Vocabulary practice · Episode 9

Review the useful expressions from the episode

Study the episode’s central expressions with English definitions, nuance and examples, plus reviewed support-language versions where available.

B1–B2Everyday EnglishAbout 37 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available
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A short study session

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  1. Choose one expression. Read its definition, nuance and examples.
  2. Make it yours. Write one true sentence from your own life.
  3. Return to the episode. Listen for the expression in its original context.

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Vocabulary from the episode

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Expression 1

to take it one step at a time

to approach a large or overwhelming task by focusing only on the next immediate action — rather than being paralysed by the whole

Nuance: Take it one step at a time is the manageable progress phrase. It is advice given — and advice to give yourself — when a challenge feels too large to confront all at once. In language learning, in new jobs, in new countries, in new relationships — the skill of breaking the overwhelming into the manageable is both a practical and a psychological tool.

When something feels overwhelming, take it one step at a time — focus on only what needs to happen next.

She stopped worrying about her whole language learning journey and decided to take it one step at a time — starting with listening practice.

Expression 2

to be kind to yourself

to treat yourself with patience, gentleness, and understanding, particularly after a failure or difficult moment

Nuance: Being kind to yourself is the antidote to perfectionism. Many language learners are harsher critics of themselves than they would ever be of others. This phrase is a daily practice, not a one-off act.

After a difficult conversation in English, be kind to yourself — it takes courage to try.

The rule here is simple: be kind to yourself, keep showing up, and the English will come.

Expression 3

to give yourself permission

to consciously decide that something is acceptable — that you are allowed to rest, to make mistakes, to not be perfect

Nuance: Give yourself permission is the act of removing self-imposed restrictions. Many language learners wait for someone else to tell them they are good enough. But fluency starts with permission — to speak imperfectly, to try and fail, to begin before you are ready.

Give yourself permission to speak imperfect English — nobody is judging you as harshly as you judge yourself.

She gave herself permission to pause before answering in English, and it made her seem more thoughtful, not less confident.

Expression 4

to pay close attention

to listen or observe with full focus — not just casually hearing but actively tracking meaning

Nuance: Pay close attention is the instruction behind analytical listening. Most people listen to respond rather than to understand. Paying close attention means following the logic, tone, word choice, and structure of what is being said — not just the surface content. For English learners, it is the active habit that turns passive exposure into real acquisition.

Pay close attention to how native speakers use connectors — not just what they say but how they structure it.

She paid close attention to the podcast host's word choices and found herself naturally adopting them.

Expression 5

the inner critic

the internal voice that judges, criticises, and undermines your confidence from within

Nuance: The inner critic is a psychological concept that language learners know intimately — the voice that says 'your accent is embarrassing' or 'you'll never be fluent'. Naming it helps you separate yourself from it.

Every language learner has an inner critic — the voice that tells you your English isn't good enough.

The first step to speaking with confidence is learning to quieten your inner critic.

Expression 6

self-compassion

treating yourself with the same kindness you would give to a good friend

Nuance: Research shows self-compassion outperforms self-criticism as a motivator — it builds resilience, not weakness.

Self-compassion doesn't mean letting yourself off the hook — it means learning without cruelty.

The most productive people have high self-compassion alongside high self-expectations.

Expression 7

to release tension

To allow physical or emotional tightness to leave the body.

Nuance: Release is more deliberate and formal than let go.

Exhale and release the tension in your shoulders.

Stretching helped him release tension.

Expression 8

to catch yourself

to become aware of what you are doing or saying in the moment, often before making a mistake

Nuance: Catch yourself implies a moment of self-awareness that stops an automatic behaviour. For language learners, this is the key skill of self-monitoring — catching yourself before translating in your head or freezing up.

I caught myself translating from Spanish to English — that's when I knew I had to change my approach.

With practice, you start to catch yourself mid-sentence and correct your pronunciation naturally.

Expression 9

to push yourself

to demand more from yourself than feels comfortable — to stretch beyond your current limits through sustained effort

Nuance: Push yourself is the growth mindset instruction. It means not settling for what is easy — speaking the same sentences you already know, reading the same level texts, avoiding the difficult topic. Pushing yourself means choosing the conversation that is slightly too hard, the article that is slightly too advanced, the topic that requires new vocabulary.

Push yourself to use new vocabulary in real sentences, not just recognise it when you see it.

She pushed herself to speak English in situations she found difficult and noticed her confidence grew fastest in those moments.

Expression 10

to make progress

to move forward and improve — to get closer to a goal over time through sustained effort

Nuance: Make progress is the improvement recognition phrase. It is one of the most motivating phrases in language learning — recognising that you are moving forward, even if slowly. 'I'm making progress' is both an observation and a motivation. In language learning, progress is often non-linear: plateaus are followed by breakthroughs. The key is to keep the feedback mechanism working: regular output, regular feedback, regular reflection.

Making progress requires both effort and patience — the two cannot be substituted for each other.

She looked back at her first attempts to speak English and was moved by how much progress she had made in two years.

Expression 11

to move forward

to stop dwelling on the past and make progress, especially after a difficulty or setback

Nuance: Move forward is both practical and motivational. After a difficult English conversation, the healthy response is to note what happened and move forward. It is about momentum — keeping going despite what went wrong.

You cannot change what you said — but you can move forward and use what you learned today.

After failing the exam, she took one day to feel disappointed, and then moved forward with a new plan.

Expression 12

inner voice

the mental voice or internal monologue that narrates your thoughts

Nuance: Every person has a unique inner voice — its tone and habitual language profoundly shape how you feel.

Your inner voice is the most constant companion you will ever have.

Pay attention to how your inner voice talks to you when you make a mistake.

Expression 13

to bounce back

to recover quickly from a setback, disappointment, or difficult period

Nuance: Bounce back is an optimistic phrase — the image is a ball that springs back after hitting the ground. It implies not just recovery but a return to energy and forward movement.

He bounced back from a terrible test result and improved dramatically in the following month.

The key to unstoppable English is not avoiding failure — it is knowing how to bounce back from it.

Expression 14

to breathe out

To send air out of the lungs.

Nuance: Exhale is the more formal one-word equivalent.

Breathe out even more slowly.

He breathed out and relaxed his shoulders.

Expression 15

to keep going

to continue doing something despite tiredness, doubt, or difficulty — to not stop

Nuance: Keep going is the simplest and most powerful instruction in language learning. Not keep going perfectly, not keep going when motivated — just keep going. Movement, even slow movement, beats stopping every time.

When everything feels too hard, just keep going — even one sentence a day is forward motion.

The only difference between learners who succeed and those who do not is that the successful ones kept going.

Expression 16

a setback

a difficulty or reversal that slows down or temporarily stops your progress

Nuance: A setback is not a defeat — it is a temporary step backwards. Reframing setbacks as part of the journey rather than proof of failure is one of the most important mindset shifts in language learning.

A bad week is a setback, not a sign that you should stop.

Every successful language learner has experienced setbacks — what matters is what you do next.

Expression 17

to try again

to make another attempt after a failure, error, or unsuccessful result

Nuance: Try again is the fundamental language learning permission. Every error in language is just a try. The willingness to try again without excessive shame or self-criticism is the most essential quality for language success. It is also the simplest phrase — two words that contain everything.

When you make a mistake in English, do not apologise for ten minutes — just try again.

She made the same error in pronunciation five times and tried again each time without discouragement.

Expression 18

to show up

to appear, be present, or put in the effort consistently — even when you do not feel like it

Nuance: Show up is about reliability and consistency — the willingness to do the work whether or not conditions are perfect. In English learning, showing up every day for twenty minutes beats intensive studying once a week. It is the one habit that separates improvers from plateauers.

The most important thing in language learning is to show up every day — even for just fifteen minutes.

She showed up for her English practice even on the days she did not feel like it — and those days made all the difference.

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