Talking about where you live
B1 · 40–50 min · Apex English
"Where we love is home — home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."— Oliver Wendell Holmes
Your neighbourhood in 3 words
Write 3 adjectives to describe where you live. Compare with a partner — any words you both chose?
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Three people, three homes
Show transcript
Speaker 1 (A, Spanish, 20s): I live bang in the middle of Madrid. Tiny flat — like really tiny — but I walk everywhere. There's a market on Tuesdays, a park two blocks away, and the whole neighbourhood is buzzing until midnight. Downside? The noise, the tourists, and the rent is a joke.
Speaker 2 (B, English, 30s): Ten years ago my area was really rough — quite a dodgy part of London. Now it's up-and-coming. New cafés on every corner, better shops, safer at night. The problem is that rents have doubled, so a lot of my old neighbours have had to move out. It's a bit sad.
Speaker 3 (C, Italian, 40s): We moved out of the city three years ago. Now we're in the sticks — a small village forty minutes from the nearest town. Fresh air, space, and a real community for the kids. But yes, I miss restaurants. I really miss being able to walk to a cinema.
A. Listen for gist
- Which speaker lives right in the city centre?
- Which speaker lives 'in the sticks'?
- Which speaker's neighbourhood used to be dodgy?
B. Listen for detail
- Speaker 1: what does she love MOST about the city centre?
- Speaker 1: what does she NOT love?
- Speaker 2: how has his neighbourhood changed?
- Speaker 3: why did they move to the countryside?
- Speaker 3: what do they miss about the city?
Ask the teacher: Write down anything you want to remember from this section. Your notes are saved automatically.
Neighbourhood idioms
- bang in the middle (of)
- up-and-coming
- a dodgy area
- home from home
- in the sticks
- off the beaten track
- buzzing (with life)
- a real community
Ask the teacher: Write down anything you want to remember from this section. Your notes are saved automatically.
'Show me around'
In pairs. Student A is a friend visiting from abroad. Student B gives a mini-tour of their neighbourhood using at least 4 idioms.
- Ask: what's the neighbourhood like?
- Ask: best and worst thing?
- Ask: has it changed in recent years?
- Ask: would you move if you could?
- Use 'bang in the middle' OR 'in the sticks'
- Use 'buzzing' OR 'a real community'
- Use 'up-and-coming' OR 'a bit dodgy'
- Use 'home from home' OR 'off the beaten track'
Ask the teacher: Write down anything you want to remember from this section. Your notes are saved automatically.
Interactive game
End-of-lesson quiz · Where you live
6 questions · 70% to pass · instant feedback after you submit.
Q1.'I live bang in the middle of town.' Means…
Q2.'It's an up-and-coming area.' Means it is…
Q3.'Don't go there at night — it's a bit dodgy.' 'Dodgy' means…
Q4.'This café is my home from home.' Means it…
Q5.'We live in the sticks.' Means they live…
Q6.Which sounds MOST natural for a B1 speaker?
0/6 answered