Home
Categories
EXPLORE
True Crime
Comedy
Society & Culture
Business
News
Sports
TV & Film
About Us
Contact Us
Copyright
© 2024 PodJoint
00:00 / 00:00
Sign in

or

Don't have an account?
Sign up
Forgot password
https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts116/v4/86/e6/cc/86e6cc55-6621-cb96-6635-72eb3ab0ea1a/mza_15131875497208288377.jpg/600x600bb.jpg
A Brit Difficult
August
32 episodes
2 days ago

A Brit Difficult is a podcast for intermediate learners of English that focuses on British English. Too often, people think of British English speakers all being White and speaking like the Queen, but there is a rainbow of voices and accents in the UK. We'll explore vocabulary and grammar, talk about British culture, and hear interviews with native speakers and English learners from around the UK.


Contact us with ideas, questions and feedback on Instagram at @abritdifficultpodcast.


Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
Language Learning
Education,
Self-Improvement
RSS
All content for A Brit Difficult is the property of August and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

A Brit Difficult is a podcast for intermediate learners of English that focuses on British English. Too often, people think of British English speakers all being White and speaking like the Queen, but there is a rainbow of voices and accents in the UK. We'll explore vocabulary and grammar, talk about British culture, and hear interviews with native speakers and English learners from around the UK.


Contact us with ideas, questions and feedback on Instagram at @abritdifficultpodcast.


Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
Language Learning
Education,
Self-Improvement
Episodes (20/32)
A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 32 - uses of 'may' and other ways to use formal English

Hi all, it's been a while since the last episode - sorry! Please enjoy this guide to using 'may' and a few other forma phrases in English.


Words and phrases that might be new for you:


  • rule of thumb: a rule or piece of advice that is right most of the time
  • day-to-day: everyday
  • to do with: something related to something else
  • picky: being very particular about something
  • period drama: a film or tv show set in a particular period of history e.g. Downton Abbey
  • the long and short of it: a summary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
15 minutes 48 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 31 - introducing regions of the UK #6 South West England

Let's learn about another region in the UK! Today, we'll briefly look at the South West of England!


Words and phrases that might be new for you:


  • pull up something: can mean to literally pull something upwards, but here means to open
  • pointy: has a sharp point shape
  • census: a big survey held regularly to find out basic information about a population
  • Cornish: an ethnic group and language in Cornwall
  • pick something out: can mean to choose but here I'm using it to mean to recognise
  • digression: talking about something that is part of.a completely different topic before returning to the main topic
  • stunning: beautiful
  • dome: a circular roof structure
  • book worm: somebody who really likes reading
  • savoury: an adjective to describe food that is not sweet

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
14 minutes 51 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 30 - the future perfect and future perfect continuous

Welcome to episode 30 and thank you if you have been regularly following along!


Follow us @abritdifficultpodcast on Instagram!


Today, we'll talk about one of the most difficult parts of English grammar - the future perfect.


Words and phrases that might be new for you:


  • ill / sick / not feeling well - to be unwell
  • construction - building; creating something
  • regardless of - even if x is true
  • shift: move
  • hint: information that makes a problem or question easier to understand
  • assumption: a guess based on information you have

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
15 minutes 48 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 29 - improving your English accent (if you want to!)
Let's talk about some of the ways you can practice to improve your accent! In my opinion, having an accent is completely fine and I love hearing everyone's different accents :) how to get a better English accent is a common question from learners though, so I thought I would share some advice / tips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
21 minutes 11 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 28 - types of transport in the UK

Hello, it's me again!

If you'd like to connect and stay up to date, you can now follow the podcast on Instagram @abritdifficultpodcast !

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • bicycle lane: sometimes just called a cycle lane. A part of the road reserved for cyclists
  • remote: far away, not well connected

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
17 minutes 38 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 27 - using the passive voice

Hello! I'm back after a short break :) let's learn about the passive voice.

Words and phrases that might be new :

  • spam: unwanted mail or emails from people or businesses
  • subject: the actor or focus of a sentence
  • object: a person or thing which is receives the action of the verb
  • present progressive: sometimes called the '-ing form'. Describes an ongoing action in the present
  • context: a situation or information that makes it clear what people mean
  • to attend: to go to an event
  • brownie points to you: a phrase used to mean 'well done'

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
19 minutes 56 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 26 - conversation with an English learner #6

I chat with Ammar about his experience learning English as an Urdu/Punjabi speaker. We get some wise final words at the end of the episode!

