Author Archives: Luke Thompson

About Luke Thompson

I've been teaching English for over 20 years in London, Japan and France. I also do an award-winning podcast for learners of English called "Luke's English Podcast". In my free time I'm a stand-up comedian who regularly performs shows in English in Paris and sometimes London.

932. What is so great about Shakespeare? (with Mum & Dad)

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In this episode I talk to my parents about the topic of William Shakespeare. Enjoy a conversation about this important figure in English language and culture, with two other important figures – my mum and dad!

We discuss the enduring appeal and significance of William Shakespeare’s work, biographical details of his life, the key themes in Shakespeare’s plays, and the impact of his language on modern English. We try to explain the qualities that make Shakespeare great, using examples from plays like Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth.

PDF available with transcript, vocabulary list and vocabulary quiz. Premium listeners – watch out for a language review of this episode coming soon, in P68 “Learn English with Shakespeare” parts 1 & 2.

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Get the PDF with full transcript, vocabulary list & vocabulary quiz 👇

932. What is so great about Shakespeare? (with Mum & Dad)Download

Coming soon to LEP Premium 👇

A new series of episodes – “Learn English with Shakespeare”, including:

  • A vocabulary review for LEP 932 with my parents
  • The best idioms and expressions from Shakespeare’s work
  • Learn English with Sonnets & Verses + pronunciation practice

Sign up to LEP Premium here and access 200+ episodes about vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, and all new premium episodes which arrive every month.

931. Overcoming Fears (with Zdenek)

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This episode features a conversation with Zdenek about fears and anxieties experienced in everyday life. We explore common fears such as driving, flying, culture shock, language learning and public speaking. Listen for stories of Luke’s fear of Paris cafes ☕️, airport anxiety ✈️, Luke’s dramatic scooter ride in Nha Trang 🛵, Zdenek’s fears of Vietnamese roads and driving 🛣️, Luke’s recent cycling accident in Paris 💥, Zdenek’s encounter with a London police officer 👮‍♂️, nerves about teaching 😳, and more.

The PDF worksheet offers a vocabulary list from the conversation, with definitions, examples, and quizzes and a full transcript to help you boost your English with the episode.

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📄 Get the PDF here (lucky you – it’s very expensive but you can have it completely free) 👇

  • Detailed vocabulary list
  • Vocabulary quiz
  • Full episode transcript
931. Overcoming Fears with ZdenekDownload

Other links 👇

⚽️ The Footglish Podcast (Learn English with Football)

💬 Zdenek’s Discord server “The Achiever’s Chamber”

🏆 LEP Premium 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

930. Can I eat my cat? Weird Google Questions, Answered (Topics + Vocabulary)

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😿 This episode is about the bizarre and funny questions that people input into Google. I explore and answer some of these questions, explaining some vocabulary. The result is an engaging and intellectually light-hearted discussion involving the usual mix of rambling, and English teaching.

The episode covers a range of topics, from personal health, sex and relationships to broader existential and practical issues, with some diverse and absurd moments. The language style is a mix of informal slang and neutral high-frequency vocabulary related to personal matters and common problems. I hope you enjoy it! PDF available with a full transcript and big vocabulary list.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Get the episode PDF with full transcript, big vocabulary list & more 👇

930. Can I eat my cat? + other weird Google questions, answeredDownload

Express yourself in English! Don’t be a ninja 🥷Leave a comment below 👇

929. Sarah Donnelly: The Only American In Paris + UK vs US Accent Quiz

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Sarah Donnelly comes back onto LEP to catch up and to tell us about her stand-up special, now available to watch on YouTube, and to do a British English vs American English pronunciation quiz.

Sarah’s show is called The Only American in Paris and we discuss some of the themes of the show – the real experience of being a US citizen living in Paris, the Netflix show Emily in Paris, cultural differences, learning French, plus a pronunciation quiz to help you compare UK and US English.

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Get the episode PDF👇 (pronunciation quiz and full transcript)

929. Sarah Donnelly_ The Only American In Paris US vs UK Accent QuizDownload

928. The Abduction (Learn English with a Short Story)

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Learn English with another short story on Luke’s English Podcast. This one is about a learner of English who has an extraordinary experience. Listen to me tell the story, and summarise it, then explain plenty of natural, commonly occurring, up-to-date English vocabulary.

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📄 Get the PDF with story script and vocabulary notes 👇

928. The Abduction (Learn English with a Short Story)Download

927. Walk & Talk: Medieval Museum (with Amber, Paul & Kyle)

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Finally, it’s here – the medieval museum episode with Amber & Paul. Join us as we visit the museum of the middle ages in Paris. Learn about the history of the middle ages, find out about some of the art and artefacts from that period, including some fantastic symbolic tapestries, sculptures and weapons, and have fun with a few jokes along the way.

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The audio and video versions are slightly different. The audio version has more content recorded in the studio, with lessons about the historical context of the middle ages and an overview of the main historical periods in European history.

926. Oral Storytelling Traditions and the Mental Health Benefits of Listening to Podcasts

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Recently 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, 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.

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Get the PDF transcript including vocabulary lists 👇

926. Oral Storytelling Traditions and the Mental Health Benefits of Listening to PodcastsDownload

925. Walaa’s Experience in Syria / Walaa Mouma Returns (Part 2)

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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 series.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Links for English with Walaa

Listen to Part 1 👇 (Walaa talks about her academic studies in Wales)

Walaa’s previous appearance on LEP (episode 703) 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9ythdvbKKM&t=1s&ab_channel=Luke%27sEnglishPodcast

Episode Transcript

925. Walaa’s Experience in Syria Walaa Mouma Returns (Part 2)Download

924. Walaa Mouma Returns (Part 1) PhD Studies in Wales & Teaching English for Refugees

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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 of this podcast. Part 1 of a 2-part episode.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Links for English with Walaa

Walaa’s previous appearance on LEP (episode 703) 👇

924. Walaa Mouma Returns (Part 1) PhD Studies in Wales & Teaching English for RefugeesDownload

923. A Rambling Exercise for Fluency / Late-Winter 2025

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A rambling episode full of spontaneous speaking. Topics include an exercise for spoken fluency 🗣️, the benefits of listening to spontaneous speech 🎧, overcoming mental blocks 🌳, raising our kids to be bilingual 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, reactions to recent episodes 🙉, thoughts about upcoming content 🔮, bird-related idioms 🐦, the phrasal verb “to follow through” including its rude meaning 💩 …and more! PDF transcript available.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

PDF Transcript 👇 (you’re welcome 😎)

923. A Rambling Exercise for Fluency _ Late-Winter 2025 (Transcript)Download

Luke on The Following Through Podcast 👇 Warning: strong language! 💩

Click here to listen to The Following Through Podcast on Apple Podcasts and other players 👉 https://pod.link/1797539101

A video clip from my appearance on The Following Through Podcast (with subtitles) 👇 yes, this is my “following through” story 💩