1 Hour of Real English Conversation Practice: Opinions, Would You Rather, Strange Jobs and Old Beliefs

The episode starts with a question that many learners answer in silence: “Have you ever wanted to disagree with someone in English?” Then Emily finishes the sentence for you: “But all that came out was, yeah, maybe.” (00:00)

Paul knows the feeling. Last Friday he went to his friend Mark’s birthday dinner, and Mark said breakfast is a waste of time. Paul loves breakfast and had a lot to say, but what came out was “yeah, maybe”. He built the perfect answer later, “on the bus home, around ten thirty, alone” (02:23). Emily’s answer to the whole story is short: you did not need a perfect answer, you only needed a way to start and one reason.

This episode is for B1 and B2 learners. Paul and Emily talk for almost one hour in four rounds: opinions that start arguments, a would-you-rather game, two very strange jobs and silly things they believed as kids. Emily points out the useful phrases as they go, and the hosts stop at moments where you can answer out loud before they do.

Watch the episode: Watch the episode on YouTube

Time: about 55 minutes to listen, and about 20 minutes for the practice below.

Before you listen: think of one small opinion you have about food, music or the weather. By the end, you will have a way to say it and a reason to go with it.

How to use this page: listen once like a guest at the table and enjoy the four rounds. Then listen again and say the phrases out loud when Paul and Emily say them slowly. When you hear “One… two… three…”, answer before the hosts do. The full transcript is at the bottom for any line that goes too fast.

What You’ll Learn

• Opinion phrases: In my opinion… / I completely disagree. / I completely agree.
• Polite disagreement: I see your point, but… / That’s fair.
• Talking about value: overpriced / It’s worth it. / just for the experience
• Saying no softly: It’s not for me. / Don’t knock it till you try it.
• New words: controversial, unpopular, perspective, versatile, gullible, myth
• Choosing with a reason: I’d rather… because… / That’s a tough one. / I think I’ll choose…
• Guessing: My guess is… / I bet… / It must be… / You’re on the right track.
• Words for how things feel: sticky, smooth, rough, light, heavy, greasy
• Talking about the past: I used to believe… / I figured out… / I found out… / It’s a myth.
• Practice for you: a would-you-rather game with three questions and a role play in four moments

Key Idea

Say what you think, then say why.

Emily gives you this line right after Paul’s dinner story, and it comes back in every round: at the first opinion (04:53), in the middle of the pizza argument, in the comments request and in the closing summary (53:50). It is a small rule with two parts. The first part is an opinion, even a small one. The second part is one reason, which turns “yeah, maybe” into a real answer.

Two words in the first minutes help you place your opinions. A controversial opinion starts arguments: some people love it and others groan. An unpopular opinion is one that few people agree with. Paul gives the short version: “One is lonely, the other one is noisy.” (03:53)

When You Only Say “Yeah, Maybe” (00:00)

The opening gives you the problem and the words for it. Emily teaches controversial first, and the two hosts say it together, before they promise the four rounds. The hosts also say that the phrases are ready-made. The best moment to notice this is at 08:05, where Emily explains why a disagreement is hard in a second language: it happens fast, and we are afraid of sounding rude, so we choose the safest word, and the safest word makes us disappear from the conversation.

Paul’s Story: The Birthday Dinner (01:37)

Paul’s story has a clear order: a small Italian place near the river, ten people at a long table, a question about breakfast, a big opinion in his head and two small words in the air. It is a good story to retell in your own words. Notice what makes it work for learners: the problem is not vocabulary. Paul knew why he likes breakfast (eggs, toast, a banana and a very big cup of tea at six thirty), but he did not start.

Near the end of this section Emily adds the lesson of the whole hour: “You only needed a way to start, and one reason.” Paul’s answer is the line you will keep: “Say what you think, then say why.” (03:09)

Opinion 1: Iced Coffee in Winter (04:30)

The first opinion is “Iced coffee is better than hot coffee, even in winter.” This time Paul does not say “yeah, maybe”. He says “I completely disagree” (04:39), then gives a reason: in winter a hot cup is half the reason he drinks coffee, because it warms his hands. Emily answers with “I see your point, but” (05:06) and tells her own story of waiting for a bus at five degrees with a giant iced coffee.

The most useful moment comes when Paul says “That’s fair” (05:42). Emily stops the conversation to explain it: he agreed with one small part and still disagreed with the big idea. Paul has a picture for this: “It’s like a soft pillow before a push.” (06:13) You still say no, but the pillow is there.

After the story the hosts say four phrases slowly (06:21): In my opinion, I completely disagree, I see your point, but and That’s fair. Emily also gives the rule for choosing: “The pillow at work, the hammer with friends.” And Emily’s reply: “Maybe a small hammer.” (07:05). The section ends with a short bus-schedule example, a phones-at-the-table example (08:38) and a note about tone: the same sentence can sound like a joke or the start of a fight, and your face and voice decide which (08:57).

Opinion 2: Are Concerts Worth It? (09:57)

The second opinion is “Concerts are a waste of money. Just watch the video at home.” Paul mostly agrees: tickets are overpriced (10:14), and you also pay for parking, a drink and a small bag of chips. He also stands behind the tallest man in the city, and at home his sofa is free.

Emily answers with a story from last July: a small concert in the park, a local band, fifteen dollars, a sudden rain and a man selling yellow plastic raincoats for two dollars. “A sea of yellow raincoats,” Paul says. She stood in the rain for two hours, with shoes full of water, and says “You can’t get that on a sofa” (12:42).

This section teaches three phrases, and each one answers a different feeling. It’s worth it means the cost is fine because the result is good (12:01). For the experience means you go once, to feel it (12:17). It’s not for me is a polite way to say no without saying the thing is bad (13:49). Paul then plays judge with a balanced answer: “Small concert in the park, worth it. Huge concert in a stadium, not for me.” Emily’s summary of the whole argument is a good example of what you want from a disagreement: “Nobody won. But nobody was angry, either.”

Opinion 3: Pineapple on Pizza (14:17)

The third opinion is the most controversial: pineapple on pizza. Paul loves it. Emily says fruit does not belong on pizza, because pizza should be salty and warm, and pineapple is sweet and wet. Both of them use the line from the start, with an opinion and a reason, and the argument stays friendly.

Paul tells a small story: last Sunday he made pizza from scratch (15:09), which Emily explains as making the dough yourself, with tomato sauce, cheese, ham and big pieces of pineapple, while his cat watched from a chair. When Emily says she tried pineapple pizza once, years ago, at a school party, Paul answers with an expression to remember: “Don’t knock it till you try it.” (15:55) He explains the verb in one line: knock means to criticize something.

The section ends with the word versatile (16:35). Something versatile can be used in many different ways. Eggs are the first example, then rice and potatoes, and then people: a versatile actor can play a hero and a villain, and a boss who calls you versatile is giving you a compliment. At 18:15 the hosts ask for your food that everyone hates, in the comments, with a reason.

Would You Rather: The Fork in the Road (18:22)

The second round is a game Paul and Emily both played as kids on long car trips. Emily gives two strange or hard choices, you cannot say neither, and then you explain. She says “The choice takes one second. The reason is the real practice.” Paul adds his picture of the game: each question is a fork in the road, and the reason is the map you give to the other person (19:22).

Three starters make the answer easy to build: I’d rather…, then a verb, then because; That’s a tough one when the question is hard (19:45); and I think I’ll choose… (19:54). The first question is whether you would rather always know when someone is lying, or have everyone always believe what you say (20:18).

Listen to how the answers change. Paul first thinks about the lie detector, and then decides that he would hear every small, kind lie, so he chooses to be believed. Emily chooses to know, because she hates waiting without information: if a friend says she is five minutes away, Emily would know she is still at home. When her answer makes Paul unsure, you hear the phrase he uses: “You’ve got me thinking.” (22:42) Emily’s comment is that it is a polite way to say you still disagree.

The round ends with a small formula you can copy to any question: “Choice, reason, example. Three short steps.” (23:10) And Emily’s reminder: “Not a speech.”

Your Turn: Travel or Holidays? (23:27)

Now the hosts hand the game to you. Paul asks the question, then there is a three-second pause for you to answer out loud with I’d rather and because. Emily and Paul give their answers after the pause, so you hear a model right after your own try.

