In today’s episode, you will learn new English vocabulary words and expressions related to the topic of challenges. You will also hear tons of real-life stories that will help you understand the words and expressions more. This episode will give you the vocabulary and expressions you need to speak fluently in English about this topic.

TODAY’S ENGLISH RESOURCE

TODAY’S ENGLISH VOCABULARY

Obstacle

Meaning: Something that blocks you so that movement, going forward, or action is prevented or made more difficult.

• Sentence 1: Money seems to be an obstacle for many people.
• Sentence 2: When you encounter an obstacle, meditate and ask a more mature person for guidance.
• Sentence 3: Two large obstacles when beginning your own business are time and money.

Mindset

Meaning: A person’s way of thinking and their opinions.

• Sentence 1: Having a fixed mindset and being inflexible is detrimental to one’s personal growth.
• Sentence 2: Yuri changed her mindset after years of being close-minded.
• Sentence 3: It’s extraordinary how hard it is to change the mindset of the public and the press.

TODAY’S ENGLISH EXPRESSIONS

Call into question

Meaning: To cause doubt about something

• Sentence 1: His integrity was called into question when the purse went missing.
• Sentence 2: My integrity has been called into question by people who have never spoken to me.
• Sentence 3: New evidence has called into question the testimony of this witness.

Catch 22

Meaning: a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

• Sentence 1: He could not decide between either choice because it was a catch 22.
• Sentence 2: To get a job you need experience but you cannot get experience without getting a job. It’s a catch 22.
• Sentence 3: Jamie felt like she was in a catch 22. If she went to work, she would need to pay for childcare. But if she didn’t go back to work, she would have childcare but no money.