1. What are the three best things about where you live?
Transcript item
Elena: I'm Italian and I'm originally from the Marche region, but currently I live in Bologna. My favourite things of living in Italy are the nature and amazing landscapes, the historical town and the city centre, and the unique atmosphere that you can find in Italian cafés and Italian restaurants.
Sri: Hello, everyone. My name is Sri from Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Imagine pristine beaches stretching endlessly, ancient ruins, whispering stories of a 2,500-year-old civilization and over 400 breathtaking waterfalls, all in one incredible island. From the golden sands of Mirissa to the majestic ruins in Anuradhapura and the cascading beauty of Diyaluma Falls, Sri Lanka is a paradise for every traveller. So what are you waiting for? Come and experience this tropical heaven for yourself.
Donnie: Hi, I'm Donnie. I'm from Jamaica. But now I'm currently in Miami, Florida. Now, Miami is famous for its beaches, entertainment and really good shopping. Here I'm standing in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. The Hard Rock Cafe is really famous for gambling and exquisite dining. So why wait? Come check it out.
Jo: So, I'm originally from the UK, but I've lived in France for over 20 years. My favourite three things about France are, number one, the varied landscapes in the country, number two, the food and drink, especially the cheese, and number three, the capital city, Paris.
Dave: Hi, I'm Dave and I'm British. I haven't lived in England for a long time. I've been living in Bulgaria now for 23 years. So there's lots of things to like about Bulgaria. Let me tell you three of them. So number one, I would guess, would be the rich history and culture of Bulgaria. Right behind me – you can't really miss it, can you? – there's, that's Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bulgaria. Huge Orthodox Church, so that would be number one kind of history and culture. If you go outside of the city, you don't have to go very far before you discover Bulgaria's very rich and beautiful countryside. We've got a mountain, Mount Vitosha, right on the outskirts of the city, and in the summer you can go to that national park and do lots of hiking. And right now, in the winter, there's lots of skiing available. And number three, we were talking about the seasons just now, number three would have to be the climate.
In this video, you can listen to some people talking about where they're from, where they live now and their three favourite things about their country.
Here are some of the phrases they use. Are any of these similar to your favourite things about your country?
pristine beaches = very clean, beautiful and unspoiled beaches
ancient ruins = very old buildings that are broken but still exist
breathtaking waterfalls = extremely beautiful waterfalls
historical towns = towns with old buildings and interesting pasts
a unique atmosphere = a special feeling that makes a place different
varied landscapes = different areas like mountains, forests and beaches
the rich history and culture = important traditions, events and ways of life
the climate = the usual weather in a specific place
Now it's your turn!
- Where are you from, and where do you live now?
- What are your favourite things about your country (or the country you live in)?
- Tell us about a famous place or popular tourist attraction in your country and share a photo*.
*Please don't include any people in your photos (even if you can't see their faces) as it's not allowed under the British Council's data protection and child protection policy. We're sorry, but we won't be able to add these.
If you want to practise speaking, you can record your answers using SpeakPipe voice recorder and post a link to the recording in your comment.
Go to SpeakPipe voice recorder
* Recordings are kept on a SpeakPipe server. Please don't include any music in your recording.
Hello, I am originally from Brazil, and at this moment I am still living here, in the same city where I was born, Limeira - São Paulo.
So three favorite things about my country are: 1- the people. Brazilians are very friendly, warm and funny. 2- Food: Brazilian cuisine is amazing, well-seasoned, and offers a lot of variety. 3 - wheater: I personally love summer, but almost all of the seasons in Brazil makes me happy to be honest. Spring, autumn, winter in not my favorite, but I can survive haha, it is alright.