The first question is whether you would give up traveling or all holidays. The second makes it easier (just for a year), and the third asks you to keep only one holiday (25:32). The answers are personal and funny: Emily keeps New Year for the fresh start, Paul keeps his birthday, because “there’s cake, and it’s all about me”. Emily’s answer: “Yours had cake. Cake is a strong reason.” Paul’s two-sentence answer is also a good example of how a reason can protect a family: he gives up travel because holidays are when his whole family sits at one table.

Review with Our Stories (26:10)

The review replays the stories with the new phrases. The best part is “the version where you actually speak”: Paul’s dinner story again, but now he answers Mark with I see your point, but breakfast keeps me going, then gives his reason, and when Mark says he is never hungry in the morning, Paul says That’s fair. Emily says the whole conversation took fifteen seconds, and Paul adds: “Fifteen seconds at the table, not an hour on the bus.”

Then the other stories get their phrases: the rain concert (worth it), the festival (It’s not for me), the pizza (don’t knock it till you try it) and the fork in the road (you’ve got me thinking). At 28:05 the hosts say eight phrases slowly: In my opinion, I completely disagree, I see your point, but, That’s fair, It’s worth it, just for the experience, It’s not for me and I’d rather, because. Emily calls them “eight small tools for a real conversation”.

Strange Jobs: The Snake Milker (28:14)

Round three starts with Emily’s rabbit hole: one online article about unusual jobs at ten, and midnight at the end. The game is to guess what a person does all day from the name of the job. Emily introduces the three guessing phrases: My guess is, I bet and It must be, like a small ladder from less sure to more sure (29:25). Paul’s picture: “Guessing is like throwing a dart in a dark room.” (29:31)

The first job is a snake milker. Paul guesses that it is a joke, then that they take something else from the snake, then, with Emily’s “You’re on the right track.” (30:20), that it is the venom. You learn the real job: the snake bites the edge of a small glass and the venom drips down. Paul’s reaction is that he does not like opening a jar of pickles.

The venom is used to make antivenom (31:23), and Paul says the venom helps make its own cure. Emily agrees: “The dangerous thing helps make the safe thing.” Emily also teaches a good habit: she does not give a salary number because she is not sure it is correct, and Paul says he would rather hear no number than an incorrect one. At 33:34 she answers his guess about quiet work with “I honestly don’t know. But it sounds right to me.” and adds “When you don’t know, just say it. No need to invent.”

Strange Jobs: The Sensory Scientist (33:51)

The second job is a sensory scientist. Paul finds the clue inside the word, sensory, which is about the senses, and guesses that it is about testing the senses. Two more tries, one wrong (“Close, but not quite.”) and one better, lead him to products: food, face cream, shampoo, soap and body lotion (35:10).

Emily explains the job. A company makes a new face cream, and before it goes to the shops, someone has to say how it feels: is it too heavy, too sticky, does it smell nice? These people notice tiny differences, such as soft and smooth, and Emily says what she loved about it: “It’s a job made of words.”

Then the useful words arrive (36:36). Greasy means it feels oily on your skin. Sticky is when something holds on to your fingers, like honey (36:51). Smooth is when your hand slides easily, rough is the opposite, light means you almost can’t feel it, and heavy means you feel it for a long time (37:10). Emily shows the words work for food as well: a heavy meal is big and rich, and a light meal is a salad or vegetable soup. Paul practices on his old sofa and on his morning tea.

At 37:56 he uses the whole ladder again (my guess is, I bet, it must be) and gets a compliment on the last guess. The section ends with a question for you: what is the strangest job you have heard of, with one guess about what the person does all day.

Childhood Beliefs: Old Maps (39:36)

Round four starts with three phrases. Gullible describes someone who believes things too easily (40:00). I used to believe is for something that was true before, but not now (40:28). I figured out means you understood by yourself (40:41). Paul’s picture for these beliefs is an old map: “A childhood belief is like an old map in your pocket.” (about 41:00)

Paul tells his grandmother story. When he was six, she told him that if the wind changes, his face stays like that, and he did not make a funny face all summer. He figured out the truth a year later, at a windy picnic where his cousin’s face was fine. Emily’s belief was about gum: swallow it and it stays seven years. She says it was a myth, “a story many people believe, but it isn’t true” (43:26).

The two verbs get a clear rule. Emily first says she figured it out, then corrects herself, because her mom told her. So: “I figured out means you discovered it yourself. I found out can mean someone told you, or you learned it any way.” (44:04) Paul adds a third belief, square eyes from sitting too close to the television (44:55), which he kept until he was nine.

Santa and the Curly E (46:14)

This is the section with the strongest story. Paul’s parents never told him that Santa was real, and his friends’ milk and cookies by the fireplace made him a little jealous. Emily’s family did, and she tells the detective story: at eight she noticed that the letter E on the gift tag had a small curl, and she had seen the same curl on her dad’s lunch box notes. “Santa had my dad’s handwriting.” (48:29)

She kept the secret for a year, for two reasons: a younger cousin who still believed, and the fear that the gifts would stop. She puts both phrases into one sentence: I found out when I was eight, and I figured it out from the handwriting. The last line is worth saying out loud: “The curl lives on.” Then Emily asks for your story in the comments (49:34): when did you find out that something you believed wasn’t true? Start with I used to believe.

Old Beliefs About Learning English (49:42)

The hosts bring the old map back to the lesson. Many learners carry old beliefs about language, such as “I must speak perfectly, or I shouldn’t speak at all.” Emily says that most of them are myths: “Most people are patient, and they’re happy you’re trying.” Paul connects it to the dinner: his old map said that if you disagree in English you will sound rude, so he said nothing important.

His answer is the end of the arc: today he has been disagreeing with Emily for almost an hour, “respectfully”, mostly with pillows and sometimes with a small hammer (50:50). “Your disagreement is welcome, as long as you give a reason.”

Role Play: Answer Politely (51:20)

The role play has four moments, and each one uses a phrase from one round. Paul says “Breakfast is a waste of time”, and you answer with I see your point, but… Then he says that concerts are a waste of money, and you can use worth it or for the experience (51:48). The third moment is a choice, work from home or in an office, with I’d rather… because. The last one is a guess: what does a sensory scientist do? Use my guess is or it must be.

After each pause, you hear a model answer. Emily’s “Fair enough. Everyone is different.” (51:41) is a good phrase to add to That’s fair. And the last model guess, “It must be someone who tests how products feel and smell”, shows how short a good guess can be.

Today’s Action and Your Challenge (53:10)

The action is small and exact: “Today, say one real opinion to one real person.” Keep it small, such as a food, a movie, a song or the weather, and add one reason with because. Paul’s example: “I think this rain is nice, because the city smells fresh.” Emily’s count: “Fifteen seconds, and you’re in the conversation.”

The hosts also give you a map for what to do if someone disagrees with you: the pillow. I see your point, but… or That’s fair. Then they look back at the four rounds and ask for your challenge in the comments: “What’s one controversial opinion you have? Then add because.” The next episode is about how to tell a funny story in English (54:48).

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning	Example from the episode
controversial (01:06)	an opinion that starts arguments	”A controversial opinion is an opinion that starts arguments.”
unpopular (03:23)	few people agree	”Unpopular means most people don’t like it or don’t agree.”
perspective (04:09)	the way you see something	”It means the way you see something.”
In my opinion… (04:56)	start giving your view	”In my opinion, coffee in winter should warm your hands.”
I completely disagree. (04:39)	a strong no, for friends	”Even in winter? No. I completely disagree.”
I see your point, but… (05:06)	a soft start before a no	”I see your point, but I’m on the other side.”
That’s fair. (05:42)	agree with one part	”Hmm. That’s fair. Some hot coffee is pretty bitter.”
overpriced (10:14)	the price is higher than it should be	”Concert tickets are so overpriced now.”
It’s worth it. (12:01)	the cost is fine for a good result	”I understand why people say it’s worth it.”
for the experience (12:17)	do it once, to feel it	”I went once, just for the experience.”
It’s not for me. (13:49)	a polite no	”Three days, no real shower, sleeping in a tent? It’s not for me.”
from scratch (15:09)	make it yourself, from the start	”Yes, from scratch. Thank you. That’s the phrase.”
Don’t knock it till you try it. (15:55)	do not say it is bad before you try	”So don’t say something is bad before you really try it.”
versatile (16:35)	useful in many ways	”Eggs are very versatile.”
I’d rather… because… (19:30)	choose and give a reason	”I’d rather stay home because I’m tired.”
That’s a tough one. (19:45)	the choice is hard	”Oh. That’s a tough one.”
You’ve got me thinking. (22:42)	I am not changed yet, but I am thinking	”I’ll stay on my path, but you’ve got me thinking.”
My guess is… / I bet… / It must be… (29:25)	three levels of sure	”It must be for medicine. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”
You’re on the right track. (30:20)	you are going the right way	”Ooh, you’re on the right track.”
I honestly don’t know. (33:34)	the honest answer	”I honestly don’t know. But it sounds right to me.”
sticky, smooth, rough, light, heavy, greasy (36:36)	words for how things feel	”Greasy means it feels oily on your skin.”
gullible (40:00)	believes things too easily	”A gullible person believes things too easily.”
I used to believe… (40:28)	a past belief that is over	”I used to believe, but then I figured out the truth.”
I figured out… (40:41)	understood by yourself	”Nobody told you. You worked it out.”
I found out… (43:58)	learned it, often from someone	”I found out from my mom.”
It’s a myth. (43:26)	a story many people believe that is not true	”Right, it’s a myth.”
Fair enough. (51:41)	an accepting answer	”Fair enough. Everyone is different.”

