Episode 34 – HOW to move from B2 to C1

Martin Johnston Johnston Author

**Serious Episode** ? Listen to me talk to Olly Richards from the excellent I Will Teach You A Language blog and podcast (see below for links) about HOW you can move from B2 to C1 in English ??. Olly shares some study TECHNIQUES ?, some useful APPS ?, websites where you can get SPEAKING practice ?️ and lots more! PLUS…. as always there is some sexy RnR vocabulary and grammar – just keep CALM and keep on ROCKin’! ??

Speaking of RnR vocabulary, here is today’s:

1. I came across this podcast recently

2. I also make stuff up

3. I’m very stubborn

4. It all started in humble beginnings

5. You can loop the audio

6. Let’s look at some of the takeaways from the episode

7. It gave me a kick up the backside

RnR Grammar

At the beginning of the episode I said to Olly that I often invent things when I give advice about languages and he said:

“I also often make stuff up“

This is a RnR piece of vocabulary (which means to invent something), but I want to look at the grammar a bit. This is a SEPARABLE phrasal verb and in this example, you can see that the verb has been separated by the word ‘stuff’.

But do we always need to separate the verb?

In this example, the answer would be no, as we could also say “I also often make up some”….

BUT…

If we change the word ‘stuff’ for a pronoun, maybe ‘it’ in this example, then we MUST separate the verb. For example:

“I also often make IT up” is fine.

Links Spoken about in Today’s Show

1. Link to an article written by Alex Rawlings about how to read in a foreign language – HERE.

2. Excellent online dictionary Word Referecence – HERE (this is also available in app form).

3. Speater – the app that allows you to repeat audio on your phone by clicking a button – HERE (you can also read Olly’s review of the app HERE).

4. Flashcards Deluxe – the app to help you remember vocabulary – HERE.

5. iTalki – a site where you can get online lessons – HERE.

6. Conversation Exchange – site where you can meet language partners – HERE. You can also read my personal review of this site HERE.

7. My Language Exchange – another site where you can meet language partners HERE, but you have to pay. Remember Olly said that he had met more serious people here for this reason, so it could be useful.

8. We CANNOT say “I often make up it” as the pronoun ALWAYS separates the verb.