English Podcasts

Stress Awareness Month happens each April. It’s important to learn some strategies for coping with this particular  issue. Stress awareness Month, which always happens in April, has now been going for 19 years and things just don’t appear to be getting better. Stress can be debilitating, and it can cause and/or aggravate health problems. Stress is a normal part of human existence — nobody is immune to it — it’s important to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we recognise when stress rears its ugly head. (Amazingly, we don’t always notice it’s happening to us.) In this series of podca...

The lockdown is now being partially lifted in many countries and we are all adapting to the "new normal". It's not only office based jobs that have had to adapt to home working but also jobs which are traditionally more "people" based. It seems that overnight there has been a major attitude shift as a huge quantity of work tasks have been transferred on-line. But how easy is it to re-organise the working day to these new  Covid-19 conditions? Is working from home a dream or a nightmare for you ? Listen to these 5 people talk about the ups and downs o...

In this series we are going to be looking at ways that we can enhance and improve our learning and perhaps crushing some of the myths about learning techniques that we learnt in school. Every day we meet people with different techniques for learning vocabulary, but most of them revolve around some pretty shaky ideas, those being 'if you write stuff down, you've learnt it.' If only things were that simple ... This rarely works, due mainly to the fact that some important steps have been missed out - those being, actively learning the vocabulary and then actively using it. ...

European Champions Cup Rugby Last 16 qualifiers No Top14 Rugby this weekend and the 6 Nations has finished, but the Champions Cup rugby continues for the next two weeks - this week the last 16 clubs fight for their places in the 1/4 finals, which will be played on the following weekend. The matches this weekend feature the following; Leinster v Toulon Gloucester v La Rochelle Wasps v Clermont Munster v Stade Toulousain Exeter Chiefs v Lyon Racing 92 v Edinburgh Union Bordeaux Bèbles v Bristol Bears Llanelli Scarlets v Sale Sharks Some great matches to be played - try and predict the scoresor the...

Staying focused, motivated and driven can be tricky, especially when you have a busy working and/or family life to deal with. Check out this podcast to find 10 golden rules for staying motivated learning English. When we start learning something new, it can be a novel experience at the start and we want to put a lot of effort into our learning, but as time goes on, we can start to flag and at times we just cannot get the motivation to continue learning. This is especially true if we don't have a clear plan for our learning or if...

A one-hit wonder is any group or solo singer that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music performerswith only one hit single that overshadows their other work. Sometimes, artists dubbed "one-hit wonders" in a particular country have had great success in other countries. Music artists with subsequent popular albums and hit listings are typically not considered a one-hit wonder. One-hit wonders usually see their popularity decreasing after their hit listing and most often don't return...

6 Nations Round 4 Wash-Up This week we talk about the 6 Nations tournament as there are no TOP14 matches for another week. England faced France at Twickenham, where France haven't won since 2007, can England beat this strong, young French side? A fairly even-matched game pitches Ireland against Scotland at Murrayfield, both teams are playing well, see how this one pans out. Meanwhile, Wales take on the weakest side in the tournament in Rome as they take on Italy to confirm their bidding for another Grand Slam - we almost know that Wales will win, the question remais; by how many? We also...

Listen to Jean-François talk about his bucket list for travel - places he has been, where he wants to go and why he wants to so there. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? If you would like to be featured for your bucket list or your travel bucket list, get in contact we would love to talk to you.

Top 14 Rugby Wash-Up Number 6 This week we talk about the Top 14 day 7 matches took place, and things are hotting up at the top and the bottom ends of the table, can Toulouse strengthen their hold at the top, or will La Rochelle get back into the running for the top spot? We also look ahead to the 4th round of the Six Nations Championship where Itally take of Wales in Rome, England face France at Twickenham and Scotland welcome Ireland to Murrayfield.

Top 14 Rugby Wash-Up Number 5 This week we talk about the Top 14 day 3 matches took place, which were catch-up matches for matches that were cancelled due to Covid-19 and look back at the third round of The 6 Nations tournament In a week where Toulouse play La Rochelle at La Rochelle, where La Rochelle haven't been beaten by any team for 2 years. Toulouse are 2nd and La Rochelle hold the top spot in the Top 14 as we go into this week's matches - will the order change or will La Rochelle strengthen their hold at the top? Bayone are away to Toulon...

