EPISODE 14 - Why Is Speaking English Hard? - Full transcript, mini-story, vocabulary review

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Episode 14 explains why passive vocabulary makes speaking English difficult, even when learners fully understand words while reading or listening. It contrasts active vocabulary (used in speaking/writing) with passive vocabulary (understood in comprehension), showing that recognition alone is not enough for conversation. The episode recommends repetition—listening and reading the same input multiple times—to convert passive words into active usage, followed by a mini-story Q&A speaking practice with example responses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Why Is Speaking English Hard?

Active vs passive vocabulary

Repetition to activate vocabulary

Mini-Story Speaking Practice

EPISODE 014 Why Is Speaking English Hard? Full transcript · mini-story · vocabulary review Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher [and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission](and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission) is to help you speak English fluently. Today, I’ll talk about the passive vocabulary, and I'll focus on the difference between active and passive vocabulary. Later, we'll simulate a conversation with the Question & Answer technique (mini-story.) OK, Let's start! Like I've just mentioned earlier, in this episode, I'd like to focus on the passive vocabulary. There are two kinds of vocabularies that we all acquire in time, no matter whether it's your native language or a foreign language. The first and more obvious one is the active vocabulary. These are the words we use when we speak or write. On the other hand, there's passive vocabulary. And these are all the words we understand when we read or listen. Let me make myself clear: You fully understand the meaning of these words; you don't just guess their meaning when you read or listen. However, you can't use them in a conversation. It's complicated to use passive vocabulary when you speak because understanding the words isn't enough. You'll need to listen and read these words several times before they become part of your active vocabulary. At this point, you may think that using passive vocabulary is only difficult when you're trying to speak in English, but unfortunately, you'll find the same difficulty when using your mother tongue. Let me give you an example: Let's say that you're reading an article about the economic situation of a country. You fully understand the whole article, but if you had to speak about this topic, I'm convinced that you'd use words that you're more familiar with. If you had to talk about the economic situation of a country, you'd use the active vocabulary and not the passive one. When it comes to English, it's the same. You can only use about 20% of all the vocabulary you've learned. So, if you know 1000 words, you'll probably use only 200 words. The best way to activate your passive vocabulary is by repetition. If you listen to the same audios many times, you'll be able to transform passive vocabulary into the active vocabulary. We tend to use the words we listen to more. For example, the verbs to be, to go or objects like car, paper, etc. These words are so common that they have become part of your active vocabulary from the very beginning. The natural process when learning English is to activate words gradually, but at the same time, you expand your passive vocabulary. So, there'll always be words that you understand, but you won't use them when you speak. It's natural, don't worry about it. Therefore, you need to be patient. Understanding the words is always the first step. The second step will be repeating these words in many different occasions until you're capable of using them in a conversation. My suggestion is: Enjoy the process of learning English. In time you'll start using a more enhanced vocabulary. There's no doubt about it. Mini-Story Speaking Practice Answer the questions aloud with short and quick responses. Repeat the Mini-Story several times to improve your speaking and listening. Last summer, I could've used about 500 words and understood 2000. Could I have used 500 words last summer? Yes, you could've used 500 words last summer. Could I have understood 2000? Yes, you could've understood 2000. How many words could I have used? 500 words. You could've used 500. Could I have used 2000 words in a conversation? No, you couldn't have. You just could've used 500 words. When was that? Last summer? Last summer. It was last summer. You could've used 500 words and understood 2000. I wanted to increase my active vocabulary. Did I want to increase my money? No, no. You didn't want that. This is not what you said. You wanted to

FAQs

What is the difference between active and passive vocabulary?

Active vocabulary is what you use when speaking or writing, while passive vocabulary is what you understand when you read or listen.

Why is passive vocabulary hard to use in conversation?

Understanding a word is not enough for speaking; passive words need repeated listening and reading before they become part of active vocabulary.

How can learners activate passive vocabulary?

The best method is repetition: listen to the same audios many times until passive vocabulary turns into active vocabulary, then practice using it in different situations.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen