Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson

Listen to a selection of 9 fascinating stories written by listeners, one of which will win the competition which I launched earlier this year. Finally, the wait is over and the creepy story competition episode is here. I had to work very hard to narrow down the entries from 74 to only 9. Anna Brooke and I chose our favourite, as you will hear.

These are extremely mysterious and extraordinary stories sent in by my listeners. They describe very bizarre and spooky experiences, often involving the sad loss of a family member, spirits from the past searching for peace, or just disturbing coincidences that are hard to reconcile.

All 74 stories are available to read on the episode PDF, and there are plenty of very interesting entries there too. Thank you to everyone who sent a story, and congratulations to the winner, who will win a copy of Anna Brooke's "Death by Chocolate".

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/True-Ghost-Stories-Unexplained-Mysteries-from-Listeners-LEPster-Writing-Competition-1006-.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/10/13/9-true-ghost-stories-unexplained-mysteries-from-listeners-lepster-writing-competition-1006/

"Death by Chocolate" by Anna Brooke 👉 https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/death-by-chocolate/

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This episode is a celebration of a living-legend of British life & culture - Sir David Attenborough, who is best known for making documentaries on the BBC about the natural world. Listen as I give an overview of his life and career, explain why he is so loved by people, share anecdotes from people who have met him, describe memorable animal moments from his documentaries, and do a few impressions of his distinctive voice.

Get my PDF notes 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sir-David-Attenborough-Britains-1-National-Treasure-1005_compressed.pdf

Get the episode transcript PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sir-David-Attenborough-Britains-1-National-Treasure-1005-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page with video clips & more 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/10/07/sir-david-attenborough-1005-britains-1-national-treasure/

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Retelling the story of your favourite film, or book, can be a great way to practise your speaking skills in English. It can help you focus on narrative tenses, vocabulary recall and spoken fluency, while having fun reliving some great moments from cinema or literature. In this episode I demonstrate this, while giving you an entertaining re-telling of Steven Spielberg's classic dinosaur adventure, Jurassic Park (the original and best in the franchise).

Listen as I tell the story from the point of view of one of the main characters. Notice the phrases and descriptive words I use, and check the PDF transcript later to reinforce your learning through reading. In the second half of the episode to hear my own self-corrections and feedback, focusing on better vocabulary and scientific terms I could have used in the episode.

Improvising this version of the story was both a challenge, and a lot of fun for me! You can try it too. No need to use the original plot - feel free to get creative and just have fun telling your own version of a story you know well.

Get the PDF transcript here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lukes-Improvised-Storytelling_-Jurassic-Park-1004-Listen-Learn-English-Full-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page with links to more episodes like this 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/25/auto-draft/

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Following a challenge from the comment section, I decided to see if it was possible to make an entire episode with my friends Amber and Paul based on the table of irregular verbs. This is the result. I decided to test the POD-PALS on their grammatical knowledge, and to see what anecdotes and funny comments I could get from them. The result is both a classic Amber & Paul episode, and quite a revealing demonstration of how English native speakers process grammar in their first language.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/22/testing-my-friends-on-english-grammar-irregular-verbs-with-amber-paul-🎯-1003/

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This episode is full of fascinating science-backed insights into how the brain processes language. I read an article, and then explain various conclusions about the best way to learn English, with a lot of practical tips for speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary. What does neuroscience tell us about the best way to learn a language?

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/14/neuroscience-learning-english-🧠-11-surprising-facts-1002/

Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Neuroscience-Learning-English-11-Surprising-Facts-1002.pdf

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LEP is back after a summer break, and in this episode you can hear messages and questions from listeners, including stories of English learning, and testimonials from LEPsters who have made a significant improvement to their English after listening to this podcast long-term. Also included are some philosophical musings about life & death, an update on the plants in my pod-room, and some research-backed insights into the language learning benefits of listening to my rambling episodes.

Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Real-English-Learning-Stories-from-Around-the-World-Listener-Comments-Questions-1001.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/03/real-english-learning-stories-from-around-the-world-🌏-listener-comments-questions-1001/

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Here it is, finally! The long-awaited episode 1000. It has taken me weeks to finish this. If you listen, you will understand why it has taken so long! This is a celebration of this podcast after 17 years and 1000 episodes. It includes a lot of rambling, an interview with my brother, questions from friends and family, and the voices of various guests who have been on this podcast over the last few years. Also, regular interruptions from my daughter and all sorts of other random moments such as the sounds of dogs, woodpeckers, neighbours, and more! Thank you to all the LEPsters around the world and my guests for helping to make this achievement possible! ❤️

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/08/12/episode-1000/

PDF Transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Episode-1000-Transcript-2.pdf

LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Full LEP Episode Archive 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/episodes

Get James' latest EP "High Score Table" here 👉 https://jimthompson.bandcamp.com/album/high-score-table

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Back by popular demand, here is another Sherlock Holmes mystery for episode 999. How will Watson deal with his mini-mission to an opium den, before joining Holmes on one of his most singular cases so far, attempting to solve the disappearance of a gentleman and the suspicious involvement of the man with the twisted lip? Listen to the story and then keep listening as I break it down paragraph by paragraph. 

Get the story PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Sherlock-Holmes-The-Adventure-of-the-Man-with-the-Twisted-Lip-999.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/29/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-man-with-the-twisted-lip-🕵/

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Some podcast housekeeping is necessary in this episode, as I talk about current LEP news, moving into a house in the countryside, sketchy plans for episode 1000, an update on the scary story competition, final thoughts on the World Cup, and more. My daughter joins me with various comments throughout, and at one point a bird even flies into the room. What fun we had. PDF transcript available.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Rambling-in-the-Countryside-feat.-my-daughter-998.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/21/rambling-in-the-countryside-🏡-feat-my-daughter-998/

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Recorded the day after Argentina beat England in the semi-final 😭 here is World Cup Ramble #4. Zdenek joins me again as we discuss as many talking points as possible, including what on earth happened yesterday, the intense rivalry between Argentina & England, the historical background to that rivalry, Spain eliminating France, predictions for the final and so many other things, including a passionate conversation about cultural differences and communication style, plus the real heroes and villains of this epic World Cup competition. Normal podcasting will continue next week.

Luke on The Footglish Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-Wjg_DEXk

Episode Page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/16/world-cup-ramble-4-fifa-2026-england-vs-argentina-and-much-more-with-zdenek/

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Martin returns with a set of questions about childhood, sparking a funny conversation full of stories from school, family holidays, getting into trouble, and formative years of Luke growing up both in urban West London and rural West Midlands. Expect a premium episode dealing with vocabulary in this conversation.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Funny-Childhood-Memories-Stories-with-Martin-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/13/funny-childhood-memories-stories-with-martin/

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Here is the third World Cup ramble, covering the events of the last 16, predicting the outcomes of the quarter finals and beyond, and discussing the various issues, talking points and controversies. Is the World Cup rigged? Are the referees biased? What about the scandal involving FIFA and Trump? Who is going to win this massive competition? I'm joined by football fan and returning guest Fred Eyangoh. Leave your comments below and join the discussion!

