[0:00]English Leap Podcast. From Speak English with class. Hey, English learners. Welcome back to the English Leap Podcast, your cozy place to learn easy English through real-life conversations and real feelings at the same time. Yeah. Welcome, welcome. This is an English podcast for easy English conversation, and today, we are here with you again. Your body might be at work, or in school, or on a bus, but your brain is on a small vacation with us right now. Yes, welcome to our tiny brain vacation. No ticket, no passport, just headphones. So, Jake, how is your day going? Honestly, my day is okay, not amazing, not terrible. The weather is confusing. In the morning, it was cold, so I wore a jacket. At lunchtime, it was hot and sunny, and now, I feel like a walking onion with too many layers. A walking onion? I like that. I had the opposite problem. I looked outside, saw the sun, and I thought, "Nice, it is warm." So I left my house in a light T-shirt, and then the wind said, "Surprise!" So, you were cold all day? Yes, all day. In the office, I was drinking tea not because I wanted tea, but because I wanted to hold the hot cup like a small heater. I can see that. I mean, I can really imagine you doing that, tea as a hand warmer, not as a drink. And you, dear listener, how is the weather where you are today? Maybe it is raining, maybe it is very sunny, maybe you are inside and you do not care. You can just think in English, today the weather is... and finish that sentence in your head. Yeah, take one second and say it in your mind, "Today the weather is..." Slow, simple English. This is already practice. So, your energy is walking onion, my energy is human ice cube. We are perfect team. True. And also, you know those days when the weather is strange and your day feels a bit strange too? Mm, yes, like the day does not have a clear mood. Right, not a happy day, not a sad day, just a "what is this" day. Yes, exactly, a "what is this" day. On days like that, I always feel we need something special, something fun, something to wake up our brain a little. Like extra coffee? Coffee helps, but I was thinking about something more exciting than coffee. Oh, now I'm interested. What are you planning? I have an idea. We talk about English, we talk about feelings, we talk about life, but today, what if we play a game with our listeners? A game? Okay, I am listening. What kind of game? A classic game, simple, a little scary, very funny, truth or dare? Truth or dare? On the podcast? Yes, why not? We can make it friendly and safe. We ask each other truth questions, we give each other silly speaking dares, and our listener can join us from home. Actually, I like this, because with truth, we can share real stories, and with dare, we can do small speaking challenges in English. Exactly. So, it is like this, you practice listening, you practice speaking, you get to know us better, and maybe you laugh a lot on the way. Hmm, what do you think, friend? Do you want to play truth or dare in English with us today? Hmm, if your answer is yes, stay with us. Take a breath, get comfortable, maybe take a drink of water while we get started. And while you relax, just a reminder, this is a B1-level episode, so the English is not too hard, but not too simple. It is made for real learners like you. Yeah, exactly. And if you do not understand every word, it is okay, really. You can listen, relax, enjoy the game, and come back again later if you want. Right. So, while you relax and enjoy, we also have a bonus for you. Near the end of this episode, we will have a small word tour with some strong expressions from today. Yeah, that's the fun part. You will hear these words first inside our truth or dare conversation in a natural way, and then we will explain them again very clearly and simply at the end. So, if you want to grow your English and enjoy real stories, real laughter, and a few real feelings at the same time, you are in the right place. And if you like learning English like this with real conversations and fun games, please tap Like and subscribe to the English Leap Podcast. It really helps more learners find us, and tells us to make more episodes like this. You can also tell us in the comments later, which one do you choose more in life, truth or dare? And maybe share one small, fun story. Okay, Anna, now I am a little nervous. I feel like my secrets are getting ready to come out. Good, let them come out. But we will keep everything friendly and safe. Yeah, friendly and safe. I like that. No crazy dares, no scary questions, just stories and small speaking challenges. Exactly. We want you to feel relaxed, not stressed. This is still your quiet English time. So, before we start the game, let us tell you slowly how it will work today. Right. We will take turns. Sometimes we say, "Truth," and then the other person asks a question, a real-life question, not a grammar test. And sometimes we say, "Dare," and then we get a small speaking challenge, maybe a funny voice, maybe a short story, something