College vs university: What’s the difference? 🎓 🤔
In the US, “college” and “university” are both used to refer to higher education institutions. This can be confusing for international and home students alike! 🤔
⚠️ “College” is also used as a general term in the US to talk about any education after high school. ⤵️
| “College was the best four years of my life!” – a Computer Science graduate from the University of Washington. |
Becoming an autonomous learner 👩🏻💻 📚
Your academic calendar will look very empty because you will be expected to be an “autonomous learner“.
This means you will be expected to spend the majority of your time self-studying and planning your own study schedule. 📅
Building your academic vocabulary 🏗️📖
Using an academic word list (AWL) is a great way to develop your academic vocabulary as it will contain the most frequent words found in academic texts. 📚
An AWL will typically contain over 2000 words… but don’t panic! In this lesson, we’re only going to focus on some of the most frequent words to get started. 🏁
The famous snow monkeys of Nagano
This video from The New York Times looks at a group of monkeys living in the mountains of Nagano, Japan. Check out the following words from the video and make sure you understand them. Then, as you watch the clip, consider why the monkeys love bathing. Is it just to keep warm?
| a primate (a type of animal like monkeys, gorillas, or apes) |
| a hot spring (a body of water that is naturally hot) |
| to investigate (to try and discover the truth about something) |
| behaviour (the way you act around people) |
| a hot tub (a jacuzzi or hot bath) |
| a habit (an action that you often do) |
| to bathe / to soak (to sit in a bath of water) |
| an attraction (something that tourists visit) |
| an assumption (something you think is true without any proof) |
| stress (feelings of worry or anxiety) |
| generation (a group of people who all share about the same age) |
It’s likely the macaques bathe to stay warm, but that’s just an assumption. Research shows that bathing also reduces their stress levels.
These animals have developed their own kind of culture, passed down from one generation to the next.
School: Not just for children. 🚸 🐟
English has lots of collective nouns for groups of animals.
As we’ve just heard, the phrase “school of fish” is used to describe a group of the same fish species. 🐟🐟
Lots of these names are not used or not known by native speakers. Here are some fun collective nouns that are less commonly used:
| a shiver of sharks 🦈🦈 |
| a scurry of squirrels 🐿️🐿️ |
| an army of frogs 🐸🐸 |
| a memory of elephants 🐘 🐘 |
| a leap of leopards 🐆🐆 |
It’s a very well-thought-out, precision operation.
Shark rodeo: real or metaphor? 🤠 🦈
A metaphor is a word or phrase used to compare qualities of someone or something.
In the video, the speaker says that moving sharks is not like a “shark rodeo” (a rodeo is a dangerous event where people risk their lives to catch animals with ropes).
In reality, shark transportation is an organised and well-thought-out process. Can you think of a good metaphor to describe these qualities?
First, the shark needs to be corralled into a sling.
to get your hands on something
Example
We don’t get our hands on these sharks very often.
to settle in
Example
It’s time to settle in.
to cramp
Example
My hands cramp at night and feel very sore.
wear and tear
Example
The most wear and tear for a window cleaner is in the knees.
a knee replacement
Example
I’ll be ready for a knee replacement.
The video has some “movie-specific” vocabulary (words that are common when discussing the world of film). Here are some definitions before we watch:
| an editor (n): someone who decides the final content of a movie, book or magazine |
| montage (n): the technique of creating a scene from pictures, text, or music |
| a pan (n): a movement of the camera across a horizontal or vertical scene |
| a layout (n): the way a scene is arranged |
| ILM (n): Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm’s special effects and animation studio |
| relatable (adj): you feel an emotional connection with a “relatable” character |
“So, this is the battle of Crate…”
Unlike the more formal film reviews you wrote in a recent lesson, the director’s oral description of the battle scene contains many features of informal, spoken English, which often don’t add meaning to the sentence. 💬
We heard the examples below in the video:
so
Often used to signal the start of a story or explanation.
“So, this is the battle of Crate…”
just
Used for emphasis, with a similar meaning to “simply”.
“It just feels like our brave heroes going into battle.”
you know
Sometimes used like “um” when thinking about what to say next.
“Because, you know, in a PG 13 Star Wars movie you can’t…”
basically
Used just before an explanation, even if it’s not basic!
“They’re in, basically, rolling lawnmowers.”
location tracking
Example
If you have location tracking turned on, Facebook collects an enormous amount of location data.
They use this information to target ads at you.
to target someone
Example
Social media companies use location tracking and personal data to target users with specific advertisements.
to classify
Example
Facebook uses nearly 100 different data points to classify your interests and activities.
to determine
Example
Facebook uses many different signals of what it knows about you to determine who else you might be connected to.
“Facebook collects an enormous amount of location data, about where you’re going, where you came from, where you live, where you work, what restaurants and businesses you tend to go to.”
If you “tend to” do something, it means you do it regularly.
to tend to do something
Example
Facebook knows all about the places you tend to visit, and the type of TV shows you tend to watch.
a transaction
Example
If you buy a burrito with your credit card, Facebook can know about that transaction.
controversial
Example
One of the most controversial parts of Facebook data collection is a feature called “People you may know”.
Did you notice?
Both the words “transaction” and “controversial” contain the sound “-sh” (/ʃ/) even though they have different spellings.
The combination of t + i and s + i can sound like “sh” (/ʃ/) when followed by another vowel. Practise saying these words! 💬
Taking notes ✍️
When we take notes, we write down what we think are the important parts of something we are reading or listening to. 💡 We take notes for various reasons: we might be listening to a lecture at university, in an important meeting at work, or studying at home.
Generally, the notes we take are short and concise to make it easier for us to remember the main ideas. We can use “bullet points“, like below:
| Facebook: |
| – uses location tracking |
| – targets users with adverts |
| – knows about our transactions |
Who wants to be a billionaire? 💰 🤑 💰
In this lesson we’ll take a glimpse into the life of a billionaire and explore some different viewpoints about the super wealthy.
Billionaires are much more common than they used to be, but not all wealthy people come into their money (become rich) in the same way.
Let’s face it – billionaires in the 21st century tend to fall into two broad (general) categories. Let’s see how we can describe them…
an heir / an heiress
Example
An heir or heiress is someone whose wealth is passed down from their older relatives.
An interesting expression from the video…
In the video, Aerin shows us a piece of art she created and tells us “I’ve taken that idea and run with it“.
