Episode 90
Listen to the Episode
Listen once for the main idea. Then use the transcript and repeat useful sentences aloud.
Download and study
Episode Resources
Download a file or continue to the transcript.
Best order: listen once, read while listening, then listen again without the text.
Full lesson
Read the Transcript
Follow the text while you listen, then repeat useful sentences aloud.
Hi everyone! I am Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.
Today I'd like to talk about introverts and extroverts, and at the end of the lesson, you'll learn how English grammar changes through a small point of view lesson. We're going to meet Tom, a guy who doesn't like to be around people much.
So... how was your week? I hope everything went well. I've already recovered from the effort of decorating my house. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can listen to episode #088.
Remember that you can find the text of this episode on my website SpeakEnglishPodcast.com.
Let's start!
Extrovert
What is extroversion?
Extroverts are usually the life of the party. With their outgoing and magnetic personality, they easily draw people to them.
So, if you want to know if you're an extrovert, just think about how much you enjoy being and interacting with other people. Do you enjoy chatting and having long conversations with all kinds of people? Do you get bored when you're home alone? If the answers to most of these questions were "yes," then you are probably an extroverted person. That is, you are a very sociable person.
And apparently, there are more extroverts in the world than introverts.
Can you guess what Tom Hanks, Oprah, Johnny Depp, Madonna, and Jim Carrey have in common? That's right. They are all extroverts.
Introvert
And... do you know how to tell me the opposite of extroversion? Well, this one is easy. The opposite word is introversion. If you like having your inner space, spending time alone with your stuff, then you are an introverted person.
By the way, make sure you don't confuse the term introversion with shyness. A shy person is someone anxious about interacting with people, especially strangers.
However, an introverted person simply prefers to spend less time with other people.
In my case, I enjoy going out, and I have a lot of friends, though from time to time, I need some alone time. If you're an extrovert, you're probably asking yourself just how an introvert survives alone. Well, as an introvert, when I'm at home, I enjoy cooking something healthy and watch my favorite TV show on Netflix; other days, I just read an interesting book.
And what do I do when I'm not at home? Well, I usually love going for a long walk as much as possible. It's a great way to relax, and I often listen to an audiobook or a podcast. And no. I don't listen to the Speak English Now podcast. 🙂 Although if you want to improve your English, you should definitely give it a try.
Anyways, the bottom line is that I consider myself moderately introverted. What about you? What's your personality type? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I'd really love to know.
Famous people who are/were introverts:
Michael Jackson, Monroe, Britney Spears, Julia Roberts, and Lady Gaga.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
| 01 |
First version Third Person · Present Tense |
Tom is a very introverted man and not only that, but he is also timid. In fact, Tom hates being with other people. He works from home and buys everything he needs online. He goes for a walk at night, because he doesn't want to meet anyone.
Tom thinks his situation is miserable because he can't lead a normal life. So he hires the famous psychiatrist called Dr. Fraud. This doctor prescribes shock therapy: he has to travel to Japan to take the subway every day at rush hour. Because Tom is so desperate, he follows the strange advice. After three months of treatment, Tom feels like a new person. He doesn't mind being with other people anymore. In fact, the more people, the merrier. But now he has another problem: he's afraid of being alone.
| 02 |
Second version First Person · Past Tense |
I was a very introverted person, and not only that, but I was also timid. In fact, I hated being with other people. I worked from home and bought everything I needed online.
I went out for a walk at night so that I wouldn't meet anyone. I thought my situation was miserable because I couldn't live a normal life. So I hired the famous psychiatrist Dr. Fraud. The doctor prescribed shock therapy: I had to travel to Japan, and take the subway at rush hour. Because I was so desperate, I followed the strange advice. After three months of treatment, I felt like a new person. I was cured because I didn't mind being with other people. In fact, the more people, the merrier. But now I have another problem: I'm afraid to be alone.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
Extrovert
A person who enjoys being around and interacting with other people.
Life of the party
A very lively, sociable person who attracts attention at social events.
Outgoing
Friendly, confident, and comfortable meeting and talking to people.
Magnetic personality
A personality that naturally attracts other people.
Sociable
Enjoying spending time and talking with other people.
Introvert
A person who generally prefers more time alone or in quieter settings.
Shyness
Nervousness or anxiety when interacting with other people, especially strangers.
Alone time
Time spent by yourself to relax or recharge.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
Hi Georgiana! You’re one of my best English teacher. I can say: you’re the best. I have four days listening your class and I feel super, I feel that I’m learning a lot for real. Thanks.
I hope as soon I can buy your courses.