Here we are at part three of this wonderful series - and I have a treat for you! This episode is a little more personal and a little more surprising than the first two. You will meet two foreigners whose stories of coming to live in Belgrade are genuinely touching, and you will hear them speak about learning Serbian in a way that I think every learner of this blog can relate to.
The good news: this episode comes with an easier version of the exercise. The questions and answers can be in English, so you can focus entirely on understanding what you hear in Serbian without worrying about producing Serbian answers. Think of it as a listening reward after all your hard work in parts one and two!
Why is part 3 easier?
In parts one and two, the comprehension questions were written in Serbian, which meant you were practicing both reading Serbian and listening to it at the same time - a great workout, but a demanding one. In part three, the questions are in English. This means you can direct all of your mental energy toward one task only: understanding the spoken Serbian in the video. For many learners, this shift makes a significant difference to how much they can absorb.
This is also a good technique to remember for your own independent listening practice: sometimes simplify one aspect of the task (for example, use English questions) so that you can push harder on another aspect (for example, understanding faster speech or unfamiliar vocabulary).
Two more reasons this video is accessible: the speakers in this episode have lived in Serbia for several years and their Serbian is fluent but clear, and the topics - family, secrets, marriage, learning a language - use vocabulary you have very likely already encountered.
The questions
Read through these questions before you watch, so you know exactly what to listen for. Then watch the video and write your answers.
- Who didn't tell his mother that he lived and worked in Belgrade?
- Why?
- Who got married in Serbia?
- Why?
- Who is positive about changes in Serbia?
- Why have both interviewees learnt Serbian quickly?
- How did they learn Serbian?
- Who likes Serbian food?
A small note on question six: the answers the speakers give about how they learned Serbian quickly are really interesting and very encouraging for language learners. Listen carefully - their experience might mirror your own more than you expect!
Hear it
Watch the video below. As always, try at least two viewings: one to get a general impression, and one to answer the questions above.
More Serbian to listen for
Here are some of the sentences and structures that come up in this video or are closely related to the themes you will hear. Study them before or after watching to reinforce the vocabulary in context.
"Naučio sam srpski brzo."
I learned Serbian quickly."Živim i radim u Beogradu vec nekoliko godina."
I have been living and working in Belgrade for several years already."Sviđa mi se srpska kuhinja."
I like Serbian cuisine."Oženio sam se u Srbiji i ovde živim sa porodicom."
I got married in Serbia and I live here with my family."Nisam rekao mami da živim u Beogradu - ona bi se zabrinula!"
I did not tell my mum that I was living in Belgrade - she would have worried!"Srpski sam naučio slušajuci ljude oko sebe."
I learned Serbian by listening to the people around me."Srbija se menja i te promene su pozitivne."
Serbia is changing and those changes are positive."Deca uče jezik mnogo brže nego odrasli."
Children learn language much faster than adults."Kad živiš u zemlji, moraš da naučiš jezik - nema drugog nacina."
When you live in a country, you have to learn the language - there is no other way."Srpski je težak jezik, ali kada počneš da ga razumeš, postaje lep."
Serbian is a difficult language, but when you start to understand it, it becomes beautiful.
Language note: how they learned Serbian
One of the most valuable moments in this video is when the speakers describe how they learned Serbian. Listen carefully for phrases like slušao sam (I listened), razgovarao sam sa (I talked with), učio sam od (I learned from). These past tense forms are worth noting down. The pattern is:
| Infinitive | He/she (past) | English |
|---|---|---|
| slušati | slušao / slušala je | listened |
| učiti | učio / učila je | learned, studied |
| razgovarati | razgovarao / razgovarala je | talked, conversed |
| naučiti | naučio / naučila je | learned (perfective) |
FAQ
Is this video suitable if I have not watched parts 1 and 2?
Yes, completely. Each video in the series stands alone as a listening exercise. That said, if you have watched parts one and two you will recognise some of the same ideas and vocabulary recurring - which is actually great for retention, because repetition is how vocabulary sticks.
Why would someone not tell their mother where they lived?
You will have to watch to find out! I do not want to give away the answer, but I can tell you it made me laugh when I first heard it. It is a very human moment - and it shows that the relationship between foreigners and Serbia is full of warmth and humour, not just language-learning statistics.
How quickly can a foreigner learn Serbian?
It varies enormously, but immersion - actually living in Serbia - makes an enormous difference. The speakers in this video learned Serbian by being surrounded by it every day, speaking with neighbours and colleagues, and not shying away from making mistakes. That approach still works today, even if you are not in Serbia: create as much immersion as you can, listen as much as possible, and speak at every opportunity.
What does "pozitivne promene" mean?
That is the phrase pozitivne promene - positive changes. Promena (singular) / promene (plural) means "change" or "changes." You will hear this word a lot in discussions about Serbian society and politics. A related useful phrase: Srbija se menja - Serbia is changing.
Do I need to understand every word to benefit from this exercise?
No - and I cannot stress this enough. Partial understanding is still understanding, and it is how real language acquisition works. Even if you catch only six out of eight answers, you have done excellent listening work. Come back to the video in a week and you will likely catch more.
Part three is one of my favourite episodes in this whole series, and I hope you found it as warm and engaging as I do every time I watch it. The stories these people tell are a reminder that language learning is ultimately about human connection - and that Serbian, once you open the door to it, opens a whole world in return.
Do not stop now - part four is waiting, and it introduces one of the most colourful idioms in the Serbian language!
With warmth,
Marina Petrovic
Looking for more exercises to train your ear? Visit More listening practice for the full collection.