[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.
What skills are involved in being a good writer? What makes a good piece of writing? How is writing different to speaking? What are the challenges faced by learners of English who want to write well, and what are some solutions to these challenges? How can AI help develop writing skills? And, what does it take to write your own book in English? These are all questions which I talk about in this episode, with the help of professional writer and returning guest Fabio Cerpelloni.
Unlike speaking, writing doesn’t disappear. Once it’s written, it’s there.
That can make learners nervous, but it’s also what makes writing powerful: you have time to shape, revise, and improve your message.
A good piece of writing:
Grammar and vocabulary matter, but effect on the reader matters more than sounding impressive or “advanced”.
Using complex vocabulary, idioms, or “advanced” expressions just to sound native can:
Clear, simple language often has more impact than complicated language.
Beyond exams and emails, writing is a powerful tool for:
Even imperfect English can work well if the message connects emotionally.
Good writing:
Organisation, coherence, and clarity all serve the reader — and improve impact.
Writing isn’t just about communicating ideas — it creates ideas.
If something feels hard to write, it often means the idea isn’t clear yet.
The struggle is part of the thinking process.
Strong writing often comes from removing, not adding:
“Less is more” — especially in emails and practical writing.
As Stephen King famously said:
“If you want to be a good writer, you must read a lot and write a lot.”
Reading helps you:
If you want to write emails, read emails.
If you want to write stories, read stories.
You don’t need to publish or be famous to be a writer.
Writing for yourself:
A writer is simply someone who writes.
In exams like Cambridge English, accuracy is only one criterion.
Higher priorities include:
Everything in your writing should serve the purpose of the task.
AI tools are useful for:
But they shouldn’t replace your thinking or your voice. Beware of letting AI do your writing for you – your own skills will not develop, and you will come across as unoriginal, indistinct and probably even lazy. Often, your reader wants to get the sense there is a person on the other side. Don’t be seduced by the dark side of the force. Sorry. I mean, don’t be seduced by the fact that ChatGPT will write flawlessly – with no errors. People can usually tell when something has been written by AI, and it doesn’t give a good impression of you.
Also, you need to question and evaluate what AI produces.
AI can make mistakes.
A reliable dictionary — like the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries — remains the final authority for:
Writing doesn’t have to mean a 300-page book.
Small, achievable projects (emails, blog posts, short texts, “tiny books”) build:
Success encourages more writing. If you want to write well, write regularly.
Struggling with a paragraph doesn’t mean you’re bad at writing.
It usually means:
Difficulty is normal and productive.
Before writing, ask:
When purpose is clear, language choices become much easier.
[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:
[971] Part 2 of 2. Here is the continuation of last week’s episode about changes you can make to your lifestyle, mindset and habits in order to become a better learner of English in 2026. Each of these tips is backed up by scientific research from the fields of psychology and psycholinguistics, with insights into human behaviour and thinking processes that result in better learning. Full PDF available.
[970] Part 1 of 2. This episode deals with some simple habits you can introduce in your life, to make sure you are in top condition for learning English all year long. It is all backed up by scientific research into how our brains work, and how little changes in our behaviour can help us perform better and achieve more in the time we are given. Includes top advice for preparing yourself to be a great learner of English in 2026. Part 2 will be available next week.
Here is a super-long seasonal rambling episode to listen to while wrapping presents, finishing some last-minute gift shopping, or (if you don’t celebrate Christmas) just doing whatever you normally do in December. It’s long, but the more you listen, the more it will help your English 💪🎅.
I chat to you about LEPster listening habits in 2025 (Spotify Wrapped) 🎧, funny messages and emails from listeners📧, bits of grammar & vocab teaching ✍️, ChatGPT’s questionable teaching skills 🤖🤔, AI hallucinations, dreaming in English, responses to recent episodes, twelve jokes in the Comedy Corner, more funny comments from my daughter 👧, and another dramatic Hollywood-style action movie screenplay 🎥 Plus it all finishes with a vocabulary quiz covering the whole episode. Think of this as a Christmas stocking full of English practice, complete with cosy log-fire sounds 🔥 in the background.
People keep asking me in comments, “How can I learn English with your podcast?” so in this episode I am answering that question as simply, directly and efficiently as possible. Expect advice about improving your English across the 4 skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and the language systems of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and discourse management. PDF available.
If you have ever wondered what happens in premium episodes, this episode will show you. I’ll play you some clips from the latest series (P71) including some vocabulary explanations, memory quiz questions, pronunciation practice and discussion questions for speaking practice. For the rest of the series, and all the other episodes of LEP Premium (now over 250, each with PDF worksheets and video versions) sign up and become a Premium LEPster today 🏆 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium
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.
In episode 949 I did an online test which claimed to be for C1 level, but let’s be honest – it was more like an intermediate level, the questions were rubbish and it was ultimately a useless scam. This time I’m taking a proper C1 English test – the Use of English section from a Cambridge CAE exam. Let’s see what is required to pass this, and what bits of English you can learn from it.
I forgot to add that the pass mark is 60% for this test, which means you must get a minimum of about 22/36 in the Use of English section (that’s 14 lost points). Could you do it? Bear in mind that this is only a part of the whole test, and you’d need to get at least 60% across all 4 sections (also including listening, writing and speaking).