The Level Up English Podcast (Natural British English)
The Level Up English Podcast is hosted by Michael Lavers, an online English teacher. It helps learners improve their English through discussions on various fun topics, vocabulary, grammar, and language motivation. The podcast features weekly episodes and monthly guest interviews with teachers and experts. It focuses on natural British English.
Episodes
#390 The Problem With "Perfect" English | Paul Palmer
Paul is a teacher from the UK who has recently been teaching Saturday group classes on the Level Up English website. Although we've got to know each other over the years, this is the first time talking together on the podcast.Paul shares his experience gaining confidence for TV appearances, the ups and downs of teaching group classes, interesting experiences teaching private classes, and more!What
#389 How to Explore the REAL UK
This is one of the rare Level Up English Podcast episodes that is better suited for video watching, so if you like, check it out on YouTube or Spotify to see where I am. Hopefully, the listening experience is still good despite the wind in the middle.I take you on a journey to the 2nd most remote place in all of England. This is Dartmoor National park, where I'm on a hike to a place called Fur Tor
#388 Formal vs Casual English: Which Should You Learn?
English is pretty famous for having loads of confusing synonyms - these are different words that have the same meaning. What learners often struggle with is knowing when to use these words, because although they have the same meaning, they are used in different ways and at different times.In this episode, I'll be sharing some pairs of words that have the same meanings, but one is formal and one is
#387 The 6 English Verbs That Change Meaning
Let's explore why Gerunds and Infinitives are so important. The basics are a gerund is an ING verb that acts as a noun (eg. swimming), while an Infinitive is a verb beginning with 'to' (eg. to swim). Sometimes we can say both: I like to swim / I like swimming. But sometimes (in fact, more often) only one is possible.What many learners don't know, is that sometimes you can use both, but the meaning
#386 How Much Do You Know About British Culture?
I bring Molly to a beautiful field in the English countryside on the border between Devon and Cornwall, and I quiz her on British culture. I ask a variety of questions on topics of behaviour, attitudes, cultural norms, and language. Play along while you listen and see how many you can get right too.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast386/🇬🇧 NEW! Book a lesson with me: https://le
#385 The #1 English Mistake in Each Country
Over the years I've taught students from most corners of the world, and over that time, I've noticed that students from each country tend to make the same mistakes. This could be due to the education system, or perhaps also the differences between English and their native language.In this episode, I got a few of the largest countries and shared the number 1 mistake I hear from students in each cou
#384 The Best Way to Learn a Language
I'm sure you've asked yourself the question before - "What's the best way to learn a language?"In this episode, I'll be trying to answer exactly that, as I rank various methods in a Tier List to find the most effective and least effective. Make sure you stay until the end because my summary and conclusion might be the most useful advice of the whole episode.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish
#383 Talk About Making Decisions in English
We make decisions every single day - some of them little ones, and some of them huge life-changing decisions.I'll be sharing some really useful expressions you can use when deciding between two things, while giving my own stories and examples for each one as well. This way, you can see how the expressions is used naturally, and I'll also encourage you to share or think about your own answers to ea
#382 Ranking Cities in the UK (Tier list)
Which city in the UK is the best and which is the worst? In this episode, you will find out the answer and a little bit more on why. I will be ranking some of the biggest and most popular UK cities all around the country, from best to worst, and I'll be talking about my own experience in each one as well. So whether you are planning a future trip to the UK, or maybe you just want to hear more abou
#381 Are You Upsetting People with Your English? | Megan Nicholls
Meg (Mega Language Coach) joins me for a second episode and this time we talk about inclusive language.Inclusive language is a way of speaking that includes other people and doesn't leave people out based on their ability, gender, personality, or anything else. It's a small shift you can make in your language to sound nicer.We talk about whether you can say "guys" when talking to girls, the differ
#380 Can I Cross South Korea by Bicycle?
In a more adventurous episode, I challenge myself to cycle alone from Seoul, South Korea all the way to the coastal city of Busan, and eventually end up in Fukuoka, Japan. Can I do it? Can I make it to the end without destroying my body? Join me to find out.In this episode, I'll be sharing my experience of the cycle trip, including planning, advice for those who want to take on similar challenges,
#379 Stop Confusing “Used To” and “Would”
Being able to talk about the past naturally in English is really important to sounding natural, and in this episode, we explore the use of "Used to" and "Would", which can both be used to talk about past habits that are no longer true.There is a small difference between them, and understanding this can make your English sound much more natural.I explain the difference, and give several examples fr
#378 Unpopular Opinions That Might Get Me Cancelled
I go through a varied list of different opinions that I think the vast majority of people will disagree with - perhaps even think I'm insane for having them! For each opinion, I share some words and expressions, and I'd love to hear your thoughts too. Are there any that you actually agree with me on?Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast378🇬🇧 NEW! Book a lesson with me: https
#377 Things We WISH We Knew Earlier - Andrew from Culips
Andrew from Culips English Podcast and Michael talk about things with wish we knew earlier in life and share some big regrets.A relaxed, honest conversation with personal stories and some moments of self-reflection that includes topics of finances, life choices, skills, language learning and health/exercise.It's also a great opportunity to practice some grammar structures such as "I wish I had", s
#376 Learn English with Me: A Typical Day in Bangkok, Thailand 🇹🇭
I often get requests to show more of my life in Thailand, so in this episode, I'll take you through a somewhat typical weekend day for me in Bangkok, while sharing lots of useful new vocabulary along the way.If you have any suggestions for future outside episodes, let me know!Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast376🇬🇧 NEW! Book a lesson with me: https://lessons.levelupenglis
#375 Are Native Speakers Lying to You?
In Episode 370, we covered a lot of common mistakes that native speakers make in their English, and today is the much requested part 2. We'll be looking at a few areas or regional dialects, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, that seem to be mistakes in native speaker speech. Some of these are known mistakes and done out of laziness, some of these might be considered a natural part of how lang
#374 Slightly Negative Emotions in English
As humans, we all experiences negative emotions from time to time, but most of these feelings aren't too strong. Many of the daily emotions we feel include small levels of irritation or something that makes us a little unhappy for a short time.It's useful to be able to put a name to these emotions, so today, I'll be sharing a few slightly negative emotions and behaviours, what we can call them, an
#373 Living in Korea for 12 Years with Andrew from Culips
We chat with Andrew from the Culips English Podcast and get to know him a bit.We talk about moving from Canada and life in South Korea for 12 years, while comparing the good and bad of each country. We also explore topics of learning Korean, how to get the most out of a trip to South Korea, and more casual chat around various topics.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast373🇬🇧
#372 Things I Stopped Doing to Improve My Life
Book a Lesson with Me: https://lessons.levelupenglish.school/If you could remove one thing from your life to make it better, what would it be?You might be thinking of something big, but what if it just takes a few bad habits and mindsets to go for your life to start drastically improving?Today I’ll be talking about some habits and mindsets I’ve (mostly) stopped doing and the positive imp
#371 How to Use AI to Learn a Language
Book a Lesson with Me: https://lessons.levelupenglish.school/Do you use AI to make your life easier in any way? Perhaps you use it for work, or perhaps maybe you ask it for life advice. Well, whether you are an avid user, avid means regular daily user, or you don't know how to use AI and you've never used it or you don't know much about it. In this episode, we will be learning how you can use AI t
#370 Mistakes That Native Speakers Make
Book a Lesson with Me: https://lessons.levelupenglish.school/Have you ever heard a native English speaker make a mistake in their English? Of course no one is perfect and this includes native speakers. There really is no such thing as perfect language and the fact that native speakers will make mistakes can be quite confusing for someone perhaps like you who is trying to learn English, and it's ve
Bonus: Improve Your Speaking Confidence
