| Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson |
Luke's English Podcast is an award-winning podcast for learners of English. Listen, learn and have fun while picking up natural British English as it really is spoken. http://teacherluke.co.uk  |
383. More Ian Moore
9/27/2016 2:46:04 PM
In this episode you are going to hear part 2 of my conversation with Ian Moore and I've decided to call this one "More Ian Moore" - do you see what I've done there? "more Ian Moore" I bet nobody has ever made that joke about his name before, right? Before we listen to Ian Moore, I just want to mention a few things... Click here for the page for this episode: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Tj
Please take my survey / Anecdote Competition / 'Russian Joke' Video
9/23/2016 9:47:17 AM
This is just a 'quick' message from me to you about a podcast survey on the website, a reminder of the anecdote competition, a new video I've made about the Russian joke and some more rambling about things like The Beatles and conspiracy theories. The next 'proper' episode will be uploaded in a few days. Click here for the page for this episode to take the survey: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6U5
382. Mod Culture with Ian Moore
9/21/2016 7:01:06 AM
Today on the podcast I'm talking to Ian Moore, who is a professional stand up comedian, published author and mod from London. Ian is probably the best dressed man ever to appear on this podcast. He is also a professional talker with many things to say. In this part we talk mainly about mod culture. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6RQ italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
381. Discussing Cultural Differences (with Amber & Paul)
9/16/2016 1:00:29 PM
In this episode I'm talking to my friends Amber and Paul about cultural differences, particularly in the ways we communicate with each other in different countries. Details: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5wO italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
380. Catching Up with Amber and Paul #3
9/12/2016 2:42:45 PM
In this episode the PODPALS Amber and Paul are back and we're going to have the normal catching up session in which they talk about what they have been up to recently. As usual we sit on the terrace and get interrupted by insects, the sun, neighbours on their balconies around us (including a naked man eating his lunch) and the inevitable references to a certain Russian joke that always comes up in our conversations. Episode page: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Qk italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
379. The LEP Anecdote Competition
9/7/2016 11:44:48 AM
Details of a new LEP competition / Competition rules / Advice & Tips / Inspiration / Some Funny Anecdotes Transcript & videos here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Pr italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
378. Holiday in Thailand (Part 2)
9/5/2016 4:03:22 PM
Here is part 2 of this description of my recent holiday in Thailand. In this one you can hear more stories and descriptions about different parts of the country, learning how to cook, a conversation with a monk, doing yoga every day, a couple of messages from listeners and some reflections on gratitude, forgiveness and guidance. Transcript and notes here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Ol italki offer http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
377. Holiday in Thailand (Part 1)
9/3/2016 3:10:27 PM
This episode contains stories and descriptions of my recent holiday in Thailand. You'll hear some facts about Thailand, some descriptions of Bangkok and a few stories about funny experiences that happened while we were there. Part 2 is coming soon. More details and transcriptions below. Enjoy! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6O7 italki offer http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
I'm going on holiday - no podcasts for a while
8/12/2016 4:30:21 PM
This is not a full episode of the podcast - I'm just letting you know that I'm going away for a few weeks so there will be no podcasts for a little while. We're getting away from it all for a few weeks. I probably won't be online much, perhaps not at all. A couple of places we're going to don't have any internet at all. It's going to be a bit of a digital detox. So, I won't be uploading episodes for a while, and I won't be responding to comments and stuff, but I look forward to reading your comments when I get back. More details here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Me
376. A Game of Mini Golf and a Pint (with James)
8/12/2016 3:41:29 PM
In this episode my brother James and I go for a game of mini golf in the local park, and then head to the pub for a pint of beer. While doing that we have a discussion about English history, life in the countryside vs life in the city, the London riots of 2011 and how James feels about being a guest on my podcast. I've uploaded a lot of new episodes recently but that's going to stop soon when I go away on holiday for a few weeks. Click here for more details and a transcript of some sections of the episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Mh Audible offer http://www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke
375. The LEP Pub Quiz (with Alex Love)
8/12/2016 10:52:10 AM
In this conversation Alex is in Edinburgh in Scotland and I'm in Warwick in England. In the previous episode we talked about pub quizzes and how they're a common part of pub culture in the UK, so I thought we would play a kind of pub quiz with each other. The only problem is that neither of us are in a pub, but that doesn't matter - this is a podcast and you can use your imagination. Details here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6M2 Audible offer http://www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke
374. Alex's Edinburgh Fringe Report
8/12/2016 10:42:34 AM
In this episode I talk to Alex Love in Edinburgh about his show, some details about the culture of pub quizzes in the UK and we go off on several quite instructive tangents about stag and hen parties, male strippers, The Smurfs and the anatomy of giant squid, which are large sea creatures with tentacles. That sounds quite random but it's not really. It's actually perfectly logical and it will all become clear as you listen to the conversation, and I think there's quite a lot to learn about British culture in this episode as you'll see. I've also highlighted a lot of vocabulary for you to watch out for. Click here for the details http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Ls Audible offer http://www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke
373. Who Wants to Be Good at English?
8/10/2016 9:48:13 PM
This episode is a game show hosted by my Dad, with me as the contestant. The aim of the game is to see how many words I know. My Dad designed this quiz for his students of journalism at the university where he works sometimes. The quiz is specifically designed to highlight what he considers to be common misuses and misunderstandings of words. His opinion is that journalists writing and presenting on television should use words in exactly the right way, even if many people use those words to mean different things in general everyday use. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6LA italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
372. The Importance of Anecdotes in English / Narrative Tenses / 4 Family Anecdotes
8/9/2016 12:04:00 PM
This episode of the podcast is all about telling anecdotes in English. Anecdotes are little stories about our experiences that we share while socialising. It's important to have a few anecdotes of your own and to know how to tell them properly. In this episode I'm going to give you some advice for how to tell an anecdote and then you're going to listen to some true anecdotes told by members of my family that I recorded yesterday evening during dinner. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6KT italki offer http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
371. In Conversation with Rob Ager from Liverpool (PART 2: Film Analysis / Hidden Meanings / Stanley Kubrick / Conspiracy Theory)
8/7/2016 1:33:18 PM
This is part 2 of my conversation with Rob Ager from Liverpool, who makes documentaries about films and publishes them himself on his website Collative Learning. If you haven't heard part 1 yet, you should check that out before listening to part 2. In this conversation we talk about Rob's approach to film analysis, hidden meanings in films, the work of Stanley Kubrick and the conspiracy theory about the moon landing. More details here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6Ji italki offer http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
370. In Conversation with Rob Ager from Liverpool (PART 1: Life in Liverpool / Interest in Film Analysis)
8/7/2016 1:26:00 PM
Today on the podcast I'm talking to Rob Ager from Liverpool, who is probably best known for his film analysis videos on YouTube in which he discusses classic Hollywood thrillers, sci-fi and action movies in quite astonishing levels of detail, often focusing on deep psychological and political themes and hidden messages that most viewers probably wouldn't even notice. His videos are carefully constructed documentaries, made for educational purposes and all of them feature a voice-over commentary by Rob in which he analyses the film and gives his observations. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6J3 italki offer: Http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
369. Pokémon GO - It's just a game, OR IS IT?
8/3/2016 7:08:23 AM
Today I'm talking about Pokemon Go. It's a global phenomenon and there are lots of things to say about it. It's not just a stupid game, there's a lot more to it than that. So, in this episode I'm going to describe Pokemon the game, then talk about Pokemon GO, including what it is, how it works, what people are saying about it, why it's so significant, what some of the good points and bad points are, and what this might mean for the future. Notes & transcript here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6IB italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk
368. The LEP Annual General Meeting 2016 / QUESTIONS
8/2/2016 10:12:56 AM
Welcome to the LEP Annual Meeting 2016, which actually doesn't take place on an annual basis. In this meeting I'm going to deal with various points of admin (including a language point about words like 'annual', 'biannual', 'biennial' etc, Pokemon Go, Transcript Collaboration, LEP Meet-Ups, Comedy shows, music, torrent sites and a comment from a vampire) and I'm going to ask you various questions during the episode. Please give your answers to the questions (any of them) on the page for the episode here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6FP italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
367. Talking about Nothing with Alex Love (Invaded by Robot Aliens) PART 2
7/31/2016 3:24:09 PM
Hello and welcome to part 2 of this conversation with my friend Alex Love. If you haven't already heard part 1, I suggest you go back and listen to that. I've divided this episode into two parts just because I thought it was a bit long and that it would be easier for you to deal with two slightly shorter episodes than one epically long one. Click here for the episode page http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6HQ italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
366. Talking about Nothing with Alex Love (Invaded by Robot Aliens) PART 1
7/31/2016 12:22:41 PM
On the podcast today I am in conversation with Alex Love, who you might remember from some previous episodes of this podcast. Alex Love regularly performs stand-up comedy gigs in London and in Manchester where he now lives. At this moment he's preparing for the Edinburgh Festival where he will be performing a one-hour show which he has written himself, called "How to Win a Pub Quiz". The show is a mix of stand-up comedy and pub quiz trivia and it has had some good reviews at previous festivals. If you're in Edinburgh this August you can see Alex's show at a venue called The Stand in rooms 5 & 6 (venue 319) at 12 o'clock midday from 4 to 14 August. Click here to visit the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6FV italki offer: http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/talk
Quick Hello / Notting Hill Carnival Audio
7/27/2016 4:46:48 PM
Hi everyone, in this episode I'm just letting you know that I'm very busy at the moment, which is why I haven't uploaded an episode for a while. Normal podcasting will resume soon. In the meantime, you can listen to the audio track from a video I did in 2009 at the Notting Hill Carnival. There are 40 phrasal verbs in the video. Can you find them? You can see the video below, with a full transcript and all the phrasal verbs in a list + definitions. You're welcome! Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6FH
365. BREXIT: 3 Weeks Later (A conversation with my Dad)
7/17/2016 6:04:22 PM
In this episode I finish the series I've been doing about Brexit in the same way that I started it, by having a conversation with my Dad. First I'll highlight some vocabulary and phrases, then you can hear my Dad giving his comments about what has happened since the UK voted to leave the EU three weeks ago. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6DX
364. TEN TOP TIPS for Learning English
7/15/2016 5:38:30 PM
LEP is back after a two-week absence. This episode is about top tips for learning English. Here are some ideas about learning English that have occurred to me in the last couple of weeks of teaching intensive general English classes at school. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6D2
363. Muhammad Ali & The Rumble in the Jungle
7/3/2016 6:34:34 PM
This is a special episode about Muhammad Ali and the story of one of his most famous fights, "The Rumble in the Jungle". In the episode you'll hear me give a biography of Ali and then I go into lots of descriptive detail about the fight, exploring exactly what happened in and out of the ring and why he is now considered not only one of the greatest boxers but one of the most outstanding people of recent times. The episode is almost 100% transcribed. See below for details http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6pv
362. Getting things off my chest! (Part 2) Brexit / Football
6/28/2016 5:16:47 PM
Hello, welcome back to the podcast. This is part 2 of a fairly long rant I recorded today about the Brexit situation and England's awful performance in the football yesterday. There might be some strong language and swearing. There will also be lots of fairly strong political points of view from me. Please listen to the whole thing and try to avoid knee jerk reactions. If you disagree with me please feel free to leave a comment because I am open to other points of view - but I encourage you to fully flesh out your opinion, don't just give your knee-jerk reaction without backing it up with some evidence or justification. Click here for a transcript http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6vf
361. Getting things off my chest! (Part 1) Brexit / Football
6/28/2016 5:12:27 PM
Here's another episode about what's going on in the UK at the moment - in politics and in football. I know I am talking about this subject a lot at the moment, but I just can't help it - it's too big. Too many things are happening! So there will be more Brexit & football in this episode and then it'll be back to podcasting as usual. Oh and by the way there will be some swearing in this episode because I'll be sharing some comments from some angry people online and generally there has been quite a lot of swearing and kicking of furniture all across the country since Friday - especially yesterday while watching England get knocked out of the Euros. Swearing is rarely appropriate - remember that. Only at the right time in the right place. E.g. when watching England play football, or while thinking for two seconds or more about the EU referendum. Also, another preface here - you'll notice that I'm pretty unhappy about things at the moment, but don't worry I'll bounce back, and Luke's English Podcast will continue with the usual sort of episodes soon. I just have to get some things off my chest about what's been going on. Click here for a transcript: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6uU
360. THE DAY AFTER BREXIT (Thoughts and feelings)
6/24/2016 3:58:51 PM
The UK has voted to leave the EU. Here are my thoughts and feelings. http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/06/24/360-the-day-after-brexit-thoughts-and-feelings/
359. BREXIT JOKES / EU REFERENDUM NIGHT
6/23/2016 10:11:44 PM
It's referendum night and I've decided to share my stand-up comedy material about the EU referendum in this episode of the podcast, because after today I might not be able to use these jokes ever again! This works much better in front of a live audience of course - so you'll have to imagine that! Anyway, I hope you enjoy listening to some of my 'jokes' and humorous comments about this big moment in UK history. By the way, when I recorded this I didn't know the result of the referendum. Click here for more information http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/06/24/359-brexit-jokes-eu-referendum-night/#disqus_thread
358. World Music Festival in Paris / Fête de la Musique
6/22/2016 11:38:56 PM
Join my wife and *me as we walk around the streets of Paris during the annual World Music Festival. You'll hear live music, descriptions of the scene, a couple of conversations with people we met, and the sounds of this amazing evening in the city of light. It's another long episode, but I hope you listen to all of it because I just really want to share the atmosphere and moments of this special event. Check here for photos http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6rx
357. Learning Languages with Olly Richards
6/19/2016 8:35:36 PM
In this episode I'm talking to Olly Richards the polyglot from England. Our conversation covers points about what accent you should learn to speak with, the importance of developing clear pronunciation and effective communication in English, using Periscope to listen to native English speakers and the physical side of learning a language. See below for a transcript to the introduction, more information and links to Olly's work. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6pI
356. News / Football / Brexit / Events in the UK / Jo Cox
6/17/2016 4:03:57 PM
Hello welcome to this LEP meeting. I've called this meeting in order to deal with some stuff that's going on at the moment. On the agenda for today we have some news, some football updates including the England vs Wales game from yesterday, some more Brexit chat and then at the I'll talk a bit about the incident that happened yesterday involving a British MP called Jo Cox, which is a pretty tragic story. That's still developing and we don't know the full facts yet. It just happened yesterday and by the time you listen to this it might have developed further. Click here for the page for this episode http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/06/17/356-lep-meeting-football-brexit-events-in-the-uk-jo-cox/
355. EURO 2016 Football: Hooliganism & Violence in Marseille / England vs Russia
6/13/2016 2:47:10 PM
In this episode I talk about the EUROs including how it feels having the championship here in France, the violence in Marseille that occurred between English fans, Russian fans, local French fans and the French police this weekend, and the England vs Russia game that happened on Saturday. I welcome your comment on this subject so please share your thoughts under the page for this episode. A transcript is available for 95% of this episode. Click here to visit the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6qp Image: UEFA.com
354. Would You Rather...? (with Amber, Paul & James Simpson)
6/9/2016 11:02:19 PM
aka "The Accordion Legs Episode" Listen to Amber, Paul, James Simpson and me as we play a light-hearted speaking game called "Would you rather...?" and hear about having accordions for legs, being stuck in a lift with a pair of wet dogs and living on a desert island with a mermaid (or merman). You'll also hear the results of the interactive lying game from episode 343. There are notes and some transcriptions below. Share your comments on the page for this episode. How would you answer these 'would you rather' questions? Notes and transcriptions here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-wF
353. Award Ceremony / Paris Weather / Crazy Idea
6/7/2016 8:41:24 PM
This episode started with no title and no particular aim, but I ended up chatting about walking the red carpet at the ELTon awards, the rain and floods in Paris, getting struck by lightning, the revolution of fibre optic internet at home and a crazy idea about doing live podcast recordings around the world. Listen up! More details here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6pp Buy English lessons on italki and get a 100ITC discount here http://teacherluke.co.uk/talk
352. BREXIT: Key Vocabulary and Concepts
6/7/2016 3:49:20 PM
This is a vocabulary episode about the language of BREXIT. Click this link for all the vocabulary http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6ma
351. BREXIT: Should the UK leave the EU? (A conversation with my Dad)
5/29/2016 11:51:29 AM
Hello everyone, I hope you're well. Here is an episode featuring a conversation with my Dad about Brexit - The UK's referendum on the EU. Finally! I've been mentioning this for a while so here it is. You've seen it in the news, you've read it in the papers - the UK is having a referendum on membership of the European Union and who knows, we might end up leaving. It's all over the news and the internet in the UK at the moment, everyone's talking about it - you can't escape it and it's going to get more and more intense the closer we get to 23 June, the date of the referendum. I've had plenty of messages from listeners asking me to talk about this on the podcast, so here we go. Click here for the LEP Brexit poll and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6kQ #brexit #eureferendum #english #language #learning
350. Film Club: X-Men Apocalypse (Review)
5/25/2016 10:17:34 PM
This is the final episode in this superhero series and simply put, I'm going to make fun of the latest X-Men movie. Now, you might not be into the superhero stuff and I totally understand, but let me give you a heads up about this episode. Basically, I didn't like the film and so I'm more interested in poking fun at it than talking about it seriously. So, that might make it more fun to listen to than the other superhero ones I've done lately. You can just kick back and enjoy me taking the mickey out of this film. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6kE
349. Who's the best superhero? (with Paul Langton)
5/24/2016 6:03:26 PM
More movie-relating talking in this episode as I speak to my friend Paul Langton. Expect plenty of very descriptive vocabulary about different characters, backstories, abilities and weaknesses. Click here for notes and transcripts http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6jC
Can I have a quick word with you? (It'll only take about 15 minutes)
5/23/2016 2:54:14 PM
Hi listeners - this is just a 15 minute episode. I just want to have a quick word with you. The thing is, I'm worried about a few things and I wanted to talk to you about them. Have a listen to this episode or read the notes below. Let me know what you think about what I'm saying in the comment section. Thanks! Luke :) http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/05/23/can-i-have-a-quick-word-with-you-itll-only-take-about-15-minutes/
348. Film Club: Marvel / Captain America Civil War (Part 2)
5/19/2016 10:40:29 AM
Here is part 2 of this episode about superhero films and the Marvel cinematic universe. Before you listen to this I suggest that you listen to part 1. Where was I at the end of the last episode? I was giving you my history of superhero movies over the last 30-40 years, and the plan is to go into more detail about the recent Marvel films and then review the new Captain America movie. *No spoilers * So, let's continue. Click here for transcript/notes http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6jE
347. Film Club: Marvel / Captain America Civil War (Part 1)
5/19/2016 10:09:57 AM
In this episode I'm talking about superheroes, Marvel movies and the latest Captain America film. By the way, I will do my best to avoid spoilers. I am only going to mention information which is basically common knowledge. I don't think listening to this will really spoil your enjoyment of any of the films in the marvel universe. So, you shouldn't worry about spoilers. Click here for transcript / notes http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6hU
346. Rambling on a Friday Afternoon
5/13/2016 6:56:00 PM
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms / More NY Stories / Politics / Leicester City / Google Adverts Welcome back to another podcast episode. It's nice to be back in your headphones or speakers. In the last episode of this podcast I talked to you about some recent bits and pieces such as the ELTon award nomination, my recent trip to New York and some other stuff. I also gave you a language task to keep you on your toes. I'm going to continue along the same lines in this episode and I have a list of things here to talk about and we're going to continue with the language spotting exercise. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6h0
345. ELTon Award Nomination / Phrasal Verbs & Idioms / Brooklyn / The Revenant / Museum of Natural History & More
5/11/2016 6:59:34 PM
Breaking News! LEP Nominated for a British Council ELTon Award for Digital Innovation. In this episode you'll hear me talking about what's been going on since I recorded the last episode, including: LEP's nomination in the British Council ELTon awards, Leonardo DiCaprio fighting a bear in The Revenant, my adventure to the American Museum of Natural History and more. Also - for all the vocab hunters out there - watch out for some phrasal verbs and idioms. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-6bT
344. A Totally Terrific Talk on the Terrace with The Tangential Trio (feat. Tom Morton)
4/22/2016 3:22:19 PM
What? Another new episode? Slow down Luke! We can't keep up! OK I will slow down, I promise. I am going on holiday tomorrow and I will be quiet for a couple of weeks so I just wanted to upload another podcast before I go. While I'm away you'll have a chance to catch up with all these new episodes. This is #344 and it's another rambling conversation with podcast PALS Amber & Paul, but this time we're joined by a fourth member of the team. Could this be The Fantastic Four that LEPster Olga mentioned in a recent comment? Only you can decide... Topics of conversation in this totally tangential talk on the terrace include: jingles, voice overs, the Queen's birthday, the monarchy, Princess Diana and more... Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-63l Groovy background music c/o http://www.bensound.com Photos (clockwise - left to right) Princess Diana, a ladybird, Fantastic Four logo, The Queen, Tim Curry, Dave Grohl, LEP logo)
343. The Interactive Lying Game (with Amber & Paul) / Descriptive Adjectives with T / Three is a Magic Number
4/20/2016 7:32:16 AM
In this episode I'm joined by podcast pals Amber & Paul and we're playing the Lying Game again, but this is a special version because this is The Interactive Lying Game. I know - it's exciting. Try to control yourself. Find details, adjectives, nicknames, polls and links to song lyrics on the page for this episode here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Y9
342. Paul's "La Bise" Video Success / Audition Story (with Amber & Paul)
4/18/2016 9:09:58 AM
In this episode I'm joined by podcast pals Amber & Paul and we talk about Paul's hit youtube video about French kissing habits, his newfound success as a stand-up (he's the hottest kid in town), some online abuse he's had and then an anecdote about an audition that we attended recently, which involved a surprising misunderstanding about accents. There's also a brief language focus on using relative clauses with 'which' to extend your sentences when speaking. Enjoy! Click here for the page for this episode and to watch Paul's video http://wp.me/p4IuUx-62J Image: c/o Robert Hoehn / French Fried TV
341. Catching Up With Amber & Paul, Again
4/15/2016 2:47:50 PM
Amber & Paul are back on the podcast after a 4 month absence. What have they been doing? Let's catch up with them again, and respond to some comments from listeners. This episode was recorded in the open air, up on the terrace of my flat in the April sunshine. Click here to find the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Zj
340. LEP Photo Competition Results & Winners / It's LEP's 7th Birthday
4/7/2016 3:25:28 PM
Results & winners of the LEP photo competition announced, and - it's the 7th birthday of Luke's English Podcast! This episode is long but you don't have to listen to it in one go. You can listen, pause, do something else, listen later and so on. Click here for the page for this episode to see photos and vote in a poll about names: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Yb
339. A Murder Mystery Detective Story (Part 2 of 2)
4/3/2016 4:31:51 PM
Here is the concluding part of this detective story, which is based on a text adventure by Peter Carlson on www.textadventures.co.uk. In the first part you heard me playing an adventure game in which I have to analyse clues and choose the right options to continue a story and solve a murder. Before listening to this episode you should listen to part 1 of the story. Click here here to listen to part 1: http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/03/31/338-a-murder-mystery-detective-story/ In this episode (part 2) you'll hear the rest of the story, and if you don't understand what's going on - don't worry, I'll explain it at the end and you can read a summary of the story below. Enjoy! Visit the page for this episode here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Wc
338. A Murder Mystery Detective Story (Part 1 of 2)
3/31/2016 4:12:10 PM
In this episode I'm going to read through an interactive text-based adventure story. The story takes place in Victorian-era London (19th century) and we'll play the part of an expert detective who, like Sherlock Holmes, tries to solve a complex murder mystery. Follow me as I read through the story and attempt to solve the crime in the process. Can you understand the evidence and make the right decisions to solve the case? You can read the text-based adventure story and play the game yourself at textadventures.co.uk For all the relevant details, click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5W6
337. MURDER MILE WALKS: Stories of London's Most Infamous & Shocking Murders [Some Explicit Content + Swearing]
3/23/2016 9:13:49 AM
In this episode I'm talking to Moz on his canal boat in London. We talk first about issues relating to swearing on television, and then Moz tells us some true stories about murder on the streets of London. Moz has recently launched several walking tours of Soho in central London and over the last year or two he has been researching local court records in order to tell these true stories in full detail. CAUTION: this episode contains some explicit content including descriptions of violence and horror. There is also some strong language and swearing at the end of the episode. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Re
336. Drinking Scottish Whisky at a German Business Meeting While Wearing a Kilt and Playing a Flute... and other stories (with Carrick Cameron)
3/16/2016 8:48:21 AM
This episode features another natural conversation with a native English speaker. This time I'm talking to my mate Carrick, who I've known for about 10 years now. He is a teacher who used to work in the same school as me, back in London. We have a few things in common, like the fact that we've both had a few strange travelling experiences as English teachers, including the time when he once attended a meeting in Germany that involved not only the usual business work but also the drinking of some very rare and expensive scotch whiskies, which meant that the meeting turned into a kind of musical party with guitar and flute playing, quite a lot of whisky drinking, a late night and then, unsurprisingly, a bit of a hangover the next day. Listen to hear a few anecdotes, some authentic English conversation and more. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Qg
335. VOCABULARY REVIEW: Phrases & Expressions from Episode 334
3/13/2016 1:47:55 AM
This episode is a chance to review and explain some of the vocabulary that you heard in my interview with Craig Wealand. Download the episode and read the list of words in this episode here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5LB
334. Interview with Craig Wealand (from InglesPodcast)
3/9/2016 3:56:36 PM
This episode features an interview with English teacher and podcaster Craig Wealand from InglesPodcast.com Craig is originally from Essex in England, but now lives in Valencia in Spain where he works as an English teacher and Cambridge examiner for the British Council. Craig has been an English teacher for over 20 years, and for the last few years he has also been producing episodes of his learning English podcast, which won the award for Best Educational Podcast in the UK Podcaster awards last year. In the episode we find out about Craig, talk about his career, his teaching experiences, his podcasting and also I ask him some random "quick fire" questions, just like he does with guests on his podcast. The page for this episode: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5La
333. More Misheard Lyrics ♬
3/1/2016 10:04:15 PM
OK, the last misheard lyrics episode was pretty popular and I've had several shouts of "more!" from the LEP community, so here we go again! What's this all about? Well, first of all it's a sequel to a previous episode of LEP. That's #281 "Misheard Lyrics" so you could listen to that before you listen to this. Basically, this episode is all about those moments when you mishear song lyrics. Let's have some fun listening to some songs, while trying to understand the lyrics! Click here for song titles and show notes http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4Cl
332. Olly Richards: English Polyglot - Top Advice and Strategies for Language Learning
2/26/2016 1:36:17 PM
This episode could make a huge difference to your English learning. So listen up and get ready for a motivational boost! Joining me on the podcast today is Olly Richards - a polyglot who speaks 8 languages. Olly has some very motivating and practical advice on how to learn languages as an adult. There's so much to learn from Olly in this episode, so I really want you to pay attention and have a proper think about the ways in which you are learning English. (I really sound like a teacher, don't I? - or your Dad or something - "Now pay attention! Sit up straight! Put that down! Stop fidgeting. Listen to the man! This is very important for your English in the future!) Click here for all the info http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5oz
331. How's your English? (and why speaking is so important)
2/22/2016 11:24:46 AM
Hi listeners, I've got a big big slice of podcast pie for you in this episode because I'm going to talk to you about some important considerations for language learning, some ways that you can push your English to new levels with LEP, and I'm going to talk about italki, which is a really great service that you can use to arrange conversations with native English speakers online from the comfort of your own home, and why as a listener to this podcast, you should check it out. There is also a transcript for this episode already available at teacherluke.co.uk so check that out too. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Gf
330. Let's Play... Grand Theft Auto 5 (and learn some English while doing it)
2/17/2016 1:51:16 PM
Hi listeners - this is a multitasking episode in which I record a podcast while doing something else at the same time. In this case I'm playing the classic computer game "Grand Theft Auto 5". Listen to hear some general discussion of the game, descriptions of what's happening while playing and some other bits and pieces. Transcript for the introduction available here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5Gj
329. A Rambling Chat with James (News, Stories & Jokes)
2/14/2016 1:11:36 PM
My brother has been visiting me in Paris this week and so just the other day I made him a cup of tea and got him on the podcast for a rambling chat. In this episode you'll hear us discussing these things: What we've been up to in Paris this week Jim's first stand up comedy performance Last Thursday's performance of "Sorry, we're English" with Paul Taylor Differences between Paris and London Some UK politics about the EU referendum Some USA politics about the presidential elections and candidates like Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Other news stories about drones, eagles, mosquitos and why women yawn more than men Jim's 'talking dog' joke Jim's dog anecdote That's it! There will be more language-oriented episodes of the podcast coming soon. Thanks for listening! Click here for the show notes http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5H8
328. Cooking with Luke - Verbs and Expressions in the Kitchen
2/3/2016 5:54:24 PM
I've been quite busy marking exams recently and haven't had a chance to upload any episodes for a few weeks, but today I managed to record this episode while preparing dinner. So in this one you'll hear me in the kitchen, multitasking - cooking a chicken dinner (recipe below) while describing everything that I'm doing. In this episode you'll learn some verbs for preparing food, words to describe different kitchen utensils and other language related to food and eating. Also, I ramble on about a few other things, as usual! Expect more podcasts to arrive in the near-ish future when I have a bit more time. Thanks for listening! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5EM
327. The LEP Photo Competition - Please check out the photos and vote
1/20/2016 3:34:29 PM
Hello listeners - this episode is all about the Luke's English Podcast photo competition which I launched in December in episode 313. I've received loads of photos from listeners and they're now presented on the page for this episode on my website, and they look fantastic, so please do have a look at them! In this episode I'm going to tell you how you can vote in the competition, and I'm also going to teach you some specific vocabulary and expressions for describing photographs, which is particularly useful if you're taking a Cambridge exam like FCE or CAE. That's what's going to to happen in this episode, so let's go! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5zO
326. Catching up with Oli (Part 2)
1/20/2016 8:29:17 AM
Here's the second part of the recent chat I had with my cousin Oliver. In this one we talk about becoming a Dad and predictions for the future. What will society be like in the next 10-20 years? What changes will we see in communication, technology, travel and other areas? What kind of world will Oliver's daughter grow up in? These are all questions we discuss in the episode. Watch out for language related to the future, technology, communication and childcare. Also, listen until the end to hear Oli play a nice tune on the guitar. Click here to go to the page for this episode on teacherluke.co.uk http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5yK
325. Catching Up with Oli (Part 1)
1/18/2016 3:02:32 PM
Here's a 2-part episode featuring a conversation with my cousin Oliver in which we talk about first some challenges he faced over the last few years (including dramatic things like a scooter crash, a tropical disease, a burglary and how he completely flooded his own house) and then some more positive things about being a father and predictions for how society will be different in the future. Also, listen for some general news and announcements about Luke's English Podcast. http://teacherluke.co.uk/2016/01/18/325-catching-up-with-oli-future-predictions/
324. David Bowie (Part 2)
1/14/2016 11:56:57 AM
Hello, welcome to Luke's English Podcast, which is a podcast for learners of English around the world. You are now listening to part 2 of a special episode about English musician David Bowie who died just a few days ago on 10 January 2016. The aim of this episode is to talk about David Bowie's significance as an artist, to consider some of the themes of his work and to look at why so many people had such a strong emotional attachment to him. Hopefully after listening to this episode you'll be better able to have conversations about David Bowie, but also about art and culture in general. You can find almost everything I'm saying transcribed on the page for this episode. Click here to read it and to access other content http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5yd
323. David Bowie (Part 1)
1/14/2016 11:55:52 AM
This episode is all about the life and work of David Bowie, the English musician who died just a couple of days ago. In the episode you'll hear me talk about the cultural significance of Bowie as an artist, why he is such a legend of British music, and what his music means to me personally. I hope you can use this episode as a way to learn more about British culture. Almost 100% of the episode is transcribed on the page for this episode - click here to read it http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5xQ
322. With The Thompsons
1/7/2016 9:56:17 AM
Hello again, how are you? Welcome back to the podcast. Here's a new episode for your listening pleasure. This one is a rambling conversation with my parents and my brother about everything and nothing. Click here for notes and ting http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5vv
321. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens - SPOILER REVIEW
1/4/2016 3:41:33 PM
Welcome back to Luke's English Podcast. Happy New Year. This is an episode of Luke's Film Club, and this time I'm joined by my brother James as we talk about the new Star Wars film in full detail including our thoughts, theories, favourite bits and memorable characters. This episode is full of SPOILERS, so be warned if you haven't already seen the film. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5vt
320. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
12/23/2015 5:59:24 PM
In this episode I'm going to read you a classic Christmas story - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. You can read the story as well as listen because the whole thing is included on the page for this episode. Click here for a transcript http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5s8
319. Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens - Reaction (No spoilers)
12/16/2015 5:05:09 PM
I saw Star Wars today and here's my response. No spoilers. :)
318. The Rematch (Part 2) with Amber & Paul
12/16/2015 12:07:08 AM
Welcome back to The Lying Game 2: The Rematch (Part 2). In this episode you can hear Amber, Paul and me continue our competitive game. Who's going to win this time? Will it be Paul, finally? Listen to find out what happens, and for details of the next version of the lying game which will be interactive. Click here for notes and more: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5pJ
317. The Rematch (Part 1) with Amber & Paul
12/11/2015 1:40:42 PM
This episode is called "The Rematch". It's one of those episodes that involves a competitive game between Amber, Paul and me. In the last one of these, called The Lying Game, this happened: The scores were level between me and Paul. Even stevens. We then played a tie-breaker. I told a story about the tooth fairy. Paul talked about burning down his house. I identified it as true. Since then, it has come to light that I may have cheated. I swear that I didn't, but some clever listeners noted that a story Paul told in The Lying Game was one he'd already told on the podcast before. So, I admit that a rematch is necessary, and here it is. This is The Lying Game 2: The Rematch. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5pg
316. British Comedy: Tim Vine (Part 2)
12/7/2015 8:44:25 PM
Listen to Luke explain the rest of Tim Vine's stand up routine from the video "One Night Stand". Learn some natural phrases and bridge the linguistic and cultural gap between you and native speakers of English. Click here for notes and to see the video: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5nA
315. Do me a favour - Take my Business English Survey!
12/3/2015 12:14:24 PM
Hello listeners, this episode of the podcast is entitled: Do me a favour - Take my business English survey! It's called that because I'd like to invite you to take a very quick survey on my website. You can find the survey at http://www.teacherluke.co.uk/businessenglishsurvey. Please do take the survey. It'll just take you a couple of minutes, but it will be extremely helpful for me because I'm planning new ways to help you. So, do me a favour and take the survey! Listen to this whole episode to find out all the details. There's a transcript available too. Click here for the transcript & survey http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5hc
314. Luke's Guided Sleep Meditation
12/1/2015 10:34:06 PM
Fancy brushing up your grammar while getting a really good night's sleep? Yes? Well, this episode is for you. It's a guided sleep meditation to make you feel all drowsy and relaxed with added hypnopedia - that's hypnosis and sleep learning both at the same time. So, kick off your shoes, turn down the lights, lie back, relax and drift off into an ambient dream state, while learning some English in the process. Don't listen to this while driving. Transcript here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5a1 zzzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzz
313. British Comedy: Tim Vine
11/27/2015 2:36:27 PM
In this episode we're going to listen to some stand-up comedy by a popular British comedian called Tim Vine, which should be pretty challenging because he tells lots of puns and fast jokes. Send me your photos: podcastcomp@gmail.com But before that, I just want to tell you about a new competition that I'm launching today for listeners to this podcast. This is the Luke's English Podcast photo competition. For all the details, to download this episode and to watch a video of Tim Vine, click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5iJ
312. The Words of the Year (Part 3)
11/25/2015 12:10:07 AM
Here's the third part in this series about the Collins Dictionary Words of the Year 2015. Listen to the episode to hear Amber, Paul and me discuss the rest of the words in the list. I'll also explain and clarify some vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation from our discussion. There are vocabulary notes and more information here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5fy
311. The Words of the Year (Part 2) *contains some rude language
11/18/2015 10:50:52 AM
Welcome to part 2 of this series about the Collins Dictionary Words of the year 2015. In this episode you'll hear me discuss these new words with Amber and Paul. I'll also explain and clarify a lot of the things you'll hear in our conversation. ***This episode contains some rude language and explicit content.*** Click here to read vocabulary notes and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5fx
310. The Words of the Year (Part 1)
11/18/2015 10:14:12 AM
In this series of three new episodes Amber, Paul and I talk about a list of the 10 Words of the Year which have been added to the Collins English Dictionary. We're going to explain the words and discuss the issues behind them and I'll also explain and clarify a lot of the language you're going to hear in our conversation. For a transcript of the introduction and vocabulary notes click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5es
Attacks in Paris - Paul Taylor's Eyewitness Account
11/16/2015 3:36:03 PM
Hi listeners, this episode of LEP is all about the terrorist attacks which happened here last Friday evening. I'm joined by Paul Taylor and we're just going to try to talk about what we saw, what happened and what's going on. Click here for a transcript of some parts of this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5g0 #eyewitness #parisattacks #report
309. The Lying Game (Part 2)
11/11/2015 12:22:37 AM
Welcome back to the second part of this double episode. In part 1 you heard me playing a speaking game with Paul & Amber. Go back to part 1 for the details of the game, including the rules. Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger, with the scores even at 2-2-2. Even stevens! Listen to this episode to find out more. TEACHERS: At the end there's a 15 minute section in which I explain exactly how to use this game in your English classes. You can download a simple .pdf worksheet (below) which you can use in your classes (just tell your students about LEP, or send me a little donation). Listen until the end of the episode to get my full instructions on how to use this awesome game to teach your students grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and speaking skills in a really awesome way. Click here for more information and to download a .pdf of classroom material for teachers http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5bI
308. The Lying Game (Part 1)
11/8/2015 12:35:56 AM
Hello, welcome back to LEP. This episode is called the lying game, and it's one of those ones in which I play a speaking game with my friends Amber and Paul. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-59z. A transcript for the first 15-20 minutes is available, just click the link given above. In the introduction you'll hear me welcome new listeners, talk a bit about my speaking speed on the podcast, mention the importance of listening to native speakers of English (even if it's a bit difficult to understand every word) and explain some of the content of the conversation you'll hear between Amber, Paul and me. Then, the speaking game begins properly. I really hope you have as much fun listening to this as we did recording it, because we really enjoyed ourselves! In part 2 (coming soon) you'll hear the conclusion of the game and I'll explain how I use this activity with my students in my English classes. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-59z
307. The Mystery of Corporate Jargon & Management Speak (Part 2)
11/4/2015 8:00:35 AM
'Peeling back the onion' on management speak and corporate jargon. This episode focuses on defining and explaining the examples of language you heard at the beginning of the last episode. You'll hear Paul and me going through all the phrases and by the end you should be able to understand it all, and you could create your own version of bullsh*t bingo! Click here to read definitions and to print some bulls*t bingo cards http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5cf
306. The Mystery of Corporate Jargon & Management Speak (Part 1)
10/28/2015 8:25:20 AM
Why do people in meetings at work keep talking about "thinking outside the box"? Why does my boss say we need to "get all our ducks in a row"? And why does my project manager want to "touch base with me offline"? If it's all a mystery to you, don't worry - LEP is here to decode all this weird language. If you work in an office in an English-speaking country I'm sure you'll have heard of 'corporate jargon' or 'management speak'. This is one of the things that people complain about the most, in offices all around the UK. It seems that managers, bosses, project managers, corporate leaders all speak a strange version of English full of bizarre idioms, over-complicated metaphors and unnecessarily big words. But what is 'management speak', why do people use it, and why do people find it so annoying? In this episode I'm joined by former Apple employee Paul Taylor as we 'peel back the onion' and decode the phenomenon of management speak. Listen to find out all the details and to learn some management speak in the process. Click here for transcripts and notes http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5aE
305. Back To The Future (Part 2)
10/22/2015 9:12:29 AM
In this episode I'm going to talk about: lessons we can learn from the story, a few fun facts, the 2015 predictions, how the DeLorean works, theories about time travel and some temporal paradoxes in the story. So strap in, let's go back to the future again. Click here for a transcript & more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5bi #backtothefuture #timetravel #2015predictions
304. Back To The Future (Part 1)
10/21/2015 8:08:40 PM
Hello listeners, welcome to Luke's Film Club, this is one of those episodes of Luke's English podcast in which we focus on a classic moment from the movies. This one is an episode about Back to the Future, which is one of my all time favourite films and I'm not alone because it's one of the most popular films of the last few decades, all over the world. It's a really entertaining and fun film, which also contains some sub-texts related to the complexities of time travel as well as a few visions of the future. Also, in the film's sequel, the main characters Marty McFly and Doc Brown end up travelling into the future - and to what date? October 21, 2015. That's today (when recording this). So it seems to be the perfect moment to do an episode of Luke's Film Club, devoted to this modern classic. This is basically international Back to the Future day, and there's only one! So, this has to be the day on which I record this episode. This episode mainly deals with the plot of the 3 Back To The Future films. The next episode will deal with other stuff like future predictions, time travel and technical details of the DeLorean. Click here for a transcript: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-5at
303. The Battle of Britain
10/19/2015 7:06:39 PM
This year marks the 75th anniversary of The Battle of Britain, and since this is such a pivotal moment in British history, I thought it would be appropriate to cover it in some way in an episode of this podcast. Also, I was asked recently by a listener in the comments section of my website to talk about the story of the Battle of Britain, specifically the role of one particular group of Polish pilots known as Squadron #303. So, here it is - the story of one of the most important moments in modern British history - The Battle of Britain, and the contribution made by a small group of pilots from Poland. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-528
302. Bad Dentist / Star Wars / Adam Buxton / Headphone Jams / Jarvis Cocker
10/14/2015 8:05:28 AM
Hi, this is the second part of a two part episode in which I'm telling you a few things about recent trending news stories, some anecdotes and other things that are in my head at the moment. There's no specific language focus this time. Instead I'm focusing on general cultural information. Last time I talked about David Cameron and the pig, a story of a bad gig, and who the hell is Ronnie Pickering? In this one I'm going to ramble on about a bad trip to the dentist, some rising excitement about the new Star Wars film, Adam Buxton's new podcast, some music that has been bouncing around inside my head, some news about a new jingle which is in the pipeline and how I want to hunt Jarvis Cocker for my podcast but I don't know how to do it! If you don't really understand those things, then listen on! All will be explained! All you have to do is listen. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-59J
301. David Cameron & The Pig / Bad Gig Story / Who is Ronnie Pickering?
10/11/2015 8:19:25 PM
In this episode I'm going to have a bit of a ramble about some stuff that's in the news at the moment and a few other things that have come into my brain. I'm not going to teach you anything specific in this one, no language anyway - just some bits and pieces about modern day British life. So generally I'm just going to keep you company for a while and talk to you one to one for the duration of the episode. Just you and me, and perhaps a bus load of commuters. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-59H
300. [2] EPISODE 300 (PART 2)
10/7/2015 8:18:27 AM
Welcome back to this landmark episode of the podcast. In this one we're going to carry on listening to messages from guests I've featured on the podcast over the years, then we'll hear messages from some extra-special celebrity fans, as well as some of imitations of me sent in by lepsters. Click here for more information and to make a donation http://wp.me/p4IuUx-58u
300. [1] EPISODE 300 (PART 1)
10/7/2015 8:13:20 AM
Here it is - Episode 300. This is quite a landmark episode for me. I've been doing the podcast for 6.5 years now, and I've uploaded about 300 hours of content for you to listen to. In this episode I talk about the significance of the number 300 in history, and then we take a trip down memory lane and hear messages from people I've spoken to on this podcast over the years. Click here for more information and to make a donation http://wp.me/p4IuUx-57C
299. The Bank Robbery (Part 2)
9/30/2015 9:54:46 AM
Welcome back to this special double episode in which we are planning a bank robbery as part of a communication game. I strongly recommend that you listen to the previous episode because it will help to make this one much easier to understand. In part 1 I explained the rules of this communication game, which involves a team coming up with a plan to rob a bank. I gave you all the key information which the team has to share, I clarified some useful language that you'll hear and then we listened to the first part of the bank robbery meeting, with our team of Amber, Paul and Sebastian. In this episode you're going to hear the rest of the meeting, and then we'll find out exactly what happens to them, and the full solution to the whole puzzle. Click here for lots of information and transcripts http://wp.me/p4IuUx-57f
298. The Bank Robbery (Part 1)
9/24/2015 7:12:51 AM
In this episode you're going to hear a group of my friends do a communication game in which they have to plan a bank robbery. We'll listen to the whole meeting, hear their plan come together and then find out what happens in their version of the robbery. We'll also consider some of the language used in the planning process. If it makes it more exciting, let me tell you that the stakes are very high in this episode – the team could get away with about £200 million in gold, cash and diamonds, or die trying. This is the bank robbery episode. As ever, you can leave your comments on the page for this episode and read transcripts and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-575
297. Using Humour in the IELTS Speaking Test (with Jessica from All Ears English)
9/18/2015 9:10:40 AM
On the podcast today I'm talking to Jessica Beck who has been working in English language teaching for over 10 years. She is an instructor, a teacher trainer and an author of 14 textbooks for learning English. You may also know Jessica from her work on the IELTS Energy Podcast (www.ielts.allearsenglish.com), which is part of the All Ears English. I talked to Gabby and Lindsay from AEE on LEP last year about culture shock, remember that? Well, Jessica is part of the All Ears English team, and is known there as the "Examiner of Excellence". So, she knows a lot about the IELTS test, and he's got some good advice for any of my listeners who plan to take the test, including how you can improve your speaking score if you have a good sense of humour. If you're not planning to take the test, these skills can also be applied to your use of English in general life too. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-54f
296. Learning Comedy is like Learning a Language
9/11/2015 9:46:46 AM
This episode features a conversation with my friend Paul Taylor, who you already know from previous episodes of LEP. Paul is back from the Edinburgh fringe, where he was performing for the whole of August in a comedy show, and a couple of days ago he came over to the flat for a cup of tea and a bit of a chat. We started talking about the Edinburgh fringe and how it went for him. It was his first time and I think he found it very challenging because the audiences were hard to please, apparently they had some tough shows where nobody laughed, and he realised that the standard of stand-up comedy in the UK is much higher than he expected, but it was a learning experience. Then we ended up talking about the similarity between learning how to do stand-up comedy and learning a language. During the conversation I quickly decided to record our thoughts so that I could make it into an episode of my podcast. We wrote down a few brief ideas and then went upstairs to start recording. You can now listen to that conversation here in full. Also, listen to the end to hear some funny out-takes from this episode. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-53R #language #learning #english #comedy #Edinburgh #fringe
295. California Road Trip (Final Part)
9/7/2015 1:30:15 PM
Hi and welcome back to LEP. This is episode 295, and it will be the final part of this 8-part series which is inspired by my trip to the west coast of the US recently. I'm going to talk about the final part of our journey from San Francisco, down the coast via Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo and back to LA. I'll also talk some more about customer service and give you some tips on how to make complaints in English and how to talk to strangers in slightly sensitive situations, like when you want a person sitting behind you to stop talking because you can't sleep. You can expect to hear those things and more in this episode. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-53v
294. California Road Trip (Part 7)
9/2/2015 2:45:52 PM
Hello listeners and welcome back. This is part 7 in this series which is based on my recent trip to California. I didn't expect this to be a 7-part series, but it just keeps going because I've found more and more things to talk to you about! It's like the podcast episode that refuses to die, it keeps coming back for more! It's like the Lambton Worm or something - just when I think I've finished it off, it gets longer! I think this will be the last episode, but who knows. Time seems to shrink when I'm recording episodes of this podcast. An hour seems to disappear in just a few minutes because I get really involved in what I'm saying. I wonder if it's the same experience for you. I hope so. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-53o
293. California Road Trip (Part 6)
9/1/2015 5:46:00 PM
Welcome to episode 293, which is in fact part 6 in this mini series based around my recent trip to California. There's still a lot to talk about, and in this episode I'll tell you about our time spent in San Francisco and that's going to include these things - my interview with AJ Hoge the well-known online English teacher, more British and American English, earthquakes, a short biography of Robin Williams, a history of the peace & love movement in San Francisco, more descriptions of our trip down the west coast of California, and some more tips about how to talk to waiters and customer service staff. It seems pretty obvious to me that that is too much for one episode, so I think there will probably be a part 7 to this series, and after that we'll return to normal podcasting and English teaching, with perhaps some more UK oriented topics in future episodes, and more episodes featuring authentic unscripted conversations with my friends Amber and Paul. Click here to visit the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-53e
292. California Road Trip (Part 5)
8/31/2015 1:42:26 PM
Hi listeners, I hope all's well. Here's part 5 in this series which I'm doing about my California road trip. In this episode I'm hoping to talk about these things: TThe Church of Scientology, Yosemite National Park and our slightly dramatic adventure there, more British and American English, and if time I'll talk to you about San Francisco, where among other things I met and interviewed AJ Hoge. So let's get started. [In fact I only managed to talk about Scientology and the Yosemite experience - British & American English, and AJ Hoge will be in the next episode]. Click here for more information and a transcript http://wp.me/p4IuUx-52G
291. California Road Trip (Part 4)
8/28/2015 3:52:42 PM
Hi everyone, here's part 4 in this road trip mini-series. How are you? Are you keeping up with all these new episodes? I suppose if you're listening to this it means you are keeping up, but don't feel rushed. Take your time, listen to them at your leisure, in your own time and at your own speed. I hope you're finding this series interesting. In this one I'm planning to cover these things: Hollywood Boulevard and celebrity culture, an analysis of the mysterious lyrics to Hotel California by The Eagles, a visit to the extremely wealthy area of Beverley Hills and some more differences between American and British English vocabulary. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-52w
290. California Road Trip (Part 3)
8/27/2015 6:12:54 PM
This is part 3 in what could turn out to be quite a long series about my recent trip around California. In this episode I'm hoping to talk about Venice Beach, Baywatch, Segways, the grammar of telling stories and anecdotes in English, some facts about the Hollywood sign, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and British & American English vocabulary related to driving. That's a lot of subjects to cover, so let's get started right away! Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-520
289. California Road Trip (Part 2)
8/26/2015 11:41:34 AM
Here's the next part of my description of my recent trip around California. This is a description of my honeymoon, but I'm also going to tell you about the cultural, geographical and historical context of the places we went to, and I'll give you some practical tips and teach you some British and American English too. This is part 2 of the California series. Let's carry on.
288. California Road Trip (Part 1)
8/25/2015 11:46:04 PM
This is a sort of diary or report of what happened on my honeymoon in California, but it's not just a description of a honeymoon. It's more than that, because not only am I going to tell you a few stories about what happened and what we did, but I'll also explain a bit of cultural and historical information, as well as give you some practical tips, including ways of communicating effectively in various situations. Click here for the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4U7
287. VOCAB BATTLE!!! WITH AMBER & PAUL (exciting title)
8/4/2015 6:19:07 PM
a.k.a "Vocabulary Game with Amber & Paul" or "Fifteen Fixed Expressions" (less exciting titles) Learn more English expressions in this episode by listening to another vocabulary game with Amber Minogue and Paul Taylor. Click here to visit the page for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4VL
286. The Wedding Episode
8/4/2015 11:33:07 AM
Hi everyone, how are you? As you know I got married a couple of weeks ago (applause & congratulations) and in this episode I'm going to tell you about my wedding day, including the preparation, the thoughts, the feelings, the emotions, and what happened on the day itself. I'm planning another episode in the future about the vocabulary of weddings. Click here to visit the page for this episode on my website: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4Je
285. Ten More Fixed Expressions
8/3/2015 9:11:41 PM
The next episode of LEP is here at last, after a one month absence. In this episode I'm joined again by Paul Taylor as we play another vocabulary game. Can you beat Paul, a native speaker of English, in this vocabulary guessing game? Listen to find out. Click here to visit the page for this episode: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4Vd
284. Questions from Tea4er.ru (Part 2)
7/8/2015 8:43:08 AM
Hi listeners, in this episode I go through some more of the questions sent to me by readers of Tea4er.ru. All the questions and most of my answers are added on the page for this episode, so you can read and listen at the same time if you want to. Access the page here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4yU
283. Ten Fixed Expressions
7/2/2015 2:09:17 PM
Listen to Paul and me play a guessing game involving ten fixed expressions. Can you beat Paul Taylor in this game in which you have to identify the expression being described by Luke? Listen and leave your comments here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4vS
282. Questions from Tea4er.ru
6/29/2015 5:55:48 PM
You can listen to an article about LEP and some Q&A from readers of Tea4er.ru all read out by Luke in this episode. Click here to read a transcript http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4yP
281. Misheard Lyrics
6/17/2015 4:26:53 PM
Do you ever listen to songs and completely mishear the lyrics? I do it all the time. In fact, everybody does! Let's listen to some song extracts in which the lyrics don't quite sound as the singer intended. Click here for the page for this episode http://teacherluke.co.uk/2015/06/17/281-misheard-lyrics/
280. The UK's Top 13 Superstitions
6/14/2015 12:10:11 PM
What are the most common superstitions in the UK? What are the origins of these superstitions? Why do we believe these things? Are there any particular phrases in our language that relate to these superstitions? Listen to the episode to find out more and click here for a transcript: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-28K
279. Marcus Keeley / Northern Ireland / Accent (Part 3)
6/10/2015 9:08:36 AM
Welcome back to part 3 of this short series. In parts 1 and 2 we got to know my guest a bit, and talked about Northern Ireland. Now in part 3 we are going to have a good listen to Marcus's Northern Irish accent, compare the way he and I speak, and also learn a few common phrases and slang from Northern Ireland. Enjoy! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4hx
278. Marcus Keeley / Northern Ireland (Part 2)
6/9/2015 3:31:33 PM
In part 1 of this episode we met Marcus Keeley. In part 2 we are going to talk specifically about Northern Ireland, its culture, the atmosphere there and things you can do if you visit as a tourist. There will be a part 3 of this conversation, which will focus on the accents and dialects in Northern Ireland. Click here for more details http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4hk
277. A Chat with Marcus Keeley from Northern Ireland (Part 1)
6/9/2015 11:30:12 AM
This episode is the first part of a conversation I had recently with a friend from Northern Ireland. It's the first time I've had someone from that part of the UK before so it's a chance to get to know him, his country and the accents you find there. In this one we get to know Marcus and give you a chance to hear his accent. There will be two more parts to this episode. Enjoy! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-4df
Survey: What kind of episodes of LEP do you prefer?
6/3/2015 4:07:57 PM
Please click here to take my survey. It'll just take you a couple of minutes and I don't need your name or email address. Thanks! Link here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-48e
276. Q&A Session #5
6/2/2015 11:03:57 AM
In this episode I'm responding to more questions from my listeners. These are all questions that found their way to me via the discussion forum or as comments or emails. This one is Q&A Session #5. Click here to read all the questions and some transcripts of my answers http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3XU To download a free audiobook go to http://www.audibletrial.com/teacherluke
275. The Phrasal Verb Chronicles #2
5/29/2015 10:04:07 AM
100 episodes ago I recorded The Phrasal Verb Chronicles #1 - remember that? The point of that episode was to improvise a made-up story as a way of reviewing the first 50 phrasal verbs from my other podcast which is called A Phrasal Verb A Day. I had to just come up with a random story, and add in a load of phrasal verbs. Your task was to try and spot the phrasal verbs as I used them, while also following the story. It's time to do it again because I've done over 100 episodes of A Phrasal Verb A Day. So now, in this episode I'm going to attempt to improvise another story using phrasal verbs #51-100. Click here for the full list of phrasal verbs, with their mini podcast episodes from "A Phrasal Verb a Day" http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3Ue
274. Q&A Session #4
5/26/2015 12:42:20 PM
In this episode I'm going to respond to questions that my listeners have asked me in the teacherluke.co.uk discussion forum. I'll also deal with some other questions I've received from listeners in different ways, either on Facebook, twitter, email or as comments posted on my website. This is the 4th time I've done a Q&A session on the podcast like this, and I plan to do more! To send me your questions and to read a transcript for this episode, click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3oL
273. The Bad Haircut Situation Part 2: More Role Plays & Improvisations
5/24/2015 9:08:56 PM
(Longest title ever?) In the last episode, Amber, Paul and I talked about giving compliments, sharing bad news, and generally saying negative things in a careful and diplomatic way. We then did a couple of role play improvisations to help you notice specific language. In this episode we continue with the improvisations and some language feedback. You can see some samples of the language used in those improvisations by clicking here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3uQ. Enjoy!
272. The Bad Haircut Situation
5/21/2015 4:45:59 PM
In this episode we're going to look at how to deal with sensitive situations in English, and that includes ways of delivering bad news or saying negative things. We're going to consider ways of using language carefully in order to avoid upsetting people or making them angry. You'll hear a discussion on this topic between Amber, Paul and me and then a few role plays in which we have to deal with some sensitive situations. Watch out for the specific language that we use. Click here for all the details on teacherluke.co.uk http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3s9
271. Catching Up with Amber & Paul
5/17/2015 2:22:09 PM
Today I'm joined by my mates Paul Taylor and Amber Minogue, both of whom have been on the podcast before. Let's catch up with them and see what they've been doing. Listen to the episode to hear a completely unscripted and authentic chat between 3 native speakers from England, as we talk about having babies, pedestrian crossings, having ginger hair, the difficulties of being English in the sunshine, and some of our favourite TV shows and films. Click here for more information http://teacherluke.co.uk/2015/05/17/catching-up-with-amber-and-paul/
270. UK General Election RESULTS
5/15/2015 5:33:32 PM
This is a summary of the results of the UK's general election which took place on May 7. What happened? Who won? What were the main events? What does this mean for the future of the UK over the next 5 years? To read a script and for more information click here to visit the page on the website for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3P0
269. UK General Election 2015 (Part 2)
5/5/2015 4:19:10 PM
Welcome back to Part 2 of this episode which is all about the UK general election which is taking place in a couple of days on Thursday 7 May 2015. In this part we'll hear statements by 7 leaders from 7 of the main parties in this election, we'll consider exactly what they said, understand some of the vocabulary and key issues, and then look at the possible outcomes and predictions for the result of the election. Click here for a transcript and more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3GN
268. UK General Election 2015 (Part 1)
5/5/2015 4:17:46 PM
This podcast contains everything you should know about the general election which is happening across the UK this Thursday 7 May 2015. To read a transcript click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3FA
267. Earthquake in Nepal + other news
5/2/2015 12:46:49 PM
This episode is mainly about the recent earthquake in Nepal. Please consider donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee at www.dec.org.uk I'm also going to mention a couple of other news stories that are worth talking about, including the UK's general election which is happening at the end of next week, and the fact that Kate Middleton has just given birth to a baby girl. It's all over the internet and on TV now - but how important is it really, considering so many people's lives are in jeopardy in Nepal at the moment?
266. Telling Jokes in English (Part 3)
4/24/2015 3:40:53 PM
This is the third and final episode in this series on jokes. In this one we're going to consider the psychology of puns, hear an old tape recording of my brother and me telling jokes when we were children, and you'll also get lots more gags and their explanations. Click here for a transcript and to download http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3t3
265. Telling Jokes in English (Part 2)
4/23/2015 7:27:22 AM
In this one we're going to look at some typical joke structures, consider what makes a joke funny, and then I'm going to tell you lots of jokes and explain the vocabulary you need to understand them. Click here to read a transcript and to download the episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3rs
264. Telling Jokes in English (Part 1)
4/20/2015 6:56:34 PM
Everything you need to know about when, why and how to tell jokes in English. We'll look at the cultural and linguistic considerations that relate to telling jokes in social settings. Also, you'll hear a few jokes in the process! For a transcript and to download the episode click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3qZ
263. Past, Present & Future - Verb Tenses
4/8/2015 7:50:56 PM
LEP is back! You might be wondering where I've been, or what's going on at LEP headquarters. In this episode I'm going to explain my absence, fill you in on what's going on at the moment, and also talk a bit about what's coming up in the future. The language focus is on ways of talking about the past, present and future. Click here for notes, transcriptions and to download the episode:http://wp.me/p4IuUx-3jx
262. What is Britishness? (Part 2)
3/3/2015 11:29:13 PM
Welcome back to part 2 of this episode in which we are exploring the subject of Britishness. In this one we are looking at how the Brits define and understand their own national identity. For a transcription and to download click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2SX Image: Gene Bible http://www.genebible.co.uk
261. What is Britishness? (Part 1)
3/3/2015 10:40:53 PM
In this episode I'm going to explore the notion of "Britishness", including the stereotypes, the reality and the complexity of defining Britishness, or any other national identity. For a transcription and to download click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2Ey Image: Gene Bible http://www.genebible.co.uk
260. Kingsman: The Secret Service
2/26/2015 4:23:27 PM
Some feedback on poems written by LEPsters in response to episode 258, and then a film review of Kingsman: The Secret Service - a new spy film set in the UK. For more details click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2JX
259. Eulogy for Dennis
2/24/2015 12:17:56 PM
This episode is devoted to the memory of my Grandfather Dennis, who died at the end of December last year. For more information and a transcript of this episode click here:
258. Award Win / Thank you! / Poem
2/17/2015 5:43:55 PM
This is a very short podcast episode because I don't have much time, but I just wanted to say a very sincere THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me in the 2014 Macmillan Love English Awards. I've written a poem to express my gratitude. Listen to the episode to hear it. Why not write your own poem in the comment section of my website? Click here to visit the relevant page: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2JN You'll also hear a short extract from an interview with Eminem in this episode.
257. Be Positive
2/10/2015 6:44:33 PM
This improvised and unscripted episode has no specific agenda or language focus, but contains some news, some philosophical conundrums, a few film reviews as well as the usual spoken English and natural phrases. The overall theme which emerged during the recording was that of being positive and making the most of what you've got. Click here to visit the page for this episode: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2DH
256. Reading Books In English (and listening to them too)
2/1/2015 10:04:09 AM
This is an episode all about the benefits of reading books and listening to audiobooks in English. It contains lots of advice for using books for improving your English, and several lists of recommended books too. Also, claim your free audiobook from Audible.com - click here for details: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2lr Claim your free audiobook here: http://www.audible.com/t1/30trial_at?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
255. Taken 3 / Expressions with 'Take'
1/26/2015 6:22:13 PM
My response to the film Taken 3, plus 12 expressions which use the word 'take'. Click here for vocabulary notes and more: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2tb #Taken3 #film #english #tefl
254. IELTS Tips & Tricks
1/22/2015 2:53:09 PM
In this one I'm going to go through all parts of the IELTS test, giving you some tips and general advice. I'm recording this because it is one of the most commonly requested episodes. People are always asking me to do episodes about IELTS and I have never done one until now. So here it is, the eagerly awaited IELTS episode. Loads of people around the world take the IELTS test to get a grade of their English. More and more it is becoming the world's #1 test of English level. It is a notoriously tough test which challenges many people aroudn the world every day, so what wisdom can I impart to my loyal LEPsters who are hoping to prove themselves in the IELTS challenge? Well, quite a lot I hope. Click here for a transcript, links and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2k6
253. Rapping with Fluency MC!
1/20/2015 7:36:34 AM
Chatting and rapping with Jason R. Levine aka Fluency MC! Click here for more information including YouTube videos and lyrics of our rapping http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2bD I'm feeling pretty excited today because I've got a bit of a celebrity on the podcast. Jason R. Levine, also known as Fluency MC is something of a legend in the world of online English language teaching. He's become pretty well known on YouTube in particular for his videos in which he uses hip hop to bring a fresh approach to teaching English. Jason raps his English lessons, and many of those raps have become YouTube sensations - for example "Stick stuck stuck" the past participle rap (over 2.5million views on Youtube), and the present perfect rap which is a full on explanation of the grammar rules for the present perfect tense, delivered in rhyme. But, Jason is not only a teacher who raps - a look at Jason's CV shows that he is involved in a number of very interesting English teaching projects - he leads workshops, has published material and is an English specialist for the US department of State - which makes him sound like a government agent, and he has a very interesting academic and personal background which has led him to take this fresh new approach to language teaching. On the musical side, Jason raps but he also plays the drums like me, and he DJs and produces his own tunes. There's so much to ask him and so much to talk about, and hopefully Jason will do some rapping on Luke's English Podcast too, and who knows - I might even get involved in that as well. You can look forward to all of it in this episode. (In fact, if you listen to the whole episode you will hear both Jason and me rapping on some of my brother's music). #hiphop #rap #rapping #rhyme #english #tefl #learning #teaching
252. Marooned With My Music: James Thompson
1/16/2015 1:21:16 PM
Welcome to Luke's English Podcast and this special series, called Marooned With My Music. My castaway today is my brother James Thompson. Click here for a song list and more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2ip
251. Welcome to LEP / 16 Things You Should Know about LEP
1/13/2015 12:05:12 PM
The podcast has been nominated in the Macmillan Dictionary Award and the voting is now open here http://www.macmillandictionary.com/love-english-awards/voting-blog-2014.html This episode is a chance for me to say "HI" to any new visitors to my website, and to tell you 16 things that you should know about LEP. For more info click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2lh
250. Marooned With My Music: Gill Thompson
1/11/2015 6:55:32 PM
Welcome to Luke's English Podcast and this special series, called Marooned With My Music. My castaway today is my Mum, Gill Thompson. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2im
249. News / LEP Merchandise / Messages
1/8/2015 11:38:35 AM
This episode is just a chance for me to talk to you about these things: - Yesterday's violent attack at the Charlie Hebdo magazine office in Paris - New LEP merchandise - Messages from Listeners at podcastreply@gmail.com For more info click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2jF To buy LEP merchandise, visit the LEP shop here: http://www.cafepress.co.uk/teacherluke
248. Marooned With My Music: Rick Thompson
1/6/2015 1:49:16 PM
"Marooned with my Music" is an interview concept based on a popular and long-running BBC Radio programme called "Desert Island Discs". In that BBC programme, celebrities and noteworthy people are invited onto the show for an interview. They imagine that they have been stranded on a remote desert island and are only allowed to take certain items with them, namely: 8 pieces of music, one book and one luxury item. During the programme, the interviewee is asked about their life and their musical choices. Desert Island Discs remains one of the BBC's most beloved radio programmes and has been broadcast on the radio for many years. In my version, "Marooned with my Music" I have decided to interview members of my family: My Dad, my Mum and my Brother. Click here for more information and song titles: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2ha
247. Understanding The USA
1/3/2015 6:39:35 PM
This episode is an attempt to understand The USA in more detail, getting beyond the made-up version that we see in movies and on TV in order to get a proper understanding of the country, its culture and its people. I'm joined by an American friend of mine called Sebastian Marx, and during our conversation we go through most of the main events in the history of the USA and discuss some of the most important principles in the story of the country. The ultimate aim: to understand The United States of America. For more information click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1ZX
246. Flight Stories
12/24/2014 3:53:28 PM
Listen to some stand-up comedy and true stories about flying experiences, learn some vocabulary and consider what makes these comedy routines funny. For transcripts and videos, click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2dE
245. Merry Christmas! (+ other news)
12/23/2014 8:59:29 AM
This is just a chance to wish you all a Merry Christmas and to give you a bit of news. There is a video for this episode, featuring 15 minutes of extra footage which I filmed before recording the audio part. You can watch it by going to teacherluke.co.uk here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2eA
244. Urban Myths
12/15/2014 8:54:18 PM
This episode is all about urban myths. Get your thinking hat on because it's time to evaluate a few stories and beliefs and decide if they are based in reality or if they're just the product of an overactive imagination, or rumours, or just plain old fashioned bullcr*p! I will also teach you some very useful language connected to expressing if you think something is true or not. For vocabulary notes, transcriptions and much more, click here to visit the page for this episode on teacherluke.co.uk - http://wp.me/p4IuUx-28t
243. A Life-Changing Teaching Experience in Ghana
12/11/2014 1:53:12 PM
Hello and welcome to another episode of Luke's English Podcast! In this episode I'm going to interview my friend Mike Bruce about his recent teaching experience in Ghana in West Africa. Mike is an old friend and colleague of mine, he's originally from Scotland, although he doesn't have a particularly strong accent, and he has lived and worked in places all over the world. I've known him for about 13 years and he was one of the first people I ever worked with as a language teacher in Japan. Mike has an amazing CV. He's taught in lots of countries around the world. He's very highly qualified, and as well as teaching students of English as a second language he also teaches teachers how to teach. So, he's pretty much a Jedi Master of English teaching in my opinion. Mike recently came back from a teaching mission in Ghana, and judging by the Facebook photos and statuses, it was quite an epic experience for him. I thought it would be interesting to talk to him about it on Luke's English Podcast. My aim for this interview is to have a bit of a chat with Mike, just a bit of a chat, introduce him to the LEPsters? LEPans? LEPians?LEPenese? LEPlanders? LEPish? LEPaholics? and then find out about his African teaching experience. Click here to visit the page on teacherluke.co.uk for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2c2
242. 11 Idioms Only Brits Understand (really?)
12/7/2014 11:36:56 AM
This is a slightly rambling and unprepared episode which I made up as I went along, and in the end I talked about a page I found on MatadorNetwork.com called "11 Idioms Only Brits Understand". I don't think that these are exclusively used by Brits, but nevertheless they are some pretty commonly used idioms, so I decided to talk to you about them in this episode. After that I ended up clicking on a few random YouTube videos, playing around with the cockney accent and listening to some music. Enjoy! Click here for the full list and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-28w
241. Star Wars
12/2/2014 6:50:46 PM
"Luke's Film Club" continues with one of my all-time favourites: Star Wars! In this episode I'm going to ramble on about the Star Wars franchise, including the original trilogy (episodes 4-6), the prequel trilogy (episodes 1-3) and the upcoming new trilogy (episodes 7-9). If you're a Star Wars fan, this one's for you! If you don't like Star Wars, I hope this episode will give you some idea of why people are so crazy about these movies. Click here to visit this page on teacherluke.co.uk http://wp.me/p4IuUx-2ba
240. Politicians Avoiding Questions
12/2/2014 12:10:51 PM
In this episode we're going to look at the way politicians deal with tough and challenging questions from TV and radio interviewers. We'll listen to some examples of politicians avoiding questions in interviews and examine some of the ways they get themselves out of tight situations while also promoting their ideas. For a transcript and more details, click here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-tK
239. Prepositions: Verb Collocations + Improvised Story
11/26/2014 4:21:22 PM
In the last episode I attempted to explain ways that prepositions are used in English, and I failed because I wasn't prepared. I managed to get across the idea that prepositions are complicated because they're used in combination with other words, and that you have to remember vocabulary in 'chunks' but the idea was also to present you with some useful lists of preposition collocations. This time around I've done some more preparation. I've spent a bit more time on it and so for round 2 I think we should get a proper grip on the subject, while also having some fun noticing prepositions in an improvised story. Click here for a list of the collocations in this episode, and more http://wp.me/p4IuUx-29v
238. Prepositions (Part 1)
11/24/2014 11:02:41 PM
In this episode I decided to teach you about prepositions! Yes! Everyone's favourite words in English! (Sarcasm - most learners find them frustrating and confusing) However, the episode didn't quite go as planned and I didn't manage to deal with the subject as I had intended. Nevertheless, this episode contains some comments and information about prepositions, which works as an introduction to other episodes on the subject. Listen to this one before you listen episode 240, which deals with the subject in more depth. Click the link for all the necessary notes and comments http://wp.me/p4IuUx-29l
237. OPP: Other People's Podcasts (Part 2)
11/18/2014 4:59:27 PM
Here are more of my favourite podcasts that I love to listen to every day when I am out and about. For all the relevant links and information visit teacherluke.co.uk by clicking here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-22D
236. OPP: Other People's Podcasts (Part 1)
11/18/2014 12:19:46 PM
As well as making podcasts of my own, I love to listen to podcasts made by other people. In fact, I think podcasting is one of the coolest mediums around these days, and there are so many great things to listen to in English. This episode is about other people's podcasts that I enjoy and that I'd like to share with you. For more detailed information click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Yg
235. British Slang (N to Z)
11/14/2014 10:46:59 AM
Here's the final part in the series about British colloquial language. Please be aware that this episode contains some rude language and explicit content. Click here for the list of words in this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-24z
234. Making "Choons" with My Brother
11/11/2014 5:42:17 PM
My brother Jim Thompson has been making music on an Akai MPC2000 for a few years now, and he has finally released an album of tracks on bandcamp (click here to listen or download his music http://jt2000.bandcamp.com/releases). In this episode I spoked to my bro about his influences, his inspiration and the creative process of making music from an idea to a finished track. For more info click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Xi
233. YEP! Winner
11/7/2014 10:45:13 AM
My conversation with the overall YEP competition winner, Edgar Hernandez, aka "Bono Chimp" :) http://wp.me/p4IuUx-25z
232. YEP! Runners Up (Part 2)
11/6/2014 6:07:46 PM
More runners up from the YEP competition. Enjoy! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-25v
231. YEP! Runners Up (Part 1)
11/6/2014 5:10:09 PM
Interviews with runners up from the YEP competition. http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/11/06/231-yep-runners-up-part-1/
230. Can You Learn a Language in 6 Months?
11/4/2014 9:03:59 AM
This episode is based on a TEDx presentation by Chris Lonsdale, who claims that any normal adult can learn a language within 6 months. Is that really possible? How method of learning does Chris propose? How does this relate to listening to Luke's English Podcast? You can see the video of Chris Lonsdale's talk, with a transcript by clicking here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-22i
229. Zombies! (Part 2)
10/30/2014 6:51:56 PM
This is the second in a 2-part series all about zombies. In part 1 I talked about the zombie in popular culture, analysis of the zombie as a metaphor and then some rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse. In episode 2 I'm going to take a couple of zombie survival quizzes and then do a language focus on conditionals. Click here for more information and links http://wp.me/p4IuUx-24e
228. Zombies! (Part 1)
10/30/2014 6:42:14 PM
This episode is all about zombies - the undead, flesh eaters, walkers, biters, the infected - whatever you want to call them, zombies have become an indelible part of our popular culture now. There are zombies in the cinemas, zombies on TV in shows like AMC's The Walking Dead, zombies in computer games, zombies online, even zombie walks in which people get together in large groups in order to dress up like zombies and walk around going "uhhhhh". We're pretty obsessed by zombies, and I am too. I love zombies and zombie films. Maybe that makes me some kind of sick and twisted individual, but I'm not alone. In fact, I think that zombies are perhaps as popular and present in our culture as vampires and ghosts. But, what is some of the history behind the zombie phenomenon? Where do they come from? What do they want? Why are we obsessed by zombies? How can you survive if zombies really attack? And, how do we talk about zombies in English? That's the focus of this extra-special and extra-creepy episode of Luke's English Podcast. In the first part we're going to examine the zombie as a popular cultural phenomenon, then in the second part I'm going to test my survival skills by taking a zombie survival quiz. You can join me as I make various decisions that will affect my chances of surviving the zombie apocalypse. In the next episode we're going to consider some conditional structures. That's 0, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and mixed conditionals.Click here for a transcript and other links http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Su #zombies #learning #english #podcast
227. Sausages, Barcodes & Apple Watches
10/27/2014 8:41:27 AM
This is one of those episodes in which I set myself a 30 minute challenge. Can I talk for 30 minutes without pausing or repeating myself, and with absolutely nothing prepared in advance? Listen to the episode to find out. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-22X #sausages #applewatch #barcodes #cheese #pizza #religion #humour #english #listening #natural #nativespeaker #ramble
226. On a Boat
10/21/2014 11:56:16 AM
aka "The Boat that Rocked" or "The Drunk Episode 2". In this episode I spent the evening on a narrowboat on a canal in a part of North London known as Little Venice, with my friends Alex, Paul, Moz and Dave. Join us as we talk about life on the canal boat, the first jobs we ever had, answers to a few questions sent in by a long-term listener called Hiroshi, and explanations of various rude expressions and jokes which came up spontaneously during the conversation. Please be aware that this episode contains strong language, rude & explicit content and plenty of bad 'jokes'. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Te
225. Film Club: Taken
10/16/2014 1:11:40 PM
This episode is all about the film "Taken" starring Liam Neeson as an ex-CIA agent who uses his 'particular set of skills' to save his daughter who is kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. I'm slightly obsessed by this film - I find it gripping and exciting, but also quite ridiculous. In this episode I'd like to play you a classic moment from this film, and then talk about how I feel about the movie as a whole. For more information, click here http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Wh "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."
224. Pronunciation: Verb Tenses & Connected Speech
10/13/2014 9:13:21 PM
This episode focuses on how sentences are pronounced quickly by native speakers. This is invaluable knowledge which will help you to take your listening and your pronunciation to the next level! Click here for example sentences and more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-211
223. YEP! Competition Winners
10/7/2014 2:31:37 PM
YEP Competition Results, news and some rambling about mosquitoes and TV documentaries about ghosts. For all the details click here: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-20o
222. Luke's Late Night Podcast
9/30/2014 12:28:20 PM
Take a musical trip through Luke's hard-drive, in the middle of the night. Late one night recently, I decided to record a podcast while randomly picking some pieces of music from my hard-drive and talking to you at the same time. This is the result. Click here for lyrics and more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1YW
221. A Cup of Tea with Corneliu Dragomirescu (Part 2)
9/23/2014 4:03:47 PM
Here's part 2 of my conversation with "The Son of the Dragon Tamer" in which we talk about these things: - The difference "pleasshure" and "pleasure", "bio" and "B.O." - The importance of 'passion' in France - Jamie Oliver's (fake?) cockney accent - British & American English - Corneliu's experiences in America, his acting and his accent - Corneliu's learning experiences with a great teacher when he was a child - The interesting course-book which Corneliu used in his English lessons - The myth of 'the English gentleman' - Depictions of Englishness in films - Stereotypes of Romania - Romania & Bulgaria's entry into the EU and the media panic related to migrant workers - Vampires, Dracula and Romania Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Z0
220. A Cup of Tea with Corneliu Dragomirescu
9/17/2014 3:52:46 PM
aka "The Son of the Dragon Tamer!" or "The guy with the longest name ever on LEP". *The conversation starts at 11.39 - so please skip my introduction if you like* Let me tell you a bit about Corneliu. He is a film maker and comedian originally from Romania. He lives in France now where he writes, directs, produces and acts in films and television projects. Corneliu is a polyglot (he speaks Romanian, French and English), he's a movie-buff and an he's an all-round great conversationalist and therefore is the perfect guest for another episode of LEP. Click here for more information: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Yj
219. Scottish Independence
9/10/2014 1:05:49 PM
On 18th September the people of Scotland will vote in a referendum to decide if Scotland should remain a part of the UK or become independent. If they vote "yes" and Scotland does become independent from the UK it would cause massive changes to the way the UK is organised. It would be the biggest change in UK history for hundreds of years. It could change everything - not only the lives of the Scottish people, but also the lives of the English, the Welsh and the people of Northern Ireland. In short - this is a massive story for the UK. Let's look at the background, the arguments for & against, and the possible outcomes of independence. Click here for notes and transcriptions: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1XK
218. YEP! Competition Entries #8
9/7/2014 3:17:03 PM
The final episode of "Your English Podcast" - Please vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WP
217. YEP! Competition Entries #7
9/7/2014 2:50:36 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WN
216. YEP! Competition Entries #6
9/7/2014 2:27:35 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WL
215. YEP! Competition Entries #5
9/7/2014 2:02:39 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WJ
214. YEP! Competition Entries #4
9/7/2014 1:40:57 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WG
213. YEP! Competition Entries #3
9/7/2014 1:19:59 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight, Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WE
212. YEP! Competition Entries #2
9/7/2014 12:59:27 PM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight - Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1WB
211. YEP! Competition Entries #1
9/7/2014 11:42:19 AM
Vote for your favourite competition entry by visiting teacherluke.co.uk . Voting closes on September 30th 2014 at 12 midnight - Paris time. Click here to cast your vote for this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1V0
210. A Cup of Tea with Noman Hosni
9/4/2014 10:16:15 AM
Conversation & language feedback with comedian Noman Hosni. Click here for a part-transcript and language feedback notes. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1W9
209. Travelling in Indonesia (Part 2)
8/29/2014 11:58:59 AM
Part 2 of my account of my travelling experience in Indonesia. Please listen to part 1 before listening to this one. Click here for notes and transcripts http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1V5 #travel #indonesia #english #listening
208. Travelling in Indonesia (Part 1)
8/29/2014 11:27:13 AM
I just came back from a 2 week holiday in Indonesia. Let me tell you about it in this episode. Click here for notes and transcripts http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1UH. #travel #english #indonesia
207. Competition Inspiration
8/8/2014 6:18:20 PM
This is another 'quick' podcast to let you know that I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks, and also to give you some inspiration for your entries to my competition, called "Your English Podcast". 1. I'm going on holiday so I will be away from teacherluke.co.uk for a while. This means I might not be able to respond to comments or messages, and there won't be any uploads for a while. I think you have enough new material to keep you busy until I get back, right? I'll be back in a couple of weeks. 2. Competition: I get the impression that a lot of people out there are scratching their heads, thinking "I'd like to take part in Luke's competition, but what shall I talk about?" All the details of the competition are in episode 200. Here are some questions as inspiration for you. Send your audio responses to podcastcomp@gmail.com http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Th
206. Summer in London (Part 2)
8/6/2014 9:42:39 AM
Hi and welcome back to this special episode of LEP in which you join me on a walk through central London. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1S4
205. Summer In London (Part 1)
8/5/2014 3:21:07 PM
In this episode you can listen to me walking through central London and talking to you along the way. I really enjoyed recording this episode and I think you're going to enjoy listening to it too because it'll be like you're actually there with me, strolling around some of my favourite parts of town, hearing all the sounds of London around you as we go. I think it's going to be great, but before we start I'd just like to mention a couple of things as a preface to the episode... Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1RP
204. Quick Hello: Competition Update & More News
8/5/2014 2:56:13 PM
Yes, my definition of 'quick' = over 20 minutes! I'm uploading lots of episodes at the moment - you'll be able to catch up with them all soon! This episode is just a quick "hello" and a chance for me to give you some information and make a couple of announcements. Click here for more information and to see a video of me recording this episode http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1SA
203. The Flatmate from Japan
8/4/2014 1:19:50 PM
a.k.a. "A Cup of Tea with Peter Sidell" English teacher, travel writer, stand-up comic, learner of Japanese, DJ, native English speaker, Machester City fan and former flatmate of Luke from Luke's English Podcast - Peter Sidell is a guy who keeps himself busy! I lived with Peter in Tsujidou, Japan for nearly a year. I left at the end of 2003 and he stayed there and I hadn't seen him for about 11 years until he recently visited Paris and we got the chance to catch up with each other again. Of course I jumped at the chance to interview Peter for LEP, and you can now listen to our conversation here, now. Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Ss
202. British Comedy: Monty Python & The Holy Grail
8/1/2014 9:07:33 AM
[The Constitutional Peasants Scene] Here's another episode about Monty Python's Flying Circus, and in this one we're going to be covering some very interesting topics, such as medieval history, old myths legends & folklore, the British monarchy, marxism and radical politics. In terms of language we're going to look at some old fashioned formal poetic language, some political vocabulary and also some intonation and sentence stress, and we'll be doing all of that while understanding and hopefully enjoying a funny scene from a classic British comedy film. So, you really are getting everything in this episode (well, maybe not everything but you know what I mean). A lot of this is transcribed at teacherluke.co.uk. If you find this episode on the website you'll also see a video, a script for that video and more information. So let's get started. Click here for transcripts & videos http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Og
201. Nikolay Kulikov: A Russian Comedian in London
7/28/2014 9:51:07 AM
Nikolai Kulikov is an award-winning Russian screenwriter and stand-up comedian. This year he spent a couple of months living in London (and also briefly in Dublin) performing stand-up comedy. I saw one of his performances in English on video and thought he was very funny! So, I decided to contact him for an interview to find out more about him, his experiences learning English, his views on performing to British & Irish people, and how he feels about life in Russia these days. I hope you enjoy the episode! **Please be aware that this episode features some rude language and swearing** Click here for more information http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Kw
200. New Competition: "Your English Podcast"
7/25/2014 8:35:46 AM
In this episode: Details of a new competition for you to enter, how it feels to complete 200 episodes of the podcast, jingles, a message from Alex & Paul, and more! Click here to read all the details of this competition: http://wp.me/p4IuUx-Fc
199. The USA/UK Quiz
7/17/2014 1:02:42 PM
Molly and I ask each other general knowledge questions about the USA and the UK. How much do we know about each other's countries? How much do you know about the USA and the UK? Listen and find out! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1Q6
198. A Cup of Tea with Molly Martinez
7/17/2014 12:26:13 PM
My friend Molly joins me for a cup of Japanese green tea and a bit of a chat. Molly is a graduate of journalism and is a very funny comedian and writer. First of all you'll hear me interviewing Molly about her life, her American/Mexican roots and her plans for the future, and then Molly interviews me with some random yet revealing questions. http://wp.me/p4IuUx-JE
197. World Cup 2014 (Part 6: Final Comments)
7/15/2014 4:37:15 PM
Here is the third and final podcast in which I read out your comments from the World Cup forum thread on teacherluke.co.uk. Comments written in the forum have been corrected by me and now I am going to read them out to you. I will also respond to some of the things listeners have said. I hope you can tell when it's me giving my opinion and when it's the comments of a listener. Leave your comments below as usual! http://wp.me/p4IuUx-1PD #football #worldcup #english
196. Cycling from Coast to Coast
7/7/2014 8:48:15 AM
Almost exactly one year ago, Ben Fisher was on the podcast telling us about his cycling trip from London to Paris. Now he's back to tell us about his latest cycling adventure. Last time he cycled a total of 484.7km. This time he more than doubled that distance cycling 1223.42km from the north coast of France all the way down to the south coast. It was a much longer and more difficult trip and he's here on the podcast to tell us all about it! Click here for links & other information http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/07/07/196-cycling-from-coast-to-coast/ #cycling #english
195. British Comedy: Monty Python's Flying Circus
7/4/2014 3:47:37 PM
The series about British Comedy continues with everything you need to know about Monty Python's Flying Circus and an analysis of The (Dead) Parrot Sketch. Click here for a transcript, videos and more: http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/07/04/195-british-co…-flying-circus/
194. World Cup 2014 (Part 5: More Forum Comments)
7/1/2014 12:48:49 PM
Luke reads out more comments from listeners about Brazil 2014 from the World Cup Comments Thread #2 on the teacherluke.co.uk discussion forum. These are all comments which have been sent in by listeners from around the world. Click here to read all the comments http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/07/01/world-cup-2014…forum-comments
193. Culture Shock: Life in London (Part 2)
6/30/2014 2:12:10 PM
[2/2] The series on culture shock continues with more explanations of some common complaints about life in London. For more information, click here http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/30/193-culture-shock-life-in-london-pt-2/
192. Culture Shock: Life in London (Part 1)
6/30/2014 11:18:45 AM
[1/2] This episode is all about common complaints made by foreign students living in London. It's common to experience some level of culture shock when dealing with the realities of living in the capital city as a foreign visitor. In this episode I'll try and clarify some of the confusions and frustrations relating to every day life in London. For more information click here http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/30/192-culture-shock-life-in-london-part-1/
191. Culture Shock: The 4 Stages
6/25/2014 12:50:40 PM
Are you living in a foreign country, or planning to live abroad for a while? This episode will be vital listening for you! Listen for some key bits of wisdom to avoid being affected by cultural differences. In this episode I talk about 4 common phases of culture shock that anyone could experience when living in a new environment, and how to make sure you get the best out of a cross-cultural experience.
190. World Cup 2014 (Part 4: Dad's Memories of 1966)
6/23/2014 6:21:05 PM
In this episode I was planning to give you my 'brief History of the World Cup' but I abandoned that idea because I decided it was too boring! Instead I've decided to just play you a recorded conversation I had with my Dad about his experience at the 1966 World Cup in London. I hope you find it interesting.
189. World Cup 2014 (Part 3: Your Comments)
6/19/2014 10:39:23 PM
In this episode I'm going to read out comments you've added so far on my World Cup 2014 forum. To read all the comments in this episode click here http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/19/189-world-cup-…-your-comments/
188. World Cup 2014 (Part 2: England & The Dark Side of the World Cup)
6/18/2014 7:13:01 PM
In this second World Cup episode we focus on England, and then the dark side of The World Cup including the allegations of corruption and the civil unrest in Brazil. Click here for more information: http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/18/188-world-cup-…-the-world-cup/ E
187. World Cup 2014 (Part 1)
6/18/2014 5:43:11 PM
Lots of people want me to talk about the World Cup, so here we go! This is the first in a series of episodes about World Cup 2014. We start with a general look at the tournament, the groups and the teams. Consider this to be your basic guide to World Cup 2014. Click here for transcriptions and notes: http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/18/187-world-cup-2014-part-1/
186. Understanding Culture Shock - with Lindsay & Gabby
6/16/2014 12:29:53 PM
This episode is all about culture shock and culture shock experiences and I'm glad to be joined by Lindsay & Gabby from the All Ears English podcast. Click here for more information http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/16/understanding-culture-shock/ #english #learning #culture #shock
185. The Trip to New York
6/13/2014 3:22:34 PM
As promised, here is a description of my holiday in The Big Apple! In this episode I tell you what I did, what I saw and what it was like for me. Click here for vocabulary notes, photos and more information: http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/06/13/the-trip-to-new-york/
184. Luke's D-Day Diary (Part 2)
6/10/2014 6:03:33 PM
This is the second part of my account of going to Normandy to remember the brave actions of my Grandfather and other soldiers who took part in the D-Day fighting on 6 June 1944. You can also listen to me describe how it felt to meet one of my heroes, the comedian Eddie Izzard.
183. Luke's D-Day Diary (Part 1)
6/10/2014 4:53:27 PM
Friday 6 June this year was the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. My Grandad Dennis was one of the soldiers who landed on the beach that day. Along with thousands of other men he risked his life to fight the Nazis in the 2nd World War. Many of his fellow soldiers did not survive. Last Friday I went to Caen in Northern France to take part in the D-Day commemorations and to see my comedy hero Eddie Izzard performing stand-up in 3 languages. I recorded a podcast during my trip, and some unexpected things happened! Listen to the episode to join me on my adventure.
182. Learning English with Yacine Belhousse
5/30/2014 8:50:41 AM
This episode is all about the relationship between language, successful communication, stand-up comedy and learning English! It features an interview with the one-and-only Yacine Belhousse, who is a professional stand-up comedian in his native language and now in English too. A year and a half ago, Yacine hardly spoke any English. Now he regularly performs in English and this year he is doing a 1 hour stand-up comedy show at the Edinburgh fringe festival. How does he do it? How does he deal with the challenges of learning English while also making people laugh in English too? Listen and find out! Click here for more information: http://wp.me/pG0VZ-JP #comedy #english #learn #learning #communication #eddieizzard #edinburgh #fringe #listening #advice #humour
181. Vocabulary & Expressions from Episode 180.
5/23/2014 2:58:47 PM
Did you have trouble understanding the interview from the previous episode? Let me help by explaining some of the vocabulary for you. Listen and you'll pick up vocabulary relating to injuries, hospital and skateboarding. For a vocabulary list & more, click here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/181-vocabulary-expressions-from-episode-180/
180. Dislocated Shoulder
5/20/2014 3:25:12 PM
Two days ago my brother fell off his skateboard and dislocated his shoulder. In this episode he tells us all about what happened. We also chat about how he still loves skateboarding after 30 years and lots of injuries. Click here for vocabulary, videos and my brother's selfie in hospital.
179. The Ramblings of an Exhausted Teacher
5/15/2014 3:44:09 PM
Last night I couldn't sleep, and so today my mind has turned into jelly. Let me tell you all about how it feels. http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/179-messages-f…p-deprived-man/ In this episode I talk to you, in a rambling way, about diverse topics such as: Dwayne's English Podcast Being kidnapped by aliens from Mars Exam fatigue Trouble sleeping last night English at 7.30AM! The rotten contents of my brain! Selling Luke's English Podcast Saying "Hello" to you Having a conversation with you "The best laid plans of mice & men" The university course I've been teaching Sleep (high energy bit) What are you doing? On a bus Signalling to another person that you're a LEPer (secret codes) Giving a wink to a stranger On a train Trains and lifts in movies (Bruce Willis) THANK YOU! (Transcripts, donations, reviews) A special hello to the NSA secret agents Hello to Yannick Twitter - it's what you make of it Whatever Normally on Luke's English Podcast BBC meeting: Prioritising Luke's English Podcast This really is the end Be nice to each other ;) Lovely to talk to you, Goodnight Luke
178. I'm Still Here
4/30/2014 3:13:09 PM
This episode is just a chance for me to say "hi" and to inform you that I'm still here and that normal podcasting will continue soon. In this episode I give you some news, and then you can listen to a conversation I had with my friend David. Enjoy! http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/178-im-still-here/
177. What Londoners Say vs What They Mean
4/1/2014 3:12:54 PM
This podcast is based on an article from the trendy/hipster website "Buzzfeed". It's about some common things that Londoners say, and what they really mean. It'll not only teach you some vocabulary, but will allow you to get under the skin of London and find out some real inside knowledge of what it's like to live there for real. I'll go through the list and explain everything for you. For more information click here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/177-what-londoners-say-vs-what-they-mean/ Article originally published on BuzzFeed here http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/what-londoners-say-vs-what-they-mean. Photo illustration by Matt Tucker, Dan Kitwood / Getty/paulprescott72/Thinkstock
176. Grammar: Verb Tense Review
3/24/2014 6:06:00 PM
This episode is all about grammar, specifically verb tenses such as: present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, present perfect continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous and different future forms. Part of this episode is transcribed, and part of it is spontaneous. Click here for more information and a transcript: http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/176-grammar-verb-tense-review/
175. The Phrasal Verb Chronicles #1
3/18/2014 4:09:54 PM
This is both a phrasal verb review, and a random made-up story. I decided to do this episode as a way to remind you of the first 50 phrasal verbs I've taught you in my Phrasal Verb a Day series of mini-episodes. When I've reached 100 phrasal verb episodes, I'll do another episode of The Phrasal Verb Chronicles, to help you remember #51-100. For more information, and links to the individual phrasal verb episodes, click here http://teacherluke.co.uk/2014/03/18/175-the-phrasal-verb-chronicles-1/
174. How to Learn English with Luke's English Podcast
3/12/2014 6:10:10 PM
Plenty of advice on how to improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing by listening to this podcast. Click here for more information http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/174-how-to-learn-english-with-lukes-english-podcast/
173. The Curse of The Lambton Worm
3/6/2014 2:32:08 PM
Listen to a disturbing story from English folklore about a horrendous and mysterious worm. Click here for more information http://wp.me/pG0VZ-Ap Illustration by John Dickson Batten from More English Fairy Tales. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Page_facing_202_illustration_in_More_English_Fairy_Tales.png
172. British Comedy: Peter Cook & Dudley Moore
2/26/2014 8:58:25 AM
Listen to two comedy sketches from the 1960s, learn some popular cultural history, pick up some vocabulary and hear some posh English accents. For more information and transcripts click here http://wp.me/pG0VZ-xz Click here to buy the BBC DVD "The Best of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Peter-Cook-Dudley-Moore/dp/B0000AISIV
171. A Cup of Tea with... Daniel Burt
2/21/2014 9:30:03 AM
[2/2] Here's the second part of my conversation with Daniel Burt, who is a journalist, comedy writer and performer from Melbourne, Australia. Click here for more information
170. Basking in My Moment of Glory
2/19/2014 7:48:57 PM
I won the competition again! I got a hat-trick! Thanks for your votes. I'd like to teach you some expressions related to success and failure in this episode. In this episode I'm just going to talk about it for a little bit, but I'm not just going to bask in this moment of glory, I'm also going to present and then teach some phrases to you. The phrases are all associated with success and failure. I'll also teach you some really common things you can say to someone who has won, or lost something. For more information including vocabulary and definitions, click here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/170-basking-in-my-moment-of-glory/
169. A Cup of Tea with Daniel Burt (Part 1)
2/15/2014 9:09:17 AM
[1/2] Daniel Burt is a journalist, comedy writer and performer from Melbourne, Australia. He writes for two big newspapers in Australia, he worked as an intern at Late Night with David Letterman, he has his own page on Wikipedia and in his work he has interviewed Matt Smith, David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, which means he has met 2 Doctor Whos Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and The Hobbit! Wow. For more information click here: http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/danielburt/
168. Please Vote! (and stuff like that)
2/11/2014 5:16:29 PM
Please vote for me in the Macmillan Dictionary Awards. Voting closes at midnight GMT on 14 February - so you only have a couple of days! Click here to vote for me. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/love-english-awards/voting-blog-2013.html Thanks! If you've already voted - thanks a lot! I shut up about the competition after 9 minutes, and then just improvise, while using the words 'stuff' and 'thing' as much as possible. For more information click here: http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/168-please-vote-and-stuff-like-that/
167. Memory, Mnemonics & Learning English
2/4/2014 11:54:23 PM
How to improve your memory and learn English more effectively with memory techniques & mnemonics. Click here for a full transcript and more useful information: http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/167-memory-mnemonics-learning-english/
166. The Prawn Story
1/30/2014 11:59:08 PM
An undersea tale of identity loss, and shrimp; this is one of those rather ridiculous improvised stories which is loosely based on an old joke. This kind of episode is for listeners who just enjoy listening to some silly fun. Normal educational podcasting will be resumed in due course. Have a good day! More details here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/166-the-prawn-story/
165. English Premier League Football
1/23/2014 3:49:02 PM
A discussion about football with a focus on the basic things you need to know about the Premier League and being a footy fan in England. For more information click here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/english-premier-league-football/ #english #football #premier #league #premiership
164. Transcript Collaboration
1/21/2014 1:54:40 PM
Join in the transcript collaboration in order to do some intensive listening, help others improve their English, and do me a little favour in return for the hard work I've been doing on the podcast over the years! ;) Here's the transcript collaboration page: http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/episodes-with-transcripts/transcripts/ A transcript of this episode will be available online here soon: http://www.teacherluke.wordpress.com
163. Skype Chat with My Brother
1/15/2014 3:28:20 PM
A conversation with my brother James over Skype in which we catch up with each other, and recommend some of our favourite British films for you to watch. For more information, click here http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/163-skype-chat-with-my-brother/
162. Having Babies: Vocabulary / A Male Perspective
1/10/2014 5:05:08 PM
*Transcript available below* This is a follow up to the previous episode in which I interviewed my friend Amber, who is pregnant. In this episode I explain some key vocabulary to you, and discuss the issue of childbirth from a man's point of view. Click here for a transcript and more information http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/162-having-babies-vocabulary-a-male-perspective/
161. She's Having a Baby (with Amber Minogue)
1/8/2014 11:43:20 PM
aka. "A Cup of Tea with... Amber Minogue" My friend Amber is pregnant and she's due to give birth in just a couple of weeks. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to be pregnant - the challenges, the benefits, the social changes. We also discuss the things you should and shouldn't say/do when you meet a pregnant woman. Listen and you'll find out everything you need to know about interacting with a pregnant woman. The episode contains lots of vocabulary and expressions related to being pregnant and having a baby. I've made a list of vocabulary on this subject, and I intend to record a podcast soon in which I explain all these things, so you will know all the relevant words and phrases related to pregnancy. For the vocabulary list and other notes. Click here to visit my website http://teacherluke.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/161-shes-having-a-baby/
160. The A to Z of Christmas
12/23/2013 6:07:35 PM
Everything you need to know about a typical English Christmas in one episode of the podcast. In this one, I'm joined by my mate Raphael as we chat about all things Christmas, going through a list of Chrimbo related words from A to Z. Get in the festive mood with this special yuletide edition. HO HO HO MEEEERY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!! Click here to read all the words in our Christmas A to Z. http://teacherluke.co.uk/2013/12/24/160-the-a-to-z-of-christmas/