English Outside the Box

Hello and before we get into anything we must say… Thank You for tuning in this week! This week is all about gratitude and we’ll talk a little bit about the science of it, what it is, how we express it, the benefits and more. We chose this topic because Thanksgiving is right around the corner in the US, and it’s a day about giving thanks. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Hey guys, Love it or hate it, cleaning is something we all have to … at least occasionally! So how clean are you, dear listener? Do you scrub your kitchen floor until you can see your face in it or are the unwashed clothes piling up in your bedroom?! Whether you’re a clean or messy Ponder, we hope you enjoy this week’s episode and improving your English with us.

Hello there! We’re checking off our “to-do” list this week, and how about you? Do you use lists to stay organized? ... to keep track of things you need to do? ... for shopping? Listen in this week as we share why we make lists and the apps we use to handle them! Hopefully it’ll not only teach you some helpful English but will motivate you to stay on top of your game. Enjoy!

Hey! We hope you’ll CHOOSE to listen to our latest podcast all about ... choices! Do you find it hard to make choices? Can you decide what to order in a restaurant? Or what direction your future will head in? Whatever your answer, you're  making a great decision by improving your English with us here at English Across The Pond.

“Highlo” ... I mean “Huhlo” ... errr … HELLO! :) Pronunciation makes a big difference when it comes to speaking English (or any language) and being understood! This is why we’re focusing on pronunciation in this episode and making sure you’re not making some of the same mistakes that even native speakers make. We’re all human, and yes, mistakes happen, but let’s make sure you are prepared with the...

Hello and welcome to hotel English Across The Pond! Your 2 English teacher hosts, Jennifer and Dan, will be taking care of you for the duration of your stay. Yes, dear Ponders, it’s time to check in to another episode and this week we’re all about hotels. Do you love staying in hotels? Ever stayed in a motel? Do you ever order room service? These questions and so much more will be discussed in thi...

Hello, Hello! It’s time to talk about Happy Hour! What is happy hour in terms of definition and cultural norms in the US and UK? What do you need to know if you’re in one of these countries and get asked to happy hour. What can you expect? Join us this week as we talk about what many workers do in a typical week and have some fun while you learn!

Hello dear Ponder, Whether you’re watching a blockbuster movie, reading a thrilling book or just chatting with friends, everyone loves a story. And your 2 hosts are no different! Join us as we chat about stories from our childhood and how they are still important to us as adults. After the chat, the language focus is about 2 verbs that many language learners us incorrectly. Enjoy!

Hi there!  It’s time for another episode about preferences, but this time, Dan is in the hot seat! Jennifer will be going over all kinds of preferences and choices for Dan to talk about it. This is a great way to get to know one of your hosts. You’ll also dive deeper into the 2nd conditional, as we show you how to use it more naturally in this week’s language focus.

All the single ladies!  And all the single gentlemen! Are you out there loving being young free and single? Or happily married? Whatever your relationship status we’re sure you’ll love our podcast all about the single life. Two native speakers chatting naturally and giving you all the up to date words, phrases and expressions you need to take your English to the next level. What could be better, r...

Hello! Pack your bags and bring your tents, we’re going … CAMPING! Today we’re talking about one of our favorite things to do. Have you ever gone camping?  Have you ever slept in a tent outside? Find out where Jennifer and Dan have camped AND dive deeper into using the structure “GO + GERUND” to talk about activities in our language focus.

Hello there! Texting has become a big part of our day-to-day, at least for a lot of us anyway! How about you? What are your texting habits? Let’s talk about it in this episode. Join your 2 English language teacher hosts, Dan from the UK and Jennifer from the US, for natural conversation, up to date vocabulary, all topped off with a language focus.  Enjoy!

Would you consider yourself a kind person? Did you know that showing kindness not only benefits the person you’re being kind to, but helps YOU be happier and healthier (as well as though people seeing the kindness)!? It really is like a ripple effect! If you think that’s interesting stuff, then just wait for what you’re about to hear in this week’s episode :) Enjoy!

As you’re no doubt aware, us humans have five basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste.  Have you got a favourite? A favourite food (taste?) Or a favourite smell, maybe?  Use your sense of hearing (!!) and improve your English by joining us this week to chat about our thoughts and feelings about the 5 senses. At the end of our conversation, the language focus concentrates on the very m...

Do you like shopping? If so, what kind of stores do you like to shop at? … Places to get shiny new stuff, or perhaps a secondhand shop? Learn more about what shopping secondhand AKA at thrift stores and what your hosts think about it. What are the benefits of it? What kind of things can you find? :) Stick around to the end, this week’s language focus is all about LOVING in the -ING form. Enjoy!

Love it or hate it, it’s something we’ve all spent hours of our lives completing - maybe you’re even about to do it now … … homework! Join us as we chat about this evergreen topic. Which host do you think always did their homework? And who changed their homework because they thought they’d got it all wrong? Listen and find out!

Hello there! Are you NUTS about English Across the Pond? Have you ever gone nuts about something? Have you ever misunderstood the word “nuts” because it does, in fact, have a few different meanings? Well after today’s episode, you shouldn’t get confused with this word and we’ll talk about a couple of different words with multiple meanings. We’ll talk about confusing situations we’ve had in other l...

Tea or coffee? Summer or winter? Pizza or pasta?  This week’s chat is all about preferences and Dan (your UK English teacher) host is asking Jennifer (your American co-host) the questions. Find out what Jen likes and refresh your English skills at the same time - perfect! After the conversation the language focus explains how to talk about preferences more formally. So, would you like to listen to...

Hey there Ponder! How do you express yourself without words? Do you think your body can express what you think and how you feel? Well the answer is… yes! Join your 2 native speaker English teacher hosts for a fun chat about facial expressions packed full of up to date vocabulary and expressions. After the conversation the language focus this week is all about interjections. Enjoy the episode!

Hey there Ponders! Are you an older person living with younger people? Or are you a younger person living with older people? If you answered yes then you should be very familiar with this week’s topic - generation gaps. Generation gaps are the contrasting attitudes between people of different age groups which can sometimes lead to a lack of understanding. It’s something that affects all of us at o...

Hey there ponders! Are you the kind of person who works from dawn until dusk? If so, you might just be (at least a bit of) a workaholic. And, this is the perfect episode for you! Actually, even if you’re more of a couch potato (someone who sits on the sofa and watches a lot of TV) we’re sure you’ll love this week’s show as it’s full of all the English vocabulary, grammar and expressions you need t...

Have you ever experienced culture shock - the sense of confusion felt when someone visits a country or place that they do not know? Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or have never been past your front door, there’s lots to learn in this week’s podcast from your 2 native speaker teacher hosts. Find out where Jennifer and Dan have experienced culture shock and how they coped. The language focus is...

HELLO! As you can see, we are yelling (yelling = all CAPITAL letters) because we are excited that it is…. S U M M E R   T I M E! Summertime is here, which means warm weather, sunshine, and beach days (for 1 of us). What do each of us, your hosts, like to do during summer time? Do we have favorite activities? Listen and find out!

Hello dear Ponders! Did you have a favourite toy when you were a kid? A special teddy bear? A beloved bike? This week we are turning back time and chatting all about our treasured childhood possessions. How sweet!

Good morning, afternoon or evening to YOU! Is it too soon to call you our member bestie? :) We’re talking all about friendships this week. How we make them, our experiences and so much more! Listen to our conversations to learn a little bit about the besties in our lives … After the chat the language focus this week is all about noun clauses. Enjoy!