Thinking in English

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When people think of the United Kingdom, they often think of England. Maybe, on a rare occasion, they might also think of Scotland. But the United Kingdom is made up of four historic countries, including the proud nation of Wales.

Wales is a small country with a big identity. It has its own language, culture, and its own parliament. Yet many people around the world know surprisingly little about it.

When you hear the word vampire, what comes to mind? Dracula? The Twilight books? Ancient castles in Transylvania?

What if I told you that vampire stories are much older, and much stranger, than you think?

In today’s Halloween special episode of Thinking in English, we’re going to explore the history of vampires. We’ll start with ancient superstitions and medieval fears, move on to the vampires of literature, and finally look at how vampires appear in modern culture.
Along the way, we’ll ask an important question: Why do humans invent blood-drinking monsters...

When you imagine the city Rome, what comes to mind?

Maybe the Colosseum, the Vatican, one of the largest empires in history, or delicious pasta? Rome isn’t just Italy’s capital; it’s also one of the most influential cities in human history.

In today’s Thinking in English episode, we are going to take a journey through time, from the mythical founding of the city by Romulus and Remus, through the Roman Republic and Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and finally to modern Rome. I’m not an expert on Italian history, but I love...

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In 1666, most of London was destroyed. Over 13,000 houses were burned, thousands of people were made homeless, and the entire city had to be rebuilt. The event I’m talking about is one of the most famous disasters in English history: the Great Fire of London.

Today, I want to tell you this story, but with a special focus. You’re going to learn about hist...

What actually is a podcast?

You probably think you know. You might think you are listening to one right now. But are you actually?

The definition of the word podcast has been changing over the past few years. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, especially with platforms like Spotify and YouTube changing how we listen and what podcast means.

Video podcasts, for example, are everywhere now (including Thinking in English) and some podcasts don’t even use the traditional RSS feed anymore. It made me wonder: What actually is a podc...

Imagine learning to drive… joining classes, talking to driving instructors, and taking theory exams in a foreign language. That’s exactly what I just did. Two weeks ago, I passed my Japanese driving test!

It wasn’t easy. I went from knowing almost nothing about Japanese road signs, traffic rules, or driving terminology to passing both my provisional and main license written tests on the first try. I also completed over 60 hours of lessons, both online and in a car, all entirely in Japanese.

In this episode, I want to share what this experience taught me abo...

This is a podcast feed swap with the amazing English Learning for Curious Mind Podcast

Is there a global water crisis, and what happens when the world’s most popular YouTuber, MrBeast, builds 100 wells across Africa?

In this episode, we explore some of the reasons why billions of people around the world still don't have access to clean water, and look at what happens when a Western influencer becomes involved.

Show Notes

In today’s episode, I am going to talk about a very interesting political topic: gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is when politicians create voting districts in a way that gives one political party an advantage over the others.

This topic is incredibly relevant right now, and constantly in the news in the USA. This year, Texas and some other US states have decided to redraw their congressional maps.

This is, of course, causing a lot of political tension and debate across the country.

In this episode, I will explain what gerrymandering is, why it...

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Today, we’re diving into the fascinating life of Marie Skłodowska Curie. Was she the greatest scientist ever?

Well… maybe!

She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields, and a true pioneer in the study of radioactivity.

In this episode, we’ll explore her life, achievements, struggles, and lasting legacy of one of the most influential scientists of all time.

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In recent weeks the United Nations Security Council has met to discuss Israel’s planned military expansion in Gaza, to reject the creation of a rival government in Sudan, and hear reports of conflicts in Yemen, Syria, and at the Thailand/Cambodia border.

The Security Council is a powerful, yet controversial, organisation at the centre of the United Nations. They have an immense amount of power, but this power is concentrated in the hands of just 5 countries.

To...

Which city has been the capital of three different empires? Which city is located on two continents at the same time? And which city has been known throughout history by three very different names, including Byzantium and Constantinople?

