Thinking in English

On Tuesday 24th of August, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held! Although the Paralympics tend to attract less attention than their more famous counterparts, the Olympic Games, they are an excellent showcase of incredible athletes with amazing stories. This episode of Thinking in English will introduce what the Paralympics are, some of the history behind the competi...

You may not have thought about it before, but time zones are strange. What are time zones and why do we use them? Who decided the world should be loosely split into 24 different regions with 24 different times? Why do some countries and territories decide to change or make their own time zones? Where are the strangest time zones in the world? Let’s try to answer these questions in this episode of...

On this episode of Thinking in English, I am going to set you all a challenge! A riddle is a question, statement, or phrase that is almost a puzzle and requires you to think to answer.  Riddles are a great way to stimulate your mind, get your brain working, and have fun! They are also excellent ways to test your English skills. TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/20/awesome-english...

On Sunday 15th August, the Taliban entered the capital city of Afghanistan and effectively took control of the country. Let’s look at what has happened in the last few days, how the US withdrawal has been criticised, and what the future of the country looks like! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/18/94-the-fall-of-afghanistan-what-is-happening-in-afghanistan-part-2-english-vocabu...

If you want to travel abroad, you need a passport. But why? Why do we need these little documents to leave our own country? When was the first passport used? When did modern passports develop? What is the future of passports? Let’s try to answer these questions on this episode of Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/16/93-why-do-we-need-passports-to-travel-a-his...

Over the past few months, fighting and conflict in Afghanistan has been increasing. As the US leaves, the problems in the country seem to be multiplying. In this episode of Thinking in English, let’s discuss what’s happening in Afghanistan in more detail! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/11/92-what-is-happening-in-afghanistan-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - t...

People have always loved animals, and especially cats and dogs. They are the most popular pets around the world, and have even been worshipped as gods and used to help us work in the past. As they are so important to our societies, it is only natural that idioms surrounding cats and dogs have entered our languages and everyday vocabulary. So, today, I’m going to introduce you to 5 cat based idioms...

Millions of people around the world are forced to flee their homes, abandon their belongings, and search for safety in countries away from their own country. However, there is a lot of confusion surrounding the rules, laws, and definitions of refugees and other similar people. So, in this episode of Thinking in English, let’s try to answer questions like who can be a refugee? What is the differenc...

The world of business is full of strange and often confusing abbreviations and acronyms. To be able to communicate effectively and successfully in an English language business environment, it is vital you learn what these phrases mean and, importantly, how to use them! So, in this episode of Thinking in English, I am going to introduce 10 of the most common and useful abbreviations that you can ap...

Have you ever thought about why you work 5 days a week? Or 8 hours a day? Why are weekends only two days long? Research suggests that there could be real benefits to reducing employees working hours and shortening the working week. This episode is going to look at the history of working hours, and then discuss whether it would be better for everyone if our weekends were longer, and the time we spe...

Over the last year and a half, the way people live, work, socialise, and much more, has completely changed. While we are beginning to return to normal in some ways, it is also possible that we will never return to the way things were before the pandemic. So, in this episode, let’s look at which country is currently the most ‘normal’ in the world? TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/07...

Food is something that unifies people across the world. Most people love to eat and to try new tastes and flavours. Food helps us connect with family, to socialise, and to feel happy. So, let’s learn some more advanced vocabulary to help you talk about food! Make sure you check out the transcript on thinkininenglish.blog and my Instagram page! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/07/24...

This week is the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. While the Games are usually a time of excitement and joy, this time is different. Covid has changed everything. This episode of Thinking in English will introduce some information about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, discuss why it is so controversial, and then present more general arguments about the benefits and negatives of hosting the Games...

In this episode, I’m going to talk about a big change in my life, explain why I've not uploaded many episodes recently, and discuss the process of moving to a new country during the middle of a pandemic! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/07/19/87-how-to-move-country-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkingine...

Today, I want to introduce some common slang that English speakers are using to talk about Covid-19 and the pandemic! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/06/30/the-rona-covidiots-and-quarantinis-covid-19-slang/ 32. The Oxford Dictionary Words of the Year 2020! (English Vocabulary Lesson) CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodc...

Today, I want to challenge you to a tongue twister competition! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/06/28/terrifyingly-troubling-tongue-twisters-a-pronunciation-challenge/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Tongue Twister...

Today, I’m going to give you all a challenge! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/06/23/3-english-riddles/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Riddle 1 What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? Riddle 2 What occurs...

The best way to improve your English is by speaking as regularly as possible. But, for many of you, it might be difficult to find people or opportunities to practice speaking. So, on this episode of Thinking in English I am going to provide a detailed introduction to language exchanges, explain how to find conversation partners, and give you some tips to make sure you have the best experience poss...

Back of the net! What a save! To move the goalposts! To be on the ball! English, and especially British English, is full of football related vocabulary, expressions and idioms. So, to celebrate the start of the UEFA European Football Championship, let’s learn a few of the most useful examples together. Hopefully by the end of the episode you will be able to watch football games in English with eas...

Where is the best place to live in the world? Which city has the best living conditions? And how can we determine what the “best” really means? Fortunately for us, The Global Liveability Index 2021 was recently released which answers many of these questions, and I will discuss the results on this episode of Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/06/09/84-where-is-the...

This week seven of the most powerful leaders in international politics are meeting in the south of England. The G7 members will discuss the pandemic, economy, trade, and the environment. You may have heard of the G7 before, but how much do you really know about the organisation? What does the G7 do? Who are the members? Why is the meeting in the UK? TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021...

Why is your English not improving? So many students tell me that they have been studying for years, and practicing in many different ways, but they cannot get better! Why? On this episode of Thinking in English, I will try to explain some of the major reasons why your English ability might be stuck, and offer some tips to start improving again! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/06/...

Coffee is in jeopardy. As the world’s temperatures increase and the climate changes, it is becoming more and more difficult to grow coffee. For farmers, cafes, and coffee drinkers this is terrible news. In this episode of Thinking in English, let’s talk about the issue and discuss a potential solution to the problem! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/05/31/81-the-end-of-coffee-how-...

Earlier this week, the Eastern European country Belarus stopped a plane travelling from Greece to Lithuania. While on the ground they took and arrested two of the passengers. This episode of Thinking in English will look at what happened, why Belarus took this action, and what some of the potential consequences could be for the country! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/05/26/80-wh...

What is the strangest language in the world? Many linguists believe that all languages share certain universal rules and features. They believe that humans have innate or natural grammar that we are born with. However, there is a language from South America which is so strange and peculiar that it challenges this theory! Let’s discuss it in this episode of Thinking in English! Transcript --  https...