Advanced Speaking Practice 2
Level: B1
Skill: Speaking
Topic: Relationships
Time: 25–30 minutes
INSIGHT
What is bonding, really?
Some relationships feel close almost immediately. Others take time — you meet someone, and slowly, through small moments, you start to trust them more.
This is bonding: it isn’t automatic. It’s built. Every conversation, every shared moment, every small act of comfort adds up over time, and slowly, trust grows.
This is why you feel completely at ease with your best friend, but still a little careful around someone you’ve just met. The people who show up for you again and again earn a different kind of trust than the people who haven’t yet.
This also means trust can grow. Someone who was once an acquaintance can become someone you’d trust with a secret — but only through repeated, genuine interaction, not through time alone.
So what actually causes this feeling of closeness? It’s a chemical in your brain called oxytocin, often known as the “bonding hormone.” It’s released whenever we connect with someone — but it isn’t handed out equally to everyone. It responds to consistency, rewarding the relationships we actually invest in.
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exercise 3: trust, grown or guarded
Say the sentences.
Initially, I was guarded with my colleague, but since getting to know her better, things have changed.
Initially, I felt vulnerable with my partner, but since we’ve been opening up with each other more, we’ve grown much closer.
Trust between us has finally been reciprocated — it took a long time, but it feels earned.
Repeat until it feels natural.
Now, think of one relationship. Has trust grown, or have you had to be more careful? Use “Initially… but I’ve been…” to describe it.
Vocabulary:
vulnerable · guarded · earned (trust) · reciprocated
Repeat until it feels natural.
exercise 4: intentions
Say the sentences.