The answer, of course, is Istanbul.

Today, we’re going to explore the fascinating history of this city. For over 2,500 years, Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam, East and West. It has been a centre of politics, culture, religion, and trade.

So many of you requested this episode, an...

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What makes something the same object over time, even if all of its parts are replaced?

This might sound like a strange question, but it’s one of the oldest and most interesting puzzles in philosophy. And we still ask similar questions all the time: about identity, technology, artificial intelligence, and ourselves.

If you change over time, your personality, your body, your memories… are you still the same you?

In today’s episod...

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What does it really take to become an expert English speaker?

How do some people reach such a high level of fluency, while others seem to struggle for years without much progress? Is it talent? Luck? Or something else?

Recently, I rewatched a fascinating video from one of my favourite YouTube channels, Veritasium, titled “The Four Things It Takes to Be an Expert.” The video looks at the science behind how...

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Today we are going to look at an interesting and often controversial idea: Universal Basic Income, or UBI for short.

Let me ask you a question: What if the government gave everyone free money, no strings attached?

No matter who you are, where you work, or how much you earn; just regular payments, every month, guaranteed.

Does this sound too good to be true? Or maybe it sounds...

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You’re studying every day… but you feel stuck. You forget vocabulary. You hesitate to speak. And you start to wonder…

“Why am I even doing this?”

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many English learners experience frustration, boredom, or burnout at some point on their journey.

But what if I told you that philosophy could help?

In this episode of Thinking in English, we’re...

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Today, we are going to talk about the history of New York city. New York is one of the most famous cities in the world. Its history is interesting and important, and I think also relevant for people learning English.

Why? Because by learning about New York’s history, you can understand more about American culture and language.

You might remember my episode about the history of London. Like London...

Have you ever heard the word immersion?

In language learning, immersion means surrounding yourself with English in your daily life. Instead of only studying from textbooks, you try to listen, read, speak, and think in English as much as possible. It’s a popular and powerful method to improve quickly and naturally.

I first talked about language immersion on this podcast a few years ago. But since then, a lot has changed. Today, in 2025, there are many new tools like ChatGPT and other AI technologies that can help you create an immersive English environment, even fr...

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Today, I want to talk about a bias that affects how we think about success. It’s called survivorship bias, and it might be the reason you’re feeling discouraged, unmotivated, or frustrated with your English.

We’ll look at what survivorship bias really is, explore some famous examples from history and business, and then dive into how it appears in the world...

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What is the world's oldest country?

This question is not as easy to answer as you might think. We need to discuss what a country actually is, the differences between empires, civilisations, and countries, and then find a place that fits this definition.

In this episode I want to introduce you all to a country that I think could be considered the...

London is one of the most famous cities in the world. It is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is a financial centre. An entertainment centre. A culture centre. An academic and educational centre.

But how much do you know about the city’s history?

Today, we are going to go on an historical journey from the Roman invasion of the island of Britain 2000 years ago to the modern day.

Hopefully you’ll learn some interesting history and pick up some useful vocabulary along the way!

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What happens when you stop studying English? I’m sure many of you have thought about this before. 

Will your English get worse? Will you still be able to have conversations? And what can you do to prevent this from happening?

Today I want to look in more depth at language attrition (the opposite of la...

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YouTube is now 20 years old!

It was officially launched back in 2005, and over the past two decades it has completely transformed the way we use the internet.

Today, over 2.5 billion people use YouTube every single month. Every minute, over 500 hours of video are uploaded. From funny cat videos to political debates, from educational content to viral dance trends… YouTube has beco...

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Have you ever heard the phrase, “History is written by the victors?”

It suggests that the people who win wars and lead countries often control how we remember the past. And perhaps no historical figure better represents this idea than Winston Churchill.

To many people, especially in the UK and the West, Churchill is a national hero. He is the...