Top 14 Rugby Wash-Up Number 4 This week we talk about the Top 14 day 17 matches and look ahead to the third round of The 6 Nations tournament In a week where Toulouse lost away to Lyon, there were highlights elsewhere in the Top 14 in France, including a thumping win for Clermont against Bayonne. The top of the table has changed, but how long will it remain so? Listen up for some of the highlights from the matches played this weekend.

Sue talks to Chris about some of his experiences in India, including a bucket-list experience seeing wild elephants in the jungle, but what else did he do? Here are some explanations of some of the vocabulary used in the podcast.   Return to the podcast Experience off the beaten track India

Sue talks to Chris about some of his experiences in India, including a bucket-list experience seeing wild elephants in the jungle, but what else did he do? Some of the vocabulary used in the podcast explained

Tag questions  are questions added to a short sentence, usually at the end, to engage the listener, check understanding or confirm that an action has heppened. Tag questions are very common in natural English and they can also have distinct meaning according to the tone used with the tag, a rising tone and a descending tone can communicate very different meanings from the question asked as you will find out in this podcast. Common tags include: Won't you? Wasn't it? Don't you? Haven't you? Wasn't it? Wouldn't you? Isn't it? Isn't there? etc.  Listen to the tag question examples we use...

It's so nice to be polite isn't it? When we ask direct questions, especially to people we do not know very well, we can come across as being too abrupt or even as rude, something we would like to avoid at all costs. In this podcast we will explain how to easily change direct questions into more polite forms, very useful to avoid any sticky situations. Polite questions are particularly useful when we need to ask for confidential or sensitive information, where a direct question would probably not elicit an answer, such as, 'How old are you?' or 'How...

Top 14 Rugby Wash-Up Number 2 This week we talk about the second round matches in The 6 Nations tournament and just a few words come to mind: England: strategic cul de sac Scotland : snowy Wales: grind out Ireland: top of the morning France: week in, week out Italy: keep on in there...  To find out more tune in to the podcast and after listening you can test your language skills with the Scrum Practice Quiz   #fca_qc_quiz_227115.fca_qc_quiz p:not( .fca_qc_back_response ):not( #fca_qc_question_right_or_wrong ):not( .fca_qc_question_response_correct_answer ):not( .fc...

Yuka The Healthy Eating App that checks out the quality of your shopping basket Do you really know what you eat? Well yes! With Yuka The Healthy Eating App you can scan your products and analyze their impact on your health. In the blink of an eye, Yuka The Healthy Eating App decodes complicated and sometimes confusing labels for you: you visualise products that are good and those that are best avoided. Get personalized recommendations for your shopping When you scan a product that has a negative impact on your health, Yuka The Healthy Eating App recommends a better equivalent...

A bucket list is a list of activities or things that people really want to do before they die, as depicted by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in the 2007 film of the same name, where two people realise their wildest dreams.

Top 14 Rugby Wash-Up Number 2 This week we talk about the opening matches in 6 Nations tournament and just a few words come to mind: England: disbelief Scotland : joy Wales: disappointment Ireland: fighting spirit France: stunning Italy: keep on in there...  To find out more tune in to the podcast and after listening you can test your language skills with the Scrum Practice Quiz   #fca_qc_quiz_227115.fca_qc_quiz p:not( .fca_qc_back_response ):not( #fca_qc_question_right_or_wrong ):not( .fca_qc_question_response_correct_answer ):not( .fca_qc_question_response_response ):not( .fca_qc_question_response_hint ):no...

Tea is probably the favourite drink across the world, but do you know about tea? Do you know the phrases and expressions related to tea? In this podcast we chat about the noble drink that the British (amongst others) adore. Ever heard of, "A storm in a teacup?" A mug of builders? A cuppa? A cup of Rosy Lee? Listen to Chris & Sue reveal all about tea... via GIPHY

Today we are starting a new weekly podcast about The Top 14 French rugby. We always chat about the happenings and comings and goings in the Top 14, so we have decided to do a podcast about it, at least during the rugby season. We can't go to watch rugby matches - it has been over a year since I last saw my favourite local team Stade Toulousain and I can't wait to go back and be in the atmosphere of a rugby match. But for now, we will just have to watch it on tv and chat about it afterwards. This...

