Where I Grew Up

Intermediate (B1) Everyday life British Accent 48s

A new neighbour asks a man where he grew up. He describes the small fishing village in Cornwall where he spent his childhood and how it has changed.

Vocabulary Highlights

character /ˈkærəktə/: The special qualities that make a place or person different from others.; "The old market gives the town its character." — a place's special feel; "She has a strong, cheerful character." — someone's personality; "The main character in the book is a young detective." — a person in a story

Speaker 1: So, are you from around here originally, or did you move here for work?

Speaker 2: I moved here for work, actually. I grew up in a small fishing village in Cornwall.

Speaker 1: Oh, how lovely! What was it like growing up there?

Speaker 2: It was pretty quiet, to be honest. Everyone knew each other, and we spent most summers down on the beach.

Speaker 1: That sounds like a dream. Do you still go back very often?

Speaker 2: A few times a year, mainly to see my parents. They still live in the same house.

Speaker 1: Has it changed much since you were a kid?

Speaker 2: Quite a lot, actually. Lots of the old cottages have been turned into holiday homes, so it's much busier in summer.

Speaker 1: That must be a bit strange for the locals.

Speaker 2: It is. On the plus side, there are more cafés and shops now, but it's lost a bit of its character.

Practice in Shadowee with interactive phrase-by-phrase audio playback, Echo mode, and Focus mode.