Real Easy English

Easy level

Talking about chocolate

Episode 260313 / 13 Mar 2026

(Photo: Getty)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Follow the Learning Easy English podcast

Download a free worksheet

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Neil and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about chocolate – the delicious sweet treat that many of us love! Learn to talk about cravings, cutting down and giving up.

Vocabulary

lots of/a lot of
a large amount of

loads of
a very large amount of

give up (a food)
stop eating (a food) forever, or for a prolonged period of time

cut down on
reduce

craving
stong desire or feeling of needing something like food

Transcript

Neil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help with your listening. I'm Neil.
 
Georgie
And I'm Georgie. Remember, you can watch a video version of this podcast on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Neil
Hi Georgie. How are you?
 
Georgie
I'm very well thank you, Neil. How are you?
 
Neil
I'm pretty good.
 
Georgie
And what are we talking about in this episode?
 
Neil
So today, Georgie, we're talking about chocolate.
 
Georgie
Ooh, I love chocolate.
 
Neil
I know, that's my next question. Do you like chocolate?
 
Georgie
I do. I think you and everyone else in the office knows that I like chocolate a lot. My dad always jokes when I go home that if they have any chocolate in the house, it will disappear if I go home, because I'm always looking in the fridge and the cupboards to find it. What about you? Are you a chocolate fan?
 
Neil
I do like chocolate, yeah. I don't think about chocolate all the time, or I don't feel like I need to have chocolate, but I do like it and when I have it, I really enjoy it.
 
Georgie
Mmm. What kind of chocolate do you like?
 
Neil
Well, I like really dark chocolate – the one that's kind of bitter.
 
Georgie
Yeah.
 
Neil
Almost too bitter. I think that's a really, really nice one. You can have a... you only need a really small amount. So, you are famous in your house for eating chocolate, but how often do you eat chocolate?
 
Georgie
Well, I have a terrible habit of eating chocolate after most meals. Maybe breakfast, I avoid chocolate...? That's a lie actually! This morning, I had a chocolate croissant, so forget that! After something savoury, I usually want something sweet and so I usually have a chocolate bar after lunch. Then after dinner, the same thing happens. I get a sugar craving and need something sweet. A sugar craving means that you really want it. You really need it. Your body is telling you that you want it.
 
Neil
So, it sounds to me like you couldn't give up chocolate.
 
Georgie
Hmm. I think about it sometimes – giving up chocolate, which means to stop eating it completely. But I think a more realistic option for me would be to cut down on chocolate – so eat less of it, reduce my chocolate consumption. I just can't imagine not eating chocolate. It would take away so much enjoyment from my life. And Neil, life is short.
 
Neil
There was actually a really sad look in your eyes when you were talking about giving up chocolate, so...

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Learn some more phrasal verbs like 'give up' and 'cut down on'

240705 pvwg health fitness image

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Georgie
So, obviously I like chocolate a lot. You said that you don't like it as much. Does that mean you eat it less? How often do you eat chocolate?
 
Neil
Well, when I have chocolate or when there is chocolate around, I eat lots. I eat loads. In fact, it's hard not to finish the whole bar, even if it's a big one. But fortunately, I suppose, I don't really think about chocolate much. It's not like every day I think I need my chocolate, but when it's there, I really love it.
 
Georgie
OK. So, do you not buy much chocolate for the house then? Do your kids not eat much chocolate?
 
Neil
No, not really. I don't think we do. There are times of the year when chocolate is around more often, like Christmas and Easter.

Georgie
Oh yeah.
 
Neil
But the rest of the time, no, we're not a very chocolatey house.
 
Georgie
No. Do you prefer plain chocolate – so, just chocolate on its own? Or, you know, flavoured chocolate – things that have... chocolate that has other flavours in it?
 
Neil
Actually, I do like some maybe unusual combinations. So, some chocolate bars you can get that have got chilli.
 
Georgie
Mmm.
 
Neil
Some even with wasabi.

Georgie
Oh! I've never tried that.
 
Neil
Yeah.
 
Georgie
What's it like?
 
Neil
I'm not sure about the wasabi one but the chilli one is really good.
 
Georgie
Another unusual one is salted caramel in chocolate. Or salt – just sea salt with chocolate. That's really good as well.
 
Neil
Yeah. And ginger.
 
Georgie
Yeah. Ginger's good.
 
Neil
The list could go on. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've heard in this podcast. We had lots of or a lot of, which means a large amount, and we can also say loads ofloads of chocolate.
 
Georgie
We also heard the phrasal verb give up. If you give up a food like chocolate, you stop eating it.
 
Neil
We also heard the phrasal verb cut down on, which means to have less of something.
 
Georgie
For example, I really need to cut down on chocolate. We also heard the word craving, which is when you have a really strong feeling of needing or wanting something like a food.
 
Neil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English, but why not test what you've learnt with a free worksheet that's on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Georgie
And we'll be back next week with another episode. Thank you for joining us and goodbye.
 
Neil
Goodbye!

Now try this...

Watch The London Letter Challenge.

Download a free worksheet.

Discover more programmes for your level

Find all our latest programmes.

تازه ترین Real Easy English