The symbols of Australia The symbols of Australia include the flag, national colours, the coat of arms and the national anthem, but there are many other things that make up the symbols of Australia - listen to Sue interview an Australian about the symbols of Australia. The Australian Flag The stars of the Southern Cross represent Australia's geographic position in the Southern Hemisphere. The large Commonwealth star symbolises the federation of the states and territories, and the Union Jack reflects Australia's early ties to Great Britain. The National Colours Australia's national colours are green and gold, the colours of its...

Sergeant Podblog investigates The Oil Mystery Episode 2 Sergeant Podblog investigates The Oil Mystery Episode 2 - in a series of 4 podcasts where Sergeant Podblog investigates the case of the oil smuggling ring and its boss, who murdered Inspector Whatsisname in cold blood. Sergeant Podblog investigates The oil Mystery Episode 2 - Sergeant Podblog is called in to solve the case of The murder of Inspector Whatsisname, whose body was found at the foot of Cheddar Gorge, stabbed with a note with the names of three suspects in his hand. The suspects are : Suzie, a marketing manager in a frozen snack food company...

Sergeant Podblog and The oil Mystery Episode 1 Sergeant Podblog and The oil Mystery Episode 1 - Sergeant Podblog is called in to solve the case of The murder of Inspector Whatsisname, whose body was found at the foot of Cheddar Gorge, stabbed with a note with the names of three suspects in his hand. The suspects are : Suzie, a marketing manager in a frozen snack food company in London. Reg, the gardner of Lady Sarah Thingymajig from Somerset and Bess who works in sales. Inspector Whatsisname was just days away from solving the mystery of an international oil smuggling ring, when...

Start up to stand up Start up to stand up a good way of thinking about the process of getting a start up off the ground. Today we talk to Ahmed who has created a start up global business network. Start up to stand up talks about the ideas, the challenges and the process of helping start ups to succeed. A startup company (startup or start-up) is an entrepreneurial venture which is typically a newly emerged, fast-growing business that aims to meet a marketplace need by developing or offering an innovative product, process or service. A startup is usually a company s...

Murder mystery at the castle Murder mystery at the castle - there's been a murder at the horrible castle, one of the horrible servants has killed the horrible Duke and nobody knows who the murderer is. Luckily the clever Sergeant Podblog from The Grammar Police is at hand to solve the mystery. The servants and the duchess were in the castle when the duke was murdered, but who did it? Sergeant Podblog has some questions to ask and after he has questioned everyone, he now knows who the murderer is. He also knows that each person will tell one lie...

Ahmed - my country Today we podcasted Ahmed, who now lives in France, about life in his country, how he left his country and what he misses from back home. This is a podcast for English learners and is non-political, non-religious and has no views on any issues that may be raised by listeners and speakers on the site.

The travel bet The travel bet - which is quicker, public transport or the car? have you ever wondered if you should give up your car journey in favour of using public transport? Which is the cheapest way to travel? Follow Chris and Sue as they bet on the quickest way to get from a city in Southern France to the capital, Paris. Listen to the podcast, The travel bet first, then try the quiz. The travel bet Start Quiz Question Your answer: Correct answer: Next You got {{SCORE_CORRECT}} out of {{SCORE_TOTAL}} SHARE YOUR RESULTSShareTweetPinEmail Your Answers

Planning a holiday getaway Planning a holiday getaway - have you ever tried to book a holiday on line? It's pretty confusing, isn't it? Listen to Chris and Sue go through the different options, flights and prices, while they are planning a holiday getaway. There's a lot of detailed information in this podcast, so you may need to listen several times. This podcast is a great way to practice number comprehension; listen out for the times of flights, the dates of the holiday, the holiday budget, and the times of the stopovers. There's plenty of work do with this one. ...

