Vocabulary practice · Episode 45

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 10 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.
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Vocabulary from the episode

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Expression 1

to map out

to plan something in detail, organising all the steps and stages before you begin

Nuance: Map out is richer than 'plan' — it implies a visual, spatial thinking where you lay out all the pieces before committing. A new year in English needs to be mapped out, not just wished for.

Before January starts, map out your English goals for the year — be specific.

She mapped out a twelve-month English plan that balanced listening, speaking, and reading.

Expression 2

to stick to a plan

to continue following a plan without giving up or changing it, especially when it becomes difficult

Nuance: Sticking to a plan is harder than making one — life intervenes, motivation fluctuates. The ability to stick to a plan through difficult days separates people who reach their language goals from those who don't.

The plan is only useful if you stick to it — even on the days when you don't feel like it.

She stuck to her English plan for the whole year and by December she felt like a different person.

Expression 3

a milestone

a significant point or achievement in a process or journey; a marker that shows how far you have come

Nuance: Milestones are how long journeys stay motivating — they break the distance into celebrated sections. In a year-long English plan, milestones might be: 'hold a five-minute conversation', 'watch a film without subtitles', 'read a full article'.

Set milestones every two months — small wins that keep the motivation alive.

Her first milestone was finishing one episode of an English series without rewinding. She never forgot it.

Expression 4

to set a goal

to decide on a specific outcome you want to achieve and commit to working towards it

Nuance: Set a goal is the foundational action of any learning plan. Vague intentions become concrete plans when you set a goal. In English learning, goals need to be specific — not 'speak English better' but 'hold a five-minute conversation about my work without switching languages'.

Set a goal for your English that excites you — excitement is the fuel that makes goals stick.

She set a goal of understanding an entire podcast episode without subtitles by the end of the month.

Expression 5

to break something down

to divide a large task, topic, or problem into smaller, more manageable pieces

Nuance: Break something down is one of the most practical phrases in English for studying and planning. Complex learning goals feel overwhelming as a whole; broken down into steps they become achievable. This is the planning verb used by teachers, coaches, and learners alike.

Break your English goal down into weekly targets — one manageable piece at a time.

She broke down her goal of 'learning English' into daily reading, weekly listening, and monthly speaking challenges.

Expression 6

to track your progress

to regularly monitor and record how much you have improved or how far you have moved towards a goal

Nuance: Tracking progress is the accountability habit that keeps learning honest. Without it, you rely on feeling — which is unreliable. With it, you have evidence. For English learners, tracking might mean recording yourself monthly, timing how long you can speak without stopping, or counting new vocabulary.

Track your progress by recording yourself speaking at the start of each month — the comparison will motivate you.

She tracked her English progress in a simple notebook and the evidence of growth kept her going on hard days.

Expression 7

to build a routine

to create a regular, structured habit of doing something at a consistent time and in a consistent way

Nuance: Build a routine is the planning phrase for habit formation. A routine takes a decision and removes it — you do not decide to practise English each day, you just do it because that is what you do at that time. The most successful English learners all have routines.

Build an English routine that fits your actual life — five minutes every morning beats one hour once a week.

She built a morning routine that included ten minutes of listening before breakfast, and it transformed her English.

Expression 8

a deadline

a date or time by which something must be completed or achieved

Nuance: Deadline is essential planning vocabulary in English — both professional and personal. Giving yourself a deadline for a learning goal transforms it from a wish into a commitment. Without a deadline, a goal has no urgency and is easily postponed.

Give your English goals a deadline — without one, there is no reason to start today instead of tomorrow.

She gave herself a self-imposed deadline of speaking to a native English speaker before the end of the year.

Expression 9

to hold yourself accountable

to take personal responsibility for your commitments and ensure that you follow through on what you said you would do

Nuance: Hold yourself accountable is the self-discipline phrase for learners who work alone. Without a teacher or class forcing consistency, you must hold yourself accountable. Strategies: sharing your goal with someone, setting reminders, tracking streaks. It is what separates intentional learners from passive ones.

Hold yourself accountable by telling someone your English goal — being witnessed creates commitment.

She held herself accountable by checking in with her learning goals every Sunday and noting whether she had followed through.

Expression 10

to prioritise

to decide which tasks or goals are most important and give them attention first

Nuance: Prioritise is the planning verb for deciding what matters. In English learning, you cannot work on everything at once — grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading, writing. Deciding what to prioritise first, based on your current level and goals, is itself a skill.

Prioritise speaking over writing if your goal is to travel — you need to produce, not just understand.

She prioritised listening for the first six months and found that her speaking improved too, naturally and effortlessly.

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