Learn English Vocabulary Daily #11.2 - British English Podcast

Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast.

My name's Anna and you're listening to Week 11, Day 2 of Your English Five a

Day, the series that aims to increase your vocabulary by 5 pieces every day

of the week from Monday to Friday.

So, let's kick off today's list.

We're starting with a noun.

It is curiosity, curiosity.

We spell this C U R I O S I T Y.

Curiosity.

Curiosity.

Curiosity refers to an eager wish to know or learn about something.

I always think of the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat'.

And as I have a new member of my family, a little kitten, I'm reminded

of that phrase regularly because he is a curious little creature.

He sticks his nose into everything: every bag, every cupboard, every

drawer, every nook and cranny.

He's in there checking it out, wanting to know what's inside.

He is a very curious little cat.

He's eager to learn and to know more about the things he doesn't know.

Here's an example sentence.

"I'm burning with curiosity — which brother asked you

to the dance on Saturday?"

Moving on to our next word.

It's a verb and it is immerse.

Immerse.

This is spelled I M M E R S E, immerse, immerse.

To immerse yourself in something is to become completely involved in that thing.

I often think of this verb with relation to water.

If you immerse yourself in the water, it means that you get in so that you're

completely surrounded by the water.

If you immerse yourself into a project, then you get involved

in every aspect of the project.

You are completely interested, curious, and involved with everything.

You immerse yourself in it.

Here's an example.

"Immersing myself in a good book helps me to forget the stresses

and strains of daily life".

Next, we have an adjective and it is spontaneous, spontaneous.

We spell this S P O N T A N E O U S.

Spontaneous.

If you describe something as spontaneous, then it means it happens or it's done

in a natural but often sudden way.

Usually without planning and without being forced.

It just happens quickly.

So, for example, I might suddenly just start singing.

In the past I very much did do this kind of thing.

I behaved in this way.

I would just be walking down the street and then just be like

la la la la la la la la la la.

Just start spontaneously singing.

So, I was previously a very spontaneous person and I would

do things in a spontaneous way.

Here's another example.

"Well, that was a spontaneous purchase.

I've only gone and bought myself a new car, I haven't even

passed my driving test yet!"

Next on the list is an idiom and it is break the bank.

Oh dear, break the bank.

We spell this B R E A K, break.

The, T H E.

Bank, B A N K.

If something breaks the bank, then you're saying that it cost

too much money, or it didn't.

Often we say,

"You know, it's not going to break the bank."

Or,

"It didn't break the bank," meaning it won't cost too much money or

it didn't cost too much money.

Buying a cup of coffee every now and again when I go out and about

is not going to break the bank.

It's not going to be detrimental to my financial health.

Here's an example sentence.

"Come on, let her have the teddy.

It's only £5, it won't break the bank."

Last on our list for today is the phrasal verb stumble upon, stumble upon.

This is spelled S T U M B L E, stumble.

Upon, U P O N.

If you stumble upon something, it means that you discover it by

chance, you find it by accident, or you meet someone by chance.

You haven't planned it or you weren't seeking this thing, you just find it.

Here's an example sentence.

"I stumbled upon the most amazing backstreet restaurant in Thailand.

It didn't look like much from the outside but the food was delicious."

Brilliant.

That's today's five.

Let's recap.

We started with the noun curiosity, which is a willingness and eagerness

to learn more about something.

Then we had the verb immerse, which is to become completely involved in something.

We had the adjective spontaneous, where something happens naturally but in a

very sudden way without being planned.

We had the idiom break the bank, meaning cost too much money.

Then we finished with the phrasal verb stumble upon, which is to

discover something by chance.

Let's now do this for pronunciation purposes.

Please repeat after me.

Curiosity.

Curiosity.

Immerse.

Immerse.

Spontaneous.

Spontaneous.

Break the bank.

Break the bank.

Stumble upon.

Stumble upon.

Fantastic.

So what idiom would I use if I want to tell you that something's

not going to cost too much money?

It's not going to break the bank.

And how would I describe something that happened very naturally,

very suddenly, without planning?

Spontaneous.

And what's the noun that describes an eager wish to know more about something?

Curiosity.

And what phrasal verb would I use if I'm talking about finding

something completely by chance?

Stumble upon.

And what verb would I use to say that I've become completely involved in something?

Immerse.

Very good.

Let's bring everything together now in a little story.

I recently read this blog by a guy called Max, his ambition is to

become a travel agent and writer.

Have a listen to this and tell me what you think to his first blog.

Hi, I'm Max, a 23-year-old aspiring travel agent who loves to explore new places.

I'm currently in Thailand, a country that offers a blend of

culture, nature, and adventure.

I arrived in Bangkok, the bustling and lively capital, a week ago, and

was immediately struck with curiosity.

I visited the famous temples, palaces, and markets.

I also tried some delicious street food and watched a Muay Thai show.

The next day, I immersed myself in the Thai culture and history.

I took a train to Ayutthaya, the ancient city that was once

the seat of the Siamese kingdom.

I marvelled at the ruins of the temples, statues, and monuments.

On the third day, I was spontaneous and adventurous.

I flew to Chiang Mai, the northern city that is surrounded

by mountains and forests.

I joined a trekking tour and visited some hill tribes, waterfalls, and hot springs.

I also rode an elephant and ziplined through the jungle.

On the last day, I splurged a little, but without breaking the bank.

I stayed at a cosy guesthouse and enjoyed a relaxing massage.

I also shopped for some souvenirs and bargained with the vendors.

Throughout my trip, I stumbled upon many amazing and unexpected things.

I met some friendly and helpful locals, and even learned a

few Thai words and phrases.

Overall, Thailand was a wonderful and unforgettable experience that I highly

recommend to anyone who loves to travel.

It has something for everyone, whether you're looking for

culture, nature, or adventure.

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and stay tuned for my next destination.

Until then, happy travels.

So, what do you think?

And that brings us to the end of today's episode.

I do hope you found it useful.

Until tomorrow, take care and goodbye.