Hi, guys. Oh my god, it feels so weird to be back doing this, but I’m really excited. It’s been a while.
I’ve been doing something really fun with some of my students. I give them a hypothetical situation — some context or a random situation of something that could happen in real life — and they have to imagine what they would say. There’s not just one answer. People have different ways of reacting and responding to things. So this is a way for you to not just practice English but also show your uniqueness.
You can do these activities with yourself to practice English at home. I know a lot of you are always like, “I want to practice my speaking, but when I’m by myself I don’t know what to talk about.” Well, this is a great thing that you can do.
You can use AI to give you ideas — just make sure you tell it to give you super realistic situations. A lot of times AI tells me something too formal, too complicated, too long. What I really want to communicate always is that you can keep it super simple. Native speakers actually speak very simple and straightforward.
Let’s get into it.
Situation 1: An Off-Leash Dog Runs Up to You
You’re walking down the street. Someone’s dog is off the leash — no leash, just walking free. The dog runs up to you and sniffs your leg. The owner jogs over, laughing, and says, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly.”
AI’s suggestion: “That’s good, but I’d still prefer you keep him on the leash.”
I wouldn’t say that. I would just be like, “Okay, but I don’t really like dogs,” or “I’m not really comfortable with dogs.” If it bothers you, you can just say it. You don’t need to go out of your way to sugarcoat everything. You can just be straight to the point, smile, and it’s fine.
Situation 2: Someone Lets You Go Ahead at the Grocery Store
You’re at the grocery store checkout. The person ahead of you has a ton of items. They see you only have one thing, turn to you, and say, “Oh, do you want to go ahead of me?”
You could say: “Are you sure? Oh, that’d be great. Thank you so much.”
You can literally be that simple. I swear, a lot of the time when I’m speaking Spanish in public, 75% of what I say is just “thank you.” Someone holds the door — thank you. You buy your food — thank you. Have a nice day. Have a good one. That’s very American — “Have a good one.”
Situation 3: A Friend’s Bad Haircut
A friend shows you a photo of their new haircut. You think it looks bad. They ask, “So, what do you actually think? Be honest.”
AI suggests: “I think it’s really different. The main thing is whether you like it.”
Hmm. The thing is, you’ve got to be careful. If you try to be nice but it’s not genuine, it could sound like a backhanded compliment. That’s when you present it like a compliment but it’s not really. Like, “Wow, I could never wear that, but you’re so brave.” That’s even worse than being brutally honest.
You have to ask yourself if you’re the type of person who’s going to be totally honest or tell a white lie — a small lie that doesn’t have a big consequence.
I’m the type of person who would say, “Honestly, I liked your old haircut better. This one’s okay, but I liked how you looked before.”
Situation 4: A Stranger Sits at Your Table
You’re at a cafe and a stranger sits at your small table by mistake — it’s crowded. They realize it and say, “Oh, sorry. Is someone sitting here?”
If you’re actually waiting for someone: “Yeah, I’m saving it for a friend. My friend is coming soon.”
If not: “No, no, it’s fine. Take it. It’s all yours. Go ahead.”
Situation 5: A Kid Says You Have a Big Nose
You’re at a party. Someone’s little kid comes up to you and very seriously says, “You have a big nose.” The parents look mortified — embarrassed. Kids have no filter.
AI suggests: “Yep, it’s been there a while. Good observation.” And to the parents: “Don’t worry, I’ve heard worse.”
I love that. The point is just to have fun with it. But I would take it even further. If a kid came up to me and said, “You have a big nose,” I would say, “Thank you! I like my big nose.”
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So many of us grow up with a bad relationship with our bodies, taught to criticize ourselves. I think it’s important to reshape that narrative. If we can change that programming for the next generation, it would be better for humanity.
Language is powerful. The words we choose help shape our perception of things. So when speaking a language, yes, communicate effectively — but also think about whether what you’re communicating is actually beneficial for our psychology, for our relationship with ourselves and the world.
Wrapping Up
Once again, my videos start out as “I’m going to teach you some English today” and somehow always turn out to be a philosophical, psychological life lesson. But I like that. That’s who I am.
Thank you for watching till the end. Those of you who do that are my pride and joy. It would make my day. Love you. Bye-bye.