In this video, we are talking to Joana Taborda. Joana is a freelance Portuguese travel writer and we’re discussing her work, SEO and her opinions on Chat GPT. You can use this example of a natural English conversation to improve your English listening and see natural examples of how to use the vocabulary.
For advice on how to improve your listening skills select the Teach Me button.
To learn more about the words used in the video, select the Grammar and Vocab buttons.
To test your understanding, select the Test Me button and sign in to get feedback on your English.
Practice your English and let us know what you think with the Comment button.
If you would like to see some of Joana’s work, you should check out her website: www.cityodes.com
Are you having difficulty following the conversation? Natural English conversations often jump around topics and can take unexpected directions. If you feel like you don’t understand what is happening it is often because you are focusing too much on the vocabulary and not on the general context of the conversation.
When you are not familiar with a topic, like SEO, it can be quite intimidating. Joana does an excellent job of explaining the work she does and Mike is asking focused questions to move the conversation forward. When we are giving opinions we often use lots of personal examples and different perspectives to support our ideas. This is why you will hear lots of different examples to discuss the challenges of SEO and content writing.
If you are trying to focus on every single word, you will have a lot of problems.
Instead, keep the main topic or ‘context’ in mind. For example, in this conversation, Mike starts talking about recipes online as an example of how SEO can create content which is not useful. Joana responds with an example of her travel writing work. What do these two things have in common? In this situation, it is SEO or Search Engine Optimisation. You can make your life even easier by focusing on the ‘main point’ and not getting lost in the details.
For example: Is this a positive or negative example? Does the speaker like SEO? How does SEO affect the content?
When you focus on finding simple answers, you will see that you can follow the flow of the conversation easier. Actively look for the main points of the discussion and you will understand more.
When we don’t immediately understand something, it is easy to throw our hands up in the air and give up. But listening in English is a skill and it can be improved with practice. Joana is talking about a topic you may never have heard of, but you will be able to understand what it means. She is giving examples to explain what SEO is and how it works. When the speakers mention something you are not sure about, keep listening specifically for the main point.
By actively listening, you are listening for answers and trying to find keywords or phrases to help you understand. Don’t give up.
Prepositions (IN, ON, WITH, FOR, TO, etc) are used to add details to subjects. When we connect them with verbs, they describe how that action is performed. This means that when we use different prepositions it completely changes how the action happened. For example:
WORK
Work on – the main focus
“I’m working on a website” – the website is the project
Work with – cooperation or connection
“I’m working with a website” – the website is a partner or tool
Work for – the reason or purpose
“I’m working for a website” – the website is the employer
Work around – adapting to / not changing
“I’m working around the website” – adapting to the website’s requirements or limits
Work to – the objective, goal or destination
“I’m working to the website’s brief” – the website has a clear framework
There are over 60 prepositions in the English language, each with its own specific function. But, before you panic, the good news is that these functions remain the same. In natural English conversations, these prepositions are incredibly useful to describe complex situations using simple verbs. Consider Joana’s writing for example. She can explain how she works creatively by changing the verb and using the same prepositions.
WRITE
Write on – the main focus
“I’m writing on a website” – the website is where you will see her writing
Write with – cooperation or connection
“I’m writing with a website” – the website is a partner or tool used for writing
Write for – the reason or purpose
“I’m writing for a website” – the website is the employer or audience
Write around – adapting to / not changing
“I’m writing around the website” – adapting to the website’s requirements on what to write
Write to – the objective, goal or destination
“I’m writing to website owners” – website owners are the target audience
There are a lot of different combinations and each one slightly changes the meaning of the activity. This is why it is important to clarify and listen to the context of the conversation. For example, if Joana says “I’m writing for SEO” it could mean “I work for an SEO department or company” or “I write content which is optimised for search engines”. To know which she means, you must listen to the examples she gives.
This is why in the conversation, you will hear Mike ask checking questions like:
“So, when you’re writing, it’s for a specific audience?”
“Sometimes, it’s just a case of writing it first, then checking if the SEO likes it?”
You can hear examples of these words being used in the video at the indicated times.
SEO – Search Engine Optimisation – noun [05:25]
A way to make your online content be found easily with Google and other search engines.
“SEO is essential if you want people to see your writing” / “I work in SEO”
Niche – adjective / noun [03:40]
A strategy which is very specific, focused and/or unique / usually small
“Expensive clothing for dogs is a niche market” / “You’ve found your niche”
Framework – noun [04:35]
A plan, procedure or platform designed to support and guide your work
“We follow a framework to submit the reports” / “There is no clear framework for this process”
A Brief / Briefing – noun [04:15]
A short explanation of the work that needs to be done
“I need to work to the clients brief” / “All the information is in the briefing”
Be tedious – adjective [05:30]
Frustrating / annoying / slow working
“The slow loading website is quite tedious” / “I find navigating the app is quite tedious”
To streamline – verb [05:55]
To optimise or make something more efficient
“You can streamline your work by using Chat GPT”
To succumb to – verb [10:37]
To agree or do something after not wanting to for a long time
“He finally succumbed to their requests and gave them what they wanted”
Get into – phrasal verb [01:40]
begin an interest or activity which is often implied by context
“I got into heavy metal recently” (listening to) / “The dog got into the biscuits” (eating them)
Take into account – phrase [09:24]
To consider or think about something when making a decision
“We have taken your proposal into account” / “He didn’t take the weather into account”
Sign in to leave your answers below or ask us a question. We are happy to help.
You’ll need to sign in to take the test or comment.
It’s free and you get access to all the quizzes on the site, feedback on your English and invitations to online events.
