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Back to Speak English With Vanessa

Learning Foundations

Advanced English LISTENING Quiz: Can you understand?

Test your listening with five short conversations. Hear reduced everyday speech, identify key words, and replay each example with Vanessa's guidance.

Read the full lesson summary

Vanessa turns five short recorded conversations into a listening challenge. In each round, learners hear a phrase in context, choose among similar-sounding words, and then replay the clip to notice what they heard. The lesson is intended for learners who want to understand fast everyday speech, including connected words, reductions, and details such as numbers.

The first conversation contrasts having separate phones now with having shared a smartphone in the past. Vanessa explains that although signals a contrast and replays the key sentence so listeners can hear it again. The second conversation includes a speaker describing how her mother encouraged her to get involved in activities when she was shy. Vanessa explains that get involved means to participate, then repeats the sentence to help learners catch the word in connected speech.

In the third clip, a speaker says that part of the joy of visiting family is seeing them change and grow each time. Vanessa explains occasionally and describes how things may be different on each visit. The fourth question asks listeners to distinguish number-related words and identify that a massage therapist began the work about ten years ago. Vanessa emphasizes that listening for numbers is essential in conversation because numbers can carry important details.

The fifth conversation is about shared ownership of a horse and dividing costs. The key word is especially, but Vanessa points out that the speaker uses a common reduced pronunciation that sounds like “specially.” She explains the reduction and plays the clip again, giving learners a chance to compare the careful form with natural connected speech.

Useful expressions in the lesson include “used to happen before” for contrasting past and present, “get involved” for participating in an activity, and “the first time around” for an initial attempt. The quiz itself is a study strategy: listen once for the main idea, identify the target word, then replay a short section and focus on its sounds. The captions include repeated versions of the example conversations; those repetitions are preserved so learners can follow the full lesson and hear each target in context.

Vanessa closes by inviting viewers to compare scores, repeat the lesson as needed, and practise with the broader listening challenge. Rather than treating a score as a judgment, learners can use missed items to decide which sound patterns or vocabulary need another listen.

S2.1
Speak English With VanessaAmerican English09:49

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Vanessa introduces a listening quiz focused on reduced and linked speech and explains the five-conversation format.

Vanessa: Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com. Are you ready to ? Let's get started. Today, I'm going to test your listening skills. Do you want to understand fast native speakers in movies, in TV shows and in regular daily conversations, yes. There are , and linking in spoken English, so the best way to study this is to study real conversations, and that's what we're going to do. You're going to hear five short conversations. And for each conversation, you're going to see three words. What I want you to do is, I want you to listen carefully for which word is used in that conversation. These conversations are all the 30 Day English Listening Challenge, pack three, that will come out on December 20th, 2018, so make sure that you have downloaded my free e-book to get some email updates about that. We'll talk more about that next week.

Try it: Listen for one reduced or linked word in a short conversation.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.

27 phrases

Showing 27 of 27 phrases

test your listening skills

Vanessa introduces a listening quiz focused on reduced and linked speech and explains the five-conversation format. · expression

Check how well you understand spoken English.

Tone and use: Encouraging and direct. Use when inviting someone to try a listening activity.

May not fit: It describes practice, not a formal exam.

Example“Are you ready to test your listening skills?”

countless reductions

Vanessa introduces a listening quiz focused on reduced and linked speech and explains the five-conversation format. · expression

A very large number of shortened forms in spoken speech.

Tone and use: Explanatory. Use when discussing how sounds are reduced in casual speech.

May not fit: Countless is emphatic rather than an exact count.

Example“Spoken English has countless reductions.”

listen carefully

She presents the first listening choice and plays a conversation about sharing phones. · expression

Pay close attention while listening.

Tone and use: Direct instruction. Use before an important listening task.

May not fit: It is an instruction to focus, not to listen repeatedly without a goal.

Example“Listen carefully for the word although.”

used to happen before

Vanessa explains how although contrasts a current situation with the past. · expression

Happened regularly or was true in an earlier time.

Tone and use: Conversational explanation. Use to contrast a past situation with the present.

May not fit: The time reference must be clear from context.

Example“We used to share an office, but that changed.”

although

Vanessa explains how although contrasts a current situation with the past. · expression

Introduces a contrast between two ideas.

Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use it to connect a contrasting idea, often at the start of a clause.

May not fit: Use though or but where a more casual or shorter connector fits.

Example“Although it was late, we stayed for dessert.”

get me involved

The second quiz focuses on involved and a speaker's experience of being shy. · expression

Help or encourage me to participate.

Tone and use: Conversational. Use when someone helps another person join an activity.

May not fit: It means participation, not simply being interested.

Example“My friends got me involved in the club.”

shy and timid

The second quiz focuses on involved and a speaker's experience of being shy. · expression

Quiet and lacking confidence in social situations.

Tone and use: Descriptive. Use to describe someone's reserved behavior.

May not fit: It describes a tendency or feeling, not a permanent identity.

Example“I was shy and timid when I started school.”

get involved

She explains that getting involved means participating in activities. · expression

Take part in an activity or group.

Tone and use: Common and practical. Use to describe participating in an event or activity.

May not fit: Specify the activity when it is not already clear.

Example“I got involved in a local community project.”

change and grow

The third conversation focuses on how family members change and grow over time. · expression

Develop or become different over time.

Tone and use: Neutral and descriptive. Use for people, skills, or situations that develop.

