Speak better English with Harry - Episode 351
List of vocabulary expressions
Harry
English vocabulary about achievements
Hi there, Harry here and welcome back to my podcast where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language. Try to help you to put into practice what I show you and the examples I gave you. So we use the materials from our podcasts and all of the other lessons that we have on our web page.
So what are we going to talk about in this podcast? We’re going to look at some English vocabulary. In particular, we’re going to use and look at vocabulary about achievements.
Achievements are all about gaining, getting, doing, winning, whatever you’ve done.
What are your achievements in life? What are your achievements in the week? What are your achievements for the future? What have you done? What do you want to do? What do you have to do to get there?
So we’ll look at some vocabulary connected with achievements. I’ll give you some words and phrases, and then I’ll give you some examples
Intermediate to Advanced English Marathon
INSANITY: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Let’s take them one by one,
to head straight for
Meaning: to go directly in the direction of someplace or to go directly to someplace
Usually we use this to head straight for the top.
When somebody sees that they’ve got a real bright star in the company. Somebody who’s going to be a winner from day one,
He’s going to head straight for the top, he’s going to be the chief executive of this company in no time, mark my words.
In 10 years time, we’d be looking back and saying,
I told you so, didn’t I tell you? This guy is heading straight for the top.
You can use it from a business perspective, as I’ve just given you the example. Or you can also use it in sports.
When you see some really accomplished young player, whether it be football or rugby or cricket, you say
Wow, this guy is heading straight for the top! He’s got everything. He’s got the skills. He’s got the quick hands. He’s got a sporting brain, there’s no doubt about it.
to pursue a dream
Meaning: to follow your dream, to make efforts to achieve it
Well, we all have dreams, sometimes we forget them. But we have certain dreams. And to pursue means to go after, to follow.
If you have a dream, we always say,
If you have a dream, pursue it. You’ll always look back with regrets if you don’t.
It’s never too late to pursue your dreams.
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This comes on to the next expression
to face something
- to face barriers
- to face hurdles
- to face threats
- to face obstacles
Meaning: to deal with problems or difficult situations
We have to face something literally means we have to look at it. We have to think about it. We have to tackle it, we have to deal with it, we have to get over it, get around it, get through it, whatever it takes.
What challenges have you had to face to get to where you are?
to have the potential to do something
Meaning: to have the skills, the desire, to have what is needed to be a success
Even from a young age, it was clear that he had the potential to be a world champion.
She has leadership potential. She has the potential to become a great politician.
Not only do you have to have the potential, but you also need to have the desire so that you can achieve what you want to achieve.
English vocabulary about achievements
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to believe in something/somebody
Meaning: to be certain about something; be confident that someone will be successful
The most important thing is to believe in yourself.
If you don’t believe in yourself then nobody else would. You have to be determined, you have to believe that you can do it.
When you would come to talk about improving your English, I often tell students,
Believe that you can do it, don’t be lacking in confidence. Don’t feel embarrassed about making mistakes. If you believe you can achieve. If you believe you can improve, then yes, you will.
If you come to the lessons not believing it’s going to make a difference, then you’re probably going to waste your time.
to persevere with something
Meaning: to continue doing something no matter what the circumstances are; to not give up when the first sign of trouble
When we persevere with something we stick at it. Even though we might have difficulties at the beginning, even though it may get difficult in the middle. Or the last step is always the most difficult. We persevere, we continue because there’s a goal. In the end, there’s the rainbow that we’re going to get to, and we’re going to have and be successful with our achievements.
His homework was particularly difficult but he persevered with the problem and eventually worked it out.
English vocabulary about achievements
to keep pushing someone to do something
Meaning: to continue motivating or forcing someone to do something
That’s the job of a parent to gently keep pushing their children to do something. Come on, you can do it, you can do it. Don’t give up.
Behind every successful man or woman, there is a partner pushing. The wife pushes the husband or partner behind pushes them to do something. Come on, you can do it. You can do it.
We keep pushing our children to do better in life, to achieve more.
to exceed expectations
Meaning: to go beyond, to be or achieve more than expected
He’s exceeded my expectations by 100%. I’ve never expected him to achieve so much. He’s really exceeded everyone’s expectations.
to deal with something
To deal with problems, to deal with ambition, to deal with issues that might block us. All of the time, we have to deal with certain aspects that might prevent us from achieving that dream. It makes it perhaps a little bit more difficult but also all the more worthwhile when you actually do achieve something against the odds.
We can use this expression in lots of different ways.
To deal with what life throws at us is a very common expression. No matter what it is, we have to deal with it. We have to face it, no point in running away because that won’t solve the problem, we have to deal with it.
English vocabulary about achievements
And then finally,
the learning curve
Meaning: how quickly you can learn something new, acquire certain skills
We often use a steep learning curve. When something’s a steep learning curve, it means it’s going to be very difficult at the beginning, because it’s going to go literally straight up, and you don’t have a lot of time.
When you join a new company, there’s a steep learning curve. You’ve got to learn a lot very very quickly.
If it’s not such a steep learning curve, perhaps you’ve got a bit of time to settle into it. You’ve got three months, six months, and at the end of that period, they will perhaps look at you again to make sure that you are achieving what they hoped you would achieve. So the learning curve may not be as steep, but it’s certainly going to be difficult.
Okay, so how quickly can you get from standing start at the beginning, up to the top or up to the level that you want, or that your new bosses want you to get to.
It could be in university. It could be a steep learning curve when you leave school at first to get into university, to understand how universities work, that there’s nobody there to check your homework, there’s nobody there to tell you to do anything. It’s all about self-study and self-help. So that can be a very steep and difficult learning curve.
Okay, so this is English vocabulary about achievements. Let me give them to you one more time,
- to head straight for (the top)
- to pursue a dream
- to deal with…
- to face (barriers)
- to have potential to do sth
- to believe in something
- to persevere with something
- to keep pushing someone to do sth
- to exceed expectations
- learning curve
Hopefully, you’ll get something from that. And hopefully, it might help you to understand the words about achievements. If you want to contact me, you can do so on www.englishlessonviaskype.com.
I’m always happy to hear from you. Always happy to get your suggestions.
If you want to get online English lessons on a one-to-one basis, you’re in the right place. We’re certainly here to help you. And if you want to pass on our details to other people, then please pass them on.
Thanks for listening. Join me again soon.
More information
For more information on English grammar rules, English collocations and English idioms, check out the links below:
You can always study English advanced level at Learning English with the BBC.
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