While she cooks and talks to him, he is parroting the words and phrases back to her in an attempt not only to commit them to memory, but also improve his efforts to match the local accent a bit better - or at least that of the village along the river. (It isn't great, but it's BETTER than it was previously.)

"What is... what should... look for while we are in the city today?"

He asks in an attempt at getting out a full sentence, as they walk towards the entrance to the Lair.