If you’d like more personalised support with your English, I offer private lessons focused on real conversation, fluency, and targeted feedback.🇬🇧 You can book a lesson here: https://lessons.levelupenglish.school/If you can’t find a suitable time, feel free to email me: michael@levelupenglish.school🇬🇧 NEW! Book a lesson with me: https://lessons.levelupenglish.school/➡️ Join the Free Mini
#369 Do This to Stop Phone Addiction
Do you struggle with phone use? Maybe you'd like to cut back a little and enjoy your life more. In this episode, we cover lots of tips and advice for reducing phone use. Some practical ideas, and some mindset changes. I also explore the idea of using your phone to learn English and whether this is a good idea.You'll also be learning new phrases, expressions, and words related to this topic, so you
#368 The Secret to Telling Great Stories - Rayhan Abbasi
Rayhan from Learn English with Ray makes his 3rd appearance on the Level Up English podcast, and this time we talk about the power of stories.We cover the importance of story telling, tips on becoming a great story teller, and also give many examples from our own lives to try top practice what we're learning.I learnt so much from Ray this episode since telling a good story is far more than speakin
#367 I Have a Big Confession to Make
We'll be looking at the popular subreddit r/Confessions and for each story, I'll be sharing my own views on what this person should have done and giving them advice. While giving advice, I'll be using some useful structures that you can use in your English too. Of course, we also learn a lot of bonus vocabulary that comes up in each story as well.If you wait around to the end, you'll even hear a c
#366 How to Learn English with Podcasts
Many of you may be wondering how you can best make use of all these podcast episodes to improve your English.Today, I'll be covering that topic and sharing some ideas and techniques to improve your English quickly while listening to podcasts - whether it's this one or any others!At the end, I also share my own personal favourite podcasts that I listen to each week.Show notes page - https://le
#365 I Got A Hair Transplant...
I've been keeping a secret for a while... About 6 months ago, I got a hair transplant!In this episode, I talk openly about why I did this and the process that went into it. And I also talk more deeply and generally on the topic of self-esteem and self image and how the way we look affects our confidence in the world. It's a great topic to dive into, and along the way, I cover lots of useful vocabu
#364 Native Speaker vs Learner - English Challenge with Molly
In this episode, we're joined by Molly - an English learner and Chinese teacher. We go through a few different words and ideas to describe them, and you can play along and guess at home. We'll be comparing a native speaker and a learn to see who can do a better job of describing each one.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast364🇬🇧 NEW! Book a lesson with me: https://lessons.l
#363 The Hidden Differences in How We Think
I recently learnt that not everyone thinks the same way I do. In fact, there are some areas in which our brains differ greatly. For me, this is a fascinating topic. How do I know the green colour you see, is the same as the green colour I see?In this episode, I share a few different ways in which our brains are different, and what this might mean for us living our daily lives, and the implications
#362 This Made Me Cringe So Much…
The main focus of today's episode is the word 'cringe'.It's a useful word to describe a strong feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness, especially at someone else's behaviour, or memories of your own past behaviour. I'll be sharing a few cringey things from my life, some embarrassing stories, and some everyday things that I find a bit cringe.While chatting, I'll be sharing some useful phrases and
#361 Reddit’s Most Insane Unpopular Opinions
I react to a list of various unpopular opinions (taken from the popular subreddit) looking at some strong views, unusual takes, and some deeper, more philosophical opinions.With each one, I share my views and experiences that are relevant, and also a new English phrase that you can learn and take away from this episode.If you'd like the share your opinions in response, I'd love to hear them! You c
#360 What Actors Know About Learning Languages (That You Don't) - Ivan Doan
Ivan Doan is a multilingual actor, speaking 6+ languages, of Ukrainian Vietnamese descent working around the world.Ivan joins the Level Up English Podcast today to discuss acting, mistakes when acting, skills and tips to being a good actor and director, improving pronunciation and accent for language learning, favourite TV series and movies, and much more.To connect with Ivan online, click th
#359 What is the Best Way to Learn English?
