UNIT 1 VOCABULARY

Adverbial phrases Everyday English Describing changes Language learning Idioms: Body Parts
Fluently (con fluidez) Irony Ongoing Pick up Have a nose for something
At the time Understatement Lasting Brush up on Lose your head
To begin with Stuff like that Hugely significant Grasp A safe pair of hands
(learn / pick up) something by ear Whatshisname / whatshername Entirely unnoticed Rusty Stick your neck out
All the time Give or take Noticeable Acquire Head and shoulders above
Properly Words to that effect A steady shift Struggle (with something) Bite your tongue
Sort of Somewhere in the region of On the increase Attain (a native speaker level) Fight tooth and nail
More often than not Something along those lines Subtle Get accustomed to
On my own Some bits and pieces A rapid rise Have an ear for languages
Barely Thingy Gradually giving way Hold a conversation
Language and culture
Steadily On the way out Put something into practice
Grow substantially Keep at something (keep at it) Distinguish
Immerse yourself in (the language / Differentiate
the culture) Convey
Agreement / Disagreement Get to grips with something Indicate
Noun forms Interpret
In-joke
Embody
Illustrate

Make sure that you

understand the
meaning and know how
to use these words and
phrases
SOFTENING DISAGREEMENT:
If you ask me, …
As far as I’m concerned, …
As far as I can tell, …
It seems to me, …
I’m afraid that, …
I understand what you are saying, but…
Sorry, but…
 ADVERBIAL PHRASES

At the time
En ese momento
Fluently To begin with
Con fluidez Para empezar
Steadily
continuamente,
Barely sin interrupción
Apenas

ADVERBIALS

All the time

On my own
Constantemente
Por mi cuenta

Properly
More often than not
Adecuadamente
Sort of
la mayoría de las veces (learn / pick up)
en cierto modo
something by ear
Aprender de oído

 LANGUAGE LEARNING
Grasp
Brush up on
Entender
Get to grips with Pick up Repasar
something Aprender
Captar, entender Rusty
Oxidado

Keep at something
(keep at it)
Perseverar

Acquire
Put something Adquirir (aprender)
into practice
Poner algo en LANGUAGE

práctica LEARNING Have an ear for languages

Tener buen oído para los
Struggle (with
idiomas
something)
Encontrar dificultad
para hacer algo Attain (a native

speaker level)


Lograr un nivel de


Immerse yourself in hablante nativo
Hold a conversation Get accustomed (the language / the
Mantener to culture)
una conversación Acostumbrarse a Meterse de lleno en (el
idioma / la cultura)

 DESCRIBING CHANGES
Ongoing Lasting Hugely significant
continuado, en Duradero Muy significativo
Entirely unnoticed
curso
Completamente

desapercibido
Grow
substantially
Crecer
sustancialmente

Noticeable
Perceptible, llamativo
On the way out
Pasado de moda,
CHANGES
obsoleto

A steady shift
Un cambio constante

Gradually giving way

Dando paso

gradualmente

On the increase
A rapid rise Subtle En aumento
Un aumento Sutil
rápido

 LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Distinguish Differentiate
Distinguir Diferenciar
Convey
Transmitir, expresar

Illustrate
Ilustrar, explicar
LANGUAGE Indicate
AND Indicar
CULTURE

Embody
Personificar

In-joke

Interpret
Chiste que solo puede
Interpretar
entender un grupo
reducido de personas
 EVERYDAY ENGLISH

Stuff like that

Cosas así

Whatshisname /
Thingy Whatshername
chisme, fulano 'como se llame' / fulano

Some bits and pieces

EVERYDAY Give or take

Algunas cosas / trastos ENGLISH Más o

menos

Something along those

lines Somewhere in the

o algo parecido region of Words to that effect

Alrededor de / o algo por el estilo
aproximadamente
 IDIOMS: BODY PARTS

Have a nose for

something
Tener buen olfato /
Lose your head
buena vista para
Perder la cabeza
Fight tooth and nail
Pelear con uñas y
dientes

A safe pair of
IDIOMS hands
En buenas manos

Bite your tongue

Morderse la lengua

Stick your neck out

Head and shoulders Jugarse el pellejo
above
Estar muy por encima
 DISAGREEMENT AGREEMENT
That’s nonsense = eso no tiene sentido You’re spot on = has dado en el clavo
That simply isn’t true = eso simplemente no es cierto That makes a lot of sense = eso tiene sentido
There’s no way = de ninguna manera You’ve hit the nail on the head = has dado en el clavo
You’re missing the point = no te estás enterando bien I would go along with that = estoy de acuerdo con eso
That’s easy to say, but... = es fácil de decir, pero...
How can you possibly think that? = ¿cómo puedes pensar eso?
That’s a load of rubbish = eso son tonterías
That doesn’t make sense = eso no tiene sentido

SOFTENING DISAGREEMENT:
If you ask me, … = si me preguntas a mí
As far as I’m concerned, … = en cuanto a mi opinión
As far as I can tell, … = en lo que respecta a mi opinión
It seems to me, … = me parece que
I’m afraid that, … = me temo que
I understand what you are saying, but… = entiendo lo que dices,
pero...
Sorry, but… = perdona, pero...

UNCERTAINTY PARTIAL AGREEMENT /

I’m in two minds about this / that = estoy indeciso/a
I’ve got mixed feelings about this / that = tengo sentimientos
encontrados
DISAGREEMENT
You’ve got a point, but… = tienes razón, pero...
On the other hand, I do feel… = por otra parte, siento que
It’s true that…, but… = eso es verdad, pero
I agree up to a point = estoy de acuerdo hasta cierto punto

WORD FORMATION