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/08/world-cup-ramble-3-fifa-2026-with-fred-bonus/

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Win any argument in English with these incredible debating skills. Ray Addam joins me for a discussion about the art of debating, including various strategies you can use to help you win arguments, disagreements and debates. With plenty of examples given and techniques explained, this is surely a useful episode for developing your speaking skills in English.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/06/debating-skills-in-english-with-ray/

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Debating-Skills-in-English-with-Ray-Addam-996-.pdf

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Links for Ray Addam

His Preply profile, to book one-to-one English tuition with Ray 👉 https://preply.in/RAY6EN200844011?ts=17815602

Ray's school website, to access my courses and join live group sessions to practise English together, plus soft skills such as debating and public speaking 👉 https://www.skool.com/elevate-english-6228/about?ref=77d17e9d6acf4bf1ae51158796ecaa0f

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Here is the next bonus football rambling episode on LEP. The group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026 is over and teams are now being eliminated in the round of 32. In this episode, which is roughly the same length as the average game at WC2026, I am joined by Zdenek from The Footglish Podcast. Expect discussion of styles of play in modern football, the changes introduced this year and their effects on the game - including VAR updates, time wasting measures, plus an overview of England today (30 June) and Czechia, who is the true GOAT - Messi? Who will get to 1000 first? Luke or Christiano Ronaldo? Plus various meme-worthy moments of weirdness and hilarity.

The Footglish Podcast 👉https://pod.link/1751816033

Contact Zdenek through his website https://teacherzdenek.com/

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/01/world-cup-ramble-2-fifa-2026-with-zdenek-bonus/

LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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There has been an awful heatwave in Europe recently, with really high temperatures and a humid, sticky atmosphere. In this episode I ramble about the conditions, explore vocabulary with the words "hot" and "heat" and show the typical things British people say when the weather is boiling. Expect various funny tangents, anecdotes and improvisations, including a David Attenborough BBC nature documentary about Luke trying to buy lunch on a red-hot Paris boulevard, and plenty more. PDF notes available.

Get the PDF with notes and full transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/How-to-talk-about-HEATWAVES-like-a-sweaty-British-man-995-PDF-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/29/how-to-talk-about-heatwaves-like-a-sweaty-british-man-995/

LEP Premium (new episodes coming) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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What are the different English accents you can hear if you visit London? In this episode I am talking to Patricio from the YouTube channel Patricio Languages, who makes videos about diverse English accents from around the world. We talk about 4 specific accents that are native to his home town of London, namely Received Pronunciation, Cockney, Estuary English and Multicultural London English. We also chat about Patricio's study routines for learning Spanish and Portuguese.

So, plenty of insights about British English pronunciation, how to understand native English speakers, and some tips for language learning. Perfect topics for another episode of LEP, right? Full transcript available, and listen all the way to the end to hear me turn into a proper cockney geezer.

Check out Patricio's YouTube channel 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@PatricioLanguages

Get the episode transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/London-Accents-Study-Tips-with-Patricio-Languages-994TRANSCRIPT.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/22/london-accents-study-tips-with-patricio-languages-994/

Sign up to LEP Premium for more episodes on vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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In this episode I am reconnecting with an old friend after over 25 years of not seeing each other. Jez Booker is from Solihull in the West Midlands and I first met him at 6th form college, where we became friends and later we got into a band together and had many adventures. Jez later went on to work in marketing and has recently started up his own YouTube channel all about getting out and enjoying the British countryside. Expect a chat full of natural English expressions and slang, and a journey into the past as Jez and I reminisce and also jog each other's memories of things that we did together years ago.

Check out Jez's channel "Get Out"  @getoutfilms 

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Music-Marketing-Memories-with-Jez-Booker-993-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/15/music-marketing-memories-with-jez-booker-993/

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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.

Get the episode transcript PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vietnam-Travelling-Diary-992-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/08/vietnam-travelling-diary-992/

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A bonus mid-week episode previewing the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. I'll be talking about all the teams, the favourites, the underdogs, the wild cards, the dark horse teams, England's chances, plus various issues and controversies both on and off the pitch. Comments are welcome! This is a bonus episode, and you will get another normal episode (no football) on Monday.

Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/BONUS-FIFA-WORLD-CUP-2026-PREVIEW-MEGARAMBLE.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/04/bonus-fifa-world-cup-2026-preview-megaramble/

LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[991] A conversation with English teacher / comedian / cake maker Kate Billington, talking about her academic qualifications, cutting edge subtitling technology for theatres, questions of teaching English including teaching in Taiwan vs in France, Kate's tips for language learning, a cat-village in Taiwan, traffic madness, earthquakes, signage in train stations, using flashcard apps to learn English, testing Kate's Chinese by making her translate jokes, and drinking coffee in Taipei! Just that! Check out P81 a premium episode with vocabulary review for this conversation.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Coffee-Cats-Conversation_-900-Days-in-Taiwan-with-Kate-Billington-991.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/01/coffee-cats-conversation-kate-billingtons-900-day-streak-in-taiwan-991/

LEP Premium (with a vocabulary review for this episode) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

👩‍🦰 Kate Billington on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cakey_comedy/

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An epic rambling episode packed with British humour, listener emails, anecdotes, English teaching, thoughts about AI, parenting, podcasting, language learning, YouTube comments, animals listening to LEP, British communication styles, and much more.

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RAMBLEMAN_-Into-the-Ramble-zone-990_compressed.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/25/rambleman-into-the-ramble-zone-990/

Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

This is a long-form English listening experience designed to help you improve your English naturally through extensive listening. I explain vocabulary, break down expressions, tell stories & jokes, react to listener comments, and reflect on recent episodes featuring Amber, Paul, James, Charlie Baxter, my parents, my daughter, and more.

In this episode:

Why some people complain about Luke’s long intros

The truth about “rambling” and learning English through listening

British expressions like “shoot the breeze”, “chew the fat” and “talk the hind legs off a donkey”

Funny listener stories and emails

British indirectness and politeness

AI, YouTube algorithms and the future of content

Parenting, children asking “why?”, and a Louis CK routine

Wild boar in Fontainebleau 🐗

Funny dad jokes and Comedy Corner

Luke’s thoughts on recent episodes and the future of the podcast

Vocabulary explanations including “bothered” vs “disturbed”

Why long podcasts can help your English

This episode is ideal for:

Intermediate to advanced English learners

Fans of British English and British humour

Learners looking for long English listening practice

Anyone who enjoys relaxing podcasts, storytelling and rambling discussions

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In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, I chat with my 8-year-old daughter as we answer a series of absurd questions, including funny Would You Rather...? questions, imaginative What if...?questions, food questions, science questions, superpowers, animals, fairy tales and more.

This is a natural, funny and heart-warming English conversation full of real spoken English, perfect for English learners who want to improve their listening skills, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency.

