🇬🇧 I'm Michael Lavers and this podcast will help you improve your English. I'm an online English teacher for students learning as a second language. In this podcast, I answer your questions about learning and help you achieve your goals in British English. Once a month I talk to a teacher or expert on topics related to language.
In Episode 300 of the podcast, Akari from the Nihongo For You podcast joins me today for a chat about teaching languages, moving abroad, and learning English. In the second half of the episode, we talk about life experiences where I ask Akari questions using the present perfect tense about things she has done before. It's a great opportunity to practice the grammar and see it used in the context of a regular conversation. Perhaps you could also answer along at home and practice for yourself? If ...
In my last episode, I spoke about my cycling trip to Taiwan. While there, I had a lot of time alone to think to myself with no distractions. In this episode today, I'm going to share some of the things I was thinking about. One of these was the idea of Hedonic Adaptation (also known as the Hedonic Treadmill). This is something that we all face as humans and might just be the key to understanding how to be happy and content. It's a really useful topic when it comes to being happy with what you ha...
I took 2 weeks off in October to ride a bicycle around the whole of Taiwan. It was over 1000km and took about 2 weeks to complete. Along the way, I had both good and bad experiences and there's a lot I'd love to share! I also filmed a lot of videos of my cycle, so if you'd like to see, you can watch this episode on YouTube - The Level Up English Podcast . This is perhaps the longest solo episode I've ever recorded, but throughout the episode, I talk about the good and the bad, what I did day by ...
The Comparison Trap is when we get stuck comparing our lives to other people and feeling worse as a result. It's a common problem in language learning, and this is something that I often experience too since I was inspired to make this episode after a moment of comparison made me feel worse. We often compare ourselves to others in many ways, such as income, appearance, skills, and on social media. In this episode, I cover all of these topics while sharing some useful comparative grammar structur...
Curiosity is an important thing to practice to be better English language learners and enjoy your life more. When we start learning a language, we’re naturally very open and curious to learning new things. It can be an amazing feeling when you’re really into something and you’re looking up every little detail. However, along the way, we naturally get more complacent and we begin to take things for granted. This curiosity fades into daily habits and routines. Curiosity makes language learning so ...
Megan is a teacher from Manchester, UK who has been teaching for 10 years and recently made the move to online classes. Megan specialises in Business English for professionals and improving spoken fluency, so in this episode, we talk all about jobs. We start out discussing dream jobs and finding the right job for you. I then quiz Megan on some really useful English business expressions that you can use both in and out of the workplace. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast295 L...
Let's look at 3 ways we can use 'used to' in English. We'll look at the different grammar and way we structure these terms while answering fun and interesting questions on these topics. I encourage you to answer these questions either in your personal studies or by leaving a comment in the shownotes below. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast294 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here to claim your 60%! Be fast! Spaces are limited. Sign Up for Free Lesson...
This is a really fun episode all about the recent progress of AI (Artificial Intelligence) - specifically in the area of audio and music. I share a few songs that were made by AI about this podcast that I think will blow your mind. I had a lot of fun with it. I also share my thoughts on the future changes that AI will bring to the world, some jobs that will be lost and others that will be safe from AI and automation, and much more. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast293 Level...
I'm exploring a topic I truly love today and looking at the most unusual and strange places on our planet. I'll be talking about the highest cities, hottest places, coldest places, and much more in today's episode. This is a great opportunity to practice your knowledge of superlatives (using EST to talk about the most of something). Check the shownotes page below for more information on the words, and join as a member to access bonus learning materials to help you remember the language in today'...
In today's episode, we're exploring the topics of optimism, pessimism, and realism. These are different attitudes towards life and the future and can have a massive impact on your happiness and mental health. I go over the definitions and words, discuss some possible benefits of being pessimistic, and give many tips on how and why you can be more optimistic in life. A really fun episode filled with English vocabulary, and hopefully quite motivational too. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish...
Level Up English host Michael Lavers and Paola from Talaera Talks discuss career progression and business English expressions. They explore four idioms: "learn the ropes," "throw in the towel," "think outside the box," and "back to the drawing board," sharing personal examples. The conversation also covers practical advice for non-native speakers seeking jobs in English-speaking environments, including cultural intelligence and networking, and tips for managing work-life balance.
One of the listeners suggested I talk about the topic of work-life balance. This is something I've been working on in my own life for many years, and I feel like I might have something useful to share on this topic. So in this episode, I talk about a few tips that you can implement to have a better sense of work-life balance and enjoy your life more, regardless of how many hours you have to work each day. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast289 Level 3 is coming to Level Up En...
I recently went back to my home country - the UK - for the first time in a quite a while and was fascinated by how the UK appeared to me after being away for a while. There was a lot that I found strange, unusual, and interesting that I wasn't really aware of while I was still living in England. In this episode, I discuss some of my feelings and culture shock experiences, and perhaps some of you can relate to these experiences when you visit the UK for the first time. Show notes page - https://l...
I just came back from a trip in Europe and I thought I'd get on the microphone today and review some of the good and bad experiences I had there. I made the adventurous decision to travel from London all the way to Istanbul by train (listen to the episode to see why I didn't make it all the way!) In this episode, I talk about my experience sleeping on trains, my time in each country, and why I suddenly changed my travel plans. There are also some useful expressions and vocabulary to help improve...
Fran from Step Up Japanese and I discuss a few different topics in today's episode, including: The Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage (walking around the Japanese island of Shikoku) The Tadoku reading method for languages An embarrassing language mistake on TV And more! If you're a fan of hearing casual British English conversations, and also finding out something new about language learning, then this should be a good episode for you. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast286 Level 3 is com...
