Transcript of my podcast episode (9)

Welcome to my ENGPSRESSO episode no. 9! I hope you’ve been waiting for this episode impatiently, and that you will make the most of it! Remember that when you make the most of something, you take full advantage of something because it may not last long. Well, these episodes will last some time, but I’m sure you will not always have time to listen to them in the future. That’s why I’m saying you should learn something now if you’re already here. Don’t miss this opportunity!

By the way, are you full of the joys of spring despite our fickle weather? In other words, are you happy in spite of the changeable weather this month? Of course, I know we’ve all been waiting for the spring way too long, but I guess we should be just a little more patient. In the meantime, we can get ready for summer, for example, by improving our fitness or studying English so that we’re ready to travel abroad in the warmer months. And I’m here to help you with that!

The first expression I want to teach you today is INSTEAD OF SB / STH or INSTEAD OF DOING STH. This means “in place of someone or something”. Let’s see how we could use it in practice.

For instance: Instead of visiting different places in Poland, we could go abroad this summer.  Now, repeat after me.
The translation is: Zamiast zwiedzać różne miejsca w Polsce, tego lata moglibyśmy pojechać za granicę.

Another example: The recipe says that you can use sunflower oil instead of butter.
Przepis mówi, że możesz użyć oleju słonecznikowego zamiast masła.

The second expression is AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (ASAP). If you do something as soon as possible, you do it as quickly as you can. Remember that when we use the acronym of this expression in informal contexts or in spoken English, we should pronounce it as /ˌeɪ.es.eɪˈpiː/.

For instance: I would like them to send me the package ASAP.
Chciałabym, żeby wysłali mi tę paczkę jak najszybciej.

Another example: The missing part of the device should be sent to the customer as soon as possible.
Brakująca część urządzenia powinna zostać wysłana do klienta jak najszybciej.

And now it’s time for your ENGSPRESSO to go!

Our context for the phrases is:

Let’s try to come up with some solution as soon as possible instead of just waiting for their ideas.
Spróbujmy znaleźć jakieś rozwiązanie jak najszybciej zamiast tylko czekać na ich pomysły.

Have you repeated all the phrases after me? If so, well done! If you really want to be fluent in English, you need to open your mouth and practise the language aloud. It’s not enough just to think about what you could say. If you practise English only in your head, don’t be surprised that you have problems speaking it. Imagine what the world would be like if children didn’t try to repeat different words or phrases after adults. So don’t be afraid to be a copycat. You might make some mistakes, but in the long term, all this practice will pay off, you’ll see!

If you’d like to read what I’ve just said, you can find the transcript of today’s episode on my website or at the link in the description of the episode.

Thanks for listening and have a pleasant spring!