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Elena: I'm Italian and I'm originally from the Marche region, but currently I live in Bologna. My favourite things of living in Italy are the nature and amazing landscapes, the historical town and the city centre, and the unique atmosphere that you can find in Italian cafés and Italian restaurants.
Sri: Hello, everyone. My name is Sri from Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Imagine pristine beaches stretching endlessly, ancient ruins, whispering stories of a 2,500-year-old civilization and over 400 breathtaking waterfalls, all in one incredible island. From the golden sands of Mirissa to the majestic ruins in Anuradhapura and the cascading beauty of Diyaluma Falls, Sri Lanka is a paradise for every traveller. So what are you waiting for? Come and experience this tropical heaven for yourself.
Donnie: Hi, I'm Donnie. I'm from Jamaica. But now I'm currently in Miami, Florida. Now, Miami is famous for its beaches, entertainment and really good shopping. Here I'm standing in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. The Hard Rock Cafe is really famous for gambling and exquisite dining. So why wait? Come check it out.
Jo: So, I'm originally from the UK, but I've lived in France for over 20 years. My favourite three things about France are, number one, the varied landscapes in the country, number two, the food and drink, especially the cheese, and number three, the capital city, Paris.
Dave: Hi, I'm Dave and I'm British. I haven't lived in England for a long time. I've been living in Bulgaria now for 23 years. So there's lots of things to like about Bulgaria. Let me tell you three of them. So number one, I would guess, would be the rich history and culture of Bulgaria. Right behind me – you can't really miss it, can you? – there's, that's Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bulgaria. Huge Orthodox Church, so that would be number one kind of history and culture. If you go outside of the city, you don't have to go very far before you discover Bulgaria's very rich and beautiful countryside. We've got a mountain, Mount Vitosha, right on the outskirts of the city, and in the summer you can go to that national park and do lots of hiking. And right now, in the winter, there's lots of skiing available. And number three, we were talking about the seasons just now, number three would have to be the climate.
In this video, you can listen to some people talking about where they're from, where they live now and their three favourite things about their country.
Here are some of the phrases they use. Are any of these similar to your favourite things about your country?
pristine beaches = very clean, beautiful and unspoiled beaches
ancient ruins = very old buildings that are broken but still exist
breathtaking waterfalls = extremely beautiful waterfalls
historical towns = towns with old buildings and interesting pasts
a unique atmosphere = a special feeling that makes a place different
varied landscapes = different areas like mountains, forests and beaches
the rich history and culture = important traditions, events and ways of life
the climate = the usual weather in a specific place
Now it's your turn!
- Where are you from, and where do you live now?
- What are your favourite things about your country (or the country you live in)?
- Tell us about a famous place or popular tourist attraction in your country and share a photo*.
*Please don't include any people in your photos (even if you can't see their faces) as it's not allowed under the British Council's data protection and child protection policy. We're sorry, but we won't be able to add these.
If you want to practise speaking, you can record your answers using SpeakPipe voice recorder and post a link to the recording in your comment.
Go to SpeakPipe voice recorder
* Recordings are kept on a SpeakPipe server. Please don't include any music in your recording.
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/0euouqfll9nbimfm
Hi Mahmoud,
I really enjoyed listening to your voice message about Syria - thanks for sharing!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi I' m youstina 😊🥰
I'm from egypt i live in small village and it's beni khaled
it is small village far away from city it is lookover a branch of the NIle it is the ibrahimia canal. and plays a remarkably role here it is help farmersin in agriculture ,
This village has a rural character, and isolated from the hustle and the bustle of the sity , people here live a humble and simple life The most three things I love here
.The people here very kind and cooperative alway help each other
.The Tranquillity of countryside and the beauty of neutral If you serenely of neutral and want to live a simple life you will love there countrysidy
.The third and most wonderful thing is that the people here are deeply attached to their religious beliefs. The most beautiful thing here is the church and how people pray sincerely from their hearts, having reverence for God.
Hello! My name is Stanislava and I'm from Ukraine. I was born in the town of Kriviy Rig, but I moved to Kiev - the capital of my country.
What do I like most about Ukraine? I think it is the power of every citizen! There are wonderful landscapes, many historical places, museums! Before the war we had perfect night life! My country tis different culture, because culture is intertwined with Crimean Tatar, Karaite and other nationalities. We have two seas - Black and Azov.
Odessa - this is our pearl of the sea. In Odessa you should visit the theatre, the seafront and taste different types of local wine.
Lviv city - historical place with delusions restaurant! If you are in Lviv you should try Lviv cheesecake (львівський сирник) and chocolate.
Truskavets (near town of Lviv) - our charming diamond with healthy water! Our water can treat many diseases!
Kyiv this is buissnes heart of Ukraine. There are many offices and attractive places to visit! For example, Golden Gates, Glass Bridge, St. Andrew's Church, Andrew's Descent ext.
