Thinking in English

In this episode of Thinking in English we will discuss the Milk Tea Alliance. Protestors and pro-democracy activists in South East Asia have begun to connect with each other online using the hashtag Milk Tea Alliance. What is this alliance, how did it start, and what does it involve? And why does it use the name “milk tea?” Hopefully by the end of this episode you will be able to answer some, or a...

On the final Sunday of March, the UK and many other European countries adjust their time forward by one hour. This is known as Daylight Savings Time, or Summer time, and is designed to give people more hours of sunlight during the summer months. In this episode of Thinking in English we will look at the history and rationale for DST, before discussing whether or not we really need it in 2021! TRAN...

North Korea has recently restarted missile tests, worrying neighbouring countries and international organisations. Why have they decided to do this now? This episode will look at a few different explanations for North Korea’s missile tests, as well as discussing the country's weapons programme in general! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/03/29/63-north-korean-missile-tests-explaine...

The plural of bird is birds, the plural of dog is dogs, but what is the plural of octopus? Is it octopuses, octopi, or octopodes? In this episode, we’ll discuss why no one seems to know the answer to this question, and look at the strange and confusing world of English plurals! Transcript -  https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/03/24/62-octopuses-vs-octopi-vs-octopodes-the-strange-world-of-english-...

Where is the happiest country in the world? How can we measure happiness? Is happiness a good way to compare countries? Has the ongoing pandemic affected people's happiness all over the world? These questions might seem a little complicated to answer, but fortunately for us the World Happiness Report 2021 was released last week! In this episode we’ll talk about the results of their rankings and di...

In this episode, I want to talk about St Patrick’s day! St Patrick’s day is an incredibly popular celebration of Ireland and Irish culture with events taking place around the world. However, the history of this holiday is incredibly surprising. Let’s learn about the life of St Patrick, the history of the festival, and some of the myths surrounding the events!! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglis...

Reading is an incredibly important skill to learn and improve for all language students. You can build your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, discover new facts about different cultures and history, and enjoy yourself at the same time! It can be scary and frustrating when trying to choose your first English book, so in this episode I’m going to give you 5 classic novel recommendations that are all...

It has been 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the Asian country, causing a massive and destructive tsunami.  On this episode of Thinking in English, I want to talk about the events of March 11th 2011, and look at the Fukushima nuclear disaster in more detail. Finally, I will discuss the future of nuclear power, as well as its pros and cons! Transcript - https://thinkinginenglis...

Is democracy dying? According to a recently released report, the answer might be ‘yes.’ Freedom House’s democracy rankings for 2020 were released last week, and the findings were shocking! In this episode we’ll talk about their conclusions, how Freedom House is able to assess democracy, and discuss why democracy might be struggling! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/03/08/57-is-demo...

What is the lowest wage a company should be able to pay someone? This is not an easy question to answer. Higher wages might help workers but hurt companies, while low wages will hurt those workers but help the businesses. Should we have a minimum wage, and if so, what should that minimum wage be? This episode of Thinking in English will look at the history of minimum wages, and then investigate a...

British English or American English: which one is better? I’ve been asked this question hundreds of times. It can be confusing and frustrating for language learners when the vocabulary they have spent years learning is different to that of their British or American friends’. So on this episode, I want to introduce a few of the key differences between the two dialects, explain why there are some va...

On today’s episode I want to talk about conversations and how to have better ones! English learners often really want to start having conversations in English, but at the same time can be nervous and anxious. Don’t worry though! If you follow the tips in this episode you will be having conversations like a professional in no time! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/02/24/54-how-to-ha...

Australian Facebook users realised last week that they could no longer read, access, or share news articles on the social media platform. Facebook, the world’s largest social media site, has banned news in Australia. This episode will look at why this happened, and what some of the consequences could be! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/02/22/53-why-has-facebook-banned-news-in-aust...

Missions from China, the UAE, and the USA have all arrived on, or near to, Mars. This is the first time three different countries have sent missions to the planet at the same time. Why? This episode will look at the reasons behind each of the three current missions, investigate why we want to travel there at all, and what the future holds for Mars and humanity! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginengl...

In this episode of Thinking in English I want to talk about Clubhouse. Clubhouse is a social media application that has become incredibly popular over the last few weeks. Entrepreneurs, investors, and creative people are using the site to host discussion and conversations for thousands of listeners. However, it is an exclusive platform and all users need to be invited before they can join. What is...

Coronavirus is not the first disease to kill millions of people and impact our lives. Throughout history, smallpox destroyed countless lives and devastated entire communities. It was incredibly infectious and incredibly deadly. However, smallpox is also the only disease to ever be completely eradicated by humans. This episode will look at the history of that deadly disease, investigate how we got...

We drink millions of bottles of water every year. However, in some countries, including mine the UK, our tap water is perfectly safe! We don’t really need to buy bottled water! There are environmental, financial, and health costs connected to bottled water. Should bottled water be banned? TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/02/08/49-should-bottled-water-be-banned-english-vocabulary-le...

On February 1st, the military of Myanmar staged a coup and took control of the country. They arrested elected leaders including the famous Aung San Suu Kyi, and there are worries they will damage Myanmar’s democracy! In this episode we’ll look at what happened, why it happened, and what will happen in the future! TRANSCRIPT: https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/02/03/48-myanmar-military-coup-what-i...

George Orwell is one of the most famous and talented writers of the last hundred years. Fortunately for us, Orwell left a list of rules for writers to follow and questions to consider which will help you to improve your written English. Writing is an essential skill, and something we can always improve! Hopefully you will find Orwell’s tips and tricks useful! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglis...

Archaeologists recently discovered the world’s oldest cave paintings of animals, in an isolated cave in Indonesia. This has challenged the way scientists think about our history, and provided evidence for people in Asia tens of thousands of years ago! Let’s learn about this topic, while studying English vocabulary! Transcript -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/01/27/46-worlds-oldest-cave-paint...

In this episode, I am going to introduce eight idioms that are commonly used in business situations. One of the major problems language learners face when working in a native English environment is recognising and comprehending idioms. Even if you are not interested in business, these idioms are used in many different situations and contexts! Whether you are studying, working, living, and or just...

Everyone has binge-watched a TV show. Only a few weeks ago, I watched the Netflix show the Queen's Gambit in only 3 days. However, is binge-watching actually bad for you? In this episode, of thinking in English, we will look at what binge-watching is and then think about the benefits and consequences of doing it! Hopefully, by the end of the episode you will be able to express your own opinion on...

On the 20th January, Joe Biden will officially replace Donald Trump as the President of the United States of America. This process is very traditional, and therefore uses traditional and specific vocabulary. Today’s episode will introduce some of the events that will take place on the 20th, and highlight some of the essential vocabulary you might notice! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blo...

There are thousands of languages in the world. Some are spoken by billions of people, others by less than one hundred! Which country has the most languages? In this episode I’ll answer that question, look at some of the languages spoken in that country, and try to explain why there are so many! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/01/13/42-which-country-has-the-most-languages-english-...

As I'm sure you already know, a riot broke out in the capital of the USA recently as Donald Trump supporters invaded the US Congress. In the aftermath, Trump has been removed and banned from numerous social media platforms. On today’s episode, we will look at the events of January 6th, and then discuss the idea of free speech. Free speech has been a major talking point after the banning of Trump....