Sometimes the best way to practise listening in a new language is to listen to people talk about something they genuinely love - and what could be warmer or more vivid than famous Serbs talking about what they love most about their own country? Today's exercise is built around a real competition that asked exactly that question, and the answers from some very well-known names are both linguistically rich and genuinely moving.
This is a multi-skill exercise: you are practising listening comprehension, picking up opinion vocabulary, and at the same time learning something real about how Serbs feel about Serbia. Work through the questions below before you watch, so you know exactly what to listen for. Ready? Let's go.
What is this competition about?
The competition at the heart of this video invites people - both from Serbia and from around the world - to answer one simple, open question: what do you like most about Serbia? The entries could take different forms, and there were real prizes on offer, making it a genuinely exciting proposition for anyone with a connection to Serbia and something to say about it.
To illustrate the kinds of answers the competition was looking for, the video features responses from several famous Serbian public figures, each sharing something personal about what Serbia means to them. Their answers range from specific places worth visiting to broader feelings about identity and belonging - and together they form a wonderful portrait of a country seen through the eyes of people who know it best.
The public figures featured include the beloved singer and songwriter Željko Joksimović, the popular singer Goca Trzcan, and the well-known personality Romana Panić. Each gives a different, personal answer, and your job is to listen carefully and understand what they say.
Watch and answer
Read through all eight questions carefully before you press play. Then watch the video - once for general understanding, and once (or twice more) to gather the specific answers. Write your answers in full sentences where possible.
- Which part of Serbia is worth visiting and why, according to Željko Joksimović?
- What does Goca Trzcan feel sorry about?
- What does Romana Panić find most impressive about Serbia?
- What is the competition about?
- What is the deadline for the entry submission?
- Where should you send your submissions?
- What can you send to enter the competition?
- What are the prizes?
Questions 1-3 focus on the celebrity answers and require careful listening for personal opinions. Questions 4-8 are about the competition mechanics and are usually stated clearly and directly in the video - so keep a notepad handy for those specific details.
Watch the video
Here is the clip. Remember: first listen for pleasure and general meaning, then listen again with your questions in mind. Pause freely - this is your exercise, at your pace.
Vocabulary to listen for
Here are some key words and phrases that will help you navigate the video. Knowing these in advance will free up your mental energy for the content rather than the individual words.
| Serbian | English | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| takmicenje | competition | The main topic of the video |
| nagrada | prize / award | You need this for question 8 |
| rok / rok prijave | deadline / submission deadline | You need this for question 5 |
| poslati / posalji | to send / send (imperative) | Linked to questions 6 and 7 |
| vredelo bi posetiti | it would be worth visiting | Joksimović's recommendation phrasing |
| steta | a pity / shame | Connected to what Goca Trzcan feels sorry about |
A tip for listening exercises about opinions
When you are listening to people share personal opinions in Serbian, train your ear to catch the emotional "frame" of what they are saying first - are they expressing love, regret, pride, surprise? - before you try to pin down the exact vocabulary. That emotional frame often gives you the meaning of the unknown words around it, and it is exactly the kind of listening skill that makes real conversations with native speakers feel suddenly much more manageable.
For this video in particular, notice how each speaker's tone shifts when they talk about something they truly care about - that shift in warmth and pace is a clue in itself, and learning to read it is one of the most human and rewarding aspects of language learning.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Željko Joksimović?
Željko Joksimović is one of Serbia's most beloved singer-songwriters, best known internationally for his Eurovision entries - including the strikingly popular "Lane moje" in 2004. He is a genuinely important cultural figure in Serbia, and hearing him speak naturally in an interview is a treat for any Serbian learner.
Who is Goca Trzcan?
Goca Trzcan (full name Gordana Trzcan) is a hugely popular Serbian pop and folk singer with a warm, expressive speaking voice that is very pleasant to practise listening to. She has been a fixture of Serbian popular music since the 1990s.
Is this exercise suitable for beginners?
The vocabulary table above is specifically designed to help beginners access this exercise. Complete beginners (A1) will find it challenging but worthwhile - even catching two or three key words per speaker is valuable. A2-B1 learners should be able to answer most of the questions with two or three listens.
How do I handle fast Serbian speech in listening exercises?
The single best strategy is to slow yourself down rather than try to speed yourself up. Accept that you will not catch everything, focus on the content words (nouns, verbs, numbers, names), and let the grammar fill in around them. Over time, as your vocabulary grows, the grammar will start to fall into place automatically.
What kind of Serbian is spoken in this video?
This is standard contemporary Serbian as spoken by educated public figures from Belgrade - clear, relatively measured, and a good model for learners. You will hear neither heavy dialect nor overly formal speech, which makes it ideal for intermediate listening practice.
Can I use this exercise to practise speaking too?
Absolutely. Once you have watched and answered the questions, try summarising each celebrity's answer in your own Serbian words - even just one or two sentences. This turns a passive listening exercise into an active speaking and writing practice in one go.
I find this kind of exercise especially moving - there is something very special about listening to people talk about the place they call home with genuine feeling. I hope it gave you not only some useful Serbian practice but also a small, warm window into Serbia itself. Keep going - every listen makes the next one a little bit easier.
- Marina Petrovic
There are many more guided listening exercises waiting for you - head over to More listening practice and keep building that ear for Serbian.