It's my birthday 🥳 so join me for a relaxed and light-hearted ramble, first with some comments about recent episodes and other podcast housekeeping, and then a series of talking points with the Spinning Wheel of Random Questions ☸️ including bits about how being an English teacher affects my social interactions 💬, the infamous ice-cream wars of Ice-Cream Island 🏝️, leading an army of English learners into battle on the back of an Elephant 🐘, the title of my (hypothetical) autobiography 📖, a...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 41 min
In this episode, I’m joined by Alastair Budge from Leonardo English to explore how you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to boost your English, especially when combined with podcasts. We go through specific, practical ways to actively engage with podcast content using AI — improving your listening, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and even speaking. Alastair shares a set of very useful prompts and techniques you can try out straight away, and we discuss the pros and cons of using AI for language learni...
May 19, 2025•2 hr 4 min
This episode is all about the exciting topic of driving, getting stuck in traffic jams, the future of our roads and how self-driving cars might be the solution. What is so annoying about traffic jams? Why do they even happen in the first place? Have you seen your first self-driving car yet? Will they solve our driving problems, or not? The episode is full of anecdotes, analysis, opinions and plenty of vocabulary. PDF available with notes, vocabulary list & vocabulary quiz. 📄 Get the PDF 👉 http...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 42 min
Have you ever wondered about sign language, how it works and if it is similar to other languages like English? In this conversation I speak to Siobhan Dodd who is a sign language interpreter between English and BSL (British Sign Language). Siobhan is an enthusiastic and entertaining guest and we have a great chat about the nature of sign language, the challenges & opportunities faced by the deaf community today, and some of Siobhan's memorable interpreting experiences, such as working at th...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Hello! In this episode I focus on English expressions and idioms that originated in the works of William Shakespeare and are still used in modern everyday language. Notice the expressions in various contexts, fully understand their meanings and use, explore their origins in Shakespeare's work, and gain valuable lessons about how to learn new vocabulary with real world examples. Also, learn about my short-lived career as a goalkeeper for the legendary football team "Chadw...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 30 min
In this episode I talk to my parents about the topic of William Shakespeare. We discuss the enduring appeal and significance of William Shakespeare's work, biographical details of his life, the key themes in Shakespeare’s plays, and the impact of his language on modern English. We try to explain the qualities that make Shakespeare great, using examples from plays like Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth. We also consider the challenges of understanding Shakespeare and suggest ways for newco...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 30 min
This episode features a conversation with Zdenek about fears and anxieties experienced in everyday life. We explore common fears such as driving, flying, culture shock, language learning and public speaking, plus vocabulary we use to talk about the subject. Listen for stories of Luke's fear of Paris cafes, airport anxiety, Luke's dramatic scooter ride in Nha Trang, Zdenek's fears of Vietnamese roads and driving, Luke's recent cycling accident in Paris, Zdenek's encounter with a London ...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 40 min
This episode is about the bizarre and funny questions that people input into Google. I explore and answer some of these questions, explaining some vocabulary. The result is an engaging and intellectually light-hearted discussion involving the usual mix of rambling, and English teaching. The episode covers a range of topics, from personal health, sex and relationships to broader existential and practical issues, with some diverse and absurd moments. The language style is a mix of informal slang a...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 37 min
Sarah Donnelly comes back onto LEP to catch up and to tell us about her stand-up special, now available to watch on YouTube, and to do a British English vs American English pronunciation quiz. Sarah’s show is called The Only American in Paris and we discuss some of the themes of the show - the real experience of being a US citizen living in Paris, the Netflix show Emily in Paris, cultural differences, learning French, plus a pronunciation quiz to help you compare UK and US English. 📼 Watch Sara...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Learn English with another short story on Luke's English Podcast. This one is about a learner of English who has an extraordinary experience. Listen to me tell the story, and summarise it, then explain plenty of natural, commonly occurring, up-to-date English vocabulary. Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/24/928-the-abduction-learn-english-with-a-short-story/ Get the PDF with transcript and vocabulary notes 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/928.-The-Abduction...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 52 min
Finally, it's here - the medieval museum episode with Amber & Paul. Join us as we visit the museum of the middle ages in Paris. Learn about the history of the middle ages, find out about some of the art and artefacts from that period, including some fantastic symbolic tapestries, sculptures and weapons, and have fun with a few jokes along the way. Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/17/927-walk-talk-medieval-museum-with-amber-paul-kyle/...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 36 min
The other day I was thinking about how podcasts must be good for your mental health, and how this could be connected to the tradition of collective oral communication which was the first form of mass media in most human civilisations, and how this has been central to human psychological and cultural development over the years. So, I made this podcast episode about it. Expect discussion of culture, history, psychology and communication, with plenty of vocabulary explained. Detailed PDF available....
