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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 transcript

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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.

As always, the episode is full of interesting expressions. Here are some of them in alphabetical order:

1. Adverse effects - negative consequences or outcomes
2. Double-edged sword - something that has both advantages and disadvantages
3. Get ahead in your career - to make progress and succeed in your career
4. Get carried away - to become too excited or enthusiastic about something and lose control of one's behaviour
5. In one's element - to feel most comfortable and confident when doing something
6. Land the dream job - to get the job that one has always wanted
7. Live and breathe something - to be passionate about something and have it as an integral part of one's life
8. Lose track of time - to become unaware of how much time has passed
9. Pitfalls - problems or difficulties that are likely to happen in a process, job or activity
10. Throw oneself into something - to begin to do something with energy and enthusiasm

The full transcript of the recording is available here. 

For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses 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.

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Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses here.

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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.

You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.

Phrasal Verbs used in this recording: 

• put sth on: start wearing something
• burn down: get destroyed by fire
• take after sb: look or behave like an older member of the family
• come down with sth: become ill with a disease, usually not serious
• cheat 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 something
• come up with sth: find or produce an answer, plan, or solution to a problem 
• get around to sth: find time and opportunity to do something
• go back on sth: fail to do something that you've promised or agreed to do
• go through with sth: do something that you've planned or agreed to do, especially if it is difficult or unpleasant
• look forward to sth: feel happy and excited about something that is going to happen
• put up with sth: accept something unpleasant or annoying without complaining
• get away with sth: do something wrong and not be properly punished for it

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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.

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: 

• set sth up: organise and plan something
• bring sth forward: change the date or time of an event so it happens earlier
• call sth off: cancel something
• put sth off: change the date or time of an event so it happens later
• wind sth up: end something

Transitive, inseparable Phrasal Verbs used in the examples: 

• go over sth: check something carefully
• do without sth: succeed without something
• touch on sth: mention something when are talking or writing
• go for sth: choose something
• bear on sth: be connected with something or influence something

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs used in the examples: 

• break down: stop working
• doze off: fall asleep especially during the day without intending to do so
• go ahead: start or continue to do something, especially after waiting for permission
• go around: be enough for everybody
• drop in: make a short visit somewhere

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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.

You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.

Some words and phrases used in the recording (in alphabetical order): 

• awkward: making you feel embarrassed
• bot: a computer program
• to catch up on sth: to spend time doing things you haven't done earlier
• curiosity: a strong desire to know about something
• to feed (an AI language model): to give information to an AI language model
• firsthand: from my own experience
• to get in the way of sb doing sth: prevent somebody from doing something
• to get the better of sb: to be stronger than somebody
• to get in touch with sb / to touch base with sb: to make contact with somebody
• a hassle: a situation that is annoying because it needs a lot of effort
• to make ends meet: to earn enough money to be able to buy what you need
• mere: just, only (used when you want to stress how small something is)
• a pay cut: a reduction in someone's salary
• a tipple: an alcoholic drink
• to rush: to move somewhere in a hurry
• supply chain problems: problems with getting parts needed to produce a final product
• sympathy: the feeling of being sorry for somebody
• worth a shot: worth trying

Link to Character.AI website

For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
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Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses here.

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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?

You can download the complete transcript of this episode here.

Key terms used in the recording: 

• to lump: to put things together in the same group and consider them as the same even though there are differences between them
• to split: to put similar things in different categories; to focus on differences between things rather than similarities

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 it
• continual: continuing without stopping or happening again and again, often in an annoying way
• to convey a meaning: to communicate an idea
• to do justice to something: to represent something fairly, especially in a way that shows how good or attractive something is
• a fossilised error: an error that is fixed and difficult to get rid of
• a groundbreaking theory: a theory that changes the way we understand things; theory that leads to new discoveries
• to feel superior: to feel better than someone else
• hair-splitting: arguing about unimportant details or differences
• insight: a deeper understanding of what something is like
• inquisitively: showing interest; wanting to learn things
• the latter: the second of the two things that have just been mentioned
• to 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 emotion
• a merger of two words: a word created from combining two separate words
• minutiae: very small or unimportant details
• a nitpicking perfectionist: a person who focuses on small unimportant details trying to do things perfectly
• misinterpretation: a wrong way of understanding of a message
• nuanced: taking account of small but important differences
• to overthink something: to think about something too much
• to pay off: to bring some benefit; to be advantageous
• peckish: a little bit hungry
• to ponder something: to think carefully about something for a long time
• to reason with sb: to talk to someone trying to convince them or persuade them to do something
• to retaliate: to attack someone because they've attacked you first
• a shift: a change in something, for example in someone's ideas or methods
• to tell something apart: to see the difference between two things that are very similar
• trout: a fish that lives in rivers and lakes
• turquoise: bright green-blue in colour
• the upper hand: an advantage over someone or something

For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: [email protected]
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Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses here.

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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 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: 

• to be buzzing: to be full of energy
• just a tad: just a little bit
• to have one too many: to drink too much alcohol
• hangover: headache and sick feeling that you have the day after drinking too much alcohol
• It dawned on you: You suddenly realised something
• to take stock of your life: to stop and think carefully about your life so far, in order to decide what to do next
• to give up / quit booze: to stop drinking alcohol
• the festive season: Christmas and New Year
• to be fed up with sth: bored and unhappy because something has continued for too long
• to dampen someone's spirtis: to make someone feel less determined or enthusiastic
• to piggyback on sth: to use something that already do as a support for something you want to do
• to 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 results
• to overcome difficulties: to successfully deal with difficulties
• a cue: a thing that is a signal for somebody to do something
• to bundle something together: to group separate things together
• bits and bobs: small items of various kinds

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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Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses here.

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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.

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: 

• worthwhile: If something is worthwhile, it is important or enjoyable enough to spend time, money or effort on
• a pint: a pint of beer
• Pegasus: a horse with wings from Ancient Greek and Roman stories
• to give somebody a headache: to be a source of pain but also to annoy someone
• to browse through the news: to look through the news stories
• to rob somebody of something: to steal money or property from someone
• to get into the swing of doing something: to get fully involved in an activity

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.

For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: [email protected]
And join us on social media: Instagram and  Facebook

Would you like me to help you master your English? You can find out more about my courses here.