Mistake and Repair

Often said	Better	Why
Yeah, maybe. (when you disagree)	I see your point, but…	It is as fast and as safe, and it is a real answer (02:23, 06:13).
I’d rather to stay home. (written for this page)	I’d rather stay home.	After I’d rather use the base verb with no to (19:30).
I figured out from my mom. (written for this page)	I found out from my mom.	Use figured out only when you discovered it yourself (44:04).
It must be cold tomorrow. (written for this page)	My guess is it’ll be cold.	It must be needs a clue you can see now (29:25).
Controversial and unpopular as the same word	Controversial = people argue; unpopular = few agree	One is noisy, the other is lonely (03:53).

Practice with the Episode

1. Listen for details

Listen again and answer. The answers follow.

1. What did Mark say about breakfast at the birthday dinner?
2. What does Paul compare I see your point, but to?
3. How much did the raincoats cost at Emily’s concert in the park?
4. What three steps does Emily give for a would-you-rather answer?
5. What did Paul’s grandmother say would happen if the wind changed?
6. How did Emily know who wrote the tags from Santa?

Answers

1. That breakfast is a waste of time, and that he never eats it.
2. A soft pillow before a push.
3. Two dollars each.
4. Choice, reason, example.
5. His face would stay like that.
6. The letter E had a small curl, the same as in her dad’s handwriting on her lunch box notes.

2. Choose the pillow phrase

Say a short answer to each opinion with I see your point, but…, That’s fair. or I completely disagree. Then add a reason with because. These opinions were written for this page.

1. Cold showers are the best way to start the day.
2. Phones should stay off the table at dinner.
3. Winter is a better season than summer.

For the second one, the episode gives this model: “I completely agree with that one, actually.” (08:38) Your answers can be different. Check that you start with an opinion phrase and finish with a reason.

3. Figured out or found out?

Choose figured out or found out for each sentence. The sentences were written for this page. The answers follow.

1. I ___ the answer by myself after ten minutes.
2. My teacher told me, so I ___ that the word has two meanings.
3. Nobody helped me. I ___ how the machine works.

Answers

1. figured out (you worked it out yourself).
2. found out (someone told you).
3. figured out (nobody helped).

4. Choice, reason, example

Pick one question and answer it in three short steps: your choice with I’d rather, your reason with because, and one small example from your own life.

• Would you rather always be early or always be late?
• Would you rather live by the sea or in the mountains?

Use the example from Emily’s lying question as a model: “I’d rather know, because I hate waiting without information.” (21:20) Then add an example like hers: a friend who says she is five minutes away.

Keep Practicing

Want the guessing phrases as a page you can use without the episode? Read How to Guess in English: My Guess Is, I Bet and It Must Be. It has the three levels of sure, a full guessing game, answers to someone else’s guess and exercises with answers.

Chapters

• 00:00 When You Only Say ‘Yeah, Maybe’
• 01:37 Paul’s Story: The Birthday Dinner
• 04:30 Opinion 1: Iced Coffee in Winter
• 09:57 Opinion 2: Are Concerts Worth It?
• 14:17 Opinion 3: Pineapple on Pizza
• 18:22 Would You Rather: The Fork in the Road
• 23:27 Your Turn: Travel or Holidays?
• 26:10 Review with Our Stories
• 28:14 Strange Jobs: The Snake Milker
• 33:51 Strange Jobs: The Sensory Scientist
• 39:36 Childhood Beliefs: Old Maps
• 46:14 Santa and the Curly E
• 49:42 Old Beliefs About Learning English
• 51:20 Role Play: Answer Politely
• 53:10 Today’s Action and Your Challenge

Full Transcript

Emily: Have you ever wanted to disagree with someone in English?

Emily: But all that came out was, yeah, maybe.

Paul: Oh, I know that feeling. Too well, actually.

Emily: You have a story about it. I can see it on your face.

Paul: I do. I’ll tell you in a minute.

Emily: Welcome to English Practice Daily. I’m Emily.

Paul: And I’m Paul. This podcast is for B1 and B2 learners.

Emily: Today is a long, relaxed conversation. Almost one hour.

Paul: We’ll play four rounds, and you can listen like a guest at our table.

Emily: Round one, opinions that make people argue.

Paul: Round two, a game called would you rather.

Emily: Round three, the strangest jobs we could find.

Paul: And round four, silly things we believed as kids.

Emily: Along the way, I’ll point out the phrases we use.

Emily: Phrases for giving an opinion, agreeing, and disagreeing politely.

Paul: If you want, repeat those phrases after us. Out loud is best.

Emily: Okay. First, one word you will hear a lot today. Controversial.

Paul: Controversial. It’s a long one.

Emily: A controversial opinion is an opinion that starts arguments.

Emily: Some people love it. Other people get a little angry.

Paul: Like saying that summer is the worst season.

Emily: Exactly like that. Half the room nods, and half the room groans.

Paul: Controversial. Say it with us. Controversial.

Emily: Good. Now, Paul. Your story, please. Tell us everything.

Paul: Okay. Last Friday, I went to a birthday dinner.

Paul: It was for my friend Mark, at a small Italian place near the river.

Paul: Seven o’clock, a long table, about ten people.

Emily: Sounds nice so far.

Paul: It was a wonderful evening. Until the bread came.

Paul: Someone asked Mark what he usually eats for breakfast.

Paul: And Mark said, breakfast is a waste of time. I never eat it.

Emily: Oh no. And you love breakfast.

Paul: I love breakfast. I eat it every day at six thirty.

Paul: Eggs, toast, a banana, and a very big cup of tea.

Emily: So you had a lot to say.

Paul: I had so much to say. In my head, the words were ready.

Paul: But what came out of my mouth was, yeah, maybe.

Emily: Yeah, maybe. The two most dangerous words at a dinner table.

Paul: Then the conversation moved on, and I sat there quietly.

Paul: I spent the whole evening building the perfect answer.

Emily: And when did you finally finish building it?

Paul: On the bus home. Around ten thirty. Alone.

Emily: That’s the saddest timing in the world.

Paul: It really is. My answer was great. Nobody heard it.

Emily: But here’s the thing. You didn’t need a perfect answer.

Emily: You only needed a way to start, and one reason.

Paul: That’s true. I knew why I like breakfast. I just didn’t start.

Emily: So let’s give everyone one line to keep today.

Emily: Say what you think, then say why.

Paul: Say what you think, then say why. I like that.

Emily: Short, and it works for every round we play today.

Paul: Before we start, I’d like to add one more useful expression.

Paul: Online, people often write, unpopular opinion, and then something surprising.

Emily: Oh yes. Unpopular opinion, cereal is better without milk.

Paul: Exactly. Unpopular means most people don’t like it or don’t agree.

Emily: So an unpopular opinion and a controversial opinion are close relatives.

Emily: Unpopular means few people agree. Controversial means people argue about it.

Paul: That’s a helpful difference. One is lonely, the other one is noisy.

Emily: Ha. Lonely and noisy. That’s a perfect way to remember it.

Emily: And when you share either kind, it helps to sound respectful.

Paul: Respectful. You show that you value the other person’s perspective.

Emily: Perspective is a great word here. It means the way you see something.

Emily: Two people can look at the same pizza from different perspectives.

Paul: One person sees a delicious dinner, and the other sees a disaster.

Emily: We’ll get to that pizza very soon, I promise.

Paul: Okay, I’m ready for round one. What’s the first opinion?

