't, then I prefer to be indoors.
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But for three quarters of the year, I prefer outside.
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You definitely like outdoors.
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I'm kind of half and half.
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Actually, maybe more like three quarters.
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And I like being, there are little ants on the table.
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I like being inside when it's cold in the winter, in the early spring when it's rainy and cold.
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I don't like being wet and cold.
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So I do enjoy that.
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Like in January, I just like being inside at the school.
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If it's like 20 degrees, 22, I don't mind working outside.
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But if it's over 26 or 27 degrees Celsius, I don't like it.
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OK.
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OK.
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What is your least favorite job?
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My least favorite job is grading.
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That would be my, yeah, I don't know.
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Like part of our work?
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I think so, yeah.
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I think it's digging up dahlias and bringing them in, because it's in the fall.
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Because it's grunt work.
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Like it's hard.
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It's heavy.
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It's wet.
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It's quite often cold.
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It's a lot.
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It just seems to never end.
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Yeah, those are the days where I come home, and then your pants are soaking wet, and your socks are soaking wet, and it's muddy.
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I can see that.
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Next one.
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The last one, right?
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There should be five, yeah.
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Are we on the fifth one?
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What do you like better, watching a movie or watching a TV show?
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It depends.
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I don't know.
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You watch more than I...
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You want me to answer?
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Yeah, well, I don't hardly watch anything.
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Okay, it depends.
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I like watching a really good movie in the theater,
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But generally I'm happiest just crash on the couch and watch some British police show.
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That's usually.
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So I would say TV shows above movie.
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Movie in the theater like Spider-Man we saw in the theater.
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That's fun.
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Or what was the airplane movie a couple years ago?
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Tom Cruise.
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The top Maverick?
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Yeah, that was good.
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That was a fun movie.
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That was totally fun to see in the theater.
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Fun theater movie.
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Yeah.
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You?
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I hardly watch movies because I'm I don't like anything scary or violent.
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No car chases. So yeah.
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So there's hardly any movies that I will want to watch.
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So I guess I'm gonna go with TV shows though I don't really watch a lot.
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No but in the winter you do sometimes you'd watch a bit of reality TV.
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If you had asked sports movie TV shows I watch sports.
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That's true.
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Like I watch a lot of baseball right now
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but I don't watch TV shows not like you do no I watch a lot is
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that the last one mm-hmm what do we go do we do all my god my little cheat sheet here
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and we did all of them very good okay I should
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I should wrap this up I should thank both of you
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thanks to my daughter for asking the questions thanks to Jen for sitting on a very beautiful day
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and taking time out of her her flower growing business to sit
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and chat with us the whole purpose of this This wasn't to be a formal lesson, but as you heard us answer,
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there's all little sentences that you can take and you can maybe change so that it works for you.
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So just kind of listen again, if you want, to the things we've talked about
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and how we responded and maybe you can construct a few sentences for a conversation you have in the future.
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Should I do my outro?
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Do you want to say anything or you just...
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Jen's just going to wave.
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My outro is this.
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Thanks for watching.
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If this is your first time here, don't forget to click the red subscribe button.
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It's around here somewhere.
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Leave a comment.
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I love reading them and responding to them.
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And give me a thumbs up.
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Maybe I said that already.
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I don't remember.
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And I'll see you next week with another English lesson.
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Bye.
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Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice
If you’re looking to learn English with videos, this casual conversation between Bob and Jen is a goldmine. Unlike formal lessons, it sounds like real life—filled with pauses, back-and-forth, and natural reactions. That’s exactly what helps you get comfortable with everyday speech, whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to chat confidently. The topics (food likes and dislikes) are universal, so you’ll pick up phrases you can use right away.
Breaking Down Natural English Phrases
Let’s look at what makes their dialogue sound so real. First, “A well-made hamburger is something I do enjoy.” The phrase “well-made” is simple but specific—much more natural than “good” or “nice.” It shows you notice details. Next, “Nah… Not as often?” The short “Nah” and trailing question sound like how people actually talk, not a textbook. It’s all about flow! Then, “That doesn’t count.” This is a common way to dismiss something in a lighthearted way—perfect for friendly debates. Finally, “I like meat, like pepperoni, bacon.” Using “like” to give examples is a casual trick native speakers use to keep a conversation going. These small touches make your English sound less scripted.
Try This Simple Practice Routine
Want to turn this video into english speaking practice gold? Use the shadowing technique: play a short clip (5-10 seconds), pause, and repeat it out loud—mimicking the tone, speed, and even the pauses. Record yourself, then compare. Did you catch the “Nah” or the way “well-made” is stressed? Do this daily, and you’ll improve English pronunciation and fluency fast. Focus on the questions too: “What do you like better, pizza or hamburgers?” Practice asking them with the same casual tone. Soon, these phrases will feel like second nature. Remember, the goal is to sound like Bob and Jen—relaxed and real. You’ve got this!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have I gotten · I've not gotten · has been |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | enjoy spending · mind working · love reading |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should wrap · Should I do |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | your least favorite · My least favorite |
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.