Keeping a conversation going

In this video, Noelia and Bob talk about Spain. Listen to the language they use for keeping a conversation going and practise saying the useful phrases.

Do the preparation exercise first. Then watch the video and do the exercises to check your understanding and practise the language.

Transcript

Ana: Hi! I'm Ana. Welcome to What to Say!

Do you know what to say when you want to keep a conversation going? Listen out for useful language for keeping a conversation going. Then, we'll practise saying the new phrases – after this.

 

Noelia: Hi, Bob!

Bob: Oh, morning, Noelia.

Noelia: So, what's new? 

Bob: New, hmm, let me think. Hmm … Nothing much. Oh, hang on. My dog Bertie had his 14th birthday on Monday! 

Noelia: Oh, he's getting old then?

Bob: I guess so … but not as old as his owner. 

Noelia: Haha … er, anyway …

Bob: How about you, Noelia? How's it going? 

Noelia: Great, actually. Yeah … all good.

Bob: By the way, I wanted to ask you, where in Spain are you from?

Noelia: I'm from Santander.

Bob: Oh, lovely. Wonderful to grow up near the sea. 

Noelia: Yeah, it was perfect. Ah, I miss the sea. 

Bob: I know what you mean. I used to live in Spain and I absolutely loved it.

Noelia: Really? I didn't know that, Bob! 

Bob: Yeah, I had a little bar on the Costa Brava.

Noelia: Wow! So do you speak Spanish then?

Bob: Oh, not much. Ah, those were the days! Excuse me. Perdona, Noelia. Tengo que irme. Me necesitan en el segundo piso. ¡Hasta pronto! [Excuse me, Noelia. I've got to go. They need me on the second floor. See you soon!]

Noelia: Wow! 


 

Ana: Hello again! Wow! Bob is full of surprises. So, did you notice the useful phrases used for keeping a conversation going? Listen to me and then repeat.

 

So, what's new? 

Let me think ... 

Nothing much. 

Anyway …

How about you, Noelia? 

How's it going? 

By the way, I wanted to ask you ... 

I know what you mean.

Really? I didn't know that! 

 

Ana: Try and use some of these phrases the next time you want to keep a conversation going in English. Bye for now! 

Discussion

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Average: 4.2 (41 votes)
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Submitted by maximumjeff on Sat, 26/06/2021 - 08:50

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I used to live by the sea, but it's an old apartment next to a dock which is not as good as one would imagine

Submitted by Sika2803 on Thu, 03/06/2021 - 09:59

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No, I don't live near the sea. But I really love it, I hope that I could live there in the future.

Submitted by Arsa on Tue, 27/04/2021 - 02:12

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Yes, I live near the sea. It just takes an hour to get there. Actually it was my dream from childhood to live near the sea and fortunately it came to true

Submitted by desouza on Sun, 04/04/2021 - 21:00

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yes, I was born in south of turkey Antalya. I grow up near the see then I moved in İstanbul. İstanbul has a great bosphorus and black see marmara see but not like Antalya . I missed my childhood , we always hanged around the beach ,as always my skin was bronze , we played with big waves time of the sunset. what was a perfect years.

Submitted by Sophia00 on Fri, 12/03/2021 - 09:43

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No, I don't live near the sea, but I love the sea and like to go on vacation near it.

Submitted by Maylahinahahegehdt on Thu, 11/03/2021 - 11:04

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No, I don´t live near the sea, but my family has a camping car, with which we drive every summer holidays to the north sea. We also own a few stand up paddling boards and 30 min from my home away is a small lake, where we can do that in summer.

Submitted by Justus_123 on Thu, 11/03/2021 - 09:46

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No, I do not live near the sea but i can drive to a see in the north. On holidays me and my family drive to a hotel on trhe sea and it was so great. The Hotrl has so much things to borrow like a stand up paddeling board. So we went every day to the sea and drove the boards. It was my favorite holiday because I had soooo much fun.

Submitted by Abrarhussain on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 00:22

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No I don't live near the sea. Although I am not too far a drive away.