Learn To Speak About Your Hometown

Sarah0:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to Everyday English Academy where we make English simple and enjoyable. I'm Sarah.

Mike0:11

And I'm Mike. Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now.

Sarah0:16

Mike, I have a quick question for you. Uh

Mike0:20

oh. Your "quick questions" are never quick.

Sarah0:23

This one is! What is your hometown famous for?

Mike0:29

Oh, easy. We have... ...a very big roundabout.

Sarah0:35

A... roundabout? You mean the circle in the road where the cars drive around?

Mike0:41

Yes! A very big one. People from the next town drive over just to look at it.

Sarah0:49

Mike, that is the saddest tourist attraction I have ever heard.

Mike0:53

Hey! It has flowers in the middle. In summer, it's actually beautiful.

Sarah0:58

A beautiful roundabout. Okay, that's amazing. And honestly, perfect... because today we're talking about hometowns!

Mike1:07

Our hometowns, your hometowns, everybody's hometowns.

Sarah1:12

And how to talk about them in English. Because this comes up all the time.

Mike1:18

It really does. You meet someone new, and the second or third question is always... "So, where are you from?"

Sarah1:24

And it's such a nice topic! Everyone has feelings about their hometown.

Mike1:29

Some good feelings, some... not so good.

Sarah1:33

Oh, we'll get to that. And listeners, stay with us, because later Mike is going to try to convince you that small towns are better than big cities.

Mike1:45

I am going to convince you. I have facts.

Sarah1:48

You have a roundabout, Mike.

Mike1:51

A famous roundabout!

Sarah1:53

Okay, so let's start here. Mike, tell me more about this little town. What is it actually like?

Mike2:02

Well, it's small. Old buildings, narrow little streets, a tiny market square. It's very... quaint.

Sarah2:10

Ooh, quaint. That's a lovely word. Can you explain it for everyone?

Mike2:16

Sure. Quaint means small, old, and charming. In a cute way. Like a place from a postcard.

Sarah2:23

Yes! So an old town with little stone houses and a tiny bakery... you'd say, "Oh, it's so quaint."

Mike2:32

Exactly. It's a compliment. It means pretty and charming, but in an old-fashioned way.

Sarah2:37

I like that. But Mike... be honest. Quaint also means there's nothing to do, right?

Mike2:46

Okay, sometimes! When people can't think of anything good to say, they say, "It's... quaint."

Sarah2:53

"It's quaint" is the polite way to say "I was bored out of my mind."

Mike2:58

Wait, hold on. When the town makes me feel that way, am I "bored" or "boring"? I always mix those two up.

Sarah3:09

Ooh, classic trap! Think about it does the feeling describe you, or the town?

Mike3:16

Right... the feeling is inside me, so I'll say... bored!

Sarah3:21

Exactly! you were bored. The town was boring. Nice one.

Mike3:28

See, even I need a quiz sometimes! But my town really is charming. It's just also... very far away.

Sarah3:35

How far?

Mike3:36

Sarah, we are out in the sticks.

Sarah3:39

Out in the sticks! Explain that one, it's a great phrase.

Mike3:43

Out in the sticks means far out in the countryside. Far from the cities, far from everything. Very rural.

Sarah3:50

So no big shops, no train station, just fields and quiet?

Mike3:55

Fields, quiet, cows, and one roundabout.

Sarah4:00

Back to the roundabout! Okay, that's a great phrase. "I grew up out in the sticks." Very natural, very British.

Mike4:08

And honestly? I kind of loved it out there. But we'll come back to that.

Sarah4:13

Mysterious! Okay, listeners, quick one for you. What is your hometown famous for? And don't say "nothing" everywhere is famous for something. Tell us in the comments, we're so curious!

Mike4:28

Okay, my turn. Sarah, you grew up in a big city. Tell everyone what that's like.

Sarah4:34

I did! And I love it. My city is busy, full of people, full of noise. It's very bustling.

Mike4:43

Bustling. That's a perfect word for a city.

Sarah4:46

Yes! Bustling means full of busy activity. Lots of people moving around, lots of energy. "The market was bustling with people."

