New Zealand
Todd: Hello?
Leo: Hello!
Todd: Could you introduce yourself please?
Leo: Sure. My name's Leonard Tui. I'm from Auckland, New Zealand.
Todd: Wow! Great. Leonard?
Leo: Yes, Leonard.
Todd: OK. Do people call you Leonard?
Leo: Some people call me Leo-nard.
Todd: Leo-nard.
Leo: Some call me Leo. Some call me Lenny.
Todd: Oh, wow! Quite a few. Back home, what do your friends call you?
Leo: Back home just Leonard.
Todd: Leonard. Oh, OK! Great, so tell us about New Zealand.
Leo: Well, I come from Auckland which is the largest city in New Zealand. The total population of New Zealand is just under 4 million. Auckland has roughly the one point two million.
Todd: OK. Oh, great.
Leo: And Auckland is in.. more near top of the North Island. The weather there is pretty mild.
Todd: OK. What is the best thing about New Zealand?
Leo: I would say the outdoors, the nature just basically getting outside...enjoying life.
Todd: OK. How long has it been since you lived in New Zealand?
Leo: It's been seven years now.
Todd: Oh, really? Wow, do you miss it?
Leo: I actually miss the social side, the family and the outdoors.
Todd: Yeah, I hear it's a beautiful place.
Leo: Oh, it is. Especially in the South Island.
Todd: Wow! Yeah, I really hope to go there sometime. I hear it's just a fantastic place. OK. Thanks a lot.
back home
Back home, what do your friends call you?
You can use the phrase 'back home' to talk about where you are from if you are away from home. Notice the following:
- I will get you one when I go back home.
- My life back home is completely different.
mild
The weather there is pretty mild.
If weather is 'mild' it means it isn't extremely hot or cold, but comfortable most of the time. Notice the following:
- After spending a lot of time in a hot climate I am always really
cold in a mild one.
- It was a really mild winter last year.
outdoors
The best thing about New Zealand is the outdoors or nature.
We you are outside you can say that you are outdoors. Notice the following:
- It is nice to be able to spend some time outdoors.
- Why don't you go outdoors and play with your friends?
social side
I miss the social side, the family and outdoors.
The 'social side' of you life is the part that includes your friends, family or the people that you are close to. The social things you do in your life are what you do with other people when you aren't working or going to school. Notice the following:
- The profession and social side of his life are very different.
- The social side of my life really changed after university.
sometime
I really hope to go there sometime.
We use 'sometime' to talk about a general time in the future that we don't have planned yet. Notice the following:
- You will have to come over and see our new house sometime.
- We are going to go to Europe sometime next year.
Vocabulary Quiz
social side • sometime