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How to fill in those 5-minute gaps

Finding the time to work on your Business English can be challenging. One way is to fill in the short gaps we all have during the day when waiting for the bus to come or for someone to arrive or for lunch to be served.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  1. Go through your flashcards – on paper or using an app

  2. Choose a topic and do a mind map of useful vocabulary and expressions – on paper or using an app

  3. Listen to a short newscast or podcast and notice all the useful vocabulary you recognise

  4. Watch some TV commercials on Youtube

  5. Copy a paragraph really paying attention to the expressions and grammar 

  6. Read and summarise or rephrase a section of a text

The key is preparing the material in advance: setting up flashcards, finding websites and collecting interesting texts so that when you have a 5-minute gap you’re ready to go.

6 x 5 minutes makes 30 minutes a day!

And of course always have a book or magazine with you as well as audio books and podcasts for your commute and those longer waits.

© Christina Wielgolawski