Last month, my family and I moved into a new home. In English, it's what we'd call a fixer upper; it's a home that needs updates, it needs renovation, it needs to be remodeled in various ways. We are in the process of fixing our house up, and today you'll hear a true story about the process. In this 5-minute English episode, you'll learn how to talk about home renovations and repairs in English. This is a topic-specific lesson, so it's jam-packed with vocabulary you will need if this topic arise...
Feb 08, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 159
Moving across the United States is a significant event that brings with it a mix of excitement and challenges. Just last month, Lucas made the cross-country road trip from California to North Carolina, and today he's here to talk about the experience. This is a casual and fun conversation with lots to take away, even if you're not relocating! We talk about the change of scenery from the West to East Coast, the vast and diverse landscape of the U.S., and how the culture differs as you travel. Lea...
Jan 25, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 158
Every January, as the clock strikes midnight and the New Year unfolds, millions of people around the globe start a familiar ritual: they start their New Year’s Resolution. A resolution is a firm decision or commitment to oneself to achieve some sort of goal. Usually one is made with hope for self-improvement. In today’s lesson, we’ll talk about a few different studies and surveys about the top New Year’s resolutions in the United States! My hope is to uncover cultural insights - not only about o...
Jan 12, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 157
This lesson has two parts. In part one, you'll learn the common English expression "to get the ball rolling" you'll hear a joke and you'll do some pronunciation exercises. In part two (which will be posted shortly), you'll learn about New Year's Resolution Statistics for the United States! What are our priorities in 2024? How convinced are we that we'll succeed at keeping our resolutions? Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find th...
Jan 03, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 157
Today you’ll learn 10-Must Know Oxymorons to avoid confusion in conversation and the canvas for introducing these words will be a story about my Christmas Memories. An oxymoron is a literary device that has two contradicting terms, such as "pretty ugly," or "awfully good." This lesson will have two parts: First you will hear the story which contains all of the oxymorons in context. As a challenge, I want you to listen closely and find 10 of the 15 oxymorons mentioned. At the end, I'll tell you a...
Dec 20, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 156
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? Politicall...
Dec 05, 2023•36 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. Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode. Learn mor...
Nov 21, 2023•37 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•32 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. I had the pleasure of tapping into his knowledge with the goal of finding out how ...
Jul 19, 2023•42 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 ...
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! Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy the...
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! ***** Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can acc...
Jun 07, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 146
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 culture, lifestyle and accent of Mainers (or Maniacs!), as well as a crazy story about moose. Hear why our only one-syllable state is such a wonderful pla...
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." ***** Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
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. ⚠️ Like most 5-Minute Episodes, this episode type is extra challenging, but short. Listen to it multiple times and consider transcribing the audio as a listening exercise. You...
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! ***** Want to take your learning further? ⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (f...
Apr 03, 2023•42 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 who brought us The Cat in the Hat , The Grinch , Green Eggs and Ham , and more than 40 other incredible books for children—and adults—around the world. He’s often called “the father of contemporary children’s literature.” About one in four children in the United States receives a Dr. Seuss book as their very first book, and there’s a good reason for that. His stories are playful and clever, full of quirky illustration...
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 pronun...
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! Want to take your learning further?...
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•39 min•Season 3Ep. 138