May not fit: The phrase describes development, not only physical growth.

Example“It's wonderful to see children change and grow.”

every time

The third conversation focuses on how family members change and grow over time. · expression

On each occasion something happens.

Tone and use: Common. Use to describe a repeated result or event.

May not fit: Use it for repeated occasions, not one event.

Example“Every time I visit, the garden looks different.”

occasionally

Vanessa clarifies occasionally and how visits can reveal differences. · expression

Sometimes, but not often.

Tone and use: Neutral. Use when something happens from time to time.

May not fit: It does not specify an exact frequency.

Example“I occasionally visit my cousins.”

each time

Vanessa clarifies occasionally and how visits can reveal differences. · expression

On every separate occasion.

Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use when describing repeated events one by one.

May not fit: Use every time for the same idea in many contexts.

Example“Each time we meet, we have more to discuss.”

listen to that clip one more time

Vanessa clarifies occasionally and how visits can reveal differences. · expression

Replay a short audio or video segment once again.

Tone and use: Instructional. Use when asking someone to replay a specific recording.

May not fit: One more time implies another replay, not an unlimited number.

Example“Let's listen to that clip one more time.”

start at the very beginning

A massage therapist explains when she began her work. · expression

Begin from the earliest point or first step.

Tone and use: Common instructional phrase. Use when explaining a process from its first stage.

May not fit: It is figurative when referring to a process.

Example“Let's start at the very beginning of the story.”

get into massage therapy

A massage therapist explains when she began her work. · expression

Begin working in or become interested in massage therapy.

Tone and use: Conversational. Use to ask how someone entered a field or activity.

May not fit: Get into is informal; enter the field is more formal.

Example“How did you get into massage therapy?”

10 years ago

A massage therapist explains when she began her work. · expression

Ten years before the present or another reference point.

Tone and use: Neutral time expression. Use to describe when something happened in the past.

May not fit: The reference point depends on when the sentence is said.

Example“I started the job 10 years ago.”

essential in conversation

Vanessa reveals the number ten and explains why number listening matters. · expression

Very important for communicating with others.

Tone and use: Neutral and explanatory. Use when describing a necessary communication skill.

May not fit: Essential is stronger than helpful.

Example“Listening for numbers is essential in conversation.”

the fifth and final

She introduces the fifth and final listening question. · expression

The last item in a sequence of five.

Tone and use: Neutral and organizational. Use to introduce the last of five parts or questions.

May not fit: Use final only when the sequence really ends there.

Example“Let's move on to the fifth and final question.”

co-owned a horse

The last conversation explains shared ownership of a horse and expenses. · expression

Shared ownership of a horse with another person.

Tone and use: Neutral and specific. Use for property or an animal owned jointly.

May not fit: Co-owned means ownership was shared, not that one person cared for it.

Example“My neighbors co-owned a horse for several years.”

go in on one together

The last conversation explains shared ownership of a horse and expenses. · expression

Contribute money with others to share the cost of something.

Tone and use: Informal. Use when people jointly buy or pay for one item.

May not fit: It is casual speech; use contribute jointly in formal writing.

Example“We went in on one together to split the cost.”

the first time around

Vanessa explains the reduced pronunciation of especially as specially. · expression

During the first attempt or first time experiencing something.

Tone and use: Conversational. Use when something may be difficult at first but easier on a repeat.

May not fit: It does not mean the first lap unless the context is literal.

Example“I didn't catch the phrase the first time around.”

get all five of these right

She replays the example and invites viewers to compare the full and reduced pronunciation. · expression

Correctly answer every item in a five-question quiz.

Tone and use: Informal quiz language. Use when asking whether every question in a five-item quiz was answered correctly.

May not fit: Right means correct here, not direction.

Example“Did you get all five of these right?”

boost your listening skills

She replays the example and invites viewers to compare the full and reduced pronunciation. · expression

Improve your ability to understand spoken language.

Tone and use: Encouraging. Use when describing practice that can strengthen listening.

May not fit: Boost means improve, not guarantee mastery.

Example“Daily clips can boost your listening skills.”

100%, no problem

She replays the example and invites viewers to compare the full and reduced pronunciation. · expression

Completely and without difficulty.

Tone and use: Emphatic and conversational. Use to express total understanding or confidence.

May not fit: It is informal and emphatic, not a measured score.

Example“After practising, I understood the instructions 100%, no problem.”

make sure that you subscribe

She asks viewers to share their quiz score and suggests repeating the lesson. · expression

Remember to follow a channel for future lessons.

Tone and use: Friendly online reminder. Use it as a call to action in online videos.

May not fit: It is optional promotional language, not a required task.

Example“Make sure that you subscribe if you want weekly lessons.”

click the bell

She asks viewers to share their quiz score and suggests repeating the lesson. · expression

Select the notification bell on a video channel.

Tone and use: Common online instruction. Use when explaining how to receive channel notifications.

May not fit: The interface may look different across platforms.

Example“Click the bell to be notified when the lesson starts.”

speak confidently and fluently

Vanessa describes the listening challenge and imagines understanding all five conversations. · expression

Speak with assurance and in a smooth, connected way.

Tone and use: Positive and aspirational. Use it to describe a language-speaking goal.

May not fit: Fluent speech does not require perfect grammar or zero pauses.

Example“I want to speak confidently and fluently in meetings.”

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

1 / 6

Use it in a sentence · “although”

What does although do in the phone conversation?