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...
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
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 Englis...
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. Mich...
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 B ells 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 al...
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 p...
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
The expression To Blow Off Steam is a common one in the United States. In today's episode, you'll learn how to use it in everyday contexts, you'll hear a joke and also practice your pronunciation! :) Thanks again to my amazing supporters who have contributed to this podcast either by purchasing Premium Content or buying me coffee !Thank you to Paulo, Picante, Stefan, Ortiz and the other anonymous contributors from this month. SO exciting! ***** Premium Content: This episode is part of Season 3. ...
Nov 28, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 134
This is PART 2 of episode 133. In today’s lesson, Liz and I will be going through 15 common similes that you’ll hear in everyday conversation. Some are literal, so they’ll sound normal, others are quite random so you may want to write these down in your notebook. If you would the full list of words, with examples and a quiz to make sure you’ve understood them, be sure to sign up to Premium Content at americanenglishpodcast.com. See link below. A simile, according to Oxford Languages is “a figure...
Nov 19, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 133
In today’s lesson, Liz and I will be going through 15 common similes that you’ll hear in everyday conversation. Some are literal, so they’ll sound normal, others are quite random so you may want to write these down in your notebook. If you would the full list of words, with examples and a quiz to make sure you’ve understood them, be sure to sign up to Premium Content at americanenglishpodcast.com. A simile, according to Oxford Languages is “a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thin...
Nov 18, 2022•38 min•Season 3Ep. 133
In today's episode, Lindsay, host of the All Ears English Podcast, will take us on a journey to Colorado, one of the most stunning mountainous states in the western United States. On our 3-day trip to Colorado, via audio, we'll not only get a taste of what it's like to be a tourist there, but hear from a local's standpoint what culture, beauty and adventures awaits us. Be sure to check out the episode webpage for links to the places we talked about in this episode! :) ***** Buy Me a Coffee *****...
Oct 28, 2022•44 min•Season 3Ep. 132
We live in a day and age that is driven by science and technology, yet people are still superstitious. According to a study I read by YouGov, 9% of Americans claim to be superstitious, while another 35% admit to not being very superstitious, but somewhat. That makes over 40% of individuals in the United States somewhat superstitious. So what does it mean to be superstitious? According to Cambridge Dictionary, it is to have beliefs that are not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but a...
Oct 14, 2022•38 min•Season 3Ep. 131
"Sunday Toasted" is a song that was recently released by a new artist named Zinn, and it's jam-packed with American slang and vocabulary which we'll go through in this episode. This song is also full of cultural references about working and partying :). All in all, I can't think of a more fitting song to be the first "music" episode on this podcast. By the end, you'll have a beautiful picture in your mind of a typical summer's day in the South and understand why lake culture is so big there! "Yo...
Sep 28, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 130
The Monster Study (aka Tudor Study) is an unethical psychology experiment that was conducted in 1939 on 22 orphans in Davenport, Iowa. The goal was to a test the theory that by deeply worrying about starting to stutter, one may develop the speech disorder. Mary Tudor, a graduate student, attempted to induce stuttering - to create the behavior - in fluent speakers with the assistance of her advisor Wendell Johnson. The study was dubbed "The Monster Study" for the cruelty and misconduct of it. Lea...
Sep 15, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 129
In this episode, there are two parts. In Part 1, you'll hear a joke, practice your pronunciation and learn the expression "Off the Record". In Part 2 of today's lesson, we’re going to talk about The Monster Study, a wildly unethical study (by today's standards) that is about orphans and language development, specifically stuttering. To amp up the learning experience in episode 129, I explain challenging words and phrases as I go along. The American English Accent Course As mentioned in the audio...
Sep 12, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 129
In today's episode, you'll learn vocabulary, phrasal verbs and expressions related to Birthday Parties. This episode was created with a goal in mind: to help you think about the birthday parties in your life. I hope that by the end of this lesson you feel like you can describe your special days with more detail in English. This is an advanced listening exercise so it's ok if you don't understand everything! To access to material and worksheets that correspond to this episode, check out Premium C...
Aug 31, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 128
About Philip Clem is a talented singer and songwriter from Seattle, Washington who has lived in San Francisco, Spain and now Los Angeles, California. Today, Philip is going to tell us about what it's like to be a local from Seattle. In this episode, you'll learn about the state, its stereotypes (and whether or not they're true!), you’ll learn about the culture, food, weather and, of course, about our special guest! I hope that after you’re done listening to this episode, you feel like you know a...
Aug 12, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 127
In today's 5-Minute English episode, you'll learn vocabulary, phrasal verbs and collocations needed to describe A Day At The Beach. Beach Recommendations U.S. Beaches where you can drink Nude Beaches in the U.S. My favorite beaches in California: Pacific Beach - San Diego Pismo Beach - near San Luis Obispo La Jolla - near San Diego (go kayaking + look at the lion sharks below!) Zuma Beach - Malibu (this is our go-to beach) Santa Cruz (go to the Boardwalk boardwalk, SO fun!) East Beach (downtown ...
Aug 04, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 126
Today we're going to be talking about doughnuts (or donuts; both spellings are acceptable in American English). You'll learn the history, the stories behind the most famous doughnut brands and all about the most popular doughnuts in the display case. After all, if you're going to be the one who brings doughnuts to the office, you got to do it right. 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 trans...
Jul 23, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 125
In this episode, there are two parts. In Part 1, you'll hear a joke, practice your pronunciation and learn the expression "To Sugarcoat Something". In Part 2 of today's lesson (available on Saturday, July 23), we’re going to talk about donuts. You’ll learn the history, the stories behind the most famous brands and all about the most popular donuts in the display case. Afterall, if you’re going to be the one who brings donuts, you gotta do it right! To amp up the learning experience, I’ve packed ...
Jul 22, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 125
The decision to move overseas is a big one and it requires preparation. The first step for non-native English speakers who want to live, study or work in the U.S. is taking an English exam as proof of English ability. The IELTS exam is one of the most popular. Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Aubrey Carter, who shared three expressions that you can use on the IELTS exam and in daily life. These expressions can be squeezed into almost any conversation! If you'd like to learn all about t...
Jul 12, 2022•39 min
Goldilocks and The Three Bears is one of the most popular children's books ever written in English and it is my daughter's favorite. Today, you'll hear a modernISH American English version of the classic tale and I've carefully selected a number of phrasal verbs, expressions and collocations and inserted them seamlessly into the story to amp up (improve, increase) the listening experience. If you're trying to improve your use of more challenging tenses in English, listening to stories is a natur...
Jun 29, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 123
In honor of Juneteenth, we will be talking about "The Mother of the Freedom Movement" - Rosa Parks. Rosa made history when she politely refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a public bus in Alabama when institutionalized racial segregation existed in the South (Jim Crow Laws). Her story is one of courage; she'll make you want to stand up for what's right. Note: Juneteenth is on June 19th, and it's been a federal holiday in the United States since 2021. However, it's been a day of cele...
Jun 14, 2022•34 min•Season 3Ep. 122
In this episode, you'll learn how to use the common expression Once in a Blue Moon. In Part 2, which will be posted shortly, you'll learn all about Rosa Parks and The Freedom Movement. 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. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as...
Jun 11, 2022•13 min•Season 3Ep. 122
We've lived in Los Angeles for about 5 months and spend a lot of time exploring. I'm happy to say that the city is growing on us - we LOVE the restaurant scene here and checking out the stunning mansions, beautiful beaches and fun neighborhoods. There are a few stereotypes about Los Angeles that you may have been exposed to if you watch films made in Hollywood. Up until this point, I've been pleasantly surprised to disagree with most of them. What do you think about these stereotypes? Had you he...
May 28, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Today you're going to learn so many fun facts about the US, all of which have to do with geography. You'll hear about the topography, so the physical features of the land that make it visually unique. And you'll also learn about the population - so where residents are distributed throughout the country. By the end of this episode, you should have a solid geographical overview of the United States and be able to talk about geography in English. Note: The goal of 5-Minute English episodes is to sm...
May 12, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 120
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902 by the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Today I'll read the story to you. What's the moral of this story? Let us know via Instagram ! 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. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 1...
Apr 25, 2022•14 min•Season 3Ep. 119
In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll learn how to use the common English expression OUT OF THE BLUE. In Part 2 (Episode 118.2), you'll hear the story of the BLUE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY. 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. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (epis...
Apr 07, 2022•14 min•Season 3Ep. 118
Martin ended up falling in love with a redheaded American woman named Elizabeth Smith, and eventually the couple decided to have a family. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what would come next: Four out of their seven children were born with blue skin. In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll learn about THE BLUE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY. In the first part of the episode, you'll learn how to use the common English expression OUT OF THE BLUE. Premium Content This ep...
Apr 07, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 118
We all love survival stories, do we not? Watching men and women find food and water, seeing them build shelters out of sticks, stones and leaves. It’s a common theme on reality television. Occasionally though, in real life, we hear real survival stories. People who were confronted with death and managed to escape it. Today you’ll hear the incredible story of Aron Ralston. You may know his story already if you’ve seen the movie 127 hours. If you haven’t, you’re in for a ride. Take a deep breath t...
Mar 24, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 117
