
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Join Anna as she shares her adventurous travel, from Europe to East Asia dreams, a week-long Colorado River rafting trip through Moab, Utah, and camping under starlit skies.
Join Anna's adventure interview to hear travel stories across Europe and East Asia, a week-long Colorado River rafting trip, and camping under star-filled skies in real English conversations.
Explore how people define adventure through experiences, adrenaline, and nature, from roller coasters to the Amazon rainforest and a moon trip, weighing fear, risk, and memorable journeys.
Jahziel and Katie explore what makes someone adventurous, discussing risk taking and ziplining, kayaking, jet skiing, and the idea of skydiving or bungee jumping in hot Texas weather.
Andre discusses his adventurous mindset, filming scenery and outdoor adventures, chasing adrenaline in extreme sports like skydiving and roller coasters, plus indoor skydiving and trying raw intestines.
Andre discusses his adventurous lifestyle, capturing expeditions on camera, trying extreme experiences like skydiving and indoor skydiving, and sampling daring foods, including intestines.
Learn to pronounce English with linking and reduced forms, using examples like loved it and would get up to improve fluency.
Discuss light pollution's effect on star visibility and practice listening by tracing a conversation about camping memories, current interest, and plans to go camping again.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Discover an animal loving narrator who adores her three dogs, shares why she spoils them, and recounts riding an elephant, meeting tiger cubs, and other farm animals.
Sam shares why dogs are her favorite, describing her three dogs D.J., Coco, and Milo, and recalls riding an elephant and seeing tiger cubs on a farm, while fearing spiders.
Explore caring for pet birds, from African grey parrot to lovebirds and parrotlet, along with a golden doodle, and learn why enrichment and proper interaction prevent boredom and bites.
Daniel shares a candid animal interview about his dogs, future husky dreams, pet dynamics with family and girlfriend, and a favorite white tiger, plus a playful monkey daydream.
Explore a candid interview about pets, dog dynamics with a girlfriend, future husky ownership, and the fascination with white tigers and monkeys.
Explore Jenn's candid dog interview as she describes Remy Lynn, a 90-pound lab-German shepherd mix, and her adventurous, affectionate, and protective nature with people and other dogs.
Explore pronunciation techniques from the animals pronunciation practice video, including reducing 'and' and 'the', using filler words like 'like', and mastering linking and consonant blending.
Practice listening with real English conversations about dogs, describing what you like, a dog's name and personality, and why they are cuddly, cute, and unconditionally loving.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Discuss pet peeves and annoying behaviors, from clinginess and constant talking to passive-aggressive roommate dynamics, and learn to navigate communication and boundaries at home and work.
Explore common annoyances and pet peeves in daily life, from clinginess and constant talking to passive aggression and rude behavior, illustrated by a roommate scenario and practical communication tips.
Sam lists pet peeves from doors and cabinets left open to trash everywhere and belief clashes, and reflects on workplace frustrations and social media false information.
Sam shares common pet peeves, from doors left open and clutter to clashing beliefs, and explains coping strategies like unfriending or blocking social media, while managing customer expectations at work.
Jahziel and Katie discuss pet peeves, clutter and organized spaces, and how these relate to siblings, minimalism, and school costs like books and classes.
Explore common annoyances, from pet peeves like toilet paper placement to technology glitches, and examine how people respond to texting and driving and other distracting habits.
Explore pronunciation practice by reducing filler words, linking and stopping consonants, and stressing key phrases to sound natural in real English conversations.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Luis explains how his bilingual background inspired a career in pharmacy, translating medical terms for families and pursuing a retail pharmacist role to counsel patients during rotations.
Follow a bilingual pharmacy student pursuing a retail pharmacist career, translating medical terms between English and Spanish for families, and counseling patients during rotations.
Jenn traces her evolving goals—from design and journalism to finance and marketing—toward cybersecurity, highlighting roles like cybersecurity administrator, ethical hacker, pen testing, and digital forensics.
Rachel describes becoming a pediatric psych nurse, treating children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders and the trauma in foster care. She aims to be a child-adolescent mental health nurse practitioner.
Practice real English pronunciation for career conversations, reducing common words, mastering linking and sound changes, and articulating terms like schedule, ability, and hospital while discussing leadership and making an impact.
Explore real-life accountability in retail as an employee applies the wrong discount, costing the store money. Learn to address similar situations and protect the store.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Examine opinions on rehabilitating ex-offenders and how background checks affect reentry, while considering rehab, second chances, and variations in prison systems.
Explore a real talk crime interview that examines personal experiences with crime, neighborhood violence, gunshots, and a childhood incident of outlining a dead body.
Practice authentic listening to crime conversations, focusing on pronunciation of -ed endings as t or d, unvoiced sounds, and common reductions and linking in speech.
Practice listening and transcribing authentic real English conversations by analyzing a casual childhood reminiscence, noting how late nights, neighborhood freedom, and unsupervised bike roaming shape spoken English.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Explore a school library role, the family-like atmosphere, and the daily tasks teachers face. Discuss the value of education, college, and learning from real life.
Discover the realities of education through Lori's interview, from library work in elementary schools to the challenges teachers face and the value of education.
Luis discusses the rigors of pharmacy school, heavy course loads and long study hours, and uses varied study strategies and loans to manage demanding prerequisites.
Navigate a demanding pharmacy program by managing heavy course loads, using varied study methods—from groups and flashcards to online videos—and securing loans to cover living costs.
Explore how Jahziel and Katie navigate education, studying psychology and environmental science, with insights on dreams, rem sleep, quality over quantity, and balancing part-time study with a full-time job.
Improve pronunciation through reduced forms, linking, and stopped t in American casual speech, with examples about education, college life, and environmental science.
Develop time management for a heavy course load by dedicating six hours of nightly study to keep up with many classes, and practice listen and write what you hear.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
A nature-loving speaker explores time outdoors as a mood booster, highlighting beach and mountain scenery, pollution concerns, and calls for better public transportation, bike lanes, and trails in U.S. cities.
Discusses personal connections to nature, favorite natural places like the beach and Grand Canyon, and practical views on eco friendly living, pollution, and improving public transportation and bike friendly infrastructure.
Explore how a couple reduces waste through recycling, avoids single-use plastics, and cooks at home, while addressing emissions and water use and advocating renewable resources and recycling to reverse pollution.
Explore practical daily actions to protect the environment, such as reducing single-use plastics, recycling, and cooking at home, while examining emissions and the carbon footprint of food systems.
Discusses global warming and plastic pollution, showing how greenhouse gases and cars melt ice caps, drive heat and migration, and advocates reducing plastic, shifting consumption, and embracing clean energy.
Witness Andre discuss nature videography, bee behavior, and environmental consciousness—from bee suits and close-up footage to solar energy and storm chasing.
Explore pronunciation practice with real English conversations, identifying reduced forms, stopped consonants, and linking, using examples about tornadoes, single-use plastics, and everyday environment topics.
Watch the video.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil ready for listening practice. If you didn't understand something someone said, you can rewind the video if you need to listen to them again before the answer appears.
Go to the next lecture to take a listening comprehension quiz.
Listen to a Daniel family interview to practice real English conversations, exploring siblings, family memories, and future plans without the transcript.
Daniel recalls growing up in a big six-member family, older brother’s wrestling tricks, and Chicago-family gatherings with uncles, while planning two or three kids and cherishing nieces and nephews.
Manik discusses his family values, detailing close bonds with a brother and sister, and notes meditation and yoga as his introverted difference, alongside Diwali and Thanksgiving traditions in Indian culture.
Explore family dynamics, traditions, and cultural celebrations through a Manik family interview, highlighting similarities and differences with siblings, meditation, yoga, and Diwali and Thanksgiving rituals.
Explore a young person’s family dynamics, from being the baby spoiled by mom and dad to one-on-one summers and a millennial childhood shaping their personality.
Explore a personal family interview detailing a small, close-knit family with siblings, cousins, and grandparents, and a baby being spoiled by mom, shaped by late-90s upbringing.
Explore a father’s perspective on family life, balancing schoolwork for his son and the responsibilities of being the oldest brother, with memories of siblings and a prank-filled childhood.
Explore a candid family interview about a mom with about seven sisters, a nine-year-old son, and the joys and challenges of fatherhood, from school reluctance to cherishing moments.
Practice real English listening by focusing on family conversation pronunciation, including reduced forms, linking, and casual speech like 'til', 'would', and get along.
Compare how different habits shape conversations, noting that one person meditates and does yoga while others are more social, and consider how introversion affects listening in real English conversations.
Learn to understand native English speakers from the US by learning how they really talk!
Have you tried all the apps and textbooks but still have problems with everyday conversations in English?
It's time to change your focus.
Do you feel "stuck" with your English? Maybe you've almost given up because...
You're overwhelmed with the amount of vocabulary (phrasal verbs, idioms, and expressions) you need to learn and don't know where to begin.
You feel like you translate in your head instead of thinking in English.
You don't feel comfortable speaking with English speakers and you often have to ask them to repeat themselves.
Despite all your efforts, your English isn't getting any better.
As a certified English teacher who specializes in teaching intermediate level students, I'm here to tell you that it's not your fault. You just need something real!
The way to quickly take your English from an intermediate to an advanced level is by consistently listening to real native speakers talking about common topics that are relevant to our lives.
You also need to take the vocabulary you hear from real people, study it, and learn to use it in context. No translations!
Think about it, how did you learn your native language?
You learned it naturally, from real people: without translating, without textbooks, without apps!
Introducing... Real Talk English!
An American English listening, vocabulary and pronunciation course based on audio interviews from REAL native speakers!
The perfect course for all adult intermediate English learners who want to build their confidence in understanding people from the United States.
You'll learn how to...
Understand a variety of different American English speakers when they talk about real-world situations.
(So you can stop asking them to repeat themselves or pretending like you understood them when you actually didn't!)
Correctly use and remember 100s of new words, expressions, idioms, and phrasal verbs.
(So your real personality can shine when you're having conversations in English.)
Expand your vocabulary on different topics by hearing new words in context.
(Without translating words in your brain!)
Pronounce things more naturally when speaking in English.
(So you can feel confident and understood.)
What's inside the Real Talk English course?
32 short audio interviews of real people from the United States
8 different topics
Adventure, Animals, Annoying Things, Career and Work, Crime, Education, The Environment, Family
32+ listening comprehension activities and quizzes
Vocabulary PDFs, quizzes, and games
Real Talk English video pronunciation guides
Learn how Americans pronounce things by watching my video guides, listening to real people, and repeating after them.
Speaking and Writing practice activities to do on your own
Optional mini challenges at the end of each topic
PDF audio transcripts with each interview
BONUS: Understand Native Speakers video series
BONUS: 8 downloadable Real Talk English PDF workbooks!
Frequently Asked Questions
What English levels is this course for?
This course is best for anyone with an intermediate level of English whose goal is to achieve an advanced level.
What age group is this course for?
This is a course made for adults, so it's for anyone who's 18 or older.
How much time is required?
This is an 8-week course. (That's about 2 months of learning!) I recommend that you study one new topic weekly for the next 8 weeks. However, there's no time limit for this course; you'll get lifetime access. This way you can learn at your own pace and come back to study and review whenever you'd like, even after you complete the course!
Does this course teach grammar?
This is not a grammar course. This course is focused on listening, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Will this course help me with my speaking?
Yes! With this course, you will mainly improve your listening, vocabulary, and pronunciation skills. These three skills combined will help you to have awesome conversations with native English speakers! It also includes speaking practice questions in each unit.
Will I learn British or Australian English with this course?
No, this is an American English course.