Emily: The first one is about coffee. Here it is.

Emily: Iced coffee is better than hot coffee, even in winter.

Paul: Even in winter? No. I completely disagree.

Emily: Ooh, that was fast. Look at you. No yeah, maybe.

Paul: I learned my lesson on that bus.

Emily: Okay, so tell me why. Remember the line.

Paul: Right. Say what you think, then say why.

Paul: In my opinion, coffee in winter should warm your hands.

Paul: When it’s cold outside, I want a hot cup to hold.

Paul: The cup is half the reason I drink it.

Emily: I see your point, but I’m on the other side.

Emily: I drink iced coffee all year. Even in January.

Paul: In January, you must be freezing.

Emily: They do. Last winter I waited for a bus at seven in the morning.

Emily: It was five degrees outside. I had a giant iced coffee.

Emily: My fingers turned red, and the ice was still in the cup.

Paul: That doesn’t sound like fun, Emily.

Emily: It wasn’t fun for my hands. But the coffee tasted amazing.

Emily: For me, hot coffee tastes bitter. Cold coffee tastes smooth.

Paul: Hmm. That’s fair. Some hot coffee is pretty bitter.

Emily: Let me stop here for a second, because you just did something nice.

Emily: You said, that’s fair. You agreed with one small part.

Paul: I did. I still disagree with the big idea, though.

Emily: Exactly. You can disagree with the big idea and agree with one detail.

Emily: That makes the other person feel heard.

Paul: Can I say how I think about these phrases?

Emily: Go ahead.

Paul: I see your point, but. It’s like a soft pillow before a push.

Paul: You still push back. You still say no.

Paul: But the pillow is there, so nobody gets hurt.

Emily: A soft pillow before a push. I really like that picture.

Emily: Let’s say the phrases slowly. In my opinion.

Paul: In my opinion.

Emily: I completely disagree.

Paul: I completely disagree.

Emily: I see your point, but.

Paul: I see your point, but.

Emily: That’s fair.

Paul: That’s fair.

Emily: Four phrases. A strong one, a soft one, and two in the middle.

Paul: So when do you use I completely disagree?

Emily: With friends, about small things. Coffee, movies, sports.

Emily: In a meeting with your boss, maybe choose the pillow.

Paul: Good advice. The pillow at work, the hammer with friends.

Emily: Ha. Maybe a small hammer.

Paul: Can I ask why disagreeing feels so hard in a second language?

Emily: I think there are two reasons, and both are very normal.

Emily: The first reason is speed, because a disagreement usually happens fast.

Emily: Someone says something strong, and the conversation is already moving on.

Paul: Yes, that was my problem at the dinner. The moment passed in two seconds.

Emily: The second reason is fear, because we worry about sounding rude.

Emily: In your own language, you know exactly how strong your words sound.

Emily: In English, you’re not sure, so you choose the safest thing possible.

Paul: And the safest thing possible is, yeah, maybe.

Emily: Exactly. It feels safe, but it also makes you disappear from the conversation.

Paul: That’s a good way to put it. I disappeared at that table.

Emily: So the phrases we just practiced solve both problems at the same time.

Emily: They’re ready-made, so they’re fast, and they’re polite, so they’re safe.

Paul: Ready-made phrases for a fast moment. I like that a lot.

Emily: Let me give you a few more examples, with everyday topics.

Emily: In my opinion, the new bus schedule is much better than the old one.

Paul: I see your point, but the last bus now leaves too early for me.

Emily: That’s fair. If you work late, the new schedule is a problem.

Paul: See, that was a whole little argument, and nobody was upset.

Emily: Another one. In my opinion, phones should stay off the dinner table.

Paul: I completely agree with that one, actually. No argument from me.

Emily: Oh, good. And notice, I completely agree works the same way as disagree.

Paul: Right. You can make it strong in both directions.

Emily: One more tip about tone, because tone matters as much as words.

Emily: If you say I completely disagree with a smile, it sounds friendly.

Emily: If you say it with a cold face, it sounds like the start of a fight.

Paul: So the same sentence can be a joke or a war.

Emily: Pretty much. Your face and your voice decide which one it is.

Paul: Okay, one more thing about coffee before we continue.

Paul: In my town, almost every cafe sells more iced drinks now.

Paul: Even the old cafe near my office has a big iced menu.

Emily: See? The world agrees with me.

Paul: The world is wrong, and I will die with my hot tea.

Emily: Your tea? We were talking about coffee.

Paul: Okay, you caught me. I mostly drink tea.

Emily: So you disagreed about a drink you don’t even drink much.

Paul: I mean, I drink coffee sometimes. On Mondays.

Emily: That’s the most honest thing you’ve said today.

Paul: Let’s go to the next opinion before I say anything else.

Emily: Okay. Opinion number two. This one is about music.

Emily: Concerts are a waste of money. Just watch the video at home.

Paul: Hmm. I have to say, I agree with this one. Mostly.

Emily: I’m surprised. Mostly?

Paul: Mostly. Concert tickets are so overpriced now.

Emily: Overpriced. That means the price is higher than it should be.

Paul: Right. And it’s not only the ticket.

Paul: You pay for parking, for a drink, for a small bag of chips.

Paul: By the end of the night, you’ve spent a lot of money.

Emily: That’s true. The drinks at concerts are crazy.

Paul: And where do I usually stand? Behind the tallest man in the city.

Emily: Oh, every time. He always finds you.

Paul: He always finds me. So I watch the whole show on someone’s phone screen.

Paul: At home, I can see the singer’s face clearly. And my sofa is free.

Emily: I see your point, but I have to tell you about last summer.

Paul: Is this a good story or a sad story?

Emily: Both. Last July, there was a small concert in the park near me.

Emily: A local band. Tickets were cheap, about fifteen dollars.

Paul: Okay, so not overpriced.

Emily: Not at all. I went with two friends from work.

Emily: Ten minutes after the band started, it began to rain.

Paul: Oh no. Did everyone go home?

Emily: Nobody went home. A man was selling yellow plastic raincoats.

Emily: Two dollars each. So suddenly, the whole crowd was yellow.

Paul: A sea of yellow raincoats. That’s a funny picture.

Emily: It was absolutely beautiful. We stood in the rain for two hours.

Emily: We sang every song, even the ones we didn’t know.

Emily: My shoes were full of water. I didn’t care at all.

Paul: That actually sounds amazing.

Emily: It was the best night of my year. You can’t get that on a sofa.

Paul: Hmm. Okay. I understand why people say it’s worth it.

Emily: Worth it. Let’s look at that phrase.

Emily: When something is worth it, the cost is fine because the result is good.

Paul: The ticket was cheap, the shoes were wet, but the night was worth it.

Emily: Exactly. And there’s another phrase I like here. For the experience.

Paul: For the experience. Like, I went once, just for the experience.

Emily: Right. You don’t go because it’s perfect. You go to feel it once.

Paul: So maybe I’d go to one concert in my life. For the experience.

Emily: Only one? That’s very generous, Paul.

Paul: One concert, and only if somebody sells me a yellow raincoat.

Emily: Deal. I’ll bring two raincoats.

Paul: But I still want to defend my sofa for a minute, if that’s okay.

Emily: Of course. Every sofa deserves a lawyer.

Paul: At home, I can pause the show when I need a snack.

Paul: I can watch the same song three times if I really love it.

Paul: And I can go to bed ten minutes after the last song ends.

Emily: Those are honest reasons. The going to bed part is very strong.

Paul: After a concert, it takes me an hour just to leave the parking lot.

Emily: That’s fair. The traffic after a big concert is terrible.

Emily: So maybe the answer depends on the size of the concert.

Paul: Small concert in the park, worth it. Huge concert in a stadium, not for me.

Emily: Now that’s a very balanced opinion. You sound like a judge.

Paul: Judge Paul. I like the sound of that.

Paul: And what about big music festivals? Three days in a field?

Emily: Ah, no. That one is not for me.

Paul: Really? You, the rain concert girl?

Emily: Three days, no real shower, sleeping in a tent? It’s not for me.

Paul: It’s not for me. That’s a polite way to say no.

Emily: Exactly. You’re not saying the thing is bad.

Emily: You’re just saying it doesn’t fit you.

Paul: Some people love festivals. I respect that. It’s not for me.

Emily: See, that’s the perfect way to end this kind of argument.

Emily: We both had a reason, and we both said, that’s fair.

Paul: Nobody won. But nobody was angry, either.

