Martin Aaron is an old friend of mine from the days when I taught English in London. In this episode we chat about being an English teacher, travelling to different countries, the status of English in other places, how native English speakers (don't) learn languages, stories of learning French in school, and Martin's memories of boarding school. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/08/19/896-a-rambling-chat-with-martin-aaron/ 👉 Podcast links for Martin's podcast https://pod.link/17423...
Aug 19, 2024•2 hr 56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Talking to author Anna Brooke about her book Monster Stink, the sequel to Monster Bogey (Chicken House publishing). Anna is a travel writer and author of books for children. She is a great storyteller, and in this episode she talks about her fun new book for kids, which involves dangerous gas. This leads to a new topic for the podcast; farting! We teach you the most important vocabulary for this tricky subject, and then Anna tells some chilling stories about real supernatural encounters she has ...
Aug 12, 2024•2 hr 51 min•Transcript available on Metacast A rambling episode recorded on-stage in front of a live audience in Paris in July 2024. Join my audience and me, as I share scenes from the screenplay for my new Hollywood blockbuster action movie about an English teacher called "Last Lesson", and the sequel "Last Lesson 2: Fast & Fluent". 👉 Episode page with screenplay script https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/08/05/894-lep-live-in-paris-live-podcast-recording-summer-2024/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast ...
Aug 05, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Talking about the story of Lord Lucan, the British aristocrat who disappeared in 1974 after the murder of his nanny and attempted murder of his wife. Lord Lucan is an infamous name in Britain, and the story of his disappearance is a compelling glimpse into a life of privilege, high-stakes gambling, and unresolved mystery. I am joined by Alastair Budge, who covered this story for one of his podcast episodes, and we discuss it in detail. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/07/30/893-the...
Jul 30, 2024•2 hr 41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join me on another rambling episode as I encourage ninjas to come out of the shadows 🥷, touch on some present perfect continuous verb forms 🔁, give some podcast updates, give a report about the stand-up comedy show 😂 & live podcast recording 🎤, teach some polite and diplomatic language with a dramatic bank robbery scenario 🔫, give a summary of the UK's general election results 🗳️ & more... 📄 Download the PDF transcript/notes https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/892.-Youre-...
Jul 24, 2024•2 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Talking to bilingual journalist Charles Pellegrin (France 24) about how the conventions of broadcast journalism influence the way the English is used in news reports, how Charles started as a journalist, the challenge of making TV news reports, our time at university, the Olympics in Paris, and Charles' experiences of living and working in China. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/07/16/891-the-bilingual-journalist-with-charles-pellegrin/ 🎤 Luke & Charles' stand-up comedy show in Pa...
Jul 16, 2024•2 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Learn English with a short story. Listen & repeat after me if you'd like to practise your pronunciation. Learn some vocabulary in the second half of the video 👍 📄 Read the story here https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/07/09/890-the-simulation-learn-english-with-a-short-story/ 🎤 Reserve seats (free) for Luke's stand-up comedy on 19 July 2024 👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/french-fried-comedy-night-tickets-603182383747 Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app ...
Jul 09, 2024•2 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Natasha V. Broodie returns to the podcast to talk about her new book, which is full of advice for success in job interviews. Natasha has a lot of job interview experience, and she has learned the importance of self-belief and preparation. In this conversation she talks about some experiences that led her to write the book, and gives advice on what you should do before, during and after job interviews. 📖 Click here to get Natasha's book "Swaggart" on Amazon 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM5WCVP...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast My dad returns to talk about the current political situation in the UK. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a general election to take place on 4 July. Why did Sunak call an election at this moment? What do people think of the Consvervative Party, who have been in power for 14 years? Will we have a new government and a new Prime Minister in the UK in a couple of weeks? Also, what about England's performances in the Euro 2024 football championship? Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join me as I take a walk along the embankment of the river Seine from Louvre to Pont Marie in the centre of Paris. This time the topic is health and diet. Watch out for the phrasal verbs I use during my ramble! Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/06/17/887-walk-talk-health-diet-phrasal-verbs/ Come and see me performing stand-up comedy in Paris on 19 July - details here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/comedy The next series of LEP Premium will deal with the phrasal verbs (+ other vocabula...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I am joined by Rob from The Business English Podcast, and we are talking about networking in English. 🗣️ Networking is when you speak to other people, probably in a professional context, in order to build relationships, expand your social circle and make work contacts that can lead to business opportunities in the future. Networking is all about socialising, speaking spontaneously, active listening and being aware of cultural factors which can affect everything. Listen to the ep...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hang out with me while the rain pours down outside 🌧️ and in this episode I'll talk about the problem of "faffing around" 😵💫 , podcast news & updates 📲, some stand-up comedy dates 🎤, comments on recent episodes 💬, some common questions from listeners 🙋, a lot of rambling about how I learned to play music 🎵, a tour of all the guitars in my podcast room 🎸 and a song at the end 🎶, with lyrics explained 👨🏫. 📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/88...
