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Talking about memory

Episode 260424 / 24 Apr 2026

(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Becca and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about memory – our ability to remember things from the past. Learn to talk about being forgetful, collecting mementos and reminiscing with friends.

Vocabulary

memory
general ability to remember things; specific experience you remember from the past

forgetful
not good at remembering things

reminisce
talk about happy memories from the past

memento
an object that helps you think of a particular memory

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Transcript

Becca
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Becca.
 
Georgie
And I'm Georgie. You can find a video version of this podcast with subtitles to help you learn on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Becca
Hi Georgie.
 
Georgie
Hello there.
 
Becca
How are you doing today?
 
Georgie
I'm pretty good, thank you. How are you?
 
Becca
Good. Yeah, I'm also pretty good. But I forgot my lunch today...
 
Georgie
No!
 
Becca
...which is a bit annoying. But today we are actually talking about forgetting things and memory, so it's a good topic...
 
Georgie
It is!
 
Becca
...for today's podcast!
 
Georgie
Yes. And memory is your ability to remember things. So, Becca, do you have a good memory?
 
Becca
I usually do. This morning – not so much. Yes, I usually do have an alright memory but it depends on what I'm trying to remember. So, I will remember experiences and people very well, but when it comes to tasks or things that I have to do for myself, I must write them down or I will forget them. I won't remember them.
 
Georgie
I'm a very forgetful person. I... Yes, everyone knows me to leave things in the house that I needed to bring or when I... For example, an umbrella – if I take that out, it will get lost 100%. So, I have a terrible memory.
 
Becca
So, you don't have a great memory, Georgie? Memory we use to talk about the ability to remember something, but we can also refer to things from the past – our memories from the past. So, do you have any great memories?
 
Georgie
I've got lots of good memories. I think the best memory I have was when I was about eight years old. I went to a concert. And I went to this concert with my dad, my best friend and her dad, and it was outside – a summer's day. It was, kind of, sunset time. We were both on our dads' shoulders, singing, dancing. And she has the exact same memory, so I know that it's... I know that it's real. It's not fake.
 
Becca
You didn't dream it.
 
Georgie
No, I didn't dream it. But that's one of my favourite memories. Yeah. What about you?
 
Becca
I remember my first ever, kind of, live music, concert experience as well was around the time of November 5th. And here in the UK, we often go to see fireworks. And it was the first time seeing fireworks.

Georgie
Wow.
 
Becca
So, yeah. And also my first time, like, seeing a band play on a stage and, yeah, it was a great experience. That's probably why we remember these things, because they do bring us so much happiness and joy when we talk about them.
 
Georgie
Yeah, exactly. Do you like to think about the past and memories? I know some people don't like to.
 
Becca
Mmm. Yeah, I do. I think it's really lovely to be able to remember – especially the good things from the past. How about you?
 
Georgie
Yeah, I like to... I like to reminisce and reminisce means that we talk about things from the past, about memories with happiness. And that's really fun to do, especially with childhood friends.
 
Becca
Yeah.
 
Georgie
When I meet up with friends from school, it's a lot of fun to, kind of, think about the good times from school and talk about people that we used to know. Yeah, reminiscing is a fun activity.
 
Becca
Yeah, I enjoy it too.
 
Georgie
So, we can talk about things from the past. But some people also like to keep things, collect things from the past – mementos. That's what those are called. Do you like to keep mementos?
 
Becca
I love to keep mementos.
 
Georgie
What kinds of things?
 
Becca
I... So, I started a collection of fridge magnets from my first solo adventure. And so, you know, I get to see those little mementos every day and I'm reminded all of the places that I've been. It's nice to look at these mementos, and then we reminisce.
 
Georgie
Yeah.
 
Becca
Let's recap the language that we learn in that conversation, starting with memory. So, memory is the ability to remember something. But we can also have memories. And memories are things that we remember from the past. For example, I have a lot of good memories from when I was a child.
 
Georgie
We also heard forgetful, which describes a person who does not have a very good memory. I am a forgetful person.
 
Becca
If we reminisce about something, we talk about our memories from the past – memories that make us happy.
 
Georgie
And we heard memento, which is an object which makes you think of a particular memory, place or event.
 
Becca
For example, I collect fridge magnets, which are a memento of all of the places that I've travelled to.
 
Georgie
And that's it for this episode of Real Easy English. We'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. And don't forget to test what you've learned with the worksheet on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Becca
And what would you like us to talk about on this podcast? You can send us a question at learningenglish@bbc.co.uk. Bye for now!

Georgie
Goodbye.

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