Emily: That’s my favorite kind of argument.

Paul: Okay, opinion number three. I think this is a food one.

Emily: It is. And it might be the most controversial one today.

Emily: Pineapple on pizza is delicious.

Paul: Yes! Finally, an opinion I love.

Emily: No. No, no, no. Fruit does not belong on pizza.

Paul: Okay, wait. Say what you think, then say why.

Emily: Fine. In my opinion, pizza should be salty and warm.

Emily: Pineapple is sweet and wet. It makes the whole pizza soggy.

Paul: I see your point, but sweet and salty together is wonderful.

Paul: It’s like a small party in your mouth.

Emily: A party I did not want to go to.

Paul: Can I tell you what happened last Sunday?

Emily: Is this another dinner story?

Paul: A small one. I made pizza at home, from the bottom.

Emily: You mean from scratch? You made the dough yourself?

Paul: Yes, from scratch. Thank you. That’s the phrase.

Paul: Tomato sauce, delicious cheese, ham, and big pieces of pineapple.

Paul: My cat sat on the kitchen chair and watched me the whole time.

Emily: Even the cat was worried.

Paul: The cat was jealous. It smelled wonderful.

Paul: I ate half the pizza standing next to the oven.

Emily: Okay, I believe you enjoyed it. It’s still not for me.

Paul: Have you actually tried it, though?

Emily: One bite. Years ago. At a school party.

Paul: One bite, years ago. That’s not a fair test.

Paul: There’s an expression for this. Don’t knock it till you try it.

Emily: Don’t knock it till you try it. Explain that one.

Paul: Knock means to criticize something. To say it’s bad.

Paul: So don’t say something is bad before you really try it.

Emily: Fine. But I did try it. One bite was enough.

Paul: One bite, at a school party, from a cold box. I don’t count it.

Emily: Ha. Okay, that’s fair. The school party pizza was terrible.

Paul: So you’ll try mine?

Emily: Maybe. If your cat approves first.

Paul: I’ll ask her tonight.

Emily: Let’s talk about one more word, because pineapple isn’t the main fruit hero.

Paul: Oh? Who is?

Emily: I think some foods are more versatile than others.

Paul: Versatile. Okay, what does that mean exactly?

Emily: Something versatile can be used in many different ways.

Emily: Take eggs, for example. You can boil them, fry them, bake them.

Emily: You can put them in a cake or on top of a burger.

Paul: Eggs are very versatile. Pineapple, maybe not so much.

Emily: Thank you. Finally you completely agree with me.

Paul: Rice is versatile too. You can eat it with almost anything in the world.

Emily: Potatoes are another great example. Mashed, fried, baked, or in a soup.

Paul: And the word isn’t only for food, right? People can be versatile too.

Emily: That’s right. A versatile actor can play a hero and a villain.

Emily: A versatile worker can do many different tasks in the same office.

Paul: So if your boss says you’re versatile, that’s a compliment.

Emily: A big compliment. It means you’re useful in many situations.

Paul: Versatile. Let me say it slowly. Ver-sa-tile. Versatile.

Emily: Good. Say it with us. Versatile.

Paul: I agree that eggs are versatile. I still love pineapple pizza.

Emily: That’s fair. I can live with that.

Paul: Listen to us. We’re so polite now.

Emily: Two hours ago you were saying yeah, maybe.

Paul: Two hours? It’s been fifteen minutes, Emily.

Emily: It feels longer when we argue about pizza.

Paul: So what about you, listener? Is there a food you love that everyone hates?

Emily: Tell us in the comments. Write the food, and then write why.

Paul: Say what you think, then say why. Even in the comments.

Emily: Okay, round two. This is one of my favorite games.

Paul: Would you rather. I played it all the time as a kid.

Emily: Me too. On long car trips with my brother.

Emily: For anyone who doesn’t know the game, it’s very simple.

Emily: I give you two choices. Both are a little strange or a little hard.

Paul: And I have to choose one. I can’t say neither.

Emily: Right. No escape. And then you have to explain your choice.

Paul: That’s the important part, I think. The explaining.

Emily: It is. The choice takes one second. The reason is the real practice.

Paul: Can I give my picture for this game?

Emily: Please. You’re on a roll with pictures today.

Paul: Each question is like a fork in the road.

Paul: The road splits into two paths, and you must take one.

Emily: And the reason?

Paul: The reason is the map you give to the other person.

Paul: Without the map, they don’t know why you went left.

Emily: A fork in the road, and the because is the map. Nice.

Emily: Here’s the main phrase. I’d rather, plus a verb, then because.

Paul: I’d rather stay home because I’m tired.

Emily: Perfect. I’d rather is short for I would rather.

Emily: And when the question is hard, you can say, that’s a tough one.

Paul: That’s a tough one. I’ll probably say that a lot today.

Emily: Another good starter is, I think I’ll choose.

Paul: I think I’ll choose the first one. Okay. I’m ready.

Emily: Here’s question one. Would you rather always know when someone is lying to you?

Emily: Or would you rather have everyone always believe what you say?

Paul: Oh. That’s a tough one.

Emily: Told you. Take your time.

Paul: Okay, so the first path. I always know when someone is lying.

Paul: That sounds useful at first. Like a superpower.

Emily: Like a lie detector inside your head.

Paul: Yes. But I think it could also make me very sad.

Emily: I’m curious why that would be sad.

Paul: Because people tell small lies all the time. Kind ones.

Paul: Your friend says, I love the gift. Your uncle says, dinner was great.

Emily: Oh, that’s true. Little polite lies.

Paul: If I always knew, I’d hear every little lie. Every single day.

Paul: I think I’d stop trusting anyone.

Emily: Hmm. That’s a good point. So you’d take path two?

Paul: Wait, let me think about path two first.

Paul: Everyone always believes me. That’s a lot of power.

Emily: You could say anything. I’m the king of this podcast.

Paul: And you would believe me.

Emily: I would have to. That’s scary, Paul.

Paul: It is scary. But I’m an honest person. Mostly.

Paul: So I think I’ll choose path two.

Paul: I’d rather have everyone believe me, because I wouldn’t use it for bad things.

Paul: And I wouldn’t have to hear all the little lies.

Emily: Okay. You said what you think, and you said why.

Paul: Twice, even. What about you?

Emily: I’d rather know when people are lying.

Paul: Even the small, kind lies. That surprises me.

Emily: Even those. I think I’d just laugh at them.

Emily: My friend says, I’m five minutes away. I’d know she’s still at home.

Paul: Ha. That’s every friend in the world.

Emily: Exactly. I’d rather know, because I hate waiting without information.

Emily: If I know she’s still at home, I can order another coffee.

Paul: An iced coffee, I guess. In January.

Emily: Of course.

Paul: That’s a really practical reason. I didn’t think about waiting.

Emily: And there’s one more thing I’d like about knowing the truth.

Emily: When someone says your work is good, you would know it’s really good.

Paul: Oh, that’s true. Every compliment would be real.

Emily: Every single compliment. I think that would make me feel very confident.

Paul: Hmm. Now I’m not so sure about my choice anymore.

Emily: That’s the fun of this game. A good reason can change your mind.

Paul: There’s a phrase for that too, right? You’ve changed my mind.

Emily: Yes, you’ve changed my mind. Or, you’ve got me thinking.

Paul: You’ve got me thinking. I’ll stay on my path, but you’ve got me thinking.

Emily: Ha. That’s a very polite way to say I still disagree.

Paul: I notice something. We both used a real example.

Paul: You used your friend, and I used my uncle’s dinner.

Emily: Yes. An example makes the reason much easier to understand.

Emily: So if you play this game, try to add a small example too.

Paul: Choice, reason, example. Three short steps.

Emily: Three short steps. Not a speech.

Paul: Okay, I’m really enjoying this game. We should definitely have more questions.

Emily: We do. But this time, it’s not our turn.

Paul: Whose turn is it?

Emily: The listener’s turn. Your turn, at home.

Paul: Oh, I like this. So how does it work?

Emily: You ask the question. Then we wait three seconds.

Emily: During those seconds, you answer out loud. Use I’d rather and because.

Paul: And after that, we give our answers as examples.

Emily: Right. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just say something.

Paul: Okay. Here’s the question for you.

Paul: Would you rather give up traveling for the rest of your life?

Paul: Or give up all holidays, like birthdays, New Year, and every festival?

Emily: Answer now. I’d rather, because.

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: Okay. Here’s my answer.