📄 Get the PDF transcript for this episode

Use the transcript to check words, follow the conversation and study vocabulary from the episode.

👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Crazy-Questions-with-my-daughter-989-Questions-Episode-Transcript.pdf

🌐 Website page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/18/crazy-questions-with-my-daughter-989/

⭐ LEP Premium: https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[988] In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, Luke and James discuss artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, the AI bubble, generative AI, AGI, automation, job displacement, tech startups, Silicon Valley culture, deep fakes, AI hallucinations, cryptocurrency, Blade Runner, and the future of work. This is a long-form British English conversation designed to help learners improve listening comprehension, vocabulary and fluency while exploring the hype, risks and promises surrounding AI technology.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/11/is-the-ai-bubble-bursting-technology-discussion-with-james-988/

PDF transcript and vocabulary glossary 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Is-the-AI-Bubble-Bursting_-Technology-Discussion-with-James-988-Transcript.pdf

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Are the massive predictions about AI and the future real, or just hype? Why does the tech industry push frightening narratives about AI and its effects on society? Will tech companies ever make a profit from the huge $$$ investments they have made in AI? How are ordinary people reacting to AI at the moment? How useful is it for Luke in his job? Do people really like or want what is produced by AI? Will AI ever reach super-intelligence? Is Harrison Ford actually a robot in the film Blade Runner? What disgusting thing did James eat for breakfast today? All these questions answered and discussed in rambling style by The Low Tech Bros - James and Luke. PDF transcript available with vocabulary glossary.

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[987] British English listening practice at a natural speed with surprising facts and lots of humour. Pod-pals Amber & Paul join me for an outlandish and outrageous "true or false" quiz 📝. Can Amber and Paul decide if these facts are true, or just total bulls#*t (or maybe that should be b*llocks?) The episode is long, the English is fast, but the jokes come regularly and I promise that you will learn something new.

⚠️Warning: some topics are a bit disgusting, graphic or explicit and not for the kids👧🙅.

Includes talk of satanic cats 🐈‍⬛, animal accents 🐐, unsexy corn flakes 🥣, wolverine toads 🐸, blood-shooting lizards🦎🩸, suicide sex-bees 🐝, British tank tea 🫖, astro pee 🛰️, urine mouthwash 😬, ancient dogs 🐕, 23-hour dinosaurs 🦕 and a lot more. Listen all the way to the end as things get incredible in the 2nd half. Transcript available. 

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/04/insane-facts-true-or-false-with-amber-paul-987/

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Insane-Facts_-True-or-False_-with-Amber-Paul-987-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Another short story on LEP to entertain you and help you learn some more English words and expressions. This one is a creepy tale about a room in a house with a strange, fatal attraction. People can't stop themselves going through the door, but then what happens to them? Follow along with me and try to understand the final, crucial line at the end. I will explain everything, analyse the vocabulary line by line and teach you plenty of useful English phrases. PDF available as usual!

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Bad-Room-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-986.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/27/the-bad-room-learn-english-with-a-short-story-986/

Sign up to LEP Premium for more vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation episodes from me 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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A funny British English 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.

Sign up to LEP Premium to hear the vocabulary review for this episode with my wife 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/10-Questions-about-Food-with-Martin-985-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/20/10-questions-about-food-with-martin-985/

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[984] English listening practice in the form of an authentic conversation about ghosts and the paranormal. Returning guest Anna Brooke returns to talk about her latest book "Death by Chocolate" which is inspired by various spooky and unexplained experiences she has had recently, including a suspected haunting of her apartment, poltergeist activity, cold and creepy atmospheres, sightings of spirits and more strange encounters. Anna describes these experiences and we have a discussion about the paranormal. A premium episode with vocabulary review is available for premium subscribers. PDF transcript also available.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Paranormal-Experiences-with-Anna-Brooke-984-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/13/paranormal-experiences-with-anna-brooke-984/

Learn 19 vocabulary items from this episode with Premium series 78 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuim

"Death by Chocolate" available now 👉 https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/death-by-chocolate/

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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.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/English-Language-Haiku-Master-John-Stevenson-Interview-983-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/06/english-language-haiku-master-john-stevenson-interview-983/

Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

"My Red" by John Stevenson available from Brooks Books 👉 https://www.brooksbookshaiku.com/Stevenson-MyRed.html

The Heron's Nest haiku website 👉 https://www.theheronsnest.com/March2026/index.html

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Haiku poems communicate a lot of ideas, thoughts and feelings into just a few simple words. They can be moving, humourous or meditative, and reading haiku in English allows you to learn vocabulary in a very interesting way. In part 1 I talked about the form and history of haiku, and read out various short poems in English from both Japanese writers and modern English ones. In part 2 here I finish reading my haiku selection, including many written by English-language haiku master John Stevenson. Listen to each one, consider the different meanings and interpretations and also learn specific words and phrases to expand your English vocabulary.

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haiku-in-English-2-982-1.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/03/30/haiku-in-english-2/

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In this episode I discuss optimism and pessimism, what forms our outlook on life, which is healthier, how we talk about optimism and pessimism in English and which perspective helps you learn English more effectively. Expect some discussion, science, vocabulary, advice for learning English and a few jokes thrown in for good measure. PDF available.

Get the episode PDF (free) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Is-the-glass-half-empty-or-half-full_-Vocabulary-Discussion-891.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/03/23/is-the-glass-half-empty-or-half-full-vocabulary-discussion-891/

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Practise listening to British English conversation and enjoy some complaining, ranting and funny anecdotes in this episode based on the concept of a popular BBC TV chat show. My guest is Charlie Baxter from The British English Podcast. Charlie has chosen 3 things which he wants to be locked inside the mythical "Room 101" 🚪 an imaginary place where all the things you hate in the world are stored forever. What would Charlie like to remove from the world to be kept inside this room? And what is the shocking info about a certain popular British English YouTuber 👩‍🏫 that could break the internet? 🤔

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Room-101-with-Charlie-Baxter-980-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/03/16/room-101-with-charlie-baxter-980-funny-british-english-listening-practice/

Listen to Luke's Room 101 choices on The British English Podcast this week 👉 https://pod.link/1533216336

Watch Luke on BEP (YouTube version) 👉 https://youtu.be/56jqC8Q88oc?si=Gy2w7udJsRR8yaVh

Sign up to LEP Premium for a vocab review for this episode 👉 https://lep.supercast.com

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Time to learn English with another short story on Luke's English Podcast. Listen to the story and my comments, then learn vocabulary as I break down the text line by line and teach you English in context. This time it is a funny little tale written by Saki - the English author and master of the short story. A mischievous lad is punished by his strict aunt, but who ends up having the last laugh?

Get the episode PDF with story text 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Lumber-Room-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-979.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/03/09/the-lumber-room-learn-english-with-a-short-story-979/

LEP Premium for episodes focusing on vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Following my chat with my mum last week, now it's my dad's turn! In this episode my plan was to ask my dad lots of questions about his life, and to listen to him talking about the various choices he has made, and experiences he has had, as well as details about his parents. The result is another deep chat about family history, and my dad's life story. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it. Full transcript available.

