32 episodes
PoLoop Angielski Jacek Olender
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- Education
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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This is a podcast for intermediate learners of English, especially my students, current and those I taught in the past. Since most of them are Polish, it was originally designed with Polish learners in mind. However, with new technology and methods of communication, allowing me to work with students from various parts of the world, the podcast has quickly evolved, and is no longer aimed at one particular nationality. The majority of my listeners are not even my students. The original goal, however, remains the same: providing learners of English with advice and listening material that could help them on their way from the intermediate to the advanced level of English language competence - the route I followed too.
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Episode 32. Learning from Chess Masters
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
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook -
Episode 31: The Stigma of Eating Alone
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
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook -
Episode 30. Toadies
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 transcript
For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook -
Episode 29. Learn What's Relevant
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 transcript
For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook -
Episode 28. Banned Words
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
For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook -
Episode 27. Fashion for Passion
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:
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 enthusiasmThe full transcript of the recording is available here.
For more, visit: PoLoop Angielski Blog
Drop me a line: jacek@poloopangielski.pl
And join us on social media: Instagram and Facebook