Emily: I’d rather give up holidays, because travel feels like a holiday to me.

Emily: If I can see new places, every trip is a little celebration.

Paul: I’ll take the other path. I’d rather give up traveling.

Paul: Because holidays are when my whole family sits at one table.

Paul: I don’t want to lose that, even for a beautiful beach.

Emily: Both good answers. Different paths, both with a map.

Paul: Now let’s make it a little easier. Same question, small change.

Paul: What if you only give it up for one year, not forever?

Emily: Your turn again. Which one would you give up for one year?

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: For one year, I’d give up traveling. I can wait.

Emily: I’d rather save money for one year, then take a big trip after.

Paul: For one year, I’d give up holidays. Just one year of no parties.

Paul: Because I think my family would forgive me. Probably.

Emily: Probably. I’m not so sure about your mom.

Paul: Neither am I, to be honest.

Emily: Last change. Imagine you can keep only one holiday. Just one.

Emily: Which one do you keep, and why?

Paul: One… two… three…

Paul: I’d keep my birthday. Because there’s cake, and it’s all about me.

Emily: That’s a very honest and comfortable answer, Paul.

Emily: I’d keep New Year. Because I love the feeling of a fresh start.

Emily: A clean page, new plans, and a lot of fireworks.

Paul: That’s a nice reason. Better than mine.

Emily: Yours had cake. Cake is a strong reason.

Paul: Okay, before round three, can we look back for a minute?

Emily: Yes, let’s do a quick review. We’ve learned a lot of phrases.

Paul: Let me start with my birthday dinner story, but the new version.

Emily: Oh, the version where you actually speak.

Paul: Exactly. Mark says, breakfast is a waste of time.

Paul: And this time, I answer. I see your point, but breakfast keeps me going.

Emily: Keeps me going. Nice. It gives you energy.

Paul: And then I give my reason. In my opinion, a good morning starts with eggs.

Emily: And Mark says, I’m never hungry in the morning.

Paul: And I say, that’s fair. Everyone is different.

Emily: See? The whole conversation took fifteen seconds.

Paul: Fifteen seconds at the table, not an hour on the bus.

Emily: Now my rain concert. Paul says, concerts are overpriced.

Emily: I say, sometimes. But that night in the rain was worth it.

Paul: And I say, okay, maybe once. For the experience.

Emily: And music festivals?

Paul: Three days in a tent? It’s not for me.

Emily: And then the pineapple pizza. I say, fruit doesn’t belong on pizza.

Paul: And I say, don’t knock it till you try it. I made it from scratch last Sunday.

Emily: And I answer, okay, that’s fair, but it’s still not for me.

Paul: And the fork in the road. Would you rather know every lie, or be believed?

Emily: I’d rather know, because I hate waiting without information.

Paul: And I say, you’ve got me thinking. But I’m staying on my path.

Emily: Perfect. Let’s say the phrases one more time, slowly.

Emily: Repeat after us. In my opinion.

Paul: I completely disagree.

Emily: I see your point, but.

Paul: That’s fair.

Emily: It’s worth it.

Paul: Just for the experience.

Emily: It’s not for me.

Paul: I’d rather, because.

Emily: Eight phrases. Eight small tools for a real conversation.

Paul: And one big rule over all of them.

Emily: Say what you think, then say why.

Paul: Okay. Round three. You said something about strange jobs.

Emily: Yes. This week I went down a rabbit hole online.

Paul: A rabbit hole. You started reading, and you couldn’t stop.

Emily: Exactly. I started with one article about unusual jobs.

Emily: Two hours later, it was midnight and I was still reading.

Paul: That’s the danger of the internet at night.

Emily: So here’s the game. I tell you the name of a job.

Emily: You guess what the person does all day.

Paul: Just from the name? That could go very badly.

Emily: That’s what makes it fun. And it’s great practice.

Emily: Because guessing has its own phrases in English.

Paul: Like what?

Emily: My guess is. I bet. It must be. Those are the main three.

Paul: My guess is, I bet, it must be. Are they all the same?

Emily: Not exactly. My guess is, is the most neutral one.

Emily: I bet sounds more sure, and a little more casual.

Emily: It must be means you’re almost certain, because of some clue.

Paul: So they go from less sure to more sure.

Emily: Right. Like a small ladder.

Paul: Okay. I want my picture for this one too.

Emily: Of course you do.

Paul: Guessing is like throwing a dart in a dark room.

Paul: You can’t see the board. You just throw and listen.

Emily: And sometimes you hit the wall.

Paul: Sometimes you hit the wall. That’s perfectly fine. You throw again.

Emily: I love that. Nobody criticizes you for missing in the dark.

Paul: Okay, turn off the lights. Give me the first job.

Emily: Job number one is called a snake milker.

Paul: A snake milker? Like milking a cow, but a snake?

Emily: That’s the name. Go on, guess.

Paul: My guess is that it’s a joke. Snakes don’t make milk.

Emily: No, they don’t. You’re right about that.

Paul: Okay, good. So the milk is not real milk.

Paul: I bet they take something else from the snake.

Emily: Ooh, you’re on the right track.

Paul: On the right track. So I’m going the correct way.

Emily: Yes. You’re not there yet, but you’re close.

Paul: Okay. What else could possibly come out of a snake? Hmm.

Paul: Maybe it’s the venom, the poison in their bite.

Emily: Yes! That’s it. The venom.

Paul: So they milk the venom. That sounds terrifying.

Emily: It is a frightening job. The person holds the snake extremely carefully.

Emily: The snake bites into the edge of a small glass.

Emily: And the venom drips down into the glass.

Paul: I don’t even like opening a jar of pickles.

Emily: Ha. You’re not getting this particular job, Paul.

Paul: But why do people need snake venom? That’s my next question.

Emily: Guess first. Use the ladder.

Paul: Okay. It must be for medicine. That’s the only thing that makes sense.

Emily: Good use of it must be. And you’re right again.

Emily: Venom is used to make medicine for snake bites.

Emily: It’s called antivenom. It saves a lot of lives.

Paul: So the venom helps make its own cure. That’s kind of beautiful.

Emily: It is. The dangerous thing helps make the safe thing.

Paul: How much do snake milkers earn? Do you know?

Emily: I saw different numbers in different places.

Emily: So I won’t give you a number. I’m not sure it’s correct.

Paul: That’s fair. I’d rather hear no number than an incorrect one.

Emily: But I can say this. It needs years of training.

Emily: You don’t just walk in and grab a snake.

Paul: I imagine they learn a lot about each type of snake, too.

Emily: I think so. Every snake is different, and some are much more dangerous.

Emily: So they need to know how each one moves and how fast it can bite.

Paul: That’s a lot of knowledge for one small glass of venom.

Emily: It is. And I read that the work is usually done in special labs.

Emily: Not in the jungle, like I imagined at first.

Paul: I imagined a man in a hat in the middle of a forest.

Emily: Me too. The real job is probably much more careful and much less exciting.

Paul: That’s true for most jobs, I think. The movie version is always louder.

Paul: Can I tell you my snake story? It’s very short.

Emily: You have a snake story? Since when?

Paul: When I was ten, my class visited a small zoo.

Paul: There was a man holding a long green snake.

Paul: He asked, who wants to touch it? Everyone stepped back.

Emily: I’d like to hear what you did.

Paul: I stepped back too. Faster than everyone else.

Emily: I thought this story had a brave ending.

Paul: No. The brave ending is that I’m talking about snakes today.

Emily: That’s growth, Paul. Real growth.

Paul: Okay, let me practice the ladder once more with this job.

Paul: My guess is, it’s a dangerous job. I bet it’s well trained people.

Paul: And it must be very quiet work. You can’t be noisy around a snake.

Emily: Three guesses, three levels. Well done.

Paul: Was I right about the quiet part?

Emily: I honestly don’t know. But it sounds right to me.

Paul: That’s another nice phrase. I honestly don’t know.

Emily: Yes. When you don’t know, just say it. No need to invent.

Paul: Okay, next job. I’m ready for something less scary.

Emily: Job number two is called a sensory scientist.

Paul: Sensory scientist. Okay. That sounds more serious.

Emily: It does. But it’s actually a really fun job.

Paul: Let me find the clue. Sensory. That’s about the senses.

Paul: Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Emily: Good. You found the clue inside the word.

Paul: So it must be something about testing the senses.

Paul: My guess is, they test people’s eyes or ears.

Emily: Close, but not quite. You’re testing something different.

