English Learning for Curious Minds | A More Interesting Way To Learn English

  It has revolutionised our lives, made cars lighter, food fresher, and water safer. But at what cost? In this episode we take a look at the history of plastic, and ask ourselves what comes next. In today's episode we cover: Elephants, combs and billiard balls - how plastic was invented Throwaway living in the 1950s How much plastic waste exists in the world? How much plastic do we eat? Recycling...

  It's one of the most isolated countries in the world, ruled by an authoritarian leader with a passion for horses and Guinness World Records. It's time to find out about the weird and wonderful country of Turkmenistan. In today's episode we cover: The cult of personality under Niyazov No dogs allowed in the capital The golden statue that turned to face the sun Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and the lo...

  It's one of the most famous department stores in the world, catering to the world's rich and famous.  But it hasn't always been this way.  In this episode we take a look at the story of Harrods, and discover the fascinating and unusual history of this iconic London location.  In today's episode we cover:  How it all started, back in 1824 The Great Exhibition When it all burned down Harrods' famo...

  It's a collection of the biggest, fastest, and weirdest things in the world.  But how much do you really know about The Guinness World Records?  Today we look at the story behind the book, and discover how an argument about a bird turned into one of the best selling books in the world.  Here's what you have to look forward to in today's episode:  Finding out the answers to things before the inte...

  A quick announcement of some exciting developments at Leonardo English.  New memberships, request an episode, and exclusive Q&A sessions for members.  Find out more at www.leonardoenglish.com/subscribe --- You might like: 🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists ✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTu...

  You recognise the name. You recognise the label. You've seen it on bananas, chocolate, coffee, and all over thousands of everyday products. But how much do you really know about Fairtrade? In today's episode we take a look at how it really works, who benefits, and why some companies are starting up alternatives to Fairtrade. In today's episode we cover: A brief history of 'trade' Why farmers get...

  It's one of the most powerful television channels in the United States, the current US president’s preferred news channel, and referred to by some as 'state TV'. In today's episode we take a look at Fox News: who watches it, how it really makes money, and what event could cause its downfall. In today's episode we cover: The growth of Fox News Fox News & Donald Trump News vs. opinion Very goo...

  In the early hours of November 5th, 1605, a man was found in a cellar under The Houses of Parliament. He was moments away from blowing everything up, killing the King, and changing the course of British history forever. Today we tell the story of Guy Fawkes, and how we went from religious terrorist to anti-establishment icon. In today's episode we cover: November 5th celebrations in the UK The p...

  In Holland in the 1600s the price of tulips rose so much that a single bulb reportedly cost more than a townhouse on Amsterdam's grand canal. Today we look at the real story behind one of the greatest bubbles in history. What is a tulip? Why are things expensive? Why were tulips so expensive in Holland? Why were some people in Holland so rich? How tulips grow Tulip contracts The greater fool the...

  In 1963 a criminal gang managed to stop a Royal Mail train, steal £2 million pounds in cash (£55 million in today's money), and escape. It took them just 15 minutes. Today we tell the story of this infamous robbery, and the hunt to find the men who did it. The train carrying all the money Why was it carrying so much money? The story of the robbery The hunt for the suspects The discovery of the f...

  In 1755, Samuel Johnson published an English dictionary that has gone down in history. Not only was it the first of its kind, it was full of funny jokes. Today we tell the story of this fantastic dictionary. Dictionaries before 1755 Why Johnson's was so famous Why was a dictionary needed? Why was the English language a mess? 'Fixing' English Johnson's dictionary: 40,000 words of fine scholarship...

  300 years ago, London experienced a gin craze of epic scale, with the average Londoner drinking 10 times the amount of gin that the world's biggest gin drinking country does now. Today, it's time to learn about how gin almost destroyed London. We'll learn about: 👀 Why 'gin' is called 'gin' ⚡ The perfect storm that made caused the gin boom 🍸 The gin shops 🌡 The ingredients of the 'gin' ☠ "Drun...

  After water and air, it's the most used natural resource in the world. But are we really running out of it? If so, why? And what happens if we do? In today's episode we cover: 🌡 What do we use sand for? 🏘 How much sand goes into a house? 🇨🇳 How much sand China uses ⏳ Where does this sand come from? 👮‍♂️ Sand mafias 🤷‍♂️ Can we avoid using sand? 🗼 Sand in Dubai (it doesn't come from where you...

  What would happen if the government just gave everyone money?  That's the idea of Universal Basic Income, and it's an idea that has supporters from all across the political spectrum. In today's episode we cover: ✍ History of Universal Basic Income 🤖 Are the robots coming? 💸 Who should get the money? 💰 Who should pay for it? 👏 Who supports Universal Basic Income? 👍 Advantages of Universal Ba...

  It's the most visited website in the world, with 80,000 searches per second. But have you ever actually wondered how it really works? In today's episode we'll take a look at how this technology giant really works. 🔠 Alphabet & Google 🖥 What does 'The Internet' actually mean? 🕷 Google Spider 🤔 How does Google decide what results to show you? ❓ How does Google decide how websites are good o...

  You might know nothing about it. But certainly does (or could do) know a huge amount about you. Let's take a look at this incredibly powerful company that has the power to see everything we do. In today's episode we cover: Animating transcripts Peter Thiel - founder of Palantir What does Palantir actually do? Big data What if the technology wasn't used for good? Minority Report in real life - th...

  Today is a bit of a change from the normal.  It's time to ask for your help.  Let's build the best podcast in the world together. Animated transcripts Update on the podcast after 2 months What do I know? How you can help What you get in return Key vocabulary: Animated, Browser, For one, Condense, Ether, Hand in hand, Pile, Operation, Shape, Priority, Shaping, Ray of light, Pleading **** Full tra...

  The media might portray it as just a failed state run by a mad dictator, but today we'll find out that things might be just a little bit more complicated than they seem.  In today's episode we cover: Post Second World War - US vs. USSR in the Korean Peninsula The Korean War The post-war years North Korea & China Nuclear weapons (and why do they really have them?) Kim Jong-un North Korea in 2...

  Confused about the difference between Great Britain and The United Kingdom, and always wondered when to call someone British instead of English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish? Let's clear it up, and explain how we got to this, admittedly, pretty complicated situation. In today's episode we cover: Bye bye European Union Do people in the UK know the difference? The UK vs. Great Britain England, Wales,...

  It's time for Part 2 of our most common mistakes people make when learning English. In today's episode we cover: Recap of Part 1 Why you shouldn't focus on grammar (and how to actually learn grammar) Why you shouldn't just do 'survival' listening Why you don't need to go to an English-speaking country (and how to create your own immersion course) How to set aside time for English learning Why yo...

  It's time to take a look at the most common mistakes people make when learning English, and how to avoid them. In today's episode we cover: 📍 Strategic vs. Specific mistakes 📕 Why you shouldn't use traditional language learning content 👀 Why you shouldn't judge your progress against that of others 📈 Are there really any English learning hacks? 😍 How to embrace the English learning process...

  Do you believe in conspiracy theories?  Millions of people around the world do.  Today we're going to ask ourselves why, talk about why they can be so seductive, and zoom in on some of the wackiest ones out there. This episode covers: 👀 What is a conspiracy theory? 👄Why conspiracy theories can be so seductive 🧠Why do we seek connections between events? 📈Why are conspiracy theories growing in...

  Britain's biggest contribution to gastronomy, the sandwich, was invented 250 years ago. How it was invented may surprise you though. Today it's time for part 4 of our mini-series on British food, where we go for a journey into sandwich history. In today's episode we cover: 10 days left to get promotional price for transcripts & key vocabulary Earl of Sandwich (and his gambling problem) Did t...

  The English Breakfast is a truly British institution, and its history goes back 700 years. In today's podcast we go into the story behind the meal, and reveal how it went from favourite of lords and ladies to the way the working classes started the day. Different types of English breakfast The Gentry and their breakfasts Breakfasts for normal British people (and how they weren't very exciting) T...

  It's a British classic, but how much do you really know about it? Today we are diving into the fascinating history of fish and chips, and we'll discover that it might be not quite so British as you might think. In today's episode we cover: How famous people liked their fish and chips Why people think fish and chips helped the Allies win World War I and World War II Why French housewives might be...