Get the episode transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/My-dad-talks-about-his-life-978-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/03/02/my-dad-talks-about-his-life-978/

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[977] Recently I visited my parents at their home, and while I was there I took the time to record conversations with them both. This first one is with my mum. I asked her questions about her life story, our family history, her memories of growing up and so many other things that I was curious about. The result is this recording. I hope you will find that it is not only good for your English listening practice, but also fascinating and absorbing as a piece of personal history. Full transcript available.

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/My-mum-talks-about-her-life-977-Transcript.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/23/my-mum-talks-about-her-life-977/

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Here's an epic rambling episode in which I talk about learning English with BBC Radio and TV 📻 vocabulary 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 listening and learning from me to you. #learnenglish #britishenglish #englishlistening

👉 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RAMBLEMANIA-3-Hours-of-English-Listening-Learning-with-Luke-976.pdf

👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/16/ramblemania-3-hours-of-english-listening-learning-with-luke-976/

👉 Sign up to LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

👉 A Phrasal Verb a Day podcast https://apvad.libsyn.com/

📺 The Office UK - Big Keith's Appraisal https://youtu.be/IkYUDQCYGHA?si=T1Hz0VQ9HIrhLOSw

📺 Downton Abbey clup - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAnsGZCahlU

📺 Monty Python - The voice of God - https://youtu.be/z-iWe4qXUD8?si=za7e_XF3CsGjuDjm

#LearnEnglish #BritishEnglish #EnglishListening

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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.

Get the PDF transcript & summary of main points 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/How-to-Write-Well-in-English-with-Fabio-Cerpelloni-975-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/09/how-to-write-well-in-english-with-fabio-cerpelloni975/

Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

🧔🏻 Fabio's website & blog 👉 www.fabiocerpelloni.com

📚 Fabio's books 👉 https://fabiocerpelloni.com/books/

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[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.

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Haiku-in-English-974.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/02/haiku-in-english-974/

Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Back by popular demand, here is another Sherlock Holmes short story on LEP. This one tells the suspenseful tale of a young engineer 👷 who accepts a well-paid but mysterious job. In classic horror movie style, he ignores so many red flags 🚩 and warnings ⚠️ and ends up paying the price for it! But, can Holmes and Watson make sure that justice is served? I tell the story and explain some details and words along the way. Story text and summaries available on the episode PDF.

Get the PDF with story text, vocabulary list and vocabulary quiz here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/26/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb-learn-english-with-a-short-story-973/

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/26/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb-learn-english-with-a-short-story-973/

Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[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.

Get the episode PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Identity-Mindset-Accents-Learning-English-with-Multilingual-Actor-Ivan-Doan-972-Transcript.pdf

Episode page with language learning insights 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/19/learning-english-accents-identity-mindset-with-multilingual-actor-ivan-doan/

Sign up to LEP Premium (20% off until 31.1.26) 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[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.

Get the episode PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-Science-based-Life-Hacks-to-Improve-your-English-Learning-Potential-PART-2-971.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/12/9-science-based-life-hacks-to-improve-your-english-learning-potential-part-2-971/

20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 (hurry hurry hurry) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[970] Part 1 of 2. An English podcast about simple habits you can introduce in your life, to be in top condition for learning English all year long. This is all backed up by scientific research into how our brains work, how we learn language, 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.

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-Science-based-Life-Hacks-to-Improve-your-English-Learning-Potential-PART-1-970-1.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/05/9-science-based-life-hacks-to-improve-your-english-learning-potential-part-1-970/

20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

learn English, English learning tips, English listening practice, English podcast,

British English, Luke’s English Podcast, language learning science,

learning habits, habit formation, neuroscience of learning,

improve your English, English fluency, ESL podcast,

1 percent rule, atomic habits, marginal gains,

new year habits, motivation for learning,

cognitive performance, how to learn English

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[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.

⛑️ Donate to MSF today to help people in need https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WORLD-NEWS-QUIZ-2025-with-Stephen-from-SEND7-Podcast-969-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

🔗 Episode page with questions and answers 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/29/world-news-quiz-2025-with-stephen-from-send7-podcast-969/

🏆 20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 https://lep.supercast.com

🎧📰 Listen to SEND7 podcast here 👉 https://pod.link/1505603790

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[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 are new words, picked by Collins, which reflect big 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 new words and listen to conversation about big issues in society. Full transcript available.

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/25/the-words-of-the-year-2025-with-amber-paul-968/

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Transcript-968-The-Words-of-the-Year-with-Amber-Paul-1.pdf

🏆 20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[967] A 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" situation which he faced in West Africa recently. Listen to some spontaneous conversation between friends in English. Full transcript available.

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/22/robbing-the-louvre-escaping-to-nigeria-with-amber-paul-967-catching-up-16/

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Transcript-967-Catching-Up-with-Amber-Paul-16.pdf

🏆 20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[966] Here is a super-long seasonal rambling episode, which you can 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. This is a long one, but the more you listen, the more it will help your English! 💪🎅

📄 Get the PDF with all my notes here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Ramble-Before-Christmas-966-Episode-PDF.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/15/the-ramble-before-christmas-966-listen-learn-english-with-luke/

🏆 20% off LEP Premium in Dec & Jan https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

🎁 Give LEP Premium as a gift (also 20% off in Dec/Jan) https://lep.supercast.com/gifts/new

Join me as I chat to you in English for nearly 3 hours about:

- LEPster listening habits in 2025 (Spotify Wrapped) 🎧

- Messages and emails with funny stories from LEPsters 📧

- Bits of grammar & vocabulary teaching ✍️

- ChatGPT's questionable teaching skills 🤖🤔

- AI hallucinations 😵‍💫

- Dreaming in English 💭

- Responses to recent episodes 💬

- 12 jokes dissected in the Comedy Corner 😂 🐸

- More funny comments from my daughter 👧

- Another dramatic Hollywood action movie screenplay 🎥

...and finally a vocabulary quiz for the whole episode. ✅

All of that in your Christmas stocking 🧦 this week, with cosy log fire background sounds 🔥 as well.

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[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.

Get the episode PDF with story text and word list 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Kit-Bag-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-965.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/08/the-kit-bag-learn-english-with-a-short-story-965/

LEP Premium 20% off in Dec and Jan 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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In this audio-only episode today you can join me at home as I potter around, and take time to relax while recording a rambling episode for you to enjoy. Enjoy the sounds of street noise outside, and my attempts to find the most comfortable spot in my flat where I can ramble about various things, including several robberies in Paris - one of which is the famous heist at the Louvre museum, where burglars broke in and stole precious jewels worth millions, in broad daylight. The other robbery was more painful - our own apartment, which was broken into earlier this year. Join me as I discuss all of these things and more. The video episode this week is a walk & talk in Paris.

