[976] Here’s an epic rambling episode in which I talk about learning English with BBC Radio and TV 📻 expressions with the word ‘thumb’ 👍 the story of how I became a taxi driver on the streets of Paris 🚖 the grammar of Yoda 🐸 fantastic haikus written by my listeners ✍️ and getting pecked in the face by a swan 🦢. 3h30min+ of English from me to you.
[972] I talk with multilingual actor Ivan Doan about his multicultural background, his learning of languages and his work as an actor. Ivan shares his insights and experiences of learning English, dealing with different accents in film & TV roles, and the importance of mindset and discipline in his life. There are plenty of language learning insights in this episode, which I summarise at the end. Full transcript available.
Ivan’s “levels” are a good model:
Messages implied by Ivan’s story:
[961] Emma Jakobi is the host of MmmEnglish on YouTube, and now the online community Hey Lady! In this episode Emma joins me for a chat about living on the remote Western coast of Australia, “blowing up” on YouTube, her decision to step away from MmmEnglish to focus on Hey Lady! Also, her thoughts on the rise of AI, and some fun facts about singing in the shower, her vintage Lexus car and her phobias of public speaking (surprising) and leeches (understandable). Full transcript available.
How many words are there in English? How many do you really need to know? And how many words have I spoken on this podcast? 🧐 Also, what is shadowing, and how should you do it? Can you do episodes about different English accents? What are your top 10 countries for this podcast? In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, I answer listener questions about vocabulary size, English accents, the shadowing technique and more bits & bobs. PDF available with transcript and vocabulary list.
My brother James joins me again on the podcast for a rambling chat about diverse topics such as: trousers 👖 sandwiches 🥪 gangster films 🍿 the work of Edgar Allan Poe 📖 vinyl and cassettes 🎵 memories of living together 🎮 annoying behaviour 😤 and English words and grammar that irritate people 😠 plus James has a new vinyl EP out now on Ooz records. Transcript available 📄.
https://oozrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ooz004
Here is part 1 of a double episode about London 🇬🇧 and great things you can see and do there 🎡. Listen to my friends and family describing their favourite things to do in the city 🍻, get some travel tips 🏙️, get a mini history lesson 🏛️, and learn some vocabulary in the process.
Here you will find a summary of the places and recommendations from this audio episode (Part 1).
Here is a selection of vocabulary which I explained during the episode.
pop (in / next door / to)
Definition: To go somewhere briefly or quickly.
Example: Amber – “I couldn’t resist popping next door to the National Gallery.”
take the pressure off
Definition: To reduce the feeling of obligation or stress.
Example: Martin – “It takes the pressure off thinking you have to spend a decent amount of time if you’ve paid for a ticket.”
tucked away
Definition: Located in a quiet or hidden place.
Example: Martin – “The Seven Stars pub is tucked away down a little street.”
narrow
Definition: Not wide.
Example: Martin – “An extremely narrow, rickety mediaeval staircase.”
rickety
Definition: Poorly made and likely to collapse.
Example: Martin – “An extremely narrow, rickety mediaeval staircase.”
nooks and crannies
Definition: Small, hidden or remote parts or corners.
Example: Martin – “Lots of dark wood, little nooks and crannies.”
cellar
Definition: A room below ground level, often used for storage.
Example: Martin – “Two floors of cellar where the beer barrels used to be kept.”
busker
Definition: A person who performs music or other entertainment in the street for money.
Example: James Simpson – “See some buskers, like a live show that’s free.”
busking
Definition: Performing in public places for money.
Example: Luke – “Busking is the act of performing in the street.”
mushy peas
Definition: Cooked peas that are mashed into a soft consistency.
Example: Luke – “A plate of fish and chips with a little bowl of mushy peas.”
rowing boat
Definition: A small boat propelled with oars.
Example: Aaron – “We went on a rowing boat on the Serpentine.”
barely
Definition: Only just; almost not.
Example: Moz – “Tiny doors that you can barely get through.”
sticky
Definition: Having a surface that things stick to.
Example: Moz – “The floor is sticky because it’s had like hundreds of years of beer on it.”
tar
Definition: A thick, dark substance found in cigarette smoke.
Example: Moz – “The ceiling is thick with tar from 300 years of smoking.”
boozer
Definition: (British slang) A pub.
Example: Moz – “They sit in their regular seat. It’s their boozer.”
brewery
Definition: A place where beer is made.
Example: Luke – “Fuller’s, one of the big brewing brands.”
take over
Definition: To assume control of something.
Example: Luke – “Fuller’s had taken over the pub.”
gutted
Definition: Very disappointed.
Example: Moz – “We were absolutely gutted.”
incensed
Definition: Very angry.
Example: Moz – “We were incensed.”
gastropub
Definition: A pub that serves high-quality food.
Example: Moz – “They’ll turn it into a gastropub.”
poncy
Definition: Pretentious or affected.
Example: Moz – “Full of poncy, pretentious food.
cash register / till
Definition: A machine for recording sales and holding money.
Example: Moz – “They’d put in a proper cash register.”
cubicle
Definition: A small enclosed space, typically for a toilet.
Example: Luke – “Cubicles which are the little places with doors.”
urinal
Definition: A toilet fixture used by men to urinate.
Example: Luke – “Urinals, things on the wall… you can stand at.”
refurbished
Definition: Renovated and redecorated.
Example: Mum – “They recently reopened after a refurbishment.”
particularly
Definition: Especially.
Example: Mum – “Having particularly enjoyed productions at the National Theatre.”thatched roof
Definition: A roof made with straw or reeds.
Example: Luke – “The thatched roof caught fire.”
Image by liushuquan from Pixabay
Have you ever wondered about sign language, how it works and if it is similar to other languages like English? In this conversation I speak to Siobhan Dodd who is a sign language interpreter between English and BSL (British Sign Language). Siobhan is an enthusiastic and entertaining guest and we have a great chat about the nature of sign language, the challenges & opportunities faced by the deaf community today, and some of Siobhan’s memorable interpreting experiences, such as working at the Glastonbury music festival.
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.
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.
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.
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