Thinking Out Loud in English

Hi Thinkers! It's our birthday! Thinking Out Loud is one year old! Thanks for staying with us through thick and thin! This podcast is right now among the top 4% of education podcasts in terms of quantity ;))) Quality wise - nobody knows, probably top 1% hahaha. As for this episode, apart from a small anniversary small talk, we are discussing if humans can change the laws of nature , and in round 2...

Hi Thinkers! Masha and Jedrek deliver yet another, highly intellectualized, episode of your favorite podcast! This week on the show: is it ok to teach without syllabus? And in the Thinking Out Loud proper you will have the opportunity to listen what Masha thinks about the difference between "heartless" and "soulless" (and what do Thomas Anders and Diter Bohlen from Modern Talking mean when they si...

Hi Thinkers! Another week, another concepts to crack! This week on the show the difference between a friend and and ally, and a beautiful question if nature is beautiful? This and much more (for example if Masha is a better teacher now than she was 5 years ago?) in less than 60 minutes of a spontaneous and totally unscripted conversation in English. Learn more about us by visiting our website www....

Hi Thinkers! This week on Thinking Out Loud: what's the difference between knowing a lot about somebody and knowing somebody very well? And in the second part: where is the line between a team and a group? Additionally in the intro, Jedrek and Masha talk about their database of questions, why do they NOT ask personal questions, what's wrong with the typical job-interview questions and last but not...

Hi Thinkers! This week on the show: Masha and Jedrek discuss staying in the comfort zone and the relation between comfort and satisfaction, and in the second part the duo deals with the difference between the concepts of stabilization and stagnation. Thanks for listening, and sorry for the slightly inferior quality of Jedrek's sound (he had his mic turned the wrong way ;)) Find out more about Stud...

Hi thinkers! It's mad when you realize that this podcast is made between Ukraine and France, with the use of basic microphones, some Internet (not the fastest one) and some electricity of course. Amazing. Fine, but as for this episode: Jedrek asks if children are serious, and if politicians are too, for that matter; and in round 2, Masha asks about the difference between a hero and an idol. Thanks...

Hello World! This week's episode of Thinking Out Loud features Masha's chilling reflections on the overwhelming feeling of isolation during a blackout (after Russia's particularly brutal missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's cities last week), and two rounds of questions: in the first, somewhat technical one, Jedrek asks about the difference between an encyclopedia nad a dictionary, and in the se...

Hi Thinkers! This week on the show: after a short recap of I nnovate ELT 2022 conference where Jedrek is trying to count how many beers he downed, Masha tries to explain if Bill Gates (and Brad Pitt) have more freedom than ordinary people (and what’s the difference between freedom and independence), and in the second part, Jedrek is trying to defend the non-experts' right to criticize. There’s a l...

Hi thinkers! There is a lot happening in this episode: after a brief discussion about how the second language is learnt, Masha and Jedrek jump into two wide discussions: the first one is about additctions and dependencies (how to tell them apart?), and the second one is about the thin line between naivety and stupidity: How much should you know in order not to be considered stupid? Is there any ba...

This week Jedrek and Masha discuss whether reducing CO2 emissions is compatibile with reducing inequalities (how come when everything green is more expensive?), and in the second part of the show Masha asks Jedrek a hammer question: what is the difference between trusting someone and believing someone. One more hour (or so) of spontaneous, script-free conversation. Listen, copy and steal their lan...

Hi thinkers! Here are your two favorite teachers, Masha and Jedrek, discussing another set of interesting questions. Jedrek tries to weigh gits and prizes as to their value, and Masha chooses between science and art as a better guide through life. Thanks for listening to this extra niche podcast, a true gem in the world of podcasts ;) If you enjoy our conversations you can take part in a similar o...

Hi friends! Masha, Jedrek and their Thinking Out Loud emerge back from the shadow of the war! Listen to their conversation about the difference between natural and wild as well as an attempt at decoupling giving in from giving up. Don't forget that you can be part of this experience by either studying English with us (sutdiomentals.com) or joining us on the show (studiomentals@live.com). Have a gr...

