Podcast 85 - B2 holiday language

Essential B2 words and expressions on holidays

Hello and welcome back to Practising English. And today I'm going to be talking about holidays. This is a follow up from podcast 23, which also talks about holidays for B2 level English. But the first one, that's podcast 23, was comparing holidays and what this is doing is talking in depth about the different articles and verbs and adjectives etc, that we use when we are going on holiday. There's an audio script for you at podcast 85 on this particular podcast, and also I've done a hangman game (holidays) on the vocabulary and expressions that you can play afterwards to practise and learn the vocabulary. So you'll find a link to that at the bottom of the audio script.

So let's get going!

Backpacking in the mountains

It is nice to get away, isn't it? Now, to get away is that phrasal verb which means to go on holiday, or really go away somewhere to relax. It could be just for a weekend. We say things like it's nice to get away. Everybody needs to get away once in a while. We probably don't use it with a complement. So we don't say, for example, to get away to Paris. We will say to go on holiday to Paris, but it's used in some expressions.

To start off then, before you leave home for the airport, you'll need to pack your suitcase or pack your bags. We also say to do the packing. That is to put things into your bag or suitcase. You put articles in your bags that you'll take with you on holiday. You know, you'll take the usual stuff: the bathing costume or bikini, suntan lotion, or sun cream, sunglasses, light clothing for hot days. So light clothing means T-shirts and shorts and sandals. You might want to take your camera if you want some good holiday snaps and holiday snaps is another way of saying photographs. So you may want to take your camera for some holiday snaps of places when you go sightseeing. Sightseeing is seeing the monuments or places of interest at the place where you're going on holiday, or perhaps your mobile phone is suitable for the job of taking photographs. It's definitely better for taking selfies of course.

If you're going somewhere a bit more adventurous, you might prefer to take your backpack also called a rucksack. That's a bag that goes on your back with all your stuff in there. So in that case, you'll need to take along a sleeping bag for sleeping under the stars. Now doesn't that sound romantic? Something that you can't miss out on - sleeping under the stars. And what else would go in your rucksack? Well, you won't need a flashlight or torch - so that's the same thing - because you've got one on your mobile phone. You can even download a compass app if you get lost in the wilderness. You know, a compass is that device for finding north, east, south and west.

The same goes for a map and of course we don't need to buy guidebooks or trail maps anymore. The good old mobile phone has got it all! I think it's a shame really. Well, you will still need mosquito repellent and antiseptic cream, you know, for those insect bites, because your mobile phone won't help you with those!

So you're ready to leave at last. You get a taxi to the airport. Check in your luggage. Show your boarding pass and flight ticket, go through customs and security into the departure lounge. Then you board your flight and you're on your way. Your plane takes off and off you go. Your plane then lands at its destination and you have arrived. You go into the arrivals lounge or the arrivals hall and you can feel yourself relaxing already. You make your way to the accommodation and your accommodation isn't exactly a luxury hotel. It's a youth hostel. But what better way to meet young people and make new friends than at a youth hostel.

The youth hostel is just for backpackers, really. It offers full board - so that's breakfast lunch and dinner. Half board, and that's breakfast and dinner or bed and breakfast. And you've booked six nights at the youth hostel. You've booked or you've reserved six nights with bed and breakfast because you won't be lying around, chilling out and getting a tan by the swimming pool every day. Oh, no! You're going trekking in the mountains. You've rented a jeep or you've hired a jeep, which is the same thing. And tomorrow morning, you'll be up at dawn, we say, up at dawn. That is, when the sun comes up. So you'll be up very, very early.

And so there's no staying up all night for you in the discotheque. It's going to be an early night. Ah, but what a wonderful hiking or trekking holiday in the mountains to look forward to.

So, okay, that's all for now! You can find the audio script with all those wonderful words and expressions highlighted for you at podcast 85 on Practising English and remember, have a go at that hangman game on the vocabulary and expressions, which will help you learn and make it more fun too. You'll find a link to the hangman at the bottom of the audio script. Okay, bye for now. And as they say, happy holidays!

Try the holiday expressions hangman game!