John Scott Lawton's English, you know ...

In this the second part of the two-part episode of 'John Scott Lawton's English, You Know', I again interview Slovak national Michaela Smith about her fascinating career, initially in the Commercial Hospitality sector, in particular, which has seen her live, work and travel to many different countries. More recently, Michaela has trained to become a Leadership and Transformational Coach to share h...

In this two-part episode of 'John Scott Lawton's English, You Know', I interview Slovak national Michaela Smith about her fascinating career, initially in the Commercial Hospitality sector, in particular, which has seen her live, work and travel to many different countries. More recently, Michaela has trained to become a Leadership and Transformational Coach to share her vast experiences to help o...

Welcome back to my podcast series. After a short summer break, I'm here again, this time interviewing Lívia Hlavačková, a Slovak author, who writes in both Slovak and English. This is the second part of a two-part episode. The first part is available with all my other podcast links. Lívia is a medical doctor by training, but spends her days writing all sorts of text. She makes her living with medi...

Welcome back to my podcast series. After a short summer break, I'm here again, this time interviewing Lívia Hlavačková, a Slovak author, who writes in both Slovak and English. Lívia is a medical doctor by training, but spends her days writing all sorts of text. She makes her living with medical writing, and she shares interesting medical topics in blogs and her regular newsletter and she loves wri...

In this episode of 'John Scott Lawton's English, you know' I interview Asif Bhana as we talk about men's mental health issues. We both talk openly about our experiences of encountering stress and anxiety in our own lives, often brought about through overwork or burnout. Why do we let this happen to us and what effects does it have on our mental and physical health, as well as on our friends and cl...

In this episode, I continue the exploration of the use of idioms in the English Language and talk to language enthusiast, Ivana about comparative idioms in the Slovak language, as well as her understanding of some familiar and less familiar idioms. So, if you've ever wondered what it means when people warn you, "not to burn your bridges"; or indeed when something is described as being, "like water...

In this episode of my current podcast mini-series on English Language idioms, I speak to Slovak first language speaker Lucia Minačová about her love of reading in the English Language and how she sometimes finds idioms hard to comprehend, given their complexity. Lucia challenges me to come up with explanations that make sense to her and we briefly discuss how frequently idioms are used in the Slov...

In this episode, I interview former colleague Asif Bhana about English Language Idioms involving parts of the human body - dead or alive! What do idioms such as, 'I'm only pulling your leg', or, 'I'm all ears', actually mean? What is somebody actually trying to say when they've just got a new job and tell you that they've finally, 'got their foot in the door'? The use of such idioms can be enterta...

In this episode, I again interview Sandra Hamrouni, an experienced English as a Foreign Language Teacher, about the use and origins of idioms in the English language. We explain where they might have originated from, although the derivation is not always clear. We use example idioms from two thematic areas here - music and the Devil - in the second of a series of short programmes to assist English...

In this episode, I interview Sandra Hamrouni, an experienced English as a Foreign Language Teacher, about the use and origins of idioms in the English language. We explain where they might have originated from, although the derivation is not always clear. We use example idioms from two thematic areas here - animals and food - in the first of a series of short programmes to assist English Language...

In this episode I interview David Bauckham, photographer, blogger and photojournalist about his interest in English Amateur Football. In non-league circles, David is the celebrated author of a number of books, including the infamous 'Dugouts' and 'Love Not Money', in which I feature as a volunteer for Matlock Town Football Club. David charts the history of the game and explains the split between t...

In this episode I interview Richard Hayhow of the Open Theatre Company about his work in Non-verbal Physical Theatre with Music. We explore the work of actors with learning disabilities and the importance of inclusion at all stages of the artistic process. We talk about how engagement in this work is transformational, both for the actors, as well as those participating in it in support roles or as...