Let’s see this expression again on the next screen and see how we can use it…
to take an idea and run with it
Example
Mark Zuckerberg didn’t even set out to start a business – he just took a good idea for a website as a student and ran with it!
Idiom: to take an idea and run with it…
We use this expression in situations where we have an initial idea for something and then further develop it in a much bigger way.
Let’s see how Aerin uses it in the video…
| “My son’s first pair of sneakers. My mom gave them to me in a lucite box. Since then, I’ve taken that idea and run with it.” | Aerin has used this idea and developed it so that she has now put other things with sentimental value into lucite boxes to put on display. |
Most self-made billionaires were able to succeed because they had a clear vision and were willing to take risks. They took a great business idea, ran with it and their efforts paid off.
Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, didn’t come from a rich background. He’s a self-made billionaire.
Expressing cautious opinions
When we aren’t confident or certain of our opinion or a statement we’re making, we can use the expression “I would/wouldn’t + verb” to appear more cautious.
Remember, to sound more natural we use the contracted form “I’d” instead of “I would“.
| more cautious | more confident |
| I wouldn’t limit someone’s ability to earn money, as it disincentivises business. | We mustn’t limit someone’s ability to earn money, as it disincentivises business. |
| I’d say (that) failing to raise more tax from billionaires is a missed opportunity. | Failing to raise more tax from billionaires is a missed opportunity. |
I’d argue…
Example
I’d argue that very few billionaires out there are truly self-made, they’ve usually had financial help from someone…
How do people really feel about billionaires?
In the next part of the lesson we’re going to hear two friends, Lyndsay and Shawn chatting about billionaires. Before we listen, consider your own opinions:
🤔 Do billionaires deserve to have so much more money than everyone else, or should they be made to pay higher rates of tax?
🤔 Might the way in which someone becomes a billionaire influence how you feel about them?
Now let’s hear what Lyndsay and Shawn think…
Avoiding repetition
To sound more advanced, we can avoid using the same vocabulary too often when talking about a topic.
We can use synonyms (words with similar meaning) to refer to the same thing:
| using repetition | “I relocated here to study, but relocating wasn’t easy.” |
| avoiding repetition | “I relocated here to study, but moving abroad wasn’t easy.” |
I’d definitely move abroad to pursue a relationship. I think it’s important to follow your heart.
Making mistakes isn’t so bad. Failure is the best way to learn and improve!
Moving abroad was difficult, but I like challenges.
I relocated with the intention of pursuing a new career.
I moved abroad to experience a different lifestyle.
I’ve never had the chance to live abroad, but I’d like to in the future.
I relocated to Japan for a year when I was 25.
When I was a student, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Germany.
“I gained international experience working in the US while at FPT Software.”
When my boss left the company, I was given the opportunity to apply for her old job.
I originally came to London with the intention of staying a year, but then I fell in love.
It was a hard decision to leave my country, but I feel I made the right choice.
Moving abroad was difficult, but I like challenges.
to pigeonhole someone
It’s a good idea for actors to take on a variety of roles early on in their career to avoid being pigeonholed.
to fit the mould
All the Italians I’ve met in the past have been very strict about not putting pineapple on pizza, but he doesn’t quite fit the mould.
to live up to expectations
I haven’t exactly lived up to my parents’ expectations when it comes to marriage. They expected me to be married by now and I’m still single!
to set the bar high
It’s going to be hard to beat Sam. He’s set the bar really high!
You’ve set the bar too high! Nobody is ever going to live up to your expectations at this rate!
it seems as if…
It seems as if Germans love to be on time.
it could be said that…
It could be said that Italians have high standards when it comes to food.
genealogy
heritage
DNA tests can help people learn more about their identity and heritage.
A DNA test provides genetic information about your ancestry, but it won’t tell you about cultural heritage.
Compiling an archive of family documents means you can pass on a legacy to future generations.
We use the expression “to be able to see oneself” (or “can/can’t see oneself“) to talk about things we can imagine ourselves or others doing now and in the future. 🔮
If the expression is followed by a verb, we always use the “-ing” form.
to pursue something
Ever since I was a kid, I’d wanted to pursue my lifelong dream of living and working in New York.
I started learning English so that I could travel abroad and communicate more easily.
We use “with the intention of” + “-ing” form (“staying”) to express purpose.
Andre has spent considerable time thinking about the impact of her behaviors on others. Now she is considering the nonverbal elements of her leadership. Which descriptor best captures Andre’s focus on her image?
-> leadership presence-This speaks volumes about Andrea’s success to the people around her, and shows that her image is aligned with her words and behaviors.
detrimental, damaging
stereotype
Some stereotypes are harmless.
She thinks that stereotypes are too general to be accurate and points out that some people “do not fit that mould”.
It could be said that the Japanese are hard-working.
It could be said that Americans who live outside big cities rely on cars more.
genealogy
I got really into genealogy after watching a TV series where celebrities explore their family history.
a family tree
My family tree goes back as far as the 16th century, spanning several generations.
I love genealogy, so I’m creating a family tree to find out more about my ancestors.
ancestry
heritage
The word “ancestry” refers more to the generations of people who came before us, where they came from and who they were.
The word “heritage” refers to the cultural, ethnic or historical traditions that are passed down to us from our ancestors. It can include their cultural customs, beliefs, languages and practices.
an archive
Going through the family archive|archives and looking at old photos with my parents brought us closer together.
chronically
This building was formerly an old piano factory, but it was sold in the 1980s and subsequently converted into luxury apartments.
I’m excited for you all to show me the ropes in the coming days.
To “show someone the ropes” is an idiom which means to show someone how a job or task is done.
to get to grips with something
There’s a lot of information to take on board, but I’ll get to grips with everything soon.
My boss has been really patient while showing me the ropes.
To “show someone the ropes” is an idiom which means to show someone how a job or task is done.
to find your feet
Margot’s doing well, but she’s still finding her feet at work.
to be out of your depth
I think he’s a little out of his depth. Being a manager is harder than he expected it to be.
It sounds like you’re feeling a little out of your depth.
It’s not my place to give an opinion here.
When we say that “it’s not somebody’s place” to do something, this means that we don’t think that they should do it.
- Would you mind clarifying how many days employees can work from home?
We use “would you mind…” + the “-ing” form of an action verb when making a request of someone.
Would you mind explaining the remote working policy?
I thought I’d ask you for help with something.
We use “I thought I’d ask” to make a polite request for information.
I thought I’d ask you about the company policy on remote work.
I am here to listen to any of your concerns, even if I am still finding my feet.
