Language, when you need it

to succeed in getting a job, often a competitive one

"She landed a role at a leading consultancy straight after graduating."

exhaustion caused by prolonged stress at work

"Two of my colleagues took leave for burnout last year."

a working pattern that allows variable hours or location

"Most candidates now expect flexible working as standard."

to change career direction significantly

"After a decade in law she pivoted into UX design."

to be promoted gradually

"He climbed the ladder from intern to director in eight years."

extra benefits beyond salary

"The perks include a gym membership and free lunches."

to have far too much work

"I'm snowed under until Friday, sorry."

shaped by tight deadlines

"It's a deadline-driven role, so you need to stay calm."

to build professional contacts

"She networks her way into every industry event."

to discuss a higher salary with your employer

"I'm going to negotiate a pay rise at my review."

loss of a job because it is no longer needed

"She was offered voluntary redundancy after the merger."

to manage several responsibilities at once

"She juggles freelance work and a young family."

ongoing, voluntary learning throughout life

"Lifelong learning is fast becoming a workplace expectation."

a qualification or achievement that proves competence

"She has impressive academic credentials."

to understand something difficult quickly and clearly

"He grasped the new framework within an hour."

managed by yourself without supervision

"CAE rewards self-directed learners."

to study intensively just before an exam

"Cramming the night before rarely pays off."

memorising without understanding

"Rote learning won't help you in Use of English Part 4."

to leave a course before finishing

"He dropped out of university in his second year."

financial support to study based on merit

"She won a full scholarship to study abroad."

to make slower progress than others

"If you miss a week, it's easy to fall behind."

a small-group teaching session

"Tutorials are where most of the learning actually happens."

to learn something informally

"I picked up the basics of Italian while travelling."

honesty in study and research

"Universities are tightening academic integrity rules around AI."

a set of rules a computer follows to solve a problem or make a decision

"Social feeds are shaped by recommendation algorithms."

time spent using a device with a screen

"I've halved my evening screen time and I sleep better."

(of content) to spread rapidly online

"Her thread on remote work went viral overnight."

the trail of data you leave online

"Recruiters routinely check your digital footprint."

to look at content online without purpose

"I caught myself scrolling mindlessly at midnight again."

an environment where you only meet similar views

"Social media easily becomes a political echo chamber."

(of software) to stop working suddenly

"The app keeps crashing whenever I open the camera."

a realistic AI-generated fake video or audio

"Deepfakes are a serious threat to elections."

to copy data so it isn't lost

"Back up your essays to the cloud before submitting."

easy to use

"The new banking app is genuinely user-friendly."

to stop using digital devices for a period

"I disconnect every Sunday — no phone, no email."

a pricing system based on recurring payments

"Almost every app has shifted to a subscription model."

the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a person or activity

"Cycling to work cut my carbon footprint noticeably."

designed to be used only once and then thrown away

"The café has phased out single-use cups."

to compensate for emissions, often by funding green projects

"The airline offsets a fraction of each flight's emissions."

energy from sources that don't run out

"Wind and solar now generate over a third of our electricity."

to gradually stop using something

"Petrol cars will be phased out by the next decade."

false marketing of products as environmentally friendly

"Critics dismissed the campaign as pure greenwashing."

the clearing of forests on a large scale

"Satellite images reveal rapid deforestation in the basin."

cheap, rapidly produced trend clothing

"Fast fashion churns out new collections every two weeks."

to process waste so it can be reused

"Most of our packaging is now recycled locally."

aware of and concerned about environmental issues

"Eco-conscious shoppers are willing to pay more."

to reduce in size, scope or amount

"We've scaled back our meat consumption considerably."

in a remote, untouristy place

"We stayed in a tiny village well off the beaten track."

to enjoy and absorb the feel of a place

"We just walked around soaking up the atmosphere."

astonishingly beautiful or impressive

"The view from the ridge was genuinely breathtaking."

to relax

"We just chilled out on the beach all afternoon."

disorientation from being in a very different culture

"Moving to Tokyo gave me serious culture shock."

to spend a lot of money on something nice

"We splashed out on a hotel for the last night."

tired after long-distance air travel

"I was completely jet-lagged for three days."

to walk without a fixed plan

"We just wandered around the old town for hours."

a trip with travel and hotel arranged together

"Package holidays still suit families with young children."

with attractive natural views

"We took the scenic route along the coast."

to escape everyday stress

"We just needed to get away from it all for a weekend."

too many tourists damaging a destination

"Venice is struggling with the effects of overtourism."

differences in attitudes between younger and older people

"The pandemic widened the generation gap around remote work."

to not appreciate something you have because it's familiar

"We take clean water for granted in most of Europe."

to be reported as important news

"Her resignation made headlines around the world."

influence from people of your own age group

"Teenagers face constant peer pressure online."

to do something normally not discussed

"The book breaks several taboos about ageing."

to respect and admire

"I've always looked up to my older sister."

a general direction in which something is developing

"There's a clear trend towards smaller households."

to trigger discussion

"The new policy sparked a heated debate."

to maintain physical fitness

"I swim twice a week to keep fit."

general physical and mental health

"The company runs workshops on workplace wellbeing."

to stop thinking about work and relax

"I can't switch off until I've cleared my inbox."

able to recover quickly from difficulty

"Resilient teams adapt to setbacks instead of collapsing."

to start having an illness

"I think I'm coming down with the flu."

a way of life with little physical activity

"Desk jobs encourage a sedentary lifestyle."

to become physically fit

"I'm trying to get into shape before summer."

exhausted by long-term stress

"She felt completely burnt out after the project."

to cause gradual damage or suffering

"Years of night shifts took their toll on his health."

healthcare aimed at preventing illness

"Preventive care saves money in the long run."

a mental practice of present-moment awareness

"Ten minutes of mindfulness a day helps me focus."

to recover quickly after a setback

"She bounced back from the injury in record time."

holding your attention strongly

"A genuinely compelling thriller with a brilliant lead."

praised more than it deserves

"Honestly, the sequel is wildly overrated."

making you think seriously about a topic

"A short but thought-provoking documentary."

to watch many episodes in one sitting

"We binge-watched the whole season on Saturday."

an unexpected turn in a story

"The final plot twist genuinely caught me off guard."

to be strongly praised by others

"The exhibition comes highly recommended by critics."

the music of a film, show or game

"The soundtrack alone is worth the ticket."

to fail to have the intended effect

"The ending fell flat after such a strong build-up."

a book that is hard to put down

"Her debut novel is a real page-turner."

made with little money

"It's a low-budget film with surprisingly slick effects."

to be highly praised by reviewers

"Her latest album has received critical acclaim."

a very successful film or book

"The studio churns out a summer blockbuster every year."

to take an exam

"I'm sitting CAE in December."

a full practice exam under realistic conditions

"Our second mock exam felt much smoother than the first."

to revise something you partially know

"I need to brush up on conditionals before Friday."

the level of formality of language

"The Proposal needs a more formal register than the email."

the minimum score needed to pass

"The CAE pass mark sits at 60%."

to just manage to pass

"I scraped through Writing but did well on Reading."

the person who marks or assesses you

"Speaking examiners look for range, not perfection."

doing exactly what the task asks

"Task fulfilment is the first thing markers check."

to suddenly forget everything

"My mind went blank in the long turn."

the standards used to grade you

"Read the marking criteria before you start practising."

the strategy used to handle exam tasks

"Strong exam technique saves at least ten minutes."

to perform at your best on exam day

"Tapering practice helps you peak on the day."