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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium ep...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 51 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 57 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 luketeacher@hotmail.com (1. How has LEP helped your English? 2. Do yo...
Dec 24, 2024•2 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast (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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•2 hr 56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free sample of LEP Premium. The episode contains clips from my recent premium series: P64, in which I told a couple of anecdotes about catching a cold and travelling to England with my two young children. You will also hear me teaching a lot of the words, phrases and expressions that I used in my stories. The entire premium series will be available for premium subscribers this week, but here is a free sample for subscribers of the free version of my podcast. Links below for more inform...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode for Halloween I read out a classic work of gothic horror fiction by Edgar Allan Poe, then go through each line and explain vocabulary and discuss the themes and meanings of the story. 📄 Get the story PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/906.-The-Tell-Tale-Heart-by-Edgar-Allan-Poe-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story.pdf 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/10/29/906-the-tell-tale-heart-by-edgar-allan-poe-learn-english-with-a-short-story/ Sign up to LEP ...
Oct 29, 2024•2 hr 55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You can learn from it, but the frog dies in the process. Let me tell you 49 jokes (of varying quality). How many do you understand? I will explain all the jokes. How much vocabulary can you learn in the process? Episode page with vocabulary list etc 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/10/22/905-49-random-jokes-explained-dissecting-the-frog/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acast.c...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is the first part of a series in which I share various little things which I have collected over the years for this podcast, including questions about English, some interesting talking points and some general motivation and inspiration for your English learning journey. 👉 Episode page 📃 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/10/15/904-bits-amp-bobs-questions-of-english-part-1 👉 Get the PDF 📄 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/904.-Bits-Bobs-_-Questions-of-English-Part-1.pdf Si...
Oct 15, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast By popular demand I have chosen to publish this episode! In 2002 I ended up stuck in a Japanese hospital feeling very ill and confused. I ended up staying there for about two weeks. During my stay I wrote a diary nearly every day. In this episode I read from my diaries, share my personal experience with you and explain a few bits of vocabulary. Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/10/08/903-reading-from-my-japanese-hospital-diaries-sept-2002/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add th...
Oct 08, 2024•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast A conversation with my dad about his new book, which is about the history and wildlife of a famous Roman road which passes right through the heart of England. Expect stories from various periods of English history, plus descriptions of typical English bird life. English history and culture on Luke's English Podcast. 📕 Get the book here 👉 https://a.co/d/6qpPBIA Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/10/01/902-a-year-on-the-fosse-by-rick-thompson-english-history-amp-wildlife-dads-new-boo...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Learn English with another classic Sherlock Holmes mystery story by Arthur Conan Doyle. In this episode my aim is to help you to understand and enjoy a Sherlock Holmes story. I'll read the original text of this classic locked-room mystery to you, and will explain and summarise what is happening regularly. Just relax, listen carefully and try to enjoy this classic story. PDF available. Download the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/901.-Sherlock-Holmes_-The-Adventu...
Sep 24, 2024•2 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a catchy title! Episode 900 is here, and what better way to celebrate than by inviting my pals Amber & Paul back onto the podcast? Amber & Paul have been regular guests on this podcast for 10 years. We usually have light-hearted and tangential conversations and these episodes are often very popular with long-term listeners. This time we talk about Episode 900 celebrations 🎉 the title of this episode 🔁 Paris Olympics 2024 🏟️ encounters with dead animals in Paris 😢 Paul's Olympic marathon...
Sep 18, 2024•2 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rambling about being back after the summer break, with regular moments of grammar analysis. Includes a lot of tangents, funny moments and analysis of English tenses and complex sentence structures. PDF with transcript and notes available. 👉 Get the PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/899.-Back-to-the-Mic_-September-2024-Ramble-Grammar-Tangents.pdf 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/09/09/889-back-on-the-mic-september-2024-ramble-amp-grammar-tangents/ 👉 LEP Prem...
Sep 09, 2024•3 hr 52 min•Transcript available on Metacast In April I did a Zoom workshop about how to learn vocabulary. This is the audio version of the workshop, which I recorded more recently. Learn how to notice, understand, record, remember and use new words. Don’t just stare at word lists with translations. Instead, try to find some more effective ways to expand your vocabulary. 👉 Episode page with presentation slides https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/09/02/898-how-to-learn-vocabulary-and-not-just-stare-at-word-lists-workshop/ Sign up to LEP Premium...
Sep 02, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Dysfluent" is a piece of interactive fiction, all about communication. The story shows what it is like to live with dysfluency - a condition which makes it difficult to make smooth, fluent speech. How does a speech impediment create challenges in someone's life? Listen to the story, follow my choices and learn new vocabulary along the way. 👉 Episode page with game link https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/26/02/897-dysfluent-learn-english-with-an-interactive-story/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ a...
Aug 26, 2024•2 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