Get the episode PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/A-Cosy-Rambling-Episode-at-Home-964.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/01/a-cosy-rambling-episode-at-home-964-walk-talk-mission-in-montmartre/

Walk & Talk: Mission in Montmartre 📺 https://youtu.be/b0THApJaJTs

20% off LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[963] Emma Camara Ortega and I worked together as English teachers years ago, but since then Emma has become a licensed counsellor and therapist - helping people with their mental health. In this episode, Emma talks to me about what is involved in counselling, and we discuss some everyday habits to promote good mental health. This should be full of interesting insights and helpful tips for mental wellbeing, which is so vital for our general lives but also to help us learn as effectively as possible. Full transcript and vocabulary list available.

Get the PDF transcript & word list 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Talking-Therapy-Mental-Health-Counselling-with-Emma-Camara-Ortega-963.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/11/24/talking-therapy-mental-health-counselling-with-emma-camara-ortega-963/

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Emma Camara Ortega in the UK Counselling Directory 👉 https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/emma-camara-ortega

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[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.

Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Door-in-the-Wall-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-962.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/11/17/the-door-in-the-wall-learn-english-with-a-short-story-962/

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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[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.

Get the episode transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Emma-from-MmmEnglish-and-Hey-Lady-961-Transcript-1.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/11/10/emma-from-mmmenglish-and-hey-lady-961/

Emma's Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mmmenglish_emma/

Hey Lady! website 👉 https://www.heylady.io/join

Hey Lady! IG 👉 https://www.instagram.com/hey_lady_community/

Hey Lady! YT 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@heyladyenglish

MmmEnglish on YouTube 👉  @mmmEnglish_Emma 

LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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A particularly useful and interesting episode for you today - a conversation about English words which are very similar, but crucially, not the same. My guest Eli Burnstein is the author of “Dictionary of Fine Distinctions” - a book which aims to bring clarity to English words. Expect a funny discussion about subtle shades of meaning between words like poison & venom, accuracy & precision, envy & jealousy and many others. Eli is Canadian, now living in London and so he also shares some key features of Canadian English. 

📄 Get the PDF transcript https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fine-Distinctions-Subtle-Shades-of-Meaning-with-Eli-Burnstein-960.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/11/03/fine-distinctions-subtle-shades-of-meaning-with-eli-burnstein-960/

🏆 LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

📗 Get the book in the UK https://www.waterstones.com/book/dictionary-of-fine-distinctions/eli-burnstein/9781805227229

📘 Buy the book from Profile Books https://profilebooks.com/work/dictionary-of-fine-distinctions/

📙 Also available on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dictionary-Fine-Distinctions-Nuances-Niceties/dp/180522722X/

🧔‍♂️ https://www.eliburnstein.com/

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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.

📄 Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/How-to-learn-English-with-my-podcast-959.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/10/27/how-to-learn-english-with-my-podcast-959/

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Sign up to LEP Premium here 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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

📄 Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A-Free-Sample-of-LEP-Premium-Series-71-_-Vocabulary-Pronunciation-958.pdf

🔗 Website page for this episode 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/10/20/a-free-sample-of-lep-premium-series-71-vocabulary-pronunciation-958/

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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. PDF available with transcript and vocabulary list.

📄 Get the PDF with transcript and vocab list 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/More-Questions-of-English-Listener-Comments-_-Bits-Bobs-5-957.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/10/13/more-questions-of-english-listener-comments-bits-bobs-5-957/

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium for more lessons on vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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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 📄.

🎧 Get OOZ004 - James' new vinyl EP 👉 https://oozrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ooz004

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Thompson-Originals-A-Chat-with-My-Brother-956-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/10/06/thompson-originals-a-chat-with-my-brother-956/

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium for extra episodes about vocab, grammar, pronunciation 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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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.

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lets-take-a-REAL-C1-English-Test-CAE-Use-of-English-955.pdf

🔗 Website page for this episode 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/29/lets-take-a-real-c1-english-test-cae-use-of-english-955/

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What is the pass mark for this CAE test?

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).

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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)

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Transcript-Holiday-Hell-Serious-Sandcastles-AI-Inbreeding-with-Amber-Paul-954-2.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/22/holiday-hell-serious-sandcastles-ai-inbreeding-with-amber-paul-954/

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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.

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/A-game-of-Would-You-Rather_-with-my-daughter-953-TRANSCRIPT-1.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/15/a-game-of-would-you-rather-with-my-daughter-953/

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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.

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/The-Trip-to-Norway-_-Learn-Vocabulary-in-Context-952.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/08/the-trip-to-norway-learn-vocabulary-in-context-952/

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Dealing with some questions from listeners about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, namely how to know when 'd is had or would (in writing and pronunciation), the curious origins of the word podcast and a vocabulary lesson about the word cast including various collocations and phrases which include this morpheme (that means a part of a word, not some kind of shape-shifting alien). More groundbreaking and genre-defying content to grace your earphones, and not boring grammar stuff at all, not even a little bit, no, no way, not here.

Get the PDF here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Questions-of-English-Listener-Comments-Bits-Bobs-4.pdf

Website page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/01/questions-of-english-listener-comments-bits-bobs-4-951/

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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.

Get the full PDF transcript here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Flatmate-from-Japan-Returns-Travelling-Tales-More-950-TRANSCRIPT-.pdf

Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/25/the-flatmate-from-japan-returns-travelling-tales-more-950/

LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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In this episode I take a typical multiple choice grammar test that you can find online, explain the answer to each question and give mini grammar lessons along the way. I also discuss what makes a good test of your English, and what good and bad level tests do. Learn more about grammar, and about how to check your language level.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lets-take-a-C1-English-Grammar-Test-and-critique-it.pdf

🔗 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/18/lets-take-a-c1-grammar-test-and-critique-it-949/

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In this fun and practical episode I dive into realistic workplace English through improvised role-play conversations. Designed to help you boost your vocabulary, listening skills, and confidence in professional settings, this episode features six humorous and educational role-play scenarios in workplaces like a factory, office, supermarket, and a shop. Listen to me improvising with ChatGPT and see if it can keep up with some ridiculous ideas, and learn some useful practical English in the process.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Workplace-Role-Plays-_-Scenarios-for-Practical-English-948.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/11/workplace-role-plays-scenarios-for-practical-english-948/

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This episode is all about choices we have to make relating to technology in our everyday lives, and the vocabulary of technology today. This episode focuses on issues such as information quality & fact checking, digital sustainability, AI and automation, security, surveillance and privacy, tech company ethics, & tech and well-being. All important topics which you should be able to talk about in English! PDF available. Part 2 of 2.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Technology-in-Everyday-Life-Part-2-The-Choices-We-Make-_-Topic-Discussion-Vocabulary-947.pdf

🔗 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/04/technology-in-everyday-life-part-2-the-choices-we-make-topic-discussion-vocabulary-947/

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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.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Technology-in-Everyday-Life-Part-1-The-Choices-We-Make-_-Topic-Discussion-Vocabulary-946.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/07/28/technology-in-everyday-life-part-1-the-choices-we-make-topic-discussion-vocabulary-946/

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Sometimes it is fine to laugh at the mistakes that we make in English (I do it in French) and so in this episode let's look at some English errors that are unintentionally hilarious. I will correct the errors, explain what is funny, and there is a lot of vocabulary to learn in the process. PDF available with vocabulary list and memory questions.