Mar 11, 2025•2 hr 3 min
When Walaa was first on this podcast in episode 703 she talked about living in Syria as a student during the civil war (or people’s revolution) but at that time she felt she could not talk in detail about the situation. Now that the Assad regime is no longer in control of Syria, Walaa feels she can talk more candidly about what it was like to live near Damascus during those days. Walaa’s descriptions are both shocking and moving. This is the topic of this episode, which is part 2 of a two-part s...
Mar 06, 2025•53 min
Walaa Mouma returns to the podcast after 4 years to give us an update about her academic studies and personal story, including getting married and moving to Wales, details of her PhD doctorate, as well as her other studies and volunteer work helping to teach English to refugees and asylum seekers. Walaa's passion for this work is inspired by her own personal story of learning English, seeking asylum in the UK and studying in the UK's academic system, which she first talked about in episode 703 o...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min
A rambling episode full of spontaneous speaking from me to you. Topics include; an exercise for you to practise your spoken fluency 🗣️, the benefits of extensive listening to spontaneous speech 🎧, overcoming mental blocks 🌳, the English of my daughter and raising our kids to be bilingual 👨👩👧👦, some reactions to recent episodes 🙉, some thoughts about upcoming content 🔮, some bird-related idioms 🐦, the phrasal verb "to follow through" including its rude meaning 💩 ...and more! PDF tra...
Feb 23, 2025•1 hr 20 min
Amber joins me for a discussion of some words which reflect various cultural movements of the last 12 months or more. Learn some trending words and listen to discussions of topics such as the influence of online content on mental health, the Oasis concert ticket scandal, an exploration of the 'lore' of LEP, romantic fantasy books, the rise of AI and more. Includes a PDF with my episode notes and vocabulary lists. The Oxford Words of the Year is a shortlist of words chosen by OUP because they saw...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 49 min
Ian Moore returns to the podcast to talk about his career shift from stand up comedy to writing "cosy" crime novels. After several decades as a professional stand-up comedian, Ian has transitioned to writing murder mysteries. Now he is a bestselling author and his books are being adapted for television. In this episode Ian talks about ending his stand-up comedy career, why he was not suited for life as the host of a guesthouse, writing books on trains, and why his COVID lockdown was actually gre...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 54 min
Do you know more animal vocabulary than my 6-year-old daughter? Find out in this episode which covers over 60 items of vocabulary for describing animals, their body parts, habitats and behaviour. I am joined by my daughter for a quiz and chat about different kinds of animals. PDF available with quiz questions, vocabulary review & more. Episode page with PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/02/03/919-animal-vocabulary-quiz-with-my-daughter/...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Another fun chat with my friends Amber Minogue & Paul Taylor. This one was recorded in early January and we talk about running & fitness 🏃, falling out of bed 🛏️, my phone's battery issues 🪫, our Christmas meals 🍗, Amber's family bingo game 😅, Paul's horrendous Christmas rat story & some rat facts 🐀, insights into the lives of urban pigeons and country cats 🐈, handheld microphone technique 🎤 and Paul's lovely new jumper (or is it a sweater, or a pullover?) No homework and no PDF this tim...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 20 min
It's time for another classic Sherlock Holmes mystery story by Arthur Conan Doyle on the podcast. This time it is The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle - a case of a stolen gemstone! 💎 My aim here is to help you to understand and enjoy the story. I’ll read the original text to you, and will explain and summarise what is happening regularly. Just relax, listen carefully and try to enjoy this classic story. PDF available. 👉 Get the PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/918.-Sher...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 51 min
This is a listener-generated episode, meaning that the content is mostly written by listeners of this podcast. In this one I read out various comments and messages from listeners who have improved their English with the podcast. They describe the progress they've made and how they did it. Expect lots of success stories and plenty of advice for improving your English in 2025. Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/917.-Listener-Stories-How-LEP-has-helped-my-listeners-...
Jan 13, 2025•2 hr 2 min
A lengthy New Year's message about how to improve your English through consistent podcast listening. This episode details how regular listening improves comprehension, pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency, incorporating listener testimonials and tips, with some specific advice about how to push your English with this podcast. Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/916.-Learning-English-in-2025-with-Lukes-English-Podcast-.pdf Episode page on my website 👉 https://te...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 49 min
Join me for a quiz about some curious stories from the news this year (2024). Stephen Devincenzi from the SEND7 Podcast is the quizmaster for the third year running, and has prepared questions that will test my knowledge of some of the slightly less serious global news stories this year. Can you beat me in the quiz? Listen to find out. 🔗 Episode page (with quiz questions) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/29/915-the-world-news-quiz-2024-with-stephen-from-send7-podcast/ 🎧 Listen to SEND7 Pod...
Dec 29, 2024•1 hr 57 min
An end-of-year rambling episode with some seasonal good wishes 🎄, comments on recent episodes 🎧, an update about upcoming content 📲, anecdotes about seeing Paul McCartney live in concert 🎸, playing music at the British Ambassador's residence 🇬🇧 and visiting the British Library in London 📚, lots of library jokes (explained) 😂 and a vocabulary review at the end 🙇♂️. PDF available. Send your answers to my questions here [email protected] (1. How has LEP helped your English? 2. Do yo...
Dec 24, 2024•2 hr 19 min
Listen to a short story and learn some useful English vocabulary in the process. This one is called The Snowman - a mysterious winter tale about a creepy snowman which appears outside a cabin in a remote forest. Follow the story, and learn plenty of descriptive vocabulary. 📄 Get the PDF (story text, vocabulary notes, vocabulary list) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/913.-The-Snowman-⛄️-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story.pdf 🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherlu...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Part three of a series featuring collected bits & bobs for the podcast, with mini-lessons on vocabulary and grammar. Topics include listener comments on listening twice, a joke about double negatives & sarcasm, staying safe while listening to LEP in the car, the phrase "don't be shy, give it a try," fun facts about Paraguay, and a Quentin Tarantino eggcorn. Learn English with LEP! 📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/912.-Bits-Bobs-3-Questions-of-English-Part-3-...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min
(Part 2 of 2) Let's continue where we stopped in the last episode, by going through the rest of my list of funny English signs 🪧 from around the world. These signs are badly-written and have unintentionally funny double meanings. I will read out the signs, then explain what is funny and offer corrections to make the signs clearer. I will also explain vocabulary in the process. PDF available. 📄 Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/911.-FUNNY-ENGLISH-SIG...
Dec 03, 2024•59 min
Let's look at some funny examples of badly-worded signs from around the world (including UK & USA), which show the ambiguity and unintended consequences of unclear English. I analyse lots of signs, explaining the errors and offering improved versions, using them as teaching moments to illustrate grammatical and vocabulary points. The episode also features vocabulary explanations and corrections for the poorly written signs. 📄 Get the PDF with notes and detailed vocabulary list 👉 https://teache...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 15 min
This episode explores the important topic of AI and human civilisation, and teaches plenty of vocabulary on the subject. I analyse an interview with an AI expert and explore many words and phrases for talking about this subject. This includes discussion of the potential pros and cons of AI, how it will impact the job market, global security and economics, and what could happen if (and when) AI exceeds human intelligence. Check the episode PDF for a transcript and detailed vocabulary list. 📄 Get...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 56 min
Responding to comments from listeners on various episodes in the LEP archives, including how to get a TEFL certificate, linking /r/ sounds, being a fly on the wall, singular "they", antique vs vintage, and when the verb "see" doesn't mean "see". PDF available. 👉 Get the PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/908.-Bits-Bobs-_-Questions-of-English-Part-2-Listener-Comments-Episode-PDF-teacherluke.co_.uk_.pdf 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/11/908-bits-amp-bobs-2...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min