Paul: The wrong thing. Hmm. So they don’t test people.

Paul: Do they test things? Like products?

Emily: Now you’re on the right track again.

Paul: Okay. I bet they test food. They probably taste chips all day.

Emily: Some of them do test food, actually.

Paul: That’s my dream job, honestly.

Emily: But many of them test other things too.

Emily: Things like face cream, shampoo, soap, and body lotion.

Paul: Wait, they put cream on their face all day?

Emily: More or less. A company makes a new face cream.

Emily: Before it goes to the shops, they want to know how it feels.

Emily: Is it too heavy? Too sticky? Does it smell nice?

Paul: And the sensory scientist touches it and describes it.

Emily: Exactly. They describe it in a very careful way.

Emily: They’re trained to notice tiny differences.

Emily: The difference between soft and smooth, for example.

Paul: Soft and smooth. Are those different?

Emily: To us, maybe not. To them, very different.

Paul: That’s amazing. I honestly can’t tell the difference between two shampoos.

Emily: I’ve seen your hair, Paul. I believe you.

Paul: Hey! That’s not very kind.

Emily: Sorry. That was a small hammer. Not a pillow.

Paul: Ha. At least you know which tool you used.

Emily: Can I tell you something that happened to me last month?

Paul: Of course.

Emily: I was in a big shop, looking for a new hand cream.

Emily: There were maybe twenty different creams on one shelf.

Emily: I tested five of them on the back of my hand.

Paul: Five? Your hand must have been very soft.

Emily: My hand was a mess. Five creams, five smells.

Emily: Lemon, rose, coconut, something like rain, and something like medicine.

Paul: Something like medicine? Who wants that one?

Emily: Exactly. And I couldn’t say why I liked the coconut one.

Emily: I just said, it feels nice. That’s all I had.

Paul: So you needed a sensory scientist with you.

Emily: I did. They would say, light, quick to dry, not greasy.

Paul: Greasy. Like oily food. Like fries.

Emily: Yes. Greasy means it feels oily on your skin.

Emily: Let’s look at a few of those feeling words, because they’re useful everywhere.

Emily: Sticky is when something holds on to your fingers, like honey.

Paul: Smooth is when your hand slides easily, like a new table.

Emily: Rough is the opposite of smooth, like an old wooden fence.

Paul: Light means you almost can’t feel it on your skin.

Emily: And heavy means you can feel it for a long time afterwards.

Paul: So a heavy cream is still sitting on your face an hour later.

Emily: Exactly. And these words work for food too, not only for cream.

Emily: A heavy meal is a big, rich meal that makes you sleepy.

Paul: Like a big plate of pasta at an Italian birthday dinner.

Emily: Ha. Just like that. And a light meal is a salad or some vegetable soup.

Paul: Let me try describing something with these words. My old sofa.

Paul: It’s soft, but the fabric is a little rough on my arms.

Emily: Very good. Now describe your morning tea.

Paul: My tea is hot and smooth, and the cup is heavy because it’s huge.

Emily: You sound like a real sensory scientist already.

Paul: Maybe I should change jobs after this podcast.

Emily: Please don’t. I need you here to argue about pizza.

Paul: So this job is really about language too.

Paul: You need many words to describe one small feeling.

Emily: That’s what I loved about it. It’s a job made of words.

Paul: Okay, let me try my guessing ladder one more time.

Paul: My guess is, they work in a clean, quiet lab.

Paul: I bet they wash their hands about a hundred times a day.

Paul: And it must be hard to describe cream when your nose is tired.

Emily: Ooh, that last one is a smart guess.

Emily: I read that they take breaks so their senses can rest.

Paul: Like a tired nose needs a holiday.

Emily: A nose holiday. I would like one of those.

Paul: So, would you rather be a snake milker or a sensory scientist?

Emily: Oh, that’s easy. Sensory scientist. I’d rather touch cream than snakes.

Paul: Same. Although the snake job sounds more exciting for stories.

Emily: You’d have the best stories at dinner parties.

Paul: Then I could finally say something at Mark’s birthday.

Emily: Ha. That’s true. Nobody would talk about breakfast.

Paul: Okay, listeners. We want to hear from you about this round.

Paul: What’s the strangest job you’ve ever heard of?

Emily: Write it in the comments. And add one guess. What do they do all day?

Paul: You can use the ladder. My guess is, I bet, it must be.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Last round. And this one is a little personal.

Paul: Uh oh. Personal how?

Emily: Round four is about things we believed when we were kids.

Emily: Things adults told us, or things we invented ourselves.

Paul: Oh, I have a few of those. Some are embarrassing.

Emily: Good. Embarrassing is the best kind.

Emily: First, a useful word for this round. Gullible.

Paul: Gullible. That’s someone who believes everything, right?

Emily: Right. A gullible person believes things too easily.

Emily: You tell them the moon is made of cheese, and they say, really?

Paul: I was very gullible as a kid. My sister used that a lot.

Emily: Older or younger sister?

Paul: Older. Of course older. Older sisters know everything.

Emily: The second phrase is, I used to believe.

Paul: I used to believe. For something that was true before, but not now.

Emily: Exactly. Used to tells us the past habit or belief is over.

Emily: I used to believe, but then I figured out the truth.

Paul: I figured out. That means you understood it by yourself.

Emily: Yes. Nobody told you. You worked it out.

Paul: Can I give a picture before my story?

Emily: I knew it. Go on.

Paul: A childhood belief is like an old map in your pocket.

Paul: The streets changed years ago. But the map is still there.

Paul: And sometimes, you still follow it without thinking.

Emily: Oh, that’s a good one. Some adults still carry those maps.

Paul: Okay, my story. When I was six, I spent summers with my grandma.

Paul: She had a small yellow kitchen that smelled like bread.

Emily: That already sounds lovely.

Paul: It was. One afternoon, I was making funny faces at the window.

Paul: Big eyes, tongue out, the full show.

Paul: And my grandma said, careful. If the wind changes, your face stays like that.

Emily: Oh no. I’ve heard that one!

Paul: I believed her completely. I looked outside at the trees.

Paul: The trees were moving. So the wind was changing. Right now.

Emily: So what did you do?

Paul: I closed my mouth so fast. I didn’t make a funny face all summer.

Emily: The whole summer? That’s so sad and so funny.

Paul: My school photo that year was very serious.

Emily: So when did you figure out it wasn’t true?

Paul: Maybe a year later. My cousin made faces all day at a picnic.

Paul: It was very windy. And his face was fine.

Emily: So you saw the evidence with your own eyes.

Paul: Exactly. That’s when I threw away that old map.

Emily: And do you still make funny faces now?

Paul: Only on video calls when my camera is off.

Emily: Ha. Very safe.

Paul: Okay, your turn. What did you used to believe?

Emily: Mine is about chewing gum.

Paul: Oh, I think I know this one.

Emily: Someone at school told me that if you swallow gum, it stays in your stomach.

Emily: For seven years. Seven whole years.

Paul: Seven years! Such a specific number, and I wonder why.

Emily: I have no idea. But I believed it completely.

Emily: One day in class, I swallowed my gum by accident.

Emily: The teacher walked in, and I panicked. I just swallowed it.

Paul: And then you were scared for seven years.

Emily: I was scared for about a week. I did the math, too.

Emily: I thought, I’ll be fifteen when this gum leaves my body.

Paul: That’s a very gullible math problem.

Emily: It is. I was a very gullible kid.

Paul: But that’s a myth, right? It’s not true.

Emily: Right, it’s a myth. A myth is a story many people believe, but it isn’t true.

Emily: Gum doesn’t stay inside you for years. It just passes through.

Emily: Still, I don’t recommend eating your gum. Just to be clear.

Paul: Noted. Don’t eat your gum. Very important advice for our listeners.

Emily: So when did I figure out it wasn’t true?

Emily: My mom laughed when I finally told her. She said, that’s a myth.

Paul: So you didn’t figure it out yourself. Somebody told you.

Emily: That’s true. I found out from my mom. Good correction.

Emily: That’s actually an important difference.

Emily: I figured out means you discovered it yourself.

Emily: I found out can mean someone told you, or you learned it any way.

Paul: So I figured out the face myth. You found out the gum myth.

Emily: Exactly. Good job.

Paul: Why do you think adults tell kids these things?

Emily: I think most of them have a reason.

Emily: The gum story stops kids from swallowing gum.

Paul: And the face story stops kids from being rude at the window.

