Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Episode 154 Learn The Most English From Your Articles With These Tips!
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Episode 154 Learn The Most English From Your Articles With These Tips!
This week I'm showing you how I would use two articles as learning sources to practise English. Remember, you can use this system, or take it apart and find a different way to do it. Also you could split this over two days or two weeks, depending on your schedule.
The article I've chosen for today's episode was out of House Beautiful. I chose this because it was conversational and the magazine has easier content than some other online sources. This article turned out to not be so easy at all, because it was so conversational and had so many idioms and phrases.
You can find the article here:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/shopping/a44343529/shopping-secondhand-tips/
Here is a suggested order to go through the tasks:
1. Think about Episode 152 and figure out where you're going to get your article from.
2. Scan through the article and highlight any words you don't know.
3. Scan through again, this time looking for any idioms or phrases you don't understand. Highlight those.
4. Read the article out loud or to yourself. (Steps 2-4 could be reversed)
5. While reading you might find some more new words or phrases so you can highlight those.
6. Take some time to find the definition of the new words and find the meaning of the new phrases or idioms. Consider talking with a learning partner or teacher to help you. Remember to memorise the useful new words or phrases.
7. As yourself comprehension questions to make sure you understand the article. Such as: Do you understand this? Do you understand what it means?
8. Think about some conversation questions you might ask about the article. Such as: Do you have anything second-hand in your house? Where do you shop for second-hand things online? What is your favourite second-hand item that you own? And Why?
9. Write your answers to the conversation questions.
10. Read your answers aloud.11. Try to use your new vocabulary in your daily life.
Vocabulary from the Article
Words
Reclamation - Often used in modern language to mean to repurpose or fix or make new again something that was old or had been thrown out as rubbish.
Swapped - to exchange something for something else
Consumption Rebellion - consumption meaning to use or eat, this phrase means they are rebelling against the culture of consuming too many things by reusing old things
Hone - to improve your skills
Reprogramming - to practise a new way to do something (in this case)
Car Boot Sale - a very British idea. Many people take their old things in the back of their car. They go to a place, often a field, and sell those things.
Phrases
Those in the know - idiom - people who know about this kind of thing
Anyone who's anyone - idiom - anyone who is important
Picked Miquita's brains - idiom - 'to pick someone's brains' to ask them many questions about something they are knowledgeable about.
Approach it with your gut - 'with your gut' is a common phrase and it means to trust your instincts. Some people think your gut or stomach is where your intuition comes from so that's where this phrase comes from.
Being drawn to - to be attracted to something or someone
Fill your life up - phrasal verb 'fill up' to make your life more interesting and enriching
I'm obsessed with - common phrase used when you really like something.
Mint Condition - something is in perfect or very good condition
I spotted the exact same one - British English, 'I saw the same thing'
Tie in with - phrasal verb - to connect with or go well together
Would have been a fortune to buy it new - British English - it would have been very expensive to buy it new.
It was a total bargain - British English - If something is 'a bargain' then it's very cheap or a very good deal.
Its a gift that keeps on giving - Idiom - Usually used for something that continues to give us benefits or great things. I don't think it works particularly well here though.
Popped up - phrasal verb - something appears suddenly
View all episodes
By EmmaThis week I'm showing you how I would use two articles as learning sources to practise English. Remember, you can use this system, or take it apart and find a different way to do it. Also you could split this over two days or two weeks, depending on your schedule.
The article I've chosen for today's episode was out of House Beautiful. I chose this because it was conversational and the magazine has easier content than some other online sources. This article turned out to not be so easy at all, because it was so conversational and had so many idioms and phrases.
You can find the article here:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/shopping/a44343529/shopping-secondhand-tips/
Here is a suggested order to go through the tasks:
1. Think about Episode 152 and figure out where you're going to get your article from.
2. Scan through the article and highlight any words you don't know.
3. Scan through again, this time looking for any idioms or phrases you don't understand. Highlight those.
4. Read the article out loud or to yourself. (Steps 2-4 could be reversed)
5. While reading you might find some more new words or phrases so you can highlight those.
6. Take some time to find the definition of the new words and find the meaning of the new phrases or idioms. Consider talking with a learning partner or teacher to help you. Remember to memorise the useful new words or phrases.
7. As yourself comprehension questions to make sure you understand the article. Such as: Do you understand this? Do you understand what it means?
8. Think about some conversation questions you might ask about the article. Such as: Do you have anything second-hand in your house? Where do you shop for second-hand things online? What is your favourite second-hand item that you own? And Why?
9. Write your answers to the conversation questions.
10. Read your answers aloud.11. Try to use your new vocabulary in your daily life.
Vocabulary from the Article
Words
Reclamation - Often used in modern language to mean to repurpose or fix or make new again something that was old or had been thrown out as rubbish.
Swapped - to exchange something for something else
Consumption Rebellion - consumption meaning to use or eat, this phrase means they are rebelling against the culture of consuming too many things by reusing old things
Hone - to improve your skills
Reprogramming - to practise a new way to do something (in this case)
Car Boot Sale - a very British idea. Many people take their old things in the back of their car. They go to a place, often a field, and sell those things.
Phrases
Those in the know - idiom - people who know about this kind of thing
Anyone who's anyone - idiom - anyone who is important
Picked Miquita's brains - idiom - 'to pick someone's brains' to ask them many questions about something they are knowledgeable about.
Approach it with your gut - 'with your gut' is a common phrase and it means to trust your instincts. Some people think your gut or stomach is where your intuition comes from so that's where this phrase comes from.
Being drawn to - to be attracted to something or someone
Fill your life up - phrasal verb 'fill up' to make your life more interesting and enriching
I'm obsessed with - common phrase used when you really like something.
Mint Condition - something is in perfect or very good condition
I spotted the exact same one - British English, 'I saw the same thing'
Tie in with - phrasal verb - to connect with or go well together
Would have been a fortune to buy it new - British English - it would have been very expensive to buy it new.
It was a total bargain - British English - If something is 'a bargain' then it's very cheap or a very good deal.
Its a gift that keeps on giving - Idiom - Usually used for something that continues to give us benefits or great things. I don't think it works particularly well here though.
Popped up - phrasal verb - something appears suddenly