Go Natural English Podcast | Listening & Speaking Lessons

Have you ever had to interview for a job where you were asked to talk about yourself? Many people find this awkward because they are uncomfortable boasting about themselves. The key is to be able to speak confidently about your abilities and how you can contribute value to the new company, without making claims that are not quite true. You don't want to exaggerate your skills but you do want to ex...

Guess what? This is your lucky day. In this English tip Gabby explains how to handle a conversation when somebody says, "Guess what?" This is one of those English sayings that can be either an exclamation or a question. When you hear "Guess what?" what is your first thought? Do you wonder what you're supposed to say because you really have no idea what the context is, and so your answers could be...

When I read a book, or watch podcasts on my computer, I want to be cozy. What I mean by that is I want to be snugly warm and comfortable. Most of the time when you hear the word "cozy", it will have a positive, encouraging meaning. There are times when you should be just a little bit cautious when you hear that word. In this English tip, Gabby offers advice on what is really being said when the wo...

What is the hardest thing about making new friends? Is it the culture? Is it the language barrier? Is it the fear of making a mistake and appearing foolish? The hardest thing is often that first step and taking a chance. In my experience traveling around the world, most people are feeling the same as you. They want to meet you, and speak with you, because they want to learn about other cultures an...

Speaking on the telephone or on Skype in a foreign language has to be one of the most terrifying things you can do. Speaking to someone who keeps quiet and does not say anything makes you feel even unsure of yourself. You begin to wonder if you've said something wrong, or are not being understood. If a non-native English speaker is speaking with you in English, try to make them feel at ease. Give...

As you have probably discovered, unlike many languages where the letters or sounds are pronounced as they are written, English is not like that. So often, English letters, sounds, and words are not pronounced as you would think they would be. In this tip, Gabby explains how the "T" sound can be made in different ways, especially in American English. Sometimes it is pronounced as a "D" as in the wo...

Have you ever wondered what somebody meant when they said to you, "I must be losing my mind?" You probably thought that is impossible because while a brain is a real thing, a mind is not. This is one of those rich idioms that adds flavor and color to the English language. As Gabby and Rob explain in this English episode, the expression is normally used after someone seems to have forgotten somethi...

If you know of Go Natural English, then you are undoubtedly familiar with your American English teacher, Gabby Wallace. Knowing of something or somebody means that you are familiar with a certain place, object, or person. You could hear phrases like, "I know of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt although I've never personally been there, but I have ready many books about it." You might also hear som...

How did you get to know about Go Natural English? No matter how you learned of it, it is a great place to improve your English language fluency. "Got to know" is one of those phrases that does not necessarily translate word-for-word but is often used to express how someone learned of something or somebody. You will often hear people say, "I got to know about the American sport of baseball when I w...

As you probably already realize, English can be a difficult language to spell and pronounce sometimes. Don't worry! Even native American English speakers sometimes have trouble understanding other Americans from different parts of the United States. In this English tip Gabby provides a few helpful hints to remember when you are trying to understand what people are saying, and also so that you will...

Have you already mastered the plural "s" sound in the English language? If not, you will want to watch this English tip from Gabby at Go Natural English. If you have had trouble understanding this concept, don't worry, you are not alone. There are a number of English learners that had experienced trouble with the plural "s." Gabby explains that sometimes you can tell immediately from the context o...

Have you ever made plans to do something special, and then come to find out, that you already had something else planned? In this short English tip, Gabby explains the phrase, '"Come to find out." This is one of those phrases that is not usually written about in textbooks, nor is it often used in writing, but it is commonly heard in conversational English. You might hear a phrase along the lines o...

Have you figured out yet that American English is a language full of unusual sounds and spelling? Well, in this English tip, Gabby talks about the Flapped "T", also known as the Flap T. Simply put, this occurs in American English when a "T" falls in a word between two vowels. A flapped "T" sounds like a "d" in American English. This is why the words "Metal" and "Medal" in English sound the same. Y...

Making mistakes while speaking in a foreign language can be terribly embarrassing and even upsetting. We have all made mistakes ranging from the simple ones that didn't affect much to the really, really big ones that make your eyes wide and your heart beat faster. Learning English is no different. There is a lot of room for human error, and we can generally open our mouths, and before we know it,...

Have you ever been nervous about ordering food or drinks at an English-speaking restaurant or café? You shouldn't be afraid to try and order for yourself, but you should always try to be polite about it. Sometimes, non-English speakers can sound abrupt or even rude without meaning to. In this short English tip, Gabby provides a couple of examples of how to order food without sounding rude. The mor...

Have you ever wondered why English has so many terms with similar meanings. For instance, take the words "everyone" and "everybody." They mean virtually the same thing. They make up a group of all, or many people. The good thing is that since the words mean the same thing, you can choose whichever one you want to use and everybody will know exactly what you mean. On the other hand, if you use the...

English is a universal language that is used by so many people around the world. Sometimes it can be confusing though, as there are words that have spellings that might not be pronounced quite the way you would expect. Like anything else, it takes work and perseverance to learn to speak English like a native, but be assured, you can do it, and you will have fun in the process. In this English tip...

Wait just a minute. What are these new phrases that we call idioms? Idioms are parts of speech that are generally used in certain geographic locations, and are not usually literal but are understood nonetheless. In this episode, Gabby talks about the idiom "Lesson Learned." Normally, you would learn a lesson from a textbook or a teacher but in this case, a lesson learned is usually something learn...

What is going on with the English language? Is it true that I can use the present continuous tense to express a future action? Yes, it is absolutely true and in this English tip, Gabby explains how that is done and what it can look like. If you want to sound like a native English speaker follow this tip and others presented by Go Natural English. A good example of using the present continuous tens...

Why does it so often seem like English makes no sense? The words don't always sound like they look. English has words where the letters sometimes aren't pronounced. Words sometimes don't contain letters that are pronounced. It can be very confusing and hard to figure out. In this episode, Gabby provides a helpful tip on the best ways to improve your English language skills. She talks about listeni...

Are you familiar with the most common vowel sound in the English language? Well, you are about to meet the "schwa" sound. "What is that", you say? Well, the "schwa" sound is that "uh" sound that is found in the unstressed syllables of words. In this podcast, Gabby explains how the "schwa" sound is a lazy utterance that is used instead of the actual pronounced syllable in some words. Gabby provides...