simple you can also try where you are. When you hear a truth question, you can answer in your head or maybe whisper the answer. When you hear a dare, you can try one or two sentences with us. And you do not need to hurry. If you only listen today, that is also okay. Listening is already real practice. So, we will go slowly, one question at a time, one small dare at a time. All right then, let us begin our game. Okay, Jake, you are first. No escape. Of course. I knew this was coming. So, Jake, truth or dare? For this first round, I'll choose truth. I wanna warm up slowly. Good choice. Then welcome to round one, truth. Okay, I am already a little scared now. That is perfect. A little scared means the game is working. Now, we can gently move into some deeper truths. "Deeper truths" sounds like I need a big sofa and a box of tissues. Relax. This is not a full therapy session. It is just us, some stories, and a little English practice. Are you sure? Because my brain just put on pajamas and said, "Okay, let us talk about our feelings." No, no. I mean small, deep things, like when you say, "It is fine," but inside you hold a grudge because someone ate your last french fry. Wow, that was very specific. And "hold a grudge" means "stay angry with someone for a long time," right? Yes. You smile and say, "It is okay," but inside, you still keep the bad feeling. You do not really forgive them. Then I think I also hold a grudge. I have a french fry story. I knew it. Come on, spill the beans. "Spill the beans" means "tell the secret," right? Say everything that is inside?
[8:00]Yes, exactly. You do not hide anything. You just speak from your heart. Okay, I will spill the beans. Years ago, I was at a fast food place with a friend. I had one last french fry on my plate, one beautiful golden fry. I can feel this already. I was saving it, you know? The last one is special. It's the VIP fry, the very important potato. Yes, this fry has a higher life status. Exactly. So, I turned my head for one second, one tiny second, and when I looked back, my friend was chewing. No. Yes. The VIP fry was gone. That is betrayal. He looked at me and said, "Oh, sorry, I thought you were finished." The classic line, "I thought you were finished." My mouth said, "It's okay," but in my heart I said, "It is not okay. I will remember this forever." So you held a grudge over one french fry? Yes. I held a grudge over one fry for, I think, three years. Every time I saw him, my brain showed a slow motion movie of the fry disappearing. That is so beautiful and so stupid at the same time. Yeah, it was bittersweet. Bittersweet means happy and sad at the same time, right? Yes. sweet because he was my friend and we had fun, bitter because he killed my VIP fry. Sweet friendship, bitter potato. Exactly. And you, friend, be honest with yourself. Are you also holding a grudge over something small? Maybe a stolen fry, a broken mug, someone who never returned your favorite book? You can think quietly in your head, "I held a grudge when..." and finish that sentence. If you start laughing, that's a good sign. Okay, you told your french fry story. Now, I will share one of mine. Okay, go on. One time, I spilled my heart out to the wrong person. "Spill your heart out" means "talk very openly about your feelings," right? Say everything that is inside? Yes, exactly. You do not hide anything. You just speak from your heart. Okay, now I really wanna hear this. What happened? I had a very bad week. I was tired, stressed, everything. One evening, I took a taxi. The driver looked at me in the mirror and said, "Long day?" Oh, no. That question really pushes your buttons, right? "Push your buttons" means "make you react strongly," yes? Yes. It touches something inside you, and suddenly all your emotions wake up. Exactly. A normal person says, "Yes, a little," and stops, but not me. Of course not. I said, "Yes," and then I just spilled my heart out. I told him about my work, my family, my stress, my whole life story. To the taxi driver? Yes. I was like, "Sometimes I feel so tired, and I just want one quiet day," and I think I even said, "I just want to live near the sea with a cat." You gave him a full movie. In that moment, I felt very vulnerable. Vulnerable means you feel open and easy to hurt, right? No big wall. Your real feelings are visible. Yes. My heart was like, "Here I am" to a complete stranger. And what did he say? He was very calm. He just said, "Yes, ma'am. Traffic is very bad today." That is it? That is it. I gave him my deep feelings, and he gave me a traffic report. That is the most bittersweet taxi ride I have ever heard of. I got out of the car and thought, "Wow, I just did a TED Talk about my emotions to a man who only wanted to drive." And now that poor driver is thinking, "Today I learned this woman needs a nap and a cat." True. Maybe you also did this one time. You wanted to say one small thing, but then you spilled your heart out to a hairdresser or a taxi driver or the poor person sitting next to you on a bus. You can smile at yourself. It is okay. It means you are human. Yeah, if you ever held a grudge over one french fry or spilled your heart out to a taxi driver, you are very human. And you are completely welcome in the strange club with us. And the funny part is, until now, we only had truth. We didn't even start the fun dares yet. Yes, so now for round two, we will do only dares. No more truth, just speaking games. And remember, our dares are just small speaking challenges, nothing dangerous, nothing painful. If you're shy, you can just listen and imagine. And if you feel brave, you can join us. You can whisper or talk in a low voice or just move your lips. Everything counts as practice. Okay, let us start round two, Only Dares. Jake, you laughed a lot at my stories, so now it is your turn. Dare. I do not even get to choose? No, this is dare round. No escape, no truth. Okay, okay. I accept my fate. Good. Your dare is this: for about 20 seconds, you must give us a weather report, like on TV, but the weather is happening inside your brain. Inside my brain? Yes, you can talk about 70% chance of overthinking, or small storm of messages, or sunny, lazy mood. Just describe the weather in your mind today. Okay, that is funny. I almost wanna chicken out. Chicken out means stop because you are scared, right? Yes. If you say, "I wanted to do it, but I chickened out," it means you wanted to do something, but you were too scared and did nothing. So, do not chicken out now. You accepted the dare. All right, all right. I will do it. Okay, weather report from Jake's brain in three, two, one, go. Good evening. This is the weather inside Jake's brain. In the north area, we have a light rain of ideas that are not finished. Small thoughts are falling everywhere, but none of them reach the ground. In the middle, there's a big, slow cloud of, "I should go to the gym but I don't want to," just sitting there and not moving. In the west, we can see a strong wind of phone notifications blowing every few minutes and making a lot of noise. In the west, there's a quiet fog of old memories where Jake sometimes gets lost for no reason. In the south, we see strong sun and clear blue skies for midnight snacks and lazy movies. Later tonight, we expect a short storm of overthinking, followed by a calm, sleepy sky. Overall, it's a little messy, but safe to travel. Okay. I love this so much. Yeah, my brain needs a map. When you said, "Big, slow cloud of, 'I should go to the gym but I don't,'" I just cracked up. Cracked up means you laughed a lot, right? Yes. When something is so funny that you cannot stop laughing, you say, "I cracked up," like I did just now. Then the dare worked. And you, friend, you can try a mini version of this dare, too. If you want, think of one simple sentence about the weather inside your mind today. For example, "In my brain today, it is sunny." Or, "In my brain today, there is a small storm." You can say it in your head or whisper it, no pressure. Good, that was our first fun dare. Now it is time to be fair. Hmm, that sounds a little scary. It is a little scary because now I am going to put you on the spot. Put me on the spot means make me feel pressure to do something right now, yes? Yes, exactly. Everyone is waiting and you feel, "Oh, no, I must do it now." Ah, I knew this moment was coming. You laughed at my brain weather, now it is payback time. Okay, okay. I accept my destiny. I choose dare. Good choice. I have a fun one for you. I already regret this. What is it? I am already a little freaked out. Freak out means suddenly feel very scared or stressed, right? Right. Well, your dare is a tongue twister. Oh, no. Oh, yes. And for our listener, a tongue twister is a sentence that is difficult to say fast. Your mouth and tongue get a little confused. It is great for pronunciation and for laughing at your mistakes. So, I will suffer and help people with pronunciation? Nice. Exactly. You are a hero. So, here is your sentence. Listen first. She sells seashells by the seashore. Ah, that is a strong one. She sells seashells by the seashore. Mm. Seashells are the little shells you find on the beach, and the seashore is the place where the sea meets the land. So, it's a story about a girl selling shells on the beach. Cute story, very hard sentence. Yes. Your dare is to say it three times. First, very slow. Then normal speed, then a little fast. Okay, we will try. If my tongue dies, you must continue the episode alone. Deal. Ready? Um, she sells seashells by the seashore. She sells seashells by the seashore. She shells sells seashells by the seashore. There it is, she shells. Yes, my tongue went on holiday. This is the nice thing about tongue twisters, you do not need to be perfect. The goal is to play with the sounds and enjoy the mistakes. Mm. My mouth feels tired, but my brain feels happy. Okay, friend, now it is your turn if you want. We'll say it once more slowly, and you can say it with us. Ready? She sells seashells by the seashore. Now try it again in your own speed. If it becomes she shells or sea cells, it is totally fine. Good job. Even if it was a complete disaster, you still practiced English sounds. And that is the whole point of these fun dares, they give you a small pronunciation workout and a big chance to laugh at yourself. Yes, your tongue is tired, but your brain is awake and happy. That is the best moment to learn new words. And like we promised at the beginning, now it is time for our small word tour. We will take the big expressions from today and walk through them slowly. So if you did not catch everything during the game, do not worry. We will explain them again in a clear, simple way. Just relax, listen, and choose one or two words you really like. Let them stay with you after this episode. All right, let us start our word tour. First expression, spill the beans. To spill the beans means to tell a secret or give information that other people do not know. For example, "Come on, Jake, spill the beans. What really happened at that party?" Or, "She finally spilled the beans and told us her big plan." You can repeat, spill the beans. Spill the beans. Take your time. Spill the beans. Next expression, put someone on the spot. To put someone on the spot means to make them feel pressure to answer or decide quickly in that moment. For example, "This question really puts me on the spot. I need a second." Or, "The teacher put him on the spot by asking a hard question in front of the class." Repeat, put someone on the spot. Put someone on the spot. Slowly. Put someone on the spot. Next, chicken out. To chicken out means to decide not to do something because you're scared. For example, "I wanted to choose dare, but I chickened out at the last moment." Or, "He almost talked to his boss, but he chickened out when he saw him." You can repeat, chicken out. Chicken out. Take your time. Chicken out. Next expression, crack up. To crack up means to suddenly start laughing a lot. For example, "That story made Anna crack up. She could not stop laughing." Or, "We all cracked up when he tried the tongue twister." Repeat, crack up. Crack up. Slowly. Crack up. Next expression, spill your heart out. To spill your heart out means to talk very openly and emotionally about your feelings. For example, "In one truth question, he spilled his heart out about school." Or, "Sometimes you just need to spill your heart out to a friend who listens." You can repeat, spill your heart out. Spill your heart out. Take your time. Spill your heart out. Next expression, freak out. To freak out means to suddenly feel very scared, shocked, or excited. For example, "I always freak out when someone says, 'We need to talk.'" Or, "She freaked out when she lost her passport at the airport." Repeat, freak out. Freak out. Slowly. Freak out. Next expression, push someone's buttons. To push someone's buttons means to do or say something that you know will make them react strongly. For example, "You know this question will push his buttons, right?" Or, "Her brother loves to push her buttons and make her angry." You can repeat, push someone's buttons. Push someone's buttons. Take your time. Push someone's buttons. Next word, vulnerable. Vulnerable means feeling open and not protected because you share something personal. For example, "These deep truth questions make me feel vulnerable, but also closer to you." Or, "He felt vulnerable after he talked about his fears." Repeat, vulnerable. Vulnerable. Slowly. Vulnerable. Next expression, hold a grudge. To hold a grudge means to stay angry with someone for a long time and not forgive them. For example, "I said something stupid in the game, but I hope you do not hold a grudge." Or, "He held a grudge against his friend for many years." You can repeat, hold a grudge. Hold a grudge. Take your time. Hold a grudge. And our last word, bittersweet. Bittersweet means happy and sad at the same time. For example, "That story was bittersweet. A little painful, but also very beautiful." Or, "Finishing school was a bittersweet moment for her." Repeat, bittersweet. Bittersweet. Good. That was our word tour for today. Mm, you do not need to remember all ten words. Even if you took only one or two into your heart, that is already progress. And if you want extra practice, you can choose one word and write a simple sentence in the comments. For example, "I freak out when..." Or, "One time I held a grudge because..." Keep it simple. Yes, your sentence does not have to be perfect. We're happy you are trying, and your future self will be happy too. Mm. Thank you for staying with us, for listening, smiling, and learning with us today. Right, and if you enjoyed this episode, please tap Like and subscribe to the English Leap Podcast so more learners can find this cozy space. Yes. This is Anna. And this is Jake. And you have been listening to the English Leap Podcast. Bye.
[25:36]Your progress doesn't end here. To continue advancing your English skills, click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.
