Happy English Podcast

Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies! So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that...

Would you mind checking out this English lesson? Maybe you could try using some of the phrase here in your conversations this week? Do you think you could even tell a friend about this podcast? That would be great! In everyday conversation, we often like to soften our requests — we make them indirect. It feels more polite, more friendly, and honestly, it just sounds more natural. So today, I want...

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Sunday Speak. Starting today, every Sunday I’ll be here with one quick phrase to make your English sound more natural. Today’s phrase is “You bet!”  “You bet” is a super casual, American-English phrase. You can use it in a few different ways: 👉 1. We use, “you bet” as a strong “yes” “Are you coming to the party?” → “You be...

Hey there, it’s Michael here from the Happy English Podcast — and welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Did you know that when you are interested in doing something you can say “I’m down for that.” And — you can also invite someone to do something with a slightly different phrase “Are you up for that?” Listen to this podcast to learn more! Join my Podcas...

You wanna sound more natural in English? I’m on it. You want me to teach that kind of lesson? Yeah, will do. You need my help to speak better? Gotcha. Today, that’s what we’re all about here! In real conversation, we use more relaxed, casual phrases — and they’re often shorter and more natural-sounding.  So today, I want to show you some of those everyday expressions that native speakers use inste...

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna rain on your parade today, even thought it’s pouring outside here. Nope, come rain or shine, I’m always excited to bring you these podcast English lessons. Today, I thought we’d take a look at some natural rain vocabulary, along with some really common idioms and phrases that native speakers use when the skies open up.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https:/...

Thanks for making time to listen to this podcast English lesson. I’m so happy that you’ve made up your mind to improve your English. And yeah, everyone’s really busy these days, but somehow, you make it work. That’s awesome! Today, we’re gonna break down five super useful and natural phrases: Make it work, Make time,  Make up your mind, Make a mess, and Make do And I’ll give you a few examples for...

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s clear up something tricky: stop doing vs. stop to do.  These two sound similar, but they mean totally different things. Here's how we use them.  My AI English Tutor is here Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsg Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons...

I saw Halloween decorations at the store yesterday. What a reality check. I guess summer is almost over and we need to get back into the swing of things! Today, I want to talk about two big things that happen at the end of the American summer: Getting ready to go back to school and Labor Day weekend — the last big hurrah before fall kicks in. And along the way, I’ll toss in a few idioms that you’l...

I’m glad you’re still studying English. I’m gonna guess that you have already heard my last podcast about linking sounds. What did you say? Not yet? You’re not going to do that anymore, are you? Today, I want to talk about four small — but powerful — words that can totally change the feeling of your sentence. I’m talking about Already, Still, Yet, and Anymore My AI English Tutor is here Join my Po...

Wha-cha do-win right now? It’s time to tur-nup the volume and lih-seh-up to this lesson about link-in' sounds in English.  Today, we’re continuing our series on how to speak more naturally in English, and this time we’re talking about something that really helps you sound more fluent — and that’s linking sounds.  My AI English Tutor is HERE :  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: h ttps://w...

Today, let’s talk about nostalgia. You know, you hear an old song on the radio and it brings you back to your high school days. Or you find some old photos in your phone from 15 years ago and suddenly, you are transported back to that time. Well, in English, when you experience something that gives you nostalgic or sentimental feelings you can say it’s a blast from the past . My AI English Tutor i...

Lemme tell you something. An outdoor concert is a great way to have a blast and get into the grove. That’s where a lot of people enjoy the vibe and have a great time. Ah, live music in the summer. Nothing beats it! Today, we’re diving into one of the best parts of American summer culture — music and festivals. There’s just something about summer in the U.S. that makes people want to be outside, es...

I used to drink a lot of coffee all day, but these days, I tend to just have a cup or two in the morning, so I’m drinking less coffee. Sure, it was hard to get used to, but now that I’m used to it, it’s all good! Today, we’re check out something that looks simple… but I’ve seen it trip up a lot of English learners. I’m talking about used to, be used to, and get used to. Yeah, they all kinda look t...

Today, I want to talk about something that might seem small, but it actually plays a big role in everyday English — and that’s small talk. Small talk is one of those things that isn’t really taught in textbooks… but it’s something people do all the time in English-speaking countries. And if you’ve ever found yourself in an awkward elevator ride or sitting next to someone on a train and didn’t know...

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s talk about three super common words in spoken English:   👉 Wanna, Gonna, and Gotta  Now, you won’t find these in a textbook, but native speakers use them all the time in conversation. Today, we'll see how they work. My AI English Tutor is HERE Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.my...

Have you ever been to the county fair? Those events have the whole nine yars, including the food. Yeah, that fair food is a total gut-buster, but it sure does taste good!  Today, I want to give you a little behind-the-scenes tour of what an American fair is like, and at the same time, we’ll learn a few really natural, fun expressions that go along with the fair experience. My AI English Tutor is h...

Somebody asked me the other day how many phrasal verbs there are in English. That’s a tough question. So I said, beats me. And then she said, but you’re an English teacher. I dunno. I have no clue. How many phrasal verbs are there? Who knows! Native English speakers have a lot of ways to say at they don’t know. Today, I want to share some fun and natural ways to say “I don’t know” — the way native...

I'm so excited to bring you my chat with Lindsay McMahon, the founder and cohost of the All Ears English Podcast. In this podcast English Lesson, you'll hear a natural English conversation between two native English speakers. We're talking about life in Japan, cultural differences and similarities, how things have changed in 25 years and how things have stayed the same.  Use my AI English Tutor HE...

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Saturday Short. Every Saturday, I’ll be here with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you build your vocabulary, fix common grammar issues, and to help you sound more natural when you speak. These lessons are short — just a minute or two — but packed with practical English you can start using right away. So let’s kick...

Sentence stress. It’s not the kind of stress, that keeps you up at night. And in fact, it’s not anything bad at all. It’s an essential part of English! And when I say sentence stress, I’m not talking about being stressed out about learning grammar. I’m talking about how we say certain words louder, longer, or more clearly — and how that changes the feeling, and sometimes even the meaning, of what...

Are you ready to pack a picnic and have some fun in the sun? Before calling it a day, check out today’s English lesson podcast all about beach life, part of our summer series on American Culture.  We’re gonna talk about beach life, which could be the beach at the ocean or a lake, and to some degree even the neighborhood swimming poll. Along the way, I’ll show you five idioms and phrases that match...

Just because you’re speaking fast, doesn’t mean you’re speaking fluently. Fluency is not about speed. Fluency is about rhythm.  It’s about sounding natural — with the right pauses, the right tone, and the right feeling.  Today, I want to help you speak more naturally by focusing on something that native speakers do all the time — even if they don’t realize it. And that is: Thought Groups. Use FREE...

Wow! It’s really heating up out there today. In fact, I was totally burning up when I was walking the dogs. Thankfully I can cool down with the A/C.  Today, I've got some phrasal verbs for you that we use to talk about hot weather. Phrasal verbs are such an integral part of English. I mean, native speakers not only use them all the time, but prefer to use them in conversation. And you should to. U...

Someone recently asked me if teaching English was a side hustle. Really? I hustle, that's for sure, but this is my only job. And I got my foot in the door in 1994 in Japan. Wow time flies! Today, we have another episode in our summer series about American culture. It’s Week 7, and today we’re talking about something that’s kind of a rite of passage in the U.S.—summer jobs. My AI English Tutor is H...