📄 Get the episode PDF with vocabulary list and memory questions https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Funny-English-Errors-Corrected-945.pdf

🔗 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/07/21/funny-english-errors-corrected-945/

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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.

📄 Get the PDF transcript here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Listen-Learn-English-with-Luke-This-is-SOMETHING-944-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/07/14/listen-learn-english-with-luke-this-is-something-944/

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium here https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

👉 Subscribe for more episodes about learning English, grammar, vocabulary and British culture.

👉 Leave a comment with your favourite part of the episode or a question for me to answer next time.

🎧 Listen, relax and improve your English naturally with Luke’s English Podcast.

✨ Explore my podcast archive at https://teacherluke.co.uk/episodes

🕵️‍♂️ Try out LukeGlish to search all my podcast content by words and phrases: https://LukeGlish.com

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Time for another Sherlock Holmes mystery story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on the podcast, because: Why not? I have adapted the text into modern English this time. A champion racehorse 🐎 has gone missing, and its trainer violently murdered. Only Sherlock Holmes can find the solution 🕵️. Listen to the events, follow my summaries and simply enjoy another story on Luke's English Podcast. PDF available 📄.

Episode page with PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/07/07/943-sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-silver-blaze-learn-english-with-a-short-story/

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Improve your English and reduce stress with this unique ASMR-style episode ☁️ 🧘. Join me for a relaxing, meditative journey featuring calm background music, softly spoken English, vocabulary for peace and tranquillity, some grammar practice, and gentle humour. Designed to help you learn English naturally while calming your mind, this episode is ideal for listening in bed, during quiet study, or or on a peaceful walk. Includes ambient music by my brother Jim Thompson. ASMR English, learn English while relaxing, calming English podcast, mindfulness, ESL listening practice with humour. Episode transcript available.

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/942.-The-ASMR-Zen-School-of-English-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/06/30/942-the-asmr-zen-school-of-english-learn-english-and-relax/

🎧 "Ambient Anthology" by Jim Thompson 👉 https://jimthompson.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-anthology

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Learn English with a short story on LEP. In this episode I am reading "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" by HG Wells (adapted into modern English). First you can listen to the story, then I summarise it again in my own words, discuss my interpretations of its meaning, explain how you can use stories like this to improve your English, and teach some vocabulary which came up.

📄 Get the PDF with story text, notes and vocabulary list here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/941.-The-Man-Who-Could-Work-Miracles-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-PDF.pdf

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium to get all vocabulary explanations for this story in premium series P69 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/06/23/941-the-man-who-could-work-miracles-learn-english-with-a-short-story/

📖 Read the original (unadapted) story text here 👉 https://revistaliterariakatharsis.org/manmiracles.pdf

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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. 

📄 Get the episode PDF with transcript, recommendation summaries & vocabulary list 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/940.-Our-favourite-things-to-do-in-London-Part-2-Transcript.pdf

📺 Watch "Walk & Talk: London 🇬🇧" on YouTube 👉 https://youtu.be/Rd8Auzn-KfI

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/06/09/940-our-favourite-things-to-do-in-london-part-2/

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Here is part 1 of a double episode about London 🇬🇧 and great things you can see and do there 🎡. Listen to my friends and family describing their favourite things to do in the city 🍻, get some travel tips 🏙️, get a mini history lesson 🏛️, and learn some vocabulary in the process. 

📄 Get the episode PDF with transcript, recommendation summaries & vocabulary list 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/939.-Our-favourite-things-to-do-in-London-Part-1-Transcript.pdf

📺 Watch "Walk & Talk: London 🇬🇧" on YouTube 👉 https://youtu.be/Rd8Auzn-KfI

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/06/09/939-our-favourite-things-to-do-in-london-part-1/

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A return to Luke's Film Club with a conversation about one of the funniest and most controversial films of all time, also voted one of the UK's favourite films. Antony and I discuss the film's writing, production, story, famous scenes, deeper meanings and acting by the various members of the Monty Python team. Transcript available.

📄 Get the PDF transcript here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/938.-Film-Club_-Monty-Pythons-Life-of-Brian-with-Antony-Rotunno.pdf

🔗 Website page with links to previous Monty Python episodes 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/06/03/938-film-club-monty-pythons-life-of-brian-with-antony-rotunno/

Links for Antony’s Podcasts 👇

Glass Onion: On John Lennon https://pod.link/1473867166 (A deep dive into the life and complex psychology of John Lennon)

Film Gold https://pod.link/1544641271 (Discussions about favourite films)

Life & Life Only https://pod.link/1549021296 (All about the search for inner and outer truth)

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It's my birthday 🥳 so join me for a relaxed and light-hearted ramble, first with some comments about recent episodes and other podcast housekeeping, and then a series of talking points with the Spinning Wheel of Random Questions ☸️ including bits about how being an English teacher affects my social interactions 💬, the infamous ice-cream wars of Ice-Cream Island 🏝️, leading an army of English learners into battle on the back of an Elephant 🐘, the title of my (hypothetical) autobiography 📖, and my age revealed at the end of the episode. Full transcript available 📄.

📄 Get the PDF with transcript and questions 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/937.-A-Birthday-Ramble-_-The-Spinning-Wheel-of-Random-Questions-PDF-.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/05/27/937-a-birthday-ramble-the-spinning-wheel-of-random-questions

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👕 LEP Merch 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/merch

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In this episode, I’m joined by Alastair Budge from Leonardo English to explore how you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to boost your English, especially when combined with podcasts. We go through specific, practical ways to actively engage with podcast content using AI — improving your listening, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and even speaking. Alastair shares a set of very useful prompts and techniques you can try out straight away, and we discuss the pros and cons of using AI for language learning. There's also a bit of fun as I try chatting with an AI version of myself. Download the free PDF in the show notes for all the prompts and ideas we mentioned, plus a full transcript.

📄 Get the PDF with all prompts and transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/936.-How-AI-Can-Boost-Your-English-with-LEP-feat.-Alastair-Budge.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/05/19/936-how-ai-can-boost-your-english-with-lep-feat-alastair-budge/

🏆 Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

🎧 Leonardo English 👉 https://www.leonardoenglish.com/

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This episode is all about the exciting topic of driving, getting stuck in traffic jams, the future of our roads and how self-driving cars might be the solution. What is so annoying about traffic jams? Why do they even happen in the first place? Have you seen your first self-driving car yet? Will they solve our driving problems, or not? The episode is full of anecdotes, analysis, opinions and plenty of vocabulary. PDF available with notes, vocabulary list & vocabulary quiz.

