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😤 English Conversation Class –

Things We Can’t Stand!

Level: Intermediate (B1–B2)
Length: 60 minutes

hate/ verb

hatred/ noun

hater/ the person

hateful/ adj.

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Talk naturally about things that annoy or frustrate them.

Explain the difference between annoying and frustrating.

I can say that watching Egypt playing against Argentina was frustrating because Egypt was playing with heart.

I had an annoying discussion with my boss.

Use can’t stand, feel annoyed, irritated, and frustrated correctly.

Express opinions and react during conversations.

🗣️ Warm-up (10 minutes)

Ask your student:

1. What is something that really annoys you?

well, hmm I think something that annoys me is injustice and prejudice.

for me, something that annoys me is lack of education with others and disrespect.

2. Are you a patient person?

humm... I think it depends on the day. you may find me patient or in a bad temper sometimes.

3. What makes you lose your patience?

well, like you I think when someone has lack of education with others that makes me lose patience.

4. Do small things bother you, or only big problems?

it depends I think... if something is big I think it will bother me.

5. What kind of people can’t you stand

I cant stand corrupt people and violent people .

Follow-up questions:

Why?

How do you usually react?

Has this always bothered you?

📖 Reading

Things We Just Can’t Stand

Everyone has things that make them feel angry or upset. Some situations are only annoying, while others are truly frustrating.

For example, waiting a few extra minutes in a supermarket queue can be annoying. It’s not a serious problem, but it isn’t pleasant.

However, spending hours trying to fix your computer before an important meeting can be frustrating. You know what you need to do, but something keeps stopping you.

Many people also say they can’t stand loud chewing, people talking during films, drivers who don’t use their turn signals, or neighbours who play loud music late at night.

Learning to stay calm isn’t always easy, but understanding what annoys us can help us react in a better way.

I like to chew gum but I dont do loud chewing *

📚 Vocabulary

Can’t stand

Meaning: really dislike something.

Example:

I can’t stand people who/that interrupt me.

Annoying

Something that causes a small feeling of irritation.

Examples:

Slow internet is annoying.

Mosquitoes are annoying.

Annoyed

How you feel.

Examples:

I get annoyed when people are late.

She was annoyed because nobody listened.

Irritating

Very similar to annoying, sometimes a little stronger.

Examples:

That constant noise is irritating.

His behaviour is irritating.

Irritated

The feeling.

Examples:

I’m getting irritated.

He looked irritated after waiting for an hour.

looks like/ seems familiar

Frustrating

Something prevents you from doing what you want.

Examples:

Losing your work because the computer crashes is frustrating.

It’s frustrating when people don’t answer important emails.

Frustrated

The feeling.

Examples:

I felt frustrated because I couldn’t solve the problem.

She’s frustrated with her progress.

💡 Annoying vs Frustrating

Annoying
= Something bothers you.

Examples:

Loud music.

Someone chewing loudly.

Spam calls.

Frustrating
= Something stops you from reaching a goal.

Examples:

Traffic when you’re late.

Internet disconnecting during an online meeting.

A printer that won’t work.

🗨️ Speaking Practice

Complete the sentences.

I can’t stand… rude people!

One thing that really annoys me is… slow traffic.

I get irritated when… I'm hungry.

I become frustrated if… things don't go as planned.

The most frustrating thing about my job is… the low financial return.

The most annoying habit people have is… chewing loudly.

It drives me crazy when… I see injustice

I try to stay calm when… I'm irritated

🎭 Real-Life Situations

How would you feel?

Situation 1

You spend two hours preparing a presentation, but your computer crashes. - IM STAY FRUSTATED

Situation 2

Someone keeps talking while you’re watching a film. - IM STAY SO ANNOYED

Situation 3

A person is 30 minutes late and doesn’t apologise. - ITS SO IRRITATING.

Situation 4

Your flight is delayed for six hours. - DELAYED FLIGHT ITS CAUSES A LOT OF CHAOS AND IRRITATION

Situation 5

Your phone battery dies during an important video call.

Discuss:

How would you feel? I would be irritated and worried.

What would you do? I would try to quickly find a charger and explain what happened to the people at the meeting.

Has this ever happened to you? So far no. I usually organize and prepare for these events.

🧠 Grammar Focus

Using

-ing

and

-ed

adjectives

-ing
Describes the thing.

The traffic is frustrating.

The noise is annoying.

The movie was boring.

-ed
Describes the person.

I’m frustrated.

She was annoyed.

They were irritated.

Practice:

Choose the correct word.

1. The lesson was really boring / bored.

2. I’m annoying / annoyed with my neighbour.

3. This app is frustrated / frustrating.

4. She felt irritated / irritating.

5. The situation was annoying / annoyed.

💬 Discussion

1. What behaviour can’t you stand?

2. What annoys you more: noisy people or rude people?

3. What was the most frustrating experience you’ve had recently?

4. Is there anything that never annoys you?

5. Do you think people today get annoyed too easily?

6. How do you calm yourself down when you’re frustrated?

7. Is frustration sometimes useful?

8. What annoyed you when you were a child?

9. What annoys people about you?

10. Do cultural differences affect what people find annoying?

🎯 Idioms & Expressions

It drives me crazy.

My neighbour’s dog barking all night drives me crazy.

Get on my nerves.

People who talk loudly on the phone get on my nerves.

Lose my patience.

I lose my patience in heavy traffic.

Take a deep breath.

When I’m frustrated, I take a deep breath.

Keep my cool.

I try to keep my cool during stressful situations.

📝 Homework

Write 120–150 words answering these questions:

What are three things you can’t stand?

Include:

Why they annoy or frustrate you.

A real experience.

How you usually react.

What you do to stay calm.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about hates

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Neil and Georgie talk about the things that make them angry!

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🎢 English Class: Disney Trips & Causatives

🎯 Objective

By the end of the lesson, your student will:

Understand and use causatives (have/get + object + past participle)

Use get + someone + to + verb

Apply these structures in real travel situations (Disney)

Read and discuss authentic-style park experiences

🧠 Warm-up (Speaking – 5 min)

Ask your student:

Have you ever been to a theme park?

What would be your dream experience at Disney?

Do you prefer planning everything or asking for help?

👉 Lead into idea:
“When we travel, we often need other people to do things for us.”

📖 Reading: Disney Park Experience Journal

📝 “Best Moments at Disney – Visitor Stories”

1. Camila (Brazil 🇧🇷)

“My first day at Disney was magical, but exhausting. I didn’t want to waste time in long lines, so I had my tickets upgraded to Genie+. It made a huge difference.
I also got a staff member to help me plan my day, and we managed to ride 8 attractions before lunch!”

2. James (UK 🇬🇧)

“I made a mistake on my booking, but luckily I got the hotel staff to fix it quickly.
One of my best decisions was to have my photos taken by Disney photographers. The pictures looked amazing – much better than selfies!”

3. Laura (USA 🇺🇸)

“I was celebrating my birthday, so I had a custom cake made at the park restaurant.
Also, I didn’t feel well one afternoon, so I had my temperature checked at the medical center. The staff were very helpful.”

4. Mateo (Argentina 🇦🇷)

“I wanted the full experience, so I got my hotel room decorated before arrival – balloons, gifts, everything!
I also got my girlfriend to try the roller coasters… she was scared, but she loved it in the end!”

🧩 Reading Comprehension (Discuss)

What did Camila do to save time?

Why were James’s photos special?

What did Laura do for her birthday?

Did Mateo persuade someone? How?

👉 Encourage answers using causatives if possible.

✏️ Grammar Focus: CAUSATIVES

1️⃣ Have/Get + Object + Past Participle

👉 When someone does something for you

Examples from the text:

I had my tickets upgraded

I got my room decorated

I had my photos taken

📌 Structure:
have/get + object + past participle

👉 Focus = result, not the person

2️⃣ Get + Person + To + Verb

👉 When you persuade or ask someone

Examples:

I got a staff member to help me

I got my girlfriend to try the rides

📌 Structure:
get + person + to + verb

⚡ Controlled Practice

A. Complete the sentences:

1. I ______ my tickets ______ (upgrade).

2. She ______ a staff member ______ (help) her.

3. We ______ our photos ______ (take).

4. He ______ his friend ______ (join) the ride.

B. Rewrite:

1. Someone checked my ticket.
→ I ___________________________

2. The staff planned my day.
→ I ___________________________

3. I persuaded my friend to go on the ride.
→ I ___________________________

🗣️ Speaking Practice (Role Play)

🎭 Situation: “At Disney”

You are at Disney and:

Your ticket has a problem

You want better photos

You need help planning your day

👉 Student must use:

“I’d like to have…”

“Can I get someone to…”

Example:

“I’d like to have my ticket checked.”

“Can I get someone to help me plan my day?”

💡 Travel Tips (Language in Context)

Give these tips and ask student to react:

“Have your tickets booked in advance.”

“Get staff to help you if you're confused.”

“Have your phone charged before entering the park.”

“Get someone to take photos instead of selfies.”

👉 Ask:
Which would you do? Why?

✍️ Production Task (Homework or in class)

📝 Write a short travel journal (8–10 lines):

Prompt:

“My Dream Day at Disney”

👉 Must include:

At least 3 causatives

At least 1 persuasion structure

Example starter:

“On my dream day at Disney, I would have my tickets upgraded…”

🧠 Extra Challenge (If student is strong)

Ask:

What’s the difference between:

“I cut my hair” vs “I had my hair cut”
👉 Push for explanation

✅ Wrap-up Reflection

Ask:

When would you use causatives in real life?

Do you prefer doing things yourself or having someone do them?

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Sometimes we need people to do things for us. Maybe we pay them to do it, maybe we just ask for a favour. Listen to Beth and Neil talking about mechanics, hairdressers, doctors and opticians and grammar guru Georgie explaining the causative.

_____________

Grammar explanation
Causative: have/get + object + past participle
When you ask, or pay someone to do something for you, we can use the causative: have/get + object + past participle. It focuses on the process rather than the person who does the action.
Get + object + infinitive with to
We can use get + object + infinitive to talk about causing or persuading someone to do something. The object here is the person who does the action

I got Georgie to check my grammar.

You need to get someone to check your car.

I got them to give me a refund.

To do
Test yourself using the quiz.
NEXT
Learn more about the causative here here: BBC English Class: The causative

Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Learning English Grammar / Using services

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What did Neil get done at the hairdresser?

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🧠 Lesson Plan:

Memory & Being Forgetful

Level: Lower-intermediate (A2–B1)

Objective:

Talk about memories and past experiences

Use remember / remind / mind correctly

Build fluency with personal stories

highlight/ forgetful unforgetful

1. 🔥 Warm-up (5–7 min)

Simple questions:

Are you a forgetful person?

yes, I am forgetful because my mind is weak but very important things maybe I try my very best to remember.

What things do you forget often? (keys, names, passwords…)

most of the times I forget dates, meetings, names and passwords and now you need a password for everything.

Do you like talking about your past?

to be honest/ being honest I dont like to talk about the past because I feel a little bit emotional with different facts in my life ups and downs that life brings, but good memories are appreciated.

👉 Follow-up:

What is a good memory from your childhood?

well I think I have a good memory about my friends, the games I played with my friends around the street, and the different schools I changed few times and I think those moments were unforgettable.

2. 🧠 Vocabulary Input (8–10 min)

Teach with examples + CCQs:

Memory → “I have a great memory for names.”

Forgetful → “I’m very forgetful. I forget my keys.”

Reminisce → “I like to reminisce with my friends.”

Memento → “I keep photos as mementos.”

Quick check:

Is a memento an object or a feeling? (object)

If you reminisce, are you talking about the future? (no)

3. 📥 Grammar Input: Remember / Remind / Mind (CORE)

Keep it simple and practical.

✅ 1.

REMEMBER

👉 Use: when YOU have a memory

“I remember my first school.”

“I remembered to call my mom.”

“I forgot to call her.” (contrast)

Pattern:

remember + noun → I remember that day

remember + to + verb → don’t forget obligation remember to call me when you finish your class.

remember + -ing → memory from the past

👉 Examples:

“I remembered to bring my keys.” (obligation)

“I remember meeting you.” (past memory)

i remember playing with my friends on the street.

✅ 2.

REMIND

👉 Use: when something/someone helps you remember

Pattern:

remind + person + to + verb

remind + person + of + thing

👉 Examples:

“Remind me to call my mom.”

“This song reminds me of my childhood.”

👉 Key idea:
➡️ You remind someone. You remember something.

✅ 3.

MIND

👉 Use: to ask about preference (polite)

Pattern:

Do you mind + -ing…?

👉 Examples:

“Do you mind opening the window?”

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

👉 Short answers:

“No, I don’t mind.” (OK 👍)

“Yes, I mind.” (Not OK ❌ — explain carefully!)

4. 🧩 Controlled Practice (10 min)

Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb

1. This photo ______ me of my childhood.

2. I always ______ to lock the door.

3. Can you ______ me to buy milk?

4. Do you ______ helping me?

✔️ Answers:

1. reminds

2. forget / remember (depending context)

3. remind

4. mind

Exercise 2: Complete

I remember ______ (visit) my grandmother.

Please remind me ______ (call) him.

Do you mind ______ (wait) here?

5. 🎧 Listening / Speaking (based on conversation)

Tell student:
“Two people are talking about memory and the past.”

First task:

Are they forgetful or organized?

Second task:

What kinds of memories do they talk about?

6. 🗣️ Speaking Practice (Main Production)

Activity 1: Personal questions

What do you remember about your first school?

Do you keep mementos? What kind?

What reminds you of your childhood?

Are you forgetful? Give examples.

Activity 2: Functional speaking

Roleplay:

Student A: forgetful person
Student B: helpful friend

Use:

“Remind me to…”

“Do you mind…?”

“I remember…”

7. 🎤 Fluency Task (Stronger push)

👉 Topic:
“Why do people like to remember the past?”

Encourage:

“I think people like to reminisce because…”

“For example…”

8. ✍️ Homework (optional)

Option 1 (easy):
Write 5 sentences:

2 with remember

2 with remind

1 with mind

Option 2 (personal):
Write about:
👉 “A memory I will never forget”

🧠 Teaching Tips

Students often confuse:
❌ I remind my childhood
✔️ I remember my childhood

Drill contrast clearly:
👉 “This reminds me of…”
👉 “I remember…”

With mind, emphasize meaning:
✔️ “Do you mind…?” = polite request

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(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Becca and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about memory - our ability to remember things from the past. Learn to talk about being forgetful, collecting mementos and reminiscing with friends.

Vocabulary

memory
general ability to remember things; specific experience you remember from the past

forgetful
not good at remembering things

reminisce
talk about happy memories from the past

memento
an object that helps you think of a particular memory

Transcript

Becca
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Becca.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. You can find a video version of this podcast with subtitles to help you learn on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Becca
Hi Georgie.

Georgie
Hello there.

Becca
How are you doing today?

Georgie
I'm pretty good, thank you. How are you?

Becca
Good. Yeah, I'm also pretty good. But I forgot my lunch today...

Georgie
No!

Becca
...which is a bit annoying. But today we are actually talking about forgetting things and memory, so it's a good topic...

Georgie
It is!

Becca
...for today's podcast!

Georgie
Yes. And memory is your ability to remember things. So, Becca, do you have a good memory?

Becca
I usually do. This morning - not so much. Yes, I usually do have an alright memory but it depends on what I'm trying to remember. So, I will remember experiences and people very well, but when it comes to tasks or things that I have to do for myself, I must write them down or I will forget them. I won't remember them.

Georgie
I'm a very forgetful person. I... Yes, everyone knows me to leave things in the house that I needed to bring or when I... For example, an umbrella - if I take that out, it will get lost 100%. So, I have a terrible memory.

Becca
So, you don't have a great memory, Georgie? Memory we use to talk about the ability to remember something, but we can also refer to things from the past - our memories from the past. So, do you have any great memories?

Georgie
I've got lots of good memories. I think the best memory I have was when I was about eight years old. I went to a concert. And I went to this concert with my dad, my best friend and her dad, and it was outside - a summer's day. It was, kind of, sunset time. We were both on our dads' shoulders, singing, dancing. And she has the exact same memory, so I know that it's... I know that it's real. It's not fake.

Becca
You didn't dream it.

Georgie
No, I didn't dream it. But that's one of my favourite memories. Yeah. What about you?

Becca
I remember my first ever, kind of, live music, concert experience as well was around the time of November 5th. And here in the UK, we often go to see fireworks. And it was the first time seeing fireworks.

Georgie
Wow.

Becca
So, yeah. And also my first time, like, seeing a band play on a stage and, yeah, it was a great experience. That's probably why we remember these things, because they do bring us so much happiness and joy when we talk about them.

Georgie
Yeah, exactly. Do you like to think about the past and memories? I know some people don't like to.

Becca
Mmm. Yeah, I do. I think it's really lovely to be able to remember - especially the good things from the past. How about you?

Georgie
Yeah, I like to... I like to reminisce and reminisce means that we talk about things from the past, about memories with happiness. And that's really fun to do, especially with childhood friends.

Becca
Yeah.

Georgie
When I meet up with friends from school, it's a lot of fun to, kind of, think about the good times from school and talk about people that we used to know. Yeah, reminiscing is a fun activity.

Becca
Yeah, I enjoy it too.

Georgie
So, we can talk about things from the past. But some people also like to keep things, collect things from the past - mementos. That's what those are called. Do you like to keep mementos?

Becca
I love to keep mementos.
Georgie
What kinds of things?

Becca
I... So, I started a collection of fridge magnets from my first solo adventure. And so, you know, I get to see those little mementos every day and I'm reminded all of the places that I've been. It's nice to look at these mementos, and then we reminisce.

Georgie
Yeah.

Becca
Let's recap the language that we learn in that conversation, starting with memory. So, memory is the ability to remember something. But we can also have memories. And memories are things that we remember from the past. For example, I have a lot of good memories from when I was a child.

Georgie
We also heard forgetful, which describes a person who does not have a very good memory. I am a forgetful person.

Becca
If we reminisce about something, we talk about our memories from the past - memories that make us happy.

Georgie
And we heard memento, which is an object which makes you think of a particular memory, place or event.

Becca
For example, I collect fridge magnets, which are a memento of all of the places that I've travelled to.

Georgie
And that's it for this episode of Real Easy English. We'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. And don't forget to test what you've learned with the worksheet on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Becca
And what would you like us to talk about on this podcast? You can send us a question at learningenglish@bbc.co.uk. Bye for now!

Georgie
Goodbye.

Now try this...

Watch The London Letter Challenge.

Download a free worksheet.

Discover more programmes for your level.

Find all our latest programmes.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about memory

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Becca and Georgie talk about our ability to remember things from the past

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🧑‍💼 Class Theme

Work and How We Feel About It

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the class, the student will:

Talk about their job or daily work routine

Describe feelings (stress, calm, nervousness)

Use simple arguments to express opinions

Give ideas about working hours in Brazil

highlights . unfortunately/ schedules/ trials/ morning shifts/

🔥 Warm-up (5–7 min)

Ask:

Do you work or study?

I try to do both. but yes I really work as a phonologist in 2 hospitals here in salvador.

What do you do every day in your workplace and at home?

at my workplace I help my patients with alimentation and communication respond, i help them with strategies and treatments for them speak and articulate better.

and at home, in my free time. every day here time is limited and I dont have time to do many things, I can work out, I tidy things, I prepare my stuff for the next day at work.

Do you like your routine, what would you like to change or do more?

I would like to reduce my workload, so I can study more and concentrate because I wouldn't be so tired to deliver things and I can do more things outdoor and I think I would feel more relaxed, energised and loved.

👉 Follow-up:
“How do people with odd jobs feel during their workday?”

I think the people with odd jobs feel very stressed and nervous because generally these workload and sectors/areas they work a lot, they do not have a supportive boss or schedule to feel calm after work. so, they feel stress they can not organise their routine with healthy habits and they are very likely to suffer diseases like burnout and depression, most of the time.

🧠 Vocabulary (10 min)

Teach and practice:

Stress → “I feel stress when I have many tasks.”

Calm → “I feel calm when I finish my work.”

Nervous → “I feel nervous before meetings.”

Organised → “I plan my day. I am organised.”

Disorganised → “I forget things. I am disorganised.”

Supportive → “My boss helps me. He is supportive.”

👉 Quick practice:
Ask the student:

Is your work environment supportive?

My team is very supportive, gives me support and I can deal with my own tasks at work and at home.

however, the people who work in my environment are not so supportive and they bring more burdens than help.

highlights > employer/employee/ employment/ disemployment/

🎧 Listening / Speaking (10 min)

Create a simple dialogue (you can read it together):

Georgie: Do you like your job?
Becca: Yes, but sometimes I feel stressed.
Georgie: Why?
Becca: Because I have many tasks and little time.
Georgie: I understand. My job is calm, but sometimes I feel nervous in meetings.
Becca: Is your team supportive?
Georgie: Yes, they help me a lot.

👉 Ask:

Who feels stressed? Becca feels stressed sometimes.

Who feels calm? Georgie fells calm but, sometimes, when she has meetings, feels nervious.

Why does Becca feel stressed? Because she has a lot of tasks but has little time to make them.

💬 Controlled Practice (10 min)

Student answers:

I feel stressed when I have too many activities and not enough time to do them.

I feel calm when I have time and can rest.

I feel nervous when I see injustice and disrespect

My work is organized because the whole team is supportive.

My environment is supportive because my colleagues help each other and the boss is very attentive.

🇧🇷 Brazil Discussion (Guided Argumentation – 15 min)

Now guide the student to build simple opinions about working hours in Brazil.

Step 1: Give structure

Teach simple opinion phrases:

“I think…” all people should have three days off in the week.

“In my opinion…” those who work hard will always be more likely to be nervous!

“For me…” quality time is more important than money.

“Because…” It’s important to always be calm in the most stressful moments of work, because if not, we can do nonsense.

Step 2: Ask guided questions

Do people work a lot in Brazil? Yes, here we always have long workdays.

Do people feel stressed or calm? Why? I believe that everyone is experiencing more stressful moments, because everything is fast-paced and increasingly difficult to live in peace.

Do you think working many hours is good? No, I think that too many hours of work can lead to fatigue and stress, diminishing the quality of services.

Step 3: Build argumentation (VERY IMPORTANT)

Help the student expand ideas:

👉 Model:

“I think people in Brazil work many hours because they need money. This can make people stressed.”

👉 Student practice:

I think that working long hours is very stressful because it requires physical or mental effort and, sometimes, both.

I think shorter workdays are a good option because that way employees would be less stressed and tired.

People feel tired all the time because they are working too hard!

🗣️ Mini Debate (Simple) (10–15 min)

Question:
👉 “Should people work fewer hours in Brazil?”

Help student answer with structure:

Opinion + reason + result

Example:

“I think people should work fewer hours because they feel stressed. They can be more calm and happy.”

Encourage:

At least 2 reasons

Use vocabulary (stress, calm, supportive, etc.)

I believe that working less can increase the quality of services because employees would be less tired and happier. I think quantity changes quality. It's necessary to reduce workload so that people become calmer, happier and less stressed.

🎭 Role Play (Optional)

Situation:
Student = employee
Teacher = boss

Student says:

“I feel stressed because…” I work a lot and get tired to study.

“I want fewer hours" of work because I would like to study and exercise more

✍️ Homework (Optional)

Write 5–6 sentences:

“My work and how I feel”

Guide:

What do you do?

How do you feel?

Do you want more or fewer hours? Why?

I feel tired and sometimes stressed because I work more than 60 hours a week and can’t work out, study and give attention to friends/family as I wanted...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about work

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Georgie and Becca talk about the jobs we do and the way we feel about them

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🗳️ opinion pollster

👉 pesquisador de opinião / instituto de pesquisa

Definição:
Pessoa ou organização que realiza pesquisas para descobrir a opinião do público, especialmente sobre temas políticos.

Example:

Opinion pollsters asked people about their voting preferences.

💥 misfire

👉 falha / algo que não funcionou como esperado

Definição:
Algo que não teve o resultado esperado ou não funcionou como planejado.

Example:

The plan was a complete misfire.

🧠 figure (something) out

👉 descobrir / entender / resolver

Definição:
Conseguir entender ou encontrar a solução para algo após pensar com atenção.

Example:

I couldn’t solve it at first, but I finally figured it out.

💰 blank cheque (blank check)

👉 carta branca

Definição:
Liberdade total, muitas vezes com recursos ilimitados, para tomar decisões ou realizar uma tarefa.

Example:

The manager gave her a blank check to lead the project.

🎯 laser-like

👉 muito focado / extremamente preciso

Definição:
Que demonstra um nível muito alto de foco e precisão.

Example:

He has laser-like focus when he works.

⚡ stark

👉 evidente / gritante / marcante / duro

Definição:
Algo muito claro, fácil de perceber, ou que causa impacto por ser forte ou contrastante.

Example:

There is a stark difference between the two situations.

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🧠 Class Theme

Understanding Opinions & Decisions

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the class, the student will:

Understand and use 6 new vocabulary items

Express opinions in a simple but clear way

Talk about decisions and mistakes

Practice speaking with examples and personal ideas

🧊 Warm-up (5–7 min)

Ask:

Do you like giving your opinion? Why / why not?

well, I think I dont like to give my opinion because the more you speak the more you are compromised to something. I only give my opinion when somebody asks me.

Do people usually agree with you?

I think so, but it is okay if they don't.

Have you ever made a bad decision?

of course I have made bad decisions sometimes throughout all my life. I am learning with my mistakes...

👉 Follow-up (push a bit):

What happens when people don’t agree?

well, if the people do not agree and if they are not mature, they can end up in a fight and violence can happen and it can lead us to bad consequences.

📚 Vocabulary Presentation (10 min)

Teach with simple explanations + examples:

1. Opinion pollster

👉 A person who asks people questions about what they think

Example:

Opinion pollsters ask people who they will vote for.

2. Misfire

👉 Something that doesn’t work as planned

Example:

My plan to study all night was a misfire.

3. Figure something out

👉 To understand or solve something

Example:

I couldn’t do the exercise, but I figured it out later.

4. Blank cheque

👉 Unlimited freedom or money

Example:

My boss gave me a blank cheque for the project.

5. Laser-like

👉 Very focused and precise

Example:

She has laser-like focus when she studies.

6. Stark

👉 Very clear, obvious, or strong

Example:

There is a stark difference between the two ideas.

🗣️ Controlled Practice (10 min)

👉 Ask the student to complete:

1. Yesterday, I couldn’t figure it out, but today I understand.

2. My last plan was a real misfire because the weather conditions did not help.

3. A good leader needs laser-like focus.

4. A stark difference I see in my life is…

5. If I had a blank cheque, I would leave everything and travel the world.

💬 Speaking Practice (15 min)

Activity: Opinions & Decisions

Ask:

Do you trust opinion pollsters? Why?

-> I partially believe because people can lie!!!!

Have you ever made a decision that was a misfire?

-> Sure! Several times in just one day!

When do you need laser-like focus?

-> When I’m working, I need laser-like focus.

What would you do if someone gave you a blank cheque?

-> If I won a blank check, I’d quit all my jobs and travel the world.

What is a stark difference between your life now and 5 years ago?

-> Today I am happier, still trying figure my life out!

👉 Encourage:

“I think…” everyone needs to laser like focus on work and leave social media aside.

“In my opinion…” the opinions pollsters are not reliable!

“For me…” not every misfire deserves forgiveness!

🎭 Role Play (10 min)

Situation:

You are starting a new project.

Student = Project leader

Teacher = Boss

👉 The boss says:

“I give you a blank cheque. Do anything you want.”

Student must:

Explain their plan

-> The plan is to be able to deliver all company reports every 15th of the month.

Stay focused (laser-like!)

-> It will be necessary for all employees to laser like focus and stop procrastinating!

Avoid a misfire

-> To avoid misfire, we'll make stark charges!

✍️ Mini Writing (Optional Homework)

Write 5–6 sentences:

Topic:
“A time I made a mistake but figured it out”

Try to use:

The employer gave a blank check for the opinion pollsters to make the electoral census.

I made a stark misfire! And so now I stay laser like focus to figure my works out.

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Predicting the future is not easy but that's exactly the job of opinion pollsters - researchers who ask people questions to discover what they think about certain topics. Neil and Sam look at the inventor of the opinion poll and discuss if they always give the right results, and they teach you some related vocabulary as well.

This week's question

Few pollsters predicted that Britain would vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum which, in the end, it did. But what was the final split between those who voted to leave and those who wanted to remain? Was it:

a) 51 leave to 49 remain?

b) 52 leave to 48 remain?

c) 52 remain to 48 leave?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

opinion pollster
people who conduct polls which ask members of the public their opinion on particular subjects, especially ones concerning politics

misfire
something that does not work in the way it was intended to

figure (something) out
finally understand something, or find the solution to a problem, after thinking hard about it

blank cheque
unlimited money and freedom to complete a task

laser-like
very accurate and focused, like the beam of a laser

stark
obvious; easy to see; harsh; without decoration
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Neil
But predicting the future is never one hundred percent accurate, and opinion polls don't always get it right. In 2016, few pollsters predicted a victory for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election.

And in the 2020 US elections, most polls predicted Trump would lose to Joe Biden by a much larger amount than he actually did. These mistakes, sometimes called misfires -when things do not work in the way intended - have damaged the reputation of opinion pollsters. In this programme we'll be taking a look into the opinion polling industry and, of course, learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Neil
But first I have a question for you, Sam, and it's about another time when the opinion polls got it wrong. Few pollsters predicted that Britain would vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum which, in the end, it did. But what was the final split between those who voted to leave and those who wanted to remain? Was it:

a) 51 leave to 49 remain?

b) 52 leave to 48 remain?

c) 52 remain to 48 leave?

Sam
I think it was b) 52 percent voted to leave and 48 percent to remain.

Neil
OK, Sam, I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme.

Sam
One of the biggest polling companies was founded by George Gallup. Born in 1901 on a farm in Iowa, Gallup was a student of journalism. He wanted to know people's opinion on a range of subjects and came up with a simple idea - why not try asking them? Here's G Elliot Morris, a data journalist for 'The Economist', explaining more to BBC World Service programme, More or Less...

G Elliot Morris
And he publishes his dissertation on this - how to measure what people want, basically. And he gets hired by a much bigger advertising agency in New York called Young and Rubicam. And they basically give him a blank cheque to do their research, to figure out how to call people, how to talk to them, to figure out if they remember or liked a certain product. Basically to figure out early methodologies in advertising. And then by 1931 or so, he's wondering: well, if it works for toothpaste, why not politics?

George Gallup tried to figure out what customers wanted to buy. If you figure something out, you finally understand it or find a solution to a problem after thinking about it a lot.

Neil
At this time, polling was focused on consumer preferences, not politics. But asking people about their political views is a lot more complicated than asking them about toothpaste. Making accurate election predictions depends on polling a sample group of people who accurately represent the population as a whole. One of the reasons for pollsters failure to predict Trump's election in 2016 is that they didn't ask enough white, non-college educated voters.

Sam
So, polling is a very complex process, one which is never totally reliable according to G Elliot Morris , speaking again here to BBC World Service's, More or Less...

G Elliot Morris
If people were understanding this process, that's generating all the polls, then they would understand polls as less precise tools - tools that definitely can't offer the laser-like predictive accuracy we've come to expect from them, then the difference between polling's' expectations and performance wouldn't be so stark.

Opinion polls can estimate the outcome of an election but they can't give us laser-like accuracy. If you describe something as laser-like you mean it is very accurate and focused, like a laser.

Neil
Predicting the future is difficult, otherwise everyone would be a lottery winner by now! Maybe it's not opinion polls that are broken but our desire to know the future that's the problem. OK, it's time to reveal the answer to my question about the Brexit referendum.

Sam
I said the final result was 52 percent for leave and 48 percent for remain.

Which was... the correct answer! and another example of an opinion poll misfire - a situation where something does not work as intended. OK, let's recap the rest of the vocabulary from this programme about opinion pollsters - people who conduct polls asking the public their opinion on particular subjects, especially politics.

If you figure something out, you finally understand it, or find the solution to a problem after thinking long and hard about it.

Sam
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are opinion polls accurate?

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Predicting the future is not easy but that's exactly the job of opinion pollsters - researchers who ask people questions to discover what they think about certain topics. Neil and Sam look at the inventor of the opinion poll and discuss if they always give the right results, and they teach you some related vocabulary as well.

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📚

Class: Talking About Books (Intermediate Level)

🎯

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will:

Understand and use vocabulary related to books

Talk about different types of books

Express opinions about reading

Practice speaking through a guided conversation

🔹

1. Warm-up (5–7 min)

Ask:

Do you like reading books? Why / why not?

today I don't , because I don't have time but I read a lot when I was younger/ a teenager. Today I normally wake up at 4am and I go to the gym and right after go to work and once I come back from work I feel so tired and I can't do anything else.

What was the last book you read?

Maybe I guess the book I read was Nada fica Sem resposta.

Do you prefer physical books or digital books?

i prefer physical books... when you are on the headphones you end up getting distracted most of the time.

Follow-up prompts:

When do you usually read?

Do you have a favorite author?

when I was a teenager I had a favourite one and he was Paulo Coelho, and like others Augusto Cury and Zibia Gasparetto. I like to read books about spirituality.

🔹

2. Vocabulary Input (10 min)

Introduce and explain:

Fiction → stories that are imagined

Non-fiction → stories that are real

Novel → a long fictional story

soap opera / Novela das 8

Biography → a book about someone’s life

Autobiography → when a person writes about their own life

Poem → writing with rhythm, emotion, and imagery

poet/ poetry/poem

Concept Check Questions (CCQs):

Is a biography real or imaginary?

Is a novel usually long or short?

Who writes an autobiography?

🔹

3. Controlled Practice (10 min)

Activity 1: Categorize

Put these into fiction or non-fiction:

Harry Potter - fiction

A book about Barack Obama - non-fiction (biography)

A personal diary - non-fiction

A science book - non-fiction

Activity 2: Match

Match the type with the description:

1. Novel

2. Biography

3. Poem

a. Uses rhythm and emotions - poem

b. Long fictional story - novel

c. Life story of a person - biography

🔹

4. Listening / Reading (Neil & Becca Conversation) (10–15 min)

Script (simplified dialogue):

Neil: Hi Becca, do you like reading books?

Becca: Yes, I do! I love novels, especially fiction.

Neil: Me too. I sometimes read biographies.

Becca: Oh really? I prefer autobiographies. I like reading about people’s real experiences.

Neil: That’s interesting. Do you read poems?

Becca: Not often, but I like short poems. What about you?

Neil: I don’t read poems much. I prefer long stories.

Comprehension Questions:

What does Becca like reading?

-> Becca likes to read fiction novels

What does Neil prefer?

-> He also likes novels but also enjoys biographies

Do they both like poems?

-> They like little and short poems

🔹

5. Language Focus (Optional – 5–8 min)

Useful expressions:

I prefer…

I like / I don’t like…

I enjoy reading…

I’m interested in…

Example:

I prefer fiction because it’s more interesting.

I enjoy reading biographies about famous people.

-> I’d rather watch novels than read books.

-> I like movies inspired by biographies.

-> Nowadays, I like to read news and gossip.

-> I have no interest in poems.

🔹

6. Speaking Practice (15–20 min)

Activity 1: Guided Speaking

Ask the student to answer:

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? Why?

Have you ever read a biography or autobiography?

Do you like poems? Why / why not?

Activity 2: Mini Conversation (Role Play)

Student = Becca / Teacher = Neil

Then switch roles.

🔹

7. Personalization (5–10 min)

Discussion:

If you wrote a book, what type would it be? (novel, biography, etc.)

What would your autobiography include?

🔹

8. Homework (Optional)

Write a short paragraph (5–8 lines):

Describe your favorite type of book

Explain why you like it

OR

Find a book (real or imaginary) and describe:

Type (fiction/non-fiction)

Topic

Why you would recommend it

-> Currently I am not reading books, for lack of time and also of patience. I have read many novels and fictional stories; I also liked some self-help ones. Despite this difficulty and lack of reading, I know that reading good books is a great stimulation to the brain and adds knowledge!

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about books

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Neil and Becca talk about the written word, when printed on pages and bound together with a cover.

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make a sentence using each phrasal verbs

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for health and fitness

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Don’t give up your dreams of learning English!

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🍫

LESSON: Chocolate & Habits (Lower Intermediate)

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the class, the student will:

Talk about food habits

Use: give up, cut down on, craving

Improve listening with real conversation

Speak about preferences and routines

🔥 1. WARM-UP (5–7 min)

Ask:

Do you like chocolate? 🍫

of course I like chocolate who doesn't like chocolate?

How often do you eat chocolate?

I think I eat it every week I guess or sometimes during the weekdays but not every day.

What is your favourite chocolate? favourite brand?

I like every chocolate in the world and I will love to taste all at once.

do you prefer bitter chocolate or salted milk chocolate?

I guess I prefer salted milk chocolate but if you are on diet you should eat the bitter chocolate, the darker chocolate because it is healthier, or maybe sugar free.

👉 Model answers:

“I eat chocolate every day.”

“I don’t eat chocolate very often.”

💡 Expand:

in the Morning / in the afternoon / at night

After lunch / after dinner/during my snack / snacks

I normally eat chocolate after lunch during the day not in the night.

🧠 2. KEY VOCABULARY (10 min)

Teach with examples + repetition

🍫

a lot of / lots of/ countable and uncountable

= many

I eat a lot of chocolate bars as a supplement food.

I drink lots of coffee

uncountable only/ I drink much coffee during the day.

I drink lots of cups of coffee every day.

😮

loads of

= very very many (more informal)

I eat loads of chocolate

I can't eat more this week I eat loads of food at mother's house.

i ate loads of chocolate bars in my trip.

👉 Ask:

Which is stronger? → loads of

🚫

give up (something)

= stop forever (or long time)

I want to give up chocolate

I gave up sugar last year

I wish I could give up smoking.

⚖️

cut down on

= eat less/ reduce

I want to cut down on chocolate

i want to cut down on coffee.

👉 Contrast:

give up = 0 ❌

cut down = less ⚠️

😋

craving

= strong desire

I have a chocolate craving

I really want chocolate now

I think every night I have a craving for ice cream.

👉 Ask:

“When do you have cravings?”

every day I have cravings to eat something with sugar... and that is is fight I know I need to cut down on that.

normally during the day but sometimes at night.

🎧 3. LISTENING TASK (15 min)

summary>

Georgie and Neil talk about chocolate and she loves and she is a big fan of eating chocolates, she eats loads of chocolate if she finds at home, her parents will know she will eat all and she has chocolate in almost all meals. Unlike Neil, he eats chocolate very often but he doesn't think of chocolate all the time like Georgie, and for him is more interesting other flavours like chilli, ginger, bitter chocolate, salt caramel chocolate and the list could go on...

First listening – general idea

Ask before:

👉 “Do they like chocolate?”

Answer:

Yes, both like chocolate

Georgie LOVES it 😄

Second listening – details

summary

Third listening – vocabulary

👉 Student listens and finds:

give up / parar de

I need to give up eating hamburgers on the weekends.

cut down on/ reduzir

I need to cut down on cigarettes.

craving/ desejo de comida/vontade

I need to stop my sugar/sauvory cravings

🗣️ 4. CONTROLLED SPEAKING (10 min)

Give sentence frames:

I eat chocolate…

I eat chocolate after…

I have a craving for…

I want to cut down on…

I want to give up…

👉 Example:

“I have a craving for chocolate at night.”

💬 5. FREE SPEAKING (10–15 min)

Ask:

Do you eat a lot of chocolate?

When do you eat it?

Do you have cravings?

Do you want to cut down on chocolate?

Could you give up chocolate? 😄

👉 Push for longer answers:

Why?

When?

How often?

🎮 6. FUN ACTIVITY (ROLE PLAY)

Situation:

You = doctor 👨‍⚕️

Student = patient

Problem:

👉 “I eat too much chocolate!”

Student must say:

I eat chocolate every…

I have cravings…

I want to cut down…

You respond:

You should…

Don’t eat chocolate at…

✏️ 7. ERROR CORRECTION (IMPORTANT)

Write mistakes and correct together:

Examples:

❌ “I very like chocolate”
→ ✅ “I really like chocolate”

❌ “I eat chocolate all days”
→ ✅ “every day”

❌ “I have craving”
→ ✅ “I have a craving”

🧩 8. EXTRA (IF TIME)

Ask:

👉 What is better?

give up chocolate ❌

cut down on chocolate ⚖️

👉 Why?

🏁 HOMEWORK (optional)

Speak for 1 minute:
👉 “My eating habits”

-> During the week I try not to eat treats, like refined pasta and sugar, but I confess that I love pizza and sweets! I try to eat only on weekends.

Must include:

a lot of / loads of

craving

cut down on / give up

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about chocolate

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Neil and Georgie talk about the delicious sweet treat that many of us love!

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🎭 Lesson Theme: When You’re Not Sure What’s Happening

Level: Lower Intermediate (B1)

Grammar Focus:

seem + adjective

seem like + clause

(it) was / felt / looked as if / as though + clause

🔥 1. Warm-up (Lead-in Discussion – 8 minutes)

Ask:

Have you ever thought something was happening… but you were wrong?

-> It always happens! But the important thing is to recognize that I was wrong.

Have you ever seen something strange in the street?

-> Yes, every day I see strange things happening!

Have you ever misunderstood a situation?

-> Of course yes, several times I see something that seems like a thing but it’s not!

Tell a quick mini example:

“One time, I saw two people arguing in the street. It seemed serious… but they were actually rehearsing a play.”

Now ask the student to share one short story.

🎥 2. Context Introduction (George & Phil)

Explain briefly:

George thought he was seeing a crime.

Phil thought a town was quiet — but he discovered a big festival.

Ask prediction questions:

Why might George think it was a crime?

Why might a quiet town suddenly feel different?

📚 3. Grammar Presentation

1️⃣ Seem + adjective

Structure:

Subject + seem(s) + adjective

Use when:
✔ You have a general impression
✔ You are not 100% sure

Examples:

The street seemed empty.

The man seemed nervous.

The town seemed quiet.

👉 Often turns out to be wrong.

Mini-check:
Change this:
“The restaurant is closed.” (but maybe not)

Student:
“The restaurant seems closed.”

2️⃣ Seem like + clause

Structure:

It seemed like + subject + verb

Use when:
✔ You give a more detailed interpretation

Examples:

It seemed like someone was following him.

It seemed like they were arguing.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Ask:
What’s the difference?

Guide them:

“seemed nervous” → general

“seemed like he was hiding something” → specific idea

3️⃣ As if / As though

Structure:

It was / felt / looked / seemed + as if / as though + clause

Use when:
✔ You describe how something appeared
✔ Often dramatic or strong impression

Examples:

It was as if they were hiding something.

It felt as though something bad was going to happen.

It looked as if it was about to rain.

👉 “As if” and “as though” = same meaning (as if is more common)

🧠 4. Controlled Practice (10–12 minutes)

A) Choose the correct form

1. The man seemed very nervous.

2. It seemed like someone was following us.

3. It was as if they were planning something.

4. The town seemed very quiet.

(Answers: seemed / was / were / very)

B) Rewrite Using the Target Grammar

1. I thought it was going to rain.
→ It seemed as if it was going to rain.

2. Maybe she was angry.
→ She seemed angry.
→ It seemed like she was angry.

3. I had the impression he was lying.
→ It was as though he was lying.

🎭 5. Story Building Activity (Key Part – 15 minutes)

Give the student a situation:

Scenario 1:

You see two people running out of a shop quickly.

Student must say:

-> They seemed rushed and suspicious!

-> It seemed they had done something wrong!

-> It was like I did something wrong!

Example answer:

It seemed suspicious.

It seemed like they had stolen something.

It was as if they were escaping from someone.

Scenario 2:

You arrive in a small town. Everything is silent. Suddenly loud music starts.

Student describes:

-> The town seemed scared of that!

-> It looked like there was someone crazy there!

-> It was as if the person had no idea!

Push for creativity.

🗣 6. Personalisation – Real Life (10 minutes)

Ask:

Have you ever thought someone was angry but they weren’t?

-> I thought about it but I was confused; the person only had pain and discomfort.

Have you ever felt as if something bad was going to happen?

-> Yes, sometimes strange sensations appear.

Has something ever seemed like a good idea… but wasn’t?

-> It always happens; that’s living - it’s part of it!

Encourage longer answers:

“I thought my boss was angry. She seemed upset. It seemed like she was disappointed with me. It was as though I had made a big mistake — but actually, she was just tired.”

✍️ 7. Mini Writing Task (Homework or Final 8 min)

Title:
A Time I Was Wrong

Write 6–8 sentences using:

1 × seem + adjective

1 × seem like

1 × as if / as though

-> Once I went to visit my friend and it seemed that she was not happy to see me. She seemed angry; I thought my visit was inappropriate. But then, talking to her, she explained that she had discovered a pregnancy but she seemed to be losing the baby because she was feeling too much ache and she was bleeding. I tried to calm her down.

🧩 8. Error Correction Drill (Quick Review)

Correct:

1. It seemed like he was nervous. (OK)

2. He seemed like nervous. ❌

3. It was as if she is crying. ❌

4. The movie seemed boring. (OK)

(Student corrects:
2 → He seemed nervous.
3 → It was as if she was crying.)

🎯 Lesson Outcome

By the end, your student should:

✔ Express uncertainty
✔ Describe impressions
✔ Tell short dramatic stories
✔ Understand subtle meaning differences

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BBC Learning English - Learning English Grammar / An interesting sight

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Learn language to use when you see something happening and you’re not sure what’s going on

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about rain

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Georgie and Neil talk about the wet weather for which England is famous!

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👶 Class Theme: Having Children Today

Level: Lower Intermediate
Focus: Speaking + Vocabulary + Real-life conversation
Tone: Light, sincere, realistic

1️⃣ Warm-up (10 minutes)

Write on the board:

Do you want to have children? Why or why not?

today I dont have it anymore, because the world is going to approach. it is going to to end.

What are good things about having children?

i dont know, but I guess is more difficult than easier.

What are difficult things?

you spend money, time and you need to be very patient and you do everything for that little person in the beginning.

Let students discuss in pairs first (very important for lower levels).
Then open the discussion with the whole class.

Encourage simple answers:

"I think children bring happiness."

"Children are expensive."

"It is a big responsibility."

2️⃣ Vocabulary Presentation (10 minutes)

Teach the target words with simple explanations and examples:

👩‍🍼 pregnant

When a woman has a baby growing inside her.
Example: My sister is pregnant. She will have a baby in June.

👨‍👩‍👧 raise a child

To take care of and support a child while they grow.
Example: It is not easy to raise a child today.

👨‍👩‍👧 parenting

Being a parent.
Example: Parenting is beautiful but challenging.

🚼 toddler

A young child (1–3 years old) who is learning to walk.
Example: Toddlers love to explore everything.

😡 tantrum

When a child screams and cries because they are angry.
Example: The toddler had a tantrum in the supermarket.

👉 Quick practice:
Ask students to make 1 sentence for each word.

3️⃣ Listening / Reading: Beth & Phil’s Conversation (15 minutes)

You can read it aloud dramatically or ask two students to read.

🎙️ Beth and Phil Talk About Having Kids

Beth: So… do you ever think about having children?

Phil: Yes, I do. But honestly, I feel a little scared.

Beth: Why scared?

Phil: Because life is expensive now. Raising a child costs a lot of money.

Beth: That’s true. And parenting is a big responsibility.

Phil: Exactly. And what about sleep? I heard parents don’t sleep for years!

Beth: (laughs) Especially when the baby is a toddler. Toddlers wake up early and sometimes have tantrums.

Phil: Oh no… tantrums in public?

Beth: Yes! Supermarkets, restaurants… everywhere!

Phil: That sounds stressful.

Beth: It is. But many parents say it’s also the best feeling in the world.

Phil: I guess love makes everything easier.

Beth: Not easier… but more meaningful.

Phil: That’s a good way to say it.

4️⃣ Comprehension Questions (10 minutes)

1. Why does Phil feel scared?

-> Because life is expensive and raising a child costs a lot of money.

2. What does Beth say about toddlers?

-> She believes that toddlers wake up early and do not let their parents sleep, in addition, sometimes they have tantrums in public, which is very stressful.

3. Where can tantrums happen?

-> Anywhere the child feels upset.

4. Is parenting easy?

-> Being a parent is not easy but it’s rewarding.

5. How does Beth describe having children at the end?

-> Which is not easy, but very significant / meaningful.

5️⃣ Language Focus – Talking About Expectations (10 minutes)

Teach useful expressions:

I think… -> that having children is a choice that should be well thought out.

I feel that… -> I feel that children need more attention.

I’m afraid that… -> the world will become a place of ill-bred children.

I guess… -> to be pregnant is difficult!

In my opinion… -> people should have fewer children!

It seems that… -> the world is moving towards adults without children.

Practice:
Students complete:

I think raising a child is… -> challenging!

I’m afraid that parenting can be… -> hard!

In my opinion, children need… -> a lot of attention and love!

6️⃣ Speaking Practice – Real Talk (15–20 minutes)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think it is harder to raise a child today than in the past? -> Sure! Today it’s hard to set limits for the little ones!

2. Is money the biggest problem? -> Is important, but the biggest problem is being able to offer quality time.

3. What is more important: love or money? -> Always love.

4. At what age is good to become a parent? -> This is relative! It depends on the maturity of each one.

5. Should both parents work? -> It depends on the couple’s agreement. The important thing is that it involves quality time with the children.

Encourage respectful conversation.
Remind them: There is no right or wrong answer.

7️⃣ Light Reality Reflection (Optional Closing Activity)

Write on the board:

Having children is…

beautiful because…

difficult because…

worth it because…

Students complete the sentences.

-> Having children is challenging! It’s beautiful because it’s an unconditional love, but difficult because it requires evolution. Despite the work, they say it’s always worth it.

8️⃣ Homework (Optional)

WRITE ABOUT WHAT IS TO HAVE BABIES NOWADAYS THROUGH YOUR PERSPECTIVES.

-> I think the whole process of becoming a parent is difficult! Starting with pregnancy, it’s not easy to have so many changes in your body. Raising a child nowadays is very difficult! Besides lots of love and attention, it costs a lot! Toddlers give even more work, as they are totally dependent and make frequent tantrums, which is very stressful!!!!!!

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about having kids

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Beth and Phil talk about what to expect when you’re parenting a child.

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🧠 ENGLISH CLASS (INTERMEDIATE – B1/B2)

Why Do We Procrastinate?

🎯 CLASS GOALS

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Explain why people procrastinate

Discuss personal habits related to delay and motivation

Use new vocabulary related to behaviour and psychology

Express certainty, cause and consequence

Participate in a structured discussion

1️⃣ WARM-UP (8–10 minutes)

Write on the board:

“I work better under pressure.”

Ask students:

Do you agree or disagree?

Do you usually start tasks early or at the last minute?

Is procrastination always negative?

Pair discussion first → then open class feedback.

2️⃣ INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC

Explain:

Today we are talking about procrastination — delaying things we need to do.

Ask:

Why do people procrastinate?

I think the majority of people procrastinate because they are lazy. and it is very common to procrastinate.

Is it laziness, fear, stress, or something else?

I think a little of every thing because when you procrastinate you feel those kinds of emotions.

Do you procrastinate more with work, study, or personal tasks?

I think I procrastinate more with studies and personal task I don[t play with work and it is my priority and that is why I am always tired.

3️⃣ WEEKLY QUESTION (Prediction)

According to research from DePaul University in Chicago, what percentage of people procrastinate so much that it interferes with their daily life?

a) 10%

b) 20%

c) 30%

Students vote and explain their guess.

(No answer yet!)

4️⃣ KEY VOCABULARY (Core Section)

procrastination
delaying doing things that must be done until later, often because they are boring, difficult or unpleasant

without a shadow of a doubt
used to emphasise that you are completely certain of something

under pressure
feeling stressed or anxious because of having too much to do

impulsive
acting suddenly and instinctively, without thinking about the consequences of your actions

gratification
feeling of pleasure and satisfaction

oodles of (something)
a very large amount of something pleasant

1️⃣ Procrastination

Delaying something you need to do.

Example:

I procrastinate when I have difficult tasks.

I procrastinate when I’m tired of work and have more time to finish some activity.

2️⃣ Without a shadow of a doubt

Completely certain.

Example:

Without a shadow of a doubt, I work better at night.

Practice:

Students complete:

Without a shadow of a doubt, I procrastinate when I am tired from a long week of work.

3️⃣ Under pressure

Feeling stressed because you have too much to do.

Example:

I only start working when I’m under pressure.

Discussion:

Is pressure good or bad for productivity?

I don’t have good productivity working under pressure

4️⃣ Impulsive

Acting without thinking.

Example:

Checking Instagram instead of working is impulsive behaviour.

Ask:

Are procrastinators lazy or impulsive?

I believe that lazy.

5️⃣ Gratification

A feeling of pleasure or satisfaction.

Explain:

Procrastination is often about instant gratification.

Example:

Watching Netflix gives immediate gratification.

Studying gives delayed gratification.

Mini discussion:

Which one is stronger for you?

-> Having free time is very gratification.

6️⃣ Oodles of (something)

A very large amount.

Example:

I have oodles of homework.

There are oodles of distractions online.

Students create their own sentence.

-> I have oodles of english exercises to finish.

5️⃣ DISCUSSION – CRITICAL THINKING (15–20 minutes)

Question 1:

Is procrastination a time-management problem or an emotional problem?

I believe that time management is necessary for further organization.

Question 2:

Why do we choose short-term gratification over long-term success?

-> Having a faster return seems easier and more appealing.

Question 3:

Do deadlines help or create anxiety?

Encourage students to use:

I believe that… complete all activities is very rewarding.

In my experience… not leaving things to last minute is the best option.

On the one hand… do things right away is rewarding, on the other hand, rest is also important.

It depends on: Finishing all my activities depends on my fatigue after work.

6️⃣ REAL-LIFE APPLICATION ACTIVITY

In pairs:

Student A:

Describe something you’re procrastinating right now.

I’m procrastinating on studying more.

Student B:

Give advice using:

-> You should... finish the activity before the deadline.

-> Maybe you could... be more organized and do more activities.

-> If you organize yourself, you could get rest and do the activities without difficulty.

Switch roles.

7️⃣ ANSWER TO THE QUIZ

Correct answer:

✅ b) 20 percent

Explain:

Around 1 in 5 people procrastinate so much that it affects their daily life.

Ask:

Does that surprise you?

Yes, I thought it was more.

8️⃣ OPTIONAL EXTENSION (If Time)

Connect to modern habits:

Why do we doomscroll?

-> Even unintentionally, we ended up getting access to doomscroll.

Does social media increase procrastination?

-> For sure! They make us waste time!

Is technology making us more impulsive?

-> It must imply somehow, but I can’t explain this relationship.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we procrastinate?

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Do you leave your work until the last minute?

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🧠 ENGLISH CLASS (LOWER-INTERMEDIATE – A2/B1)

Losing a Language: Refugee Children and Identity

Based on a listening text (BBC-style)

🎯 LESSON GOALS

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Understand what it means to lose a first language

Talk about refugees and language change in simple English

Learn and use new vocabulary from the text

Share personal opinions about language, identity, and belonging

1️⃣ WARM-UP (5–8 minutes)

Teacher asks:

What is your mother tongue?

Can you speak more than one language?

How would you feel if you could not speak your first language anymore?

👉 Board key idea:

Language = identity

2️⃣ CONTEXT SETTING (Teacher explains – simple English)

Today we will listen to a story about a woman who was a child refugee.

She left her country and later forgot her first language, Czech.

Now, she only speaks English.

Ask students:

Is that possible?

Is language easy or difficult to lose?

3️⃣ LISTENING / READING FOCUS QUESTIONS

Before listening or reading, give students these questions:

1. Why did the woman leave her country?

2. What language did she stop speaking?

3. What language does she speak now?

4. How do you think she feels about this?

4️⃣ KEY QUESTION OF THE PROGRAMME (Prediction)

This week’s question:

According to the United Nations, how many people are living as displaced refugees today?

a) 3 million

b) 53 million

c) 103 million

👉 Students choose before listening

👉 No correction yet — just opinions

5️⃣ VOCABULARY WORK (Core of the lesson)

Vocabulary from the programme

(Teacher explains + examples)

1.

Mother tongue

👉 the first language you learn as a child

🗣 Example:

Portuguese is my mother tongue.

-> Edu’s mother tongue is Spanish

2.

Native language

👉 same meaning as mother tongue

🗣 Example:

Her native language is Czech.

-> The native language of Peru is Spanish.

3.

(To be) dunked into

👉 suddenly put into a new situation

🗣 Example:

She was dunked into a new culture.

-> I need dunked into my studies

4.

Have faith

👉 to believe or trust

🗣 Example:

She had faith in her family.

-> I have faith that I will be able to study more

5.

Sort itself out

👉 a problem stops without help

🗣 Example:

The situation will sort itself out.

-> My activities won’t sort itself out.

6.

Full-fledged

👉 complete, fully developed

🗣 Example:

She became a full-fledged English speaker.

-> My week is full-fledged activities.

7.

Either-or

👉 only two choices

🗣 Example:

It was an either-or decision.

-> I always have to decide for either one or the other: rest or study.

Quick practice

Students complete:

My mother tongue is Portuguese.

Moving to another country can be an a challenging situation.

I have faith that I will be able to study more.

that I will be able to study more.

6️⃣ COMPREHENSION CHECK (Simple)

Ask:

Did the woman choose to forget her language?

-> No, but it can happen when we walk away

of our language in everyday life.

Why do some refugee children lose their first language?

-> Because they lose daily contact with the language.

Is learning a new language always positive?

-> I believe yes, always position!

7️⃣ SPEAKING ACTIVITY (Guided)

Small-group or pair discussion:

Is language part of who we are?

Can you be the same person in another language?

Is it sad or normal to lose a language?

Sentence starters on the board:

I think that…

In my opinion…

For me, language is…

8️⃣ CRITICAL THINKING (Very accessible)

Teacher asks:

Do you think learning a new language means losing your old one?

Students answer yes / no / maybe, then explain.

9️⃣ ANSWER TO THE QUIZ QUESTION (End of class)

Correct answer:

✅ c) 103 million

Teacher adds:

Many of these people are children.

Language change is part of their life story.

🔚 CLOSING REFLECTION

Ask one final question:

If you moved to another country as a child, which language would you want to keep — and why?

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What does it mean for a child refugee to lose their first language? Sam and Rob hear the story of a woman who could no longer speak her native Czech after her family left their home country. Now she speaks English. We talk about leaving a language behind and teach you new vocabulary along the way.

This week's question

According to the United Nations, how many people around the world are currently living as displaced refugees?

a) 3 million

b) 53 million

c) 103 million

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

mother tongue
native language; the first language you learn from your parents as a child

(someone is) dunked into
suddenly placed into a new, unfamiliar situation for a short time before being removed again

have faith
have confidence or trust in something or someone

sort itself out
(phrasal verb) stop being a problem without anyone having to do anything

either-or
situation where only a choice between two options, with no third alternative, is possible

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Sam
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam.

Rob
And I'm Rob.

Rob
Julie Sedivy and her family left their home in what was then Czechoslovakia and is now the Czech Republic during the Cold War, when Julie was a small child. After several years travelling through Europe, they arrived in Canada as political refugees with no English. We'll be hearing about Julie's childhood when learning English started to replace her native language, Czech, and, as usual, we'll be learning some new vocabulary as well.

Sam
But first, I have a question, Rob. Julie's family left their home as political refugees, but every year millions of people are also displaced because of war, persecution, or the damaging effects of climate change. So, according to the United Nations, how many people around the world are currently living as displaced refugees? Is it:

a) 3 million?
b) 53 million? or,
c) 103 million?

Rob
I'll guess it's 103 million.

Sam
I'll reveal the answer later in the programme, Rob. Like many child refugees, Julie spoke only her mother tongue, Czech, at home with her brothers, sisters and parents who, in the beginning, spoke no English at all. Here she describes to Michael Rosen, presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme, Word of Mouth, going to an English-speaking school for the first time.

Michael Rosen
...so, you went into school not, to start off, with really understanding what was going on, is that right?

Julie Sedivy
That's right. I just kind of interpreted things as best I could, and my memory of that is that that was not particularly difficult or traumatic. I think by then I'd had the experience of being dunked into various unfamiliar languages numerous times, and I had faith that it would sort itself out, and that everything would be just fine; and it was of course...

By the time she arrived in Canada, Julie had been exposed to several other languages including Italian and French. She had experienced many difficulties, but never given up hope of finding a new home. Julie had faith - in other words, trust or confidence, that everything would sort itself out, a phrase meaning to stop being a problem automatically, without having to do anything.

Rob
Over the following years, Julie faced many challenges: going to school and making friends; helping her parents as they struggled in the English-speaking world; and grieving for her native language which she slowly forgot, and with it, the chance to speak Czech with her dad before he passed away. Julie shares her thoughts on losing and refinding her mother tongue in her book, Memory Speaks.

Sam
Through it all, Julie kept alive her belief that by speaking two, three or even more languages, we don't forget who we are, but instead gain a sense of tolerance, an idea which she talked about with BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth.

Julie Sedivy
The idea that you can be both of Mexican ancestry, for example, and speak Spanish, and be a full-fledged American, or in my case come from a country like the Czech Republic, continue to speak my language and to be a Canadian and very proudly so and very invested in Canada as a society. There's a number of studies that suggest that the very presence of people with blended ideas in a society seem to lead to greater acceptance between groups. It creates the sense that this is not an either-or, that we can coexist, perhaps precisely because we have evidence that these cultures can coexist within a single person.

For Julie, there's no contradiction in being a Canadian refugee speaking Czech, or a Spanish-speaking immigrant who's a full-fledged - or fully developed - American. These are not either-or situations - cases where there is only a choice between two options, with no third possibility. Instead, a peaceful coexistence can develop, as shown in the life of Julie Sedivy herself.

Sam
Right. it's time to reveal the answer to my question: how many people around the world, like Julie, are living as displaced refugees?

Rob
Well, I said it was 103 million. Was I right?

If something is dunked, it's dipped into a liquid, like a biscuit in a cup of tea, but if someoneis dunked into a situation, they're suddenly placed into a new and unfamiliar setting before being removed again after a short time.

Sam
And that brings us to the end of this programme. Bye for now!

Rob
Bye bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Losing your mother tongue

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Hear the story of a woman who replaced her native Czech for English.

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🥤 CLASS: What Do You Like to Drink?

Level: Lower-Intermediate

Skill focus: Listening-style reading, vocabulary, preferences, speaking

Language focus: prefer / would rather / would prefer

🎯 Class Objectives

By the end of this class, students will be able to:

talk about drinks they like during the day

express preferences clearly

choose between still and sparkling water

use prefer, would rather, and would prefer correctly

🔹 Warm-up (5 minutes)

💬 Ask the student:

What do you usually drink in the morning?

Every day I drink dark and hot coffe without sugar.

Do you drink more hot drinks or cold drinks?

I'd rather / definitely prefer cold drinks; the only hot drink I take is coffee!

Do you drink water every day?

Of course, water is life!

👉 Teacher tip: don’t correct yet — just listen.

🔹 Real Conversation: Neil & Beth

(Reading / listening-style text in easy English)

Neil and Beth talk about drinks

Neil:

Hi Beth! What do you usually drink in the morning?

Beth:

In the morning, I like hot drinks. I usually have coffee. What about you?

Neil:

I prefer tea. I don’t drink coffee very often. It’s too strong for me.

Beth:

Really? I love coffee. In the afternoon, I like cold drinks — especially water.

Neil:

Same here. But I would rather drink sparkling water than still water.

Beth:

Oh, I’m the opposite. I prefer still water. I don’t like fizzy drinks very much.

Neil:

Interesting! In the evening, I sometimes have herbal tea. It helps me relax.

Beth:

Me too. I would prefer tea in the evening instead of coffee.

Neil:

So, hot drinks in the morning and evening, and cold drinks during the day?

Beth:

Exactly!

🔹 Comprehension Check

A) True or False

1. Neil likes coffee. F - Beth likes coffee

2. Beth prefers still water. V - She doesn't like fizzy drinks very much.

3. Neil likes sparkling water. V - Yes, he likes carbonated drinks.

4. Both like hot drinks in the evening. V - Yes, both prefer hot drinks in the morning and evening.

B) Short Answer

1. What does Neil usually drink in the morning?

Some tea.

2. What kind of water does Beth prefer?

Still Water.

3. Why does Neil drink herbal tea in the evening?

To relax a bit.

🔹 Vocabulary Focus

Key Words

prefer
👉 like something more than something else

would rather / would prefer
👉 used to show a specific choice

fizzy
👉 with gas and bubbles

sparkling (water)
👉 fizzy water

still (water)
👉 water without gas

Match the words

1. sparkling

2. still

3. prefer

4. fizzy

a. water without bubbles - Still

b. like more than something else - Prefer

c. with bubbles - Sparkling

d. carbonated - Fizzy

🔹 Language Focus: Talking About Preferences

✅ Useful Structures

I prefer tea to coffee.

I prefer to stay at home and rest than going out at the carnival.

I would rather drink water.

I would rather take some food than drink beverages.

I would prefer still water.

⚠️ Simple tip for students:

prefer → general preference

would rather / would prefer → choice now or in a situation

🔹 Controlled Practice

Complete the sentences:

1. I prefer _sugar____ to __sal

2. I would rather drink _____ in the morning.

3. I would prefer _____ water.

🔹 Speaking Practice (Main Activity)

💬 Ask and answer:

1. What do you like to drink in the morning?

2. Do you prefer hot or cold drinks?

3. Would you rather drink still or sparkling water? Why?

4. What do you usually drink in the evening?

👉 Teacher tip:

Encourage full sentences, not single words.

🔹 Optional Personalisation Task

📝 Mini speaking or writing

“During the day, I usually drink…

In the morning, I prefer…

In the evening, I would rather…”

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about drinks

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Neil and Beth talk about the different hot and cold beverages that they like to drink throughout the day.

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📘 Class: Talking About Plans & Goals for 2026

Based on: Neil & Georgie’s real conversation (Easy English)

Main focus: Future intentions, reflection, vocabulary

Skills: Listening-style reading, speaking, personal expression

Length: 60 minutes

1️⃣ Warm-up: Thinking About the New Year (5–8 minutes)

Ask the student:

Do you usually make New Year’s resolutions?

yes I do. i always make resolutions like everybody does.

Do you think resolutions really work? Why / why not?

depends on some thing you make them real, you can achieve and others you skip or are difficult to do.

How do you usually feel at the start of a new year: motivated or unsure?

I feel I think I feel motivated to start the new year is a time where you start positively and get your objectives done.

👉

2️⃣ Key Vocabulary (Pre-teach)

Introduce the words before reading.

🔑 Vocabulary

New Year’s resolutions
Promises you make at the start of the year to start doing something good, or stop doing something bad.

Goal
Something you want to achieve/ complete

Motivated
Wanting to do something, and therefore more likely to actually do it.

Wish your life away
To think too much about the future instead of enjoying the present.

🗣️ Quick Practice

Ask the student to complete:

One of my goals for 2026 is speaking/ to speak more fluently in English _____.

I feel motivated when __I do something really I like________.

Sometimes people wish their life away because _they are not making what they like _________.

SUMMARY

Neil and Georgie are talking about the resolutions for new year 2026, they say even though it is very difficult to keep the objetives during the year to achieve them. Georgie has plans to go on a trip to South Africa with her family because her parents had their honeymoon there and they want to show Georgie about the experience, also Georgie wants to learn Spanish and practices more and run a half marathon so, she has this resolution.

Neill doesn't want to take up new resolutions he wants something simple like learning Spanish and improving guitar skills. he thinks he will not think about wishing the months pass away because December is very cold and dark in the uk. and he will appreciate more the time there regardless the weather so he won't wish his life away and he will enjoy more the present.

3️⃣ Reading: Neil and Georgie Talk About 2026 (10–12 minutes)

📖 Reading Text

Neil: So, Georgie, do you usually make New Year’s resolutions?

Georgie: Not really. I like having goals, but I don’t like putting too much pressure on myself.

Neil: I understand that. I often start the year feeling very motivated, but it’s hard to stay motivated all year.

Georgie: Exactly. I think it’s important to enjoy the present and not wish your life away.

Neil: That’s true. Still, I do like planning. For 2026, I want to focus on my health and learn something new.

Georgie: That sounds good. My goal is to have better balance — work, rest, and time for myself.

Neil: So maybe it’s not about big resolutions, but small, realistic goals.

Georgie: Yes, goals that help you enjoy life now and in the future.

4️⃣ Comprehension & Reflection (8–10 minutes)

Ask open questions:

1. Why doesn’t Georgie like New Year’s resolutions?

-> Because it’s hard to stay motivated all year for big life resolutions; she thinks it’s easier to live by making small and real goals.

2. What problem does Neil have with motivation?

-> He believes that it's so hard to maintain the same motivation throughout the year.

3. What does “wish your life away” mean in this conversation?

-> Let life pass in vain

4. Do Neil and Georgie agree or disagree about goals?

-> They agree! They believe that having small goals makes the reach more real.

5️⃣ Language Focus: Talking About Plans (10 minutes)

Highlight useful structures from the text:

🧩 Structures

I want to… all my goals to come true this year.

My goal is to… give the best of myself this year.

I would like to… to have the strength to achieve my dreams and not wish my life away.

I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself... although wanting resolutions for 2026.

I want to focus on… learning more English this year.

✏️ Controlled Practice

Complete the sentences:

1. In 2026, I want to be more dedicated and improve my English skills for my job and for my personal life.

2. One goal I have is to be rich and be healthier with my life.

3. I don’t want to work anymore because i feel that I am turning a workaholic and I need to stop that!

4. I feel more motivated when know another culture and other places... I like that!

5. I need to travel more to salvador and pay a visit to my family and have my yummy acaraje.

6️⃣ Speaking Practice: Personal Goals (Main Activity)

🗣️ Guided Speaking

Ask the student to talk about:

One personal goal for 2026

-> Travel a lot

One professional or study goal

-> Learn more English.

One habit they want to change

-> Decrease laziness.

One thing they want to enjoy more in the present

-> Go out more.

Encourage full sentences and follow-up questions:

Why is that important to you?

-> English is important for me to communicate on my travels.

How do you plan to do it?

-> I intend to try harder more, taking more classes and studying more!!

What could stop you?

-> Fatigue from work.

7️⃣ Reflection Activity: Balance & Mindset (5–8 minutes)

Ask:

Do you think people today focus too much on the future?

-> Everyone lives fast and eager for the future.

How can someone have goals without wishing their life away?

-> Make small and real goals.

What helps you stay motivated?

-> My dreams and travels.

8️⃣ Optional Writing / Homework

✍️ Short Writing (120–150 words):

My Goals and Plans for 2026

Include:

At least 3 goals

One sentence with motivated

One sentence with wish your life away

-> For this year I want to save more money, travel and be fluent in English. I will try hard, not to spend money, to have more English classes and study more. I need to evolve and not wish my life away!

9️⃣ Extension (Optional – Higher Level)

To challenge stronger students:

Ask them to compare resolutions vs goals.

-> Resolutions are more complex and need more effort; goals are smaller, more real and tangible.

Introduce “realistic expectations” and “long-term habits”

-> Realistic expectations are smaller and faster goals to be achieved; long-term habits are a set of small goals achieved.

Have them role-play a conversation like Neil and Georgie’s

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about New Year’s resolutions

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Neil and Georgie talk about their plans and goals for 2026.

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🌟 Class Plan – Talking About Fears (Basic Level)

🎯 Objectives

Learn vocabulary to talk about fear.

Practice intensifiers with adjectives (very, really, so, absolutely, completely).

Talk about personal fears in different situations.

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Teacher asks:

Do you get scared easily?

What was the last time you felt afraid?

(Prompt student to use short, simple answers: Yes, I was scared of a dog / I was afraid of the dark).

2. Vocabulary (10 min)

Introduce with gestures, pictures, or simple examples:

afraid / frightened / scared of → "I’m scared of dogs."

terrified of → stronger fear → "I’m terrified of snakes."

phobia → extreme fear → "I have a phobia of heights."

freak out → lose control → "I freak out when I see a cockroach!"

👉 Write them on the board in order of intensity.

3. Grammar Focus: Intensifiers (10 min)

Explain simply:

very / really / so → make the adjective stronger.

absolutely / completely / totally → only with strong adjectives.

Examples:

I’m very scared of spiders.

I’m really afraid of the dark.

I’m so terrified of flying.

I’m absolutely terrified of snakes.

I completely freak out when I see a mouse.

👉 Do quick practice:
You say the adjective → student makes a stronger sentence.

Teacher: "afraid of dogs" → Student: "I’m really afraid of dogs."

4. Listening / Reading Practice (8 min)

Use part of the Phil & Beth conversation (shortened):

Beth: I’m afraid of spiders. I really hate spiders.

Phil: I’m scared of small spaces. I’d be worried about getting stuck.

Beth: My friend has a phobia of bananas. She completely freaks out!

Ask comprehension questions:

What is Beth afraid of?

What is Phil afraid of?

What phobia does Beth’s friend have?

5. New Situations for Practice (10–12 min)

Give student situations and ask: Are you afraid? How afraid are you?
Encourage answers with intensifiers.

Situations:

1. You are in the dark alone at night.

2. You see a big spider in your bed.

3. You are in a small elevator and it stops.

4. You hear thunder and lightning very close.

5. You watch a horror movie.

6. You are on a very high bridge.

Example:

Teacher: "You are in the dark alone at night."

Student: "I’m so scared." / "I’m really afraid of the dark."

6. Controlled Speaking (Pair Role-Play / Teacher-Student) (10 min)

Model a dialogue:

A: What are you afraid of?
B: I’m really afraid of snakes.
A: Do you freak out?
B: Yes, I completely freak out when I see one.

👉 Student practices with different fears.

7. Wrap-Up / Reflection (5 min)

Review: words for fear + intensifiers.

Ask student: What are you afraid of? Are you more afraid of spiders or of the dark?

Quick writing: 3 sentences with fears + intensifiers.

✅ Homework idea:
Write 5 sentences about fears using very, really, so, absolutely, completely.
Example: I’m absolutely terrified of snakes.

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Introduction

Phil and Beth talk about what makes them scared. Learn to talk about your fears with this conversation in easy English.

Vocabulary

afraid/frightened/scared (of something)
a feeling of fear

terrified (of something)
a feeling of a lot of fear

phobia
a very big fear of something

freak out
lose emotional control

Transcript

Phil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Phil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. You can find a video of this podcast and a free worksheet on our website. Go to bbclearningenglish.com

Phil
Hi, Beth.

Beth
Hello, Phil. How are you?

Phil
I'm good, I'm good. You?

Beth
Yes, I'm very well, thank you.

OK, well, today we're going to talk about fears and we're going to talk about the things that make you scared.

Beth
OK, let's get started.

What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of spiders. I really hate spiders. I'm really scared of spiders. It's OK if they're small. Maybe, no, yeah, I was going to say medium-sized is OK - they're not. Anything like medium, large, long legs. Uh, no, I don't like spiders.

Phil
What do you do if you see a spider?

Make weird noises, go "Ah! Help! There's a spider." What are you afraid of?

Um, this is a strange one, because it doesn't really happen to me very much. But I'm scared of being in really small spaces. You know, people who work under floors and do things like that. I'd, I'd be too worried about getting stuck.

Yeah, I completely understand that fear. Phil, do you have any phobias? A phobia is a really bad, extreme fear of something.

I don't think I do, really. I don't think there's, like, one thing that I am absolutely terrified of and can't see. I think just sometimes there are situations that are scary because, you know, maybe they could be dangerous or worrying, but I don't think there's one thing that I see and go "Ah!"

Yeah. I have a friend and she has a phobia of bananas. I know it sounds silly. She is terrified of bananas. If she sees a banana, she will cry and scream, and it's very dramatic. And that is a proper phobia. When you see something and you break down, you completely freak out. That's a phobia. So, I don't think I have any phobias either. Like, I don't like spiders and I am scared of them, but they don't make me freak out and panic.

So, Beth, is there anything that you were afraid of when you were younger, but you're not afraid of now?

Actually, yes. So when I was young and even a teenager, I was scared of looking out at the sea. So if I was, I was always good at swimming, so swimming wasn't the problem. But looking out to the ocean and seeing the horizon - that's the end of the ocean - really scared me and I just couldn't look at it. And I had that for quite a long time. And I don't really know why, because I don't know what I was scared of. It was almost so big that it scared me.

Mmm, I've got a watery one. Um, I remember when I was learning to swim and the teacher taking me to the deep end of the swimming pool, so it was about two metres deep nearly, and I wasn't very tall then. Um, and I had to jump in and I was absolutely terrified. But now I can swim, so I'm not scared of water in that way.

Beth
Do you often jump in pools these days?

Phil
Um, now and then when I get the chance. I don't go swimming very often, but when I do, I can jump in and it's fine.

Let's recap the vocabulary that we used in this conversation. We used a lot of words to describe the feeling of fear so we can be afraid, frightened, or scared of something which all mean something makes us feel fear.

And we also had terrified of. If you are terrified of something, you are really, really scared of it.

We heard the word phobia, which describes a very bad fear of something.

Yes. For example, my friend has a phobia of bananas. She cries when she sees them because she's so scared. And we also had freak out. If you freak out, then you panic because you're so, so scared of something.

Phil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Test yourself with the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. Goodbye for now.

Phil
Bye.

Next

Learn more phrasal verbs like 'freak out' in Phrasal verbs with Georgie.

Download a free worksheet.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about fears

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Learn to talk about your fears with this conversation in easy English

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Class Plan – Saving Money

🎯 Objectives

Practice listening and speaking about money and savings.

Learn and use vocabulary: budget, shop around, offer, on offer, deal.

Share personal strategies about spending and saving.

1. Warm-up (5–7 min)

Discussion questions

Do you usually save money or spend it quickly?

i often save money and spend everything on my vacation, this year i am going to Guatemala and i am very anxious./ i am eager to go!

What was the last thing you bought that was a good deal?

the last thing i bought was a supplement and i think it was a good deal.

When you travel, do you usually stick to a budget?

of course, i need to stick to a budget and i can´t overpass the limits of this budget.

2. Vocabulary (10 min)

Introduce the words from the episode with simple definitions and examples:

budget → “I have a budget of $5.000 for my trip to Guatemala.

shop around → “Before buying a phone, I shop around online.”

offer/deal → “The shop has a deal on shoes: buy one, get one free.”

on offer → “Milk is on offer today – half price!”

👉 Activity: Give sentences with a gap, student completes:

1. I can’t spend more than $200. That’s my ________.

2. Before buying a computer, it’s smart to ________.

3. These jeans are normally $40, but today they are $25. They are ________.

3. Listening Practice (10–12 min)

🎧 Play or read a short part of the transcript (Beth talking about shopping around).

Comprehension questions:

1. What does Beth do before she buys something expensive?

2. Why does she think this is a good way to save money?

3. Do you do the same?

4. Speaking Practice – Role-play (12–15 min)

Set up scenarios where student uses the new vocabulary:

Situation 1: You are shopping online. You see a phone on offer. Talk to your friend about whether to buy it.

Situation 2: You are planning a holiday. Decide on a budget and discuss how to save money.

Situation 3: A shop has a great deal but you don’t really need the product. Discuss if it’s a good idea to buy.

5. Personalization (8–10 min)

Questions for student to expand:

Are you saving for something right now?

How do you usually save money?

Do you prefer to buy things on offer, or do you prefer high-quality items even if they’re expensive?

6. Wrap-up (3–5 min)

Review vocabulary quickly.

Ask student: “What’s one new idea you learned today about saving money?”

Give a small homework task: Write 5 sentences using today’s vocabulary in your own life.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about saving money

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🌍 Class Plan – Living with Others (Intermediate)

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Ask:

“Do you live alone or with other people?”

“Have you ever shared a house or apartment?”

i only lived with my parents, i left home when i was 30- 32 years i can remember that, then i got married and i lived with my ex for about 2 years and then we got divorced. Since then i live alone... there is a good side about living with your parents because you can always have food ready, you don´t pay bills but you don´t have privacy and there is a moment all you need is your private life.

how common it is in your country for young people to live with family, friends, or alone?

30 years old. convenient

2. Vocabulary Focus (10 min)

Introduce/review words from the transcript:

1. housemate / flatmate – someone you live with who isn’t family.

2. rent – money you pay every month to live in a place you don’t own.

3. landlord / landlady – the owner of the property.

4. easy-going – relaxed, not easily upset.

5. (Extra adjectives from context) → tidy, messy, noisy, quiet, sociable, independent.

🔹 Practice:

Teacher gives a definition → student guesses the word.

Student uses the adjective in a sentence about herself or colleagues (e.g., “I think I’m tidy, but sometimes I’m noisy when I listen to music.”).

3. Listening/Reading (10 min)

Use a short excerpt from the transcript (simplified if needed):

Neil: “Did you enjoy having housemates?”
Beth: “I had some bad housemates. They were messy and noisy. But I also had nice housemates.”

Task: Student underlines all adjectives she hears.

Check answers and discuss meaning.

4. Speaking – Comparing Living Situations (15 min)

Discussion prompts:

1. “In your country, do young people usually live with family, housemates, or alone?”

2. “What are the advantages of living alone?”

3. “What are the problems of living with housemates?”

4. “What kind of person is easy to live with?”

Encourage her to use adjectives: tidy, messy, noisy, easy-going, independent, sociable.

5. Grammar Focus (10 min) – Adjectives for Describing People

Contrast adjectives: easy-going vs. grumpy, tidy vs. messy, sociable vs. quiet.

Practice:

Teacher says: “My housemate always cleans the kitchen. He is …” → Student: tidy.

Student makes her own sentences about imaginary housemates.

6. Controlled Practice – Role Play (10 min)

Scenario: She’s moving to another country for a fellowship and needs to choose between two housemates.

Housemate A: tidy, but noisy.

Housemate B: messy, but easy-going.

She must explain: “I would choose Housemate A/B because…”

7. Wrap-up & Reflection (5 min)

Ask: “Do you prefer living alone or with others?”

Homework idea: Write a short paragraph “If I had a housemate, the perfect person would be…” using at least 4 adjectives from class.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about housemates

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Learn to talk about the people you live with

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🌟 Class Plan – The Changing World of Meetings (Upper-Intermediate)

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Teacher prompts:

How do meetings today compare with meetings 20 years ago?

nowadays the meetings changed, and they are remote. people call it a new normal.

Do you think we have too many meetings nowadays?

i have more meetings nowadays because remote meetings are easier for people and the frequency increased a lot.

Can a meeting sometimes be a waste of time? Why or why not?

it depends on the meeting, sometimes 2 hours meeting online is boring. and it is a waste of time.

👉 Visual prompt: two pictures (a big corporate boardroom vs. a Zoom call at home). Student contrasts them using comparatives and speculation (might, may, could).

2. Vocabulary Expansion (10 min)

Introduce + elicit examples:

1. to brainstorm → generate and exchange ideas quickly

2. to speak up → express your opinion confidently

3. in-person / face-to-face meeting → physical presence, same space

4. remote / virtual meeting → conducted online

5. flexibility → being able to adapt easily to changes

6. to collaborate → work together toward a goal

👉 Practice: teacher gives situations → student decides which word fits best.

3. Functional Language (Chunks & Structures) (8 min)

From my perspective, meetings are useful when the group make a desicion on something or having something to brainstorm.

I’d rather have remote meetings because i need to optimize my time and i don´t like to drive places and be stuck on the traffic jam, besides that you don´t always find a place to park your car.

It depends on the context/team/project.

One major advantage of meetings online is that you can solve problem faster and easier.

a disadvantage of online meetings is not seeing body language ans facial expression.

If meetings were shorter/more focused, they would be more productive.

✨ Grammar push: comparatives + conditionals for more nuanced answers.

4. Reading & Critical Thinking (12 min)

📖 Reading Text – How People Are Connected Today

In the past, people usually met in person to talk about work or make decisions. They needed to travel, sit in the same room, and sometimes spend many hours in long meetings.

Today, things are very different. People are more connected than ever because of technology. Many companies use remote meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams. This makes it easy to talk with colleagues in other cities or even in other countries.

Online meetings are often faster and more flexible. You don’t need to travel, and you can share ideas quickly with documents or presentations on the screen. But not everyone prefers remote meetings—some people think face-to-face meetings are better because they feel more personal.

So, the way people work and communicate today depends on the project, the people, and sometimes… the internet connection!

Activities:

1. Skimming → What’s the main idea?

people are more connected today and using technology for online meetings.

2. Scanning → Underline advantages and disadvantages of remote meetings.

advantages of remote meeting: for me is always to optimize time and not waste time and money.

disadvantage: someone maybe be more informal because he or she is at home all the time and besides that the facial expressions and body language is limited.

3. Critical discussion:

Do you agree people are “more connected than ever”?

yes of course today we are connecting 24/7 besides that the social media takes all our attention.

How can online meetings make communication easier? How can they make it harder?

so, it is easier to solve problems anytime ans sometimes is harder when you don´t have a good internet connection.

Has technology changed your experience of teamwork?

yes, because the interaction of the teamwork is now 24/7 we are connected through the apps for work.

5 HOMEWORK:

1. When are face-to-face meetings indispensable?

1. Do online meetings make people more efficient or more distracted?

1. If you were leading a team, how would you organize meetings to avoid wasting time?

🌟 Homework

Option A: Write a short opinion essay (120–150 words): “Are remote meetings better than face-to-face meetings?”

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(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Georgie and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about work and meetings. Learn to talk about whether meetings are useful and how many meetings you have.

Vocabulary

brainstorm
gather together to discuss ideas

speak up
express your opinion using your voice

in-person or face-fo-face (meeting)
a meeting where everyone is in the same physical place

remote (meeting)
a meeting that happens on a call, often a video call

Transcript

Georgie
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Georgie.

Beth
And I'm Beth. You can find a video of this podcast and a worksheet to help you learn on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Georgie
Hi Beth, how are you today?

Beth
I'm good, thank you. I am very busy. I have a lot of meetings. How are you?

Georgie
I'm OK, thank you, Beth, I don't have many meetings today. But today we are talking about meetings, in particular work meetings where you talk to colleagues and discuss ideas or make decisions.

Georgie
OK. Shall we get started?

Georgie
So, Beth, you have a lot of meetings today. Do you generally have a lot of meetings at work? It really depends on what I'm working on. So if I have a project where I need to meet a lot of people, then I might have quite a few meetings. And that's why I'm busy now. But generally, we have a lot of, a few meetings together as a team. But I don't think we have loads of meetings.

Georgie
Compared to other jobs, I don't think we have many meetings. Most of our work is producing things and editing and writing. But you're right. When there are lots of big projects that we need to talk to other people on the project, we have more meetings. But yeah, like you, it really depends.

So, when do you think meetings are useful?

Beth
I think when you need to brainstorm. So, brainstorm is when you have lots of new ideas and you need to talk about them together. I think then meetings are really useful because you hear lots of new ideas, and when you're in a room with other people, if, for example, I have an idea and you say, that's good, and we can also do this and we can all work together, and I think those kind of meetings are really useful.

Georgie
Yeah, I think that way of doing it is also more efficient. So sometimes it's better to just have one hour, come up with ideas and decide on the ideas.

Georgie
I think, if the meeting has lots of people, I find it a bit more stressful to speak up because I get a bit nervous to speak in front of lots of people. But if it's a meeting with just our team, for example, you guys I like and trust. I, I don't mind speaking up that much.

Beth
And sometimes we have meetings in person. Sometimes you have meetings on a call. So a video call. Do you prefer meeting in person or having calls?

Georgie
It is also really nice to be able to take calls in your own house. So, working from home can be really nice because you can have your snacks and drinks nearby. So yeah, they both have their pros and cons.

Georgie
In an in-person meeting, everyone is in the same physical place. We can also call this a face-to-face meeting.

Georgie
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Why not test what you've learned using the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about meetings

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🌍 Class Plan: The New Normal – Online Work & Meetings

Level: Low Intermediate
Focus: Discussion, vocabulary, grammar (giving opinions), fluency

1. Warm-up (5 min)

Teacher asks:

Do you work/study online?

Do you have many meetings or classes online?

Do you like them? Why / Why not?
👉 Goal: activate topic & personal connection.

2. Vocabulary (10 min)

Introduce with examples & mime/gestures:

brainstorm → "When we have many ideas together."

speak up → "Say your opinion in a group."

in-person / face-to-face → "Meeting in the same room."

remote (meeting) → "Meeting on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet."

📝 Quick task: Match words with pictures or definitions.

3. Listening / Reading (10–12 min)

Use short parts of the transcript (not the whole). For example:

Beth: “I think when you need to brainstorm, meetings are really useful.”
Georgie: “I prefer meetings in person because you can see body language.”

👉 Activity:

Students underline the new words.

Teacher asks: Do you agree with Beth or Georgie?

4. Grammar Focus – Opinion Chunks (10 min)

Model and drill useful structures:

I think…

In my opinion…

For me…

I prefer X because…

I don’t really like X, but…

📝 Quick practice:

Students complete sentences:

1. I think remote meetings are…

2. In my opinion, face-to-face meetings are…

3. I prefer working at home because…

5. Discussion Task (15 min)

Put students in pairs/groups (or teacher-student if 1-1):

Questions:

Do you like online meetings or in-person meetings more? Why?

When are meetings useful?

Do you usually speak up in meetings or classes?

What is good about working from home?

What is difficult about working from home?

Encourage use of grammar chunks! (Teacher writes on board: I think / In my opinion / I prefer / For me…)

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

Quick recap of vocabulary (brainstorm, speak up, in-person, remote).

Ask: In one sentence, what do you prefer: remote or in-person meetings?

✨ Extra tip: For fun, end with a mini-debate:

Half the class = Team Remote 🖥️

Half the class = Team In-Person 🏢
Each side gives 2 reasons using opinion chunks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Georgie and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about work and meetings. Learn to talk about whether meetings are useful and how many meetings you have.

Vocabulary

brainstorm
gather together to discuss ideas

speak up
express your opinion using your voice

in-person or face-fo-face (meeting)
a meeting where everyone is in the same physical place

remote (meeting)
a meeting that happens on a call, often a video call

Transcript

Georgie
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Georgie.

Beth
And I'm Beth. You can find a video of this podcast and a worksheet to help you learn on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Georgie
Hi Beth, how are you today?

Beth
I'm good, thank you. I am very busy. I have a lot of meetings. How are you?

Georgie
I'm OK, thank you, Beth, I don't have many meetings today. But today we are talking about meetings, in particular work meetings where you talk to colleagues and discuss ideas or make decisions.

Georgie
OK. Shall we get started?

Georgie
So, Beth, you have a lot of meetings today. Do you generally have a lot of meetings at work? It really depends on what I'm working on. So if I have a project where I need to meet a lot of people, then I might have quite a few meetings. And that's why I'm busy now. But generally, we have a lot of, a few meetings together as a team. But I don't think we have loads of meetings.

Georgie
Compared to other jobs, I don't think we have many meetings. Most of our work is producing things and editing and writing. But you're right. When there are lots of big projects that we need to talk to other people on the project, we have more meetings. But yeah, like you, it really depends.

So, when do you think meetings are useful?

Beth
I think when you need to brainstorm. So, brainstorm is when you have lots of new ideas and you need to talk about them together. I think then meetings are really useful because you hear lots of new ideas, and when you're in a room with other people, if, for example, I have an idea and you say, that's good, and we can also do this and we can all work together, and I think those kind of meetings are really useful.

Georgie
Yeah, I think that way of doing it is also more efficient. So sometimes it's better to just have one hour, come up with ideas and decide on the ideas.

Georgie
I think, if the meeting has lots of people, I find it a bit more stressful to speak up because I get a bit nervous to speak in front of lots of people. But if it's a meeting with just our team, for example, you guys I like and trust. I, I don't mind speaking up that much.

Beth
And sometimes we have meetings in person. Sometimes you have meetings on a call. So a video call. Do you prefer meeting in person or having calls?

Georgie
It is also really nice to be able to take calls in your own house. So, working from home can be really nice because you can have your snacks and drinks nearby. So yeah, they both have their pros and cons.

Georgie
In an in-person meeting, everyone is in the same physical place. We can also call this a face-to-face meeting.

Georgie
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Why not test what you've learned using the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we'll be back next week with another conversation in easy English. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about meetings

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🗂 Lesson Plan: Talking About Secrets and Honesty

Level: Intermediate

Theme: Honesty, lying, and keeping secrets

Skills: Vocabulary, speaking (discussion), grammar (questions & modals of advice), writing

1️⃣ Warm-up (5 min)

Ask:

Do you think you are good at keeping secrets?

well i guess i am good at keeping secrets like i am also good at revealing them when they are necessary.

Have you ever (tell) told a lie to protect someone’s feelings?

perhaps, i can tell a lie sometimes, because it is sometimes necessary to survive in a situation. and you don´t want to hurt the feeling of the person.

Do you think it’s always bad to lie?

not always, sometimes white lies are necessary they are not so bad.

2️⃣ Vocabulary Focus (10 min)

Introduce and practice these words:

secret – a piece of information that you don’t tell other people.

Example: “Can you keep a secret? I’m planning a surprise party.”

keep a secret – not share information with others.

Example: “She always keeps my secrets.”

(an) open book – a person who is very honest and doesn’t hide things.

Example: “I’m an open book. I tell everyone everything.”

lie – to say something that is not true on purpose.

Example: “He lied about his age.”

liar – someone who lies often.

Example: “Nobody trusts him because he’s a liar.”

💡 Quick Activity: Give sentences with blanks and ask the student to complete them:

1. I can’t tell you. It’s a __secret______.

2. She never tells the truth. She is a ___liar_____.

3. He is _an open book________. He never hides anything.

3️⃣ Listening/Reading (10 min)

📖 Mini-dialogue (Beth & Georgie style, easy English)

Beth: Do you ever keep secrets?

Georgie: Sometimes. But I usually tell my best friend everything.

Beth: I’m an open book. I don’t really have secrets.

Georgie: Really? I sometimes lie if I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.

Beth: Yeah, I do that too. But I don’t like big lies.

👉 Discuss:

Who is more honest, Beth or Georgie?

Do you think small lies are okay? Why / why not?

4️⃣ Grammar Practice – Modals of Advice (10 min)

Use should / shouldn’t / must / have to to give advice about honesty.

i should practice more english ( suggestion/advice)

i must pay my bills (obligation)

i have to wash my car ( necessity)

Examples:

You should tell the truth if someone asks you directly.

You shouldn’t tell secrets that aren’t yours.

You have to be honest with your close friends.

💡 Activity: Give prompts for the student to answer:

1. Your friend cheated on a test. Should you tell the teacher?

2. well i think i shoudn´t tell the teacher because my friend will not pass the test. and he has to pass.

3. Someone tells you a secret, but another friend asks about it. What should you do?

4. i shouldn´t tell anyone even is my close friend.

5. Your parents ask if you finished homework, but you didn’t. What would you say?

i am an open and i must tell them the truth.

5️⃣ Discussion (10 min)

Do you think it’s ever good to lie?

Is honesty always the best policy?

What’s the difference between a “white lie” and a “real lie”?

Do you think you are more of an open book or more secretive?

6️⃣ Writing Task (Homework) ✍️

Write a short paragraph (80–100 words) about a time when you had to:

Keep a secret, OR

Tell a small lie.

Use the new vocabulary and at least two modal verbs (should, shouldn’t, must, have to, could).

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about secrets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn to talk about being honest and lying

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Lesson Plan – Gifts & “Want + Object + to do something”

🎯 Objectives

Practice listening comprehension about gifts.

Learn and use vocabulary for giving and receiving presents.

Understand and practice the grammar pattern want + object + to do something.

Discuss opinions and experiences about gifts.

1️⃣ Warm-up (5 min)

Discussion questions:

Do you like buying gifts? Why / Why not?

well, i like but i prefer functional gifts, when i find something that reminds me the person i buy it. or i keep it and only when is this person´s birthday or a special ocassion i give it.

What was the last gift you gave?

the last time i gave a gift was a lunch in a barbecue restaurant for father´s day.

What was the last gift you received?

the last gift i received was money from my mother, i paid my vacation to guatemala.

2️⃣ Vocabulary (8 min)

Present the key vocabulary from the podcast:

it's the thought that counts – the idea of giving is more important than the gift itself.

return (a gift) – take it back to the shop for a refund.

exchange (a gift) – take it back and get something else instead.

gift card – a card with money to spend in a specific shop.

visit – go somewhere for a short time.

Activity: Match words/phrases to definitions. Then, use each in a short sentence about your own gift experiences.

3️⃣ Listening comprehension (10 min)

Step 1: Listen to the podcast segment once (or teacher reads selected parts).
Step 2: Answer:

1. What gifts does Beth not like receiving? Why?

2. What did Neil say about returning gifts?

3. Why was Beth not able to use her gift card easily?

4. What expression do they use to say the thought is more important than the gift?

4️⃣ Grammar focus – Want + object + to + infinitive (10 min)

Structure:

want + person/object + to + verb

Used when you want someone else to do something.

Examples from the gift context:

I want you to open your gift now.

They want me to exchange the shirt for a bigger size.

She wants us to visit her on her birthday.

object pronouns:

i = me

you= you

they = them

we = us

he = him

she = her

it =its

Form:

Positive: Subject + want(s) + object + to + verb

Negative: Subject + don't/doesn't want + object + to + verb

Question: Do/Does + subject + want + object + to + verb?

Practice:
Change the idea into a sentence:

1. My friend / buy / me / a book → I want my friend to buy me a book.

2. My parents / come / to my graduation → I want my parents to come to my graduation.

3. (negative) I / get / clothes → I don’t want my friends to get me clothes.

i want the clinic to make a raise for me

he wants me to buy a new car

i want the world to be a less corrupt.

5️⃣ Speaking practice – Role-play (12 min)

Role A: You are planning a birthday party and thinking about gifts you want people to give you.
Role B: You are a friend asking what the person wants and suggesting gift ideas.

Rules:

Use at least 3 sentences with want + object + to + verb.
Example:

I want you to come to my party early.

I don’t want you to spend too much money.

I want my family to take me to a nice restaurant.

6️⃣ Writing task (5 min)

Write 5 sentences about gifts, using want + object + to + verb.
Example:

I want my best friend to give me a surprise gift.

I don’t want my brother to buy me clothes.

I don´t want monique to stop her classes.

He wants to give me flowers, but I told him that I prefer clothes.

I want to know what my boss would like to win birthday gift.

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(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

This podcast is one year old! Beth and Neil celebrate and have a real conversation in easy English about gifts. Learn to talk about giving and receiving presents, and what you do when you don't like a gift.

Vocabulary

it's the thought that counts
an expression used to say that thinking to get someone a gift is more important than what the gift is

return (a gift)
take a gift back to the place where somebody bought it

exchange (a gift)
take a gift back to the shop and get something else instead

gift card
a card with a specific amount of money on that can be spent in a specific shop

visit
go to a place for a short time

Transcript

Beth
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Beth.

Neil
And I'm Neil. And you can see a video version of this podcast on our website, where you will also find a worksheet to help you, bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
Hello Neil. How are you today?

Neil
I'm very well, Beth. Thank you. I'm excited, actually. We have balloons in the studio because we're having a bit of a celebration.

Beth
We are. It's a very special day. It is the first birthday of Real Easy English, so I'm actually going to blow up this last balloon.

Neil
Yeah. Go on, go on. Big red balloon. That means we're ready for the party.

Beth
Yeah. Give me one sec. OK! Let's go. So to celebrate this week we're going to talk about gifts.

Neil
Amazing. Let's get started.

Beth
Neil. Do you like buying gifts?

Neil
Good question. Yes and no. So, I don't like the first part when I'm thinking about what to buy for someone.

Neil
But then sometimes when I get a good idea for a really good gift for someone, I get excited. And then I do like buying gifts.

Beth
Yeah, I think that makes sense. If it's something where a person you don't know what to buy for them, like you're going to end up with flowers or chocolates, I don't think that's very exciting. But if there's a person you know 'absolutely they are going to love this present' then I think buying is really exciting.

Neil
Now, receiving gifts is also good fun, isn't it?

Neil
Do you like receiving gifts?

Beth
Yeah, I enjoy receiving gifts. Of course, it depends on what the present is. But then I'm always very thankful, anyway, that I've been given a gift. No matter what it is.

Neil
It means that it's really nice that somebody has thought about you. And that's more important than the actual gift that they have given you.

Beth
Yeah. Yeah. There's quite a common expression when we're opening presents. Do you like receiving gifts?

Neil
I love receiving gifts. Who doesn't like getting presents?

Beth
I feel like you're expecting a gift now. I don't have one for you. Sorry.

Neil
What kind of gifts do you not like?

Beth
That's a good question. I don't like receiving clothes. Sometimes I've been given clothes as a present. And they might be something that, like, I wouldn't choose, but often they don't fit, like something that is way too big for me or way too small, and then you end up having to return it, maybe exchange it for something else. So I think clothes aren't the best idea unless the person buying really knows you and your style. What about you?

Neil
Usually something like clothes. And if it's from a family member, I think you can be more open about not liking it.

Beth
Do you normally return and get the money, the cash, so you can buy anything you like or do you exchange?

Beth
Neil, what do you think about gift cards? Now, gift cards are like a voucher that you get to spend money in a specific shop.

Beth
I was given a gift card once for a jewellery shop that is quite expensive, and I was given a £50 gift card, which is a lot of money. But there wasn't really anything I wanted to buy from there. So I think with a gift card, it depends on the place again. I couldn't really do anything with this gift card, to be honest.

Beth
I was still grateful, though.

Beth
And we had gift card or gift voucher. That's a card with a specific amount of money on that can be spent in a specific shop.

Neil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Try the worksheet on our website and you can practice what you learned. That's bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
And we hope that you're enjoying this podcast. Send us what you think to our email address. learningenglish@bbc.co.uk.

Neil
And next time we'll be talking about mistakes. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about gifts

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Learn to talk about giving and receiving presents

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🎯 Lesson Objective

By the end of the class, the student will be able to:

Reflect on childhood career dreams using the past simple + infinitive.

Express hypothetical job wishes using the second conditional.

Discuss work values and priorities with fluency and clarity.

🧠 PART 1 – Warm-up Discussion (5–7 min)

💬 Start with questions to activate vocabulary and fluency:

What did you want to be when you were a child? Why?

I wanted to be a lawyer when i was a child.

when i was a child i wanted to be a veterinarian.

What kind of job do you think suits your personality?

architecture suits my personality because i like to build things, i like to decorate spaces, and i like meters and dimensions.

Do you enjoy your current job? Would you change it if you could?

yes i like it very much, i would change it if i could because i feel now very tired and i would (i´d) like to earn more money

👉 Use follow-up questions to expand:

What influenced your childhood dreams (movies, parents, teachers)?

What skills do you think your dream job requires?

🧩 PART 2 – Grammar Focus (15 min)

1️⃣ Past Simple + Infinitive

Structure:

Subject + wanted + to + base verb

📘 Examples:

When I was 8, I wanted to become a marine biologist.

I wanted to travel the world as a photographer.

🗣️ Practice:
Ask the student to give 2–3 examples from their past. Encourage full answers:

“I wanted to be an astronaut because I loved space documentaries.”

2️⃣ Second Conditional – Job Dreams Today

Structure:

If + past simple, ... would + base verb

📘 Examples:

If I could start over, I would become a film director.

If I had the talent, I would sing professionally.

🧠 Elicit:

Why do we use the second conditional? (→ unreal, imaginary situations)

What would YOU do if you could do any job, regardless of money or skill?

if i could, i would like to be an architect. or i would like to work with handcraft or i would like to be a tailor.

🗣️ Practice:
Give prompts:

If you didn’t have to worry about money, what job would you do?

if i didn´t have to worry about money, i´d like to be a handcraft vendor.

If you had the chance to live anywhere, what job would you choose?

if i had the chance to live anywhere, i´d like to work with tourism.

3️⃣ Work Priorities – Expressing Values in a Job

📘 Phrases:

Having a good work-life balance is important to me.

Feeling valued at work matters a lot.

Working in a creative environment motivates me.

I don’t care much about earning a high salary, but I care about flexibility.

🗣️ Task:
Give the student 6–8 phrases and ask them to rank them from most important to least important. Then justify:

“For me, work-life balance is essential because…”

🎭 PART 3 – Speaking Tasks (15–20 min)

🧩 Task 1: Job Dream Timeline

🗓️ Ask the student to build a “job dream timeline”:

Childhood dream/ of a special person.

my mother when she was a child, she wanted to be a tailor but she got pregnant of her first child, my brother and she became a housewife.

Teenage ideas

when i was a teenage i thought only about watching tv all day, but i knew that habit wouldn´t take me anywhere.

when i was a teenage i thought i would work with animals , with deco , be a psycologist but i´d change my mind after realizing those things were not for me.

Now

Future (ideal)

Ask follow-up questions:

What changed? What stayed the same? Why?

🗣️ Task 2: "Dream Job Interview" Role Play

Roles:
🧑‍💼 You are applying for your dream job. I’m the interviewer.
Ask questions like:

Why do you want this job?

What experience do you have?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Then switch roles.

🏠 Homework

Write a short paragraph (80–100 words):

“If I could do any job in the world…”
Encourage use of second conditional and vocabulary from class.

💡 Extra Vocabulary to Teach or Review:

Rewarding -

Challenging

Flexible hours

Job security

Team-oriented

Self-employed

Freelance

Stable income

Purpose-driven

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about dream jobs

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Learn to talk about what you would like to do

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🧑‍🏫 Class Plan: Confidence, Shyness, and Self-Perception

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)
Skills: Speaking, Listening, Vocabulary, Critical Thinking
Duration: 60 minutes
Theme: How confidence and shyness affect communication and personal growth

🎯 Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Discuss their own experiences with confidence and shyness

Use advanced vocabulary to describe emotions and reactions

Share opinions using conditionals, modals, and speculative language

Reflect on how confidence can be developed over time

🧠 Warm-up: Personal Reflection (5–10 minutes)

Prompt for open conversation:

In which situations do you feel most confident? In which ones do you feel uncomfortable or shy? Why do you think that is?

well, i feel confident when i know about the topic, the subject or the information the people are talking about, i feel most confident.

let me think i guess i feel shy when i talk or speak in public for a presentation and something that makes me feel uncomfortable is when people start gossiping.

Let students give examples and encourage them to explain why.
Encourage the use of "I feel confident when...", "I tend to become shy in...", "This makes me nervous because..."

📚 Vocabulary Expansion (10 minutes)

Present and discuss the following words/expressions. Ask students to guess the meaning from context and provide examples.

1. Self-assured – confident and calm about your own abilities

i feel self assured when i prepare something by my own.

i am self assured/ i feel self assured./ i felt ...

2. Insecure – not confident, unsure of yourself

normally people at their first day at work feel much insecure.

3. Nerve-racking – extremely stressful or worrying

i have a presentation to give tomorrow morning and is making me nerve racking (nervous)

4. Stage fright – the fear of performing or speaking in front of others.

Camila couldn´t finish her talk because she got stage fright during the lecture. ( camila is a lecturer)

get/ change your mood/ i got crazy

stay/ about the location / i stay home

1. To boost someone’s confidence – to help someone feel more confident

after talking with my boss i felt that he boosted my confidence to continue the project.

(i need a cup of coffee to boost my spirit)

1. To put yourself out there – to take social or personal risks, expose yourself

to end up with your fear of speaking in public you have to put yourself out there and show that you can speak!

1. Out of your comfort zone – doing something unfamiliar that makes you feel nervous

i need to be out of my confort zone to get what i want.

Challenge: Ask students to use 2–3 of these words in short sentences about themselves.

🎧 Listening: Neil & Beth’s Conversation (Adapted Version)

Option: You can create a more natural, flowing version of their dialogue for this level:

Neil: I usually feel confident at work, but giving presentations still makes me nervous. It's pretty nerve-racking.
Beth: I get that. I used to be shy in meetings, but over time I’ve learned to speak up more.
Neil: What helped you change that?
Beth: Practice, for sure. And realizing that most people feel the same. That really boosted my confidence.
Neil: Yes, I think pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is key.
Beth: Definitely. You have to put yourself out there. It’s scary, but it pays off.

💬 Discussion Questions (20–25 minutes)

Encourage open discussion in pairs or groups. Guide them to justify their answers and build on each other’s points.

1. What role does confidence play in learning a new language or skill? Can you be successful without being confident?

2. Do you think shyness is a personality trait, or is it something we can overcome? Can people change?

3. How can culture influence our confidence in social situations? For example, how does public speaking differ across cultures?

4. Have you ever been in a situation where you “faked” confidence? What was the result?

5. Is confidence always positive, or can it sometimes lead to arrogance or bad decisions?

1. What habits or routines can help build genuine self-confidence?

Encourage students to use structures like:

If I hadn’t… I wouldn’t have…

I might feel more confident if…

Confidence is important, as long as it’s balanced with…

In my opinion... / From my experience...

✍️ Writing Task (Optional or Homework)

Prompt:

Write a short reflection (150–200 words) on a moment in your life when your confidence was tested.
What happened? How did you react? What did you learn about yourself?

Ask them to include:

At least two phrasal verbs or idiomatic expressions from the vocabulary list

At least one modal verb or conditional sentence

✅ Wrap-up (5 minutes)

End with this open question:

What’s one thing you can do this week to step out of your comfort zone — socially, professionally, or personally?

Encourage them to make a small "confidence challenge" and follow up in the next class. 💪✨

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(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Neil and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about things that make them feel confident or shy. Learn to talk about how confident you are.

Vocabulary

confident
describes someone who is certain or comfortable about something

confidence
the feeling of being certain or comfortable about something

shy
describes someone who feels nervous or uncomfortable around other people

nerve-racking (or nerve-wracking)
describes a situation which is stressful or worrying

boost your confidence
increase your confidence

Transcript

Beth
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English, the podcast where we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Beth.

Neil
And I'm Neil. You can watch this podcast and test yourself with a worksheet, which you can get free on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.

Beth
So, Neil, how are you today? I'm very well actually.

Neil
I think like you, if I think I know what I'm doing, then I'm confident. But if I'm doing something, especially with people who maybe know more about that thing than I do, then that can be nerve-racking, make you feel nervous, and then not be confident.

Neil
Maybe. I think I'm probably the opposite.

Beth
Yeah. I remember watching a video, about a lady saying, if you want to improve your confidence, to boost your confidence, you should stand in a power stance and think about all the good things that you're going to do, and it will make you confident with your hands on your hips. And she said, if you're going to do public speaking or something, that's, really can be quite scary, she said, even just go to the toilet, stand in the toilet and do it on your own. And apparently it increases your confidence.

Neil
Well, I must try that.

Neil
Maybe. I mean, I have a lot of experience of driving, and I'm quite confident driving. But driving abroad, driving, especially in a foreign city, can be nerve-racking. And yeah, I think it would be nice to be more confident driving abroad.

Let's recap some of the vocabulary we heard during the conversation. We had confident which means certain or comfortable. And we also had the noun confidence, which means that feeling or quality of being certain.

Beth
And that's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Head over to our website for more episodes, bbclearningenglish.com.

Neil
And next time we'll be talking about our summer plans. Join us then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about confidence

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Learn to talk about how confident you are

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💼 Intermediate ESL Lesson – How to Avoid Being Miserable at Work

🎧 Based on the BBC Learning English episode with Neil and Beth

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Understand and use key work-related vocabulary

Discuss job satisfaction and workplace culture

Reflect on their own work-life balance

Practice listening comprehension and structured speaking

⏳ Total Time: 60–75 minutes

Materials: Audio or transcript (if available), whiteboard or slides, and discussion prompts.

🧠 1. Warm-up Discussion (10 minutes)

Start with some general questions to activate prior knowledge:

What makes a job good or bad?

i think what it makes a job good is to work with something you really love.

Have you ever had a job you didn’t like? Why?

no, i haven´t had a job i didn´t like but i felt many times demotivated in some moments during performing my activities.

What makes people unhappy at work?

what makes people unhappy at work is get paid a little, work so much, long hours, under pressure and burnout.

Introduce the day’s topic: how to avoid being miserable at work.

📚 2. Vocabulary Introduction (10–12 minutes)

Present these six vocabulary items in context (no charts):

Burnout – when you feel exhausted and lose motivation due to too much work

nowadays people suffer burnout due to working too much.

Deadline – a time or date when something must be finished

i will need to hand in the reports to my boss, so i can meet the deadline.

Breathing down someone’s neck – watching someone too closely while they work

i hate when my boss is breathing down on my neck.

Presenteeism – staying at work longer or going to work when sick to seem important.

many people end up with the condition of presenteeism due to lack of employment in the city.

Work-life balance – the time you spend at work vs. doing things you enjoy

after the pandemic, we noticed how important was work life balance in our daily routine.

Win-win – a situation that benefits everyone

companies and employees must have the win win effect on their contracts.

Practice: Give example sentences and ask:

Have you ever felt burnout?

(+) yes, i have felt/ i´ve felt burnout once when i worked more than i should and when i organized a big event like my own wedding.

(-) no, i haven´t felt

What deadlines do you have in your work/life?

yes i have to meet deadlines and this is a usual thing in my daily routine.

Does your boss ever breathe down your neck?

no, thanks to god because my boss has much confidence on me.

🎧 3. Listening Comprehension (15–20 minutes)

Task: Play or read aloud selected parts of the conversation.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was Neil’s worst job? - The Neil's worst job was work (ing) in a call centre

2. What job was voted the worst in the UK? - The worst job voted was construction industry.

3. Why did 15,000 NHS nurses quit? - Because of the long and inflexible working hours.

4. What change was tested in the construction industry? - Was to work according output-based.

5. What are the benefits of “output-based” work? - Define the working day based on activities performed and not on hours.

6. What do they mean by “win-win”? - Is a relationship that everyone wins.

(You may play or paraphrase the section about the Forbes survey and the trial project by Emma Stewart.)

💬 4. Discussion & Speaking Practice (15–20 minutes)

Pair or group questions (or 1-on-1 if private class):

Do you think your country has a healthy work-life balance? No way! Here we work a lot and with little rest!

Have you ever worked under a deadline that was too stressful?

What do you think about “presenteeism”? Do people do this in your workplace?

What would be a win-win situation in your current job?

Encourage the student to use the vocabulary in their responses.

🧑‍🏭 5. Role-Play or Mini Debate (Optional – 10–15 minutes)

Scenario: Your company is changing from a strict 9–5 job to task-based working.

Roles:

HR Manager explaining the benefits

Employee concerned about changes

Manager who prefers traditional work hours

Goal: Use at least 3 new vocabulary words in the conversation. Discuss pros and cons.

✍️ 6. Writing Task (Optional Homework)

Prompt:
Write a short paragraph (100–150 words):
“What does a healthy work-life balance look like for you? What would be a win-win job situation in your life?”

Encourage the use of vocabulary like burnout, deadline, presenteeism, etc.

🔁 7. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

Quickly review the vocabulary and ask:

Which of these words do you think you’ll use this week?

What did you learn today about work and happiness?

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We spend so much of our day working - how can we ensure our job doesn't make us miserable? It takes more than just money and conditions. Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

According to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, what was voted the worst job in the UK? Was it:

a) a call centre worker?
b) a bartender? or,
c) a traffic warden?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

burnout
lack of energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard

deadline
the time or date by which a particular job must be finished

to be breathing down someone's neck
(idiom) to watch someone very closely and check everything they do

presenteeism
staying at work longer than usual, or going to work when you are ill, to show that you work hard and are important to your employer

work-life balance
the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend relaxing with your family and doing things you enjoy

win-win
a situation or result that is good for everyone involved
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Neil
Beth, have you ever had a horrible boss, not been paid enough, or simply got tired of doing the same old boring job?

Beth
I love presenting Six Minute English - of course, but some of my previous jobs have been pretty awful, Neil. When I waitressed in cafes I was on my feet ten hours a day - it was exhausting!

Beth
But does work have to be like this? Since most of our waking day is spent at work, how can we make sure our job doesn't make us unhappy? That's what we'll be discussing in this programme, and, as usual, will be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Neil
Sounds good, Beth, but first I have a question for you. The worst job I ever had was the summer I spent working as a portable toilet cleaner at music festivals, but according to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, what was voted the worst job in the UK? Was it:

a) a call centre worker?
b) a bartender? or,
c) a traffic warden?

Beth
I think the answer might be a call centre worker.

Neil
OK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Now, it's interesting that survey was carried out in the UK, because being unhappy at work could be related to the British working culture which emphasizes working at a fast pace. Here's Damian Grimshaw, a Professor of Employment Studies at King's College, London, speaking with BBC Radio 4 programme, Analysis:

Professor Damian Grimshaw
Really it's all about pace, cost efficiencies, meeting targets, deadlines... so this is why when people do surveys of what we call 'work intensity', so how hard you work, are you driven on pace?, is there a supervisor breathing down your neck?, we score really badly compared to European countries.

Beth
That's right. A good job is about more than pay and conditions, it's one that uses your talents, and gives you some choice over how and when you work. In 2022, Britain's biggest employer, the National Health Service or NHS, lost more than 15,000 nurses, many quitting because of the long and inflexible working hours.

Neil
Another sector with long working hours is the construction industry. Low paid, dirty and physically demanding, construction workers also risk high levels of work-related injury. Here, Emma Stewart, co-founder of social business, TimeWise, tells BBC Radio 4 programme, Analysis, about her trial project to help builders enjoy their jobs more:

Emma Stewart
In the work that we've done within the construction industry, we have trialled what we would call an 'output-based' way of working, which means we shift away from this sense of presenteeism, this sense of: you are paid by the day, you are on site from seven in the morning until the last person leaves, maybe seven in the evening... to a 'task-based' way of working, which means: you are going to do five tasks over the course of this day. When you've done those tasks, and you've done them well, you can go home, but we will still pay you the same amount for the day. They were able to deliver the projects that we worked on with them on time, on budget, but critically the feedback from workers was that work-life balance scores doubled, and they were able to reduce the amount of overtime that they did - it's a win-win.

Beth
Emma describes the current working patterns using the word, presenteeism - staying at work longer than usual, or going to work when you're ill, to show that you work hard. But this isn't an effective way to work. Emma thinks a task-based approach is better, both at getting the job done, and for improving work-life balance - the amount of time you spend at work, compared with the amount of time you spend relaxing with your family, and doing things you enjoy. In other words, flexible working is a win-win - a situation that's good for everyone involved.

Neil
Maybe more flexible working would help some of the jobs I mentioned earlier in my question, Beth - according to a recent Forbes magazine survey, what was voted the worst job in the UK?

Beth
I guessed it was a job I've done myself - working in a call centre.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you unhappy at work?

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Does work leave you feeling bored and exhausted?

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♻️ Class Title: Let’s Talk About Waste!

Level: Lower Intermediate (A2–B1)
Focus: Vocabulary + Sentence Structure + Everyday Conversation
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Grammar Target: Present Simple and Modals ("should", "can", "need to")

Important verbs for recycling and clean the atmodphere and deal with climate change.

recycle - spend - waste- cut down (cut back) - rely on - throw away - put away.

Skills: Speaking, Listening, Writing

1️⃣ WARM-UP (5–7 min) – Small Talk: Trash Talk

Start with a few general questions:

What do you usually throw away at home?

well i usually throw away the things that i don´t need or garbage in the bin.

I throw away things that i don´t need like plastic wraps , plastic films, or the kind.

Do you recycle? What?

no i don´t recycle because i don´t find a place where i can throw these things away.

Do you use plastic bags or plastic bottles?

yes, i use plastic bags and plastic bottles.

Encourage full sentences:

"Yes, I recycle paper and plastic bottles."
"I throw away food sometimes."

You can show pictures or name items (bottle, can, bag, food) to help.

2️⃣ VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT (10–12 min) – Words in Action

Introduce 5 key vocabulary items through simple examples and short definitions in your own words.

1. Waste
Explain: “To use something badly or throw away too much.”
Example: 1. “We waste food when we don’t eat it.”

2. we waste when buying a thing that we don´t need.

3. Recycle
Explain: “To use something again after using it.”
Example: 1.“I recycle bottles and cans.”

2. recyling is very important for the world.

3. Single-use plastic
Explain: “Plastic we use one time and throw away.”
Example: “A plastic straw is single-use plastic.”

plastic for wrapping food is single use plastic.

4. Rely on
Explain: “To need something to work or live.”
Example: “I rely on my phone every day.”

recycling relies on the consiousness of the peole.

5. Cut back on / Cut down on
Explain: “To use less of something.”
Example: “We should cut down on plastic.”

we should cut down on our purchase online.

After each one, ask the student:

“Do you waste food?”
“What do you recycle?”
“Do you use single-use plastic?”
“What do you rely on every day?”
“What should people cut down on?”

3️⃣ STRUCTURE PRACTICE (10–15 min) – Make the Sentence Right! HOMEWORK

Tell your student they will fix word order in short sentences. These are mixed up.

Example 1:
“plastic / I / always / use” → Correct: “I always use plastic.”

Example 2:
“never / waste / food / we” → Correct: “

You can give them 5–6 jumbled sentences. Let them fix and say them aloud.
Then ask them to write or say 2 sentences about themselves using one of the new words.

4️⃣ GUIDED SPEAKING TASK (10 min) – True for Me?

Say a sentence. The student tells you if it’s true or not for them.

Examples:

“I waste food every week.”

“I recycle every day.”

“I use a lot of single-use plastic.”

“I rely on my car every day.”

“I want to cut down on plastic bags.”

Encourage longer responses:

“Yes, that’s true. I recycle paper and glass.”
“No, I don’t. I try not to waste food.”

5️⃣ CREATIVE PRODUCTION (10–15 min) – HOMEWORK My Daily Habits

Ask your student to speak (or write) about their daily habits using the new words.

Prompt with simple questions:

What do you waste?

What do you recycle?

What do you use every day?

What do you want to cut down on?

Support with sentence starters:

“At home, I usually waste…”
“I recycle…”
“I rely on…”
“I want to cut back on…”

Optional writing:
Ask the student to write 4–5 sentences using all the new words.

🏠 HOME PRACTICE

Ask your student to do this for next class:

Find 3 things in their house.

Decide: Is it something they waste, recycle, or rely on?

Write 3 short sentences about them.

Example:

“This is a plastic cup. I use it once and throw it away.”
“This is my phone. I rely on it every day.”

I hate to waste anything, especially food. Unfortunately I have no habit of recycling; in my neighborhood there is no selective collection. But I want to cut excessive purchases and more waste, after all, the world depends on this change of everyone!

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(Photo: Getty)

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Introduction

Neil and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about rubbish and recycling Learn to talk about the things you use and the ways you try to reduce waste.

Vocabulary

waste
something that you no longer need, or use without needing to

recycle
collect rubbish in order to make materials that can be used again

single-use plastic
plastic materials that are used once and then thrown away, such as food wrappers

rely on
need in order to function

Transcript

Neil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English. In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Neil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. Did you know you can watch a video of this podcast on our website? Go to bbclearningenglish.com.

Neil
Hi Beth, how are you today?

Beth
I'm very good, thank you. Neil, how are you?

Neil
I'm very good. What are we talking about?

Beth
Well, today we are talking about waste. So that's what we call things that we don't want any more, like rubbish or things that we've used, and we now don't need them. So, for example, after I've eaten some crisps as a snack, the, the packet is rubbish, it's waste.

Beth
I think so. I mean, at home we recycle. We can recycle glass, plastic, metal, card. All the usual things that we recycle here in the UK. What about you?

Neil
Yeah, I do what I'm supposed to do. So we have a separate bin for different things. For plastic and for glass and for paper and for food.

Neil
When I was a kid, everything went in the same bin.

Neil
Yeah. And now that seems really crazy and really bad.

Beth
Yeah, I would think so. Yeah. Something that I do as well in, is when I'm in a supermarket, I try to not buy fruit and veg that's wrapped in plastic. I'll always try and buy the individual products like apples on their own. Or, you know, a courgette. You don't need a courgette that's wrapped in plastic.

Beth
Yeah, I know that is true.

Neil
You know what people do these days, which is great that they didn't used to do. Carry reusable water bottles.

Neil
Almost everybody carries a bottle. And just a few years ago, people bought plastic bottles of, of water all the time.

Beth
Yeah, I remember when I was teaching in a classroom and I'd sometimes have students. They would come to London from all over the world, and every day they would go to a supermarket and buy a plastic bottle. And I used to, I used to say sometimes, you know 'why, buy a reusable one' and then you're not using this plastic all the time.

Beth
Yeah. So we have to try and avoid single-use plastics. What about water? So water waste. I really like having a bath just to relax, but sometimes I feel really guilty about it because it's using up quite a lot of water.

Neil
Yeah, I prefer showers, which is good because they use less water.

So, Beth, is there anything that you are planning to do to cut down further on the waste that you create?

Let's recap the vocabulary we heard in this conversation. We had waste. Waste is things that are unwanted like rubbish, and we can also describe something as a waste when someone uses something they don't need to, or they throw something away after not using it. So for example, when my kids don't finish their dinner, that's a waste.

Neil
We heard recycle which means to collect rubbish in order to make materials that can be used again. We can also describe something as recyclable. It means it can be recycled. It can be used again.

Beth
And we heard some common phrasal verbs that we use when talking about the environment. So we had to rely on which means need something in order to function. For example, we rely on plastic a lot in our daily lives.

Neil
We can also say cut down on which means to reduce something. And we also hear cut back on. So for example I want to cut back on s ingle-use plastic.

Beth
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. If you want to learn more phrasal verbs about the environment, then Georgie has made a whole video on this. You'll find the link in the notes below.

Neil
And next time on Real Easy English, we'll be talking about confidence. See you then.

Now try this...

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about waste

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Learn to talk about rubbish and recycling

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🟣 Mini Speaking Task: “I Felt So Seen!”

🎯 Objective:

Introduce and practice the phrase “feel seen”, meaning to feel understood or represented, especially in a personal or unique way.

⏱️ Duration: 10–15 minutes

🎓 Level: Lower Intermediate to Intermediate

🟢 Step 1: Elicit and Explain (2–3 min)

Start with an example:

Teacher: “One day I saw a meme that said: ‘I reheat my coffee 3 times before I finish it.’ And I said… wow, that’s me! I felt so seen!
Do you understand what that means?”

👂 Guide them:

It means “That’s just like me!”

You feel understood, even if the person is not talking about you.

Let the student repeat the phrase:
👉 “I felt so seen!”

🟠 Step 2: Student Personalization (4–5 min)

Ask your student:

Can you think of a moment when someone said something… or you saw something in a book, a movie, or a meme… and you thought:
‘That’s exactly me!’
Something maybe a little different, strange, or personal?

Help with ideas:

A strange food habit?

Feeling tired after doing something simple?

A family situation?

A moment from school or work?

Once the student shares:
👉 Encourage them to say: “I felt so seen.”

🔵 Step 3: Speaking Practice – Complete the Sentence (3–5 min)

Read or say the start of a sentence, and ask the student to complete it:

1. The last time I felt so seen was when…

2. When someone said _____, I felt so seen.

3. I felt so seen in a movie/book when…

4. A meme that made me feel seen was about…

If needed, model one yourself!

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(Image: Getty)

Introduction

An expression meaning your experiences or feelings are represented. Learn it here.
Transcript
Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them as well. I'm Feifei, and I'm here with Beth. How are you doing?

Beth
Hi Feifei. I'm great, thanks! I actually went to see a comedian last night, and she was talking about having a really long coffee order and feeling awkward about it. I felt so seen - I have a really long coffee order!

Feifei
Oh, really? Now I want to know your coffee order...

Beth
OK. Are you ready? It's a soya milk sugar-free caramel flat white with two shots of decaf.

Feifei
Wow. That is long. So, the comedian wasn't talking about you specifically, but you 'felt seen' - that means you felt understood. The comedian was talking about an experience you can relate to.

Beth
Yes. If you 'feel seen' you feel represented, and it can be used in a jokey way, like with my coffee order, but it can also be used more seriously, like when people see themselves represented in a book or film, for example.

Feifei
Yes. A lot of this is about inclusion. I was listening to the radio this morning, and one of the presenters said that she has two young children at home, and every morning she has to, you know, get them up, get them dressed, so she feels like she has lived a hundred lives before she even leaves her front door. And I felt really seen.

Beth
Yeah, I can imagine. One of my friends is in a wheelchair, and when she sees someone on TV that is in a wheelchair, she says that it really makes her feel seen. So again, it's an experience that she can relate to.

Feifei
It's about feeling included. Let's hear some more examples of 'feel seen'.

Examples
So, I'm a bit weird, and I put orange juice on my cereal. And when my friend said that she did the same thing, I felt so seen.

I think it's great when you're watching TV, and you see somewhere that looks like where you live. I mean, it helps you feel seen.

My friend's been feeling really anxious lately, but she's listening to a new podcast, and she feels really seen. They talk about the same things that she's going through.

Beth
We mentioned before that 'feeling seen' is often related to inclusion. 'Feeling seen' means being represented and having your own thoughts, feelings or situation validated and recognised by someone else.

Feifei
Yes. It's about sharing experiences and feelings. We can say 'I feel seen' about a situation or experience that isn't always talked about. It's something different or unusual.

Beth
So, 'feeling seen' can mean that you feel validated in a way that feels quite personal.

Feifei
Exactly. Is it time to order a coffee? Let's go. We'll be back next time with another useful English phrase. See you soon!

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BBC Learning English - The English We Speak / Feel seen

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Lesson Plan: Talking About Siblings

🎯 Level: Lower Intermediate

⏰ Time: 60 minutes

🎧 Topic: Family – Siblings and Relationships

🎯 Focus: Speaking, Vocabulary Practice, Listening for Detail

👂 Listening Source: BBC Learning English – Real Easy English (Siblings)

1. 🟢 Warm-Up – Family Talk (10 min)

Objective: Get the student relaxed and speaking.

Ask:

Family members: father ( dad- daddy) mother ( mom) sister ( sis) brother ( bro) uncle - aunt ( auntie) cousin - nephew- niece - grandfather (grandpa) grandmother ( granny) god mother - god father - father in law - mother in law - brother in law- sister in law - step father - step mother - step brother - step sister - step family -foster family. twins

Do you have brothers or sisters?

no i don´t . i am an only child.

do you have cousins?

yes. i have many from my father´s side. and from my mother´s side only two.

Do you look similar to your cousins?

yeah.. we have some similarities.

Do you get on well with them?

yeah i get on well with them. i don´t see them often but i see them only in family gatherings like christmas or birthdays.

Help with vocabulary if needed (e.g. “older,” “younger,” the oldest - the youngest “same,” “not the same”).last week we remembered a year that he passed away - died

Encourage short answers with follow-ups:

“Why?” / “How often do you see them?” / “Do you miss them?”

2. 🎧 First Listen – General Understanding (10 min)

Objective: Understand the general topic and speakers.

Play the podcast from the start up to minute 3:00.

Ask simple questions:

Who is going to a birthday party?

Do they both have sisters?

Are their sisters older or younger?

Let the student answer in short phrases or full sentences. No pressure for perfection.

3. 🧠 Vocabulary Practice – Use and Respond (10 min)

Words to review (from the podcast):

siblings (brothers and sisters)

similar

get on well with

close

Mini tasks:

Ask: “Do you have any siblings?” (If yes, continue with “Do you get on well with them?”)

Ask about similarity: “Are you similar to your brother/sister?” “How?”

Ask: “Are you close with your family?”

Say a sentence and let them say if it’s true or false for them:

Examples:

“I get on well with my sister.”

“My brother is not similar to me.”

“I wish I had more siblings.”

4. 🎧 Second Listen – Details and Opinion (10 min)

Play from minute 3:00 to 6:30.

Ask:

Did Georgie become close to her sister during a trip?

How often does Neil talk to his sister?

Does Georgie want a brother?

What does Neil say about being the older sibling?

Encourage full sentences if possible:

“Yes, because they travelled together.”

“No, he doesn’t talk to her often.”

5. 💬 Discussion – Let’s Talk About You (15 min)

Ask open-ended questions to let the student share and speak:

Do you think you and your sibling(s) are similar?

Do you think older siblings have more responsibilities?

Are you closer now or when you were a child?

If you don’t have siblings: Would you like to have one? A brother or a sister? Why?

Support with vocabulary when needed. Let the student speak freely, correct gently.

6. ✍️ Optional Homework (5 min)

Ask the student to write 5–6 short sentences about their siblings or family:

Example:

I have one sister.

She is older than me.

We are not very similar.

We get on well.

I see her every month.

I want to travel with her one day.

grammar input: wish + simple past

i wish i had more money to travel, what other wishes do you have? use the same grammar in this question.

1. i wish i had my grandparent back.

2. i wish there were ( weren´t) no health problems ( there is)

3. i wish i didn´t feel bored to work out.

4. I wish there were no wars and everyone live in harmony.

5. I wish I had not an abortion - lost my baby.

6. I wish I had traveled much more!

7. I wish I had my grandparents forever.

8. I wish I had money and not need to work! kkkk

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about siblings

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Learn to talk about your brothers and sisters

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🧑‍🏫

Lesson Plan: Spending Time with Friends

Level: Lower-Intermediate

Time: 60 minutes

Main skills: Listening, Vocabulary, Writing, Speaking

Vocabulary Focus: socialise, small talk, awkward, embarrassed, have (something) in common

Based on: BBC Learning English - Real Easy English: “Spending Time with Friends”

🔹 1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Goal: Introduce the topic and activate background knowledge.

Ask the student these questions to start a conversation:

Do you like spending time with friends?

yes i like of course... i like it so much but lately i´ve been very tired and i don´t have guts to do anything.

What do you usually do when you meet your friends?

we speak about anything, about the news, we gossip sometimes and we laugh a lot.

Do you prefer big parties or small get-togethers?

i prefer small get togethers because i am 30 plus woman. and i am very interested in other things.

How do you feel when you meet new people?

ow well i feel very bored to talk the basic things with people, like being outgoing, friendly is sometimes very difficult after you have a conversation.

Encourage complete answers using structures like “I like ___” or “I prefer ___ because…”

🔹 2. Vocabulary Introduction (15 minutes)

Goal: Teach key vocabulary from the podcast.

Introduce the five words:

Socialise – to spend time with people for fun.

Small talk – casual conversation about unimportant things, often with strangers.

Awkward – feeling uncomfortable or unsure in a situation.

Embarrassed – feeling shy, ashamed, or nervous.

Have (something) in common – to share interests or experiences with someone.

For each word:

1. Say the word aloud and ask the student to repeat.

2. Give a simple example sentence.

3. Ask the student to give their own example, or help them create one.

Example:

Teacher: “Awkward means feeling uncomfortable. For example: ‘I felt awkward when no one spoke at the dinner.’ Can you give me your own sentence?”

🔹 3. Listening Focus (10 minutes)

Goal: Understand the vocabulary in context.

Play or read short parts of the transcript from the podcast. After each part, ask the student questions to check understanding.

Example questions:

What does Georgie say about socialising?

she likes parties, she likes to dance and to meet new people but she prefers small events where she can have deeper conversation in a small group and she has a shy side.

Does Neil like small talk?

he doesn´t like small talk in a big group with strangers, he thinks is kind of empty and he finds small talks awkward.

Who prefers small gatherings /small events?

both prefers small gathering/event.

What does “social burnout” mean?

social burnout is staying so tired and then socilize with others, you don´t want to spend time with people, it´s when you are lacking energy. you are exhausted.

vocabulary:

embarrased/ ashamed/ shy

awkward / unconfortable

burnout

socialize

gathering/event - gathering with friends

You can also pause and ask, “What does the word ‘awkward’ mean here?” or “Why does Neil feel embarrassed sometimes?”

🔹 4. Writing Task (15 minutes)

Goal: Practice using new vocabulary in written form.

Ask the student to write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) answering these questions:

Do you enjoy socialising?

Yes I like enjoy socialising, but I like stay alone too because I often have a social burnout.

What kind of social events do you prefer: big parties or small groups?

Depends, sometimes I like to go for big events because I drink and eat a lot; but I prefer gathering with fewer friends.

Do you ever feel awkward or embarrassed when meeting new people?

Generally I stay confortable with meet new people because I am outgoing person, but I have shy side too and I stay alright alone.

What do you and your friends have in common?

We like gossip and laugh a lot.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about socialising

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Learn to talk about spending time with friends

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🎯 Lesson Plan: Phrasal Verbs and Emotions

Level: Lower Intermediate (A2–B1)
Topic: Emotions & Self-care
Focus: Phrasal verbs in context
Time: 40–50 minutes
Target Phrasal Verbs:

bottle up/ esconder/ hide emotions

open up/ share emotions

hold back/ hold emotions

break down/ lose control and start to cry

freak out/ lose control through a chock, excitement or fear.

blow up/ get angry about something

calm down/ reduce stress

chill out/ relax

🔹 Warm-Up – Talking About Emotions (5–7 mins)

Ask your student:

What do you do when you feel stressed or sad?

i go to the gym and right after i just chill out.

Do you talk to someone? Do you take time for yourself?

yes i normally talk to my close friend and i open up with my therapist.

What does "self-care" mean to you?

self care means is to take care about my feelings and health , besides that i avoid to break down with something.

🔹 Step 1 – Learn the Phrasal Verbs (10–12 mins)

Introduce the verbs one by one with short, simple definitions and an example sentence.

1. bottle up – to hide your feelings
“He bottles up his anger and never talks about it.”

I don't know how to bottle up my feelings.

2. open up – to share your emotions with someone
“She opened up to her friend about her problems.”

In the star, I did have difficulty to open up with my therapist.

3. hold back – to stop yourself from showing emotion
“He tried to hold back his tears.”

She hold back her emotion during the cerimony.

4. break down – to start crying or lose emotional control
“She broke down after the bad news.”

I saw the scene and I broke down.

5. freak out – to suddenly feel very afraid, surprised, or angry
“I freaked out when I lost my phone!”

He's freaking out because his wife is breaking down.

6. blow up – to suddenly get very angry
“He blew up when he heard the lie.”

Every day in my work, I blow up with someone.

7. calm down – to become more relaxed

I blew up with them but I stop and deep breath for sometime and I chilled out.

1. chill out – to relax and do nothing stressful

Some people isolate for chilling out.

Check comprehension after each one:

Ask the student to say it back in their own words or translate into Spanish.

Ask: “Can you think of a situation when you would say this?”

🔹 Step 2 – Choose the Best Option (10 mins)

Say these sentences aloud and have your student choose the correct phrasal verb from two options:

1. When I heard the bad news, I started to cry. I really broke down!
(a) broke down / (b) chilled out

2. He never tells anyone about his feelings. He always bottles up.
(a) bottles up / (b) opens up

3. I lost my keys and completely freaked out!
(a) calmed down / (b) freaked out

4. After the argument, she needed time to chill out!
(a) blow up / (b) chill out

🔹 Step 3 – Finish the Sentence (10 mins)

Ask the student to complete each sentence with a personal example:

I freak out when I dont have money for the trip.

To chill out, I usually stay at home and I do nothin!

I think it’s hard to open up because our feeling are complicated!!

Once, I broke down when I had an argument with my mother!

You can help them expand with follow-up questions.

🔹 Step 4 – Creative Speaking (Optional Extension – 10 mins)

Role play or storytelling:

"Imagine a friend is feeling stressed. What would you tell them?"

Or: "Tell me about a time when you had to calm down or chill out."

Encourage use of at least 3–4 phrasal verbs.

🟢 Homework (Optional)

Ask your student to write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) about a time they felt very emotional, using at least 3 phrasal verbs from the lesson.

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for feelings

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Calm down! Phrasal verbs aren’t THAT bad…

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🎯 Lesson Plan: Making “Mum Friends”

Level: Lower Intermediate (A2–B1)
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Skills: Listening, Vocabulary, Speaking
Materials: BBC audio clip (Beth & Neil), transcript (if needed), visuals for vocabulary

🔹 Objective:

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Understand key vocabulary related to friendship and parenting

Talk about social experiences like making new friends

Practice listening comprehension with real-life English

🔸 1. Warm-Up: Social Circles (7–10 min)

Discussion Questions:

Do parents feel pressure to socialize with other parents?

Have you ever had to "fit into" a new group?

👉 Pre-teach the concept of “mum friends” and “play date.”
Example: “A mum friend is a friend you make because your kids are friends.”

Summary:

🔸 2. Vocabulary Focus (10–12 min)

Teach these expressions using examples and questions:

1. play date – “Have you ever arranged a play date for children?”

2. clique – “Have you ever felt excluded by a clique?”

3. glam – “Who is someone you find glam?”

4. fit into – “Is it easy for you to fit into new groups?”

5. down to luck – “Do you think making friends is down to luck?”

6. click with – “Can you describe someone you clicked with instantly?”

🔸 3. Listening Task (15–20 min)

Task 1: Prediction (before listening):
Ask: Where do you think the word “play date” comes from? Australia, New Zealand, or the USA?

Task 2: Listen for general meaning (1st listen):
Ask: Do Beth and Neil think making “mum friends” is easy or hard? Why?

Task 3: Listen for detail (2nd listen):
Write down which vocabulary items you hear.
(Optionally, use a transcript to support comprehension.)

Check the quiz question answer: ✅ The USA

🔸 4. Speaking Practice (10–15 min)

Discussion Prompts (using target vocabulary):

Have you ever joined a group where it was hard to fit in?

Do you believe making close friends is down to luck?

Can you describe someone you clicked with instantly?

What do you think about cliques among parents?

Encourage the student to use 3–4 of the new words in context.

🔸 5. Wrap-Up / Optional Homework

Recap the vocabulary.
Ask: Which words were new or interesting for you?

Homework (optional):
Write a short paragraph (6–8 sentences) about a time you tried to make a new friend, using at least three of the new expressions.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Making ‘mum friends’

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Is making new ‘mum friends’ the positive experience it’s often described as?

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Phrasal verbs mentioned

heat up
increase in temperature

The planet is heating up due to a high level of CO2 in the atmosphere.

If you put food in the microwave, it heats up.

ex ; since my air conditioner is not working i feel that the apartment is heating up because of the hight temperature in salvador.

My computer is heating up because its fan is not working.

rely on (something)
depend on something; need something for another thing to function

Humans rely on fossil fuels to heat our homes and fuel our cars.

When I broke my ankle, I relied on my family to help me around the house.

I rely on my doctor's permission to come back on my activities.

EX: When I am hungry I rely on Larissa cookies

dry up
lose liquid and become dry

This valley used to be a lake but it dried up centuries ago.

The juice you spilled on the floor has finally dried up.

I forgot my perfume open and it dried up!

In the morning the beach was full, So in the afternoon the beach dry up.

die out
gradually become extinct e.g. species

If we don't protect their habitats, many species will die out before the end of the century.

Some traditional skills are dying out in modern society.

I think telephone calls are dying out.

I dont find more types of animals beacause they die out

wipe (something) out
eliminate something, e.g. a species, in a sudden and destructive way

Pollution and deforestation have wiped out entire ecosystems.

The hurricane wiped out the entire neighbourhood, leaving only destruction and debris.

Its imposible to wipe out every carbon footprint.

The rain is wiping out the flowers in my street

cut down on (something)
use or do less of something

One way to combat climate change is to cut down on our use of fossil fuels.

I'm going to start cutting down on sugar to improve my health.

I need cut down on sugar on my diet.

If you want to be better in your job you need to cup down on your facilities.

fight for (something)
push for (something)
try really hard to achieve something or make it happen

The community is fighting for cleaner air and water in their neighbourhood.

The workers are pushing for higher wages and better conditions.

I would like to have a person to fight for me.

In my city we are flighting for problems about trash

take part in (something)
participate in an activity or event

I took part in a beach clean-up event and together we removed 200 bags of rubbish.

Every year, we take part in a fundraising challenge to raise money for sustainability projects.

I would like to take part in the global warming event.

I take part in the association hotel in my city

Homework:

1.Writing Now, write your own complete sentences using the following phrasal verbs. The prompts in italics are optional.

1. die out, e.g. Can you think of a species which died out? Why did it die out?

Dinosaurs died out many years ago.

2. take part in, e.g. What is an activity or event you have taken part in?

I would like to take part in travel clubs and live traveling.

3. fight for, e.g. Have you ever fought for something? What do you think is worth fighting for?

We have to fight for our happiness. Add dayli?

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(Images: Getty)

Learn more about the environment
____________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Georgie teaches you some phrasal verbs that can be used to talk about climate change.

Phrasal verbs mentioned

heat up
increase in temperature

The planet is heating up due to a high level of CO2 in the atmosphere.

If you put food in the microwave, it heats up.

rely on (something)
depend on something; need something for another thing to function

Humans rely on fossil fuels to heat our homes and fuel our cars.

When I broke my ankle, I relied on my family to help me around the house.

dry up
lose liquid and become dry

This valley used to be a lake but it dried up centuries ago.

The juice you spilled on the floor has finally dried up.

die out
gradually become extinct e.g. species

If we don't protect their habitats, many species will die out before the end of the century.

Some traditional skills are dying out in modern society.

wipe (something) out
eliminate something, e.g. a species, in a sudden and destructive way

Pollution and deforestation have wiped out entire ecosystems.

The hurricane wiped out the entire neighbourhood, leaving only destruction and debris.

cut down on (something)
use or do less of something

One way to combat climate change is to cut down on our use of fossil fuels.

I'm going to start cutting down on sugar to improve my health.

fight for (something)
push for (something)
try really hard to achieve something or make it happen

The community is fighting for cleaner air and water in their neighbourhood.

The workers are pushing for higher wages and better conditions.

take part in (something)
participate in an activity or event

I took part in a beach clean-up event and together we removed 200 bags of rubbish.

Every year, we take part in a fundraising challenge to raise money for sustainability projects.

TOP TIPS!

If you see the word 'something', it usually means the verb requires an object.

If 'something' is in the middle of the phrasal verb, it means that it can be separated by the object (but doesn't have to be).

If 'something' is at the end of the phrasal verb, it means it cannot be separated.

When a pronoun, e.g. him, her, them, is the object of a separable phrasal verb, it must go between the verb and the particle.

To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page.
NEXT Prepositions with Georgie Conditionals with Georgie
Try our other vocabulary programmes

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for climate change

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Learn some phrasal verbs related to climate change

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🧑‍🏫 Class Title: Can Animals Help Fight Climate Change?

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)

Time: 60–90 minutes

🎯 Objectives:

Learn and use vocabulary related to climate change and animal migration

Practice listening comprehension and paraphrasing

Improve structured speaking and writing using academic and conversational discourse features

🗣️ Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you know any animals that migrate? Why do they migrate?

2. How do you think animals and climate change are connected?

3. Have you ever heard of the Great Migration?

Mini Vocabulary Preview (Quick Match):
Match the terms to definitions:

Term Definition

migrate : move to another place due to weather or temperature

sequester : store or trap something, like CO2

secret weapon : something that gives an unexpected advantage

🎧 Listening & Vocabulary (20–25 minutes)

Audio: 6 Minute English - Can animals help fight climate change?
Link: BBC Learning English Episode

Task 1: Comprehension Check

Answer the question from the episode:

How many animals are thought to take part in The Great Migration?
a) 1 million b) 1.5 million c) 2.5 million

Task 2: Vocabulary in Context
Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the episode:

1. Some animals __________ long distances for food or mating.

2. Climate activists believe forests and seagrass help __________ carbon.

3. The phrase "__________" means a powerful tool that isn't obvious.

4. The migration of sharks covers large __________ of ocean.

5. To understand better, we can say "__________" and then give an example or comparison.

✍️ Writing Task (20–25 minutes)

Prompt:

Write a short opinion paragraph (120–150 words) answering:
"Should governments invest more in protecting migratory animals to fight climate change?"

Include:

A clear topic sentence

Supporting arguments with vocabulary from today’s lesson

Linking words: however, in addition, as a result, for example, in contrast

Concluding sentence

Optional peer review or homework submission

💬 Speaking Task: Structured Discussion (20 minutes)

Debate Pairs / Small Groups:

"Sharks are more useful to the planet alive than dead."

Assign roles:

One student supports the idea using information from the podcast

One plays devil's advocate or a skeptical policymaker

Third student (if in group) summarizes the main points

Discourse Features to Practice:

Expressing agreement/disagreement

Adding evidence: “For example, studies show...”

Clarifying: “What I mean is…”

Perspective: “To put this in perspective…”

✅ Wrap-Up (5–10 minutes)

Reflection questions:

What new vocabulary did you use in speaking or writing today?

Did anything surprise you about animal migration and climate change?

How can you apply today’s vocabulary in other contexts?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How climate change affects animal migration

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How is climate change affecting animal migration?

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🌟 Lesson Plan: “Is Learning Languages Good for You?” (Lower‑Intermediate)

🎯 Objective

Students will be able to:

1. Discuss benefits of multilingualism.

2. Understand and use five target vocabulary items in context.

3. Practice listening for gist and detail.

4. Share opinions and personal experiences.

🕑 Total Time: 60 minutes

1. 👋 Warm‑up (5 min)

Question on board: “Do you know anyone who speaks more than two languages?”

I think the pope spoke many languages and i think all popes should speak many languages, this is a requirement to be a pope, so Francisco the pope is from Argentina and he spoke spanish and italian, latin, english, portuguese and french.

2. 🧩 Vocabulary in Context (12 min)

a) Context Sentences

On the board, write six short sentences with blanks (one extra) using the target words.

Target Vocabulary: polyglot, pick up, brain workout, juggling, tune into, soldier on

1. Maria speaks five languages—she’s a true _ polyglot _____.

2. When I need new English words, I just talk to people and __ tune into ____ them naturally.

3. Learning vocabulary every day is like a _ brain workout _____ for your mind.

4. He’s always busy—juggling ______ work, family, and classes.

5. Before starting class, please __pick up____ the podcast and settle in.

6. It was hard at first, but I decided to _soldier on_____ and finish my language course.

7. Tune into - for you learn something you need to tune into the context.

8. soldier on - when you juggle things at the same time like for example cooking and cleaning and also studying you need to be soldier on for you to finish your day.

3. 🎧 Pre‑Listening & Prediction (5 min)

Write the week’s question:

“Which country has the most official languages? a) Zimbabwe b) Switzerland c) Bolivia”

Students vote and briefly say why.

4. 📻 Listening for Gist (10 min)

Play the start of the episode (Neil’s introduction + question).

Task: What’s the main topic? (Polyglots and multilingual benefits.)

So, the podcast talks about how important is to speak lot of languages, because is a brain workout and decrease dementia and power you in other benefits for your health.

5. 📋 Listening for Detail (10 min)

Play again. Students note:

1. The correct answer to the quiz question.

2. One benefit of knowing many languages mentioned.

6. 💬 Vocabulary Retrieval (5 min)

Ask students: “Where did you hear ‘juggling’ in the conversation? What was being juggled?”

Elicit one or two more contexts for each word to reinforce meaning.

7. 🗣️ Speaking & Discussion (10 min)

In groups of three, students discuss:

1. “Would you like to be a polyglot? Why or why not?”

yes, i´d like to be a polyglot because i like to take vacation and travel the world, and i love talking to other foreigners, people like me.

2. “What skills could you pick up easily? What would be harder—how would you soldier on?”

i think everything that you have with discipline and focus you can pick up easily, and i think i´d soldier on with a new language like chinese for example or italian.

1. “Is learning English a brain workout for you? How do you juggle your study time?”

Of course for me english is a brain workout and i do everything juggling because i study, i work and i care my personal life and i need to soldier on.

8. ✍️ Reflection & Homework (3 min)

polyglot, pick up, brain workout, juggling, tune into, soldier on

Homework:

Write five sentences, each using a different target word correctly.

-> To be a polyglot, you need to speak more than one language.

-> To learn something, it's necessary to tune into on the subject.

-> For better memory, we need to do exercises for brain workout.

-> Today’s life is a real juggling, we have to do multiple things at the same time! That's so crazy!!

-> Some people learn easily and are pick up; they are soldier on that they can keep discipline and focus!

learning several languages makes you multilingual and allows

Short paragraph (50 words): “How does learning languages benefit you?” Use at least three of today’s words.

-> Learning multiple languages makes you a polyglot and allows you to interact with other people from different parts of the world; also opens doors for more job opportunities and it’s still a brain work, stimulating linguistic-cognitive aspects, such as memory, communication and others; allowing greater juggling of the mind!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning multiple languages

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📢 English

Dear students,

From now on, we will have new policies for Spanish and English classes.
If a class is not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance, it will be charged as part of your current package.
Thank you very much for your understanding and commitment.

Best regards,

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1. Warm-up (10 min)

Discussion Questions:

Do you think eating healthily is expensive? Why or why not?

Yes, the healthy food generally is more expensive because of inflation.

Have you ever eaten at an expensive restaurant? Was it worth the price?

I reraly go to expensive resturant; but I went to one restaurant and I didn't like the portion was little and I spent much money.

word bank:

budget = orçamento

health = saude

healthy = saudavel

healthily = saudavelmente

meal = refeiçao

Prediction:

Show the question: How much does a meal cost at the most expensive restaurant in the world? (€650, €1650, or €2650)Ask students to guess before listening.

2. Listening Activity (15 min)

First Listening (General Understanding):

Play the audio.

Ask: What is the main idea of the conversation?

Check if their price guesses were correct.

Second Listening (Detailed Understanding):

Play the audio again.

Students take notes on arguments for and against healthy eating being expensive.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do Pippa and Georgie think about the cost of healthy food?

2. What are some reasons why people believe eating healthily is expensive?

3. What solutions or alternatives do they suggest?

3. Vocabulary Practice (15 min)

Matching Activity: Match words with definitions.

Word/Phrase Definition

bags of (something) a lot of (something)

ultimately

finally, after a series of events

tackle

try to deal with (a problem)

a classic

well-known and of good quality

a pain (to do something)

annoying or difficult (to do something)

heavy-handed (with an ingredient)

use too much (of an ingredient)

Sentence Completion:
Students complete sentences using the vocabulary:

4. Speaking Activity (15 min)

Debate:

Divide students into two groups:

Healthy eating is expensive.

Healthy eating can be affordable.

Each group prepares arguments using the vocabulary.

Debate using phrases like:

I believe that...

Ultimately, the real issue is...

A classic example is...

5. Writing Task (10 min)

Students write a short paragraph answering: Is eating healthily always expensive?

They must use at least three new vocabulary words.

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

What did you learn today?

Has your opinion about healthy eating changed?

Which new words can you use in daily conversation?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Healthy meals on a budget

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Lesson Plan: Is Happiness the Key to Success?

Level: Upper Intermediate (B2)
Objective: The student will discuss the relationship between happiness and success, expand their vocabulary, and practice listening skills with the BBC podcast.

1. Warm-up (10 min)

Discussion Questions:

What does success mean to you?

For me, It means to earn money and to work with something that makes you happy.

Can someone be successful without being happy? Why or why not? (happy = unhappy.)

Yes, there are some people that earn a lot of money but they are not happy. ( unhappy)

What things make people happy at work?

I think that is to work with something you love; when you have time left for other activities for hobby for example, to rest, social life and everything that gives you life quality.

Prediction Activity:

Show the title: Is happiness the key to success?

Ask: What do you think the podcast will talk about?

the pocast (may/ might/could ) talk about the the life and the routines of people at work.

2. Vocabulary Introduction (15 min)

Introduce the vocabulary with definitions and examples:

1. Modernise – Make more modern, for example, through introducing new technology.

Many companies are modernising their offices with AI tools.

2. Social fabric – Community relationships that connect members of a society.

Strong families and friendships help maintain the social fabric of a country.

3. Intact – Complete and untouched.

Despite the storm, the old bridge remained intact.

4. Take centre stage – Become more important than anything else.

Climate change has taken centre stage in global discussions.

5. Brain drain – When large numbers of educated and skilled people leave their country to work abroad.

Many doctors move to the US because of the brain drain in their home countries.

6. Upskilling – Improving workers’ skills by giving them additional training.

The company is upskilling employees to prepare them for new technology.

3. Listening Activity (20 min)

Step 1: First listen – General understanding

What is the main idea of the podcast?

-> Talks about the idea of happiness associated with the preservation of culture and appreciation of the homeland.

Does the speaker think happiness is the key to success?

-> He believes that happiness is an important key and that it is more associated with quality of life than economic growth at any cost. Modernize without losing the cultural essence, living in harmony with other citizens.

Step 2: Second listen – Focus on details

What examples are given about happiness and success?

-> Gross National Happiness means preserving Bhutan’s natural environment and culture through sustainable and eco-friendly development.

How do the vocabulary words appear in the podcast?

-> It is important to modernise, but keeping the culture intact and as the centre stage , making possible the coexistence of the social fabric, in addition to the upskilling of the population, allowing a better quality of life and avoiding brain drain.

What is the answer to the question: When is International Happiness Day?

-> March 20

4. Discussion & Speaking Practice (15 min)

Debate: What is more important: happiness or success?

One student argues that happiness leads to success.

One student argues that success leads to happiness.

Follow-up Questions:

Can money buy happiness?

How does social fabric influence happiness?

What are the risks of brain drain for a country?

5. Writing Activity (10 min)

Task: Write a short essay (150-200 words) answering:
"Do you think happiness is necessary for success? Why or why not?"

Use at least 3 new vocabulary words.

-> I think so, that for a person to succeed in life she must have happiness take centre stage! But this does not exclude the need to modernize and upskilling for further development.

6. Wrap-up (5 min)

Review the key vocabulary.

Share answers to the International Happiness Day question.

Ask: What did you learn today?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The country that measures happiness

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Warm-up (10 min) – Discussion

• Ask the student:

Have you ever seen an online post or video that made

everyday i see people making bad comments on everyone posts. no matter if is a good post or bad post, people always come with rage bait.

everyday i see something like this, people make comments on posts if you are thin, if you are fat, if you look beautiful or ugly, they always make comments about you.

• Briefly introduce the concept of rage bait (content designed to provoke anger for engagement).

summary:

what is the podcast about, Monique?

This is about the rage bait( VIDEOS OR POSTS THAT INCITE ANGER AND RAGE) that people cause on social media, and this make the creator earn more and more money. You need to learn how to like posts before so, YOU DON´T CONTRIBUTE TO TOXIC COMMENTS AND ANGER.

2. Vocabulary Introduction (15 min)

Target Words/Phrases:

• Rage bait – Content designed to provoke anger for engagement.

• Engagement – Interaction with online content (likes, comments, shares).

• Monetization – Turning content into money.

• Algorithm – A system that decides which content gets promoted.

• Controversial – Likely to cause disagreement or strong opinions.

• Clickbait – Sensational headlines designed to attract attention.

• Ad revenue – Money earned from online advertisements.

Activity:

• Provide definitions and examples.

• Ask the student to match the words with their meanings.

• Have them create sentences using the new vocabulary.

3. Speaking Activity (20 min) – Debate & Discussion

Task: Is rage bait an ethical way to make money online?

• Student argues for or against rage bait as a business strategy.

• Encourage them to use new vocabulary.

• Guide them with follow-up questions:

• Why do people engage with rage bait?

• Should social media platforms limit this kind of content?

4. Writing Activity (20 min) – Opinion Piece

Prompt:

“Do you think people should make money from rage bait? Why or why not?”

I don’t believe it is the best option! There must be more honest and peaceful ways to earn money.

yeah, I think no matter what they do, they want to be seen, because the more people see the post, the more they get paid and they get more ad revenue.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rage bait: How online anger makes money

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How do people make money from rage bait?

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Here are the key vocabulary words with their definitions:

1. Bond “ A strong connection or relationship between people.

Example: The bond between sisters can last a lifetime.

2. Rivalry “ Competition or conflict between people, especially siblings.

Example: Sibling rivalry is common when children compete for their parents attention.

3. Support “ Help or encouragement given to someone.

Example: Good sisters always support each other in difficult times.

4. Upbringing “ The way a child is raised and educated by their parents.

Example: A shared upbringing can create a strong bond between siblings.

5. Sibling “ A brother or sister.

Example: I have two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother.

6. Conflict “ A disagreement or fight between people.

Example: Conflicts between siblings are normal but can be resolved through communication.

7. Loyalty “ A strong feeling of support or allegiance to someone.

â€¢ Example: Despite their arguments, the sisters always showed loyalty to each other.

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The Relationship Between Sisters

Lesson Objectives:

• Improve listening comprehension through a BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour special about sisterhood/brotherhood/childhood/

other words related: sibblings = irmaos/irmas/parents= pais e maes/ relatives = parentes.

• Expand vocabulary related to family relationships and emotions.

• Practice speaking and expressing personal opinions on sibling relationships.

1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have any siblings? How is your relationship with them? if you don´t have a sibling talk about a person that is like a sister or brother for you? how is the relationship between both of you?

No I dont have siblings, but I have some friends that is like a sister for me! It's someone who you talk about everything; that is at your side all the time. When you need some help, you can count on her.

2. What do you think makes a strong relationship between sisters or siblings in general?

I think is important to talk about everything, always with honesty, affection; there is sisterhood and much bonding!

3. Can you think of any famous sisters (from history, fiction, or pop culture)?

There is Caetano velozo and maria betania that look like brotherhood; they have the same career.

2. Listening Activity (20 minutes)

Step 1: Pre-listening (5 minutes)

• Introduce key vocabulary from the recording (e.g., bond, rivalry, support, upbringing, sibling, conflict, loyalty).

Bond - conexão

Rivalry - rivalidade

Support - suporte

Upbringing - criação

Sibling - irmãos

Conflict - conflito

Loyalty - lealdade

Step 2: First Listening (5 minutes)

• What is the main idea of the recording?

• Do the speakers describe sisterhood as mostly positive or negative?

Step 3: Second Listening (10 minutes)

• What challenges do the speakers mention about having a sister?

She talk about the different temper between then, commonly the first is bossy, the second peacemaker and the younger spoiled. The sisterhood became more difficult nowadays.

• What are some of the benefits of having a sister?

• How does childhood upbringing affect the relationship between sisters?

3. Vocabulary Expansion (10 minutes)

• Review the key vocabulary from the listening segment.

• Use gap-fill exercises or sentence completion to reinforce understanding.

• Ask the student to use some of the words in their own sentences.

4. Speaking Practice (15 minutes)

Discussion Questions:

• How does the relationship between siblings change over time?

• Do you think gender plays a role in sibling relationships? How are brother-brother or brother-sister relationships different from sister-sister relationships?

• If you could choose, would you prefer to have a brother or a sister? Why?

• How can people maintain a strong bond with their siblings even when they live far apart?

5. Wrap-up & Homework (5 minutes)

• Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson.

• Assign a short writing task:

• “Describe a strong sibling relationship you know of (real or fictional). What makes it special?”

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The bond between sisters

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Are the stereotypes about older and younger sisters true?

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Lesson Plan: Are DNA Ancestry Tests Reliable?

Level: Intermediate

Duration: 60 minutes

Skills: Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary

Objectives:

• Develop listening comprehension through a discussion about DNA ancestry tests.

• Expand vocabulary related to ancestry and genetics.

• Practice expressing opinions and discussing reliability.

Materials:

• BBC 6 Minute English episode: “Are DNA ancestry tests reliable?”

• Vocabulary list and discussion questions

Lesson Procedure:

1. Warm-up (10 min)

• Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever taken a DNA ancestry test? Would you like to? Why or why not?

No, i haven´t taken a dna test in my life but i´d like to.

2. How do you think these tests work?

These tests help you with an analysis , genetics and birth of your ancestors.

3. What are some reasons people want to learn about their ancestry?

maybe they want to prevent illnesses in the family. or they want to know about their lineage.

• Pre-teach Vocabulary:

• Ancestry – family origin or background

• Genetic markers – specific genes used to trace lineage

• Lineage – direct descent from an ancestor

• Ethnicity – cultural and social identity

• Reliability – how trustworthy or accurate something is

2. summary of the podcast:

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you trust ancestry DNA kits?

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Are DNA ancestry tests a reliable way to trace your ancestry?

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Lesson Plan: Are DNA Ancestry Tests Reliable?

Level: Intermediate

Duration: 60 minutes

Skills: Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary

Objectives:

• Develop listening comprehension through a discussion about DNA ancestry tests.

• Expand vocabulary related to ancestry and genetics.

• Practice expressing opinions and discussing reliability.

Materials:

• BBC 6 Minute English episode: “Are DNA ancestry tests reliable?”

• Vocabulary list and discussion questions

Lesson Procedure:

1. Warm-up (10 min)

• Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever taken a DNA ancestry test? Would you like to? Why or why not?

No, i haven´t taken a dna test in my life but i´d like to.

2. How do you think these tests work?

These tests help you with an analysis , genetics and birth of your ancestors.

3. What are some reasons people want to learn about their ancestry?

maybe they want to prevent illnesses in the family. or they want to know about their lineage.

• Pre-teach Vocabulary:

• Ancestry – family origin or background

• Genetic markers – specific genes used to trace lineage

• Lineage – direct descent from an ancestor

• Ethnicity – cultural and social identity

• Reliability – how trustworthy or accurate something is

2. summary of the podcast:

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1. Warm-up (5-10 min)

Ask: How do you think babies learn to talk?

Babies learn to talk around one year old.

Show a picture of a baby and ask: What words do you think babies say first?

Babies talk first words like "papa" and "mama".

Introduce key vocabulary (e.g., babbling, sounds, listening, repeating, parents, communication).

-> The communication of babies begins by babbling, which are sounds heard and repeated by them, through the observation of parents and other relatives.

2. Listening Activity (10-15 min)

True/False statements about the podcast

-> It's false that babies already begin their communication with complete words.

-> It's true that to learn to speak, babies need to live with adults and have their hearing and cognition preserved.

-> It's true that the babbling are sounds that the baby uses to play and imitate adults, but still without linguistic content.

Vocabulary from the podcast:

babble
meaningless noises and sounds which babies make as they start learning to speak

stressed syllable
sound within a word which is emphasised by being spoken longer, louder or higher than the other sounds

error
mistake

classic example
perfect or most typical example of something which has all the features which you expect such a thing to have

take (something) for granted
accept or assume something without question

ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning; being open to interpretation

Summary: write a summary

-> The podcast discusses the beginning of baby speech; that it's easy sounds and that there are common mistakes - there is no full word pronunciation.

3. Discussion (10 min) homework

Do babies learn to talk in the same way in all languages?

-> I believe that the acquisition of language in babies is very similar all over the world, because speaking is a matter of maturation of muscular structures and cognitive aspects and we humans are equal in this.

What do you remember about how you learned to speak?

-> I don’t remember details, but my father said that the first time I said my name was: "Muique"

4. Speaking Practice (10 min) homework

Role-play: One student is a scientist, the other a parent. The parent asks how to help their baby talk.

-> To stimulate your baby to speak is necessary to talk a lot with him, say the name and whenever possible, show the object/ person, so that they start the word/ meaning association.

You should avoid anticipating the desires/wishes of your child, it is important that there is a need to talk, such as: when you know that your child wants something, do not deliver it, wait for him to try to speak and if he can’t, show/ talk how to do. Through daily repetition, he will learn!

5. Wrap-up (5 min)

Review key vocabulary.

-> Babble is the beginning of the attempt to speak and is characterized by being the repetition of sounds, which are usually stressed syllable words. In each language there is a classic example of errors during repetition the words. We can't take for granted the productions spoken by a baby, because they are very variable, leaving the understanding ambiguous.

Feedback: homework

What was the most interesting thing you learned today?

-> The vocabulary; and many things are of my profession.

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
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Introduction

What do babies need to learn to be able to talk? Georgie and Phil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

At what age do babies usually start babbling?

a) around 6 months old?
b) around 9 months old? or,
c) around 1 year old?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

babble
meaningless noises and sounds which babies make as they start learning to speak

stressed syllable
sound within a word which is emphasised by being spoken longer, louder or higher than the other sounds

error
mistake

classic example
perfect or most typical example of something which has all the features which you expect such a thing to have

take (something) for granted
accept or assume something without question

ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning; being open to interpretation
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Phil
Babies have to learn to use their mouth muscles to make specific sounds. They experiment with different sounds and mouth shapes. So, what exactly is happening when babies start learning to speak? What do you think, Georgie?

Georgie
Well, Phil, I'm no expert, but I imagine they watch the adults around them and kind of copy and imitate what they do. What do you think?

Phil
I definitely think that's what my children did when they were learning to speak. Well, let's compare our ideas with those of an expert - Professor Julian Pine from Liverpool University, speaking here on BBC Radio 4, and he lists the skills that babies develop in order to speak:

Professor Julian Pine
Well, one of the first things the child's got to do is, they've got to break down the speech stream into words. Then they've got to link the words to the things that they refer to in the environment, so they've got to learn what the words mean. [Right].

Georgie
In this programme, we'll discover how babies learn to speak, and, as usual, we'll learn some useful new vocabulary. And on the subject of words, remember you can find a list of this programme's vocabulary on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Some people find it helpful to study the vocabulary before listening.

a) around 6 months old?
b) around 9 months old? or,
c) around 1 year old?

Georgie
OK, I think my best guess would be a) around six months old.

Michael Rosen
Ooh, and I've got an example of this - my son used to call a machine a 'sminge' - he just hit the stress, he didn't bother with the 'ma' bit.

Professor Julian Pine
Yeah, exactly.

Michael Rosen
Or he may have thought it was 'my sminge' of course, that's the other thing.

Michael Rosen
Yes, I think I call them that!

The classic example of this is when children say 'nana' instead of 'banana'. A classic example of something means the best example of it, one containing all the features you expect such a thing to have. For example, ants are a classic example of animals working together.

Georgie
The second skill babies develop as they learn to speak is correctly linking a word to the object it refers to, in other words knowing what the word means. As adults we do this without thinking, but it's actually much harder than it sounds, as Professor Julian Pine explains to BBC Radio 4 programme, 'Word of Mouth'.

Professor Julian Pine
Well, we take for granted the fact that it's kind of obvious what words refer to in the environment, but actually if you look at it from the child's point of view, it's really difficult to work out what a word refers to because there's so many things it could refer to. So, you know, the speech signal is very ambiguous. How does the child know that you're talking about the cup in front of you, or the pen in front of you when you say 'pen' or 'cup'?

As adults, we take it for granted that when a friend says, "apple", they mean that round, red thing on the table. To take it for granted means to assume something without question. But for a baby, the link between the word 'apple' and the object is not obvious, it's ambiguous, meaning it has more than one possible meaning.

Georgie
Wow! Who knew so much was going on inside babies' sponge-like brains as they soak up the sounds they hear? Right, Phil, isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question?

Phil
It is indeed. The question was, at what age do babies start to make babbling noises?

Georgie
And I said it was around six months.

Phil
And that is the correct answer.

Georgie
Yay!

Phil
Bye!

Georgie
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How babies learn to talk

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What do babies need to learn to do to be able to talk?

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Patient case: It is a young man, at 30 years old, that had a stroke and now he is having trouble to speak and swallow.

THERAPEUTA:

Because of the difficulty in speaking, I relize the anamnesis/screening with a family member of the patient.

Patient had any difficulty before to stroke/CVA?

Did he talk normally? Did he eat solid food and liquids without choking?

ok, now I’m going to start the evaluation. Eduardo, can you tell me your full name? Can you open your mouth and put out your tongue?

Now I will adjust your posture on the bed and I will give you some water and a piece of biscuit to evaluate your swallowing and chewing.

FAMILY/PATIENT COMPLAINT

-> He is choking on every time he goes to eat, especially with hard and dry food and also with water. He’s crooked face and talking distorted and very low! I can’t always understand what he wants!

_______________________________________________

Questions to be responded by the patient:

1. Do you have trouble talking before or everything started after the stroke?

-> He spoke normally, but now he is talking in a low voice and emboldened/dragged.

2. Is he getting to do the chewing?

-> You are not able to chew solid items properly and I observe a lot of food residue in your mouth at the end of the meal.

3. Did he have a choke with the saliva or any food?

-> He ate normally, but after the stroke started to choke at all meals and sometimes with saliva; I observe that chokes more with water and dry and hard food.

4. Can you get to move the your tongue outside? Now, from one side to the other side.

-> I can get my tongue out but not turn It to the left.

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Introduction

Have you ever phoned up ( to call) a company and had your call held in a queue? ( hold on a waiting room) Could AI make this less painful? Pippa and Phil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

Approximately how many people work in call centres globally?

a) 7 million?
b) 17 million? or,
c) 27 million?

i think that 27 million people work in call centres globally.

summary: write about what is happening with the effect of AI with the call centres.

the podcast talks about how difficult is to work in a call center because the workers are dealing with clients that are yelling, shouting and aggravatted on the phone. This is happening more in countries like India and The philipines besides that exist the fear for the workers to be replaced by AI that is all the time monitoring their conversation on the phone.

Home Work

What makes interesting to know about this podcast?

How much AI has already replaced call center workers;

The amount of call centers in the world and how they are importants for the economy, especially in India and the Philippines;

The stress that call center workers go through, having to deal with stressed people and also being constantly monitored by AI; besides having to pacify customers and solve their problems!

Vocabulary

yelling/ screaming
shouting

pacify (someone)
calm down someone who is angry

in the near future
very soon, within a short time

as a matter of fact
used to add emphasis to a statement, to give more detail about what has just been said, or to introduce something that contrasts with it

empathetic
able to put yourself into someone else’s position and share their feelings or experiences

you know
(filler word) used to give the speaker time to think, or to express uncertainty

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Call centres: Are you talking to AI?

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Have you ever phoned up a company and had your call held in a queue? Could AI make this less painful?

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Answer the questions:

1. Have you ever felt embarrassed for something you did?

well i think i can get/ feel embarrased when i dont speak the right word or intonation when i speak portuguese in public. so, i easily i get blushed or a little nervous.

Yourself: I can get embarrased when i can´t speak in public as well. for example in lectures or other events.

1. What can make you feel embarrassed to go to the doctor?

i had a situation where i got embarrassed with a doctor that examines your intimitate parts and i got really embarrassed.

About the podcast: what happened in the conversation?

The podcast talk about embarresed situacion, like go to the doctors. And this get to delay in the process to diagnose, and the people often suffer in silence for more time. I think that should have more explanation about the medical appoiment, that It is confidential and every doctors should be trained for put the people at ease and with their non-verbal cues.

and the podcast also talks about people delaying their doctor visit because of embarrassment.

Words and phrases to remember:

delay
put off to a later time; postpone

diagnose
identify a disease or medical problem by recognising the symptoms and examining the patient

suffer in silence
endure or struggle with painful feelings or trauma without asking anyone for help

put (someone) at ease
make someone feel calm and relaxed

confidential
kept private and secret; information which is not shared with anyone

non-verbal cues
communication using means such as the expression on your face, hand gestures, or tone of voice to show how you feel about something, rather than using words

Highlight the grammar:

Here are some useful phrases for argumentation, categorized by their function:

Introducing an Argument

• To begin with, …

• First and foremost, …

• The main point is …

• Let me start by saying …

• It is often argued that …

Presenting Evidence or Examples

• For example, …

• For instance, …

• According to …

• As evidence shows, …

• Research suggests that …

Agreeing with a Point

• I agree with you because …

• You’re absolutely right that …

• I share your view on …

• That’s a valid point …

• I couldn’t agree more …

Disagreeing Politely

• I see your point, but …

• While I respect your opinion, …

• I understand your perspective, however …

• I beg to differ because …

• That’s an interesting point, but …

Clarifying a Point

• Let me clarify, …

• In other words, …

• What I’m trying to say is …

• To put it another way, …

• Let me explain further …

Summarizing

• In summary, …

• To sum up, …

• All in all, …

• In conclusion, …

• To wrap things up, …

Conceding a Point

• That’s true, however …

• I agree up to a point, but …

• You have a point, yet …

• I can see why you think that, but …

• Although I agree with some aspects, …

Offering Alternatives

• Instead, we could …

• Alternatively, …

• Another option might be …

• Have you considered …

• Perhaps we should look at …

Asking for Clarification

• Could you elaborate on …

• What do you mean by …

• Can you explain that further?

• I’m not sure I understand. Could you clarify?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Embarrassed to go to the doctor?

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Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the doctor?

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speak up: what´s your favorite tv program or tv series and why?

My favorite tv series is two and half men, it is so silly but i like very much.

paid cable tv, this is streaming like netflix and i have also prime video.

nowadays we have streaming services for channels that connect us with a vast of options for watvhing tv, what do you think about it?

well, i like it very much because i don´t like regular tv so, i preper the streaming service.

video segment:

watch the video and get the phrases that were relevant to summarize the main idea.

short summary: ( use your words and write down here your summary of the podcast.

The podcast talking about the shows TV and their preference. Beth likes watching baking programs and Neil prefers live sports, documentaries and dramas. They speak about the binge-watch your favorits programs, about the possibility to get obsessed with sort of kinds like reality TV.

I've been watching Race Across the World.

It depends. If I really like a show, then yes.

I watch some programmes if I really like them, but a lot of the time, if there's a show I really like, I binge-watch it

But I do like to watch things like live sport on TV.

And I like that show, but I'm not really a big fan of other reality shows like dating shows and Big Brother and that sort of thing.

word bank:

binge-watch
watch lots of episodes of a TV show in a row

reality TV
programmes about real people rather than with actors

obsessed
unable to stop thinking about something

homework:

write about your argumentation about actual tv in your country and give your opinion of big brother every year on national tv.

-> I don’t like open-air TV shows! I think sensationalists, there are many misfortunes... I know it’s important to be up to date about things in the world, but still, I can’t watch! As for the big brother I think I only watched in the pandemic, because of lack of option! I do not think a productive program; it only serves to show how people are increasingly sick, intolerant... I don’t like It!

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about TV shows

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can you talk about your future plans?

My name's Monique, I am phonoaudiologist and actually I work in two hospitals, but It's hard and I get so tired every day. In next year, If I leave from the one hospital, I'll have more time for private patients, and I'll get more money. With this, I'll have more time to study english and spanish. That's the goals!

Hahahahahahaahhahaahahahahhaha

Word bank:

Hopefully- walks-goals -fresh air -skydiving-foreign - foreigner -impressive -

Grammar: Language tip:
Use the first conditional with when to talk about your future plans

When my children leave home, I will play more music.

Use the first conditional with if to talk about future possibilities

If I have the time, I will learn a new language.

In 2025 if people start using more technology, the social media will take control of everything.

If i work less, I will have more time for studying English.

Because I Will be less tired

Summary: The podcast talks about the plans and dreams for the future. Neil and Beth talk about their goals; Neil hopes to learn a foreing language and Beth will travel the world and she will move to a bigger house.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about future plans

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Learn to talk about what you want to do in the future

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🗣️ Questions for Discussion:

• How has technology improved human relationships?

-> The relationships are faster.

• What are some negative impacts of technology on communication?

-> The people are forgeting how to have relationships face to face and are isolating.

• Can online friendships be as meaningful as face-to-face ones? Why or why not?

-> That can help in day to day, but that doesn't replace the face-to-face.

• Should there be limits on technology use in personal relationships?

-> Of course! They should pay more attencion in the screens and forgeting who is by your side.

🧠 Critical Thinking Activity:

• what’s your thought about family that uses technology during dinner, friends who only interact online, or coworkers relying on messaging apps).

-> In some cases, it is disrespectful to be with someone by your side and checking often the phone, without paying attention the person. I believe that attention is the most genuine form of consideration and respect; we should not touch cell during family and friends meetings.

Write footnotes about your thoughts:

Smoothie maker - liquidificador

Chuck - triturar

Bread maker - máquina de fazer pão

Lovely - lindamente, amável

Until - até

Sort of thing - tipo de coisa

Way - itensificador

Is beating - está batendo

Whatever - tanto faz/qualquer coisa

🎥 Video summary:

-> The podcast talks about how technology has facilitated our studies, our day-to-day; how we use and adapt new technologies; from people who tech-savvy (understand a lot and manage well the new technological devices).

📝 Word bank:

Technology - new scientific things that make our life easier, such as smartphones and computers.

Tech-savvy - good at using technology.

Present simple - to talk about our technology habits, things we always do. For example, I use my phone way too much.

Present continuous - to talk about things we are doing at this moment in time.

✍️Writing Prompt:

“Write an essay about how technology has changed the way people connect with one another. Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages, and provide examples from your personal experiences or observations.”

->Technology has facilitated communication, making it faster, however, abusive and rampant use has pushed away face-to-face relationships and increased anxiety among all. I believe that limiting the time of daily use is essential, especially in children.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about technology

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Learn to talk about your technology habits

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The podcast talks about your hometown, where you grew up and spent part of your childhood; if it was a quiet, boring or moving place.

grew up in - cresceu em

grow up - crescer

quiet - calmo

boring - chato

busy - ocupado

home towns - cidade de origem

middle - meio

nowhere - nada

I've moved around quite a lot - eu me mudei muito

younger - mais jovem

from the age of four until 10 - desde os 4 anos aos 10.

suppose - suponho

outside - fora

quite quiet - bastante calmo

countryside - campo, interior

loads of fields around - lotes de campos ao redor

Whereas - considerando que

consider - considerar

moving back - voltar

woods - bosques

good fun - boa diversão

loads of snow - carga de neve

Do you miss growing up in Canada? (????)

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about home towns

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Learn to talk about the place where you live

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Write your summary about the topic:

Unfortunately, children today do not know how to play anymore, they just want to be at home using their electronic devices. And as much as parents try to impose rules for use, it is increasingly difficult to limit and educate.

Write vocabulary:

electronics (phones, tablets, computers)

psychologist (a doctor who helps people with their mind and how they feel)

rule (a rule tells you what you can or must not do)

argue (say you feel differently and be emotional).

electronic devices (video games, phones, tablets, laptops, etc.)

ideal (perfect for everybody)

advice (saying that somebody should or should not do something).

Ofcom (the Office of Communications; the UK government’s agency for laws on TV, radio, phones, Internet, etc.)

Did you like this article? Why?

Yes! Because it is a current issue and a real difficulty for parents and schools. Children are our future and deserve all our concern.

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English news and easy articles for students of English

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08-10-2019 15:00

A British agency writes a report. It says that children are using electronics more and more. Some very young children have tablets. They use them over an hour a day. Some older children use their electronics for many hours a week.

A psychologist says that parents need to set rules. These rules say when and where their children can use their electronics. A mother says that her children argue with her when she asks them to get off the electronics.

No one knows how much time is OK for children to use electronics. However, they should not use them for very long.

Difficult words: electronics (phones, tablets, computers), psychologist (a doctor who helps people with their mind and how they feel), rule (a rule tells you what you can or must not do), argue (say you feel differently and be emotional).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

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Children and Electronics - level 1 | News in Levels

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08-10-2019 15:00 A British agency writes a report. It says that children are using electronics more and more. Some very young children have tablets. They use them over an hour a day. Some older children use their electronics for many hours a week. A psychologist says that parents need to set rules.

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Summary: The podcast talks about testing substances on animals; about the first people who test the product (human guinea pigs); adds that activists are against animal testing, since it has been proven that some substances do not harm animals but yes humans and vice versa; and that AI is coming to help and suspend these tests.

New Words:

Human guinea pigs meaning the first people to have something new tested on them. (cobaias humanas)

Vice versa is used to indicate that the opposite of what you have just said is also true. (Vice-versa)

Thread the needle describes a task which requires extreme skill and precision to do successfully. (Enfiar a agulha - expressão idiomática que significa executar uma ação precisa e hábil, muitas vezes em situações desafiadoras ou apertadas)

The whole picture means a complete description of something, which includes all the relevant information and opinions about it. (Imagem completa)

Wade through something, you spend a lot of time and effort doing something boring or difficult, especially reading a lot of information. (Gastar muito tempo e esforço fazendo algo chato ou difícil)

On top of something means 'in addition to something', and that extra thing is often negative. (Além de algo)

Your opinion: As I am passionate about animals, I would like the tests to be done differently, without harming them. Hopefully, one day, artificial intelligence will be able to suspend experiments on animals.

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
Introduction

Could AI reduce the need for animal testing? Phil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

There's one commonly used medicine in particular which is harmful for animals but safe for humans, but what?

Is it:

a) antibiotics?
b) aspirin? or,
c) paracetamol?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

human guinea pigs
the first people to have something new tested on them

vice versa
used to indicate that the opposite of what you have just said is also true

thread the needle
task which requires extreme skill and precision to do successfully, especially one which requires balancing conflicting interests

the whole picture
a complete description of something which includes all the relevant information and opinions about it

wade through something
spend a lot of time and effort doing something boring or difficult, especially reading a lot of information

on top of (something)
in addition to something, especially something unpleasant
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie.

Phil
Animal testing is when living animals are used in scientific research to find out how effective a new medicine is, or how safe a product is for humans.

Georgie
Scientists in favour of it argue that animal testing shows whether medicines are safe or dangerous for humans, and has saved many lives. But animal rights campaigners say it's cruel, and also ineffective because animals and humans are so different.

Georgie
In this programme, we'll be hearing how artificial intelligence could help reduce the need for scientific testing on animals.

Phil
But first I have a question for you, Georgie. There's one commonly used medicine in particular, which is harmful for animals but safe for humans, but what? Is it:

a) antibiotics?
b) aspirin? or,
c) paracetamol?

Georgie
Hmm, I guess it's aspirin.

Phil
OK, Georgie, I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme. Christine Ro is a science journalist who's interested in the animal testing debate. Here, she explains to BBC World Service programme, 'Tech Life', some of the limitations of testing medicines on animals.

[...]

There are also, of course, animal welfare limitations to animal testing. Most people, I think, if they had the choice, would want their substances to be used on as few animals, or no animals, as possible, while still ensuring safety. Now that's been a really difficult needle to thread, but AI might help to make that more possible.

Christine also uses the idiom to thread the needle to describe a task which requires a lot of skill and precision, especially one involving a conflict. Yes, medical animal testing may save human lives, but many people see it as cruel and distressing for the animal - it's a difficult needle to thread.

Georgie
But now, the challenge of threading that needle has got a little easier because of artificial intelligence. Predicting how likely a new medicine is to harm humans, involves analysing the results of thousands of experiments. And one thing AI is really good at, is analysing mountains and mountains of data. Here's Christine Ro again, speaking with BBC World Service's, 'Tech Life'.

Christine Ro
So, AI isn't the whole picture of course, but it's an increasingly important part of the picture. And one reason for that, is that there is a huge amount of toxicology data to wade through when it comes to determining chemical safety, and on top of that, there's this staggering number of chemicals being invented all of the time.

AI helps scientists wade through huge amounts of data. If you wade through something, you spend a lot of time and effort doing something boring or difficult, especially reading a lot of information.

Georgie
Speaking of which, what was the answer to your question, Phil? What is a commonly used medicine which is safe for humans, but harmful to animals? I guessed it was aspirin.

Phil
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / AI to reduce animal testing

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Could AI reduce the need for animal testing?

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Phrasal verbs mentioned

take (something) on
accept responsibility for a task or project, often in addition to one's usual duties.

She decided to take on a new project at work, even though she was already busy.

He’s always willing to take on extra tasks to help the team.

come up with (something)
think of or create an idea, solution, or plan.

She came up with a brilliant marketing strategy that boosted sales.

We need to come up with a new approach to meet the deadline.

put (something) in
contribute something to achieve a goal

He’s been putting in a lot of effort to improve his performance at work.

They put in long days and weekends to complete the project before the deadline.

knuckle down
start working very hard, especially after a period of not doing much.

Let’s get rid of all the distractions and knuckle down so I can get this project done.

The team needs to knuckle down and focus if they want to finish the project on time.

get ahead
make progress and move past others, or complete your tasks earlier than expected

She worked hard to get ahead in her career and eventually became a manager.

In order to get ahead in this company, you need to be proactive and take initiative.

look into (something)
investigate, or get information before you take action

The HR department is looking into the complaints made by the employees.

We need to look into new software options to improve our workflow.

get back to (someone)
speak to someone again later to give them a reply after you've looked into something

I’ll get back to you with more information after I discuss it with the team.

Can you get back to the client about their inquiry as soon as possible?

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for work

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It’s time to put in some effort to learn these phrasal verbs

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for eating

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Learn some phrasal verbs related to eating

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obsolete
no longer in use, having been replaced by something newer, better or more fashionable

if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
(idiom) used to say that if something is working satisfactorily, there is no reason to try to change it

clockwork
machinery using metal springs and wheels which move when wound up with a key

QWERTY
the traditional typewriter arrangement of keys in which the top line begins with the letters q,w,e,r, t and y

verbatim
using exactly the same words as were originally used

stick with
continue using or doing something

use your Words and give 2 extra examples to use the Words given above!

Technology develops so fast that things soon become absolutist.

CD is an absolute way to listen to music.

"If it ain't broken, don't fix it" means that if something is working properly well, leave it alone.

I took my clockwork box to restore, but the boy told me: "if it ain't broken, do not fix it!"

I still have absolutist things, like a clockwork watch.

I guess the QWERT keyboards practical.

Stick with typing in QWERT verbatim.

used to and get used to grammar

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Tech that refuses to die

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Technology is always changing! Or is it...?

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Summary:

The podcast talks about different types of foods and seasonings in countries. When someone needs to move from their home country, they may suffer a shock and have difficulties in feeding, needing to adapt to the changes.

What is it for you a new culture of food?

For me the culture of food is a new reality, that we have nowadays. Actually; people are looking for new ways to eat better with healthy recipes that we will find easily on the internet. We now order a lot of food through apps and places that serves you healthier food.

Words you may relate to this topic?

Meal - refeição

Dietitian - nutricionista

Cream tea - chá creme

Scones - biscoitos/bolinho

Jam - geléia/compota

Flavouring - sabor

Seasoning - tempero

Multiple layers - múltiplas camadas

Unpleasant - desagradável

Herbs - ervas

Spices - especiarias/temperos

Word bank:

comfort zone
situation in which a person feels secure, comfortable, or in control

adapt
change to successfully deal with a new situation

staple
basic and important type of food that is regularly eaten by a large portion of the population

be in for a shock
be guaranteed to experience a surprising or unpleasant situation

tweak
small adjustment to something in order to improve it

trial and error
way of solving a problem by trying a number of different methods and learning from the mistakes you make

Critical thinking: is important to talk about the good food in terms of healthy and affordable options for people who want to eat healthy?

For sure! Although people are more aware of the need to have a good diet and they are even seeking for it, unfortunately the healthiest foods are usually more expensive and not everyone can buy them.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning a new food culture

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Would you find it different to adapt to a new food culture?

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be into (something)
have an interest in something

Many teenagers nowadays are into gaming and spend hours playing with friends.

take (something) up
start participating in an activity

During retirement, Mr Johnson took up gardening to stay active and spend time outdoors.

read up on (something)
learn about something through reading

Before starting his business, Jack spent weeks reading up on entrepreneurship.

brush up on (something)
improve your existing skills that may be a bit weak

Mark did a refresher course to brush up on his accounting skills before starting his new job.

work on (something)
put effort and concentration into doing something

She needs to work on her time management so she can meet deadlines more easily.

fall behind
progress more slowly than others doing the same activity

Because of her illness, Sarah fell behind in her coursework.

catch up (on something)
spend extra time doing something because you did not do it earlier

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for education

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If you’re into phrasal verbs, you’re in the right place!

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Summary: The podcast talks about the difference between read in paper book and online book; that children are learning more when they read a short volume of reading because they have more attention span and a deep reading and they do not practice skimming.

Word bank:

attention span
the length of time that someone can keep their thoughts concentrated and fixed on one thing

(do something) for the joy of it
do an activity simply for the pleasure of doing it, rather than as a means to gain something else

on the surface level
quickly and superficially looking at what can be easily understood, rather than understanding the full depth of something

analogy
comparison between things that have similar features

inference
guess, opinion or conclusion that you make based on the information you already have

skimming
reading rapidly in order to get a general overview of the text being read

Discuss what can be better after all reading on a screen or reading on paper?

For me, reading on paper is still the best way to learn. With the paper/book, we have an isolated attention on it, being able to read more deeply and with more attention. When we read online, we receive a bombardment of information from applications, advertisements, taking us away from focus and learning. In addition, I like that on paper I can make notes and marks manually, stimulating my brain not only with reading but also with writing.

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
Introduction

What makes reading from a book better than reading from a screen? Phil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

How many words does the average person read a day? Is it:

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

attention span
the length of time that someone can keep their thoughts concentrated and fixed on one thing

(do something) for the joy of it
do an activity simply for the pleasure of doing it, rather than as a means to gain something else

on the surface level
quickly and superficially looking at what can be easily understood, rather than understanding the full depth of something

analogy
comparison between things that have similar features

inference
guess, opinion or conclusion that you make based on the information you already have

skimming
reading rapidly in order to get a general overview of the text being read
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. For me, there's nothing like reading a book - I love turning the pages and the smell of the paper. But nowadays, the fact is that much of the time we read from electronic screens, not paper.

Phil
Yes. Like Georgie, I love books. I also find that too much screen time hurts my eyes. But the availability of digital information means that I end up reading from screens most days.

Phil
Great, but first it's time for my question. Whether you prefer paper or screens, as humans we're now reading more words than ever before. So how many words does the average person read a day? Is it:

a) 50,000 words?
b) 100,000 words? or,
c) 200,000 words?

Georgie
I'll guess it's 50,000 words a day.

OK, Georgie, we'll find out the correct answer later in the programme. Of course, there's little doubt that any kind of reading is good for you. Here's Cressida Cowell, author of the How to Train Your Dragon children's books, speaking with BBC Ideas:

Cressida talks about the importance of reading for the joy of it. When you do an activity for the joy of it, you do it simply for the pleasure of doing it, rather than as a way to gain something else.

Phil
Cressida lists the many benefits of reading for children, including economic success in later life. But many of these benefits depend on a state known as 'deep reading' - analysing a text to understand its deeper meaning. And in test after test, researchers have shown that 'deep reading' skills develop better when kids read from books.

Georgie
Professor Maryanne Wolf is a teacher, and advocate for children's literacy around the world. Here, she explains more about 'deep reading' to BBC Ideas:

Professor Maryanne Wolf
When we read at a surface level, we're just getting the information. When we read deeply, we use much more of our cerebral cortex. Deep reading means that we make analogies, we make inferences, which allows us to be truly critical, analytic, empathic, human beings.

[...]

The reality is, it's not what, or how much we read but how we read, that's really important. The very volume is having negative effects because to absorb that much, there's a propensity towards skimming.

Professor Wolf's research shows that reading from screens encourages reading at the surface level - quickly and superficially looking at what can be easily understood. Reading books, on the other hand, activates different areas of the brain, allowing a reader to develop positive traits like empathy, and to understand the deeper level of a book, including analogies and inferences. An analogy is a comparison between things that have similar features. For example, you might talk about the human heart using the analogy of a pump.

An inference is a guess, opinion, or conclusion that you make based on the information you already have. For example, seeing smoke in the distance you would make an inference that there's fire. It's these types of deeper, more subtle understanding that we get from reading books.

Georgie
And I guessed it was 50,000 words.

An analogy is a comparison between things that have similar features, for example, a human heart and a pump. And an inference is a guess or conclusion that you make based on the information you already have, like inferring fire from seeing smoke.

Georgie
Bye!

For more interesting topics from BBC Ideas, click here.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why read books, not screens?

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Why is it better to read from a book than a screen?

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Are you good at making homemade cakes?

so, well i Learned to make homemade cake with my mom, she always prepared cakes at Home for my Family's birthdays and i asked her to teach me. so, i love to make them speacially crispy chocolate cake with camaramelized strawberries.

highlight:

i would love to have the recipe!

when is your birthday?

my birthday is in March.

my birthday is on the March 16th.

mine is on February 15th. - dates

1 ( first) 2 ( Second) 3 ( third) 4 ( forth) - 30th

21 twenty first - 22 twenty Second - 23 twenty third - 24 twenty forth.

Podcast Summary:

the podcast talks about cakes, a birthday cake. And nowadays we have a sort of diversity and creativity for personalized cakes for your birthday. and before long time ago you only had the homemade cakes that your mother or your crandmother used to prepare for special ocassions.

Word bank:

homemade - caseiro

higgledy-piggledy -

leeway - liberdade

last long in the memory - por muito tempo na memória

all sorts - todos os tipos

goes/go above and beyond - ir além do esperado/expectativa

Write about the new tendency of throwing a party 🎈 for a birthday.

Nowadays it is difficult to make birthday parties, because everything is very expensive. People are choosing to celebrate their birthdays in pubs and restaurants where each guest pays for their consumption and at most the birthday person takes a themed or personalized cake.

It is no longer common to see homemade cakes in these meetings; the sweets and cakes are all sorts, the most higgledy-piggledy, to be unique and stay last long in the memory.

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
Introduction

How have birthday cakes changed over the years? Neil and Beth listen to two bakers taking about birthday cakes and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

According to the UK's Office for National Statistics, which is the most common month to be born?

a) March?
b) July? or,
c) September?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

homemade
made at home and not bought from a shop

higgledy-piggledy
mixed up and jumbled in no particular order

all sorts
many different kinds of something

leeway
the freedom to do something in the way you want to

last long in the memory
create such a strong effect that it is remembered for a long time

go above and beyond
do something with more effort than would usually be expected or required
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. [Singing] Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday dear Neil... Happy birthday to you!

Neil
Erm thank you, Beth - but... it's not my birthday.

Beth
I know, but this programme is all about birthdays - or birthday cakes to be precise.

Neil
Ah yes, the highlight of any birthday party is the birthday cake, blowing out the candles and making a wish.

Neil
In this programme we'll be hearing from two bakers - a famous TV chef who bakes simple but tasty cakes, and another who's designed personalised birthday cakes for celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. And, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Beth
Sounds good. But first I have a question for you, Neil. Everyone looks forward to their birthday, especially if there's cake, but according to the UK's Office for National Statistics, which is the most common month to be born? Is it:

a) March?
b) July? or,
c) September?

Neil
Hmm that's an interesting question and I'm going to guess it's September.

Beth
OK, Neil, I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme. One of Britain's best loved cake bakers is Dame Mary Berry. Here she describes her perfect birthday cake to BBC Radio 4's, The Food Programme.

Beth
Yes, when it comes to birthday cakes, flavour is more important than decoration for Dame Mary Berry. But now, a new generation of bakers is making cakes in a totally different way. The cakes Adam Cox makes in his East London bakery are truly fantastic-looking creations. Here's Adam speaking to BBC Radio 4's, The Food Programme:

Adam Cox
I get asked to do all sorts. My customers and clients are very generous with the leeway that they give me based on the past designs that I've made that they've seen, so they're happy to just leave it with me... I really just want to create something that will, you know, last long in the memory for the person that I do it for. It's a real pleasure to have this as a job because, as I say, it gives me a lot of freedom to express myself creatively, so I really try and go above and beyond to give the client something that, you know, they will be really happy with and...

Neil
Adam gets asked to make all sorts, meaning many different kinds, of cakes. His customers, who want the cake to be a special part of a birthday party, give him lots of leeway, lots of freedom to make the cake the way he wants to. Adam finds out about the person's interests and hobbies, and uses these to come up with decoration ideas.

Beth
Adam loves his job. It gives him the freedom to express himself creatively, and he enjoys seeing his customers' reaction when the finished cake is revealed. Adam goes above and beyond to satisfy his customers. If you go above and beyond, you do something with more effort than would normally be expected.

Beth
...or at least until the following year, when another birthday comes around and it's time to start baking all over again!

Neil
And speaking of birthdays coming around, what was the answer to your question, Beth? You asked me which was the most common month to be born in the UK...

Beth
And you guessed it was September, which was... the correct answer! Babies born in the UK peak in September. Right, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme starting with homemade - an adjective describing something which is made at home and not bought from a shop.

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Birthday cakes

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Do you remember your childhood birthday cakes?

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bottle up (feelings/emotions) - keep feelings hidden and supressed instead of talking about them

He tends to bottle up his anger, which often leads to stress.

Don’t bottle up your emotions; it’s important to talk about how you feel.

open up - share your feelings freely and openly

After years of keeping everything inside, she finally opened up to her therapist.

He finds it hard to open up about his past, even to close friends.

hold back/hold (something) back - hesitate or restrain oneself from saying or doing something

He wanted to tell her the truth, but he decided to hold back.

She had to hold back her tears during the emotional movie.

I tried to hold back my laughter during the meeting, but it was impossible.

break down - lose control of your emotions and start crying

After weeks of stress, he finally broke down and cried.

She broke down in tears when she heard the sad news.

blow up - lose emotional control in an angry way

He blew up at his work colleague for making the same mistake again.

The teacher blew up when the students wouldn’t stop talking.

freak out - lose emotional control (from shock, excitement, fear etc.) Se assustar

Don’t freak out, but there’s a spider on your shoulder!

She freaked out when she saw her favourite popstar on the street.

calm down - return to a state of calmness or relaxation after feeling intense emotions

After taking a few deep breaths, I started to calm down.

He needed a few minutes to calm down after the argument.

chill out - relax

They spent the weekend chilling out by the beach, forgetting about their worries.

You need to chill out and stop worrying so much about the exam.

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for feelings

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Calm down! Phrasal verbs aren’t THAT bad…

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1. work out, e.g. Do you like working out? Why/why not?

Yes, I like it very much! It’s good for my physique but also for the mind!

2. stick to (something), e.g. Do you find it hard to stick to something? Why/why not?

It’s hard but you need discipline in life!

3. cut down on/out, e.g. What should you cut down on/cut out?

Must cut bad habits out, such as eating badly, thoughts that sabotage the gym and etc.

warm up
do light exercise or stretches to prepare the body for the main workout

Let's warm up before the race by doing a light jog around the field.

Always start my activities with warm up

work out
train your body through exercise

I try to work out at least twice a week. It helps to relieve stress.

The work out is always the worst part of cross class

cool down
do light exercise or stretches after the main workout to help your muscles recover

After running, I cool down by walking for five minutes, then stretching.

The ideal is to finish the workout with cool down, but we almost never do it

stick to (something)
continue doing something consistently, even if it's difficult

I'm really proud of my daughter for sticking to her football training programme.

Hope to keep for stick to waking up at 4:30am during the week to go to work out

give up
stop doing something and accept defeat

After six attempts at jumping two metres and failing, she gave up.

give (something) up
stop doing or consuming something that's bad for you

I've given up ordering takeaway pizzas because I want to eat more healthily.

Need give laziness up

cut down (on)
reduce how much you do or consume something

I really need to cut down on sugary snacks after meals if I want to feel healthier.

Cut down on salt and sugar consumption is always good for health.

cut (something) out
eliminate something from your life completely

Lifting weights was giving me neck pain, so I've cut that out of my workout routine.

We can never cut physical exercises out.

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for health and fitness

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Don’t give up your dreams of learning English!

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Summary:

Throughout history, humans have always walked and moved their bodies. Now, modern technologies like motorised vehicles and office jobs, mean we spend more and more time sitting. Modern life has engineered out the need for us to move.

When we sit, we stop using important muscles. This reduces blood circulation and causes a range of other effects like increased levels of glucose and fat, and decreased energy levels. The body uses 20% more energy when simply standing than when sitting down, and walking uses 92% more energy. And that’s not to mention the damage sitting too much causes to muscle movement and blood pressure.

Word bank:

engineer (something) out
design or plan in such a way that something is not required

this/so much
in such large amounts

blood circulation
the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels which carries oxygen around the body

geared around
organised and prepared towards a certain activity or purpose

swim against the tide
not follow what most people are doing; do the opposite of most people

drive (someone) towards
push someone towards accepting a new condition or situation

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Could sitting be damaging to our health? Phil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

On average, how many hours a day do British adults spend sitting down? Is it:

a) 7 hours?
b) 9 hours? or,
c) 12 hours?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

engineer (something) out
design or plan in such a way that something is not required

this/so much
in such large amounts

blood circulation
the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels which carries oxygen around the body

geared around
organised and prepared towards a certain activity or purpose

swim against the tide
not follow what most people are doing; do the opposite of most people

drive (someone) towards
push someone towards accepting a new condition or situation
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. We all know how important exercise is to stay fit and reduce the risk of heart disease. Do you exercise much, Phil?

Phil
I try to. I ride my bike at the weekend. But to be honest I do spend a lot of time sitting down.

Georgie
Sitting too much is becoming an increasing problem in the modern world. Maybe you take the bus or train to work, then sit at a desk all day, then go home feeling tired and just sit in front of the television all evening as well. Added together, that's hours of sitting every single day.

Phil
In this programme, we'll be finding out exactly how much sitting is too much. And, of course, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary.

Georgie
But first, are you sitting comfortably, Phil? Because I have a question for you. On average, how many hours a day do British adults spend sitting down? Is it:

a) 7 hours?

b) 9 hours? or,

c) 12 hours?

Phil
I'll guess it's 7 hours.

Georgie
OK, Phil, I'll reveal the correct answer later. Charlotte Edwardson is a professor of health and behaviour studies who has investigated the link between sitting and health problems in her lab at Leicester University. Here, she talks to BBC Radio 4 programme, Inside Health:

Professor Charlotte Edwardson
If we think about our daily activities, a lot of activities are done sitting down. Movement in our everyday lives has really been engineered out with advances in technology, and our bodies just weren't designed to sit this much, so it's going to cause problems with our health.

[...]

So when you sit down you're not using the largest muscles in your body. So, these are the ones in your legs and your bum. So, that means that your muscle activity goes down. When your muscle activity goes down, your blood circulation reduces.

Throughout history, humans have always walked and moved their bodies. Now, modern technologies like motorised vehicles and office jobs, mean we spend more and more time sitting. Modern life has engineered out the need for us to move. When you engineer something out, you design things in such a way that it is no longer required. For example, CD drives have been engineered out of laptops because downloads are more popular.

Charlotte says humans are not used to sitting this much. Here, the words this much mean in such large amounts. It's a negative thing, one negative being the harm to blood circulation, the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels which carries oxygen around the body.

Georgie
When we sit, we stop using important muscles. This reduces blood circulation and causes a range of other effects like increased levels of glucose and fat, and decreased energy levels. The body uses 20% more energy when simply standing than when sitting down, and walking uses 92% more energy. And that's not to mention the damage sitting too much causes to muscle movement and blood pressure.

James Gallagher
How much do you feel like you're just swimming against the tide with all of this? Like the whole of society is like driving us more and more towards, you know, sitting down all the time, and you're like, 'please don't!'

James asks if Charlotte is swimming against the tide of modern life. If you're swimming against the tide, you're doing the opposite of what most people are doing. He also says that society is driving us towards sitting more. To drive someone towards something means pushing them to accept a new situation, even when the situation isn't so good.

Phil
Luckily, there's some simple advice to help. Break up periods of sitting 30 minutes or more with a few minutes of walking or moving your arms. Also try to spend less than half of your waking hours sitting down. Good to know. Now how about your question, Georgie.

Georgie
Right, my question was how long does the average British adult spend sitting each day. Phil guessed it was 7 hours which was...close, but not right, I'm afraid. In fact, on average we spend 9 hours per day sitting down, that's about 60% of our waking life. So, remember to take regular breaks, even just a minute or two.

The phrase this much or so much means in such large amounts.

Phil
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why sitting is bad for health

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Could sitting be damaging to our health?

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Do you like cooking?

Yeah, but avoid it because I get bored to clean after I cook.

What’s your favorite food?

I eat everything! I love to eat! But I love pizza, caruru, cozido, risoto, barbeque.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what’s the specialty?

My favorite restaurant is Coco Bamboo because they have a variety for menu.

Podcast summary:

The podcast talk about cooking, what the favorite dish and how to make it.

Word bank:

Recipes - receita

Stir fries - batatas fritas/salteadas

Flavours - sabores

Roast - assado

Garlic - alho

Rosemary - alecrim

Boil - ferver

Oven - forno

Microwave oven - Forno microondas

Cod - Bacalhau

Smell - cheirar/cheiro

Mash - amassar / purê

Gravy / Sauce - molho

Tastes - gosto / sabores

Tarragon - estragão

Heavy cream / fraiche - creme de leite

Stock pan - panela de estoque

Meal - refeição

Dish / plate - prato

Bangers / sausage - salcicha

Grammar input:

My recipe:

When I have time, I usually make it for lunch lasagna with zucchini.

First, cut the zucchini into thin and long slices; then put them in a refractory and after each layer of slices, put cheese, some sauce with some protein (chicken or ground meat). Then put a new layer of zucchini and so on until you finish. Over all more cheese tomato slices and oregano. Then put in the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about cooking

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Learn to talk about your favourite recipes

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Vocabulary

personality
the type of person you are

sense of humour
the kinds of things that make you laugh

Grammar tip:
Use -ed adjectives to talk about your feelings

I'm excited to watch live music.

I'm excited to buy a new house.

I'm interested to buy a car.

Use -ing adjectives to talk about the thing that gives you that feeling

I find live music exciting.

Reading the book of Harry Potter was so interesting!

Wathching her in the theatre was too fascinating!

Recieving the best award was rewarding!

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about yourself

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Learn to talk about your personality and interests

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how do you build trust at work?

words related: TRUST =

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What subject at school did you like it more?

i liked very much physical education, arts, science, and a little of math ( mathematics)

other subjects: literature/ biology/ geography/ history/ english/ physics/ chemistry/ civics/philosophy/ sociology.

task: Do you think the method of education was different to actual teaching?

# I believe that currently the methods have really evolved but, on the other hand, I think that children are getting so anxious in face of too much information and stimuli. I observe children quite mentally tired.

summary:

the podcast is about school and its subjects, Neil liked history and english but he hated math. Beth is a nerd she liked everything at school like english, history, and textile ( she made a hat)

Grammar input:

intensifiers: quite/ really / very/ so/ too/ pretty/ damn / fucking.

i am quite tired

i am fucking good

i am really/ pretty happy

it is pretty expensive

i did like school ( i liked school)

i did do my homework

i love you / i do love you!

offenses: fucking and damn are used in spoken discourse and very informal.

you are a fucking idiot!

you are a damn loser!

what are you good at?

i am good at talking to people

i am good at sending emails

I really liked English, which sounds quite predictable because now English is part of my job. But I also quite liked textiles, which was a subject all about how to make clothes, and I made a hat. So it was quite a practical subject, and I enjoyed that.

Word bank :

less-least/ more -most

good at something

i was good at mathematics

what are you good at?

i am good at talking to people

i am good at sending emails

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(Image: Getty)

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Introduction

Beth and Neil have a real conversation in easy English about school. Learn to talk about your favourite subjects.

Vocabulary

quite
a little bit

nerd
an informal word for someone who does well at school

qualifications
a record that you have completed an exam or course

Transcript

Beth
Hello. This is Real Easy English, the podcast where we have conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Beth.

Neil
And I'm Neil. Remember, you can find all the vocabulary for this episode and a text version on our website: bbclearningenglish.com

Beth
How are you today, Neil?

Beth
I'm good, thank you. What is the topic of our conversation today?

Neil
Well, I took all of the normal exams we do in the UK: GCSEs and then A Levels. These are school exams. And then university degrees. How about you?

Beth
Yeah, I am the same. I went to school in the UK and did all the same exams probably that you did. Did you like school?

Beth
Yeah, I think I'm the same.

Neil
What were your favourite subjects, Beth?

Beth
I really liked English, which sounds quite predictable because now English is part of my job. But I also quite liked textiles, which was a subject all about how to make clothes, and I made a hat. So it was quite a practical subject, and I enjoyed that.

Neil
Do you still wear the hat?

Beth
I do not. It was not a good hat.

What was your favourite subject?

Neil
I also liked English, but I think my favourite subject was history.

Beth
What about your least favourite subject?

Neil
That's easy! Maths. I hate maths.

Beth
You still hate maths?

So, in this conversation about school we used words like quite, very and really. Quite good means a little bit good. Very good and really good mean a lot.

Beth
So, for example, Neil I quite like history, but you really like history. You liked it a lot at school, whereas I liked it a bit.

So, did you not like maths because you weren't very good at it?

Neil
Yes, I think I was really bad at maths, and I didn't like it because I found it very hard. How about you?

Beth
I quite liked maths. I don't think there was a subject that I didn't really like.

Beth
Well, a nerd is an informal word for somebody who is very good at school. So, was I a nerd? Well, I did enjoy school, and I worked hard.

And one time my friend and I asked our teacher why we hadn't been given full marks for a presentation and then she said, "Oh, I'll just give you full marks". I think that was probably quite nerdy thing to do. So maybe!

Beth
Let's look at the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.

We had qualification, a record that you have completed an exam or a course.

Beth
Very and really are both used to mean a lot. So, for example, I'm very good at maths.

Beth
Thanks. And thanks for listening to Real Easy English. We'll be back next week to talk about our weekend plans.

Neil
Until then, you can find more programmes to improve your English on our website. Why not try some of our dramas and stories? Visit bbclearningenglish.com

Now try this...

Very, really and quite can all be used as adverbs and adjectives - learn some more interesting adverbs and adjectives here

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about school

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Learn to talk about your favourite subjects

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Let’s talk about pets:

1. do you have pets? i have a dog and his name is Mojo, he's 4 and he likes to walk on the street and play around with other dogs, he's little, he's dark with white and brown fur, he has hazel eyes and he's very lovely and very smart.

2. what's he like and what does he like? what is the difference?

what's he like? means descriptions and characteristics ex: he's little, he's dark with white and brown fur, he has hazel eyes and he's very lovely and very smart.

what does he like? means the preferences of your pet. ex: he likes to walk on the street and plays around with other dogs.

other questions: what is salvador like?

what do you like to do in salvador?

3. summary: Neil and Georgie are talking about pets, if they had pets when they were younger. Neil had golfidh called Gilbert and later his parents got him a cat a and dog but he didn't like the dogs because he's afraid. but Georgie loves dogs and she has a dog called Raffi she thinks Raffi is a man's best friend.

Grammar: ex: We used to have cats actually, we started with cats and then we got a dog and then we also had hamsters.

past habits we use used to + infinitives ( things you don't anymore)

when younger i used to play on the street long hours with my friends, but now violence is increasing and children don't play on the streets.

i used to take trips with somebody but nowadays i prefer to travel alone.

negative sentence of past habit: i didn't use to play on the street when i was younger .

interrogative form: did you use to play on the street?

Vocabulary

ever
at any time

did you ever go to argentina?

never
not at any time

i never played on the street.

man's best friend
a common expression to describe dogs

for me dogs are man's best friend

purring

my cat purrs when he is on my laps
the noise a cat makes when it's happy

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Introduction

Georgie and Neil have a real conversation in easy English about pets. Learn to talk about the animals you own or will own in the future.

Vocabulary

ever
at any time

never
not at any time

man's best friend
a common expression to describe dogs

purring
the noise a cat makes when it's happy

Transcript

Neil
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Georgie
And I'm Georgie. In this podcast we have real conversations in easy English about a different topic each week.

Neil
And you can read along with the podcast using the script on our website: bbclearningenglish.com

Georgie
Hi, Neil. How are things?

Neil
Very good, thank you. How are you, Georgie?

Georgie
Yes, I'm pretty good thank you as well. So, Neil, what are we talking about today?

Neil
We are talking about animals. We'll be talking about pets.

Georgie
OK, Neil. So do you have any pets?

Neil
No, I don't have any pets. But I know you do, Georgie.

Georgie
Yes, I do. I have a black dog called Rafi.

Neil
Rafi? Did you choose the name?

Georgie
Partly, but it was a decision we made as a family.

Neil
Did you have pets as a child?

Georgie
Yes, I did. We used to have cats actually, we started with cats and then we got a dog and then we also had hamsters. What about you, Neil? Did you have pets?

Neil
No, we didn't have pets when I was young. Oh, I did have a goldfish called Gilbert. But then later on when I was a teenager, my parents got a cat and a dog.

Georgie
Wow! Did you have a good relationship with Gilbert?

Georgie
That's OK. I mean, they're not for everyone. What was your cat like?

Neil
Yeah. Purring is the noise that cats make. Not miaow. Miaow is[makes miaow noise]. Purring is [makes purring noise]. And the cat made that noise and made me feel calm.

Neil
So, Georgie, what was your first dog like?

Neil
No, absolutely not. I think I would be scared of an exotic pet.

Georgie
Yeah. They just seem dangerous.

Neil
Let's recap the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.

We had ever, which means at any time. And you asked me Georgie, will I ever get a dog?

Neil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. You can find more programmes and courses to improve your English at bbclearningenglish.com

Georgie
In the next episode, we'll talk all about schools.

Neil
See you then, goodbye.

Now try this...
Learn how to use the present perfect tense to ask and answer questions.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about pets

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USES OF PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT meaning:
When something happens regularly. Habits and routines.
Useful vocabulary for habits and routines: never, rarely, sometimes, often, usually, always, every ____, once/twice, three times a day/month/year, at the weekend, in the morning/afternoon/evening.
For something that is true now. For something that is always true, or a fact.
FUTURE meaning:

When something is scheduled.
Useful vocabulary for schedules: at ____ (time), next Monday, next week/month/year/season, this afternoon/evening, tonight, tomorrow, tomorrow morning.
In a first conditional.
PAST meaning:
When telling a story (usually we use past tenses, but occasionally we use present tenses).

So, I'm at the park. There's a kid on the slide. He falls off and hits his head. I call an ambulance.
When you're summarising books, films, series, plays etc.

In the first Harry Potter book, Harry goes to Hogwarts school and makes friends with Ron and Hermione. They learn how to do magic and fight with You-Know-Who.

STRUCTURE

For positive sentences, use the main verb but add an ' s' for he, she and it.

For negative sentences, put ' don't' before the main verb for I, you, we and they, and ' doesn't' before the main verb for he, she and it. ' Don't' and 'doesn't' are a contracted form of the auxiliary verb 'do/does' plus 'not'.

To ask yes/no questions, add 'do' or 'does' before the pronoun.

To ask for more information, add the 'who, what, where, why, how, when' question words before 'do'.

To do

Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other videos.

NEXT

Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Present simple

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Learn the uses and structure of the present simple

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SUMMARY:

NIGHTMARES
QUITE A LOT
EALIER
DREAMS
SNORES

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Introduction

Beth and Neil have a real conversation in easy English about sleep. Learn to talk about your sleep habits and dreams.

Vocabulary

nightmare
a bad or scary dream

exhausted
very tired

Grammar Tip:
Use past simple + past continuous to describe dreams

I dreamt that I couldn't find my family and I was running around looking for them.

Transcript

Neil
And you're listening to Real Easy English, the podcast where we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn.

Beth
To read along with this podcast, you can find a text version on our website. Visit bbclearningenglish.com.

Neil
How are things, Beth?

Beth
I'm very well, thank you, Neil. How are you?

Neil
Oh, I'm a little tired. I didn't sleep very well last night. And today's episode is all about sleep. We'll be talking about our sleep habits, and also our dreams.

Beth
Lovely. So, Neil, you said that you didn't sleep well last night. So that's not so lovely. Does that happen very often?

Neil
It happens all the time, Beth! I don't sleep very well.

Beth
Oh, dear. How many hours do you sleep at night, Neil?

Neil
I think probably six and a half hours.

Neil
Ah, you are exhausted. What does exhausted mean, Beth?

Beth
It means that you are really tired.

Beth
What time do you usually go to bed, Neil?

Neil
About 11. I go to bed about 11.

Beth
I usually go earlier, but about ten o'clock.

Neil
And do you have dreams? Do you dream often?

Neil
Can you tell us about a strange dream that you've had?

Beth
Yeah, I had a weird dream a couple of nights ago.

I was at my auntie's house in the kitchen and then suddenly the floor was very wet and there were three robbers that were going to come and open the front door. So I had to run across the wet kitchen and lock the front door.

It was a bit scary and weird.

Neil
Yeah. That sounds like a really scary dream.

Neil
Yeah. It was just a normal, happy dream by the end.

Well, I noticed there that you used the past simple and the past continuous to describe your dream. You said I was running around which is the past continuous and then you said I found them, which was the past simple. And this is really common language that we use when we're describing things in the past like dreams.

So, we've talked about how long we sleep for and we've talked about dreams and nightmares. But I have a big question for you, Neil. Do you snore?

Neil
[makes a snoring noise]

Neil
That is snoring. Do I snore? I don't think I do. But my wife says that I do.

Neil
No, I've never heard myself snore!

Let's have a look at the language we learned in this conversation.

Beth
And we learnt a way to talk about dreams using the past simple and the past continuous. For example, you dreamt that you were running around trying to find your family and then you found them.

Thanks for listening to Real Easy English. If you liked this, there are lots more programmes to help you with your English on our website. Like English in a Minute, where we explain one language tip in 60 seconds. Visit bbclearningenglish.com

Beth
Next time, we'll talk about our favourite films.

Neil
See you then, goodbye!

Now try this...
More on using the past simple and past continuous

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about sleep

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What's your favourite film? - SPEAKING

I don't have a specific movie but i like series and i like two and half man and friends that make me laugh a lot . when i turn the tv on is for stimulating me to sleep but i actually love to watch.

SUMMARY:

the podcast talks about the films and favorite tv series. About plots of the films and the tv series, the characters in the movies and in the series. Also they talk about how to use simple present for introducing the plots of the movies or stories in a book.

Vocabulary

plot
what happens in a film, book or TV programme

character
a person in a story

stream
watch a film or TV programme on the internet

Grammar Tip:
Use present simple to describe what happens in a film, TV programme or story

Harry Potter is about a boy who discovers he is a wizard and goes to a special school called Hogwarts.

HOMEWORK:

WRITE THE PLOT OF ANY SERIES OR FILM THAT YOU LIKE USING THE SIMPLE PRESENT BUT AFTER THAT MAKE A RECORDING VIDEO TO POST ON THE PADLET.

-> I have a habit of watching silly series, which I’ve watched before and keep repeating. The one I like most is two and a half men, who tells the story of a forty-year-old bachelor and womanizer, who has a brother who separates and will live with him and, toast, takes his son. The story is comedy and creative, with acid jokes.

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Introduction

Neil and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about their favourite films and TV shows. Learn to talk about what happens in your favourite film.

Vocabulary

plot
what happens in a film, book or TV programme

character
a person in a story

stream
watch a film or TV programme on the internet

Harry Potter is about a boy who discovers he is a wizard and goes to a special school called Hogwarts.

Transcript

Georgie
Welcome to Real Easy English, the podcast where we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Georgie.

Neil
And I'm Neil. To read along with this podcast, visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com.

Georgie
How are you today, Neil?

Neil
I'm very well, Georgie. How are you?

Georgie
I'm pretty good, thank you, as well.

Neil
So, Georgie, what are we talking about in today's episode?

Georgie
Today's episode is all about films and television. We'll talk about our favourite movies and shows.

Neil
Great, let's get started.

Georgie
OK, Neil. So, what kinds of films do you like?

Neil
I like foreign films, films that are not in English, because I like stories from other countries. What about you?

Georgie
I like two kinds of films. One type of film I really like is films that you can learn from, and the other type of film is films that you can escape from reality. So usually quite silly films or fantasy films.

Neil
OK. Do you have a favourite film?

Georgie
Yes, I do. I really love the Harry Potter series.

Neil
So, Georgie, can you tell us about your favourite film, the Harry Potter film you mentioned?

Georgie
Yes. So you want to know about the plot, which is what happens in the film. So Harry Potter is all about a boy who discovers that he is a wizard. That is someone who does magic. And he goes to a school for magic called Hogwarts and he meets his best friends Ron and Hermione who are other characters in the film. And he spends a lot of his time trying to escape a dark wizard called Voldemort and it's very dangerous. It's a great film!

Georgie
Yes. Very evil characters and also really nice characters.

Neil
So, Georgie, you talked a lot about your favourite film Harry Potter. And the grammar you used to describe the film was present simple. So, for example, you said the film is about a boy who discovers that he is a wizard and he goes to a school, a special school for wizards, and he makes friends with Ron and Hermione. All present simple.

Georgie
Yes, that's right. We use the present simple to describe the plot of a story like a book or a film. We also use the present simple to tell stories sometimes, things that happened to us in the past, which is interesting.

What about you? What's your favourite film?

Neil
Well. I think my favourite film is from when I was a kid, and it's Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Georgie
Wow. I haven't seen that.

Neil
It's very old, but it's got Indiana Jones, and he was my hero when I was a kid.

Georgie
Why was he your hero?

Neil
Because it was... he's all about action and adventure and catching bad guys.

Georgie
Oh interesting! See I'm not a big fan of action and adventure.

Neil
So, Georgie, do you watch lots of movies?

Georgie
I actually don't, because I have quite a short attention span. I actually prefer to watch TV or series. What about you?

Neil
Yeah, again, I think there's so much choice these days, sometimes actually I watch nothing because I don't know what to choose. But sometimes, I really get into a TV series and, yeah, watch it all very quickly and talk about it a lot.

Georgie
That's called binge watching. How do you watch these series?

Georgie
So, you just used the word stream. You stream TV shows and movies and that means watching films or TV using the internet. You can watch things whenever you want when you stream things.

Neil
OK. Let's look again at the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.

Georgie
For example, Harry Potter goes to a magic school called Hogwarts and meets two best friends.

Neil
Thanks for listening to Real Easy English. You can find more easy conversation on our website: bbclearningenglish.com

Georgie
Next time, we'll be talking about pets.

Now try this...
Georgie explains the present simple and how to use it

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about films

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Learn to talk about what happens in your favourite film

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1. look forward to, e.g. What are you looking forward to?

I look forward to the next trip.

2. set off, e.g. What time do you usually set off for work/school?

I set off my day with a cup of coffee.

3. check in, e.g. When was the last time you checked in somewhere?

The last time I checked in was in Atacama.

I checked in a very nice hotel.

*Look forward to (something)

He’s really looking forward to his summer holiday by the beach.

*Get away

I’m feeling burnt out. I’d love to get away for a few days and spend time in the countryside.

*Pick (someone) up

The bus picks us up every morning and takes us to school.

*Hurry up

We really need to hurry up if we want to catch the train.

*Get in/out

enter/exit a vehicle with a small space (car, taxi, truck, lorry, van, helicopter), and immediately sit down

I got in the car and then started driving.

*Get on/off

enter/exit a vehical standing on your feet (bus, plane, train, tram, boat)

We're at our stop - let's get off the bus.

After she got on the bus, she realised it was the wrong one.

*Set off

Grandpa set off at 6am to make sure he arrived at the airport early for his flight.

Once we had prepared the picnic food, we set off towards the park.

*Check in

After checking in at the hotel reception, she gave them the room key.

Before going through airport security, you have to check in at the airline's desk.

*Take off (plane)

The plane took off smoothly and then we were in the air.

You have to put your phone in airplane mode while the plane takes off.

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Georgie teaches you some phrasal verbs that can be used to talk about travel.

Phrasal verbs mentioned

look forward to (something)
anticipate something good or exciting happening in the future

He's really looking forward to his summer holiday by the beach.

My parents are really looking forward to their book club event this weekend.

get away
escape from your usual responsibilities and go on holiday

I'm feeling burnt out. I'd love to get away for a few days and spend time in the countryside.

We've had a hard year. Let's get away at some point in the winter months.

pick (someone) up
collect someone and take them to another location, usually in a vehicle like a car

The taxi picked the woman up from her house and took her to the airport.

The bus picks us up every morning and takes us to school.

hurry up
go faster

Hurry up! We're going to miss our flight!

We really need to hurry up if we want to catch the train.

get in/out
enter/exit a vehicle with a small space (car, taxi, truck, lorry, van, helicopter), and immediately sit down

I got in the car and then started driving.

Once they arrived, they got out the taxi and walked into the airport.

get on/off
enter/exit a vehical standing on your feet (bus, plane, train, tram, boat)

We're at our stop - let's get off the bus.

After she got on the bus, she realised it was the wrong one.

set off
Begin your journey

Grandpa set off at 6am to make sure he arrived at the airport early for his flight.

Once we had prepared the picnic food, we set off towards the park.

check in
Register your arrival at the airport, at a hotel, or some kind of facility.

After checking in at the hotel reception, she gave them the room key.

Before going through airport security, you have to check in at the airline's desk.

take off (plane)
leaves the runway

The plane took off smoothly and then we were in the air.

You have to put your phone in airplane mode while the plane takes off.

TOP TIPS!

If you see the word 'something', it usually means the verb requires an object.

If 'something' is in the middle of the phrasal verb, it means that it can be separated by the object (but doesn't have to be).

If 'something' is at the end of the phrasal verb, it means it cannot be separated.

When a pronoun, e.g. him, her, them, is the object of a separable phrasal verb, it must go between the verb and the particle.

To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page.
NEXT Prepositions with Georgie
Try our other vocabulary programmes

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for travel

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Georgie's looking forward to teaching you these phrasal verbs for travel...

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hajhakasdjkabdakdlad//dddaD

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Neil and Georgie demonstrate some phrasal verbs that can be used to talk about friendships and relationships in general.

Phrasal verbs mentioned

get on (with someone)
like someone and have a friendly relationship with them

My sister and I really get on. We have a lot of fun together!

Arturo gets on with his colleagues. They have similar personalities.

fall out (with someone)
stop being friends with someone after an argument

Mia and Nathan fell out after Mia lied and didn't apologise.

Jake fell out with his roommate about household responsibilities.

run into (someone)
meet someone unexpectedly

Fatima ran into her neighbour at the supermarket.

Two childhood friends ran into each other in a London coffee shop.

hear from (someone)
receive communication from someone, e.g. via phone, email or letter

I was thrilled to hear from my long-lost friend after years of being out of touch.

Do you know how Uncle Jim is? I haven't heard from him in a while.

make up (with someone)
become friends with someone again after having an argument

It took time, but eventually the siblings made up and repaired their relationship.

We're all waiting for you and Charlie to make up. It would be a shame to lose the friendship.

hang out (with someone)
spend time relaxing or socialising with someone

At the weekend, my friends and I hang out at the local coffee shop.

I love hanging out with my younger cousins - they're so funny!

catch up (with someone)
talk to someone about what's been happening in your lives since the last time you spoke

Family reunions are a great time to catch up with relatives you don't see often.

I caught up with Lina last week - so much has happened since I last saw her!

TOP TIPS!

If you see the word 'something', it usually means the verb requires an object.

If 'something' is in the middle of the phrasal verb, it means that it can be separated by the object (but doesn't have to be).

If 'something' is at the end of the phrasal verb, it means it cannot be separated.

To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page.
NEXT
Watch more Phrasal verbswith Georgie, and try some of our other grammar programmes.

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for friendship

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Learn some phrasal verbs to talk about friendships and relationships between people in general

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Podcast summary:

The text talks about tantrums and other aspects of the development of children who are in the terrible twos stage. The podcast adds that adults can learn to be less critical of themselves by just watching the toddlers and their self-talk.

Vocabulary

toddler
young child, aged between two and four years old, who is learning to walk

criança pequena, com idade entre dois e quatro anos, que está aprendendo a andar

tantrum
noisy, uncontrolled outburst of anger

Birra - barulhento, descontrolado surto de raiva

out loud
in a way that other people can hear

Em voz alta - de uma maneira que outras pessoas podem ouvir

self-talk
the messages that you tell yourself, and the way in which you tell them; your inner voice

Mensagens que você diz a si mesmo, e a maneira como você as diz; sua voz interior

(be) down on yourself
feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself

Feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself

negative cycle
a pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again

A pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again

other words:

terrible twos - dois terríveis

sudden and noisy - repentino e barulhento

outburst of anger - explosão de raiva

tears - lágrimas

screams - gritos

grow up - crescer

growth - crescimento

grown ups - adultos

self talk - autoexpressão

feed - alimentar

pattern - padrão

pretend - fingir

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Try more episodes of 6 Minute English:
Introduction

You might think that we teach toddlers, but they can teach us as well! Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

This week's question

Which of the following statements is true?

a) toddlers are attracted to shapes that resemble the human body
b) toddlers are more active than at any other time in their lives, or,
c) toddlers can grow up to three centimetres during sleep time

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

toddler
young child, aged between two and four years old, who is learning to walk

tantrum
noisy, uncontrolled outburst of anger

out loud
in a way that other people can hear

self-talk
the messages that you tell yourself, and the way in which you tell them; your inner voice

(be) down on yourself
feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself

negative cycle
a pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Beth
Yes, the famous temper tantrums! But being a toddler is also an exciting time as a child's personality starts to develop. So what can we adults learn from toddlers? That's what we'll be finding out in this programme, along with some useful new vocabulary.

Neil
But first I have a question for you, Beth. Being a toddler is certainly an important stage in a child's growth, but which of the following statements is true?

a) toddlers are attracted to shapes that resemble the human body
b) toddlers are more active than at any other time in their lives, or,
c) toddlers can grow up to three centimetres during sleep time

Beth
Hmm, I think toddlers can grow up to three centimetres while they sleep.

Neil
OK, Beth, we'll find out if that's the correct answer later in the programme. At two or three years old, there's not much toddlers can do for themselves. They depend on mum or dad to feed, clothe and care for them, so it's strange to think there's anything adults could learn.

Beth
But not according to Dr Hasan Merali, author of a new book 'Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas' and father to his own toddler, who spoke with BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman's Hour:

Dr Hasan Merali
When I see the toddlers by themselves they're doing a lot of things out loud. Little Julie's putting on her mitts and saying, "Julie can do it". And Coltan's over in the side, and he's looking down at his boots, and they're on the wrong way, and so he says "Oh, Coltan did this wrong!" And this idea of self-talk is really a way to decrease stress in anxiety provoking situations.

Neil
Dr Merali observed toddlers talking to themselves out loud. When you talk out loud you speak so that other people can hear you.

Neil
Unfortunately, as we grow up our self-talk often becomes less encouraging and more critical. Instead of a positive, loving inner voice, as adults we tend to tell ourselves: 'You can't do it!' or 'you're no good!' Here's Dr Merali again, explaining more to BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman's Hour:

Beth
As an adult, you might be down on yourself. If you're down on yourself, you feel disappointed and self-critical about yourself. When this happens your self-talk gets very negative, for example telling yourself you're no good, and this can lead to a negative cycle, a pattern of repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again.

Neil
This can be a problem, but not for toddlers who are naturally good at talking kindly to themselves and celebrating the little things, like learning to get dressed. The solution for over-critical grown-ups? According to Dr Merali, pretend you're talking to a good friend instead of to yourself, just like toddlers do!

Beth
It seems us adults can learn something from young children, after all - being kind to ourselves. When they're not having tantrums, toddlers really are wonderful little creatures, which reminds me of your question, Neil.

Neil
Right, I asked you which statement about toddlers was true.

Beth
And I said it was that toddlers can grow up to three centimetres while they sleep. Was I right?

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What can we learn from toddlers?

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Learn to speak to yourself in the way that toddlers do!

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Phrasal verbs mentioned

fork out
spend a lot reluctantly (gastar muito com retulância, sem querer - "enforcada")

I forked out a large part of my savings for my cat's medical bills this month.

I forked out with a lot of money for my trip to Santiago.

splash out (on)
spend a lot enthusiastically (gastar muito com entusiasmo)

After our wedding, we splashed out on a safari in South Africa for our honeymoon.

I splashed out on holiday trips.

pay (someone) back
return money that you borrowed from someone (devolver o dinheiro que você pegou emprestado de alguém)

My dream is to pay my parents back for all the money they spent on my education.

My friend paid me back all the money I lent her.

run out of
spend all your money, leaving nothing left (Gastar todo o seu dinheiro, deixando nada para trás)

Unfortunately, we ran out of money before we finished building the shed, and we couldn't pay for more materials.

Unfortunately, I run out of my money in Chile

I run out of tomatos.

live on
have a particular amount of money that you use to buy the essentials (ter uma determinada quantidade de dinheiro que você usa para comprar o essencial)

Since retiring, my grandparents are able to live on their state pensions.

After the trip, I will live on a little bit of money.

get by
live with difficulty with the money you have (Viver com dificuldade com o dinheiro que tem)

I get by with my salary, but I don't have enough to save up or treat myself to luxuries.

She gets by well with her nurse’s salary but would like more to be able to travel more too.

save up
accumulate your money by not spending it, usually for a purpose (poupar dinheiro para um propósito)

My sister is saving up to buy a house.

I am saving up for my next trip.

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Free worksheet
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Introduction

Georgie teaches you some phrasal verbs that can be used to talk about money.

Phrasal verbs mentioned

fork out
spend a lot reluctantly

I forked out a large part of my savings for my cat's medical bills this month.

splash out (on)
spend a lot enthusiastically

After our wedding, we splashed out on a safari in South Africa for our honeymoon.

pay (someone) back
return money that you borrowed from someone

My dream is to pay my parents back for all the money they spent on my education.

run out of
spend all your money, leaving nothing left

Unfortunately, we ran out of money before we finished building the shed, and we couldn't pay for more materials.

live on
have a particular amount of money that you use to buy the essentials

Since retiring, my grandparents are able to live on their state pensions.

get by
live with difficulty with the money you have

I get by with my salary, but I don't have enough to save up or treat myself to luxuries.

save up
accumulate your money by not spending it, usually for a purpose

My sister is saving up to buy a house.
TOP TIPS!

If you see the word 'something', it usually means the verb requires an object.

If 'something' is in the middle of the phrasal verb, it means that it can be separated by the object (but doesn't have to be).

If 'something' is at the end of the phrasal verb, it means it cannot be separated.

When a pronoun, e.g. him, her, them, is the object of a separable phrasal verb, it must go between the verb and the particle.

To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page.
NEXT Prepositions with Georgie
Try our other vocabulary programmes

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BBC Learning English - Phrasal verbs with Georgie / Phrasal verbs for money

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Learn these common and useful phrasal verbs about money

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Talk about the best holiday destination?

there's no place like ......

i'd recommend everyone to go to....

For me, the best holiday is in any city in ...

I think the best place to visit for vacation is Mexico, if you like the beach and the sun - more options are Dominican Republic. Besides that if you prefer the nature, I'd recommend you Peru; however, if you like the cold and the snow, you can think about Argentina and Chile.

SUMMARY OF THE PODCAST:

It talks about the dream destinations for your trips that are possible to do. They use for recommendation the modal verb SHOULD and for possibility they use COULD. BESIDES THAT they talk about cities and countries that you can visit and new word to describe trips in your area or near home STAYCATION.

Vocabulary

destination

a place we are going to or would like to go to

should

used to give advice or talk about things that are a good idea to do

could

used to talk about things that are possible

staycation

a holiday at or near home

Activity: many people in Spain are complaining about over tourism is a massive tourism and they are losing their homes and they cannot afford to pay rentals and also the groceries in the supermarket due to many tourists and digital nomads are visiting or staying in the cities.

what do you think the government should do and what residents could do to avoid this problem?

The local authorities must regain control of tourism activity, by slowing the arrival of visitors, through regulations for the community of owners of the property, freezing the number of tourist accommodation places, prohibiting tourist rentals in multifamily buildings, limit arrival of cruises/boats by day and also the capacity maxima of passengers that arrive by any way (air, terrestrial, fluviais and others).

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(Image: Getty)

Introduction

Neil and Georgie have a real conversation in easy English about holidays. Learn to talk about the places you want to travel to.

Vocabulary
destination
a place we are going to or would like to go to
should
used to give advice or talk about things that are a good idea to do
could
used to talk about things that are possible
staycation
a holiday at or near home

Transcript

Georgie
Hello! Welcome to Real Easy English from BBC Learning English. I'm Georgie.

Neil
And I'm Neil. And in this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you improve your English. Remember you can read what we're saying on our website: bbclearningenglish.com

Neil
How are you today, Georgie?

Georgie
I'm pretty good, Neil, thank you. I'm happy that it's Friday.

Neil
I like two different kinds of holidays. I like interesting cities... interesting old cities, like European cities. But I also like mountains and countryside and those kind of places like in South America.

Georgie
Yes, I also have two different types of holidays that I like. If I want to relax, I usually want to be in the sun by the beach, but I also love to see new and interesting places, places that you can't see in your own country.

Neil, where's your favourite place you've ever been to?

Neil
Oh, well, I really, really liked Japan when I visited Japan.

Georgie
Mmm that sounds so good, and I love food!
Ok so, you said I should try some Japanese restaurants. What is this word should? What does it mean?

Neil
It means I think it's a good idea for you to do that. That's my advice to you.

Georgie
Ok so it's kind of like a recommendation in this case?

Neil
Yeah. So when you go to Japan, you should eat sushi. When you go to Japan, you should visit Kyoto to see Zen gardens.

So how about you, Georgie? What's... what's the best place you've ever been on holiday?

Georgie
I really love Edinburgh in Scotland. I love it because it's very green. The city is very close to nature and it's very beautiful. The buildings are really beautiful.

Georgie
Well, in August, for example, you could go to the Fringe Festival, which is a comedy and arts festival. So you could see some shows. Or you could go for a walk in the national parks outside of the city. Or you could go to see some of the museums they have. There's lots of things you could do.

Georgie
Yes, and that's different from should, because when I say you should do something, it means that it's a good idea or I'm giving you advice. But could, I'm just giving you some options, things that are possible for you to do.

Neil
Now, we don't always go to another country on holiday or even a different city, do we?

Georgie
No, now it's actually quite popular to go on holiday inside your own country and we have a word for this, don't we Neil?

Neil
Yes, we do. It combines two words. The word stay and the word vacation. Put them together and you have staycation. And a staycation is a holiday at, actually in, your house or near your house.

Now the problem with holidays is they are expensive. We probably need to save up money if we want to travel to all these places, apart from the staycation.

Let's recap the language we learned during the conversation.

Neil
That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Visit our website for more activities and courses to help you with your English: bbclearningenglish.com

Georgie
Next time. We'll be talking about work and jobs.

Neil
See you then, goodbye.

Now try this...

Learn more about could and talking about things that are possible here.

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BBC Learning English - Real Easy English / Talking about holidays

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Learn how to talk about the places you want to travel to

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Negotiating

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It can be stressful to make sure you get the best price for something. Do you know how to open a negotiation? How can we be firm and professional in a negotiation? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about negotiating at work.

Podcast summary:

what are they talking?

they are talking about negotiation at work and how to haggle a good price and be friendly in the deal.(negotiation)

context exploration:

I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't want to come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

Phrases for negotiation:

Let's talk about the price

Let's get down to business

I'm looking for ... ten pounds for this.

I think my work is worth is worth... four hundred pounds.

We're talking about this product and we need to talk about the price.

What sort of price would you be willing to pay for this?

Say what your first offer.

That's too expensive

But we can pay this

We've got to cover our costs

I'd love to offer that. But we have to be realistic about our budget.

Well, other people in my position earn...

I've taken on lots of responsibility without more pay.

We can go with five pounds.

I'm happy to accept five pounds.

I look forward to working with you.

It was great doing business with you.

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Image: Getty

Introduction

It can be stressful to make sure you get the best price for something. Do you know how to open a negotiation? How can we be firm and professional in a negotiation? In this episode of Office English, Pippa and Phil talk about negotiating at work.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is a transcript of a spoken conversation and is not a word-for-word script.

Phil
Sometimes at work, we need to be able to negotiate.

Voicenote clips
I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't wanna come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

Pippa
Today on Office English, we're talking about the language of negotiating.

Phil
Hello and welcome to Office English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.

Pippa
And I'm Pippa. And in this podcast we discuss the business English that you can use to do well at work.

Phil
Today, we're talking about negotiations. This means discussions which we use to get what we want. So, for example, if we wanted to buy a car, we might negotiate with the sales person to get the best price.

Pippa
OK, so do you ever negotiate at work, Phil.

Phil
Sometimes, yes, particularly when there's someone who we might need to do some work for us and we have to make sure that we get a good price for the department.

Pippa
Yeah, so we tend to negotiate at work even if it's not a big part of our job. So, if you're a salesperson or you're dealing with customers a lot, you might have to negotiate all the time at work. But even if you don't, you might need to negotiate now and then when you're asking for a price for something.

Or even in your own role, so if you're asking for something from your boss or if you're starting a new job, you need to talk about how much you're going to get paid, what your hours would be, you'd been negotiating with them about that. And the way that people negotiate, especially in business deals between different companies, differs around the world and depending on the situation.

But today, we'll talk about some phrases for negotiating that are familiar in the UK context.

Phil
So, first up, how do we start a negotiation, Pippa?

Pippa
So, in Britain, there's usually some politeness or small talk, and we talked about small talk in a previous episode. But once you've kind of said hello, had a chat with the person, then you might say something like Right! let's talk about the price or let's get down to business is a nice phrase.

Pippa
Yeah, and in some contexts you wouldn't need to have the chit chat part at the beginning. You might just go straight in and say 'OK, we're talking about this product and we need to talk about the price of it' and you don't need to have the small talk. But in the UK we tend to do that.

And then probably what you want to do is make your opening offer. So you might say I'm looking for... ten pounds for this or I think my work is worth... four hundred pounds, for instance.

Phil
Yes and of course, because it's a negotiation, you're probably going to ask for more than what you'd actually accept.

OK, so we've started the negotiation. But how do we try and persuade the other person to give us what we want? Are there any phrases that we can use, Phil?

Phil
Yeah so, if you want somebody to increase the amount they'll pay you for something, then you could say something like we've got to cover our costs and cover your costs means that you need to earn enough to pay for what it would cost to do something.

Pippa
Yes, you're using 'we' so you're sort of negotiating on behalf of the company rather than on behalf of yourself. And both of these phrases we've got to cover our costs and we have to be realistic about the budget are still kind of friendly. So it's not actually an argument when you're negotiating, it's more of a discussion.

Phil
Ok and we've talked a lot about negotiating with someone from another company, but actually sometimes you have to negotiate with people in your company and in fact, sometimes you have to negotiate with your boss, particularly about how much you get paid. So you might want to use phrases like Well, other people in my position earn... this much or I've taken on lots of responsibility without more pay.

Pippa
Yes, and it's probably useful to say that it will depend on your company as to whether there is an opportunity to talk about your pay and to negotiate it. Some companies don't like that, some do, it really depends. But yes, giving evidence for why you want more money would be a useful thing to do.

Phil
Right, so we have some ways to try and persuade the other person in a negotiation. Let's imagine that after haggling for a while, we're ready to accept the price or offer. How do we end a negotiation?

Pippa
Well, we could be quite informal and we could say OK, we can go with five pounds. So we can go with means we'll accept that amount. Or you could be more formal, you could say something like I'm happy to accept five pounds, thank you very much. And then one thing that I think is useful is to try and sort of maintain the business relationship. So you've not just gone there to get the best price possible, but you also want to kind of continue a working relationship with the person. So you could say something like I look forward to working with you or it was great doing business with you. What do you think about that, Phil?

Phil
Yes, I think this is quite nice because negotiations can sometimes get a little bit tense. So it's quite good to bring everything back to a kind of friendly tone at the end.

Pippa
Negotiations can be difficult, especially if we're not used to persuading other people to do something. Let's hear again from our BBC Learning English colleagues.

Voicenote clips
I guess the important thing is to be sure of what you actually want. So you don't want to come away feeling that you've negotiated badly.

I find negotiating very awkward because my main instinct is to be polite and kind. So I find it quite difficult to be direct in what I want.

Phil
Yeah, I think it's different, isn't it. I mean, if you do it all the time as part of your job, if you're a salesperson or you're involved in things like that then I guess it's a lot easier, you get used to it. But in a lot of jobs we don't do a lot of negotiating.

Pippa
Yeah and that's why I think we're nervous to do it. But as we said, if you try and remain friendly and try and kind of make the conversation less of an argument and more of a discussion then that's a good way to kind of try and get your, your opinion across. And one thing that is really important that we haven't talked about is it's good to be clear with yourself about what you want before you start the negotiation, what you would be willing to accept as a high or low point. Otherwise, you could get carried away and pay far too much or accept far too little for something. So yeah, think before about what are you wanting to get out of a negotiation, so that you don't kind of go in and end up with something you didn't want.

Phil
That's it for this episode of Office English. Remember, you can find courses and activities to help you with your English at work on our website, bbclearningenglish.com

Pippa
Next time, we're talking about how to talk about your achievements at work and sell yourself.

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BBC Learning English - Office English / Negotiating

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Positive

I had walked > I'd walked

He had walked > He'd walked

She had walked > She'd walked

They had walked > They'd walked

Negative

You had not walked > You hadn’t walked

He had not walked > He hadn’t walked

We had not walked > We hadn’t walked

They had not walked > They hadn’t walked

Questions

Had I walked?

Yes, you had

No, you hadn't

Home work:

Had you cleaned the house in time?

Yes, I had already cleaned the house when my mother arrived.

Had they saw?

She had just left by the time he arrived.

Why hadn't they come?

They did not come with us because they had visited this museum before.

What had he said?

He asked me if I had ever been to Germany.

She hadn’t organized her clothes well before the trip.

I heard her say: "I wish I had better organized my clothes for this trip; I’m feeling very cold!"

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USES OF PAST PERFECT
Events that happened before another past event. Combine with the past simple.

The train had already left before we arrived at the station.

The kids had fallen asleep by the time their parents got home.

By the time we found our seats, the movie had already started.

Useful vocabulary for events that happened before another past event: already, before, by the time
A period of time up until another point of time in the past.

By 2018, they had lived in that house for ten years.

She had always loved that toy until it broke.

The company had been in business for fifty years before it went bankrupt.

Useful vocabulary for a period of time up until another point of time: by, until, up until, before, for, since
For 3rd conditional sentences to talk about hypothetical past situations.

If they had known about the traffic, they would've left earlier.

If only the dress had been on sale... she might have bought it.

They would have won the game if the goalkeeper hadn't made that mistake.

Similarly, for expressing regret. Use with 'wish'.

I wish I had studied for the exam...

We wish we'd booked tickets earlier.

I wish I had known about the event; I would have attended.

STRUCTURE
For positive sentences, use 'had' after the pronoun, plus the verb in the past participle form. We often contract the form with an apostrophe.

For negative sentences, add 'not' after 'had'. We usually contract the form with an apostrophe.

I had not walked > I hadn't walked

You had not walked > You hadn't walked

He had not walked > He hadn't walked

She had not walked > She hadn't walked

It had not walked > It hadn't walked

We had not walked > We hadn't walked

They had not walked > They hadn't walked

To ask yes/no questions, change the order of the sentence so that 'had' is at the beginning.

To ask for more information, add the 'who, what, where, why, how, when' question words at the beginning.
To do
Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other Tenses with Georgie videos.
NEXT
Try some of our other grammar programmes

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BBC Learning English - Tenses with Georgie / Past perfect

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Learn the uses and structure of the past perfect

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Warm up :

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

Learning English from the News

Putin in North Korea

1. Look at the cover image and headline, and answer these questions.

• What do you know about this news story already?

• Have you heard about this news story?

• What do you imagine this news story is about?

News headlines/ WORD EXPLORATION:

Putin's visit to North Korea is very much a diplomatic two-fingers to the West
Sky News

Vladimir Putin’s dangerous bromance with Kim Jong Un
The Economist

China has mixed feelings about Putin's new coziness with Kim
Le Monde

Key words and phrases

two-fingers
a rude gesture meaning go away

I’ve decided to give two-fingers to my neighbours and organise a very loud party.

# Now I am on vacation and I gave two-fingers for the work.

bromance
a very friendly relationship between two men

Neil has a bit of a bromance with his colleague Phil. They get on so well!

# This group is always together, they have a very nice bromance.

mixed feelings
having positive and negative emotions about something at the same time

I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the characters, but it’s too long.

# Women always pass by mixed feelings during the period every month.

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BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Putin in North Korea

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Putin and Kim Jong Un meet and agree deal in North Korea.

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Summary:

The subject at hand is about maternal age. Women are becoming pregnant later (around in their forties) and, while this is synonymous with freedom and growth, for science it is worrying because pregnancy, at older ages, becomes at risk for both the child and the parent. In addition to this issue, it is also addressed the fact that there is no prejudice for men who are parents later.

Why not get pregnant?

There are many reasons behind the choice not to gestate. Currently the woman chooses to focus on her professional career, dedication to academic life, financial issues and the concern that pregnancy can affect the physical appearance or upbringing of the child can lead to extreme exhaustion, the famous "have to handle everything".

This phenomenon - generation of NoMo - can take linger and this is a pat on the back of misogynistic society. God forbid we can be as we were before! May women be free and choose their future!

to father???

Word bank:

be in your forties (fifties, sixties etc)
the decade, or period of ten years, in your life when you are aged between 40 and 49

phenomena
facts or events, especially which are unusual or significant, that exist and can be observed and talked about

lingers
continues to exist longer than usual or expected

to father
to make a woman pregnant who then gives birth to a child

pat (someone) on the back
(idiom) used to describe giving someone praise, congratulations or encouragement

God forbid!
a way of saying that you hope something will not happen

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Too old to have a baby?