[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.
[969] It’s time for the annual World News Quiz with 20 questions about some of the curious news stories of 2025. Stephen Devincenzi from the SEND7 podcast is the quizmaster. Can you I improve on my poor performance from last year? Can you beat me? Take a trip through some news highlights from this year. Full transcript available as usual.
January
1. Starting in the US, Donald Trump became president for a second time in January, and roped in his friend, the richest person in the world , Elon Musk, to run a new government agency. The aim of this new agency was to save the US government lots of money. What was the name of that new government agency?
2. Also in January, a Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot surprised the industry with how good it was, and AI tech stocks lost billions of dollars (although they’ve come back up since then). What is the name of the Chinese AI chatbot, or the company which creates it, which has the same name.
3. Throughout January massive wild fires destroyed homes and businesses in a coastal city in the United States, destroying over 18,000 homes and buildings, and causing an estimated 50 billion dollars worth of damage. Which city were the fires mostly based around?
April
4. On the 28th April, why did people have to be evacuated from trains in Spain and Portugal?
5. Also in April, an all-female spaceflight took place using Jeff Bezos’s private space company, Blue Origin. Which pop star was on board?
6. Also on the 28th April, Canada had a general election. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had resigned a couple of months after polls showed the Liberals way below the Conservative party in the polls. However, somehow the Liberals did win that election. What is the name of the leader that took over from Justin Trudeau, and is now Canada’s Prime Minister?
7. Which Asian city, overtook Tokyo to become the most populous city in the world, according to the United Nations?
May
8. On the 8th May Pope Leo was chosen as the new pope after the death of Pope Francis. Which of these is NOT true about Pope Leo:
– He is the first pope from The United States
– He is the first pope to hold Peruvian nationality
– He is the first pope born in the Americas
– He is the first pope with modern English as a first language (second if you include old English)
July
9. In July, Switzerland held the women’s Euro football championship. Which teams were in the final?
10. In Australia, after months of a highly watched court case. A woman, Erin Patterson, was found guilty of killing three of her in-laws and the attempted murder of her estranged husband. The case received so much interest that many podcasts were made about it, and her sentencing was the first to broadcast live. How is Patterson accused of killing her in-laws?
August
11. In Sweden, something surprising happened to a 113 year old church in August. What was it?
September
12. In September, a painting which was stolen by Nazis during world war 2 was discovered in Argentina. How did a Dutch newspaper discover the painting?
October
13. Continuing the church theme – a church in Spain’s Second largest city of Barcelona became the tallest church in the world this year, over 140 years after its construction was started. What is the name of that church?
14. What is the name that has been given to a series of protests around the world in 2025? The name was actually first used in Bangladesh in 2024, and the same name has been given particularly to anti-government protests in Nepal, Indonesia, The Philippines, Madagascar, Peru and some other countries.
15. In Paris thieves stole eight priceless pieces of the crown jewels from the Louvre in October. How did the thieves get into the building?
16. In October Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for her tireless work promoting demoractic rights for the people of ______________ and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition to democracy”. What country is she from?
17. Which of these countries has had their first ever female leader since October 2025?
November
18. What is the name of the brand of collectible dolls which originated in Hong Kong, that look like cuddly monsters, which became particularly popular all over the world in 2025?
December
19. This month, Australia has become the first country in the world to introduce one specific new rule about social media. What exactly is the new rule?
20. It was finalized in 2025 that on the 1st day of 2026 there will be a new country using the euro. Which country, will become the 21st member of the eurozone on the 1st January?
Answers
Luke’s scores so far
[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.
[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.
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.
[965] It is traditional to tell a scary story at Christmas time, so here is one for this year’s festive season. The Kit-Bag by Algernon Blackwood is a classic scary tale which will give you a chill, while you stay cosy and warm indoors this winter. Listen and I will explain a lot of vocabulary which comes up in the story.
[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.
[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.
[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.