Category Archives: Travel

914. A Midwinter Ramble ❅ Luke’s English Podcast

An end-of-year rambling episode with some seasonal good wishes 🎄, comments on recent episodes 🎧, an update about upcoming content 📲, anecdotes about seeing Paul McCartney live in concert 🎸, playing music at the British Ambassador’s residence 🇬🇧 and visiting the British Library in London 📚, lots of library jokes (explained) 😂 and a vocabulary review at the end 🙇‍♂️. PDF available.

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Get the PDF with vocabulary quiz 👇

912. Bits & Bobs 3: Questions of English (Part 3) More Listener Comments

Part three of a series featuring collected bits & bobs for the podcast, with mini-lessons on vocabulary and grammar. Topics include listener comments on listening twice, a joke about double negatives & sarcasm, staying safe while listening to LEP in the car, the phrase “don’t be shy, give it a try,” fun facts about Paraguay, and a Quentin Tarantino eggcorn. Learn English with LEP!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtiRE5HTF6s&ab_channel=Luke%27sEnglishPodcast

Get the PDF 👇 Includes detailed vocabulary list

910. FUNNY ENGLISH SIGNS, Explained (Part 1)

Let’s look at some funny examples of badly-worded signs from around the world (including UK & USA), which show the ambiguity and unintended consequences of unclear English. I analyse lots of signs, explaining the errors and offering improved versions, using them as teaching moments to illustrate grammatical and vocabulary points. The episode also features vocabulary explanations and corrections for the poorly written signs.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxD7irLGexk&ab_channel=Luke%27sEnglishPodcast

Get the PDF with vocabulary list here 👇

903. Reading from my Japanese hospital diaries (Sept 2002)

By popular demand I have chosen to publish this episode! In 2002 I ended up stuck in a Japanese hospital feeling very ill and confused. I ended up staying there for about two weeks. During my stay I wrote a diary nearly every day. In this episode I read from my diaries, share my personal experience with you and explain a few bits of vocabulary.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrYBDau9Fws&ab_channel=Luke%27sEnglishPodcast



902. “A Year on the Fosse” by Rick Thompson (English History & Wildlife) Dad’s New Book – Out Now

A conversation with my dad about his new book, which is about the history and wildlife of a famous Roman road which passes right through the heart of England. Expect stories from various periods of English history, plus descriptions of typical English bird life. English history and culture on Luke’s English Podcast.

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https://youtu.be/MvO0edpmFvE?si=a-tzy_W8f3I0-xli

👉 GET THE BOOK ON AMAZON HERE 📖

899. Back on the Mic: September 2024 Ramble & Grammar Tangents

Rambling about being back after the summer break, with regular moments of grammar analysis. Includes a lot of tangents, funny moments and analysis of English tenses and complex sentence structures. PDF with transcript and notes available.

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Episode PDF with transcript & notes 👇

896. A Rambling Chat with Martin Aaron

Martin Aaron is an old friend of mine from the days when I taught English in London. In this episode we chat about being an English teacher, travelling to different countries, the status of English in other places, how native English speakers (don’t) learn languages, stories of learning French in school, and Martin’s memories of boarding school.

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Listen to Marton’s podcast 👉 https://pod.link/1742336735

894. LEP Live in Paris! Live Podcast Recording (Summer 2024)

A rambling episode recorded on-stage in front of a live audience in Paris in July 2024. Join my audience and me, as I share scenes from the screenplay for my new Hollywood blockbuster action movie about an English teacher called “Last Lesson”, and the sequel “Last Lesson 2: Fast & Fluent”.

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891. The Bilingual Journalist (with Charles Pellegrin)

Talking to bilingual journalist Charles Pellegrin (France 24) about how the conventions of broadcast journalism influence the way the English is used in news reports, how Charles started as a journalist, the challenge of making TV news reports, our time at university, the Olympics in Paris, and Charles’ experiences of living and working in China.

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My guest today is Charles Pellegrin, a bilingual (English & French) journalist working for the TV channel France 24. Charles currently works as the presenter of a morning business program, but used to be based in China, where he lived in Beijing for 3 years. Charles also does stand-up comedy in English, which is how I know him, and we are doing a 2-man show together this Friday, 19 July 2024 (details below).

In this conversation we talk about why reporters speak in a certain way when they read the news, how the conventions of broadcast journalism influence the way the English is used, how Charles started as a journalist, the challenge of making TV news reports, our experiences at university, the Olympics in Paris and whether it will be beneficial for France, and Charles’ experiences of living and working in China.


Links

Luke & Charles’ stand-up comedy show in Paris on 19 July

Charles on Instagram & X
https://www.instagram.com/chpilgrim/
https://www.x.com/chpilgrim/ https://www.instagram.com/charles_pellegrinf24/

887. Walk & Talk: Health & Diet (Phrasal Verbs)

Join me as I take a walk along the embankment of the river Seine from Louvre to Pont Marie in the centre of Paris. This time the topic is health and diet. Watch out for the phrasal verbs I use during my ramble!

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Coming soon to LEP Premium – all the phrasal verbs (+more) in this episode, explained, with practice exercises & pronunciation drills!

Sign up here 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Discussion Questions – Health & Diet

  1. Do you do exercise or work out in the gym to stay healthy?
  2. Can you share some tips on how to cut down on unhealthy food in your diet?
  3. Have you ever tried giving up a certain kind of food? What was it and how did you manage it?
  4. What are some effective ways to burn off extra calories without going to the gym?
  5. Do you always manage to stick to a healthy eating routine when dining out with friends?
  6. Have you ever experienced a situation where you had to cut back on certain foods for health reasons? Have you decided to cut anything out completely from your diet?
  7. What strategies do you use to fight off cravings for unhealthy foods?
  8. What role do you think is played by genetics our overall health and well-being?
  9. Did the pandemic change your daily routines and affect your health in any way?
  10. Can you share any tips on how to squeeze in forms of exercise during a busy day?
  11. How do you deal with stress, and does it impact your eating habits?
  12. Have you ever had to give in to a food craving and then regretted it later?
  13. Do you have a pet? Does it help to reduce your stress levels, or just make them worse?
  14. Do you manage to get enough sleep? Do you have any tips for getting a good night’s sleep? How do you wind down before bedtime to promote a good night’s sleep?
  15. Have you ever tried cutting back on caffeine intake to improve your sleep quality?
  16. How do you balance out work responsibilities with personal activities for a healthier work-life balance?
  17. Living in (or near) Paris do you often manage to get outside and into nature very often?
  18. Have you ever considered going vegan?
  19. Do you do any brain training exercises or puzzles to keep your mind sharp? How do you fit them into your daily routine?
  20. How’s your screen time? Do you think you have to cut down on screen time before bedtime to improve sleep quality?