Thinking in English

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Today, I’m joined by the wonderful Alastair Budge from the English Learning for Curious Minds podcast to discuss the tiny island of Malta and how it became a destination for English learners! We discussed Malta’s history, what it is like to study there, and what kind of person should consider learning English in Malta. TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/10/17/why-you-should-study-english-in-malta-w-english-learning-for-curious-minds/ Check Out English Learning for Curious Minds - www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts You may also like... Is Social Media Useful for Language Learning? w/ Stew Sensei (English Conversation) Becoming Bilingual, Feminism, and Inequality in Japan! w/ Sneakysmol (English Conversation) How to Become an Advanced Language Learner?! w/ James Brock (English Conversation) Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/10/17/why-you-should-study-english-in-malta-w-english-learning-for-curious-minds/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Is the content made by these English teachers actually useful for English learners? Or is it just designed to get the most views and likes? How should an English learner incorporate social media into their study routine? Today, we are going to try and answer these questions! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/08/15/is-social-media-useful-for-language-learning/ You may also like... Becoming Bilingual, Feminism, and Inequality in Japan! w/ Sneakysmol   (English Conversation) How to Become an Advanced Language Learner?! w/ James Brock (English Conversation) Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Follow @stew.sensei.english on Instagram Follow @stewsensei on Twitter Follow Stew Sensei on YouTube! Vocabulary List Available on the Blog! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/08/15/is-social-media-useful-for-language-learning/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ I am incredibly fortunate to be joined on the podcast by my friend Honoka – also known as @sneakysmol on Instagram.   Honoka was born and raised in Japan, but everyone assumes she is American due to her accent and native English level. We talked about how she was raised bilingual despite never living overseas, and Honoka gave some really useful advice on how to help children learn English naturally! Honoka also runs a popular and bilingual Instagram page focused on Japanese feminism, so we also discussed Japan’s recent performance in the gender inequality rankings and tried to explain why Japan is so unequal. TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/08/01/becoming-bilingual-feminism-and-inequality-in-japan-w-sneakysmol/ You may also like... How to Become an Advanced Language Learner?! w/ James Brock (English Conversation) Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Follow @sneakysmol Follow @shestands.jp INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Today I’m joined by one of my oldest friends – James Brock. James has led a very international life: as a child he lived in the UK, France, and Morocco. And as an adult he moved across the world to China, taught English, and eventually graduated top of his class from a Chinese university. I invited James on to Thinking in English today because I think all of you listening can be inspired by James’ approach to studying languages, his ability to throw himself into foreign cultures, and his dedication to becoming an advanced language speaker! Aside from that, we also discussed the difficulty of attending school in France, accidentally eating duck heads in China, and why the visas prevented him from his dream job at Huawei! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/18/how-to-go-from-intermediate-to-advanced-english-w-james-brock/ FOLLOW JAMES ON LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-brock-78a326193/ You may also like... Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ How can you use the news to learn or improve your English? Stephen from the Simple English News Daily podcast joins us today to discuss the news, how you can use the news in your daily study plans, and also some predictions for future news stories. I really enjoyed talking with Stephen, and I hope you also enjoy listening to this episode! Transcript - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/20/learning-english-from-the-news/ You may also like... Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Follow Simple English News Daily! Website - https://www.send7.org/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/send7podcast/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/send7podcast Full Vocabulary List on the Blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Sanam Monteiro is poet, activist, political science graduate, youth worker, former intern for United Nations Women, and a friend of mine who once let me sleep on her sofa in Brussels! I invited Sanam on to Thinking in English today to discuss her experiences of both learning and teaching English. TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/06/sanam-monteiro-creative-writing-making-mistakes-and-learning-english/ You may also like... Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Follow Sanam and the Compass Collective! Sanam's Instagram - @namnaaam  Compass Collective - https://www.compasscollect.com/ Compass Collective Instagram - @compasscollect  Donate to Compass Collective --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT TO PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Does your English accent matter? Does British English really exist? How can you become more confident in your English speaking skills? On today’s episode, Dan Sensei joins us to discuss some of these questions and give you all some great advice and motivation! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/05/02/does-your-english-accent-matter/ You may also like... What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Check Out DanSensei!! His website - https://www.dansenseienglish.com/ Podcast - Dan Sensei English Podcast  His Instagram - @dansenseienglish Youtube - DanSenSeiEnglish --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT TO PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Follow Marie and the Feminist Majo!! Check out her blog -- https://feministmajo.wordpress.com/ Follow Marie's Instagram -- @feministmajo Follow the Feminist Majo everywhere! - https://linktr.ee/feministmajo On today’s episode of Conversations with Thinking in English, I’m incredibly happy to welcome my good friend Marie onto the podcast! Marie is originally from France and runs the Feminist Majo blog which posts fascinating articles about the lives of women in East Asia. Marie also has a Master’s degree in Asian Politics (from the same university as I graduate from) and has studied a lot of languages in her life! Join us for a conversation on feminism, women in East Asia, and how to develop your language skills to be able to study at a top English language university! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/04/18/feminist-majo-maintaining-advanced-english-feminism-and-east-asia/ You may also like... What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English 147. Does a Country Need an Army?  (English Vocabulary Lesson) 146. What is Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List is on the BLOG!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT TO PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ What is the point of studying an ancient language? Should the government fund Latin study? And what are the connections between Latin and English? Hopefully, we will answer all these questions in today’s episode! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/04/04/what-is-the-point-in-studying-latin/ Check Out Thomas and Village Green English! Visit the vgenglish.com Check out their YouTube Channel  Follow them on Instagram! - villagegreenenglish You may also like... What are Phantonyms? And What are False Friends? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 145. Should you Support Your Country Unconditionally? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 144. Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 143. What is a War Crime? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog VOCABULARY LIST -- go to thinkinginenglish.blog (I couldn't fit it in the description)  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grammar Study Pack - https://www.patreon.com/posts/passive-voice-in-140250338?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link 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 history, while also learning some English grammar. The Great Fire is a perfect example of when we use the passive voice in real English. Disasters are often described with the passive because the actions are more important than the people who did them. We don’t always know who was responsible, and sometimes it doesn’t matter. What matters is what happened. So in this episode, I’ll share the story of the Great Fire of London, and we’ll look together at how the passive voice is used. At the beginning I’ll guide you through a short grammar lesson to help you use the passive voice, and then you’ll hear plenty of natural examples while talking about the Great Fire of London! Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/10/06/the-great-fire-of-london-passive-voice-english-grammar-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 podcast? In today’s episode, I want to explore this question from different angles. We’ll start with the etymology of the word of the word podcast, move on to the technology that made podcasts possible, look at the content that defines them, discuss how definitions are changing today, and finally, consider what the future might hold! Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/10/13/356-what-is-a-podcast-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 about language learning: how you can absorb hundreds of new words, understand complex grammar, and actually use all of it in real life… much faster than I ever thought possible. Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/09/29/355-my-greatest-language-challenge-learning-to-drive-in-another-language-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 happens, whether it should be allowed, and then I will also look at some other unusual English political words and phrases! Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/09/22/354-what-is-gerrymandering-and-other-useful-political-terms-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try Lingoda with code 20THINKING for 20€ off. ⁠ https://try.lingoda.com/ThinkingAugust 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. Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/09/15/353-marie-curie-the-greatest-scientist-of-all-time-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try Lingoda with code 20THINKING for 20€ off. https://try.lingoda.com/ThinkingAugust 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. Today I want to think about 2 questions. What exactly is the UN Security Council, and why does it have so much influence over international peace and security? In today’s episode of Thinking in English, we’re going to look at the history of the Security Council, how it works, and the difference between permanent and temporary members. We’ll talk about its goals and powers, examine some of the criticisms it faces, and think about what the future might hold for one of the most powerful organisations in the world. Conversation Club - ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/09/08/352-what-is-the-united-nations-security-council-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, and I hope you enjoy learning some history while improving your English comprehension and vocabulary! Conversation Club - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/09/01/351-history-of-istanbul-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/think85⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! 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 episode of Thinking in English, we’re going to explore this fascinating idea through one of history’s most famous thought experiments: the Ship of Theseus. As always, this episode is designed to help you improve your English. I’ll introduce you to useful vocabulary, explain ideas clearly, and make you think more deeply in English. Conversation Club - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/08/25/350-the-ship-of-theseus-what-makes-something-truly-the-same-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/think85⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! 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 people become truly skilled at something, whether it's music, sports, or academic subjects. As I watched, I realised that the ideas in the video are incredibly relevant to English learners. So, in this episode of Thinking in English, I want to take the four key principles from that Veritasium video and apply them directly to learning English. These principles can help guide your study, improve your skills, and ultimately help you become an expert speaker of the language. This episode was originally recorded as a Bonus Episode for my Patreon community a year ago... subscribe to Patreon for more great episodes. Let’s get started! Veritasium's Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eW6Eagr9XA Conversation Club - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/08/18/349-how-to-become-an-expert-in-english-or-anything-else-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/think85⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! 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 like a smart solution to poverty, inequality, and the future of work? In this episode, we’ll explore the concept of Universal Basic Income, discuss its goals and purpose, look at real-life experiments and trials from around the world, and examine the debate: Is UBI a brilliant idea… or a dangerous one? Finland UBI Trial - https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/social-sector/our-insights/an-experiment-to-inform-universal-basic-income Kenya UBI Trial - https://www.givedirectly.org/2023-ubi-results/ Stockton UBI Trial - https://www.stocktondemonstration.org/ Conversation Club - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/08/11/348-what-is-universal-basic-income-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ ⁠AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/think85 Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! 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 going to explore practical, powerful lessons from some of history’s greatest thinkers: Stoics, Existentialists, Buddhists, and more. These ideas have helped people cope with life’s biggest challenges… so why not apply them to the challenge of learning English? Whether you’re feeling unmotivated, overwhelmed, or just tired of forgetting everything you study, this episode is for you! Conversation Club - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/08/04/347-philosophy-for-frustrated-english-learners-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ ⁠⁠AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices