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Giving employee feedback is becoming tricky with Gen Z's joining the workforce. Find out why, discover new ideas about performance reviews, and learn many expressions related to evaluating work and collocations with "feedback".
Link to The Times article on the topicFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Could there be a better way of teaching English tenses? Here is Jacek's ongoing journey and experimentation to answer this question, drawing on research on brain hemispheres, the lexical approach, the relationship between speech and movement, and insights from first language acquisition.
If you are interested in taking part in Jacek's summer course "All Tenses in Four Weeks," you can find more details here.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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This episode highlights the cultural differences between non-native speakers and native speakers, particularly the British, when it comes to disagreeing. While non-native speakers tend to be more direct, native speakers prefer a more tentative and polite approach to disagreements.
Listen and learn phrases and techniques that can be used to express disagreement in a respectful and nuanced manner. From softening statements with expressions like "I'm afraid" to indicating partial disagreement and understanding the other person's perspective, the episode provides listeners with practical examples of how to soften the impact of having a different opinion.
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Episode TranscriptFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Drawing inspiration from an article published by The Economist, titled "As it spreads across the world, who owns English," this episode challenges the notion that languages exclusively belong to their country of origin.
Link to The Economist article: As it spreads across the world, who owns English?
Link to episode transcript.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Do you often feel exhausted? Are you trying to fit as many things into your busy schedule, desperately hoping to be left with some time for yourself? Are you worried that your life slips through your fingers?
This episode discusses the recent report entitled "Burnt Out Britain" by British think-tank Onward, which challenges common myths about the reasons for our busyness and exhaustion and highlights how our time is consumed by family life and technology, leaving less time for self-care and leisure.
Link to transcript
Link to the report this podcast is based on: Burnt Out Britain - report by OnwardFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Speaking a language is more of a skill than a knowledge-based activity. In this respect, it is similar to dancing or doing sport. In this episode, we'll be developing fluency and confidence in using third-conditional sentences. You'll be guided through a series of exercises that break down the structure into smaller components and gradually put it all together.
Link to the transcript.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In this episode, we are looking at two studies on the psychology of playing chess. Can we use their findings about the thinking processes of chess masters to help us acquire a foreign language?
Link to episode transcript.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In this episode, Jacek explores the topic of dining alone and its associated stigma. He begins by sharing statistics that reveal how dining alone has become more popular in the UK. Then he retells an anecdote about British comedian Jack Whitehall, who experienced an embarrassing situation while eating on his own in America.
Then you will hear the explanation of how the phrase "as such" could indicate a consequence or logical conclusion of something that has been mentioned earlier. Also, the episode provides listeners with examples of sentences in which other words and phrases convey the idea of cause and result in both written and spoken English.
Link to episode transcript.
Link to the article published in the Spectator on 18 March 2023 - The Art of Eating Alone.
Link to the Youtube clip with Jack Whitehall telling the anecdote retold in the episode.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In today's episode, you will learn about toadies a.k.a. suck-ups, brown-nosers, and apple polishers. Toadies are not the slimy creatures that hang out in ponds or feature on a fancy French menu. Toadies are the people who are always kissing up to their bosses. We'll be digging into some fun and colourful terms to describe those suckers and even share a study that claims having a toady in your team can actually be beneficial! So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn some new vocab to add to your arsenal of workplace insults.
Link to episode transcriptFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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This time Jacek talks about his "relevant today" posts on Instagram, in which he presents expressions related to current news stories. He explains what makes these posts useful and shares some examples of his recent posts.
Link to PoLoop Angielski Instagram Profile
Link to episode transcriptFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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This episode of the Poloop Angielski Podcast is about banning some words and phrases because they are seen as discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate. Jacek presents a list of expressions, such as "ballsy," "crazy," "freshman," or "manpower", which to some could be exclusionary or derogative. Does banning words make us more inclusive and respectful or less effective in communication?
Link to episode transcriptFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In this episode of PoLoop Angielski Podcast, Jacek discusses an article from The Economist titled "The Pitfalls of Loving Your Job a Little Too Much". The podcast explores the positive and negative effects of having a passion for work and shares findings from a study by Harvard Business School which reveals that the importance of passion in the workplace has increased in recent years. However, having an all-consuming passion for what you do can have adverse effects too. One problem is that companies may reward commitment over ability, and employees obsessed with their passion often lose control of their behaviour. The episode features a real-life story of a student who got carried away by his passion for cooking and suffered burnout. Conclusion: passion can be a double-edged sword, something that has both advantages and disadvantages.
Adverse effects - negative consequences or outcomesDouble-edged sword - something that has both advantages and disadvantagesGet ahead in your career - to make progress and succeed in your careerGet carried away - to become too excited or enthusiastic about something and lose control of one's behaviourIn one's element - to feel most comfortable and confident when doing somethingLand the dream job - to get the job that one has always wantedLive and breathe something - to be passionate about something and have it as an integral part of one's lifeLose track of time - to become unaware of how much time has passedPitfalls - problems or difficulties that are likely to happen in a process, job or activityThrow oneself into something - to begin to do something with energy and enthusiasm
As always, the episode is full of interesting expressions. Here are some of them in alphabetical order:The full transcript of the recording is available here.
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This episode of the Poloop Angielski Podcast focuses on the topic of blaming people for their mistakes. Jacek discusses a recent article from the Economist titled "Faulty Reasoning" about the adverse effects of blaming people in a work environment. The discussion provides a good source of business vocabulary and expressions related to blaming people, including phrasal verbs such as "follow up on sth" and "own up to sth".
Link to episode transcript.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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What trap do polyglots and teachers of foreign languages fall into when advising learners? Should you listen to the advice of those who've mastered a foreign language? What is the right approach when choosing suitable methods of learning?
In this episode, I tackle these questions using some insights from Rory Sutherland's book "Alchemy".
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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This episode is the continuation of the topic of stress in Phrasal Verbs, so it might be a good idea to listen to Episode 23 first.
put sth on: start wearing somethingburn down: get destroyed by firetake after sb: look or behave like an older member of the familycome down with sth: become ill with a disease, usually not seriouscheat sb out of sth: prevent someone from having something in a dishonest way feel up to sth: feel that you are strong or healthy enough to do somethingcome up with sth: find or produce an answer, plan, or solution to a problem get around to sth: find time and opportunity to do somethinggo back on sth: fail to do something that you've promised or agreed to dogo through with sth: do something that you've planned or agreed to do, especially if it is difficult or unpleasantlook forward to sth: feel happy and excited about something that is going to happenput up with sth: accept something unpleasant or annoying without complainingget away with sth: do something wrong and not be properly punished for it
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.
Phrasal Verbs used in this recording:For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In this episode you will learn about three kinds of two-part Phrasal Verbs (transitive, separable PVs, transitive, inseparable PVs, and intransitive PVs), and how the type influences the position of stress in the phrase.
set sth up: organise and plan somethingbring sth forward: change the date or time of an event so it happens earliercall sth off: cancel somethingput sth off: change the date or time of an event so it happens laterwind sth up: end something
You will also hear examples of many Phrasal Verbs connected with business meetings.
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.
Transitive, separable Phrasal Verbs used in the examples:Transitive, inseparable Phrasal Verbs used in the examples:
go over sth: check something carefullydo without sth: succeed without somethingtouch on sth: mention something when are talking or writinggo for sth: choose somethingbear on sth: be connected with something or influence somethingIntransitive Phrasal Verbs used in the examples:
break down: stop workingdoze off: fall asleep especially during the day without intending to do sogo ahead: start or continue to do something, especially after waiting for permissiongo around: be enough for everybodydrop in: make a short visit somewhereFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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In this episode you'll find out how chatting with the big guys in the tech industry will soon make me a proud owner of a brand new Tesla! You might also discover a great way to practise English.
awkward: making you feel embarrassedbot: a computer programto catch up on sth: to spend time doing things you haven't done earliercuriosity: a strong desire to know about somethingto feed (an AI language model): to give information to an AI language modelfirsthand: from my own experienceto get in the way of sb doing sth: prevent somebody from doing somethingto get the better of sb: to be stronger than somebodyto get in touch with sb / to touch base with sb: to make contact with somebodya hassle: a situation that is annoying because it needs a lot of effortto make ends meet: to earn enough money to be able to buy what you needmere: just, only (used when you want to stress how small something is)a pay cut: a reduction in someone's salarya tipple: an alcoholic drinkto rush: to move somewhere in a hurrysupply chain problems: problems with getting parts needed to produce a final productsympathy: the feeling of being sorry for somebodyworth a shot: worth trying
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.
Some words and phrases used in the recording (in alphabetical order):Link to Character.AI website
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When it comes to learning a language, are you a lumper or a splitter? Which approach is better for learners of a foreign language?
to lump: to put things together in the same group and consider them as the same even though there are differences between themto split: to put similar things in different categories; to focus on differences between things rather than similarities
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.
Key terms used in the recording:Other words and phrases used in the recording (in alphabetical order):
armoury: skills or powers that are available for someone if they need to use itcontinual: continuing without stopping or happening again and again, often in an annoying wayto convey a meaning: to communicate an ideato do justice to something: to represent something fairly, especially in a way that shows how good or attractive something isa fossilised error: an error that is fixed and difficult to get rid ofa groundbreaking theory: a theory that changes the way we understand things; theory that leads to new discoveriesto feel superior: to feel better than someone elsehair-splitting: arguing about unimportant details or differencesinsight: a deeper understanding of what something is likeinquisitively: showing interest; wanting to learn thingsthe latter: the second of the two things that have just been mentionedto mansplain something: When a man mansplains something, he explains it to a woman in a way that shows he knows more about it than she does.matter-of-fact: said or done without showing emotiona merger of two words: a word created from combining two separate wordsminutiae: very small or unimportant detailsa nitpicking perfectionist: a person who focuses on small unimportant details trying to do things perfectlymisinterpretation: a wrong way of understanding of a messagenuanced: taking account of small but important differencesto overthink something: to think about something too muchto pay off: to bring some benefit; to be advantageouspeckish: a little bit hungryto ponder something: to think carefully about something for a long timeto reason with sb: to talk to someone trying to convince them or persuade them to do somethingto retaliate: to attack someone because they've attacked you firsta shift: a change in something, for example in someone's ideas or methodsto tell something apart: to see the difference between two things that are very similartrout: a fish that lives in rivers and lakesturquoise: bright green-blue in colourthe upper hand: an advantage over someone or somethingFor more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Let's kick off the new year with a few pieces of advice about the New Year's resolutions.
You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.
Words and phrases connected to the topic of New Year's resolutions:A FIRM RESOLUTION : a resolution that is not likely to change
to be buzzing: to be full of energyjust a tad: just a little bitto have one too many: to drink too much alcoholhangover: headache and sick feeling that you have the day after drinking too much alcoholIt dawned on you: You suddenly realised somethingto take stock of your life: to stop and think carefully about your life so far, in order to decide what to do nextto give up / quit booze: to stop drinking alcoholthe festive season: Christmas and New Yearto be fed up with sth: bored and unhappy because something has continued for too longto dampen someone's spirtis: to make someone feel less determined or enthusiasticto piggyback on sth: to use something that already do as a support for something you want to doto give someone a piggyback: to give someone a ride on your back"the valley of disappointment" - the term James Clear uses to describe the initial period during which your hard effort doesn't bring the expected resultsto overcome difficulties: to successfully deal with difficultiesa cue: a thing that is a signal for somebody to do somethingto bundle something together: to group separate things togetherbits and bobs: small items of various kinds
TO MAKE A RESOLUTION : to decide to try very hard to do something
TO KEEP A RESOLUTION / TO STICK TO A RESOLUTION : to continue trying very hard to do something
TO FAIL ON A RESOLUTION : to stop trying very hard to do something
Interesting words and expressions used in the recording:This episode is based on insights from James Clear's book 'The Atomic Habits'.
Takeaways:
Tip 1: Set realistic goals.
Tip 2: Combine the existing habit with a new one that brings you closer to achieving your goal.
Tip 3: Join a group whose members pursue the same goal.
Tip 4: Expect difficulties.
Tip 5: Create the right environment, which will make it easier for you to stick to your resolution.For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Verbs sometimes want to act like adjectives or nouns. In order to take on their new role they need the -ing ending. In this episode I expose their clever trick :-)
You can download the transcript of this episode here.
Phrasal Verbs used in the recording:FEEL UP TO sth/doing sth : When you don't feel up to something, you don't have enough strength or energy to do it or deal with it.
worthwhile: If something is worthwhile, it is important or enjoyable enough to spend time, money or effort ona pint: a pint of beerPegasus: a horse with wings from Ancient Greek and Roman storiesto give somebody a headache: to be a source of pain but also to annoy someoneto browse through the news: to look through the news storiesto rob somebody of something: to steal money or property from someoneto get into the swing of doing something: to get fully involved in an activity
GIVE something UP : If you give up something, you stop doing it or having it.
COUNT ON something: If you count on something, you are sure something will happen.
REIN something IN : If you rein something in, you start to control something.
LAY somebody OFF : If a company lays off employees, it stops employing them because there is not enough. work for them to do.
Other interesting words and expressions used in the recording:Takeaway 1: Verb+ing can form continuous tenses, or function like an adjective or a noun in a sentence. In this role, it is known as a gerund.
Takeaway 2: After prepositions we generally use gerunds, and since Phrasal Verbs often end with prepositions, we use gerunds after them too.You can find Relevant Today phrases mentioned in the recording on my Instagram Profile.
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