A famous place in my country that I'm sure that you gonna know, it is Rio de Janeiro, a nice place to enjoy beaches, sun, meet people, and visit tourist spots, like Christ the Redeemer. I have never been to RJ before, but It looks such a beautiful place to spend a few days :)
Hello everyone! Originally I'm from Kazakhstan. I love unusual landscapes of this country. It's dry and warm climate. And pine forests in the north. In the photo you can see a campsite which is so cozy and quiet with all these lights at night. I visited this place a couple of times and it's in my heart now. Hope to see it once again)
hello my name is amar , i'm from jabalpur madhya pradesh india , and currently i live in mumbai from 2 years i love mumbai and mumbai is a big city many places to visit like gate way of india and taj hotel and many beaches so what are you waiting for visite mumbai to explore all mumbai city thank you,
Hi! My name is Tomás and I'm from Chile. I couldn't choose just three things I like about my beautiful country, but I think that the people, the food and the culture are some of the best things about my country.
The most famous tourist attractions in Chile are the Atacama Desert, the most arid desert in the world; Santiago, the capital of Chile; and Torres del Paine, a natural treasure in the south of my country.
I’m Viet from Vietnam, a country known for three things: its rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant coffee culture. So, what are you waiting for? Come and experience our remarkable culture for yourself.
hello! I am Divyanshi kushwaha from India Uttar Pradesh Agra Currently living in Maharashtra Mumbai because of my father's business so I like many things about Mumbai First of all Mumbai is the best city in India like there are also very places in India such as Bangalore Delhi but Mumbai is also one of them and also there are many There are many favorite things about my city where I live and also my country India the city where I live in Mumbai I love my city because it has a lot of cleanliness and also the street food search and Bombay sandwich is one of the famous street food in Mumbai which is so good and the tourist attraction is also so good in Mumbai and about my country I would like to say that the culture of our India is so good we have no we don't have one culture but we have many cultures across India and talking about Mumbai's tourist attraction there is gateway of India many beaches and also the famous Taj Hotel which is actually very famous around the world every foreigner loves to visit the Taj Hotel which is located in Mumbai Maharashtra India talking about my native place of the Pradesh Agra there are not many places I have visited in Agra but I have visited the most famous Taj Mahal which was built by Shahjahan for her beloved wife because I don't live there much I only know this much about Agra overall India is a good place for tourist attraction thank you
Hello everyone!
This is Yasmine Nagy from Egypt. It goes without saying that Egypt is the land of civilization and history. Besides its great weather, it is full of a big number of marvelous tourist landmarks.
Let me mention one of its greatest landmarks from where you can see a number of other landmarks. Can you guess?
Yes, it is Cairo Tower. A much more than iron and concrete building. From its top, which looks like the Lotus plant, you can see Citadel of Salah el-Dein, The Egyptian Museum, the marvelous sight of the Nile and the clear blue sky.
It is a worthy trial you can't miss. Don't waste time. Come and enjoy.
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mate you said about your country so well!!!!
My name is Ilyass. I’m from Morocco, and I live in Casablanca. Morocco is a beautiful country with a rich history, diverse culture, and delicious food.
My favorite things about Morocco are the hospitality of the people, the traditional food, the beautiful landscapes, and the cultural diversity. I especially enjoy Moroccan dishes such as couscous, tajine, and pastilla. Morocco has beaches, mountains, deserts, and historic cities, so there are many places to explore.
One famous tourist attraction in Morocco is the **Hassan II Mosque** in Casablanca. It is one of the largest mosques in the world and is located beside the Atlantic Ocean. The mosque is famous for its beautiful architecture, impressive decorations, and spectacular location. Many tourists visit it because it represents Moroccan culture and is one of the most important landmarks in Casablanca.
Hi Ilyass! I really enjoyed reading your post about Morocco. I agree with you that Morocco is a beautiful country with a rich culture and amazing food. I also love couscous and tajine. The Hassan II Mosque is one of my favorite places in Casablanca because of its beautiful architecture and location near the ocean. I hope more people can visit Morocco and discover its beauty.
