Last week, I shared the expression “cool as a cucumber” and a reader asked a great question:
👉 How can I learn more collocations and idioms like this?
If you’re an advanced English speaker, you’re probably at ease with grammar and have a pretty wide vocabulary.
But sounding natural takes more than accuracy – it’s about rhythm, phrasing, and those colourful expressions that native speakers use every day.
Here are a few tips to help you sharpen your ear for them:
1. Follow my LinkedIn page and eat up my blog!
I regularly post bite-sized English learning “pills” on LinkedIn – quick, digestible tips to help you sound more natural and confident. Make sure you follow my page so you don’t miss them. You can find them here.
My blog is also full of high-level vocabulary and learning tips. You can start here with my post: Learn collocations to speak natural-sounding English.
2. Listen like a linguist
If you really want to sound natural, start listening actively – not just for meaning, but for how people put their ideas together. Be aware of the language itself: notice the chunks of language like “bit of a faff”, “not my cup of tea”, “I can’t be bothered”, “at the end of the day” – the glue that makes speech flow.
Think of yourself as a private investigator of English. Every podcast, interview, or chat is a chance to gather clues. Why did the speaker choose “a bit of a faff” instead of “complicated”? What’s the tone behind “can’t be bothered”?
Swap textbooks for authentic British content: podcasts like Off Menu, radio shows on BBC Radio 4, or casual YouTube channels. Don’t just follow the topic – pause, replay, and note those chunks of language that give English its natural rhythm and personality.
3. Read between the lines
Fiction and journalism are treasure troves of natural collocations. The Guardian lifestyle section or a Nick Hornby novel will show you how Brits actually combine words: have a go, make a fuss, take the mick. Try highlighting or saving phrases that pop up repeatedly.
4. Record and recycle
When you hear a new expression, jot it down in context:
“He was cool as a cucumber during the interview.”
Then, make it yours.
Use it in a WhatsApp message, a voice note, or your journal. Repetition in real contexts helps it stick.
5. Learn socially
Follow British influencers, comedians, and creators. The comments sections (yes, really!) reveal what’s trending in everyday language – slang evolves faster online than in any classroom.
6. Stay curious
Treat new expressions like clues to a culture. Every idiom tells a story, and those stories reveal how people see the world.
When Brits say something is “not my cup of tea,” they’re not just rejecting it politely. They’re showing a whole cultural value: understatement, humour, and the art of softening opinions.
Treat idioms as windows into British thinking – part language, part lifestyle.
And lastly ….
Want to refine your English even further?
Join one of my live classes!
If you’re an advanced speaker, you’ll love Proficiency Lab – monthly live sessions designed to help you polish your English, sound more natural, and keep your language at its very best.
Prefer something a bit more regular? You might enjoy my group courses or Book Lab, where we meet more often to explore language in real contexts.
Remeber, curiosity is the secret to sounding truly natural in English, and the best part is, it never ends!
Keep listening, noticing, and enjoying the language, and you’ll find that British expressions start to roll off your tongue. 🇬🇧✨
#loveEnglish #lovelearning