Chatterbox #317 – Trend Predictions for 2024 from the USA

In this episode, Andrew and Anna continue exploring trend predictions. This time, they’re looking into five trend predictions coming out of America. They talk about all the details and share their own opinions and attitudes towards these trends. By studying with this audio lesson, you can improve your listening skills and learn vocabulary related to trends, personal well-being, technology advancements, chatbots, consumerism and second-hand shopping.

For Culips members, an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio are available to improve your learning experience.

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What you will learn:

• Vocabulary related to consumer trends, personal well-being, technology, shopping habits, and more. Words like “neo-hedonism”, “augmented reality”, “secondhand”, etc.
• Useful expressions and idioms like “the writing is on the wall”, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”, etc.
• Perspectives on societal shifts and changing consumer behaviors in the Western world.
• The hosts’ personal experiences with things like smart watches, online shopping, and prioritizing sleep/health.

How it will improve your English:

• Listening practice with two native speakers having a natural conversation using casual language.
• Exposure to different accents – one Canadian and one British.
• Comprehending reasons/opinions from contextual clues when new vocabulary is used.
• Learning common phrasal verbs like “chime in”, “harp on”, “deep dive into”, etc. used in discussions.
• Noting differences in vocabulary between American/British English like “thrift store” vs “charity shop”.

Overall, by listening attentively, you will improve your vocabulary, idiom knowledge, listening comprehension of casual speech, and understanding of Western societal/consumer trends – all while being immersed in a natural conversation between two native speakers.

For Culips members, an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio are available to improve your learning experience.