In this video, we are talking to Joana Taborda. Joana is a freelance Portuguese travel writer and we’re discussing her work, SEO and her opinions on Chat GPT. You can use this example of a natural English conversation to improve your English listening and see natural examples of how to use the vocabulary.
For advice on how to improve your listening skills select the Teach Me button.
To learn more about the words used in the video, select the Grammar and Vocab buttons.
To test your understanding, select the Test Me button and sign in to get feedback on your English.
Practice your English and let us know what you think with the Comment button.
Are you having difficulty following the conversation? Natural English conversations often jump around topics and can take unexpected directions. If you feel like you don’t understand what is happening it is often because you are focusing too much on the vocabulary and not on the general context of the conversation.
When you are not familiar with a topic, like SEO, it can be quite intimidating. Joana does an excellent job of explaining the work she does and Mike is asking focused questions to move the conversation forward. When we are giving opinions we often use lots of personal examples and different perspectives to support our ideas. This is why you will hear lots of different examples to discuss the challenges of SEO and content writing.
If you are trying to focus on every single word, you will have a lot of problems.
Instead, keep the main topic or ‘context’ in mind. For example, in this conversation, Mike starts talking about recipes online as an example of how SEO can create content which is not useful. Joana responds with an example of her travel writing work. What do these two things have in common? In this situation, it is SEO or Search Engine Optimisation. You can make your life even easier by focusing on the ‘main point’ and not getting lost in the details.
For example: Is this a positive or negative example? Does the speaker like SEO? How does SEO affect the content?
When you focus on finding simple answers, you will see that you can follow the flow of the conversation easier. Actively look for the main points of the discussion and you will understand more.
When we don’t immediately understand something, it is easy to throw our hands up in the air and give up. But listening in English is a skill and it can be improved with practice. Joana is talking about a topic you may never have heard of, but you will be able to understand what it means. She is giving examples to explain what SEO is and how it works. When the speakers mention something you are not sure about, keep listening specifically for the main point.
By actively listening, you are listening for answers and trying to find keywords or phrases to help you understand. Don’t give up.
Prepositions (IN, ON, WITH, FOR, TO, etc) are used to add details to subjects. When we connect them with verbs, they describe how that action is performed. This means that when we use different prepositions it completely changes how the action happened. For example:
WORK
Work on – the main focus
“I’m working on a website” – the website is the project
Work with – cooperation or connection
“I’m working with a website” – the website is a partner or tool
Work for – the reason or purpose
“I’m working for a website” – the website is the employer
Work around – adapting to / not changing
“I’m working around the website” – adapting to the website’s requirements or limits
Work to – the objective, goal or destination
“I’m working to the website’s brief” – the website has a clear framework
There are over 60 prepositions in the English language, each with its own specific function. But, before you panic, the good news is that these functions remain the same. In natural English conversations, these prepositions are incredibly useful to describe complex situations using simple verbs. Consider Joana’s writing for example. She can explain how she works creatively by changing the verb and using the same prepositions.
WRITE
Write on – the main focus
“I’m writing on a website” – the website is where you will see her writing
Write with – cooperation or connection
“I’m writing with a website” – the website is a partner or tool used for writing
Write for – the reason or purpose
“I’m writing for a website” – the website is the employer or audience
Write around – adapting to / not changing
“I’m writing around the website” – adapting to the website’s requirements on what to write
Write to – the objective, goal or destination
“I’m writing to website owners” – website owners are the target audience
There are a lot of different combinations and each one slightly changes the meaning of the activity. This is why it is important to clarify and listen to the context of the conversation. For example, if Joana says “I’m writing for SEO” it could mean “I work for an SEO department or company” or “I write content which is optimised for search engines”. To know which she means, you must listen to the examples she gives.
This is why in the conversation, you will hear Mike ask checking questions like:
“So, when you’re writing, it’s for a specific audience?”
“Sometimes, it’s just a case of writing it first, then checking if the SEO likes it?”
You can hear examples of these words being used in the video at the indicated times.
SEO – Search Engine Optimisation – noun [05:25]
A way to make your online content be found easily with Google and other search engines.
“SEO is essential if you want people to see your writing” / “I work in SEO”
Niche – adjective / noun [03:40]
A strategy which is very specific, focused and/or unique / usually small
“Expensive clothing for dogs is a niche market” / “You’ve found your niche”
Framework – noun [04:35]
A plan, procedure or platform designed to support and guide your work
“We follow a framework to submit the reports” / “There is no clear framework for this process”
A Brief / Briefing – noun [04:15]
A short explanation of the work that needs to be done
“I need to work to the clients brief” / “All the information is in the briefing”
Be tedious – adjective [05:30]
Frustrating / annoying / slow working
“The slow loading website is quite tedious” / “I find navigating the app is quite tedious”
To streamline – verb [05:55]
To optimise or make something more efficient
“You can streamline your work by using Chat GPT”
To succumb to – verb [10:37]
To agree or do something after not wanting to for a long time
“He finally succumbed to their requests and gave them what they wanted”
Get into – phrasal verb [01:40]
begin an interest or activity which is often implied by context
“I got into heavy metal recently” (listening to) / “The dog got into the biscuits” (eating them)
Take into account – phrase [09:24]
To consider or think about something when making a decision
“We have taken your proposal into account” / “He didn’t take the weather into account”
Sign in to leave your answers below or ask us a question. We are happy to help.
You’ll need to sign in to take the test or comment.
It’s free and you get access to all the quizzes on the site, feedback on your English and invitations to online events.
