First, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Now, pay attention to the following features of spoken English the teachers use:
- Use of so as a linking word and to begin conversations
- Showing surprise and reacting to what the speaker is saying: Yes?; Really?; Oh?; Interesting
- Use of vague language: or anything; and all this stuff; or something like that; or something; and stuff
- Showing agreement: Yeah
- Conversation fillers to gain thinking time: erm; you know; well
- Use of actually to introduce a piece of surprising information
- Paraphrasing information you have just given to make yourself clear: I mean
- Use of really + adjective to emphasize what we are saying
- Use of honestly to emphasize what we are saying
Now, it's over to you. Get together with a friend or relative and discuss pet owners' attitude to their pets. Do you agree with the teachers that some owners overindulge their pets? Can you think of any examples? Don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have seen in the video.
So, does anybody know or have any friends who own pets and treat them like humans?
I do.
Yes?
I don’t dress them or anything but…
Really?
I talk to my, my cats.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it’s a bit silly, isn’t it?
No.
No, but talking to them is one thing…
Yeah.
We’re talking about, erm, I know, I know a girl who’s got this cocker spaniel and she, everyday she puts a different coloured bow, you know… on his ears… and all this stuff but the thing is she treats the animal as if it’s a child…
Yes.
And, erm, and actually, one day I was at their house and, erm, I was just sitting on the sofa and the dog was next to me on the sofa, and all of a sudden just woke up and saw me and bit me right in the face.
Oh?
I had never been bitten by a dog before.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, and, and somebody was explaining to me, who was a dog trainer, that if you have the dog, for example, at the same level as a human like on a sofa or something like that, then the dog thinks, you know, that you’re invading, I was invading territory…
His space.
Yeah, they’re very territorial.
Interesting.
I think it can’t be good to, to indulge these pets…
No.
With, with expensive gifts and fancy clothes and, and, and gourmet meals and I mean sometimes they eat better than the humans and... I know.
Erm, I used to live, erm, in a gay community and it was the latest fashion accessory, that was like, so, erm, you’d, you’d see these dogs, I’d see dogs dyed pink… I’d see dogs with, with Burberry coats and…
It’s crazy.
And you just, and they’re always like this size and…
Yeah, they’re always Chihuahuas or poodles or something…
Or French bulldogs. I’ve seen millions and millions and millions of French bulldogs recently. You know which ones they are?
Yeah, they’re ugly kinds of…
Yeah they’re like the wee ones with the really squashy face…
And they have a pointy nose and they look like they’re…
That’s what they say. They’re so cute, though.
Well, I’m not sure.
I saw one the other day, honestly, it was the funniest thing, erm, I saw a wee French bulldog dressed in a neon pink coat with leggings, like leg, leg body jacket thing and it looked like this… And the guy who was walking it was enormous, I mean, a buff guy, just thought…
Really?
Yeah, you would think it would be a woman walking the dog…
Your wife has made you go out with that, ha, ha, ha and that dog looks like it’s going to bite you.
No, I’m sure one day there will be revenge of the pampered pets.
I know.
As far as the food goes in Asia and stuff, the dogs and the cats, all the strays at least eat rice, wheat whatever leftovers are available.
Yeah.
Like pigs or something.
Yeah.
