Category Archives: Ramble

Robbing the Louvre / Escaping to Nigeria (with Amber & Paul) [967] Catching Up #16

[967] Time for another tangential conversation in the podcastle with my pals Amber & Paul. In this one we chat about Paul’s ambitious international marathon plans (what is he running from exactly?), what Amber knows about the famous robbery of the Louvre this year, and Paul’s dramatic “Jason Bourne” style situation which he faced in West Africa recently. Listen to some spontaneous English conversation between friends. Full transcript available.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/N0GGZZ-d4tg?si=X9lb7zoG20YrffQw

Get the PDF transcript 👇

See Paul Taylor’s show “F*ck Me I’m French!” on stage in France in 2026 👇

👉 https://paultaylorcomedy.com/tickets


The Ramble Before Christmas [966] Listen & Learn English with Luke

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.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/cZITWG6fgaU

Get the PDF with all my notes, the vocabualry quiz and vocabulary list 👇

LEP Premium – 20% off this December and January 👇


Luke on Other People’s Podcasts recently 👇

A Cosy Rambling Episode at Home [964] / Walk & Talk: Mission in Montmartre

[964] You get double content this week as the audio and video episodes are different. In the audio episode you can join me at home, as I stay cosy, lie on the floor in a shaft of warm sunlight, and ramble about robberies, the Louvre and plenty more. In the video episode, it is time for another walk and talk. This time I am on a mission in one of Paris’s loveliest neighbourhoods, with a range of mission objectives to keep things exciting. Get both audio and video episodes here.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Transcript for the audio episode 👇

Luke on some other people’s podcasts recently 👇

LEP PREMIUM HOLIDAY DEAL 🎅 Ho! Ho! Ho!

  • 20% off LEP Premium for 12 months 🎉
  • Give LEP Premium as a gift an get 20% off 🎉


The Door in the Wall (Learn English with a Short Story) [962]

[962] Time for another short story on LEP. This one is about a man who has a wondrous experience as a child, which then haunts him for the rest of his adult life. Listen as I read the story to you, and then ramble about its meaning, interpretations and how it evoked some strong memories and strange feelings in me. Then there is a vocabulary review which will continue in an upcoming premium series.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Get the PDF with story script, notes and vocabulary list 👇


Thompson Originals (A Chat with My Brother) [956]

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 📄.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Video (no beautiful faces, but subtitles available) 👇

https://youtu.be/bwgL_KukjYQ?si=CM2Oax5_PaYQ4uij

Get the PDF transcript 👇

Get OOZ004 – James’ new vinyl EP 👇

https://oozrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ooz004

Listen to the tracks on YouTube 👇


Holiday Hell, Serious Sandcastles & AI Inbreeding (with Amber & Paul) [954] Catching Up #15

The Pod-Pals are back on the podcast for another catching up session! Recorded just after the summer holidays, there is talk of Paul’s hatred of the beach 🏖️, the English tradition of building epic sandcastles 🏰, other famous people with our names (including an “evil” teacherluke 👿) and what AI gets completely wrong about us 🤦. PDF transcript available. (a.k.a Catching Up with Amber & Paul #15)

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/HhEP_a2Hses?si=Ue5oUiZtTQ1opsWE

Get the PDF transcript here 👇


A game of “Would You Rather?” with my daughter [953]

My 7-year-old daughter joins me again as co-host in this fun episode. We play “Would you rather?”, a conversation game in which we ask each other ridiculous questions about various hypothetical situations. Enjoy listening to another cute and funny chat with my daughter, which covers topics such as food, world peace, wealth, fame, success and Inspector Gadget.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/TLWyWwDqhSc?si=kqCPuITaYmnUxurp

Get the PDF transcript here 👇


The Trip to Norway / Learn Vocabulary in Context [952]

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.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/sbMY6Z4bWfI?si=6kyKL2GSxoi6BYzB

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


The Flatmate from Japan Returns – Travelling Tales & More [950]

Peter, my old flatmate from Japan, is back on the podcast after his previous appearance 11 years ago! We chat about travelling experiences, teaching English in Malaysia and Japan, dealing with jet lag and culture shock, doing stand-up comedy abroad, and some of the funny, strange, and even weird experiences we’ve had while travelling. A relaxed, wide-ranging conversation full of stories, laughs, and cultural insights.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

This is an audio-only episode.

Get the full PDF transcript here 👇

Listen to my first episode with Peter here 👇

203. A Cup of Tea with Peter Sidell (The Flatmate from Japan)

Technology in Everyday Life [Part 1] The Choices We Make / Topic Discussion & Vocabulary [946]

This episode is all about choices we have to make relating to technology in our everyday lives. I’ll be discussing contemporary tech-related issues such as privacy vs. convenience, data sharing, digital, detox, online behaviour, digital legacy, tech addiction, tech for children. It includes loads of vocabulary and will give you the chance not only to listen to me talking, but also to practise your speaking on this subject too. PDF available. Part 1 of 2.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/jUHm8xz3Qto?si=T81hhmI_XNgLLNx0

Get the episode PDF here 👇 Notes, vocabulary, transcript