[Chloe is gradually becoming confident in her new role.]
devout
Ali’s a devout Muslim. He prays five times a day and goes to the Mosque at midday on Fridays for communal prayer.
to observe a tradition
Talking about religion
For some people, religion strongly influences their identity and may impact their lifestyle choices.
In some cultures, it can be a taboo subject which people don’t feel comfortable talking about, so if someone doesn’t want to discuss their religious beliefs it’s polite to respect their wishes.
However, if someone is comfortable discussing religion, being open-minded and asking questions can lead to interesting and constructive discussions between people with different beliefs.
The word “fasting” means not eating or drinking anything, but “feasting” means “eating a large meal”.
Asking someone about their religious beliefs 💡
Usually people are happy to talk about the role that religion plays in their lives and if you ask the right questions you can learn a lot!
Coming up are a couple of useful questions that you can use to show someone you are interested in learning more about their customs or beliefs.
- Hey Nisha! How come your house is decorated with all the lights and candles? I’ve never seen anything like it – it looks really magical!
We can use the phrase “how come…?” as a more informal way to ask someone “why…?”.
How come you’ve lit so many candles in your house?
- Thanks Tom – we’ve been decorating for Diwali! It’s a tradition that my family observe every year.
We use the verb “observe” when talking about about religious events, holidays or customs.
- I’ve never heard of Diwali. What exactly does it involve?
To show curiosity and that we want to learn more about something, we can say “What exactly does it involve?”
Basically…
Sometimes our religious traditions are a little hard to explain, so we can show that we’re giving a simplified explanation by using the adverb basically.
Let’s see how Nisha explains what Diwali is to someone who doesn’t know anything about it…
When someone says “basically” it means they are simplifying something more complex.
Let’s look at how we can introduce these different qualities of important people in our lives:
| What I like/love about them is… + positive quality |
| What I dislike/hate about them is… + negative quality |
| The thing is… + positive or negative quality |
| Don’t get me wrong… + positive quality…but…+ negative quality |
- What I like about her, is that she is very conscientious.
To give emphasis, we can use “fronting” and start the sentence with “What I like about… is…”.
- What I like most about George is that he’s such a conscientious person – he commits fully to everything he does both at work and at home.
If someone is “conscientious“, they put a lot of effort into everything they do and want to do it well.
- How come you’ve lit so many candles in your house?
We can use the phrase “how come…?” as a more informal way to ask someone “why…?”.
- I always get so worked up over the things she says.
“To get worked up” over something is to become angry or upset.
Read the introduction to an article about climate activism. How does the writer feel about the future of the planet?
1. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ll know that things aren’t looking great for the future of the planet. We’re on the brink of an environmental disaster, and we’re running out of time to fix things.
4. So, how can we persuade businesses to pay more attention to the environment? Getting angry on social media is pointless and won’t change things, but there’s plenty of more effective ways to campaign: take part in a peaceful protest, write letters to politicians and stop buying products from companies who are harming the environment. This will send a clear message that you won’t support organisations who aren’t putting sustainability first.
5. Everyone does have the power to make a difference, but provided that businesses and governments keep putting profit before our planet, our individual efforts to solve the problem are just a drop in the ocean – too small to have a meaningful impact. Unless we take action first, they never will.
Well-being or wellness?
Our well-being refers to feeling good, happy and comfortable in different aspects of our lives.
Increasingly since the 1980s, the word wellness has also been used to describe how we feel, particularly in the workplace, but it refers to something slightly different. Wellness is more about living a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating, physical activity and good quality sleep.
| Physical well-being: how you feel in your body |
| Financial well-being: how you feel managing your money |
| Social well-being: how you feel making meaningful connections with others |
| Community well-being: how you feel connected to the communities you belong to |
| Career well-being: how you feel about your work life |
To assure someone / to give someone assurance
Dr Teh claims that touch can give us a a sense of assurance, which means it can make us feel confident that something is ok.
We can also use the verb form to assure someone to describe the act of telling someone something that will make them feel more confident.
Whilst “assurance” is giving someone confidence, “to give reassurance”/”to reassure” is when you restore someone’s confidence or dispel doubts.
| Example in context | Meaning |
| A hug can give someone a sense of assurance when they are feeling insecure. | A hug can make someone feel more confident and eliminate self-doubt. |
| Julie assures her son Justin that everything will be ok when he feels stressed. | Julie tells Justin things that will help him feel confident when he is feeling insecure. |
| I tried to reassure her, because she was obviously worried. | I tried to remove the doubts that she was clearly having. |
over = too much
At advanced levels you are likely to see less common vocabulary that you might not have met before. If a word includes the prefix over-, it usually conveys the idea that something is too much.
In the video we see an example of this:
e.g. Justin is easily overstimulated by sight and sound.
Here are some other examples:
| to overstimulate = to stimulate too much |
| to overestimate = to guess an amount that is too much |
| to overemphasise = to emphasise something too much |
| to overload someone = to give someone too many things to deal with |
Double-action: geckos
© 2018 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. Published under licence. The original article can be found on: www.economist.com
Geckos can sprint up smooth surfaces at high speed and twist and turn gracefully in mid-air as they swing between leaves. They can also race across the surfaces of ponds and streams, but exactly how has been a mystery.
Roughly the size of a mouse, geckos are too big to simply float on water using surface tension (like pond-skater insects) and too small to use only foot-slapping (like basilisks). Instead, they use a combination of the two, according to biophysicists who used high-speed cameras to film flat-tailed house geckos running across a tank of water.
The animals could run at a metre per second by slapping and stroking the water’s surface – actions that created small air pockets under their feet that kept the geckos afloat. Their water-repelling skins also kept them out of the water and their swishing tails drove them forward.
The findings, published in Current Biology, could inspire the design of future swimming robots.
Movement verbs
The article we’re going to read is all about how geckos move. Before we read, let’s look at some movement verbs which will appear in the text and their meanings. Which ones do you already know?
Remember, you can refer to this information later by selecting the lightbulb icon.💡
| Verb | Meaning |
| to sprint | to run as fast as possible |
| to twist and turn | to curve and change direction often |
| to swing | to move easily from one side or thing to another |
| to race | to move very quickly |
| to float / keep afloat | to stay on the surface of liquid and not sink |
| to slap | to hit hard and fast with the flat part of the hand or body |
| to swish | to cause to move quickly through the air and make a soft sound |
to slap, a slap
Example
Basilisk lizards cross water by slapping the surface repeatedly with their back feet.
Preparing to create a summary
Summarising an article is not quite as simple as just reading it – there is a process we follow to ensure we don’t miss out important points.
Before we can summarise an article, we need to read it and understand the main ideas before putting them into our own words.
Before moving to the next screen, skim the article (read quickly) and make notes in your own words on the following points:
| What is the whole article about? |
| What point(s) does the author make? |
| Does the article mention any people or further details? |
| Does the author say why the topic is interesting? |
Our notes so far… ✍️
Great work! We’ve read the article in more detail and found out some key information. Look at our notes about the article below.
In the next lesson, we’ll see a slightly more formal summary based on these informal notes and you’ll have a chance to write a short summary yourself. 🤗
| Questions ❓ | Informal notes in own words ✍️ |
| Who wrote the article and where is it from? | The article is from The Economist, but the author isn’t known. |
| What is the whole article about? | To explain that scientists have figured out how geckos move on water – they didn’t know before. |
| What is/are the main point(s) in the article? | 1) Geckos don’t use the same methods as other animals because of their size. 2) They use a combination of slapping the water and using their tail to move forwards. |
| Does the article mention any people or further details? | Yes, the researchers. It also describes their research methods. |
| Does the author say why the topic is interesting? | Yes, because it might inspire the design of future technologies. |
Summarising as a skill
What form does a summary take?
Many of the texts we read are very long and detailed, so when we tell other people about them we usually don’t share every little detail. Instead we give them a “summary”, which means we use our own words and only tell them about the most important points that the original author makes.
A summary can be done in writing or orally and is always much shorter than the original. Sometimes it can be a few sentences or a couple of short paragraphs, and should not include everything which is stated in the original text. If you are summarising a text for your friends, you can use informal language, but if you’re summarising a text for work, school or university you may need to use more formal language.
What should a summary include?
In a summary it’s common to include a sentence which explains the main idea(s) discussed in the text and, if you are summarising an article, where it was originally published. The name of the original author may not be known, but if it is you should include it in your summary.
Read the summary. What do you notice about the expressions in bold?
The article, published in The Economist, discusses scientific research which has finally revealed how geckos are able to move across water.
The author points out that geckos cannot employ the same methods as other animals which are also capable of moving on the surface of water (floating or foot-slapping) due to their size but later mentions that they actually use a combination of movements.
The article goes on to describe the researchers using high-speed cameras to observe the methods used by geckos to keep afloat: a combination of slapping and stroking the surface of water, while being driven forward by their swishing tails.
According to the author, the discovery may prove significant for the future design of swimming robots.
Common mistakes with reporting verbs ⚠️
Not all the reporting verbs in this lesson can be followed by the same grammatical structures.
The verbs “discuss” and “describe” can be followed by “something”, but NOT a “that” clause.
The verbs “mention” and “point out” can be followed by a “that” clause.
| ✅ The writer describes / discusses the way in which geckos move. |
| ❌ The writer describes / discusses that geckos move in a complex manner. |
| ✅ The article points out / mentions that the size of a gecko is important for understanding how it moves. |
| ❌ The article points out / mentions the size of a gecko is important for understanding how it moves. |
Giving extra information 🕵️
In a summary, you can use the following structure to give extra information about things the author said later in the original article.
“The author / article goes on” + infinitive
Using this phrase in the middle of your summary also reminds the reader that you are talking about someone else’s ideas, and not your own.
| The article goes on to describe / discuss… |
| The author goes on to mention / point out that… |
The rising cost of living
I read an eye-opening article in a national Polish newspaper the other day about the rising cost of living. The article, published last week, discusses the disproportionate impact that rising costs are having on single people.
Although the cost of living is increasing for everyone in all areas of life, the author points out that single people living alone are particularly affected by the rising cost of household bills, since they cannot divide the cost of these with a partner or spouse.
Furthermore, the author goes on to mention that, thanks to the pandemic, people are more likely to spend time working from home now, which also contributes to higher energy bills.
According to the writer, many single people are taking up “side-hustles” or extra part-time jobs to meet the rising costs, but she argues that this is rarely possible for single parents because of the need to provide childcare. As a result, many are having to make the hard choice between keeping warm or eating well.
Affect or effect?
These two words are two of the most commonly confused words in English because their meanings are connected and they are pronounced in the same way.
They’re both extremely useful when talking about the how one thing can result in another:
Affect is a verb meaning “to change someone or something”.
Effect is a noun meaning “a change that happens as a result of something”.
| to affect (verb) | Do you think the weather will affect food supplies? |
| an effect (noun) | Yes, I suspect that the weather may have an effect on food supplies. |
to have an effect on
Example
Do you think that climate change will have an effect on the price of chocolate?
Lower manufacturing costs and a higher standard of living are just two effects of globalisation.
to have implications for
Example
Tourism can have negative implications for animals. For example, the trash left behind on beaches can put animals in harm’s way.
to have consequences for
Example
Unless security is taken more seriously, there could be terrible consequences for the business.
to have an impact on
Example
The rise in water temperature is having a surprisingly positive impact on jellyfish, whose populations have skyrocketed in warmer waters.
Watch out for prepositions 👀
You may have noticed that although the verb “affect” is NOT followed by a preposition, all the other phrases we’ve learned in so far in this lesson must be used with specific prepositions.
| To have an impact on something / someone |
| To have an effect on something / someone |
| To have implications for something / someone |
| To have consequences for something / someone |
Next up…
We’ve just learned four expressions – ways to talk about how one thing may result in something else:
⭐ to have consequences for
⭐ to have implications for
⭐ to have an effect on
⭐ to have an impact on
Next, we will learn some adjective / adverb collocations that you can use to be more specific.
Are you ready to go deeper?
Being more specific about consequences
Sometimes it may not always be clear what kind of consequences something will have, so to be more specific we can use adjectives (e.g. “serious”) in front of nouns such as “consequences”, “implications”, etc.
Here are some adjectives which frequently come up when we discuss consequences, impact, effects and implications:
| positive consequences | beneficial |
| negative consequences | devastating |
| serious consequences | considerable |
| not serious consequences | minimal |
beneficial
Example
Running has a beneficial impact on your wellbeing, it improves your fitness and happiness levels.
devastating
Example
The pandemic had devastating implications for aviation. Many were forced into a career change.
Transforming adjectives into adverbs
So far all our examples have been adjectives (e.g. considerable) which modify a noun (e.g. impact), but we can also use the adverb form of these words (e.g. considerably) to modify the verbs “to affect” and “to impact“.
An adverb can appear before or after the verb.
| adjective + noun | adverb + verb / verb + adverb |
| to have a considerable impact | to considerably impact sth / to impact sth considerably |
| to have a minimal impact | to minimally impact sth / to impact sth minimally |
| to have a beneficial effect | to beneficially affect sth / to affect sth beneficially |
3. Emphasising how unique a place is
Here’s how it works when we create an inversion to emphasise that a place is special:
There’s no/not …. anywhere (else)… ➡️ “Nowhere (else) is there…”
Nowhere else will you experience a party like Carnival in Brazil!
Nowhere outside south-east Asia have I been able to find durian in a supermarket.
Nowhere is better|Nowhere’s better for landscape photography than Iceland.
4. Emphasising a lack of knowledge or awareness
When we want to point out someone’s lack of knowledge or awareness on a subject we can use the following inversion:
“Little does somebody know” to mean “Somebody knows little about something” or “Somebody doesn’t know about something”
Let’s see some examples of this structure…
| People don’t know much about animal communication. |
Little do people know about animal communication.
| I didn’t know he had a surprise planned. |
Little did I know he had a surprise planned!
| Tom has no idea how poorly coffee farmers are paid. |
Little does Tom know how poorly coffee farmers are paid.
Review of inversions
In this lesson we have learned to use inversion in 4 different situations to create a sense of drama, emphasis or formality.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
| 1. Use with past conditionals to emphasise how something might have been different in an alternate reality. | Had Pablo Escobar not imported the hippos, Colombia would not be facing such a dilemma. |
| 2. Use with negative frequency adverbs to emphasise how rare or uncommon something is. | Rarely are owls seen during the day, since they are nocturnal. |
| 3. Use with negative adverb “nowhere” to emphasise how unique a place is. | Nowhere else will you hear Busuu, it’s only spoken in Cameroon. |
| 4. Use with “little” to emphasise when there is a lack of knowledge about something. | Little do people realise that squirrels are an invasive species. |
Growing up is hard to do! 😩
Navigating adolescence (the period when we become adults) can be a challenge for both teens (young people aged 13-19) and parents! 👪
In the next few lessons we’ll be exploring this topic so that you’ll be able to talk about your own experiences and express your opinions on growing up (becoming an adult) in the modern world. 🌎
In this lesson we’ll learn how we can describe personality traits and behaviour. We’ll learn how to describe someone’s confidence, their attitude towards rules and responsibility, emotional intelligence and their sense of ambition.
Let’s begin! 😃
self-assured
Example
Eloise is really self-assured. She knows she’s studying hard and she’s not worried about her exams at all.
unsure of oneself
Example
Tania is a little unsure of herself. She’s perfectly capable, but she constantly doubts her own abilities.
rebellious
Example
Tonya has always had a real rebellious streak. She’s always felt the need to challenge authority and she can’t wait to leave school.
introverted
Example
Steph’s quite introverted and likes her own company – she’s happiest when she’s immersed in a good book.
Are these negative or positive qualities?
So far we’ve met four adjectives to describe people, but are they positive or negative in their meaning?
Well, sometimes it’s not so black and white (they can’t be so easily categorised) and adjectives can have different shades of meaning.
| self-assured | Being confident usually has a positive impact on our lives, but if we are so confident that we can’t see areas for development it may become negative. |
| unsure of yourself | Lacking confidence may have a negative impact on your own life, but not necessarily on other people. |
| rebellious | If we hold a position of authority we may view being rebellious as negative, but some of the most creative people in history have been praised for being rebellious because challenging the rules allowed them to innovate. |
| introverted | This is neither positive or negative – it simply means someone gains energy from solitude and quiet and they find large group interactions draining. |
Taking responsibility…
The next few adjectives we’re going to learn are useful for discussing someone’s attitude towards responsibility.
How would you describe a person who takes responsibility seriously and someone who doesn’t? 🤔
Let’s take a look! 👀
trustworthy
Example
Since my son Devin is trustworthy, I have no issue with lending him my car on weekends.
irresponsible
Example
The fact that Kelly is learning to drive genuinely concerns me – she can sometimes be very irresponsible.
What about emotional intelligence?
Young people develop at different rates and some have greater levels of emotional intelligence than others.
What adjectives could we use to describe someone who demonstrates more adult-like behaviour vs someone who behaves like a child? 🤔
Let’s find out! 🕵️
Describing young people –
Vocabulary
self-assured
Eloise is really self-assured. She knows she’s studying hard and she’s not worried about her exams at all.
unsure of oneself
Tania is a little unsure of herself. She’s perfectly capable, but she constantly doubts her own abilities.
rebellious
Tonya has always had a real rebellious streak. She’s always felt the need to challenge authority and she can’t wait to leave school.
introverted
Steph’s quite introverted and likes her own company – she’s happiest when she’s immersed in a good book.
trustworthy
Since my son Devin is trustworthy, I have no issue with lending him my car on weekends.
irresponsible
The fact that Kelly is learning to drive genuinely concerns me – she can sometimes be very irresponsible.
to be mature
For a thirteen year old girl, Shaina’s surprisingly mature for her age. It must be all that time she spends with her grandma!
immature
Aisling never takes anything seriously, she’s so immature. Every time I ask her to think about her future, she just laughs!
driven
Maxim works out every day to improve his upper body strength. He’s really driven, I don’t think he’s missed a session in the last two months!
unmotivated
Rachel has big exams coming up but she seems rather unmotivated. She often procrastinates when she should be studying.
Here’s a tip
Navigating adolescence (the period when we become adults) can be a challenge for both teens (young people aged 13-19) and parents! 👪
In the next few lessons we’ll be exploring this topic so that you’ll be able to talk about your own experiences and express your opinions on growing up (becoming an adult) in the modern world. 🌎
In this lesson we’ll learn how we can describe personality traits and behaviour. We’ll learn how to describe someone’s confidence, their attitude towards rules and responsibility, emotional intelligence and their sense of ambition.
Let’s begin! 😃
So far we’ve met four adjectives to describe people, but are they positive or negative in their meaning?
Well, sometimes it’s not so black and white (they can’t be so easily categorised) and adjectives can have different shades of meaning.
self-assured
Being confident usually has a positive impact on our lives, but if we are so confident that we can’t see areas for development it may become negative.
unsure of yourself
Lacking confidence may have a negative impact on your own life, but not necessarily on other people.
rebellious
If we hold a position of authority we may view being rebellious as negative, but some of the most creative people in history have been praised for being rebellious because challenging the rules allowed them to innovate.
introverted
This is neither positive or negative – it simply means someone gains energy from solitude and quiet and they find large group interactions draining.
The next few adjectives we’re going to learn are useful for discussing someone’s attitude towards responsibility.
How would you describe a person who takes responsibility seriously and someone who doesn’t? 🤔
Let’s take a look! 👀
Young people develop at different rates and some have greater levels of emotional intelligence than others.
What adjectives could we use to describe someone who demonstrates more adult-like behaviour vs someone who behaves like a child? 🤔
Let’s find out! 🕵️
Not all young people have a strong sense of who they are and what they want.
What adjectives could we use to describe someone who has very clear goals and is committed to them vs someone who doesn’t seem to feel very inspired? 🤔
Let’s find out! 🕵️
We’ve just learned 10 adjectives that we can use to describe young people.
Next up we’ll review all of these and look at how we can use prefixes (particles which you can add to the beginning of a word) to give positive adjectives a negative meaning.
You’ve got this! 😊
self-assured (confident)
unsure of oneself (lacking in confidence)
rebellious (challenging rules and authority – wanting to attract attention)
introverted(gaining energy from quiet or solitude)
trustworthy (reliable and can be trusted)
irresponsible (not thinking about the consequences of their actions)
mature (behaving like an adult)
immature (behaving in a childish way)
driven (determined to succeed at something)
unmotivated (having little desire to do something)
Many words in this lesson can be difficult to spell correctly – even for native speakers!
Many of them contain double letters and/or vowel sounds which are not very easy to hear when the words are said, so let’s practise them. 😊
These are the words which people commonly spell incorrectly. We’ve highlighted the letters which people often get wrong.
immature
rebellious
self–assured
irresponsible
In this lesson you learned ten personality adjectives and we practised spelling some of the ones which are particularly difficult.
Which ones do you think you could use to describe yourself as a teenager? 🤔
In the next lesson we’ll meet Aisha again as she talks with her lab colleagues about what her parents were like when she was a teenager…
See you soon! 👋
Using negative adjective prefixes –
Vocabulary
logical
It seemed logical for my friend Marcela to move in. I had a spare room and she needed a place to live!
logical, illogical
irrational, impatient, illegal
Look, you don’t have to worry. Your brother may be irrational sometimes, and a little impatient, but he would never do something illegal!
unmotivated, unprepared, unrealistic, unreliable
Here’s a tip
In the previous lesson we learned some vocabulary to describe people and their behaviour.
In this lesson we will expand on this and learn at how prefixes (small particles like “un–” and “im–” which we add to the beginning of a word) can be used to give adjectives a negative meaning (e.g. “untrustworthy”, “immature”, etc.).
Are you ready to sharpen your word building skills?
Let’s do this! 😊
We can change the form of adjectives such as “logical” to make their meaning negative. We do this adding a prefix (a particle added to the beginning of the word) ➡️ “illogical“.
There are some patterns to help you:
ir– (words beginning with “r”)
responsible ➡️ irresponsible
im– (words beginning with “m” or “p”)
mature ➡️ immature, polite ➡️ impolite
il– (words beginning with “l”)
logical ➡️ illogical
There are some adjectives with a negative meaning which do not take the prefixes “im–” or “ir–“, even though they begin with the letter “m“, “p” or “r“.
Do you know which negative prefixes we should add to the following adjectives?
Let’s find out and see if you’re right. 🔍
motivated (someone who wants to do something)
prepared (someone who is ready for something)
realistic (someone who accepts the facts)
reliable (someone who can be trusted)
The adjective “loyal” (to consistently support someone) is also an exception and does not take the prefix “il–“, even though it begins with “l“.
What prefix should we use to express the idea that someone is “not loyal“? 🤔
Let’s find out! 😊
We’ve just seen some adjectives beginning with “m“, “p“, “r” and “l” which take the prefix “un–” or “dis–“.
The prefix “un–” is probably the most common one used to make positive adjectives negative, so if you are feeling unsure of yourself and need to guess, there’s a high chance that “un–” might be correct. 😉
motivated (someone who wants to do something) ➡️ unmotivated
prepared (someone who is ready for something) ➡️ unprepared
realistic (someone who accepts the facts) ➡️ unrealistic
reliable (someone who can be trusted) ➡️ unreliable
loyal (someone who consistently supports someone) ➡️ disloyal
Discussing parenting styles –
Vocabulary
to set boundaries
Setting clear boundaries can give children a sense of security and stability. They can still have freedom, as long as they stay within acceptable limits.
to impose rules
My parents were not too strict, they imposed a few rules, but they gave me a lot of freedom.
to interfere
My mother is always interfering in my private life, even though it’s not her place.
to indulge someone
Manu’s parents really indulge him too much – they just give him whatever he wants. It’s like they don’t know how to say “no” to him!
Here’s a tip
In the previous lesson we learned some vocabulary which can be used to describe teenagers. Our teenage personalities certainly influence who we become as adults, but our parents also have a vital role to play in shaping us. 👪 👩👦 👨👩👦 👨👧👦 👨👨👧
In this lesson we’ll read a short text about different parenting styles and then we’ll listen to Aísha and her lab colleagues discussing this subject.
At the end, you’ll get to send a conversation to the Busuu Community and describe what you and your parents were like when you were growing up.
Before we read, let’s learn a few words and expressions you’ll see… 😊
Let’s read the article about different parenting styles now. You’ll see the words we just met highlighted in bold.
🤔 As you read think about your own experience of being a teenager – which parenting style do you think your parents had?
to set boundaries / to impose rules
to make it clear to children how they should behave and indicate what kind of behaviour is expected from them
to interfere
to get involved in a situation, even though it is not your place to do so
to indulge someone
to give someone whatever they want, even when they don’t really deserve it
Next up we’re going to listen to a conversation between Aisha and her colleagues at the University lab.
What was she like as a child and what kind of parenting style did she grow up with?
It’s time to find out! 😃
Which kind of parenting style did you experience as a teenager?
Busuu
Most parents can likely agree on one thing; they all share a common desire for their children to grow up to be happy, successful and well-adjusted adults. Yet, what they seem unable to agree on is how they should actually go about achieving this.
Unfortunately, children don’t come with an instruction manual, so most parents tend to develop their own approach to parenting, which is often influenced by three main factors: the parent’s own individual identity (e.g. their age, beliefs and personal experiences), the characteristics of the child (e.g. their gender, behaviour and personality) and finally we must consider social factors (e.g. environment, social network and the school we attend). Broadly speaking, parenting styles can be divided into four different types and often parents fall into one of these categories.
1. The firm, but fair parent
This is the parenting style which tends to lead to most balanced adults. This kind of parent sets clear rules and boundaries and is not afraid to enforce them, but they also give their children considerable freedom as long as they can prove they are trustworthy and not irresponsible. They are involved with their children’s lives and show a lot of love, but they do not try to interfere or control them too much, accepting that their children have their own preferences and needs. Most people wish they were this kind of parent, because it’s been shown to be the most effective style.
2. The pushy parent
A pushy parent tends to be very controlling and demanding, but they do not often show love or affection. Their main concern is that their kids excel at school and in other extracurricular activities such as sports or music. They interfere with their children’s lives frequently, but rarely do they praise them, which can lead to them feeling unsure of themselves. They set strict rules and expect their kids to obey them. If they do not, the pushy parent uses feelings of guilt or shame to take back control. They may believe that they are acting in their child’s best interests in doing this, but this can have an emotionally and psychologically damaging impact on a child.
3. The permissive parent
Permissive parents show a lot of love towards their children, but they do not set very clear boundaries and if they ever do warn their children that there will be consequences if they misbehave, they seldom actually enforce any form of punishment because they dislike conflict. They often indulge their children by giving them what they want, even if they break rules. For this reason, children of permissive parents often hold a lot of power over them and they may go off the rails because their parents do not impose rules.
4. The helicopter parent
Helicopter parents show a lot of affection, but their desire to protect their kids from harm, disappointment or any kind of negative experience means that they tend to interfere too much with their lives. This overprotective parenting style can result in children feeling like they have no freedom and they may become rebellious as a result. Another problem with helicopter parents is that they do not allow their kids to take risks, so they can end up being quite immature because they are not given enough freedom or independence.
Reading about e-cigarettes –
Vocabulary
a smoke
Sorry, could I grab a smoke? I left mine on my desk…
a smoker
My grandma has always been a smoker. It was much more common for people to smoke when she was younger.
an e-cigarette
Personally, I think e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional ones.
a vape
I found it hard to give up smoking completely, so I switched to using a vape.
tobacco
I’m not a fan of vaping or conventional cigarettes that you buy in packs. I buy tobacco and roll my own cigarettes.
nicotine
Nicotine is a poisonous chemical substance found in tobacco. It’s what makes smoking addictive.
to give up smoking
I used to be really addicted, and unsuccessfully tried to give up smoking several times. Finally I managed to quit 3 years ago and it was the best decision I’ve ever made!
to proscribe
In 2007, smoking in enclosed public spaces was banned by the UK government. They also proscribed selling tobacco products to under 18s.
restrictions
In many countries there are restrictions in public places to protect others from second-hand smoke.
to pull a product off the market
A recent study into a new brand of cigarettes has led them to be pulled off the market in the interest of public health.
Here’s a tip
Smoking has always been a controversial topic, mainly because of the negative impact it can have on our health. But even though people know the risks, smoking remains popular in the 21st century.
In this lesson we’ll learn some vocabulary related to smoking which will help you to discuss this topic in greater depth. In the second part of the lesson, we’ll see this vocabulary again in an article from The Economist about the rising popularity of e-cigarettes.
Let’s make a start! 😊
There are a lot of slang terms associated with smoking in general, and this varies a lot between English-speaking countries. In this lesson we are only focusing on cigarette smoking and not drugs (that would take a whole other lesson)!
You don’t need to learn or remember these, but you might hear them used by native speakers! 🙂
to smoke
to light up
a cigarette
a ciggie, a cancer stick (UK 🇬🇧 , AUS 🇦🇺 ), a smoke, a cig (USA 🇺🇸 )
a hand-rolled cigarrette
a rollie, a roll-up
Since smoking comes with health risks, it is controlled, regulated and taxed by the government in many countries. Next up we’ll learn some vocabulary which is useful for talking about government regulations…
In this lesson we’ve seen two words which sound similar, but are written in different ways and mean different things.
Make sure you use the correct one, depending on the context.
to proscribe (to ban, condemn)
Many countries have proscribed vaping devices because they are damaging to health.
to prescribe (to recommend)
My doctor has prescribed nicotine patches to help me give up smoking.
All this vocabulary will help you to understand the article in the next part of the lesson.
For generations, people have been trying to keep their loved ones away from the harmful effects of smoking, but as the article suggests, this might actually be getting even harder now that the way people smoke is changing.
Let’s read the article from The Economist to find out more… 🤓
Noticing regional differences –
Here’s a tip
English is a global language and sometimes there are regional differences in vocabulary.
a cell (phone)
the US and Canada
a mobile (phone)
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland
English is a global language and sometimes there are regional differences in pronunciation.
data
the US and Canada
data
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland
Regional differences in pronunciation
English is a global language and sometimes there are regional differences in pronunciation.
| data |
| the US and Canada |
| data |
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland
Talking about phone plans –
Vocabulary
a strong signal
My phone always has a strong signal, even in bad weather.
unlimited calls
I use my phone for business, so I need unlimited calls.
data
I get 15 GB of data with my current plan.
a deal
I got a great deal on my new cellphone.
Listen to Marga. What kind of plan does she need? % buffered
Marga:
Hi there! I’m looking to get a new contract that’s right for me.
Shop assistant:
Hello! Sure thing. What kind of features are you looking for in your new plan?
Marga:
Well, I live in a rural area where it’s hard to get a good signal sometimes.
Shop assistant:
I see. We have plans that work well even in rural areas.
Marga:
That’s good to know! Also, I use my phone a lot for work and watching videos, so having unlimited data would be great.
Shop assistant:
Absolutely, we have plans with unlimited data so you can use your phone for as much work and fun stuff as you want.
Opening and ending text messages –
Vocabulary
Hey there! Just checking in.
Hey there, got a minute?
Catch you later!
Talk soon!
Have a good one!
Describing cities –
Vocabulary
cosmopolitan
Berlin has a cosmopolitan feel.
lively
There are many lively areas in the old town.
traditional
In Spain it’s traditional to have a late dinner.
historic
When you visit historic places like churches, you’re expected to wear appropriate clothes.
noisy
Her window faced a noisy street in a touristy area.
picturesque
Peru is famous for its picturesque views.
crowded
We’ve never seen a city as crowded as Tokyo.
polluted
I would never have thought that Paris was one of the most polluted cities in Europe.