On the picture you can see part of Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater.
Hi, I’m Dalin. I am from Cambodia and I live in a small town which is Kep province. My favorite thing about my country are pristine beaches, the rich history and culture and the people are really friendly. Here, there are so many interesting places. The most popular tourist attraction is Angkor wat in Siem Reap province which is the best place to catch sunset and sunrise. Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century. It is a symbol for Cambodia and is on the Cambodian flag. In addition the beaches are so clean and many beautiful islands. Koh Rong is one of the best island with crystal clear water, white sand and a unique atmosphere. The other thing about the country is you can see friendly, loving and caring people around you.
hello i am ayun and i am originally from indonesia. been living there for 20 years but kinda wanna leave ts country to live in eu next year. my top three favorite things about indonesia esp from my region, yogyakarta are the rich history and culture, there are many of ancient and historical building around my region that become destination, then, the varied landscapes; a lot of beaches near the city center, mountain (you will reach the mountain in 50 mins with motorcycle if the traffic is good), and forests, here we have a lot of pine forests. lastly, i love the unique atmosphere, the people are so warm and i do really love that.
hello I am Orouba from Syria
Syria is country with rich history and culture. It is the cradle of civilizations where you can find ruins and historical cities as Palmyra and Damascus, which is considered the oldest continuously inhabited capital in the world.
in addition Syrian cuisine is well known with loved worldwide famous dishes like fattoush and kibbeh.
also Syria boast stunning natural diversity from mountains and plains to its Mediterranean coastline
Hello, I´m from Brazil and I live in the city of Recife in the northeast of this country. Here, there are many places and events interesting, for exemplo, historics cities, islands with incredible beachs, and the biggest carnival of the world. The adventure tourism is also very interesting. One thing that require attention is that there are many shark attacks here, so you need to pay attention on the warning signs.
Good afternoon. I'm Ana Lucia Tutaya, I'm from Peru and I live in its capital city, Lima.
One of the most impressive characteristics is the rich history and culture that it has: from Caral, the 5-millennia-old civilization to marvelous architectonic pieces that make the city stately; like a good-looking lady.
In second place, it shows breathtaking restaurants whose record-breaking mixture of flavors and cooking styles involves the creation of delicious dishes such as the famous ceviche, showing its cuisine as great as other countries such as Italy or Japan.
Peru has a unique atmosphere that you'll never see anywhere: like ancient ruins from the splendorous Inca culture and other cultures before it. One of the most well-known ruins is Machu Picchu, a citadel that was believed as "The lost City of the Incas". Nowadays, it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
And by the end, the most interesting point of its distinctive qualities is the very high variety of its flora and fauna. For example, the Amazon rainforest who is well-known as the world's largest forest and contains the Amazon River, the largest and longest river in the world. Nowadays, this beautiful jungle is under threat; but we can make a better future to make Peru a better country.
I don't have any pictures from my visits around the country, but here's an example that every people can see.
Hi 🥰
Your article is very amazing💫
I cannot wait to visit your city 🤩 you really exacting me to take a tour there
I am in awe how it is very beaftul
Hello
Originally I am from yamen I have been living in sudan for over 30 years of my life but currently I live in Egypt I have been here for over two months, the thing I like about my original country the mountains is beautiful and so scary but it is beautiful anyway, on the other hand suadan has much interesting landscapes .the three best I like in Egypt it cold , you can go explore places such alatabe or even just stay at home enjoy with delicious meals with low prices because everything available and cheap . I would like to visit America no language could be useful for speaking with different people form all over the world like English . Right now I just can’t share photos with you because I laying on my bed ready to sleep
I've lived in HCMC since I was born. My parents, because of wanting me to explore the around world and be more active, in our free time we usually go to many famous locations in our city. One of the them that I'm impressed most is Nha Rong Harbour, a historical site which closes to the event - Uncle Ho found way to save our country. Inside this site there are lots of historical facts which prove my country's heroic history and make me so pride on. Other two things that I love are the vibrant but so comfortable and friendly asmotphere here and really really delicious stress food. A night walking on street, feeling the smelt of food and the closing asmotphere, that's my favorite moment in life!
So I live in India. I've been settled in India for the past 25 years. The most beautiful thing about the country is that you can see loving people all around you. The other one is the breathtaking scenery that you can find around you, those chirping birds, green trees, blooms, beaches, hills and mountains. The Western Ghats stretches it length throughout the country.
Hi Malavika_ielts,
I dream of visiting India one day. Your description of the wonderful people and landscapes makes me even more eager to go :-) Top of my bucket list is Agra and the Taj Mahal, then cities like Udaipur and Jaipur, as well as the Kerala region. I searched online for photos of the Western Ghats that you mention in your comment. The scenery looks absolutely breathtaking. For now I'm dreaming but I hope it will become reality one day! Do you have any other recommendations for me of must-see places in India?
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)