Earlier this year, I asked some friends and family members if they could write a short story about their favorite decade. A decade is a ten-year time frame. For example, 1970-1979 is a decade. 1980 -1989 is another decade. I asked some friends and family members if they could write a short story about their favorite decade.My thought was that it would be interesting to step out of the 2020s and relive a decade in the life of someone else.What would their world look like? Culturally? Politically?...
Dec 05, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Boston is situated in present-day Massachusetts, right on the northern Atlantic coastline. It’s picturesque, it’s lively and it’s steeped in stories of how the United States gained its independence from Britain. Today you’ll hear those tales of organization, patriotism and madness: This is the Boston Tea Party. I've also put together a page to Prepare for the U.S. Citizenship test. Premium Content: Season 4 (Episodes 150 - 200) = Includes quiz, transcript with definitions and mp3. All Premium Co...
Nov 21, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 154
This lesson has two parts. In part one, you'll learn the common English expression "my cup of tea" you'll hear a joke and you'll do some pronunciation exercises. In part two (which will be posted shortly), you'll learn about one of the most iconic events in U.S. history, the Boston Tea Party. It's one of the major events that fueled our fight for independence from Britain, and the story is just nuts. It's not your average tea party! If you're interested in learning about the beginning of the U.S...
Nov 09, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 154
Every year, more and more people buy clothes online, but today, you are heading to the mall with your stylish friend, Katrina. Your mission is to buy a new wardrobe (a whole new set of clothes). Listen and learn the vocabulary, phrases and collocations we use when talking about clothing in English! You'll learn adjectives to describe the good, the bad and the ugly, expressions to comment on style and so much more. If you ever intend to buy clothes in the United States, you can't miss this episod...
Oct 30, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 153
Sleepy Hollow is a quaint village nestled in the Hudson Valley, in New York. There, many many years ago a peculiar schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane gets wrapped up in the spooky legend of the Headless Horseman. Today you’ll hear “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and learn about the heart-pounding events that took place on one fateful Halloween night. It’s a story of love, rivalry, and the supernatural and I’ve simplified it for intermediate and advanced English learners. Get ready for some exciteme...
Oct 12, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Moose are majestic creatures and an iconic symbol of wilderness in North America. They inhabit many northern states in the U.S.; the state with the biggest population is Alaska. In this episode, you'll learn many English words related to nature and animals, but it's much more than a National Geographic style lesson. You're about to step into the funny, wild and sometimes tragic tales that emerge as humans and moose try to live harmoniously.In this lesson, we'll answer questions like: What is it ...
Sep 26, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 151
This lesson has two parts. In part one, you'll learn the common English expression "to steer clear," you'll hear a joke and you'll do some pronunciation exercises. In part two (which will be posted shortly), we'll be talking about moose in the US. You know what a moose is, right? It's a large mammal in the deer family. It has big antlers — these sort of long, pokey branch-like things that stick out of their heads — and they live in many northern states in the United States. Often these massive c...
Sep 21, 2023•16 min•Season 4Ep. 151
Two years ago, I started Season 3 (Episodes 101 - 150) and it's been a journey. In this episode, you'll hear about the many cultural topics we covered in the past 50 episodes. You'll hear which episodes were the most popular among listeners, which stories left me speechless and which ones I found incredibly useful. Get your notebook! Be ready to write down the episode number for the stories that interest you most. THANK YOU to all of the supporters who bought me coffee, those who left reviews on...
Aug 16, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 150
Today you'll hear a short story our recent trip to Brazil, during which I ended up going to the hospital and getting stitches. Throughout this story you'll hear 20+ words related to injuries and getting hurt. Although I hope you don't get hurt anytime soon, I hope this lesson prepares you to talk about the times when you did in English.We all have a getting hurt story, whether it's our own or someone else's. Give this a listen and see if you can use what you learned to tell your story! You will ...
Jul 31, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 149
Today we have a special guest named Ben Whatley. Maybe you know him! He's the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Memrise, one of the most celebrated language apps there is. Ben received his master's in experimental psychology from Oxford University and has since been working with language acquisition. In fact, he's a pioneer in the field; Ben helped create the first AI language partner using GPT3 technology. It's called the MemBot. If you're interested in trying it out, you can do so here:...
