In this unscripted C1 English conversation, Camille and Calvin reminisce about their childhoods: camping trips, winter sports, Christmas traditions, video games, and a couple of broken bones. It’s natural, native-speed American English, and it’s the perfect example of how to talk about past habits using “would.” Watch the video, then learn the grammar, phrases, and expressions below.

Level: C1 (advanced, natural speed) Video length: About 8 minutes Topic: Childhood memories, family, and traditions

Our childhood memories

Calvin grew up in the Pacific Northwest. His favorite memories are road trips in a camper around Eastern Oregon with his parents and sister, plus family trips to Florida and Mexico. In Cabo San Lucas, he ate so much guacamole that he got sick, and he still remembers the mangoes on a stick with lime from the beach. He believes that first trip to a different culture opened up his love of travel. At home, he played Super Mario Brothers and Mega Man, and he loved jumping off the roof of his sister’s playhouse into the wood chips below.

Camille grew up in a family of seven. Her fondest memories are summer camping trips at a lake, with tents set up next to the camper, bonfires almost every night, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, and inner-tube rides behind her dad’s boat. Winters were full of sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, and skating. She also remembers big Christmas traditions, a huge family garden (her mom canned vegetables for the winter), and playing school and store with her sisters. Her family didn’t have a TV until she was 12, and dial-up internet arrived when she was 16. She also broke her arm twice: once rollerblading at 13 and once playing basketball at 14.

Grammar tip: “would” and “used to” for past habits

When Americans talk about childhood, they often use would + verb to describe things they did regularly in the past. Listen for it throughout the video:

• “We would have bonfires almost every night.”
• “My dad would take us many times a week.”
• “We would play school, so someone would be the teacher.”

You can also use used to + verb for the same idea:

• “We used to have bonfires every night.”

What’s the difference? Both work for repeated past actions. But only used to works for past states, like feelings, possessions, or where you lived:

• ✅ “My dad used to smoke.” / ✅ “We used to have a cabin by a lake.”
• ❌ “We would have a cabin by a lake.” (a state, not a repeated action)

A native-speaker pattern: Americans often start a story with used to and then switch to would for the details: “We used to go camping every summer. We would set up tents, and my dad would build a fire.”

Useful phrases for talking about memories

• One of my fondest memories is… “My fondest memories are camping in the summer.”
• I (vividly) remember + -ing… “I remember jumping off my sister’s playhouse.”
• That reminds me… “That reminds me, we actually had a cabin by a lake too!”
• Back in the day… “Maybe we met back in the day and didn’t even know it.”
• I’ll never forget… “I’ll never forget the mangoes on a stick in Mexico.”
• Growing up, we… “Growing up, we didn’t have a TV.”

Advanced expressions from the conversation

Check your understanding

1. Where did Calvin travel in a camper with his family? a) Eastern Oregon b) Michigan c) California
2. Why did Camille’s family bring tents when they went camping? a) The camper was broken b) They were seven people and didn’t all fit c) They liked sleeping outside
3. Why did Calvin get sick in Mexico? a) He drank the water b) He ate too much guacamole c) He got too much sun
4. How old was Camille when her family got a TV? a) 8 b) 12 c) 16
5. How did Camille break her arm the first time? a) Rollerblading b) Playing basketball c) Skiing
6. Which sentence is NOT correct? a) We would go camping every summer. b) We used to have a boat. c) We would have a boat.