In 2009 I did a solo travelling experience around Vietnam 🇻🇳 and I wrote a diary while I was there. In this episode, over 16 years later, I read out the diary, follow my descriptions of each part of my trip, explore how I was feeling at that time of my life, go off on some comedy and English teaching tangents, and take a journey into the past, across a very different country.
A funny conversation about food, cooking & eating habits, with my friend Martin. Why is British food a bit of a joke? Do French people have the right to criticise British cuisine? What is marmite, and why don’t Brits just throw it away? What did Luke eat for lunch every single day during secondary school? And, who would be Luke’s dream dinner party guests? All that and more, in a conversation full of tangents, recipes, rants and apologies, and a nice range of vocabulary expressions to spot. Enjoy! PDF Transcript available.
Martin’s previous appearance on LEP 👇
Practise your listening in English with a fascinating conversation with a writer of haiku poetry in English. John Stevenson is one of the world’s leading English language haiku poets, and in this episode I had the pleasure of talking to him for an hour. John taught me more about haiku and senryu poetry, revealed how he first became interested in haiku, and then was willing to discuss various haiku poems he has written over the years, giving details of what real events inspired them, what they mean and more about his process of writing haiku in English. I hope this episode is fascinating and inspiring. Keep listening because it becomes more and more revealing as it continues. John was a pleasure to talk to and I think this is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy of episodes I have done on this subject on the podcast recently.
[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.
[974] In this episode I read out lots of haiku poems, explain their meaning, discuss what they make me think and feel, and use them to teach you some vocabulary. The haikus I read include some traditional Japanese ones translated into English, plus more modern ones written in English by writers from around the world. Some of these haikus are meditative, some are sad, some are funny and some find a way to capture feelings that are otherwise difficult to put into words.
[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:
[968] The Collins Dictionary Words of the Year is a list of 10 words which capture the cultural zeitgeist – the spirit of the times that we are living in now. These new words, picked by Collins, reflect issues that people have been talking about over the last 12 months. In this conversation, Amber, Paul & I discuss the impact of AI, the ways social media is affecting people’s behaviour, how people are using technology to control their health, the strange habits of tech leaders, and more. Pick up words to describe new trends, and listen to conversation about big issues in society. Full transcript available.
A description of my recent family holiday to Norway 🇳🇴, including rambling about how I can’t stand beach holidays 🏖️, chasing my son around different international airports 🏃, visiting Oslo ⛴️, Bergen 🏠, fjords 🚤 and mountains 🏔️. Edward Munch’s The Scream 😱, staying in a cabin with no hot water, shower or washing machine, swimming in a freezing lake 🥶, catching a trout 🎣 and driving an electric Jaguar 🐆(that’s a car). Includes a PDF with vocabulary in context, definitions, full transcript, and vocabulary quiz.
In this episode I take you on a big rambling journey through all sorts of English-learning goodness (and nonsense). We start by pondering what makes a good podcast title 👀 is it clever, clickbait, or just clear? I reveal a monumental tectonic shift in the way I am titling my episodes. Then it’s into the Grammar Zone 📘 with an in-depth look at English narrative tenses. Then I reveal LukeGlish.com 📺 a custom search tool that lets you explore my entire podcast content by words and phrases. And, there’s the Comedy Corner 😂 where I break down some English jokes and wordplay, dissecting the frog.
Here is the second part of this double episode all about great things to see and do while in London 🇬🇧. Listen to my friends and family talking about the city 🏙️, learn some fascinating bits of history 🔥, get inside tips 🗺️ and learn some vocabulary in the process.
Here you will find a summary of the places and recommendations from this audio episode (Part 2).
bustling (adj.)
Definition: full of activity and energy
Example: He says it’s bustling with activity.
cantilevered (adj.)
Definition: supported at only one end, allowing for extension
Example: Tower Bridge with its cantilevered road.
derelict (adj.)
Definition: in very poor condition
Example: The bridge… got derelict and had to be replaced.
auction (noun)
Definition: a public sale where items are sold to the highest bidder
Example: He bought it in an auction for two and a half million dollars.
spire (noun)
Definition: a pointed structure on top of a building, especially a church
Example: The Shard with its great tall spire.
sneakily (adv.)
Definition: in a secretive or clever way
Example: I usually try and do it sneakily by going to the Leicester Square box office.
quirky (adj.)
Definition: strange in an interesting or attractive way
Example: It was great sitting at tables that are on gravestones. So just it was very quirky.
serendipitous (adj.)