Hi everyone, I'm Alan from Mexico, I'd like to explain about my best spot I have visited in my lifetimem, however in the country where I live there are lost of wonderful spots to visit. Fisrtly I would like tu suggest "Riviera Maya" in the cost of the caribean part of the atlantic ocean, wich the water is really impressive, has a lot of parks, secondly I'll suggest "Huasteca Potosina" is a place in the state of San Luis Potosí, people can have fun and enjoy the nature, has lots of landscape surrounded, and lastly I'd like talk about "Grutas de Tolantongo" is a spot far from the city where people can enjoy a quiet place while having a shower with warm-beatufil water. these are the three spot that I'd like suggest to people from other countries, although peeple might suggest about other sites from the same country.
Hello, I am Meera. I am from Egypt and currently live in Cairo, Egypt.
One of my favorite things about Egypt is its mild weather.
Some of the most famous places in Egypt are the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the Red Sea. They are definitely worth visiting.
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/6misay968bacdeus
Hi there!
How lovely to hear you talk about where you live and why you like it. I went to Indonesia many years ago and I remember the people, as you said, the community where you live, were just so nice and caring. You also mentioned nature - what's it like, is it quite jungly? One other thing I remember was the food ... oh how I'd love to have nasi goreng again!
~ Tinaツ
LearnEnglish team
Hello, my name is Helena, and I am from Nicaragua, known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. My country is famous for its breathtaking natural landscapes, rich biodiversity, and warm, friendly people. It is home to many volcanoes, beautiful lakes, and a wide variety of plants and animals.
Hi, my name Is Rachele and I was born in Naples; I lived there for my first 13 years and now I' m about 50, so it's a long time since I left Naples. Now I live in a town near Taranto, in Apulia. There are 3 things I like the most about Apulia:
1 the ancient city centres;
2 the food
3 the Apulia sea and its beaches.
Hello Helena!
Wow! What a really nice picture, I love it.
I am from Costa Rica and I would like to visit Granada one day and other Nicaragua´s places.
From Costa Rica I like the caribean food, especially rice and beans that is prepare with coconut and panama pepper.
Nice to meet you here!
This is mine, yes I'm extremely boring
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/9f20ykgn4i938jr9
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/r9j0gjwneoffq9gs
Hi Leo!
Not every place is interesting! So it's OK not to really like the place where you live. I hope you manage to find work one day in the US.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
not boring I guess
Hello everyone!! I'm very happy to share a little about my country
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/o9kyd2brcl8otaug
Hi Jessica!
I'd love to visit your country, Columbia! And to especially experience the food! I work with someone who comes from there and they make me so jealous telling about what they are making and eating and sending me photos! Do you have a favourite dish that you make?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish teams
Hello Tina I hope you are excellent
I'm so glad to see that you would like to visit colombia one day. It's a beautiful country that Will give you the best experiences. About my favorite dish I love preparing and eating "arroz con pollo" it's a typical dish that has everything in one, it's a combination of rice with vegetables and different meats specially chicken, the preparation is very simple but the result is the best, the flavor of all the ingredients makes the dish a kind of special, most people love that food and it's very common to eat it for lunch even it's so special that people tend to serve this food at weddings and other important celebrations.
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/jor745gu5oeb7v3m
Hi there! Can I come and visit! Vietnam, especially Hanoi sounds absolutely amazing ... I think you should work in the tourist industry!!! Thank you for your recording it was great to listen to.
I've never been to Vietnam but my son went quite recently and loved it and it's definitely a place that I would love to go to.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/b8rnvzf2igp6puxz
Hi Hector,
I really enjoyed listening to your recording and hear you talk about your country and the three things you like about Argentina. Would you have any pictures of the beaches you describe? I'd love to see them if you have.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/w39smzf6patvoc28
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/arlp5y06ssaoa2yh
Hi everyone, My Name is Tania,
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/lurshuzr5bjyxk98
Hi Tania,
Thanks for taking part in the Learning hub. Unfortunately I couldn't hear your voice on the recording, but I was interested in the photo!
