The British Council's LearnEnglish Podcasts are, according to the official series guide, for learners at A2/B1 level. Every episode comes with audio, a transcript, and online practice exercises. That's exactly why it's easy to get stuck. With material that has this many episodes, if you don't decide on an entry point, you'll stop every time you open it.
The entry point is already decided: the friend introductions at the start of Series 1 Episode 01. People introduce others, and are introduced themselves. It's a scene everyone has experienced, and one you can replace with your own words just as it is. Start here.
In the first section, introductions happen three times
The Series 1 Episode 01 page includes a transcript alongside the audio. The level is listed as A2. The first section is friend introductions, and it unfolds like this.
- Ravi introduces Tess, mentioning things like where she's from and her hobbies.
- Tess introduces Ravi and praises his cooking.
- Ravi introduces Gordon, the programme producer, and Gordon says hello.
The person doing the introducing and the person being introduced keep swapping here. That's why it's easy to lose track of who is being talked about while you listen. The fix is simple: in the transcript, just follow 'who is introducing whom right now.' Write the names out in order — 1, 2, 3 — and you'll grasp the flow. Whether you start from the audio, or grasp the flow from the transcript first and then listen, can be decided by whether you're somewhere you can play sound.
Don't end with just a name. Add a short comment
When Tess introduces Ravi, she doesn't end with just his name. She adds a short comment: he's a great cook. Whether that one comment is there or not makes the impression of the introduction completely different.
Here, cook is not the verb meaning 'to cook.' It's a noun meaning 'a person who cooks.' A great cook is not an expression about whether someone is a professional. It's a way of praising someone's cooking.
You can use this pattern just as it is. Choose one person you want to introduce, pick one good thing about them, and add it in the form of 'a person who does ~.' For example, like this.
This is Yuki. We work together. She's a great runner.
This is my brother, Ken. He's a great listener.
If you use words that mean 'a person who does ~,' like runner or listener, you can say something about that person in a single comment, even if it's not their job. If you can't find just the right noun, rephrase it with good with, as in He's really good with computers. What matters is not getting stuck.
When you're introduced, reply with Pleased to meet you!
Gordon, introduced by Ravi, greets them with Pleased to meet you! That's the set reply for the person being introduced. You can use it just as it is.
If you decide on one reply in advance and add a short comment after it, the conversation will be easier to keep going.
Pleased to meet you. Yuki's told me a lot about you.
Three moves, and it becomes your own introduction
There are only three moves in this scene: introduce a person, add a short comment about them, and, when introduced, return a greeting. As Tess does when she introduces Ravi while praising his cooking, the introduction and the comment are said one after the other by the same person.
Replace it with your own situation, and it looks like this.
This is Mika. We went to university together. She's a great cook.
— Pleased to meet you!
Once you've written it, compare it once more with Section 1 of the transcript. After giving the name and relationship, does a short comment follow? Is there a reply from the person introduced? Checking just that much is enough.
What comes next is also ready for you. The Episode 01 page has headings called Check your understanding and Tess and Ravi, separate from the transcript. As the series guide says, each episode has practice exercises, and after you've replaced the friend introductions with your own words, moving on to these will let you trace through the episode's content once more.