Mike4:57

So a bustling street is a busy, lively street with lots happening.

Sarah5:01

Exactly. And my city is also huge. It just goes on and on and on. It's very sprawling.

Mike5:11

Ooh, sprawling. What does that mean?

Sarah5:14

Sprawling means spread out over a very large area. Like a city that grows and grows in every direction.

Mike5:23

So you can drive for an hour and you're still in the same city?

Sarah5:27

Yes! That's a sprawling city. London is a sprawling city, it just keeps going.

Mike5:34

See, that sounds stressful to me.

Sarah5:36

Sometimes it is! When it's too crowded, too noisy, too many people... I feel claustrophobic.

Mike5:44

That's a big word. Break it down for us.

Sarah5:47

Claustrophobic means you feel trapped. Like there's no space and you can't breathe. Usually we use it for small rooms...

Mike5:56

Like a tiny elevator with ten people squeezed inside.

Sarah5:59

Exactly! But you can also feel claustrophobic in a huge crowd. Too many people, too close. "The train was so full, I felt claustrophobic."

Mike6:11

See? this is my point. In my town, you never feel claustrophobic.

Sarah6:15

No, because there's no one there!

Mike6:18

There are people! ...Sometimes!

Sarah6:22

"Sometimes." Okay, listeners, this is the big question of the day. Small town or big city which one are you? Comment right now and tell us your team. Team city, or team quiet?

Mike6:37

Team quiet, obviously.

Sarah6:39

Of course you're team quiet.

Mike6:41

Okay, let me ask you something about your bustling, sprawling city. How do you even get around?

Sarah6:47

Oh, public transport. Buses, trains, the metro. I almost never drive.

Mike6:55

See, that's so different. In my town, you drive everywhere. There's no bus.

Sarah7:02

No bus at all?

Mike7:03

There's one bus. It comes twice a day. And if you miss it... ...you walk.

Sarah7:09

Twice a day?! That's not a bus, that's a special event!

Mike7:16

It kind of is! But here's the funny part. In a small town, you don't really need it. Everything is close. Everything is within walking distance.

Sarah7:26

Ah, "within walking distance." That's a useful phrase. It means close enough to walk there.

Mike7:33

Right. The shop, my friend's house, the school... all within walking distance. So I usually walk... or wait, do I say I "go" to work on foot, or I "go to work by foot"? Help me out, Sarah.

Sarah7:47

Ooh, sneaky one! We say "by car," "by bus," "by train"... but walking is special.

Mike7:56

Hmm, right, it's the odd one out... so it's "on foot"! I go to work on foot.

Sarah8:02

Exactly! "By car," but "on foot." That one catches everyone.

Mike8:08

Alright, here's something interesting about both our places. They change over time.

Sarah8:13

Oh, that's true. My city looks completely different now.

Mike8:18

Mine too. There's an old part of my town that's... not great. It's pretty run-down.

Sarah8:25

Run-down. That's a really useful one. What does it mean?

Mike8:28

Run-down means old and in bad condition. Broken, dirty, nobody is taking care of it.

Sarah8:35

So a run-down building is an old building that's falling apart?

Mike8:40

Exactly. "That part of town is really run-down. Half the shops are closed."

Sarah8:46

We have areas like that too. But here's the funny thing... some of those run-down areas become cool!

Mike8:53

Oh, you mean they become

Sarah8:55

up-and-coming. Yes! Up-and-coming! Tell them what that means, I love this word.

Mike9:01

Up-and-coming means a place that's becoming popular and improving fast. It's not famous yet, but it's getting there.

Sarah9:09

So first it's run-down... then artists move in, then little cafés open... and suddenly it's

Mike9:16

up-and-coming. And then it's expensive!

Sarah9:20

Always! There's this one street near me. It's been popular... hmm, do I say "for five years" or "since five years"?

Mike9:32

Good one to pause on! Is five years a period of time, or a starting point?

Sarah9:38

It's a length of time... five whole years... so I'll go with

Mike9:44

"for"! Spot on! "For five years" a period. "Since 2019" a point in time. Easy to mix up.

