Hello, welcome to the English Easy Practice course, Conversations Practices.
Now, you will listen to some daily English conversations in different places and situations.
Thus, you will learn vocabulary and improve your English listening and speaking skills.
Let's get started.
Hey, can I ask you a question?
Sure, what's up?
I am thinking about going on a cruise for spring break, but I wanted to get your opinion.
You have been on a lot of cruises, right?
Oh, yes.
Cruises are one of my favorite ways to take a vacation.
What locations are you looking at?
Well, I definitely want to go somewhere warm, but it doesn't have to be tropical.
So Antarctica is out of the question?
Not for this one.
I really need some sand and sunshine after all this snow we have been getting.
I did go on a cruise to Alaska once, and it was a really good time.
We had great whale watching, but you really had to bundle up.
So that's definitely not the one for you.
You can go to lots of warm places on a cruise ship.
Yeah, I was thinking about the Caribbean or maybe the Bahamas.
I want to be able to spend a day or two at the beach.
That's what I really love about cruises, the excursions.
You can choose just to get off the boat and walk around for the day or pick from a list of local activities.
What is your favorite cruise destination?
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Definitely the Caribbean.
Most cruise lines have their own private island, which is definitely the most relaxing excursion day.
Sometimes you can still get on and off the ship as you please, but they have restaurants and activities that are included in your cruise price on their island.
Wow, I did not know about any of that.
Speaking of food, is it really that good?
I have watched a couple of YouTube videos about food on cruises and some of them look amazing.
You need to check out the restaurants for the different cruise lines and see what is included or extra charge.
I have loved almost every meal I have ever had on an all-inclusive cruise.
But one time I paid extra for a meal at a specialty restaurant that accepted reservations only, and it was well worth the extra cost.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.
You really helped me a lot.
Sure thing.
Enjoy your vacation.
Has anyone ever traveled to Asia?
I have.
I traveled to Japan in 2019, and last summer I visited Thailand.
Very nice.
How did you acclimate yourself to the culture there?
What advice would you give to another Westerner who was trying to visit different Asian cultures?
Well, first of all, almost everyone understands some level of English.
People from Asia have usually received some sort of English language instruction, sometime during their public or private schooling.
Oh, wow.
So unlike in America, where students don't normally learn a foreign language until secondary school, many students in Asia learn English as part of their school curriculum starting younger?
Exactly.
English language instruction starts much younger, often in elementary school.
That's interesting.
So, do you still need a translator?
There is a lot of English used in bigger cities, of course.
So, if you're afraid of having a language barrier, you'll have an easier time finding English signage or someone who understands English than it would be for someone from an Asian country to find their language represented in a Western country.
you'll definitely still want to know the basics of the language spoken wherever you visit or have a way to translate.
But you can also definitely get around in the bigger cities with little to no knowledge of the local spoken tongue.
That's good to know.
Asian cultures also tend to have a higher level of nonverbal communication.
While Westerners might use mostly verbal communication,
Some Asian cultures rely more heavily on body language, gestures, and facial expressions to interact.
This can be helpful when you don't know a lot of the language.
How else would you say Asian and Western cultures compare to one another?
Well, they are both definitely full of their own diversity.
There are several common religions in Asian countries like Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.
While there are many people who practice those and other religions in North America, Christianity is the most common.
Thanks for sharing these valuable pieces of information.
We will continue next time.
I really wonder how you will compare these different cultures.
Of course, I have lots of things to tell you.
Listen to the lessons repeatedly to think in English and automatic speaking.
Repetition is very, very important to become fluent.
You need to speak English fluently, without translating in your head.
The words should come out of your mouth automatically.
So, this is where the repetition comes in.
If you repeat the same vocabulary and sentences many times, you will become a master of this vocabulary and grammar.
So, you will be able to use that words automatically, without thinking about grammar rules and without translating vocabulary in your head.
In order to think in English, you must repeat vocabulary and sentences as much as you can.
After lots of repetition, eventually you will start to think English in your head and improve your speaking skills.
You can practice English whenever and wherever you want.
Just listen to our short stories and answer the easy question out loud.
You will improve your listening and speaking skills fast.