Still a bit shaken by te ongoing war in Ukraine, Jedrek and Masha come back with the second episode of this slightly irregular season. After a brief report on Masha's situation, your favorite teachers start cracking open another pairs of concepts. First, Masha tries to distinguish strong from invulnerable (and whether a weak person can be invulnerable?), and in the second part, Jedrek decides whet...

Masha and Jedrek are back with their podcast recorded between France and Ukraine. Their first episode of the new season is an interview with Masha who lives in Kiev and who was a witness of the Russian agression on Ukraine. Masha shares her point of view and talks about the atmosphere in Kiev and outside the city, about national unity of Ukrainians and much more. Thanks for being with us and lets...

Have you ever wondered how our questions are born? Of course you have ;) So this week we are letting you behind the scenes of how we design them :) It's a somewhat different episode than the previous ones but there is still a lot of exploration of everyday concepts including 'oven' and a lot of fun. Don't hesitate to leave us your feedback , or get in touch with us if you'd like to improve your sp...

Hi! Two people struggling with freedom: a prisoner and a slave - how much different are they? This is what Jedrek explores in round one, and in round two, Masha is trying to separate New from Fresh and see what is the connection between cold temperature and freshness. Thanks for listening to our exchanges, they may not lead to clever conclusions but they surely offer a large dose of solid Global E...

This week on the show Masha and Jedrek use their Global English to discuss the difference between dreams and goals and try to find the border between imagination and fantasy. Keep in mind that before being podcasters we are teachers of English and you can develop your English with us! Visit our website for more details. If you like (or hate) our show, you can share your point of view , and if you'...

We almost can't believe we made it to our double-digit episode, number 10, but here we are! Thanks! In the intro you will learn a little bit about our story and how we got to know each other. Shortly after that Masha sets off to investigte the link between high-brow art and boredom, and Jedrek assesses if it's difficult to get up at 5:30 in the morning, an hour which for many people doesn't even e...

This week on the show, we're pleased to host our first (ever) guest: Sophie Bailey. Sophie is the author of the famous Edtech podcast, and - most importantly - a really clever thinker. Masha lets her muse on the concepts of cowardice and shyness, and knowing that Sophie is an avid cyclist, Jedrek asks her whether a bicycle is a machine. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you, if you never look at your...

Jedrek and Masha start out by reflecting on reflection - is our world being gradually deprived of it? Only to dive later into the subject of beauty, exploring the difference between the concepts of 'sexy' and 'beautiful' (Is Jeff Bezos sexy?), and what is the link between health and beauty (Is Wayne Rooney beautiful?) Thanks for listening and following our line of thinking. You can leave us a voic...

What do being busy, milking cows, Elon Musk, Kate Winslet and the concept of standing reserve have in common? Well, they all feature in this episode of Thinking Out Loud, where Masha tries to explain the concept of the pace of life, and Jedrek ponders whether you can use language if there is nobody to talk to. Don't forget that alonside being podcasters we are also teachers of English. If you'd li...

Kings (and Queens) of English conversations are back in 2022 with the discussion about the differences between 2 pairs of concepts. First, Jedrek tries to separate ' popularity ' from ' fame ', and next, Masha is trying to decouple ' friendship ' from ' fraternity '. Expect a mix of fun and seriousness, hard thinking in an easy going atmosphere, and a lot of references to pop-culture ;) Thanks for...

Masha and Jedrek sum up 2021 (what a horrible year! :) and move on to discuss first the difference between a tourist and a traveler, and later, whether happy medium and the average are one and the same. Thanks for listening, don't forget that if you'd like to confront similar questions (they're good for your language and good for your brain) feel invited to visit our website studiomentals.com and...

In our X-mas special, Masha tries to figure out what's in the jungle: order or chaos? And Jedrek deals with the thin border between a lie and fiction discussing Santa!  Thanks for listening! If you'd like us to teach you how to think (joke!) or at least how to build a few sentences that make sense in English, please visit our website studiomentals.com and fill out the contact form. If you'd l...

In this episode Jedrek is trying to separate manipulation from persuasion and Masha talks about the difference between victory and success. Could finishing 28th be called a success? If you'd like to face similar questions on your own and become our student, please visit our website studiomentals.com. If you'd like to send us feedback about this episode or take part in the future ones, don't hesita...