The question I get asked most often these days is "How can I learn English?" and "What's the best way to learn?"It's clearly a topic that people want to hear about, so my goal today is to finally answer that big question once and for all.I'll be giving advice to people who know some English, but don't know how to make it a daily practice. And also advice for learners who have been studying for a w
#358 How to Make Your Trip a Disaster
I'm talking to you from the beaches of Okinawa, Japan, and bringing you an outside episode today. Click the link below if you'd like to watch the video version on YouTube.It's a bit of a chatty episode, but my main topic is Travel Hot Takes. A hot take is a controversial opinion that many people will disagree with, and today I list some of my biggest ones. I'm sure I'm going to anger a few people
#357 How to Reinvent Yourself in 2026
This is the episode I've been excited about for months! In the final episode of the year, I'll be going in detail about what you can do to set goals and become the best version of yourself in 2026. I'll start by going through my process this year of how you can best do this. It involves writing a review of the good and bad of the previous year, so you can appreciate your successes a
#356 I Tracked My Language Learning for 2 Years
This is a continuation of a annual series where I track my language learning progress and draw lessons from the data. The first time was Episode 248, and then again in Episode 306.If you're like me and you love to get nerdy about data and statistics, then you'll get a lot out of this episode. I break down all the categories of how I've spent my time studying over the last year and t
#355 What Would You Do? (Self Reflecting...)
In this episode, I go through a list of 2nd Conditional questions that encourage me to self reflect and think about how I could improve my life and habits in the new year. Using this grammar structure is really useful, and I encourage you to answer each question as well.This is a more casual, chatty episode, so if you actually want to learn about the grammar in more detail, Episode 65 might be mor
#354 I’m Devastated… (Ways to say 'sad' in English)
In this episode of the Level Up English Podcast, we dive into the world of sadness - an emotion we all experience, yet often struggle to express clearly in English. We'll be looking at a few different ways to say you're sad in English, and to keep things happy and optimistic, I also share some ideas on how to be happy in life.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast354➡️ J
#353 Improve Your English Listening & Pass IELTS
If you're planning on taking the IELTS exam, this episode is a must listen for you. In it, I cover an overview of the exam, and some tips on how to prepare and ace the listening section.I also want to make sure all learners can learn from this episode, so in the second half, I cover some general listening tips and things you can do to level up your listening skills, sharing techniques and mot
#352 What Can We Learn from Cats?
Whether you like cats or not, this is the purrfect episode to learn a lot of useful cat-related expressions that you can use to improve your spoken English.I share a list of different expressions, go over the meaning and popularity of each one, and of course give examples from my own life. If you'd like to join in the conversation, go to the comments on the shownotes page.At the end, I also s
#351 British vs American Phrasal Verbs with Jesús Flórez
Jesús returns for another episode, but this time we challenge each other with some phrasal verbs from America and Britain. We each have a secret list of 5 phrasal verbs, and our goal is to share one that the other doesn't know.While talking, we discover whether these phrasal verbs are used internationally, or only in one part of the world, and we also share examples from our own lives.Join us
#350 British English Expressions Chat with Lewis
In this cross-post episode, Lewis and Michael go through some fun conversation questions that involve a lot of British English idioms and slang.While hearing our funny stories, you'll improve your knowledge of spoken English and train your listening.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast350➡️ Join the Free Mini Course - https://www.levelupenglish.school/mini⭐️ Join Level Up E
#349 Cycling the Shimanami Kaido (Casual English Chat)
I just came back from a trip to Japan where I cycled the 80km Shimanami Kaido trail that connects two of the main islands by a group of small islands and bridges. It was a beautiful experience, and in this episode I share an overview of the trip.You'll hear some funny stories and mistakes, as well as some reflections on language learning and using it in the country while travelling.It's
#348 Sharing My Shower Thoughts
Shower thoughts are basically deep thoughts that tend to come to us when we're in the shower, or at other times in the day free from distractions. In this episode, I go through a few funny thoughts, and a few deep and philosophical ones I've gathered and find interesting to think about. Hopefully you'll enjoy hearing them too!Make sure to listen carefully to the vocabulary I mention
#347 The Reality of Running a Podcast for 16+ Years (Luke's English Podcast)
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a top English learning podcast? In this episode, I chat with Luke from Luke's English Podcast about the challenges and joys of content creation.We discuss: filming outdoors and dealing with self-consciousness, balancing YouTube's algorithm with quality educational content, audio vs video podcasting, audience capture and staying authentic, L
#346 Learn English with Proverbs
"The more you know, the more you realise you don't know"This is an example of a well-known proverb (that is so true for language learning too, by the way) and in this episode, we'll be looking at several proverbs, quotes, maxims, and aphorisms that contain some wisdom or rule for living a better life.We'll be learning a few key terms and also exploring the vocabulary withi
#345 How to Make Your English Sentences Longer
Sentences that are too short and simple is an issue that all language learners face. We can say what we want, but we don't sound natural because all of our sentences sound like children.In this episode, we're going to practise extending sentences and making more natural phrases using Relative Clauses. I spend just 5 minutes reviewing the grammar, and then delve into a casual chat where I
#344 How to Actually Set & Achieve Goals
It's great to have goals, but what's the point of having them if we never actually achieve them?Or maybe you do eventually get there, but wouldn't it be nice if we could get there faster and more efficiently?In this episode, I talk about SMART goals and give examples of how you can make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. I give examples from my ow
#343 When 'Terrific' Meant 'Terrifying'
This is an episode I'm excited for because we'll be looking at a group of words that have gone through a similar history; namely, they have all had quite a drastic change in their meanings over time.Many words we use today in English such as 'terrific' or 'fond' used to have almost completely opposite meanings! In this episode, I explore why these changes took place,
#342 Small Talk & Spirituality with Ray
Rayhan is back for his second appearance on the podcast since Episode 144, about 4 years ago, to talk about a range of topics from getting better at small talk, self-improvement, the origins of the universe, spirituality, and more! Ray teaches on Preply, and you can also find him on Instagram, as well as his course and membership site Elevate English.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school
#341 Are You Being Rude in English?
As you may know, politeness in English - especially in British English - is a very important thing. Learners often struggle to keep up with the confusing grammar and long sentences, so in this episode, I break down a few key phrases that you can start using today to make your questions and requests sound more polite.I go through each phrase one by one and explain how we use it, give an example ane
#340 Why Is Everyone Leaving the UK?
In this episode, I mix a serious topic with some fun where I talk about my reverse culture shock returning to the UK after one year while trying to answer the question why so many people are deciding to leave the UK and move elsewhere in the world.Despite being British, seeing my own country from the outside gave me some interesting realisations, so I share a lot of them in today's episode. T
#339 How NOT To Learn a Language
Inspired by a viral video of a Chinese boy doing his English homework, I thought I'd make an episode where I list 10 common mistakes that language learners make and what you should avoid.To be clear, I'm sure that boy will master English one day, and my comments were more of a criticism of language education in schools. The video simply reminded me of some of the mistakes I've made
#338 Overcoming Shyness (Anna, Confident Business English)
Today we have a conversation between Anna Connelly and me on the topic of overcoming shyness. This was originally an episode we record on Anna's podcast, Confident Business English, where Anna was mostly interviewing me about my experiences with feeling shy and my tips for the audience. Listening back to this one, I actually felt quite inspired, and I really hope that by re-sharing this today
#337 11 Things I Learnt Teaching English
I've been teaching English online for almost 10 years now, and over that time I've picked up quite a lot of patterns and similarities between all my students. In this episode, I share 11 life lessons and other interesting things that I've learnt from my students, my lessons, and running an online teaching business. This is actually a previously-recorded episode from the Level Up Eng
#336 Moving from UK to Thailand: The Good & The Bad
Have you ever wondered what it's like to cycle through Bangkok?That's exactly what I'm doing in today's episode. I'm taking the podcast to the streets and I'm riding my bicycle across the city while avoiding stray dogs, and sharing my views on life in Bangkok.I mostly talk about the things I like and dislike about living here, and some ways in which the UK might be be
#335 I Got Ghosted...