Definition: occurring by chance in a happy or beneficial way
Example: You can do a bit of serendipitous show watching.
crypt (noun)
Definition: an underground room beneath a church
Example: They have a cafe in the crypt.
to get your bearings (phrase)
Definition: to figure out where you are
Example: You just don’t get your bearings.
fry-up (noun)
Definition: a traditional English cooked breakfast
Example: Maybe go for a cup of tea and a fry up somewhere.
to dig through (phrasal verb)
Definition: to search through a pile or collection of items
Example: Dig through some of the vinyl boxes there.
mooch about (phrasal verb)
Definition: to wander about in a relaxed way
Example: Have a mooch about, maybe go for a cup of tea.
to rifle through (phrasal verb)
Definition: to search quickly through something
Example: There are always interesting places to go and rifle through.
formative years (noun phrase)
Definition: the years that shape one’s development
Example: Something from your past, your formative teenage years.
venue (noun)
Definition: a place where events are held
Example: A small venue on Denmark Street.
cosy (adj.)
Definition: warm, comfortable and inviting
Example: They’re just cosy, you know, when it’s dark and rainy.
bland (adj.)
Definition: lacking strong flavour or character
Example: Maybe they’re a bit bland compared to what you can get.
nailed (verb, informal)
Definition: done very well
Example: We’ve got restaurants in London absolutely nailed.
foodie (noun, informal)
Definition: a person who loves food
Example: I’m a big foodie and I miss it a lot.
hard pushed (phrase)
Definition: finding something difficult to do
Example: You’d be hard pushed to find a place that had a better selection of food.
little one (noun, informal)
Definition: a young child
Example: When I can take the little one out with me…
walk of life (noun phrase)
Definition: a person’s background or occupation
Example: You will see every form and walk of life.
stop off (phrasal verb)
Definition: to stop somewhere briefly during a journey
Example: You can always stop off for a drink on the way.
invigorated (adj.)
Definition: filled with energy
Example: I felt really invigorated by the energy there.
popping up (phrasal verb)
Definition: appearing or opening suddenly
Example: There are always new ones popping up on the outskirts of London.
one of a kind (phrase)
Definition: unique
Example: The experience is one of a kind.
pub (noun)
Definition: a traditional British bar serving drinks and often food
Example: I just love the atmosphere of pubs in the UK.
Changing of the Guard (noun phrase)
Definition: a traditional ceremony where the guards at Buckingham Palace are changed
Example: You’ve got the Changing of the Guards, which is a sort of ceremony.
black pudding (noun)
Definition: a type of blood sausage often part of a traditional English breakfast
Example: Black pudding is from blood, a blood sausage.
builder’s tea (noun)
Definition: a strong, traditional British tea with milk and sugar
Example: A nice strong cup of builder’s tea.
to promote (verb)
Definition: to make something more publicly visible or known
Example: I did move one of her books out so that the cover was showing just to try and promote Anna’s work.
record shop (noun)
Definition: a store that sells vinyl records and sometimes CDs or cassettes
Example: I love spending an afternoon with friends, going around various record shops.
gig (noun)
Definition: a live music performance
Example: I love going to gigs in London.
venue (noun)
Definition: a place where an event or performance happens
Example: A small venue on Denmark Street.
dive bar (noun)
Definition: a small, unpretentious, and often slightly run-down bar
Example: It was probably a dive bar or pub that also puts on live music.
redeveloped (adj./verb)
Definition: renovated or rebuilt for modern use
Example: They kind of got rid of a lot of the authentic music shops as the place has been redeveloped.
emotional value (noun phrase)
Definition: personal significance due to memories or associations
Example: It also has some emotional value.
cosy atmosphere (noun phrase)
Definition: a warm, comfortable and pleasant environment
Example: I just love the cosy atmosphere of pubs.
backstabbing (noun)
Definition: betrayal, especially from someone you trust
Example: Stopping at rejection, disappointment, backstabbing central.
shattered dreams (noun phrase)
Definition: hopes or goals that have been destroyed or failed
Example: Stopping at rejection, disappointment… and shattered dreams parkway.
skeleton with headphones (humorous phrase)
Definition: someone who has been waiting or listening for a very long time (an inside joke for LEPster)
Example: You haven’t turned into a skeleton with a pair of headphones on.
Get the skeleton with headphones t-shirt here! https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Skeleton-With-Headphones-by-LEPLuke/170787870.WFLAH