Emily: Right. It’s a quick way to control kids without a long talk.

Paul: Smart, but a little unfair. I lost a whole summer of faces.

Paul: I have one more, and this one I believed for a really long time.

Emily: Longer than one summer? Now I’m very interested.

Paul: My parents always said, don’t sit so close to the television.

Paul: If you sit too close, your eyes will go square.

Emily: Square eyes! I’ve never heard that version before.

Paul: In our house, it was a very serious warning.

Paul: Every Saturday morning, I watched cartoons from the far end of the room.

Paul: I sat on the floor near the door, about five meters away.

Emily: Five meters? Could you even see the cartoons from there?

Paul: Barely. I watched a lot of small, blurry cartoons.

Emily: That’s the opposite of what your parents wanted, probably.

Paul: Probably. They just wanted me to stop pressing my nose on the screen.

Emily: And did you ever check your eyes in the mirror?

Paul: Every single night. I was checking for corners.

Emily: Corners on your eyes. That’s the funniest thing you’ve said all day.

Paul: So I used to believe in square eyes, and I didn’t stop until I was nine.

Emily: And how did you figure that one out?

Paul: My best friend had a huge TV, and he sat right in front of it.

Paul: His eyes were perfectly round. I checked very carefully.

Emily: More evidence. You were a little scientist, actually.

Paul: A sensory scientist of eyes. Maybe that’s why I liked round three.

Emily: Let me do one more phrase with this round. It’s a myth.

Paul: It’s a myth. Say it with us. It’s a myth.

Emily: Good. Now, the biggest childhood belief of all.

Paul: I think I know where this is going.

Emily: Santa Claus. The old man with a white beard who brings gifts.

Paul: In some countries he’s very big. In others, not so much.

Emily: Right. And it really differs between families, too.

Emily: Some parents say he’s real. Other parents never say that.

Paul: In my house, he was just a character from movies.

Paul: My parents never told us he was real.

Emily: Never? Not even a little bit?

Paul: Not even a little. My dad said, it’s a nice story. That’s all.

Emily: So you never had the big moment of finding out.

Paul: Never. And honestly, I sometimes felt a little jealous of other kids.

Paul: At school, my friends talked about leaving cookies out on Christmas Eve.

Paul: They left milk and cookies by the fireplace before going to bed.

Emily: And in the morning, the cookies were gone.

Paul: Exactly. And I thought, my parents would never eat cookies for a story.

Emily: Ha. That’s a fun little difference between families.

Emily: And other holidays have their own characters in some countries.

Emily: Some kids hear about a bunny that hides chocolate eggs in spring.

Paul: And some kids get a coin under the pillow when a tooth falls out.

Emily: It’s interesting how every family chooses which stories to tell.

Paul: It really is. It differs between families, even on the same street.

Paul: Okay, your turn. I think you had a big moment.

Emily: I did. In my family, Santa was very real.

Emily: Every Christmas morning, there were gifts with little tags on them.

Emily: Each tag said, to Emily, from Santa.

Paul: Very official.

Emily: Very official. Then, when I was eight, I suddenly noticed something.

Emily: On the tag, the letter E had a strange little curl at the top.

Paul: A curl, you said.

Emily: A small curl, like a tiny wave. And I’d seen that curl before.

Emily: On my lunch box notes. From my dad.

Paul: Oh no. The handwriting.

Emily: The handwriting. I took the tag and put it next to a lunch note.

Emily: Same E. Same curl. Santa had my dad’s handwriting.

Paul: Detective Emily! That’s amazing.

Emily: I was so proud of myself, and so sad at the same time.

Paul: So did you tell your parents?

Emily: Not right away. I kept the secret for a whole year.

Emily: Because I had a younger cousin who still believed.

Paul: That’s actually very sweet.

Emily: And because I was worried the gifts would stop.

Paul: Ah. There’s the real reason.

Emily: Both reasons were real. Let me say it with the phrase.

Emily: I found out when I was eight. I figured it out from the handwriting.

Paul: Both phrases in one story. Perfect.

Paul: And did your dad ever change his E after that?

Emily: Never. He still writes it with the curl. On birthday cards now.

Paul: So the curl lives on.

Emily: The curl lives on. Okay, listeners, this is a good question for you.

Emily: When did you find out that something you believed wasn’t true?

Paul: Tell us in the comments. Start with, I used to believe.

Emily: And if you figured it out yourself, tell us how.

Paul: You know, this round surprised me a little, emotionally.

Emily: Really? In what way?

Paul: These old beliefs feel silly now, but they were completely real back then.

Paul: Square eyes, the frozen face, your seven-year gum. We truly believed them.

Emily: That’s true. And it reminds me of something about learning English.

Emily: Many learners carry old beliefs about language, like old maps.

Emily: For example, I must speak perfectly, or I shouldn’t speak at all.

Paul: Or, native speakers will laugh at my mistakes.

Emily: Exactly. Those beliefs feel serious, but most of them are myths.

Emily: Most people are patient, and they’re happy you’re trying.

Paul: That’s what happened at the birthday dinner, actually.

Paul: My old map said, if you disagree in English, you’ll sound rude.

Paul: So I followed the old map, and I said nothing important.

Emily: And today, you’ve been disagreeing with me for almost an hour.

Paul: Respectfully, I hope.

Emily: Very respectfully. Mostly with pillows, sometimes with a small hammer.

Paul: So maybe it’s time to throw away that old map, too.

Emily: Definitely. Your disagreement is welcome, as long as you give a reason.

Paul: Okay, Emily. Before we finish, can we do one more practice?

Emily: Yes. Let’s put everything together. This time with a little role play.

Paul: I’ll play some strong opinions. You at home answer politely.

Emily: Use the pillow first, then your reason. Then we’ll give an example.

Paul: First one. I’m Mark at the birthday dinner.

Paul: Breakfast is a waste of time.

Emily: Your answer. I see your point, but.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Here’s mine. I see your point, but breakfast helps me focus at work.

Paul: That’s fair. But I’m still not hungry at seven a.m.

Emily: Fair enough. Everyone is different.

Paul: Second one. Concerts are a waste of money.

Emily: Your answer. Use worth it, or for the experience.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Mine. Sometimes, yes. But a good concert is worth it, even in the rain.

Paul: Okay. Maybe once, just for the experience.

Paul: Third one. And this one is a choice. Listen carefully.

Paul: Would you rather work from home or work in an office?

Emily: Your answer. I’d rather, because.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Mine. I’d rather work from home, because I don’t like long bus rides.

Paul: I’d rather work in an office, because I miss people at home.

Paul: Last one. A guess. What do you think a sensory scientist does?

Emily: Your answer. My guess is, or, it must be.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: Mine. It must be someone who tests how products feel and smell.

Paul: Perfect. And you didn’t say yeah, maybe once.

Emily: Not once. Paul, you’d be proud of your listeners.

Paul: I am. Much braver than me on that bus.

Emily: So, here’s one thing you can do today.

Emily: Today, say one real opinion to one real person.

Emily: Keep it small. A food, a movie, a song, the weather.

Paul: And add one reason. Just one. With because.

Paul: For example, I think this rain is nice, because the city smells fresh.

Emily: That’s it. Fifteen seconds, and you’re in the conversation.

Paul: And if someone disagrees, you know what to do.

Emily: The pillow. I see your point, but. Or, that’s fair.

Paul: Remember: say what you think, then say why.

Emily: Say what you think, then say why. That’s the line to keep.

Paul: Okay, let’s look back at our hour together.

Emily: Round one, we argued about coffee, concerts, and pineapple pizza.

Paul: Round two, we stood at the fork in the road and chose paths.

Emily: Round three, we threw darts in the dark and guessed strange jobs.

Paul: And round four, we threw away some very old maps.

Emily: The gum map and the funny face map.

Paul: And your dad’s curly E.

Emily: Now we have one last question for you. Please write it in the comments.

Emily: What’s one controversial opinion you have? Then add because.

Paul: Small or big, we want to read it. We’ll answer some of them.

Emily: Even if it’s about pineapple. I’ll try to be polite.

Paul: With a pillow, I hope.

Emily: With a very big pillow.

Paul: In the next episode, we’ll talk about how to tell a funny story in English.

Paul: How to start it, how to build it, and how to land the ending.

Emily: If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe so you don’t miss it.

Paul: Thanks for spending this hour with us at English Practice Daily. I’m Paul.

Emily: And I’m Emily. See you in the next episode. Bye for now.