Sarah9:54

So there's this one street near me. Five years ago empty and sad, now a fancy coffee shop right next to a shop that's been closed since I was a kid.

Mike10:07

That's so funny! a five dollar coffee right next to a broken window.

Sarah10:11

That's an up-and-coming area in one sentence!

Mike10:15

And usually all this new stuff gets built on the outskirts, right?

Sarah10:18

Good one. On the outskirts means on the edge of a town or city. Not the center, the outer part.

Mike10:26

So new shopping centers, new houses... they build them on the outskirts because there's more space.

Sarah10:32

Exactly. "We live on the outskirts of the city, so it's a bit quieter." Very common, very useful.

Mike10:39

"We live on the outskirts of town." Nice and smooth. You'll hear that one all the time.

Sarah10:45

I like the outskirts, actually. Close to the city, but not in the chaos.

Mike10:50

Of course you like the outskirts. You like anything quiet. Who's team quiet now?

Sarah10:55

Okay, okay! Maybe just a little bit. Mike, I have to ask. What do you actually miss about your town? And keep it real.

Mike11:07

Honestly? The food.

Sarah11:09

Ooh, the food. Always the food.

Mike11:13

There's this little bakery near the famous roundabout Of course it's near the roundabout! Everything is near the roundabout, Sarah! But this bakery makes fresh bread every morning. And the smell... oh, I miss that smell.

Sarah11:22

See, that I understand. Food is the thing everyone misses.

Mike11:28

What about you? What do you miss?

Sarah11:30

The food too, honestly. There's a tiny noodle place near my old flat. Cheap, busy, a little messy... but the best food in the city.

Mike11:40

And you can't find it anywhere else?

Sarah11:42

Nowhere. I've tried! It's never the same. The hometown version is always better.

Mike11:49

It's true. Food from home just hits different.

Sarah11:53

"Hits different." Listen to you, using the slang!

Mike11:57

I'm a cool guy, Sarah.

Sarah11:59

You have a famous roundabout, Mike. You're not cool.

Mike12:03

Rude! Okay, listeners, here's a fun one. What food do you miss from your hometown? Tell us in the comments and now I'm hungry, so make it good.

Sarah12:13

Okay, but here's something I think is really special about small towns.

Mike12:19

Oh, you're admitting small towns are special now?

Sarah12:22

Don't get excited. But in a small town... everyone knows everyone, right?

Mike12:28

Oh, completely. We call that a close-knit community.

Sarah12:32

Close-knit. Explain that one.

Mike12:35

Close-knit means the people are very close and connected. They know each other, they help each other. Like one big family.

Sarah12:44

That sounds lovely, actually.

Mike12:47

It is! ...Until you do something embarrassing, and the whole town knows by lunchtime.

Sarah12:53

Oh no.

Mike12:55

Oh yes. You drop your shopping in the street at nine in the morning, and by noon, everyone has heard about it.

Sarah13:03

That's the dark side of

Mike13:04

close-knit! Word gets around fast. Everyone knows your business.

Sarah13:09

"Word gets around" that means news or gossip spreads quickly.

Mike13:14

Very quickly. In a small town, you can't keep a secret. In your big city, nobody even knows your name.

Sarah13:20

That's true! My neighbours and I just nod at each other. We've lived there... ten years, and I still don't know their names.

Mike13:28

Ten years?!

Sarah13:30

Ten years! We nod. That's our whole relationship.

Mike13:35

See, that's a bit sad, though.

Sarah13:37

It is a bit sad. Okay, fine. Point to the small town. Did you hear that, everyone?

Mike13:43

She gave me a point! Okay! Now it's time. The big one. The thing small towns do better. Remember I promised this?

Sarah13:49

I remember. Go on. Convince me.

Mike13:53

Small towns feel like home. Even when they're small and old and far away. They feel warm. They feel... homely.

Sarah14:03

Homely! Nice. What does that mean?

Mike14:06

Homely means simple, warm, and comfortable. Not fancy, but cosy. The kind of place where you instantly feel relaxed.

Sarah14:15

So a homely little house with a warm kitchen and a soft sofa...

Mike14:21

Yes! "Their kitchen is so homely, I never want to leave." It's a lovely feeling.

Sarah14:27

Okay, that is a beautiful word. I'll give you that one.

Mike14:31

And here's my real point. When I first moved away, I missed it. The quiet. The friendly faces. The bakery. The town I always called boring.

Sarah14:41

Aww. See, this is where you go soft.

Mike14:46

A little! But here's the thing about hometowns. Even the quiet, quaint, out-in-the-sticks ones... they grow on you.

Sarah14:54

Ooh, "it grows on you." That's a great phrase. Explain it!

Mike14:59

It grows on you means you like something more and more over time. At first you're not sure, but slowly... you love it.

Sarah15:06

So maybe you didn't like a place at first... and now you love it. So would I say it "grew on me" or it "growed on me"?

Mike15:18

Ha! Careful "grow" is an irregular verb. It doesn't follow the normal rule.

Sarah15:25

Right, no "-ed" for this one... so the past is "grew"! It grew on me.

Mike15:32

Spot on! Grow, grew, grown. Never "growed." Good catch.

Sarah15:38

"It really grew on me." You can use this for anything. A city, a meal, a person.

Mike15:45

"I didn't like this song at first, but it really grew on me." Super

Sarah15:49

natural. That's my favorite phrase of the whole episode.

Mike15:53

That's my whole argument, by the way. Big city, small town, doesn't matter. Your hometown grows on you.

Sarah16:00

Okay... that was actually sweet, Mike. I'm impressed.

Mike16:05

Was it the roundabout? Did the roundabout win you over?

Sarah16:08

No. Absolutely not the roundabout.

Mike16:12

One day, Sarah. One day you'll love that roundabout.

Sarah16:16

Don't push your luck.

Mike16:19

Right, before we go through the words one more time, let's get your mouth moving. Repeat each line after us say it right out loud!

Sarah16:31

I grew up out in the sticks.

Mike16:35

It's within walking distance.

Sarah16:38

We live on the outskirts of town.

Mike16:43

This place really grew on me.

Sarah16:47

Lovely work! Those four will sound great in a real conversation. Alright, now let's do a quick recap of all today's words!

Mike16:58

First, quaint. Small, old, and charming. "What a quaint little village."

Sarah17:04

Out in the sticks. Far out in the countryside. "I grew up out in the sticks."

Mike17:10

Bustling. Full of busy activity. "A bustling city street."

Sarah17:14

Sprawling. Spread out over a big area. "A sprawling city."

Mike17:20

Claustrophobic. Feeling trapped, with no space. "The crowd made me feel claustrophobic."

Sarah17:26

Run-down. Old and in bad condition. "A run-down old building."

Mike17:32

Up-and-coming. Becoming popular and improving fast. "It's an up-and-coming area."

Sarah17:38

On the outskirts. On the edge of a town or city. "We live on the outskirts."

Mike17:44

Homely. Simple, warm, and comfortable. "Their home is so homely."

Sarah17:49

And it grows on you. You like it more over time. "This place really grew on me."

Mike17:56

We also had a few bonus phrases within walking distance, close-knit, and word gets around.

Sarah18:02

Those are so useful for talking about where you're from.

Mike18:06

They really are! And now we want to hear from you.

Sarah18:10

Yes! Tell us in the comments... where are you from? And give us one word to describe it. Is it quaint? Bustling? Run-down? Out in the sticks?

Mike18:21

And one more thing tell us one thing you miss, and one thing you would never miss.

Sarah18:29

Be honest! We won't tell anyone.

Mike18:31

We read every single comment, so don't be shy.

Sarah18:34

And if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give us a like.

Mike18:41

Share it with a friend from your hometown. They'll know exactly what we mean.

Sarah18:45

Thank you so much for spending time with us today.

Mike18:48

Keep practicing, keep talking, and remember... even a town with one roundabout has a story.

Sarah18:55

Stay curious, everyone, and we'll see you in the next episode.

Mike19:00

Bye, everyone!

Sarah19:01

Goodbye!