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/935.-Terrible-Traffic-Jams-Self-Driving-Cars-Topic-Vocabulary.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/05/12/935-terrible-traffic-jams-self-driving-cars-topic-vocabulary/

🏆 LEP Premium 👉 https//www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Have you ever wondered about sign language, how it works and if it is similar to other languages like English? In this conversation I speak to Siobhan Dodd who is a sign language interpreter between English and BSL (British Sign Language). Siobhan is an enthusiastic and entertaining guest and we have a great chat about the nature of sign language, the challenges & opportunities faced by the deaf community today, and some of Siobhan's memorable interpreting experiences, such as working at the Glastonbury music festival.

📄 PDF Transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/934.-Sign-Language-is-Fascinating-with-Siobhan-Dodd.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/05/06/934-sign-language-is-fascinating-with-siobhan-dodd

🏆 LEP Premium 👉 https://lep.supercast.com

📸 Siobhan on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/unclesiobhan/

🎧 Siobhan's Podcast (The Following Through Podcast) 👉 https://pod.link/1797539101

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Hello! In this episode I focus on English expressions and idioms that originated in the works of William Shakespeare and are still used in modern everyday language. Notice the expressions in various contexts, fully understand their meanings and use, explore their origins in Shakespeare's work, and gain valuable lessons about how to learn new vocabulary with real world examples. Also, learn about my short-lived career as a goalkeeper for the legendary football team "Chadwick FC".

Includes a PDF worksheet and transcript.

📄 Get the PDF here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/933.-The-Best-English-Expressions-are-from-Shakespeare-_-Learn-English-Vocabulary.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/04/29/933-the-best-english-expressions-are-from-shakespeare-learn-english-vocabulary/

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In this episode I talk to my parents about the topic of William Shakespeare. We discuss the enduring appeal and significance of William Shakespeare's work, biographical details of his life, the key themes in Shakespeare’s plays, and the impact of his language on modern English. We try to explain the qualities that make Shakespeare great, using examples from plays like Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth. 

We also consider the challenges of understanding Shakespeare and suggest ways for newcomers to engage with his plays, such as watching film adaptations.

Enjoy a conversation about this important figure in English language and culture, with two other important figures - my mum and dad!

PDF available with transcript, vocabulary list and vocabulary quiz. Premium listeners - watch out for a language review of this episode coming soon, in P68 "Learn English with Shakespeare" parts 1 & 2.

📄 Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/932.-What-is-so-great-about-Shakespeare-with-Mum-Dad.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/04/21/what-is-so-great-about-shakespeare-with-mum-dad/

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This episode features a conversation with Zdenek about fears and anxieties experienced in everyday life. We explore common fears such as driving, flying, culture shock, language learning and public speaking, plus vocabulary we use to talk about the subject. Listen for stories of Luke's fear of Paris cafes, airport anxiety, Luke's dramatic scooter ride in Nha Trang, Zdenek's fears of Vietnamese roads and driving, Luke's recent cycling accident in Paris, Zdenek's encounter with a London police officer, nerves about teaching, and more.

The accompanying PDF worksheet offers a vocabulary list from the conversation, with definitions, examples, and quizzes and a full transcript to help you boost your English with the episode.

📄 Get the PDF here (lucky you - it's very expensive but you can have it completely free) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/931.-Overcoming-Fears-with-Zdenek.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/04/14/931-overcoming-fears-with-zdenek/

⚽️ The Footglish Podcast (Learn English with Football) 👉 https://pod.link/1751816033

💬 Zdenek's Discord server "The Achiever's Chamber" 👉 https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

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This episode is about the bizarre and funny questions that people input into Google. I explore and answer some of these questions, explaining some vocabulary. The result is an engaging and intellectually light-hearted discussion involving the usual mix of rambling, and English teaching. The episode covers a range of topics, from personal health, sex and relationships to broader existential and practical issues, with some diverse and absurd moments. The language style is a mix of informal slang and neutral high-frequency vocabulary related to personal matters and common problems. I hope you enjoy it! PDF available with a full transcript and vocabulary list.

📄 Get the episode PDF (transcript, vocabulary list) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/930.-Can-I-eat-my-cat-other-weird-Google-questions-answered.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/04/07/930-can-i-eat-my-cat-weird-google-questions-answered-topics-vocabulary/

🏆 LEP PREMIUM 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Sarah Donnelly comes back onto LEP to catch up and to tell us about her stand-up special, now available to watch on YouTube, and to do a British English vs American English pronunciation quiz.

Sarah’s show is called The Only American in Paris and we discuss some of the themes of the show - the real experience of being a US citizen living in Paris, the Netflix show Emily in Paris, cultural differences, learning French, plus a pronunciation quiz to help you compare UK and US English.

📼 Watch Sarah's stand-up show here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2_N_CRoRz0&ab_channel=SarahDonnelly  @sarahdcomedy 

📄 Get the episode PDF with quiz questions and full transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/929.-Sarah-Donnelly_-The-Only-American-In-Paris-US-vs-UK-Accent-Quiz.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/31/929-sarah-donnelly-the-only-american-in-paris/

🏆 Sign up for LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Learn English with another short story on Luke's English Podcast. This one is about a learner of English who has an extraordinary experience. Listen to me tell the story, and summarise it, then explain plenty of natural, commonly occurring, up-to-date English vocabulary.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/24/928-the-abduction-learn-english-with-a-short-story/

Get the PDF with transcript and vocabulary notes 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/928.-The-Abduction-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-1-1.pdf

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Finally, it's here - the medieval museum episode with Amber & Paul. Join us as we visit the museum of the middle ages in Paris. Learn about the history of the middle ages, find out about some of the art and artefacts from that period, including some fantastic symbolic tapestries, sculptures and weapons, and have fun with a few jokes along the way.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/17/927-walk-talk-medieval-museum-with-amber-paul-kyle/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The other day I was thinking about how podcasts must be good for your mental health, and how this could be connected to the tradition of collective oral communication which was the first form of mass media in most human civilisations, and how this has been central to human psychological and cultural development over the years. So, I made this podcast episode about it. Expect discussion of culture, history, psychology and communication, with plenty of vocabulary explained. Detailed PDF available.

Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/926.-Oral-Storytelling-Traditions-and-the-Mental-Health-Benefits-of-Listening-to-Podcasts.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/11/926-oral-storytelling-traditions-and-the-mental-health-benefits-of-listening-to-podcasts/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Walaa was first on this podcast in episode 703 she talked about living in Syria as a student during the civil war (or people’s revolution) but at that time she felt she could not talk in detail about the situation. Now that the Assad regime is no longer in control of Syria, Walaa feels she can talk more candidly about what it was like to live near Damascus during those days. Walaa’s descriptions are both shocking and moving. This is the topic of this episode, which is part 2 of a two-part series.

👉 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/06/925-walaas-experience-in-syria-walaa-mouma-returns-part-2/

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Walaa Mouma returns to the podcast after 4 years to give us an update about her academic studies and personal story, including getting married and moving to Wales, details of her PhD doctorate, as well as her other studies and volunteer work helping to teach English to refugees and asylum seekers. Walaa's passion for this work is inspired by her own personal story of learning English, seeking asylum in the UK and studying in the UK's academic system, which she first talked about in episode 703 of this podcast. Part 1 of a 2-part episode.

Episode page with more information and links to Walaa's social media 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/03/03/924-walaa-mouma-returns-part-1-phd-studies-in-wales-teaching-english-for-refugees/

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A rambling episode full of spontaneous speaking from me to you. Topics include; an exercise for you to practise your spoken fluency 🗣️, the benefits of extensive listening to spontaneous speech 🎧, overcoming mental blocks 🌳, the English of my daughter and raising our kids to be bilingual 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, some reactions to recent episodes 🙉, some thoughts about upcoming content 🔮, some bird-related idioms 🐦, the phrasal verb "to follow through" including its rude meaning 💩 ...and more! PDF transcript available.

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/02/23/923-a-rambling-exercise-for-fluency-late-winter-2025/

Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/923.-A-Rambling-Exercise-for-Fluency-_-Late-Winter-2025-Transcript.pdf

LEP Premium info ℹ️ https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amber joins me for a discussion of some words which reflect various cultural movements of the last 12 months or more. Learn some trending words and listen to discussions of topics such as the influence of online content on mental health, the Oasis concert ticket scandal, an exploration of the 'lore' of LEP, romantic fantasy books, the rise of AI and more. Includes a PDF with my episode notes and vocabulary lists.

The Oxford Words of the Year is a shortlist of words chosen by OUP because they saw a significant increase in usage in 2024 and because they represent certain cultural moments of recent times.

📄 Get the episode PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/922.-Words-of-the-Year-with-Amber.pdf

Episode page on my website (with links for previous episodes) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/02/17/922-words-of-the-year-with-amber/

The Oxford Words of the Year (OUP website) 👉 https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/

LEP Premium information ℹ️ https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Sign into your premium account 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/account

Sign up for LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

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Ian Moore returns to the podcast to talk about his career shift from stand up comedy to writing "cosy" crime novels. After several decades as a professional stand-up comedian, Ian has transitioned to writing murder mysteries. Now he is a bestselling author and his books are being adapted for television. In this episode Ian talks about ending his stand-up comedy career, why he was not suited for life as the host of a guesthouse, writing books on trains, and why his COVID lockdown was actually great.

🔗 Episode page on teacherluke.co.uk 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/02/10/921-from-comedy-to-cosy-crime-with-ian-moore/

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/921.-From-Comedy-to-Cosy-Crime-with-Ian-Moore.pdf

📚 Ian's books 👉 https://www.ianmoore.info/

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Do you know more animal vocabulary than my 6-year-old daughter? Find out in this episode which covers over 60 items of vocabulary for describing animals, their body parts, habitats and behaviour. I am joined by my daughter for a quiz and chat about different kinds of animals. PDF available with quiz questions, vocabulary review & more.

Episode page with PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/02/03/919-animal-vocabulary-quiz-with-my-daughter/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another fun chat with my friends Amber Minogue & Paul Taylor. This one was recorded in early January and we talk about running & fitness 🏃, falling out of bed 🛏️, my phone's battery issues 🪫, our Christmas meals 🍗, Amber's family bingo game 😅, Paul's horrendous Christmas rat story & some rat facts 🐀, insights into the lives of urban pigeons and country cats 🐈, handheld microphone technique 🎤 and Paul's lovely new jumper (or is it a sweater, or a pullover?)

No homework and no PDF this time.

Just enjoy keeping up with this conversation and catching up with Amber & Paul once again.

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/01/27/919-catching-up-with-amber-paul-14/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another classic Sherlock Holmes mystery story by Arthur Conan Doyle on the podcast. This time it is The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle - a case of a stolen gemstone! 💎 My aim here is to help you to understand and enjoy the story. I’ll read the original text to you, and will explain and summarise what is happening regularly. Just relax, listen carefully and try to enjoy this classic story. PDF available.

👉 Get the PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/918.-Sherlock-Holmes_-The-Adventure-of-The-Blue-Carbuncle-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story.pdf

👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/01/20/918-sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-blue-carbuncle-learn-english-with-a-short-story/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a listener-generated episode, meaning that the content is mostly written by listeners of this podcast. In this one I read out various comments and messages from listeners who have improved their English with the podcast. They describe the progress they've made and how they did it. Expect lots of success stories and plenty of advice for improving your English in 2025.

Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/917.-Listener-Stories-How-LEP-has-helped-my-listeners-with-their-English-Success-Advice.pdf

Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/01/13/917-listener-stories-how-lep-has-helped-my-listeners-with-their-english-%e2%98%85-success-advice/

LEP Premium info 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lengthy New Year's message about how to improve your English through consistent podcast listening. This episode details how regular listening improves comprehension, pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency, incorporating listener testimonials and tips, with some specific advice about how to push your English with this podcast.

Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/916.-Learning-English-in-2025-with-Lukes-English-Podcast-.pdf

Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/01/06/916-learning-english-in-2025-with-lukes-english-podcast/

Listen to the audio podcast 👉 https://pod.link/312059190

My phrasal verb podcast 👉 https://pod.link/895725104

LEP Premium info 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for a quiz about some curious stories from the news this year (2024). Stephen Devincenzi from the SEND7 Podcast is the quizmaster for the third year running, and has prepared questions that will test my knowledge of some of the slightly less serious global news stories this year. Can you beat me in the quiz? Listen to find out.

🔗 Episode page (with quiz questions) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/29/915-the-world-news-quiz-2024-with-stephen-from-send7-podcast/

🎧 Listen to SEND7 Podcast 👉 https://pod.link/1505603790

⛑️ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Consider donating to help people in need of medical aid this year 👉 https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

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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.

Send your answers to my questions here luketeacher@hotmail.com (1. How has LEP helped your English? 2. Do you have any tips for improving your English with LEP?)

📄 Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/914.-A-Midwinter-Ramble-❅-Lukes-English-Podcast.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/24/914-a-midwinter-ramble-lukes-english-podcast/

💻 Sign into your Acast+ account (LEP Premium) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/account

⭐️ LEP Premium info 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to a short story and learn some useful English vocabulary in the process. This one is called The Snowman - a mysterious winter tale about a creepy snowman which appears outside a cabin in a remote forest. Follow the story, and learn plenty of descriptive vocabulary.

📄 Get the PDF (story text, vocabulary notes, vocabulary list) 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/913.-The-Snowman-⛄️-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/17/913-the-snowman-learn-english-with-a-short-story

📼 Animated Horror Flicks on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@AnimatedHorrorFlicks

🏆 LEP Premium info 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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!

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/912.-Bits-Bobs-3-Questions-of-English-Part-3-More-Listener-Comments.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2024/12/10/912-bits-bobs-3-questions-of-english-part-3-more-listener-comments

🏆 LEP Premium info 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiuminfo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.