Charm English Pod

Sign up for classes here: charmenglish.cl In this episode, we dive into how to use the prepositions at, in, and on inside common English idioms . I walk you through practical examples, song references, and clear explanations so you can understand these expressions and use them confidently in real conversations. Perfect for learners who want to sound more natural and fluent. You'll learn: How a...

In this episode, I announce the winners of our Spooky Story Contest and read the top three horror stories written by English learners! Each story brings something special — suspense, emotion, and creativity — and we explore what makes them so engaging. In this episode I read: the runner-up “The Mystery Story" by Akko, the chilling second-place entry, "My first night by myself at home" by Joao, and...

charmenglish.cl In this episode we unpack how phrasal verbs turn into compound nouns. You will hear clear examples like takeover, breakdown, check-in, follow-up, and meetup, plus easy spelling tips and simple pronunciation rules to help your English sound more natural. Whether you use English at work, in social situations, or when making decisions, these words are everywhere. Listen for practice i...

Sign up for a class at ⁠charmenglish.cl⁠ In this episode I break down one of the trickiest parts of English grammar: verbs that take gerunds vs infinitives . We cover common patterns, mental-process verbs (think, imagine, recall), verbs of intention (intend, plan), and verbs that accept both forms with little change in meaning. Expect real-life examples, practical chunks you can use in conversatio...

To watch on YouTube go to: https://youtu.be/TnxcbEHsdos I chat with my sister Stacey about what it is really like to work in animal control. Stacey shares field stories, the kinds of calls she gets, and the choices officers make when balancing animal welfare and community needs. Along the way we focus on language that learners can use in real life. You will hear natural vocabulary and phrases, pro...

In this live Q&A I answer student questions about casual speaking, speaking and learning tips, verb tenses (past perfect and the past participle,) causative verbs, pronunciation difficulties, and small language nuances like the difference between “shade” and “shadow.” I give many examples, correction tips, and practice suggestions you can use right away. Suitable for B1–B2 learners who want pr...

In this episode, I explore sayings and life mottos that we live by. We dig into procrastination, motivation, and how social media shapes our views of other people’s lives. Along the way I share language tips for learners, cultural expressions you can use today, and simple mindset shifts that make action easier. What you’ll get from this episode Life mottos that can guide you and your lifestyle Idi...

In this episode, I break down how to use modals of possibility like may, might, and could in real-life English conversations. We also talk about phrasal verbs and idioms that help you sound more fluent and express uncertainty naturally — phrases like turn out, end up, and up in the air. If you’re trying to speak English with more confidence, this lesson will help you understand how to talk about o...

We talk about so much everyday health vocabulary, from sneezing and tissues and Kleenex, to symptoms, to phrasal verbs like pass out versus pass away. This is a great episode for anyone wanting to work on their listening skills and useful vocabulary!

In this episode I sit down with Emily, my sister! We talk about different varieties and dialects of English like AAVE, Scottish vs US English, and Polari. She also shares her experiences moving to Scotland and studying a Master's in teaching English. We talk about her experiences learning several languages and what's worked for her. This is a fast-paced episode with so much great info! If...

In this episode, we take a closer look at the word “as” and all the different ways it’s used in everyday English. You’ll hear common phrases like as soon as possible , as opposed to , as for , as far as , and more. We’ll also go over how “as” works in equative comparisons ( I’m as tall as him ), to show reason ( As it was raining, we stayed inside ), and as a time marker ( I was looking outside as...

In this class we have so many tongue twisters and other tips and tricks for you to practice your pronunciation! I show different vibrating sounds like S versus Z, TH, and B versus V. We also talk about the flap T, which is when a T between two vowels sounds more like a D, and the US English R sound. Listen and say the tongue twisters along with me!

This episode is all about spicing up your English with some kitchen and cooking vocab. We’re talking all the action words you need—slice, chop, mince, blend—so you can be more specific when telling people about foods from your country. Plus, we’ll hit the cooking methods: grill it, boil it, roast it, you name it. Then we’ll put it all into practice, walking through how to make dishes step-by-step...