Jul 19, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 148
This is part two of a very special story about my dear friend, Nina, who is from Germany. In the story of our friendship, which I'll wrap up in the this episode, you'll learn 10+ German loanwords in English. A loanword is a words borrowed from a foreign language.American English has many German words; how do we pronounce them? Well, I know a lot of you are saying we butcher them, that's okay (I don't disagree with you!) In general, the pronunciation of a words depends on how popular / common a w...
Jul 07, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 147
It's story time! Welcome to a true story about my friend, Nina, who is from Berlin, Germany. In the story of our friendship you'll learn 10+ German loanwords in English. A loanword is a words borrowed from a foreign language.American English has many German words; how do we pronounce them? Well, I know a lot of you are saying we butcher them, that's okay (I don't disagree with you!) In general, the pronunciation of a words depends on how popular / common a word is. If a German word is common in ...
Jun 29, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 147
In today's episode, you’ll hear the incredible story of a man named Larry Walters, or "Lawn Chair" Larry, who bought over 40 weather balloons, attached them to a lawn chair in his backyard and flew 16,000 feet up in the air. The story is weird and funny, and it gives way to a larger discussion about “Cluster Ballooning.” I’ll explain challenging words and phrases as I go along! In Part 1 of this episode, you'll learn all about the common English expression "up in the air." You'll learn the expre...
Jun 15, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 146
In today's episode, you'll learn all about the common English expression "up in the air." You'll learn the expression's origin, how to use it in a multitude of situations and you'll do pronunciation exercises with it. The second part of this episode, is all about Larry "Lawnchair," a man who gave birth to cluster ballooning as an activity. Stay tuned, that episode will be posted shortly.Big shoutout to Guilherme Krause for supporting the podcast this month, I really appreciate it!*****Premium Co...
Jun 07, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 146
The for this episode was recorded on March 22, so keep that in mind when listening to our discussion about the weather and daylight hours. ***ABOUT*** Maine is the easternmost and northernmost state in the contiguous United States, and it’s known for its expansive forests, breathtaking coastlines, and its unique New England culture. Today, we're going to talk to Brent (Speak English with This Guy), who is a middle school English teacher from Maine. You'll hear from a local all about the food cul...
May 22, 2023•48 min•Season 3Ep. 145
At the beginning of May every year, horse racing season begins. In the U.S., it starts off with The Kentucky Derby, a horse race that is often referred to as “the most exciting two minutes of sports.” 🐎 Since 1875, eager spectators have been pouring into Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky to watch the ca. 20 racers make their way to the finish line. Just given how long the event has been around, you can probably imagine how many traditions there are at the event. In today’s episode, you’ll...
May 05, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 144
In this episode, you'll learn how to use the common English expression "To Jump the Gun." Be sure to stay tuned until part 2 to learn all about the Kentucky Derby, "the most exciting two minutes of sports."*****Premium Content: This episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEA...
May 01, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Today you’ll hear about a trip to the grocery store. Imagine yourself as the main character of this story; visualize the interior of the store and that you are walking down the aisles. Picture everything from the moment you grab your cart or basket at the entrance, to the moment you check out at the register and head home.As usual with 5-Minute English episodes, I try to keep the audio part of this lesson to 5 minutes. This lesson went a little over but for good reason! :) *****THIS IS AN ADVANC...
Apr 17, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 143
In today's episode, we're talking to Natalie Sawicki, a songwriter from Los Angeles, who spent most of her life in Connecticut! She shares so much about this charming small state; you’ll hear about the fall foliage, New England fashion, local delicacies and much more! Let's Discover “The Nutmeg State" with a local! Follow Natalie's work on Instagram @natsawicki. *****Connecticut is a small state. In fact, it's the third smallest state in the United States after Rhode Island and Delaware. For com...
Apr 03, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 142
In this 3-part episode, you'll hear a casual discussion about one of life's most mundane topics: peeing and pooping. It's taboo to talk about, which is strange given how it's one of the most common things in the world. In part 1, you’ll hear about potty training, you’ll hear a joke and learn some fun things. If you're interested, here's the Potty Training book I was talking about! (The E-book is FREE.) In part 2, you’ll learn peeing and pooping vocabulary, which is very taboo to talk about, yet ...