In this episode, we'll be talking about relationship slang. In the modern day of internet and social media, slang is used all the time when it comes to dating, finding a partner, and flirting.I share a handful of slang phrases that have been around for a while, and are likely not going to disappear any time soon. With each one, I give examples, share my opinion, and invite you to do the same.
#334 From Employee to Entrepreneur: Business English with Rob
Rob from the Business English Podcast joins me for a fun discussion about jobs, work, business, and entrepreneurship.We share some cultural experiences both in the UK and abroad, the pros and cons of working for yourself, dream jobs, public speaking confidence, switching off after work, and much more. We also discuss a lot of fantastic and useful English expressions that you can use both in and ou
#333 How Adverts Use English to Catch Your Attention
This is a fun episode where we look at some famous advertising slogans from different companies and analyse why they work so well, but also take from interesting English lessons from each one. We'll be learning things like alteration, oxymorons, and also some very smart wordplay that makes use of words that have multiple meanings.I'll also be sharing lots of phrases and terms that are us
#332 I Hate Mondays...
How do you feel about Mondays? If you're like most people, it's probably your least favourite day of the week.Many of us hate waking up and realising it's Monday, and that means we have to get up early and go to work. It's a universal feeling, so in this episode, I'll be sharing some common Monday expressions that you can use to express your sad feelings, but always more p
#331 How to Make Better Decisions
In this episode, we'll be talking about making decisions and the idea of being an indecisive person. I'm sure, like me, this is something that you have also struggled with at least some point in the past, and whether we're talking about life-changing decisions, or simple everyday choices, getting better at deciding on what to do will improve our lives.The main areas I cover today ar
#330 How to Prioritise Your Life
I feel passionate about the topic of priorities because understanding how they work can have a big and positive impact on your life. Once you decide on what your priorities in life are, every choice you make becomes so much easier. You'll stress less other trivial, small decisions, and you'll start seeing faster progress in your English learning, and any other skills you're working
#329 Training Your English Accent with Jesús Flórez
Jesús Flórez is originally from Colombia but now resides in the USA, and despite not being a native English speaker, has built up his English to an impressive level of fluency. Jesús focuses a lot on accent since he has put a lot of work into getting a natural American accent. In the episode today, we discuss a lot about acquiring an English accent and how much effort you should put into that, whe
#328 The Fascinating Origins of 8 English Words
This is an episode I've been planning for a long time and I'm quite excited to share. We'll be looking at the origins of 8 different English words and the deep stories behind them. Each word originally comes from another language or culture, and it was brought into English through fascinating stories that we'll explore in this episode. These are just a few examples of the count
#327 Fewer or Less? (Confusing English Quantifiers!)
In this episode, I'll be going through pairs of confusing quantifiers (and similar pairs), such as So or Such, Many or Much, Fewer or Less? Some of these are even a struggle for native speakers, so if you can master these, you'll be in a good position with your English and sound much more natural. For each word, I will give a question for you to answer yourself and I'll do my best t
#326 Is Your Screen Time Too High?
I recently reailsed that my own screen time is too high and may be causing a lot of health issues and other problems in my life. With that realisation, I decided to make some changes to fix this problem, and it got me thinking: How many other people are facing a similar issue?In this episode, I share the dangers of screen time and how you know if you're using phones and computers too much. I
#325 The Secrets Behind English Word Origins (Gideon - LetThemTalkTV)
Gideon from the popular YouTube channel LetThemTalkTV joins us this week for a casual chat about various topics covered on his channel.Gideon is an English teacher, YouTuber, and founder of LetThemTalk. His YouTube channel, LetThemTalkTV, started in 2012, has amassed over 600,000 subscribers and millions of views, providing valuable lessons on grammar, pronunciation, and the history of the English
#324 How to Learn 2 Languages at the Same Time
With my experience of learning multiple languages at the same time, I revisit my thoughts and advice on this popular question.What are the best ways to approach learning two languages? How do you best manage your time? I do my best to answer these questions in today's episode while sharing some different examples and methods that suit different people.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.