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In many countries, free speech is a fundamental or basic right. According to some people, this right is currently at risk. People are starting to believe that free speech is in danger. 

Today I want to...

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How many planets are in our solar system? Is it eight… or nine?

For a long time, children around the world were taught that our solar system had nine planets, including a small, distant one named Pluto. But in 2006, Pluto was reclassified. It was no longer considered a “real” planet, and the official number of planets droppe...

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A few weeks ago, I took a trip to the southern Japanese city of Nagasaki.

Nagasaki is an incredible place with a lot of fascinating history. It was one of the only Christian cities in Japan. It was the only place in Japan open to foreigners for hundreds of years. And an atomic bomb was dropped...

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In this episode of Thinking in English, I want to explore the life, work, and legacy of Isaac Newton.

We’ll look at his most important discoveries, some of the controversies and mysteries that surrounded his life, and ask the big question: is Newton really t...

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Who am I? What has happened to Thinking in English over the past four years? How can you get more involved with the sh...

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Should companies let employees work from home? Or should employers make workers spend their entire work day in the office?

This has been a major discussion...

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What was the most important moment in English history? What event had the biggest consequences and most influential impact?

Today I want to look at a few moments in the past 1000 years that have massively changed England and English culture.

We'll discuss these events, learn about...

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Recently, I have been thinking a lot about challenges that language learners face when communicating. Learning vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are obviously difficult tasks, but I think something else can be just as challenging.

Context and culture.

Words and grammar are not the only way that...

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I have lived in some of the biggest cities in the world, and I have also spent a lot...

This is a podcast feed swap with the amazing English Learning for Curious Mind Podcast

In this episode of English Learning for Curious Minds, we'll explore the incredible story of Percy Fawcett, a daring British explorer who vanished in the Amazon rainforest while searching for the mythical city he called "Z."

Often compared to a real-life Indiana Jones, Fawcett's life was filled with adventure, mystery, and a relentless quest to prove the Amazon held secrets beyond our imagination.

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Today I want to talk about success. I want to discuss what it means to be successful.

Is success about wealth, power, or recognition? Or is it something more personal and evolving?

In this episode, I’ll challenge traditional definitions of success and explore what truly matters, whether in life, career, or la...

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Fast fashion has revolutionised the clothing industry. Companies like Zara and SHEIN release new clothing designs at a fast past, create designs that are trending and stylish, and do it all at an affordable price.

How?

Today I want to define “fast fashion.” I’ll talk about the history of fas...

Football and basketball are two of the most popular sports in the world, but which one is better?

Which sport has faster players? Which sport is more exciting to watch? Which sport is more popular globally?

Today I want to compare football and basketball. In order to talk about this topic, and similar topics, we need to understand and know how to use comparisons of superiority and comparative adjectives!

Let’s practise this grammar and discuss which sport is better in today’s episode!

What is foreign aid? What are the different types of aid? Why do countries give or loan money to other countries? And why is this such a controversial thing?

Today, we are going to discuss all these questions and think in depth about aid (as well as learning some new vocabulary).

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/03/10/331-what-is-foreign-aid-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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I have lived abroad for about 5 of the past 8 or 9 years. I have lived in Japan as a worker, a student, and now a spouse (and also in Taiwan as a student too).

People often ask me how I moved overseas, so today I want to talk about this topic. I’ll discuss the state of migr...

I’m sure many of you love to visit new places, but what is the best way to travel?

Some people love to make their trips as cheap as possible. Others like to book first class flights that can be as expensive as a new car.

Today I want to compare budget and luxury travel. In order to talk about this topic, and similar topics, we need to understand and know how to use comparisons of equality (be as something as something)!

Let’s practise this grammar and...

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Today I want to discuss Noah Webster, the man who played a major role in creating American English.

We’ll talk about his life and motivations, his famous dictionary, and some of the words and spellings he changed. I’ll end by discussing whether there is a correct form of “English.”

TRANSCRIPT...