This is the fifth episode in the AMA series (Ask Me Anything) where the listeners of the podcast ask me questions about English learning, British culture, or maybe something totally unrelated. They're also fun, relaxed, and more casual than regular episodes. Hopefully, you'll learn something new in this one while enjoying the topics. If you want to submit questions for future episodes, the best place is on my Instagram page: @englishwithmichael Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/pod...
We've done a few episodes on phrasal verbs now, including the verbs Turn and Set, and this is a continuation of that series, except today we're looking at a preposition: Out. I'll be covering 8 different phrasal verbs that are commonly used while sharing my own stories about them from my own life, and I'll encourage you do to the same. #13 What are phrasal verbs? #261 Phrasal Verbs with 'Turn' #272 Phrasal Verbs with 'Set' Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast284 Level 3 is com...
I've always been interested in body language, and today I'd like to share that interest with you all. I'm going to be reviewing and reacting to some amazing body language facts from some articles while sharing my opinions, experiences, and a lot of new vocabulary and expressions. I hope you learn something new today - whether it's about how you can position your body to change how people see you, or simply just some new English words. Source 1: factretriever.com Source 2: forbes.com Show notes p...
Stephen from the SEND7 podcast joins me today for a talk about the news. We cover a wide range of topics, such as learning English with the news, avoiding bias and fake news, how to deal with news anxiety, and some positive stories you may have missed. Stephen also shares reasons why he's feeling optimistic for the future despite all the terrible things we see in the news today. Stick around until the end to find out why. I really hope you enjoy our discussion. Don't forget to check out Stephen'...
I'm so excited for this topic, because today we're looking at Cognitive Biases. This is how our brains can trick us into certain beliefs and behaviours. Learn about things like the Sunk Cost Fallacy, Loss Aversion, Confirmation Bias, and more! We'll be talking about examples of how these things can affect our views and beliefs, as well as how you can use these to become better English learners. Share your views and comments on the show notes page below! If I get good feedback, I'd love to make a...
I first covered this topic back in Episode 215 , but it's such a huge one, I think it's time for a Part 2. Today, I'm sharing 6 idioms related to animals that we use in daily conversations in British English. While I share each one, I give you some examples from my own life to connect them with and make them more memorable and invite you to do the same. How many did you know? Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast280 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here ...
Each generation has its own name in English, as well as distinct characteristics, differences, good points and bad points. In this episode, I review each one and share a little bit about them while hopefully sharing some new and useful vocabulary as well. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast279 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here to claim your 60%! Be fast! Spaces are limited. Sign Up for Free Lessons - https://www.levelupenglish.school/#freelessons J...
This is a fun episode where I cover the topic of dreaming in English. I start by sharing some strange and unbelievable facts about dreams, and then share some of my own wacky dreams and nightmares. I also go through a couple common dreams that many of us have had and the possible meanings behind each one, while doing so, I make sure to share a new word so hopefully, you'll be able to end this episode having learnt something new. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast278 Level 3 ...
Natasha Broodie ( lifewiththebige.com ) first joined us on Episode 135 . Today, Natasha is back to discuss her new book: "Swaggart: The Art of Professional Schmoozing at Job Interviews". We cover many topics around job interviews, including how to answer hard questions, discrimination and racism, and the biggest mistakes that interviewees make. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast277 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here to claim your 60%! Be fast! Spac...
The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that 20% of actions cause 80% of the outcomes. There are so many ways in which this shows up in life, so I'm going to be discussing it and talking about some ways we can think about this rule to improve our language progress, make our lives more efficient, and increase our level of happiness. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast276 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here to claim your 60%! Be fa...
This is a very special episode because we're doing something a little bit different. Today I'm bringing you to the centre of Bangkok for an outdoor episode. ▶️ Click here to watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/vNBOT3nBxBg I talk about relocating and moving away from your home while walking around one of the central parks in Bangkok, Thailand. I discuss the difficulties, my personal experiences, and I share lots of useful and relevant English phrases that you can use connected to thi...
Are you too old to learn English? Maybe you should have started when you were a child, or still in school? Well, in this episode I'm responding to this common concern or excuse by giving my opinion on learning a language at an older age, the benefits of learning as a child, and whether you should still make the same effort now. Don't forget to share your own views and experiences in the comments on the shownotes page below. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast274 Level 3 is co...
Lisa is an English teacher and Neurolanguage Coach from the UK but now living on the Spain-Portugal border. She joined me today for a talk all about languages and teaching. We covered the topic of curiosity and its importance, the best way to improve in a language, how to become a teacher if the language isn't your native one, and more! Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast273 Your English Self Website - https://yourenglishself.com/ -------- Level 3 is coming to Level Up Englis...
I'm back with another episode in the series on phrasal verbs. Today, we're looking at around 9 phrasal verbs that include the verb 'set'. It's a really common one to use and the meanings can get confusing, so I'm going to go through each one and explain the meaning, but also follow up with a story related to my life to give some context to help explain the phrasal verb. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast272 Level 3 is coming to Level Up English this August! Click here to cla...
In this episode, I talk all about transportation. I know - it sounds a bit boring! But there's a lot to talk about. We'll be discussing my terrifying flight experience where it felt like we almost crashed, how to talk about different types of transport and commuting, and then we end with some super useful expressions that are related to transport. My goal is you'll end this episode with something new that you didn't know before. Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast271 Level 3 ...