#323 Rose-Tinted Glasses
Do you look at the past through rose-tinted glasses? Do you feel a sense of nostalgia when looking into the past?In this episode, I explore the meaning and use behind this common expression with examples from my own life and a little bit at the end on the deeper meaning behind this phrase.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast323Second Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EnglishWith
#322 How to Get Better at Small Talk
Small Talk is something many of us struggle with, and it's a really important part of socialising and using language.In this episode, I share some of my own awkward experiences with small talk, and then go through time tips on how we can all get better at it to improve our conversations and relationships.I then share a few phrases that English learners can use to sound more natural when makin
#321 Can I Use AI Teachers? (Abigail Fulbrook)
Abigail Fulbrook (weareenglishteachers.com) joins me for a fascinating chat about a few different topics, including moving to Japan from the UK, what we miss about the UK, learning using AI teachers, other uses of AI, and much more!Abigail Fulbrook has been teaching English for over 15 years. She's worked in the UK, Japan and online. As well as teaching she loves crafting and eating chocolate
#320 Improve Your Brain with Cognitive Biases (Part 2)
We first spoke about this in Episode 281, and now we're returning for a part 2. Cognitive Biases are ways our brains can trick us into certain beliefs and behaviours without realising, and in this episode, I'll cover a few of them such as the IKEA Effect, the Recency Effect, and the Negativity Bias.They're fascinating to learn, but will also give you some insight to make you a bette
#319 Speaking Up or Letting Go?
In today's episode, I share an issue I've been thinking about for a while - finding the balance between speaking up and letting things go.In other words, when things annoy us or seem unjust, should we speak up and say something? Or should we prioritise our mental health and let it go? I share some of my own views with this and encourage you to get in touch with yours too. I also share lo
#318 Let's Talk About Trump
This is an episode that I've been meaning to make for a while. Let's talk about 'trump' today.In fact, there are many phrases in English that originate from cards and gambling, so this episode looks at some of the common ones and how you can use them in your daily life.As always, I give examples from my own life to help put these phrases in a natural context for you.Show notes
#317 British & American Words That Reveal Cultural Differences
There are many differences in vocabulary between British and American English. Some of these are quite well-known and easy to understand (biscuit and cookie, maybe), but others are a bit more complex.In today's episode, I'm not simply listing these differences. I'm looking at 8 terms that are different in both British and American English, but aren't quite the same in meaning.
#316 Curious Minds Learn Faster with Alastair Budge
Alastair Budge from Leonardo English joined me for a casual chat about a variety of different topics.Alastair has his own podcast called "English Learning for Curious Minds". In it, he covers all sorts of topics from space mining to population decline, while making content that helps English learners improve.I found this concept so interesting, so I picked a few topics at random to chat
#315 Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
We've now done quite a few episodes on Phrasal Verbs, but this is an important one. Today, I'll be looking at the differences between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs. This is a very important part of English if you want to sound natural and fluent.As always, I'm not just listing off words in a boring way. I'll be sharing examples of both types while talking about my rec
#314 British Driving Culture & Vocabulary
In this episode, I'll be talking about driving culture in the UK. There are a lot of interesting laws and unwritten rules that are reflective of British culture. So whether you will be driving in the UK or not, I think this will be interesting for you.I share some of the big differences between driving culture in the UK and in Thailand, as well as my own experience taking my driving test when
#313 The Grass is Greener on the Other Side
Let's explore the expression "The Grass is Greener on the Other Side".In English, this is used when we view other situations as better than our own. In fact, no matter what we have, we tend to value what we don't have more.I explore the meaning of this expression in some detail, examples from my own life, and also some common ways we all experience this along with some ideas on
#312 Moving Across the World with Zdenek
Today I'm doing a rare in-person discussion with Teacher Zdenek. Zdenek has more than 12 years of experience in various settings, primarily teaching English learners of levels B2-C2. He's taught English in the Czech Republic, UK, Ireland and most recently Vietnam. Zdenek has also moved to Vietnam, and that's why we were able to meet up nearby in Bangkok for a casual discussion. We
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