When you listen to something in English, there are normally three categories of words and phrases (”vocabulary”):

1. Words and expressions you do know AND you do use in your own speech
2. Words and expressions you do know BUT you don’t use in your own speech
3. Words and expressions you don’t know AND you don’t use in your own speech*

For this exercise, we are going to focus on the second category: Words you do know BUT you don’t use in your own speech

These are often:

• ways of starting sentences
• moving from one point to the next
• expressing an opinion
• linking words (see Linking words)

These are the kinds of words you should be listening out for when listening to a podcast.

Why? There is limited value in focussing on the first or third category, because you either know them already or you don’t need to know them.

Instead, focus on the second category and start taking vocabulary from your passive to your active, so you can use it in your own speech.

Instructions:

1. Simple. When listening, think critically about these three categories.
2. When you hear a word or phrase that you know but wouldn’t use yourself:
   • Write/note it down (if you have a pen/paper/digital notebook to hand)
   • Write down the context
   • Add it to your vocabulary “kit” (see The Podcast Vocabulary Builder)

*Depending on your vocabulary, there will probably be two categories of words in the third category as well: