Emma's ESL English

Thank you so much for tuning in to Emma's ESL English for three years and 246 episodes! I really appreciate all your time, clicks and the occasional daring comment. Unfortunately I have run out of time. I need to evolve my business, and this just doesn't fit in anymore, literally, not enough hours in the day. I will continue to teach English as part of my business, and you're very welc...

📚 In this special episode of Emma’s ESL English, we’re celebrating the life and legacy of beloved British writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter—whose birthday was just yesterday! Join me in the garden (two garden's! My Grandma's and mine) as we explore:- Who Beatrix Potter was and why she’s one of my favorite British women- How she created The Tale of Peter Rabbit and revolutionized child...

🌼 Welcome back to Emma’s ESL English, still recording in my grandma’s garden—complete with sunshine, thunderbugs, and roses. Today we’re talking about metasyntactic variables—a fancy way of saying “words we use when we forget the word!” These are common in English, used by native speakers every day, and they’re surprisingly useful for language learners too. In this video, you’ll learn:- Popular “...

✏️ Struggling with writing in English? Whether you’re writing emails, essays, or presentations, I’ve got you covered. In this episode of Emma’s ESL English, filmed in my grandma’s sunny garden 🌹, I’ll show you 10 free tools that will help you write better English today—even if you’re not confident in your grammar or vocabulary yet. These tools include:- Translation apps (like Google Translate and...

English is full of bizarre idioms that make little sense—yet we use them all the time! Remember, most British people don't study idioms at school, we just learn them by...osmosis? So we're not thinking about where they come from or how weird they sound, we just use them. Unfortunately for you as an English learner, you might need to remember them and maybe you even want to try and use them...

In this episode of Emma’s ESL English , we take a thoughtful look at Tom Cruise’s career and his most memorable movie quotes . From Top Gun ’s iconic “I feel the need, the need for speed” to Jerry Maguire ’s “Help me help you,” Cruise’s films have shaped modern cinema. We examine his rise to fame, his ability to carry a film, and the impact of his performances—from Risky Business to Mission Imposs...

Tomorrow is the birth date of famous dystopian British writer George Orwell. In this episode find out more about his interesting and unusual life and his passion for writing, freedom and raising awareness about life in poverty. I'll also be reading a little from the book. George Orwell’s 1984 isn’t just a novel—it’s a warning about historical erasure, surveillance, and authoritarian control. O...

English is full of strange idioms, and today we’re diving into some bizarre British expressions you might hear! Some of these are quite common, especially the 2nd and 3rd, and you might hear them in the office or out and about. The others are less common, and just for you to be aware of, rather than need to try and use. Hopefully they're fun and interesting! 💬 Examples: "I don't thin...

🗣️ Struggling with L & R sounds in English? You're not alone! Many ESL learners, especially those from Asian language backgrounds, find it tricky to pronounce these sounds correctly. 🔍 In this lesson, Emma explains:- Why L & R pronunciation is challenging How to position your tongue correctly Common mistakes & how to fix them And whether this is even worth you spending your time o...

🚀 Take your English reading skills to the next level! Don’t let descriptive writing slow you down—learn how to tackle novels with confidence.📚 Learning English through books can be a challenge! In this video, we explore the difference between creative writing and daily spoken English, breaking down how novels use descriptive language that might not be useful for everyday conversation. We dive in...

British idioms can be totally baffling—what on earth does “she’s absolutely cream crackered” mean? 🤯 In this episode, we unpack some of the UK’s weirdest and most illogical idioms, from Cockney rhyming slang to century-old phrases like “a different kettle of fish.” These expressions are commonly used but rarely understood—so let’s figure them out together! Listen in to discover: Why "cream cracke...

Hello and welcome back to Emma’s ESL English! This week, we’re diving into some brilliant and bizarre British dialect words — from sea fog called fret or sea roke, to mountains named bens, fells, and bryns. We’ll also explore how bread rolls have a dozen different names across the UK (seriously — baps, cobs, barms, and more!), plus Scottish weather words like driech and hoolie that perfectly descr...

Welcome to Emma's ESL English! This week we’re diving into the quirky regional terms of endearment for strangers you might hear across the UK — from "alright, hen?" in Glasgow to "how you doing, chuck?" in the Midlands. These words like "love," "pet," "duck," and "mate" may seem strange or even inappropriate to outsiders, but they’re...

Welcome to Emma’s ESL English! This episode kicks off a three-part series on real British English—and today, we’re diving into British accents. Think there's just one “British” accent? Think again! From RP (Received Pronunciation) to Cockney, Geordie, Welsh, Scottish, and Liverpudlian, the UK is full of unique, regional voices that may surprise international learners. Learn how history, geogra...

Welcome to Emma's ESL English! Today, we're doing something a little different—and a lot of fun! I'm reading an excerpt from the famous British sci-fi comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. You’ve probably heard me say “Don’t Panic” before—and now you’ll learn where it comes from! 📘 In this reading, you’ll: Hear real British English from a classic book Learn new...

I went to look for weather idioms last month, and discovered none of them were about the weather! So today we're reviewing weather idioms that you can use in Business English. Actually you can use them in any situation, but our sample sentences are focusing on business scenarios today. We'll cover: Snowed under - I wish I could help but I'm absolutely snowed under - very busy A breeze...

Today we're covering a common question from students: It it OK to just answer 'how are you?' with 'I'm fine'. Yes! We'll also cover it's cultural purpose. And we'll cover the nuances of these common phrases and greetings: How was your weekend? How have you been? What have you been getting up to? Did you have a good holiday? And, what do people even mean when the...

Today it's my birthday! So we're covering some common idioms and phrases you might hear people use when talking about birthdays. Today's VocabularyOver the moon - to be very happy about somethingBig day - another way to refer to a birthdayThe icing on the cake - the best thing about this event/day/situationTo have a blast - to have a great timeAge is just a number - said to make people...

Last month I went to Scotland with my Mum. We went first to Helensburgh, the town where I went to high school, then to visit my piano teacher and finally to Glasgow. While I was visiting I took some pictures to show you all. Come along with me and take a look at the architecture and views in Scotland. While in Helensburgh I visited #thehillhouse designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh a famous Scott...

In this episode I will read a short excerpt from Terry Pratchett's Raising Steam. In this section we are in a dwarf meeting. We hear the king and his direct rival having a conversation. Unfortunately this book is set in difficult/exciting times in Discworld, some dwarves have become terrorists and they think they are fighting for all dwarfdom, but in fact most people recognise that the future...

This week we're looking at a little known grammar point called 'intensifiers'. These words are used to intensify adjectives and adverbs. I have covered this subject before in a little more detail in Episode 90, so feel free to head back to that episode for more. In this episode we're focusing on just two intensifiers: So and Too. These two words are very common in English, and I th...

Welcome to Emma's ESL English! 🌟 Today, we're diving into a very common English mistake: "I'm stressful about English." 😬 If you've ever said this—or felt it!—this episode is for you. We'll explore: Why "I'm stressful about English" is incorrect The difference between stressed , stressful , and stressed out Useful alternatives like “tense,” “under pres...

This week I'm reading a short excerpt from Dr Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Written on April 16th 1963 and addressed to 'My Dear Fellow Clergymen'. I do get quite political in this episode, certainly less neutral than I generally aim to be on this podcast. I also talk about current situations in America and the UK that are gravely concerning. I hope you don&#...

This week we're continuing our story about China's great expedition to discover the world. As I mentioned last week, everything comes from Gavin Menzies 2003 book: 1421 The Year China Discovered The World. In addition you can find more evidence and what's still happening by checking the two websites here: ⁠https://www.gavinmenzies.net/china/book-1421/ ⁠⁠https://www.1421foundation.org/...

This week we're heading to China for an adventure story. I read this book last year and it was so good, but I couldn't figure out how to share it with you. Recently I started using the Chinese App Red Note (XiaoHongShu) and doing short form videos there, I decided to tell this story. Once I had the base of the story I decided to see if I could adjust it for you too. These two episodes are really E...