English Plus Podcast
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Welcome to English Plus with Danny — your one-stop podcast for lifelong learning.
Whether you’re here to improve your English or explore a wide range of fascinating topics — from language and life skills to original stories by Danny — this podcast is your gateway to learning and creativity.
Never stop learning… or creating.
🎧 Unlock full access on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.
🌐 Visit englishpluspodcast.com for articles, deep dives, and exclusive content.
Whether you’re here to improve your English or explore a wide range of fascinating topics — from language and life skills to original stories by Danny — this podcast is your gateway to learning and creativity.
Never stop learning… or creating.
🎧 Unlock full access on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.
🌐 Visit englishpluspodcast.com for articles, deep dives, and exclusive content.
1226 Episodes
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It is January, which means we have all collectively lost our minds. We are currently under the "Resolution Delusion"—the belief that because the calendar changed a number, our DNA has fundamentally altered. In this high-energy episode, we take a flamethrower to the "props" of the fresh start. We talk about the $40 notebook made from a cow that went to Harvard, the tragedy of the "Gym Tourists" texting on treadmills, and the lie that is Kale. Stop pretending you’re going to be a Navy SEAL by Tuesday. Let’s aim for "Slightly Less Disappointing" instead.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
We are told to hit the ground running, to explode into the New Year with resolutions and noise. But nature does not run in January; it sleeps. In this session, we trade the strategy for the soul. We look at the terrifying beauty of the blank page and the field of untouched snow. We discuss the necessity of "Wintering"—the art of growing roots in the dark while the world thinks you are dormant. If you feel a strange sadness amidst the "New Year, New Me" chants, this episode is your permission to be quiet, to grieve the year that has passed, and to let the silence speak before you interrupt it.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
We all want the fresh start to feel like a movie montage—explosive, dramatic, and instant. But usually, that desire for a "Grand Gesture" is exactly what keeps us stuck. In this episode, we’re sitting on the porch with The Doorman. He’s watching us hesitate at the entrance of our own lives, paralyzed by the idea of perfection. We talk about the trap of the "Grand Gesture," why new habits feel like breaking in a stiff pair of leather shoes, and why you don't need to kick the door down to get inside. It’s time to stop waiting for the penthouse view and just step into the lobby.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
In a gritty, rain-slicked city that looks vaguely like 1940s Noir mixed with futuristic neon, there is a shop called "Tabula Rasa." It is run by a mysterious, weary proprietor named Jeremy.
The shop offers a simple service: You can trade in a memory—a specific regret, a heartbreak, a failure—in exchange for a "Skill" or a "Trait" you desire. Want to forget the time you were fired? You can trade that memory for the ability to play piano. Want to forget a bad breakup? Trade it for confidence.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
Why do we wait for Mondays to change our lives? Today, we deconstruct the "Fresh Start Effect." We move beyond flimsy resolutions and learn how to set "Objectives and Key Results" (OKRs) just like Silicon Valley tech giants. Plus, we master the "Future Perfect" tense to visualize success and sound more authoritative in meetings.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
Nostalgia is more than just a feeling; it’s a complex psychological mechanism that can comfort us or hold us back. In this episode, we dive deep into the human tendency to glorify the "good old days." We will explore the science behind why certain songs or smells trigger deep memories, and in the process, we will learn key advanced English vocabulary to help you describe your own past with nuance and precision. Join us for a journey into the bygone eras of our minds.
To unlock full access to all our episodes, become a premium subscriber on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. And don’t forget to visit englishpluspodcast.com for more content and learning.
SPECIAL THANKS to my
Executive Producer: Rada Sazhin
Bronze Sponsor: Breno Miranda
Happy New Year! Kick off 2026 with my biggest update yet. We're introducing a new community-funded model, revealing an ambitious AI game project, and opening the vault on 15 years of unreleased music and stories. Plus, join our new creative challenges and Discord server. Let's make this year unforgettable together!
Check out the new tiers on Patreon
We have reached the end of the year. The bells have stopped ringing, the wrapping paper is in the bin, and we are standing on the threshold of the "Morning After." In this final Thinking Out Loud of 2025, we explore the art of survival through three powerful metaphors: The Dance, The Drift, and The Lever. We travel to Argentina to see an orderly teach a paralyzed woman that she can still lead; we float down the Amazon to discover that being lost is sometimes the only way to be found; and we stand at a well in Kenya to learn why peace is physically heavy. We ask the difficult questions: Are we tourists in our own lives, or are we pilgrims? Does the music stop just because our legs do? And what happens when we realize that the handle of survival is too heavy to lift alone? Join me for one last reflection before we turn the page to 2026.