I looked it up and found that it's near Quito in Ecuador and marks the equatorial line. So you can stand with one foot in the Northern hemisphere and one foot in the Southern hemisphere. What a cool place!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
"Good afternoon! I'm sorry you couldn't hear my audio well. But yes, exactly as you described it, the photo is of a tourist spot—a very popular one here in Quito. It's the Middle of the World (Mitad del Mundo), a wonderful place. If you want to enjoy a great vacation, you should definitely visit—I recommend it 100%! Quito is a beautiful city, both for its places and its wildlife."
Best wishes for you too
Hi Anack,
Thanks for confirming that the picture is the 'Middle of the World' - that's great. I'd love to go there :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi everyone i am aissam from algeria I can't hear you in your recording but when i read the comments then i know what an amazing photo! I had no idea there was a place like this in kyoto . Truly astunning shot.
Hi Everyone, I'm Mayuri from India, Currently at Dallas, Texas.
Click on Link to listen voice and more about India....
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/f3qys206omt85qsp
Hi Mayuri.star,
I enjoyed listening to your recording! I was lucky enough to visit India earlier this year and absolutely loved it. Although I only saw a very small part of it (Delhi, Agra, Japipur, Udaipur). I'd love to go back, especially to go to Goa.
Dallas sounds so different! Texas sounds like a really fun place to visit :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi, Jo Blackmore
Thank you for the positive feedback, I recommended to visit Expedia web app for tour guide and enjoy your upcoming vacation plan to Goa. let me know if you need any travel guide.
Regard's,
Mayuri
Hi, my name is elda. I currently live in Jakarta, which is the capital of Indonesia. There three best things of jakarta, number one jakarta are center of government services, number two Jakarta have any culinery like soto betawi, kerak telor and ketoprak. Last, Jakarta has tall buildings as the center of work activities.
Hi, my name is Elda. I currently live in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. There are three great things about Jakarta. First, Jakarta is the center of government services. Second, Jakarta is famous for its delicious traditional foods, such as Soto Betawi, Kerak Telor, and Ketoprak. Finally, Jakarta has many tall buildings because it is the country's main business and economic center.
Good luck Elda
Hi, everyone. I'm Patricia and I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My country is very beautiful. It has amazing landscapes, it has a rich history and since it is so large, its climate is very different.
A famous place to visit is Iguazu Waterfalls, in the north of the country. The falls are so incredible The other place to visit is the Perito Moreno glacier, this is in the south of the country
Hi Patricia, you live in a very big country !
But your first name is french, isn't il ?
I'm french. I live on the french riviera, near Nice, and actually, the weather is very hot !!!
Have a good day !
The country that i want to visit is Canada
Hi,
My name is Anja. I'm from Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean. I live in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. Three things I very like in my country are: the landscape, the food, and the weather.
One of the famous place in my country is the little island which called " Iranja Island". It is an island that we can see beautiful beaches, and where we can do snorkelling. The sea is very clear and blue and we can see turtles and fishes without swimming goggles
Hi Anja,
Iranja Island looks breath-takingly beautiful! Do a lot of tourists visit?
Best wishes,
Jo
(LearnEnglish team)
Hello. My name is Hiền. I’ m from Viet Nam and now I am living in London. Today I’ll tell you about my country, Việt Nam. It’ s a beautiful place with many famous places that many people over the world want to visit. Three things I would like to tell: first, there are many famous and beautiful landscapes: Ha Long Bay, Nha Trang beach Anh’s Da Nắng. Second, People in my country are very friendly and open- minded. Third, the food is very delicious with many kind of this.
Hi HienNguyen,
Vietnam is definitely one of my bucket-list destinations. I'd love to experience the beautiful landscapes and delicious food, and of course meet friendly people :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi beautiful people,
I'm Sergio and I'm living in Salerno, in South Italy. I was bor here and after some experiences in other different places, I'm back in my home-town.
3 things are not enough to tell you what I like of this place, bur as I have to, first one is the sea and lovely coast, we are in the middle between Amalfi Coast and Cilento Coast; second one is the unique atmosphere of the little town, especially in the historical area. And finally the delicious food you can experience, as you can have in the whole Italy with so many flavors.
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