Countries, nationalities, and languages – A1 English Listening Test

Summary

The transcript offers a vivid portrayal of individuals from diverse backgrounds and their experiences with language and culture. From an Italian-Australian family in Rome to an Egyptian-British journalist in Cairo, the story highlights how language connects and divides people across the world. The speaker details their own multilingualism, including learning Japanese for personal and family reasons. The narrative also touches on relationships with neighbors and friends from various countries, emphasizing the richness of multicultural interactions and the importance of language in communication, identity, and cultural exchange.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is from Italy, with an Italian father and an Australian mother, and speaks both English and Italian at home.
• 😀 The speaker enjoys visiting their Australian family but prefers living in Italy.
• 😀 The speaker’s best friend is Irish, learning Italian, and they communicate in English.
• 😀 The speaker lives in Cairo, Egypt, and works as a journalist; they are originally from the UK.
• 😀 The speaker speaks Arabic, as their parents are Egyptian, and their wife, who is Turkish, also speaks English and Arabic.
• 😀 The speaker has two colleagues from Germany and Sweden.
• 😀 The speaker is Indian and speaks Hindi with family but uses English for work in India.
• 😀 The speaker has a Nigerian colleague, and they communicate in English; the speaker's family also speaks English when inviting the colleague over.
• 😀 The speaker is learning Japanese to communicate with their wife’s family in Japan, and they are passionate about Japanese culture despite finding the language challenging.
• 😀 The speaker’s daughter will be bilingual, with the speaker speaking English and their wife speaking Japanese.
• 😀 The speaker's neighbor, Lupe, has a Canadian father and Mexican mother, and they communicate in a mix of Spanish and English.
• 😀 The speaker studies at an international school with students from many countries, and their best friend is French, living in London while her parents work there.

Q & A

Where is the speaker from?

The speaker is from Italy and lives in Rome. Their father is Italian, and their mother is from Australia.

What languages does the speaker speak?

The speaker speaks both Italian and English, as they speak English with their mother and Italian with their father.

Does the speaker prefer living in Italy or Australia?

The speaker loves Australia but prefers living in Italy.

How does the speaker communicate with their best friend?

The speaker's best friend is Irish, and they communicate in English, even though the friend is learning Italian.

What is the speaker's occupation and where do they work?

The speaker works as a journalist in Cairo, Egypt, although they are from the UK.

How does the speaker manage communication with their colleagues?

The speaker has colleagues from different countries, such as Germany, Sweden, and Nigeria. They generally communicate in English, which is common for business in India.

Why is the speaker learning Japanese?

The speaker is learning Japanese because their wife is from Japan, and they want to communicate better with her family when they visit Japan.

What languages do the speaker's daughter speak?

The speaker's daughter will speak both English and Japanese, as the speaker speaks English to her, and the wife speaks Japanese.

What is special about the speaker's neighbor, Lupe?

Lupe is the speaker's neighbor, and she has a mixed background, with a Canadian father and a Mexican mother. Lupe speaks a combination of Spanish and English with her mother.

What is the speaker's experience at the international school?

At the international school, the speaker has friends from many countries, such as Brazil, Spain, and Greece, but their best friend is French and is originally from Paris, though her parents work in London.