Jun 03, 2024•3 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast A conversation with my brother about one of the most successful British bands of all time - Madness. We talk about the story of the band, our early memories of their music, the songs, the members, their lyrics, their popularity and why we've always been big fans! Episode page with links, music videos and more 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/05/27/884-british-music-madness-with-james/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://plus.acas...
May 27, 2024•2 hr 51 min•Transcript available on Metacast A spontaneous monologue about being taken by surprise by public holidays in May (in France), a podcast recommendation, and seeing a hard-rocking and hilarious band perform live in a big arena last week. Includes a song at the end as a tribute. Episode page with links etc 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/05/21/883-a-last-minute-rambling-episode/ 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. Se...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here's a list of jokes about different countries which I found on the website Bored Panda. I'll tell you the jokes and then explain them all (dissecting the frog), including any homophones, double meanings or specific cultural references. Can you "get" the jokes? Do you find any of them funny, or are they all just terrible dad jokes? And, what vocabulary can you learn in the process? Includes a vocabulary review at the end of the episode. Episode page with notes, jokes and vocabulary list 👉 htt...
May 14, 2024•2 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Barbara Serra is an award-winning Italian journalist who has spent much of her career reading the news in the UK on various high-profile well-established English language news networks including the BBC, Channel 5, Al Jazeera English and Sky News. Barbara has quite a specific relationship with English. It’s her dominant language but not her native language. She has a certain accent, which does place her outside the UK somehow. So how has this affected her career as a news reader and reporter? Wh...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast I read an article about Paris' preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games, discuss the issues, summarise the article and explain plenty of vocabulary. Is Paris ready for the games? What are the attitudes, complaints, expectations and fears ahead of this potentially controversial event. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/04/29/880-is-paris-ready-for-the-olympic-games-2024-article-vocabulary/ 👉 Article https://theweek.com/sports/olympics-2024-is-paris-ready-to-party Sign up to LEP Premiu...
Apr 29, 2024•2 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Top tips for spontaneous speaking 🏆 with communication expert Matt Abrahams, a professor at the Stamford Graduate School of Business, California. Matt is a leading expert in his field and his new book "Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot" gives you clear, academically-researched advice on how to deal with anxiety, focus on making connections, improve your mindset, learn to listen, and find really useful structures to help you become a more spontaneo...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast These days Elena Mutonono is an experienced business coach who helps online English teachers to gain independence and control over their own careers, but Elena's journey started as a learner of English herself. In this conversation I ask Elena about how she learned English, making the step to becoming an English teacher, then teacher trainer and what challenges online English teachers face when trying to work in a crowded and demanding job market. 👉 Elena's website https://www.elenamutonono.com...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This conversation is a preview of my Zoom workshop on Thurs 18 April 2024 at 10AM (UK time), as part of the Advanced English Summit. In my workshop I will be talking about how to really learn vocabulary, and not just stare at word lists. This is a conversation about the subject of the workshop, and summit organiser Clare Whitmell asks me questions about why vocabulary is important, why I love teaching it, common mistakes made by learners, ways of learning vocabulary more effectively, and some to...
Apr 11, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to me rambling about Daylight Saving Time, weird AI generated images for Luke's English Podcast, and lots of comments and responses to recent episodes including the Birthday Party story 🎂 , the MBTI Personality Test 🙇 and the Walk & Talk in Paris 📹🚶. 🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/04/08/876-thoughts-comments-on-recent-episodes-a-spring-equinox-ramble-2024/ 📄 Get the PDF (no email needed) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/876.-Thoughts-comments...
Apr 08, 2024•2 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Learn English with another short story. I'll read the entire story to you, and then go through the text again explaining and clarifying the main events and plenty of vocabulary. This is a wonderful adventure story written by HG Wells, a very influential and imaginative English writer from the late 19th century. The story is full of vivid descriptive language, action, adventure and extraordinary moments. I hope it captures your imagination and lets the English come alive in memorable ways. The st...
Apr 01, 2024•3 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here is an episode in which I walk through the streets of Paris, rambling about a particular subject. This time the subject is Paris itself. This summer Paris is hosting the Olympic Games. The city will be filled with visitors. I am very curious to see how the city will handle this moment. Will it be a huge success? What will visitors think of the city? Will anyone suffer from the mysterious "Paris Syndrome"? Join me on my walk, follow my words, look out for vocab and consider using my questions...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The MBTI Personality Test (aka "16 Personalities") is a very well-known and widely used test which claims to be able to give you a "freakishly accurate" analysis of your personality type. In this episode I take the test, explain the reasons for my answers, explain some vocabulary and give my thoughts on the test results and the test itself. Includes plenty of expressions for describing personality traits, behaviour, ways of thinking and feeling and the subject of psychological testing. 👉 Episod...
Mar 18, 2024•2 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Learn English with another short story. This time it's a 300-word story by Katherine Brush often used in literature classes, full of vivid imagery and with an emotional twist. I read the story to you, and then go through each line, explaining vocabulary and grammar. 👉 Episode page with story text and vocabulary notes https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/03/11/872-the-birthday-party-learn-english-with-a-short-story/ Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your...
Mar 11, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast A very long rambling episode with a big mix of vocabulary, stories about my trip to Rome, comments from listeners, lots of thoughts about episodes I've published over the last 12 months, more advice about learning English, and a story about being Jackie Chan's English teacher. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/03/04/871-rambling-through-my-episode-archive-listener-comments-gold-youtube-creator-award/ 👉 Download the PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/871.-Rambl...
Mar 04, 2024•3 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Returning guest Kate Billington suddenly decided to move to the other side of the world, to Taipei in beautiful Taiwan. In this episode we talk about meeting LEPsters in Taipei, her decision to move there, and how everything is going, with the usual conversational tangents along the way. 👉 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/02/26/870-kate-billington-moved-to-taiwan Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+ and add the premium episodes to a podcast app on your phone. https://...
Feb 26, 2024•2 hr 48 min•Transcript available on Metacast In international diplomacy, "communication is everything". This is the main point of this conversation, in which I talk to my friend who works for the UK delegation at UNESCO in Paris. We discuss the work that UNESCO does, and the various communication challenges involved in working together with representatives from countries all around the world, including the collaborative writing of official documents where the use of a single comma can be debated for hours, and the meetings and conversation...
Feb 19, 2024•2 hr 59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Talking to Lindsay from All Ears English about social, economic and political changes happening in the USA (and the UK) at the moment. Includes some rambling and a song at the end of the episode. 👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/02/12/868-how-the-usa-is-changing-with-lindsay-mcmahon-from-all-ears-english/ 👉 Listen to Luke on All Ears English talking about American & British English https://pod.link/751574016/episode/d4b5eabd02763c0770be33d021098248 Sign up to LEP Premium on Acast+...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is all about the different modes of communication that we use beyond the 4 linguistic skills of reading, writing, listening speaking. My guest is Nik Peachey who has helped to write a new paper published by OUP called "Multimodality in ELT: Communication Skills for Today’s Generation". Listen to Nik and me chatting about the importance of multimodal literacy in our social interactions and in the ways we consume and produce media online. 🔗 Episode page with intro notes 👉 https://te...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
