Steve Kaufmann is a very prolific language learner. He has learned at least 20 languages to varying degrees during his life. Some of them he learned during his career as an international diplomat and businessman, and others he has learned during his (semi) retirement. In this interview Steve talks about his language learning experiences, methods and motivations. We talk about various metaphors and similes for language learning including ocean voyages 🚢, cows 🐮, skiing ⛷ and cutting grass🏡 and...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 16 min
To qualify for British citizenship, one of the requirements is to pass the "Life in the UK" test. Questions cover things like British history, British life & culture, British politics, British geography and principles of modern British life. What do you think? Can you pass the test? Join me as I test online English teacher Cara Leopold. How much does she know about her own country of origin? What can you learn about Britain? What IS Britain anyway? Find out in this episode! 👉 Episode page...
Feb 15, 2023•2 hr 53 min
An episode about two (unconnected) situations, 1) the very recent earthquake in Turkey & Syria which has left many people in urgent need of help, 2) the humanitarian crisis in Iran. During the episode I read from various articles and explain some vocabulary. 👉 Consider donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee to help people affected by the earthquake https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal 👉 Episode page with transcript & links https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sL5 Sign up to LEP ...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 28 min
A conversation with my brother about a specific musical genre, "ambient". We discuss Brian Eno's inspiration and approach to his first ambient albums, talk about the genre's origins in French 19th century classical music, jazz and the avant-garde and describe ambient trance music from the 80s and 90s including artists like Aphex Twin, The KLF, The Orb and The Irresistible Force. Enter the ambient zone on LEP. 👉 Get James' new ambient EP "Ambient Mode" on BandCamp https://jimthompson.bandcamp.co...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min
An unedited conversation with Amber & Paul about toilet habits, Titanic (1997), weird videos on TikTok & YouTube and plenty more. Advanced level listening practice with the POD-PALs. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sKt Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 01, 2023•2 hr 34 min
James Harris is a writer, comedian, English teacher and language learner (French, German, Chinese) from England. In this funny chat, we talk about learning Chinese, being married to a Chinese woman and his semi-autobiographical book, "Midlands" which tells several funny and touching stories about two ex-pats living in Germany; Stuart, who is a stand-up comedian trying to understand the Germans, and Doug who gets involved in a love affair. James reads several passages from the book during the epi...
Jan 25, 2023•50 min
A conversation about two legends of contemporary popular culture - Bob Dylan and John Lennon, with pop-star academic Jon Stewart (guitarist in The Wedding Present and Sleeper). 👉 Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sJE 📖 Get Jon's book here https://a.co/d/fPBgTel (other bookshops are available) Jon Stewart is an interesting mix. He is both a university lecturer and a pop star. He runs a Masters Degree course in Music Business and Popular Music Practice at the BIMM Institute in London and he also...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Santiago has a top job in the English teaching industry. He is the managing director of English teaching at Oxford University Press. But English is not his first language. He learned it as an adult when he moved to London in his twenties. This conversation explores how he progressed in his English learning and in his career, while dealing with daily challenges and failures in English. The conclusions are that motivation and positivity are vital, you have to keep going through the difficult times...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 11 min
A rambling episode about making a fresh start in the new year, and some things I just have to tell you about listening to Luke's English Podcast using a podcast app on your phone + lots of tangents. I hope you enjoy it! Episode page on my website (with transcriptions, notes, video version etc) https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sIV Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Jan 05, 2023•2 hr 36 min
The third (and final) adventure in this series of mini-mysteries on LEP. Can I improve my detective skills to work out the disappearance of a priceless painting and a series of gruesome murders? Story by Peter Carlson and available on textadventures.co.uk 👉 Episode page with links https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sJd 👉 Play Victorian Detective Interlude by Peter123 yourself here https://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/abwfcm2vke6b6nbmqh2v1w/victorian-detective-interlude Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ an...
Dec 31, 2022•47 min
The second in a trilogy of text adventure stories by Peter Carlson. In this one we are chasing a ghostly serial killer with a few tricks up his sleeve. Do I have the detective skills to solve the mystery and avoid certain death? 👉 Episode page on teacherluke.co.uk https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sJ7 👉 Play "Victorian Detective Interlude" on textadventures.co.uk https://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/abwfcm2vke6b6nbmqh2v1w/victorian-detective-interlude Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add...
Dec 30, 2022•21 min
Let's do another text adventure mystery story by Peter Carlson. Listen to me read the story and make choices to solve the mystery. You can read the story with me (link below) or do the game yourself later. This is the first in a series of 3 stories from Peter's "Victorian Detective Interlude" game on textadventures.co.uk Episode page (including a message from Luke - "2022, A Year In Podcasting") https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sIa Play "Victorian Detective Interlude" on textadventures.co.uk https://textadv...
