Plain English

Today's story: Quebec, Canada's only French-speaking province, has long protected its language. But now, some English speakers say the province has gone too far. New policies by the provincial government restrict the use of English in certain circumstances. And Quebec recently raised tuition for out-of-province students by 33%, a direct hit at Montreal's two biggest international universities. Lea...

Today's story: Canada is a bilingual country, offering government services in both English and French. But the balance isn't 50-50. French is the dominant language in just one province, Quebec. Only 20 percent of Canadians speak French natively. And francophones are more likely to be bilingual than anglophones. Here's how French and English coexist in Canada and Quebec. Learn this English expressi...

Today's story: Shohei Ohtani is a superstar baseball player in Los Angeles. Since his arrival in the U.S., he has used a Japanese translator. But the translator stands accused of stealing money from Ohtani and using the money to pay off sports gambling debts. Ohtani himself is considered the victim. Learn this English expression: To be 'caught up in something' is to be involved in something (usual...

Today's Story: How do animals behave during a total solar eclipse? It's a difficult question to answer because eclipses are so rare and they don't often pass over zoos or areas where animals can be observed. But the path of totality of this year's eclipse passed directly over six zoos, allowing animal researchers to study their reactions. Also in today's episode: Learn English expression 'in a pin...

Today's story: Swimming has been prohibited in the River Seine for over 100 years, and for good reason: it has been filthy for much of that time. But Olympic organizers pledged to clean up the river and hold swimming events in central Paris. The Olympics start in June, but bacteria levels are still high. Learn this English expression: Rivers, roads, and other things in a line 'run through' the sur...

" Chef José Andrés is famous for his high-end restaurants. He's also the founder of World Central Kitchen, a charity that helps serve meals to people in disaster areas. And now, he finds himself in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war after seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed by an Israeli drone attack. Israel said the attack was unintentional. -- At Plain English, we make English lesson...

" Fifty years ago this month, ""Carrie,"" Stephen King's first novel, was released. It was the first of many, as King became one of the world's best-selling authors. His stories involved the supernatural, terror, and horror. Several have been adapted into movies and television shows. The 77-year-old is still writing: his next book will be released later this year. -- At Plain English, we make Engl...

" A massive bridge over a river in Baltimore, Maryland, fell into the water last month, after a container ship veered off course and crashed into one of the support columns. The ship lost power and had mechanical problems in the moments before impact. All port activity was halted in the aftermath of the disaster. Six construction workers died. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the m...

" Britain and the United States are the two biggest exporters of television. But the third-biggest may surprise you: Turkey. Long-running Turkish dramas have become among the most popular television shows around the world, from Chile to Bulgaria. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://...

" Americans buy and sell millions of homes per year, and about 90 percent of transactions use a real estate agent. But agents in the U.S. charge among the highest rates in the world, thanks to their stranglehold on the listing databases. But recent court cases are challenging the agents' control of the market. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full Engli...

" First there was powder. Then there was liquid laundry detergent. And then there were laundry ""pods,"" small capsules of pre-measured detergent. But now Proctor & Gamble, the maker of Tide, has a new way of getting laundry detergent into the machine. It's a dry tile, which is lighter, easier to pack, and contains less plastic. The company spent ten years developing the product. Will this be the...

" The Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez worked on a slim novel called ""Until August"" on and off for decades. In his final years, the author determined the book was not fit for publication and ordered the drafts destroyed. Now, ten years after his death, the writer's sons have published the book against his wishes. Did they do the right thing? -- At Plain English, we make English...

" Twenty years ago, a new computer program let consumers download a feed of audio clips onto their iPod music players. Today, ""podcasting"" serves millions of listeners of all interests. Here's how podcasting has grown over the years. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglis...

" Three years ago, it seemed that neither Biden nor Trump would be on the American presidential ballot in 2024. But now both are, setting up a rematch from four years earlier. Too bad it's a rematch most voters don't want. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/662 --...

" Weight-loss drugs look to figure prominently in the business and health landscape of the future. So today, we take a look at four questions about these drugs: How do patients' take them? Are they covered by insurance? How much do they cost? And why are they so hard to find? -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcr...

" Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy have become extremely popular in recent years. Recent studies confirm that patients regain much of the weight they lose if they ever stop treatment. But not everyone can afford to take these drugs for life. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plaineng...

" Four years ago, our lives changed in an instant. As the immediate danger of the pandemic subsided, we went back to our old habits of eating indoors, gathering with friends and family, and traveling. But there are some changes that persisted, even after the pandemic ended. Here are a few of them. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, in...

Today's story: Four years ago, our lives changed in an instant. As the immediate danger of the pandemic subsided, we went back to our old habits of eating indoors, gathering with friends and family, and traveling. But there are some changes that persisted, even after the pandemic ended. Here are a few of them. Learn this English expression: To 'stick with' something is to continue it despite diffi...

" What happens to a large shopping mall after the biggest stores close? The mall often stays open in a zombie state: fewer customers, lower quality, and a depressing vibe. But they can still be profitable under the right circumstances. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglis...

" The enclosed shopping mall was once the epicenter of suburban social life. But now, the age of the indoor mall is ending. E-commerce and shifting consumer preferences have left some malls struggling. Here's how malls rose to prominence...and how many are fighting for their survival. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a fre...

" Swiss francs, British pounds, euros, and various kinds of dollars are divided into hundredths. But not all currencies have 1/100th coins. Today, we look at how Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, euro-area countries, the U.S., and the U.K. handle their lowest-value coins. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free...

" If the 1990s and 2000s were about globalization and offshoring, then the 2020s are about ""nearshoring."" Large companies in the U.S. and western Europe want to bring manufacturing and services closer to home. But they still want lower-cost labor that globalization has provided them. Mexico and eastern Europe are using the ""nearshoring"" trend to their advantage. -- At Plain English, we make En...

" Leap Years come (about!) once every four years. The unusual day can cause havoc for some people, least of all the approximately 5 million who were born on February 29. In this lighthearted story, we take a look at how the day affects different people ... and who benefits from the extra day. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, includi...

" AM radio has been around for over a hundred years and one of the most popular places to listen is in the car. Now, though, some carmakers have decided not to include AM antennas in their new electric cars. The electric components in the car interfere with the AM signal. But some people are worried that this may spell the end of the AM band. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the mo...

" Thousands of post office workers in the U.K. were falsely accused of accounting fraud--all because of a faulty computer system. Hundreds were falsely convicted, while many more lost their savings. Four committed suicide. Now, a new drama on the British channel ITV exposed the scandal and prompted the U.K. government to try to make amends. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the mode...