Podcast Episode 64 – Trump

Hi, English Learners! It has been a while since the last podcast, and a lot has happened in the U.S. during that time. Of course, the big news is that this year we will elect a new president. Since January, the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, have been holding primaries and caucuses […] Read more »

Podcast Episode 63 – Party Nominating Process

Perhaps you’ve heard that we will be voting for a new president this year. Well, first we have to decide who will be on the ballot. In other words, each party has to decide who will be their presidential candidate. This happens through a process known as “the primaries” which starts on February 1st in […] Read more »

Podcast Episode 61 – Broadway

Hi Students! Wow, it has really been a while since my last blog post and podcast episode. I am sorry it has taken me so long, but if you have been following me on Facebook, you know that I have been pretty busy traveling and working at a new part-time job. I have been teaching […] Read more »

Podcast Episode 57 – Junie B. Jones

Reading easy chapter books is a great way to improve your understanding of everyday English and learn a lot about American culture. In this episode, I introduce you to one of the feistiest American kindergartners – Junie B. Jones.     Junie B. Jones is the main character in the series of books of the […] Read more »

Understanding Lyrics

Hi Students! I was preparing some materials for a listening class this morning and I came across this great site for understanding song lyrics. It’s called Genius.com. It is a website where people annotate songs. This means they give you the lyrics of the song with explanations and examples, so you can understand the song better. One […] Read more »

Boston Blizzard of January 2015

Slow Speed (3:48)   Normal Speed (2:20)   (How to use this lesson: Listen to me read the blog post out loud. Repeat as needed to understand. Look up any words or expressions you don’t understand. Listen again. Advanced students can watch the videos and read the extra materials below.) As many of you know, […] Read more »

Seattle Seahawks Do it Again – Never Give Up!

  Wow! I wasn’t even watching the game and I was feeling the excitement! The Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers were playing a playoff game today, to see who would get to go to the Super Bowl. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, listen to podcast episode #18 about American Football). […] Read more »

All About that Bass – Explained

Earlier this evening I went to pick up my daughter from her dance class and I heard the song “All About that Bass” by singer Meghan Trainor on the radio. It’s quite popular and lots of people have been making videos for it and spoofs of it (a spoof is when you make fun of it in […] Read more »

Podcast Episode 47 – Privacy and Edward Snowden

This past weekend I saw the new documentary Citizenfour about the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. This got me to thinking about privacy and how people feel about the U.S. government having access to private emails, phone calls, video calls and chat messages without getting a warrant and without prior consent. How do you feel about companies […] Read more »

Black Friday Shopping Frenzy Spreads to UK

Here in the U.S., the Friday after Thanksgiving is always known as Black Friday, and it is a day for SHOPPING. Historically, shoppers have lined up the night before, waiting outside stores to be the first ones to get in and get the deals (a deal is something that is on sale). (If you want […] Read more »