Speaking Practice Vocabulary & Expressions

Vocabulary terms, key collocations, and grammatical concepts derived from the spoken English review cards covering Work & Studies, Hometown, Home/Accommodation, and Daily Routine.

Pak Beng Hydropower Project

A major development project located in Laos on which the speaker works as a project developer.

Project developer

A professional role focused on moving a project forward by coordinating with diverse parties, including government officials and other stakeholders.

Stakeholders

Various parties, such as government officials, colleagues, and team members, who are involved in or impacted by a project.

Catch up on paperwork

A useful phrase meaning to complete pending administrative tasks and documentation that accumulated during the day.

In the long run

An idiomatic phrase meaning over an extended period into the future.

Work-life balance

A healthy state of equilibrium between career responsibilities and personal lifestyle demands.

Khon Kaen

A city in the northeastern part of Thailand that serves as a major medical and training hub with several large hospitals.

Khon Kaen University

The higher education institution located in Khon Kaen that the speaker attended.

Cost of living

The expenses required to sustain a lifestyle in a particular place, which rose in Khon Kaen following rapid development, new shopping malls, and condominium complexes.

Expat

An expatriate; an individual residing and working in a foreign country, such as working in Laos with company-provided accommodation.

Ventilation system

An air exhaust mechanism installed in a kitchen area to eliminate cooking smells and circulate air.

Suffocating

A descriptive term for feeling trapped or uncomfortably confined without fresh air, such as being enclosed in a windowless hotel room all day.

Switch off from work

A phrasal expression meaning to mentally disengage and stop focusing on job-related responsibilities during non-working hours.

Clear my head

An idiomatic phrase meaning to mentally rest, eliminate stress, and regain clarity away from digital devices and work pressures.

Cut down on

A phrasal verb meaning to reduce the amount, quantity, or frequency of something, such as unnecessary meetings.

Second conditional

A grammatical pattern structured as 'If + past simple, would + base verb' used to communicate hypothetical or imaginary circumstances.

Present perfect continuous

A verb tense structured as 'have/has been + V-ing' used to describe an action that started in the past and continues into the present, such as living in a hotel for about $2$ years.