Mar 21, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 141
If you don't know who Dr. Seuss is, you should! He was a cartoonist and author that brought us The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, Green Eggs and Ham and over 40 other incredible books for children and adults around the world. He's been called "the father of contemporary children's literature." One out of four children in the US receive a Dr. Seuss book as their first book in life, and there's a good reason for it: they're playful and clever, with quirky images and rhymes, and there's a lot of repet...
Mar 08, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 140
It's a ridiculous visual, is it not?! If the cat's got your tongue, you can't talk, you're speechless! And that's pretty much how we use it in English conversation. We often ask someone "Cat got your tongue?" in situations when they can't respond, or they don't respond. Listen to this episode to hear a joke, learn this expression and practice your pronunciation. This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about Dr. Seuss, one of the most beloved cartoonists and authors in American hi...
Mar 01, 2023•20 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Every year in New Orleans, Louisiana, a million visitors come to experience the biggest Mardi Gras party in the United States. Learn about the history of this event and the traditions and culture surrounding it.If you plan on visiting, be sure to stay tuned until the very end; you'll learn how to make the most of it as a tourist!This is Part 2. In Part 1 of this episode, Episode 139, you'll learn how to use the very common expression up one's alley, you'll heard a joke and practice your pronunci...
Feb 14, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 139
Isn't it nice when you learn an English expression that you can use a million times a day, every single day that you speak English? Well, listen to this episode. In today's episode, you'll learn how to use the very common expression up one's alley, you'll hear a joke and you'll practice your pronunciation! This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about the massive Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana, and how you can take part in it!*****Premium Content: This episode i...
Feb 07, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 139
You walk into a restaurant and head towards the bar. Behind it, a lighted mosaic of colorful liquors spread from the ceiling to the floor. It's fancy on another level. Some people may describe it as resplendent; it feels like you're looking into a Queen's jewelry box. A long counter separates you from the skilled bartender behind it, who shakes, stirs and strains with ease. As you approach, you consider how you'll place your order in English and suddenly you feel out of your element. In other wo...
Jan 23, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 138
It's story time! Welcome to a French coffee shop and fancy restaurant where you'll be introduced to a number of common French loanwords in English. A loanword is a words borrowed from a foreign language.American English is packed with French words; how do we pronounce them? Well, I know a lot of you are saying we butcher them, that's okay (I don't disagree with you!) In general, the pronunciation of a words depends on how popular / common a word is. If a French word is common in American English...
Jan 09, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 137
In today's episode, we're talking to Camille Hanson, an ESL teacher and social media influencer who grew up in the U.P. - the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Buckle up! You're about to be immersed in an adventure; one that includes snow, lake life, deer flies, girls hunting with bows and arrows and so much more. Learn from a local how you can take advantage of "The Mitten State."*****Michigan is the 10th largest state in the US by population, and there’s quite a bit you should know about it. Michig...
Dec 27, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 136
In today’s lesson you’re going to hear the story of the creator of Jingle Bells, his questionable character and we’ll go through the lyrics of the song so if you want to sing it in English, you can. This is Part 2. In Part 1, we spoke about the common English expression Bells and Whistles. ***** In December of 1965, a spacecraft called Gemini 6 was flying in outer space, looking back down at earth. The crew members on board were on call with Mission Control when they announced the following alar...
Dec 15, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 135
The holiday season is here and I bet some of you are skimming the internet for new gadgets. Do you like gadgets with a bunch of bells and whistles (fancy features) or do you prefer simplicity? In this episode, you'll learn how to use the common expression bells and whistles, you'll hear a joke and you'll practice your pronunciation! This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about the popular Christmas song Jingle Bells.*****Premium Content: This episode is part of Season 3. By purc...
Dec 12, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 135
You know Starbucks, right? The coffee company? Born in Seattle, Washington and brewed around the world? I bet you do; they have over 33 thousand stores in over 80 countries. In today's episode, we're going to talk about those guys, the beans and more! Why is it called Starbucks? Who's that woman on their cups?There are a lot of Starbucks haters and a lot of lovers out there, but all of you will find this episode fascinating because 1. it’s an absurdly successful business, how did they do it?! 2....
Nov 29, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 134