I don’t like how noisy cities are, so I usually go to the countryside.
picturesque
“Picturesque” means something is as beautiful as a great painting.
- I like living in this city, but the air sometimes feels quite polluted.
To describe the air we need an adjective, so it’s “polluted“. The other option is a noun.
Describing places –
Here’s a tip
Here are some phrases we can use to describe places we are travelling to in greater detail.
It’s traditional to…
You’re expected to…
The city has a … feel.
The region is famous for…
Vocabularies
▪︎ To be honest: Thành thật mà nói
▪︎ Influencer: người có tầm ảnh hưởng
▪︎ Profound: sâu sắc
▪︎ Contribute: đóng góp/ cống hiến
▪︎ Temporarily: tạm thời
▪︎ Upcoming exam: kỳ thi sắp tới
▪︎ Prove to be: thành ra lại…
▪︎ Have a knack for: có khiếu làm gì đó
▪︎ Slow-witted: chậm hiểu
▪︎ Diligence: sự cần cù chăm chỉ
▪︎ Inculcate sb with sth: bổ sung kiến thức về sth
▪︎ Stay up: thức (khuya)
▪︎ Devise: thiết kế/ chế tác
▪︎ Systematically: một cách có hệ thông
▪︎ Efforts paid off: công sức được đền đáp
▪︎ Painstaking: hao công tốn sức
▪︎ Satisfaction: sự thỏa mãn
▪︎ Pride: tự hào
Relocating –
Vocabulary
I want to open a bank account.
to fill out forms
Please fill out these forms.
You must provide two types of identification.
to rent an apartment
I will rent an apartment in Seville during my year abroad.
Here’s a tip
We can also use the verb “to complete” when we talk about filling out forms.
Please fill out this form.
Please complete this form.
When opening a new bank account you may be asked to provide identification.
Please provide at least two different types of identification, such as a passport or identity card.
Who are the people involved when you rent an apartment?
tenant
landlord
the person who pays to live in the apartment
the person who owns the apartment
a tenant “rents” the apartment
a landlord “lets” their apartment
We say “rent an apartment” when you live in an apartment you do not own. Rent is also the name of the fee a tenant pays their landlord.
I paid rent at the end of the month.
My sister pays rent weekly.
Superlatives – Grammar: Superlatives
Here’s a tip
We’ve recently seen a lot of superlatives, so now is a good time to review and explore this topic. As we learned in A2, we use superlatives to describe the person or thing that is number 1 or first in a given category. Check out these examples:
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.
The Nile is the longest river on Earth.
Football is the most popular sport in the world.
Simply put, we add “-(e)st” to short words, and use “most” before long words. There are exceptions to this basic rule, which we will look at later.
Short words
Long words
old → the oldest
beautiful → the most beautiful
tall → the tallest
interesting → the most interesting
large → the largest
expensive → the most expensive
If the word ends in “-y”, we change the “-y” to “i” and add “-est”. And if the word is, or ends with, a consonant-vowel-consonant cluster, we add an extra consonant.
happy → the happiest
easy → the easiest
hot → the hottest
thin → the thinnest
Before the superlative, we often use “the”. But we can also use a word like “my”, “your”, “her” and so on, as these examples show:
What is your earliest memory?
This photo is my most important possession.
I’m a big Bowie fan – I think “Hunky Dory” is his best album.
We can use the word “second” to describe the person or thing that is number 2 in a category.
K2 is the second highest peak in the Himalayas.
The Amazon is the second longest river in the world.
Baseball is the second most popular sport in the USA.
You probably remember that “good“, “bad” and “far” don’t follow the pattern we’ve just reviewed. Here’s a recap:
good
the best
bad
the worst
far
the furthest / the farthest
There is a group of words that can take either “-est” or “most” in the superlative. These words all have two syllables (beats), for example “gentle”. Below are some of the most common words in this group, one of which is the word “common”!
common
the commonest / the most common
cruel
the cruelest / the most cruel
gentle
the gentlest / the most gentle
handsome
the handsomest / the most handsome
likely
the likeliest / the most likely
narrow
the narrowest / the most narrow
polite
the politest / the most polite
simple
the simplest / the most simple
stupid
the stupidest / the most stupid
What do we say when a person or thing is not number 1, but is in the top 10 or perhaps the top 100? We have a couple of options, as shown below. Notice that the person or thing must be in the plural form:
He is one of the best footballers in the world right now.
He is among the best footballers in the world right now.
Reading: Please sponsor me!
Have you ever taken part in a charity sports event?
We are going to read an email from Charlotte, who is running a 5km race for charity. She is writing to her family and friends to ask for their support. Look out for some of the fitness vocabulary we have seen recently!
You will also see some new words in the text associated with charity. Let’s take a closer look before we start.
| “to raise money for” – to collect donations for a charity |
| “cause” – the reason for entering the charity event |
| “to sponsor” – when you support someone by giving donations to |
I’m sore today because I worked out too much yesterday.
Remember to do some cardio to get your heart rate up.
Anya signed up for a yoga class because her friend recommended it.
Describing where you work –
Vocabulary
What does your company do?
Where do you have offices?
headquarters
Our company’s headquarters are in New York City.
based in
My company is based in Hong Kong.
Here’s a tip
Although a “headquarters” is one place, it is followed by a plural verb because it refers to a group of people or departments working together.
Our company’s headquarters are in New York City.
to unwind
I usually unwind by reading a book.
to make time for
At the weekend I like to make time for myself.
to put pressure on oneself
My brother puts a lot of pressure on himself to succeed at university.
me time
I have been really busy lately, I need some me time!
Did you notice❓
We use phrases such as “me time” or “alone time” to talk about time we spend focusing on ourselves. It’s important to do this when we are feeling overwhelmed!
We are now going to see how some people spend their “me time” and manage their stress.
to take yoga classes
I take yoga classes in the evening because they help me sleep.
to take part in group therapy
I take part in group therapy once a month.
When I put too much pressure on myself, taking part in group therapy really helps me.
to join a walking club
I joined a walking club so I could get away from the city at the weekend!
Radio One: Let’s talk mental health!
You’re going to listen to a radio show on emotional wellbeing. What approaches to improving mental wellbeing does the host discuss with her callers? Prepare by looking at some of the expressions you’re going to hear.
| mental health |
| to have trouble falling asleep |
| It’s not up to us. |
| I’ve been in your position before. |