American English Podcast

We all love survival stories, don’t we? Watching men and women find food and water, seeing them build shelters out of sticks, stones, and leaves—it’s a common theme on reality television. But every now and then, real life gives us an even more unbelievable story. Stories of people who come face to face with death… and somehow survive. Today, you’ll hear the incredible story of Aron Ralston. You mi...

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to use the common English expression “between a rock and a hard place.” First, you’ll hear a joke to get things started. Then we’ll break down what this expression means and how to use it naturally in everyday English with a few real-life examples. At the end, we’ll slow things down with a short pronunciation exercise so you can practice saying the phrase confi...

In this 5-Minute English episode, you'll hear a lot of vocabulary and phrases related to Cold, Flus, and Sickness.⚠️ Like most 5-Minute Episodes, this episode type is extra challenging, but short. Listen to it multiple times and consider transcribing the audio as a listening exercise. You can also dive deeper into this lesson by joining the Academy. Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit t...

In this 5-Minute English episode, you'll hear a lot of vocabulary and phrases related to winter and the cold. You'll also learn about the typical experience at a Colorado ski resort. ⚠️ Like most 5-Minute Episodes, the listening is short and more challenging. You might need to listen to an episode at least three times in order to fully comprehend it. There are 40+ vocabulary words and phrases in t...

After my last conversation with Pete about his dream house in Australia (Ep. 109), I decided to ask friends and family members about their own dream homes. My mom was the first to respond, and this episode features her answer. Her dream home would be in Napa Valley, California—the heart of wine country. As you’ll hear, she absolutely loves this topic. She uses lots of specific vocabulary related t...

We’re moving to Los Angeles—L.A., the City of Angels. In this Chats with Shana episode, you’ll hear my thoughts as they come—completely off the cuff. Tune in to hear about the big adventure we’re about to embark on. I’m taking you along for the journey with us… wish us luck! 🎬✨Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy th...

In this episode, Charlie and I discuss all things embarrassing. This is your chance to hear some funny embarrassing stories, practice listening to British and American English and learn some amazing vocabulary (hear how we compare terms like " your fly is down," "to let one slide" and "to eat shit"!) Charlie also teaches us how to act appropriately if the Queen rips one (farts) at a fancy feast. H...

The preposition in and on can be a nightmare, but in this short recording I hope to clarify some of the confusion when it comes to speaking about islands. Yes, there will be a few exceptions to the rules here, but honestly this topic can get so convoluted, simplifying it the way I have will enable you to speak correctly about islands 99% of the time. The one exception probably worth mentioning is...

Want to take a vacation to Hawaii? In this episode, I talk about our recent trip to Oahu—the most visited and most populous island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Hawaii became the 50th state to join the United States, and in this episode I give you a general overview of the islands and what you can do there as a tourist. Why do people from other states visit so often? Tune in to find out. 🌺🌴✈️ Wan...

In this 5-Minute English episode, you'll hear a lot of vocabulary and phrases related to skincare and makeup. This episode type is extra challenging, but short. Listen to it multiple times and consider transcribing the audio as a listening exercise. You can also dive deeper into this lesson by joining the Academy. Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materi...

I've always loved talking about Dream Houses. It's sort of a magical topic that everyone can relate to, and yet for every person, the response is going to be different. How we answer / describe our space largely depends on our life experience to date and perception of places we've been to. In this conversation I talk to Pete  (my Australian friend and host of the Aussie English Podcast)  about his...

In today's episode, you'll learn about Sharks and Shark Attacks in U.S. waters and how to avoid a shark if you're visiting the U.S. coast! Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to use the common expression “to rock the boat.” You’ll also get a chance to practice pronunciation and hear a joke along the way. Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Learn more about your ad ch...

In today's episode, you'll learn how to use the common expression: The Coast Is Clear. You'll get to practice pronunciation and hear a joke as well. The fun fact in this episode is all about Alcatraz, an island or prison, I should say - former prison - off the coast of San Francisco, which housed some of the United States's most infamous criminals from 1934 until 1963. One former resident you may...

Charlie, our good friend from The British English Podcast, came up with an incredibly entertaining podcast format called “Off the Beaten Track.” In short, it’s all about asking someone detailed questions about their ideal itinerary for a dream vacation. And I emphasize dream because this episode is packed with hypotheticals—you’ve hit the hypothetical jackpot! In today’s episode, Charlie shares hi...

This episode is part of Season 3.  In this episode of the podcast, you'll hear about our recent month-long stay in Brazil. Other than spending time with family and friends, the highlights of the trip were with animals and nature. Tune in and learn a lot of animal vocabulary! In this story, you'll also be exposed to the 10 most common collective nouns for animals. A collective noun is a word used t...

The decision to move overseas is a big one and it requires preparation. The first step for non-native English speakers who want to live, study or work in the U.S. is taking an English exam as proof of English ability. The IELTS exam is one of the most popular. Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Beck all about IELTS.  She shared many reasons why you should consider taking this exam...

This episode is part of Season 3.  In this episode of the podcast, you'll learn how to use the common expression TO PUSH SOMEONE'S BUTTONS. For the fun fact about American History and Culture, you'll learn about THE MILGRAM EXPERIMENT. Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for...

The term "toddler" is typically used to describe a child that is between the ages of one and three, although some people consider a three-year-old up until four, also a toddler. It's the stage in a human's life when they're no longer a newborn, they're no longer an infant, so a baby, but they're also not really a kid. The term toddler comes from the verb toddle, which means to walk with short and...

Welcome to Season 3! In this episode, I share some news from here in California and talk about what you can expect in the upcoming season. 🎙️Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Mentioned in Episode: ⭐ Morena⁠ by Luan Santana (co-w...

After five years of teaching intermediate- to advanced-level English online, I started to notice patterns in the words my students often mispronounced. In today’s episode, I’ve gathered those commonly mispronounced words into one lesson, with example sentences to help you practice and improve your pronunciation. Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning material...

In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll gain maximum exposure to 10 common verbs. You'll hear a story, get the definitions and new example sentences to better your pronunciation and amp up your vocabulary! The 10 words are: To pick one's nose To growl To zip up To slam on the brakes To splash To wet oneself  To flip someone off To swear To take a sip To wave Want to take your learn...

In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll gain maximum exposure to 10 common verbs that produce sound. You'll hear a story, get the definitions and new example sentences to better your pronunciation and amp up your vocabulary! The 10 words are: to spit to snore to gargle to yawn to sniffle to cough  to sneeze to snap your fingers to slurp to burp Want to take your learning further? ...

In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll learn how to use the expression BOTTOMS UP! and all about CINCO DE MAYO.Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

In this episode of the American English Podcast, you'll learn how to use the expression BENT OUT OF SHAPE and all about TORNADOES IN THE U.S..Want to take your learning further?  ⭐ ⁠Visit the website⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...