In this very special interview episode, I sit down with Will, a fellow ESL teacher and online content creator from Venezuela, living in Colombia. We talk about his own journey learning English and eventually becoming a teacher, and he shares what worked for him. Along the way, we also dive into the challenges of mastering English, hear about his hobbies, and even sing a little bit, as to be expect...

In this episode we talk about cats, your thoughts on cats, why we love or don't love them, etc. Then we practiced using cat-related idioms, in particular ones used in the REAL WORLD (I'm an advocate of teaching students idioms that they might actually see and find useful, since there are so many of them out there, it's good to prioritize.) And finally we had some hypothetical questions like what w...

Hello! Here are my top tips for job interviews and how to answer several common questions. We go over how to answer "tell me about yourself" using the past, present, and future. We practice the STAR method for sharing situations when asked behavioral questions (situation, task, action, result.) We also talk about tough questions like what is your biggest weakness? and why should we hire you? I hop...

In this episode, we talk about derivational forms — words that are created by adding prefixes or suffixes to a base word (also called a root). These added parts can change the meaning of the word or its grammatical category (like turning a verb into a noun or an adjective into an adverb). For example: From the verb teach , we get the noun teacher . From the adjective happy , we get the noun happin...

In this episode we explore the topic of connected speech. Learning about this will help you so much with your listening, when people speak quickly! We tend to connect words when a word ends in a consonant and the next word starts in a vowel (Put it - putit). Also, when one word ends in a vowel and the next word starts in a vowel. In some cases we add a W or Y sound (I agree - iyagree, go out - gow...

In this class we talk about the present perfect tense and when to use it, practically in conversations! We also compare the simple past to the present perfect and discuss when to use each one. The present perfect is used for unspecified events in the past as well as events that started in the past and continue now.

Here's a strategy that will help you learn phrasal verbs more effectively: learn phrasal verbs that have double meanings, both literal and figurative. It's usually easier for us to remember literal and concrete actions, so by connecting figuritive uses to literal ones, it can serve as a memory trick.

🎙️ Adjective Order in English: Why We Say "Big Beautiful Desk" (Not the Other Way Around!) Okay, so here’s something kinda weird about English—when we use a bunch of adjectives before a noun, there’s actually a pretty specific order that sounds right… even if we don’t realize it! 😅 Linguists have noticed a pattern, and it goes like this: Opinion – Size – Age – Shape – Color – Origin – Material –...

🎙️ Episode: Talking about Hypotheticals with the Second Conditional In this lesson, I break down a powerful structure for expressing your opinions and desires: the second conditional. By the end of the episode, you’ll know exactly how and when to use “if + past tense… would + base verb” to talk about unreal, imagined, or unlikely situations. Use it to… 📌Express wishes & dreams: “If I knew how...

Live class about reported speech plus a Q&A for the last 30 minutes where you asked me about conditionals, anxiety, pronunciation, and more! Tips for reported speech: 📌you don’t have to include “that”, I do when I feel it’s needed for more clarity, maybe in writing when I have a long sentence, but in speaking it’s often omitted “she said ((that)) she enjoyed learning languages” 📌when reporti...

In this episode, we explore the power of gerunds in English—those versatile “-ing” forms that function like nouns. You’ll learn which trigger words demand a gerund, and you’ll practice high-utility chunks like I can’t stand and I’m responsible for in real-world contexts: starting and stopping actions, expressing feelings and emotions, making decisions, and tackling challenges. 📚 Further Reading &...

In this class we talked about so many different phrases that you can use in a conversation! Here are some: 👉🏻Discourse markers: So basically… Long story short… At the end of the day… I mean… Not gonna lie (NGL)... To be fair… That being said… For what it’s worth Just putting it out there… Lowkey / Highkey 👉🏻phrases for agreeing for sure definitely no doubt one hundred percent I’m with you that...