In this episode I interview an old friend, Ollie Pardo, about our mutual interest, (some would say obsession), with football. We look at football finances. Why did six leading British football clubs recently choose, albeit temporarily, to agree to join a breakaway European Super League? How are semi-professional football clubs financed and are there other models which could make football clubs mor...

In this episode I again interview Laura Broatch to gain her perspectives on her home country, New Zealand, or to give it its Māori name, Aotearoa. Laura talks about the climate and geography of the two main islands, as well as some of the other countries who were formerly (and formally) part of the then colonial entity, but which are now independent nations again. We discuss the increasingly impre...

In this episode I interview Laura Broatch, a New Zealand national, currently living in Taiwan where she teaches English. Laura describes her work in a Cram School - which students attend after their regular school, often in the evenings or at weekends, learning English intensively - a process known as 'cramming' - hence the title, Cram School. Laura qualified as an English as a Foreign Language Te...

In this episode, I interview David Banes, an experienced disability accessibility consultant, who has worked for many years in research and development and as a practitioner providing technology support to disabled people.  I start with a discussion around the language used to talk about the notions of disability and impairment. Many people are unsure whether to use such terms as 'people with...

In this episode I explore the surprisingly complex and even controversial aspect of phrasal verbs in English. These are described differently according to which grammar text book you choose to read; but for reference, I have used the definition used by Michael Swan in his 'Practical English Usage' (Fourth Edition, p. 12), 2020, Oxford University Press see www.oup.com/elt I'm in conversation with J...

In this episode, I catch up with Sandra Hamrouni, who I first met several decades ago when we both went to Kenya, Africa, to teach English as volunteers for Voluntary Service Overseas, then a UK charity which is now more international in its structure. Sandra and I talk about the training we underwent and the experiences of living in a country we had never visited before. We consider the impact th...

In this episode, I interview Miriam Barnaby, A Slovak poet writing in English. Miriam is back by popular demand as she featured in my most popular podcast to date. We discuss whether some of her poems are sensual in nature, or sexual. Who decides? Is it the writer; or the listener or reader? Is it right that poems can be open to interpretation, without ever really knowing the intention of the auth...

In this episode, I take a quirky look at the esoteric activity of football fans visiting different non-league football grounds to watch several live games in a single day. Known as Groundhopping, this is the football equivalent of the pub crawl. Listen to two old fellas chatting about what is involved in setting up a Groundhop, who benefits and what international hosts think of their English (and...

In this episode, I begin to explore issues of pronunciation in English, with a particular focus ( you'll see why that word is important later! ) on the needs of Slovak learners. The programme will be of interest to learners and teachers alike who want to explore how different sounds are made and why some are more challenging to get right than others. This will be the first in a series of podcasts...

In this episode I interview Eleanor McLeod from Swansea in Wales about her career as an actor, teacher, writer, examiner and festival adjudicator. I discuss Eleanor's love of the spoken and written word and Eleanor recites some of her poems from the books, ' Poems for Children to Enjoy and Teachers, Too! ' and ' More Poems for Children to Enjoy and Teachers, Too! '. Eleanor discusses the significa...

In this episode I return to the theme of applying for jobs, submitting CVs (résumés) and attending job interviews, whether online or face to face. I interview Kristina Preston, Head of Awarding and Skills at Peridot Partners in London. She gives very sound and direct advice on how to customise your CV for each job you apply for and gives useful tips about how this can be done quickly and efficient...

In this episode I address the fear many people have of speaking in public - whether face to face or, more likely nowadays, online. What is it about giving a speech that terrifies some people? What can a normally quiet, shy or nervous person do to overcome their fears? I speak with Priscilla Morris from Loud and Clear Voice Coaching, a trained actor and professional coach, who is also an Examiner w...

In this episode I explore issues around getting a job. I talk with Samantha Johnston - Head of Division, Higher Education at TPP recruitment in London. We examine the importance of having a powerful CV or résumé, one which sells your skills and attributes, but which is also customised for each job that you are applying for. We take a close look at the interview process and consider what it is empl...