And finally, we look to the day after. The bells have stopped ringing, the guests have gone, and the wax has hardened on the table. We often treat the holiday spirit like a decoration—something to be packed away in a box until next year. But what if the kindness, the open doors, and the shared bread were not a seasonal performance, but a blueprint for how to live? In this final reflection, we ask what it means to carry the light of the feast into the famine of the ordinary days ahead.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
In the drought-stricken lands of Turkana County, the sun is a hammer and water is more precious than gold. Zola, a young woman from the Turkana tribe, walks miles to the only working well, knowing it sits on the dangerous borderlands of the enemy Pokot tribe. When she arrives, she is not alone. A woman from the opposing tribe is already there. With no men and no guns—just two women and a rusted, heavy pump handle—they face a choice: hold onto the history of war, or work together to survive the day.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
The Amazon River at night is a cacophony of jungle sounds and pitch-black water. Thiago, a boat pilot, knows the dangers of the current, but when his engine dies on Christmas Eve, he finds himself drifting helplessly in the dark. Alone, with the rain pouring down and the river spinning him toward the unknown, he spots a faint spark in the distance. It isn't a city or a harbor, but a flickering light on a rotting dock. This is a story about the terror of being adrift, and the humble lights that guide us home.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
The heat in Buenos Aires presses against the windows of the nursing home, where Valeria sits in her wheelchair, her dancing days long behind her. To the staff, she is just a number on a chart; to herself, she is a history book gathering dust. But Lucas, a young orderly with untucked clothes and a mop in his hand, knows a secret. He knows the music of the bandoneón. When he plays an old tango on his phone, the sterile room transforms, and Valeria is reminded that the dance doesn't end just because the legs have stopped moving.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
We spend our lives waiting for the "real" moment to start. We wait for the apology, the warm bed, the recovery, or the flight announcement. But what if the waiting room is actually where the life happens? In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, we dismantle the anxiety of the delay. We look at a mother in Sweden paralyzed by pride, a homeless veteran in Russia who refuses to abandon his dog, a nurse in the Philippines keeping watch over a coma patient, and a group of stranded travelers in Germany finding a song in the dark. We ask the difficult questions: Is your pride a shield or a cage? Why do we treat the sick like they are invisible? And how do we turn a brownout into a cathedral? Join me as we learn how to stop checking the clock and start singing in the dark.
Frankfurt Airport is a cathedral of efficiency, designed to move millions without a hitch. But on Christmas Eve, a massive snowstorm has stopped the clock. At Gate Z-15, the mood is toxic: business travelers are shouting, tourists are hoarding power outlets, and the departure board is a sea of red 'CANCELED' signs. Then, the lights go out. In the sudden darkness, a low hum begins in the corner—a melody that transcends language. Join us for a story about what happens when our plans are ruined, and we are forced to find harmony in the delay.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
Manila is usually a symphony of noise—firecrackers, karaoke, and celebration. But inside the Public General Hospital, the air is sterile and silent. Reya, a nurse on the night shift, watches over 'Lolo Ben,' a coma patient with no family to claim him. It is Noche Buena, the midnight feast, and Reya refuses to let him spend it in the dark. She hangs a small paper lantern on his IV pole and begins to read. But the hospital doors are about to open, bringing a reminder that even in the quietest rooms, we are never truly alone.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
The cold in Moscow is a living entity, prowling the streets for any weakness. Ivan, a homeless veteran, sits on a steam grate behind a metro station, his only warmth coming from the mongrel dog, Laika, tucked inside his coat. When the Social Patrol van pulls up offering a warm bed in a shelter, there is a catch: no dogs allowed. Ivan looks at the open door of the van, and then at the loyal eyes of his companion. This is a story about the family we choose, and the lines we refuse to cross, even when the temperature drops to minus thirty.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
In Stockholm, the winter darkness arrives just after lunch, settling over the city like a heavy blanket. Astrid sits by her window, watching a candle burn down—a silent, stubborn signal to a son she hasn't spoken to in two years. She calls it 'waiting,' but deep down, she knows it is pride. The candle is fading, and the silence of the phone is deafening. Tonight, Astrid faces the hardest journey of all: the distance between her hand and the receiver. A story for anyone who is waiting for the other person to blink first.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
We spend so much of our lives protecting things. We protect our privacy, our inventory, our traditions, and even our sadness. But what if safety is actually the most dangerous thing of all? In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, we travel to a pub in rainy Dublin, a dark stairwell in Beirut, a snowbound station in Japan, and a fragrant kitchen in Berlin. We look at the "Empty Chair" at the head of the table, the cargo of oranges sealed in a truck, and the cheese that is about to spoil. We ask the difficult questions: Are we guarding a shrine or a prison? Why are we so afraid of "loud" smells? And what happens when we finally realize that the only way to save the feast is to give it away? Join me as we learn how to break the seal.
Berlin in December is gray, damp, and smells of wet wool. For Fatima, a refugee from Aleppo, the city feels impossibly cold and distant. Desperate for a sense of home on Christmas Eve, she opens a jar of seven-spice and begins to cook Maqluba, filling her apartment building with the rich, loud scents of the Levant. But when a sharp knock comes at the door, Fatima fears the worst. On the other side stands her stern German neighbor, Frau Weber. What follows is a story about the flavors that divide us, and the unexpected tastes that bring us together.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
A blizzard has erased the highways of Hokkaido, trapping a diverse group of travelers in a roadside station on Christmas Eve. There is a businessman with a deadline, a crying toddler, and a truck driver named Kenji hauling a perishable cargo of sunshine—mandarin oranges. As the power flickers and the vending machines die, the tension in the room rises. With the road closed and hunger setting in, Kenji looks at his sealed cargo and faces a choice: follow the rules of the logbook, or break the seal to feed the strangers stranded with him.
If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we’re thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV
Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
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Good job, more lessons plz
this channel is perfect, continue please
tnx it was helpful🌹
That is a perfect and useful podcast file thanks a bunch 👌🏼❤️
Ibn Sina, commonly known in the West as Avicenna, was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic Golden Age, and the father of early modern medicine
Abn Sina is iranian scientist not Arab scientist .
I loves this channel for English course wants more 🥰
i really liked that tnx