B2 English Listening: Why Talking About Your Goals Can Stop You from Achieving Them

Inspired by Derek Sivers' speech “Keep Your Goal to Yourself” at TED Talk

PART 1: WHY ANNOUNCING YOUR GOALS CAN BE A PROBLEM

Vocabulary 1
A. Congratulate (verb) [French: féliciter]: To tell someone you are happy about their success. Example: I congratulated my sister on passing her driving test. (J’ai félicité ma sœur pour la réussite de son examen de conduite.)

B. Psychological research (noun phrase) [French: recherche en psychologie]: Studies about how people think, feel, and behave. Example: Psychological research helps us understand why children learn differently. (La recherche en psychologie nous aide à comprendre pourquoi les enfants apprennent différemment.)

C. False feeling of success (noun phrase) [French: faux sentiment de réussite]: A feeling of success without real progress or achievement. Example: Buying expensive sports equipment gave him a false feeling of success. (L’achat de matériel de sport coûteux lui a donné un faux sentiment de réussite.)

D. Praise (noun) [French: éloges]: Words that show approval or admiration for someone. Example: Example: The teacher gave her praise for her excellent presentation. (Le professeur lui a fait des éloges pour son excellente présentation.)

English Listening Practice: Shopping Habits and Useful Vocabulary (B2 Level)

 

Vocabulary

A. Vary (verb) [French: varier, être différent]: To be different from one person, thing, or situation to another. Example: Children's interests vary according to their age. (Les centres d'intérêt des enfants varient selon leur âge.)

B. Greatly (adverb) [French: considérablement, beaucoup]: By a large amount or to a large degree. Example: Regular exercise can greatly improve your health. (Une activité physique régulière peut considérablement améliorer votre santé.)

C. Conscious shopper (noun) [French: consommateur responsable]: A person who thinks carefully about what they buy. Example: A conscious shopper avoids wasting food at home. (Un consommateur responsable évite de gaspiller de la nourriture à la maison.)

D. Locally sourced (adjective) [French: d'origine locale, provenant de producteurs locaux]: Obtained from producers or suppliers in the nearby area. Example: The school uses locally sourced ingredients for its meals. (L'école utilise des ingrédients provenant de producteurs locaux pour ses repas.)

E. Carbon footprint (noun) [French: empreinte carbone]: The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a person or activity. Example: Taking the train can help reduce your carbon footprint. (Prendre le train peut contribuer à réduire votre empreinte carbone.)

F. Conversely (adverb) [French: à l'inverse, inversement]: Used to introduce an opposite or contrasting idea. Example: Some students learn better in groups; conversely, others prefer studying alone. (Certains élèves apprennent mieux en groupe ; à l'inverse, d'autres préfèrent étudier seuls.)

G. Tech-savvy (adjective) [French: à l'aise avec la technologie]: Having good knowledge of modern technology and how to use it. Example: My tech-savvy colleague quickly solved the computer problem. (Mon collègue, qui est à l'aise avec la technologie, a rapidement résolu le problème informatique.)

H. Electronics (noun) [French: appareils électroniques]: Devices that use electronic components to perform specific functions. Example: The company repairs electronics such as televisions and computers. (L'entreprise répare des appareils électroniques tels que des téléviseurs et des ordinateurs.)

I. High-end products (noun phrase) [French: produits haut de gamme]: Products designed for the upper end of the market. Example: The hotel offers high-end products in its luxury gift shop. (L'hôtel propose des produits haut de gamme dans sa boutique de luxe.)

 

English Listening Practice: Shopping Habits and Useful Vocabulary (A2 Level)

 

Vocabulary
A. Picking out (phrasal verb) [French: choisir, sélectionner]: To choose something from a group of things. Example: She is picking out a dress for her sister's wedding. (Elle choisit une robe pour le mariage de sa sœur.)

B. On the other hand (expression) [French: en revanche, d'un autre côté]: Used to introduce a different or opposite idea. Example: I enjoy living in the city. On the other hand, my brother prefers the countryside. (J'aime vivre en ville. En revanche, mon frère préfère la campagne.)

C. Discounts (noun) [French: réductions, remises]: Lower prices than usual for products or services. Example: Students can get discounts on train tickets. (Les étudiants peuvent bénéficier de réductions sur les billets de train.)

D. Special deals (noun phrase) [French: offres spéciales, offres promotionnelles]: Special offers that allow people to pay less. Example: The hotel offers special deals during the summer holidays. (L'hôtel propose des offres spéciales pendant les vacances d'été.)

E. Depending on (preposition) [French: selon, en fonction de]: Changing according to a particular situation or condition. Example: We can have a picnic tomorrow, depending on the weather. (Nous pouvons faire un pique-nique demain, en fonction du temps.)

F. Comfortable (adjective) [French: à l'aise, confortable]: Feeling relaxed and having no physical or emotional discomfort [inconfort]. Example: I feel comfortable speaking English with my colleagues. (Je me sens à l'aise pour parler anglais avec mes collègues.)

C1 Listening Practice: Minimalism - Living with Less, Living Better (2 parts)

 

Vocabulary 1
A. On a ___ basis (every __): on a [regular, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly) basis. Example: I exercise on a weekly basis (or: I exercise every week.)
Q: What do you do on a ____ basis? –

B. Inspire: inspirer. Example: Her kindness inspires everyone.

C. Bring about: provoquer. Example: Small changes can bring about success.

D. Conditioned: conditionné. Example: Children are conditioned by their environment. Q: As a French person, what are you conditioned to think? –

E. Owning: le fait de posséder. Example: Owning a bicycle saves money.

F. Equated (with): assimilé à.
Examples: Success is often equated with wealth. French products are equated with luxury.  Q: What is your company equated with? –

G. Afford: avoir les moyens de.

Pattern: afford + noun = Example: I can afford a new laptop with my bonus.
Pattern: afford + to + verb = Example: I can't afford to travel to Greece. I don’t have enough money.

H. Weird: bizarre. Example: That movie was really weird.

I. Rebellious: rebelle. Example: The boy became rebellious at home.