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • South Asian - people from the region of Asia that contains the countries of Afghanistan,  Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. There is a large amount of people with South Asian heritage in the UK :) 
  • come again - a phrase used in the UK that means 'please repeat that'
  • to make sense - to have meaning, to understand the meaning of something
  • chunks - pieces
  • manoeuvre - when talking about driving, this refers to technical movements made with the car e.g. reverse parking
  • spoiler - telling somebody the plot of a story before they have seen / read / heard it

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
15 minutes 3 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 25 - politics in the UK : a basic overview

Let's have a look at how politics work in the UK! Remember to listen until the end for some comprehension questions :) Sorry for the edits in this episode!

Words and phrases that might be new for you:

  • to get something out of the way: to do first; to give priority to something
  • monarchy: royal family; queens, kings, etc.
  • a great deal: a lot
  • broad: general, not specific
  • petition: a written document with signatures from people asking for something to change, be done, etc.
  • mayor: a local leader (the word for a female leader is a mayoress)
  • to inherit: to get something from somebody when they die. This could be money, objects, or even a title (such as with the House of Lords)
  • coalition: sharing power by joining two parties
  • referendum: a public vote to make a decision

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
22 minutes 39 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 24 - useful time expressions

Let's look at how to tell the time in the UK as well as a few common time-related idioms!

Transcript coming soon!

Words and phrases that might be new to you:

  • straightforward: easy
  • quarter to: 15 minutes before an hour
  • quarter past: 15 minutes past an hour
  • half past: 30 minutes past an hour
  • twenty to: 20 minutes to an hour
  • twenty past: 20 minutes past an hour
  • five to:  5 minutes to an hour
  • five past: 5 minutes past an hour
  • ten past: 10 minutes past an hour
  • ten to: 10 minutes before an hour
  • the other day: any point of time in recent history
  • fortnight: a period of two weeks
  • what on earth: what / what the hell

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
17 minutes 47 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 23 - what's dating like in the UK?

In this episode, we take a whirlwind adventure through what it's like to date in the UK! We will only touch briefly on the general trends and in this episode only focus on heterosexual couples, but I'd be happy to talk about other kinds of dating if you're all interested! 

Transcript coming soon!

Words and phrases that might be new for you:

  • heatwave: sudden, hot weather
  • heterosexual: attracted to the opposite sex
  • hookup; casual sex
  • minefield: a situation where there are likely to be difficulties
  • tendency: a trend
  • flirting: talking and acting in a way that shows you are romantically interested in someone
  • a top: a word sometimes used to refer to a t shirt or shirt
  • sogetting: a Korean practice of setting up blind dates for a friend where the friend also attends
  • terms of endearment: pet or cute names used with family, friends or partners


Some common pet names for your boyfriend/girlfriend: https://www.thortful.com/blog/lovers-pet-names/

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
14 minutes 44 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 22 - introducing regions of the UK #5 West Midlands

In this episode, I will introduce you to the region of the West Midlands!

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • kick something off : to start
  • social deprivation: lacking resources to various things such as jobs, education, higher incomes, etc.
  • play out: to become; to unfold; to turn out
  • breweries: factories where beer is made
  • specific: clear; exact
  • basin: a special term used to describe where water empties into from canals, rivers or even the sea
  • balti:  a type of curry


Transcript coming soon.

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
13 minutes 15 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 21 - must know phrases when texting / chatting

Let's look at some common phrases and abbreviations used when talking to someone on an app or via social media :)

Transcript coming soon.

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • sidenote: additional piece of information
  • affiliated with: to have some kind of connection to something / someone
  • now and again: sometimes
  • colloquial: not formal
  • btw: by the way
  • omw: on my way
  • dw: don't worry
  • bc: because
  • eta: estimated time of arrival
  • fr: for real
  • idc: I don't care
  • idk: I don't know
  • imo: in my opinion
  • jk: joking
  • np: no problem
  • thnx, ty: thanks
  • Wuu2: what are you up to?
  • come across as: to seem

Not sponsored by the following, just some sites/apps you can check out!


https://www.tandem.net/
https://www.hellotalk.com/

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
11 minutes 51 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 20 - conversation with an English learner #5

In this episode, I speak with Farhana, an Urdu native speaker living in the UK. We talk about the importance of support when learning a language and being brave and having fun as you learn!

Transcript coming soon!

Words and phrases that might be new for you:

  • colony - a country that has been invaded by another country and is controlled from that country
  • theoretical - knowing how to do something but not practicing the actual skills itself
  • tricky - difficult
  • rote learning - memorising content to be used or recreated in an exam
  • incident - an event, usually negative
  • A Level - a type of exam taken in the UK around the age of 18
  • smug - feeling confident in a way that makes you act like you're better than other people
  • put a dampener on something - to discourage somebody or ruin their fun
  • jist - the general feeling or meaning of something

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
16 minutes 23 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 19 - what is Cockney rhyming slang and do people use it?

In this episode, I'll explain what cockney rhyming slang is and provide a few examples of phrases that many people understand, even outside of London, where this coded language was created.

Transcript coming soon.

Words and phrases that might be new

  • Cockney - refers to people / way of speaking in East London
  • soap - short for soap opera, dramatic, long-running tv shows
  • to rhyme - to make the same sound e.g. bone and phone
  • to pinch - to steal
  • you better not - don't
  • butcher - person who works cutting and selling meat
  • piss - a swearword meaning urine / pee

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
10 minutes 46 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 18 - conversation with an English learner #4

It's time for another conversation episode!

In this episode, I have a chat with Judit, a native Hungarian speaker who has lived in the UK for a number of years, experiencing both Scotland and England.

Transcript available soon.

Words and phrases that might be new for you:

  • bless her / him: an expression often used to express that someone did something nice OR that they are going through something hard and you are expressing empathy
  • to be conscious of something: to be very aware of something
  • every so often: sometimes
  • put it together: to figure something out; to understand what something means
  • to cringe: to feel very embarrassed, usually for someone else's actions
  • wee: in Scotland, this is another word for 'small' whereas in most of England it refers to urine - hence the confusion Judit described :) 

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
17 minutes 53 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 17 - introducing regions of the UK #4 East of England

A brief overview of the East of England! We'll look briefly at how the accent differs here, some history fun facts, and what you can do if you visit. Sorry if you can hear the football fans shouting in the background in this episode!!

Transcript coming soon.

The Suffolk Accent (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q5IzLBwWaQ

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • to be familiar with something - to have knowledge of or to know something
  • chunk - a large piece of something
  • sticks out - to protrude or extend outside of something
  • garrison - a military or army base
  • personnel - staff or employees
  • punting - a river-based activity where you use a pole/stick to drive yourself down the river
  • river bed - the bottom of a river
  • give it a go - try to do something
  • in a nutshell - in summary

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
12 minutes 3 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 16 - are stereotypes about British people true?

Let's talk about some stereotypes! Do all British people love tea and the Queen?? p.s. sorry about the geese in the background haha

Transcript coming soon!

Words and phrases that might be new for you:

  • confrontational - being ready for an argument or fight with people
  • be serious about - care a lot about; committed to something or someone
  • diplomatic - fair and avoiding taking sides in a situation
  • refrain from - to not do something
  • oral hygiene - the health of the teeth
  • Cockney accent - an accent found in certain parts of London, often heard in films and other media
  • orphan - a child without parents
  • Oliver - a famous play about an orphan in England. The accents in this play / film might be considered Cockney
  • wrap up - to finish

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
19 minutes 13 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 15 - 10 examples of idioms / phrases

Let's look at some idioms and phrases! These can be really hard to understand as a non-native speaker.

Transcript coming soon.

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • Bank Holiday - a public holiday where people tend not to work
  • tl'dr - too long didn't read - an acronym used often on the internet to give a summary


Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
16 minutes 23 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 14 - tips for pronunciation - diphthongs in English

What is a diphthong? Simply defined, a diphthong is a combination of vowels that together create a particular sound. They usually combine the sounds of two or more vowels. As you probably already know, English has some weird spellings and it can be hard to guess how to pronounce words. In this episode, I'll introduce you to the 7 main diphthongs in English with examples to try and help you make a better guess at how to pronounce a new word!

Transcript coming soon!

Manchester Voices project: https://www.manchestervoices.org/talking-about-voices/

Words and phrases that might be new

- vowels: the letters a, e , i, o and u
- so on and so forth: etc.



Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
13 minutes 52 seconds

A Brit Difficult
A Brit Difficult - Episode 13 - introducing regions of the UK #3 North East England

Today I will introduce you briefly to the North East of England, home to cities like Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland. Remember, you can always visit these places yourselves or read about them to learn more. These is just some basic information :) 

Transcript coming soon.

Words and phrases that might be new:

  • comprised of - made up of
  • Labour - one of the main political parties in the UK
  • Celts - a group of people that can be found around the UK and Ireland
  • hen do - a party for a bride before she gets married
  • stag do - a party for a groom before he gets married
  • Geordie - a term sometimes used to describe people from Newcastle and surrounding areas

Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via  Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 years ago
8 minutes 25 seconds

A Brit Difficult

A Brit Difficult is a podcast for intermediate learners of English that focuses on British English. Too often, people think of British English speakers all being White and speaking like the Queen, but there is a rainbow of voices and accents in the UK. We'll explore vocabulary and grammar, talk about British culture, and hear interviews with native speakers and English learners from around the UK.


Contact us with ideas, questions and feedback on Instagram at @abritdifficultpodcast.


Intro music is 'Just Relax' by Lesfm via Pixabay.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.