Everyday English (Vocabulary Building)

Topic: Health & Illness

Lesson Notes July 29, 2025 (Vocabulary Building)

Words & Phrases

• My son-in-law will be taking parental leave next month.

• Paternity leave (noun); Time off from work that a father is allowed to take after the birth or adoption of a child.

• More companies now offer paid paternity leave.

• Paternity leave helps fathers bond with their newborns.

• Maternity leave (noun); Time off from work that a mother is allowed to take before and after the birth or adoption of a child.

• She started maternity leave a month before her due date.

• Maternity leave policies vary between countries.

• Umbilical cord (noun) ʌmˈbɪl.ɪ.kəl kɔːd / um-BIL-i-cal cord; A long, tube-like structure that connects a developing baby to the placenta in the mother’s womb. It carries oxygen and nutrients to the baby and removes waste.

• The doctor cut the umbilical cord right after the baby was born.

• Nutrients pass from the mother to the baby through the umbilical cord.

Word Journal

• Purchase (noun / verb)

• ˈpɜː.tʃəs / PUR-chase

• I want to purchase a new laptop next month.

• She made a large purchase at the bookstore.

• You need a receipt to return your purchase.

• Haggle (verb)

• ˈhæɡ.l̩ / HAG-gle

• We spent twenty minutes haggling over the price of the rug.

• She’s not afraid to haggle at markets.

• They haggled with the vendor but still paid too much.

• Diaspora  (noun)

• daɪˈæspərə / di-AS-po-ra

• The Armenian diaspora is spread across many countries.

• There’s a large Indian diaspora in the UK and Canada.

• Music from the African diaspora has influenced cultures around the world.

Health & Lifestyle

Vocabulary (2A)

• Screen-time (noun); The amount of time someone spends looking at a screen, especially on devices like phones, tablets, TVs, or computers.

• Get in shape; You’re not currently in good shape, but you want to become fit and healthy.

• “I need to start jogging and eating better. I really want to get in shape before summer.”

• Stay in shape; You’re already in good shape, and you want to maintain it.

• “I go to the gym twice a week to stay in shape.”