Dec 29, 2022•34 min
Stephen from the SEND7 Podcast asks Luke 20 quiz questions about international news stories from 2022. Do you know the answers? Can you beat Luke in the quiz? Listen for some serious moments, some funny moments and a re-cap of some key events from the year. Episode page on my website https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sCl Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Dec 23, 2022•2 hr 49 min
A quick ramble about why this is the final part of episode 800, why there was a delay between part 2 and part 3, some comments about having flu, and about World Cup 2022. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sH4 Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 21, 2022•16 min
Celebrating episode 800 by answering a massive list of questions from listeners. This episode covers things like how to improve your speaking when you live in a non-English speaking country, the headphones and microphone I use, my current favourite episode, the afterlife and spirit world, my favourite brands of tea, my favourite video games, being a father and the recent Star Wars series Andor and plenty plenty more. Video version available. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-sA7 Sign up to LEP P...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Celebrating episode 800 and responding to lots of questions sent in on social media. Expect questions about my ill-fated music career, grammar, favourite authors, my daughter, life as an English teaching podcaster and plenty more. Video version available. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-siR Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Luke reads an extraordinary email from a listener in an sos situation in a hospital. Contains some disturbing descriptions of fear, anxiety and horror, but there's a happy ending! 👉 Free ELSA app download link (download ELSA free & get 7 days pro membership free): https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/elsa 👉 ELSA Discounts page - ELSA PRO (85% off lifetime & 40% off one year ELSA memberships): https://elsaspeak.com/inf/LukesEnglishPodcast/ Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-shK Sign up to LEP Premium o...
Dec 05, 2022•35 min
A bonus mini-ramble about my plans for episode 800 (send me your questions) and why I haven't done any World Cup episodes yet, but you can listen to me talking about it with Zdenek on his podcast (link available). Website page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-stM Check out my conversation with Zdenek about World Cup 2022 https://youtu.be/PZOOa-PVXcw Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast....
Nov 28, 2022•5 min
In conversation with Mysterious Al, a contemporary artist / street artist from London now living in Melbourne, Australia. The conversation covers Al's background, how he makes his art, the difference between street art & graffiti, attitudes towards graffiti, how Al needs to use social media (but doesn't like it!) his recent ghost train exhibition, and more. Al's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mysteriousal/ Al's website https://www.mysterious.al Video version also available . Episode page wi...
Nov 23, 2022•2 hr 48 min
Stephen from SEND7 podcast becomes the host to interview me about how I started LEP, the ins and outs of doing this, plus some advantages and challenges for podcasting to learners of English. Video version available. Episode page with audio download, video and links https://wp.me/p4IuUx-smy Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 16, 2022•2 hr 38 min
Special Guest Mark Steel joins me to discuss cultural and linguistic differences between the UK and France, plus accents in the UK and a little tour of some places in the UK that you don't know about. Also includes a discussion of swearing and rude language in Britain. What is the R word which you should never say in a specific part of the UK? Listen on to find out. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-s8I Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone....
Nov 09, 2022•2 hr 46 min
Learn English with a short story. In fact, this episode contains two stories. Listen until the end for the 2nd one. Repeat after me to practise your pronunciation. Learn some vocabulary & grammar in the second half of the episode, with an explanation of modal verbs of deduction in the past and present. Episode page to read/download the transcript https://wp.me/p4IuUx-scI Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacher...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Reading out loud can have lots of benefits on our memory and our mental health. How can it help with your English? In this episode I read an article, help you understand it and give comments on the importance of reading, both quietly in your head, and out loud. 📖 Read the article on the BBC Future website https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200917-the-surprising-power-of-reading-aloud 📄 Read the transcript and download the PDF transcript from my website (free) https://wp.me/p4IuUx-s8w ✅ Sign ...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Last week a very special guest visited one of our comedy shows in Paris. I was given a ticket to the show, so I decided to record a podcast while riding through the streets on the way to the show, wondering if I might be able to interview this guest on LEP. Listen to find out what happened, and to hear some rambling and atmospheric sounds of Paris streets at night. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-s2m Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. ...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 20 min
My dad returns to talk more about UK politics, this time describing the disastrous economic policy of Liz Truss and her Chancellor (finance minister) Kwasi Kwarteng. Advanced level English listening practice - this is complicated stuff, but keep listening to develop your English skills and learn about what's going on in UK politics and current affairs. Episode page https://wp.me/p4IuUx-s7G Video version https://youtu.be/csrAYt0eNbc Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to...
Oct 16, 2022•46 min
Amber and Paul join me in my pod room again for a rambling discussion about everything! Includes a language point about adjective + preposition collocations. Notice the phrases and try to find examples of them in context. Video version available. Episode page with some vocabulary notes, links, video version https://wp.me/p4IuUx-rY3 Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...
Oct 09, 2022•2 hr 45 min
My mum returns to the podcast to answer some questions from listeners about books, cooking, her relationship with Luke and her granddaughter, the war in Ukraine, the song Imagine by John Lennon, family games, the time she fell off a horse & more... Episode page with notes, links and scripts https://wp.me/p4IuUx-rTm Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...
Sep 30, 2022•2 hr 38 min
[Part 2 of 2] James and Luke discuss some more "facts" about the UK, but can you guess if they are true or false? Learn some interesting trivia about life in Britain, and improve your vocabulary in the process. Episode page with video version, all facts written + intro & ending transcripts https://wp.me/p4IuUx-rTT Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min
[Part 1 of 2] Can you guess if these "facts" about the UK are true or false? James and Luke read out the facts and then discuss them one by one. Learn some odd things about the UK, pick up some vocabulary about laws and customs, and try not to laugh on the bus. Episode page with all facts written https://wp.me/p4IuUx-qI9 Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.com/s/teacherluke . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Sep 21, 2022•2 hr 35 min
Talking to my parents about events in the UK following the death of The Queen on 9 September, including the media coverage, the proclamation of King Charles III, comments about Charles as King and a discussion of the role of the monarch in the UK’s constitution. Also includes some comments about the new Prime Minister Liz Truss and the future of the UK government over the next 18 months. Episode page (download the audio and check the full episode archive) https://wp.me/p4IuUx-rOu Sign up to LEP ...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 26 min