Rugby, what's it all about? Rugby, what's it all about? I mean, it can't be that complicated can it? Or can it? Ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Rugby Tournament, here are some questions, sent in by our listeners concerning rugby. Have we got it right? Are we on the ball with our predictions? Can you predict the game scores or the overall winner of the tournament? It all starts on Saturday 4 February with two cracking matches - it's all getting exciting and we can't wait! Who do you think will win The RBS 6 Nations tournament 2017? Have a go at predicting...

It's New Year's eve 2020 or is it 2021? Chris meets Sue at a New Year's party, but once again they are in a parallel universe - this happens so often to these two ... Sue is at 31 December 2019 and Chris is at 31 December 2020, so Chris has lived through 2020 and it is all to come for Sue. Sue is all excited about the coming year with lots of plans and projects that she can't wait to start, but Chris, who has lived through 2020, thinks that it may turn out a little different to what she wants. Listen out for the following expressions : To...

Donald Trump came to our office in Toulouse for an interview for the job as a podcaster - we think he would make a great podcaster and as he has time on his hands at the moment he came in and did an interview with us. This isn't the first time that Donald has joined us and it was a great pleasure to get some answers to those burning questions that most journalists just don't ask him. Did you know he was a keen quizzer? That is just one on the revelations that he shares with the English podcasts team.

Numbers in Sport. Numbers can be a difficult part of learning a new language. New learners often confuse "hundreds" and "thousands", "fifteen" and "fifty", "half past six" with "six and a half hours" etc etc etc. The only way to improve your number skills is with practice. Start by learning important numbers for you: your age, your address, your phone number. Then practice well known expressions such as "fifty-fifty", "One Hundred and One Dalmatians". Also try this podcast in which Sue asks Chris 10 questions about numbers in sport. You will need to listen several times; the first time you listen...

Drones handle with care Drones handle with care as they are used in many contexts from military uses to leisure and for fun. But are they just dangerous toys or just accidents waiting to happen? There have been many stories and reports of drone near-misses and accidents involving aircraft and one even landed on The White House lawn. A drone that can be bought on the high street can weigh up to 1.5 Kg and fly at speeds up to 20 meters a second (72 km / hour) at heights reaching 6,000 meters and a maximum distance of 16 kilometers. So, it can be very dangerous...

Effective Presentation Skills Tips episode 2 Effective Presentation Skills Tips episode 2 is the second part of a series of podcasts aimed at helping people to be more effective when presenting in front of an audience. Sue and Chris talk about some of the pitfalls in presentations, including managing stress, redundancy, communication problems and telling an audience what they already know. Presenting information clearly and effectively is one of the key soft skills, if not the most important soft skill for life, and especially in business. Getting your message or opinion across is essential, and, today, presentation skills are required in almost eve...

Book Signing in Toulouse Book signing is popular because an author's signature increases the value of books for collectors. The author may add a short message to the reader, called a dedication, to each book, which may be personalized with the recipient's name upon request. A simple author's signature without a dedication is typically more valuable to collectors (exceptions include inscriptions to persons of note, e.g., from Hemingway to Fitzgerald, or to persons of significance in the author's life). Sometimes an author will sign additional copies for future sale. An additional advantage to authors for doing this is that once...

Canada - The second largest country in the world Did you know that Canada - is the second largest country in the world? Did you know that the name 'Canada' comes from the Huron-Iroquois word 'Kanata', meaning 'village' or 'settlement'? Did you know that there are 6 different time zones across Canada? The Canadian Royal Mint created a coin with the face value of $1 Million. The coin itself is made of 99.99% gold and weighs over 220 lbs (100 kgs). About 30% of Canada's total landmass is occupied by forest. Canada's flag became official on February 15, 1965, almost 100 years after it became a country in 1867. Canada h...

Mystery shopping trip In this podcast Sue and Chris go to a shopping mall to pick up some items. In this podcast they describe some of the items that they buy. Can you work out what they bought?

Effective Presentation Skills Tips episode 1 Effective Presentation Skills Tips episode 1 is part of a series of podcasts aimed at helping people to be more effective when presenting in front of an audience. Sue and Chris talk about some of the pitfalls in presentations, including managing stress, information overload and why people deliver presentations. Presenting information clearly and effectively is one of the key soft skills, if not the most important soft skill for life, and especially in business. Getting your message or opinion across is essential, and, today, presentation skills are required in almost every field of professional life. If...