English Outside the Box

Hey there Ponders! This week we’re chatting about our feathered friends. That’s right, birds! Do you like birds? Have you got a favourite? Join your 2 native speaking English teachers for a chat about these amazing creatures and learn some bird related expressions and idioms along the way. Remember to keep listening because after the conversation it’s the language focus. Enjoy!

Back in the day, before the internet changed all our lives, courses were something that we always did face to face. How times have changed! Today we can find a million and one courses on every topic imaginable and this can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. So today we’re chatting about what makes a great course, what makes us buy a course as well as what we don’t like so much. We have our own course too! You can check it out at https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/stepup Enjoy!

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. tune in this week to hear this song live and have some fun with your hosts talking about the days of the week! We talk routines, like what our typical weekends are and what we like to do. This episode also covers pronunciation, and has inspired our member’s grammar bonus this month, prepositions of time! Sit back and relax whatever the day of the week it is and … enjoy!

Hello dear listeners, dear Ponders around the world and welcome to our latest episode … Hello! In this week’s chat we’re talking about how to start a conversation in English; you’ll hear from 3 of our members and also find out all about our exciting Step Up To Fluency course which we are relaunching this month. There’s a language focus at the end too, of course! Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/stepup

Hello, hello and welcome aboard! It's Friday and time for another beautiful English language conversation here at English Across the Pond. This week we’re highlighting some of the main pronunciation differences between British and American English when it comes to food. How do you say fillet? Oregano? Risotto? Listen and find out! After the chat there is a language focus where we take a closer look at some this week's vocabulary ... so keep listening! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to ... who is celebrating a birthday this week? Well if you’ve been a listener for a while or receive our emails then, the cat’s already out of the bag and you know who it is! Join us this week to sing along happy birthday with one of our co-hosts and learn all about cake: different types, your hosts preferences, and more! The language focus has some extra sweet and delicious vocabulary for you, so stick around and have a great time celebrating your English success (and a birthday!). Enjoy!

Hello, dear listeners! It's time for another of our fun and language packed British and American English conversations and this week we are chatting about the john, the can, the bathroom, the loo, the smallest room in the house, the restroom, the washroom, the ladies, the gents, the WC … the toilet :) Enjoy!

Teamwork - you either love it or hate it and are a good team player or you’re not. Listen in this week as we talk all about teams, and find out what Jennifer and Dan think about them. We share an interesting American and British English difference in grammar this week, and it’s even inspired our member’s only grammar lesson as well. You don’t want to miss the helpful vocabulary from this week either, including a lot of very helpful and natural expressions. Enjoy! Download the transcript of this episode + this week’s vocabulary PDF, lesson and more at www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership Here's a link to Stephen's podcast, Simple News English www.send7.org

Come in, take a seat! Tell us about some of your strengths. Do you like to work alone or as a part of a team?? Yes! This week we’re chatting about one of the most stressful times of our lives - interviews! Join your 2 native speaker hosts as they talk about their interview thoughts and experiences. After the chat stay tuned for the vocabulary focus. Enjoy!

This episode will take you on a journey into the future, we'll visualize our lives in 10 years and think about where we'll be, what we will have accomplished, and how life will be like. Tune in to hear about Jen and Dan's predictions about their own lives as well as a lot of natural future grammar in context. Enjoy!

If you’re superstitious and believe in good and bad luck then you may be spending today hiding in bed because it’s … Friday 13th! If you’ve never heard of it, many people in the western world consider today to be an unlucky day. But what do your 2 podcast hosts think? Do they think Friday the 13th is an unlucky day? Do they believe that you can have good and bad luck? Listen along to our fun chat and find out (and improve your English at the same time, of course!). Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership

Are you ready to laugh along with your hosts as they go through and review various words in American and British English pronunciation? This week we're sharing a special pronunciation bonus episode, often limited to premium members only, because we had so much fun recording this episode. We talk about the different words, their pronunciation differences, why they might differ, and how to use them naturally. You'll get so much out of this episode, including our usual vocabulary language focus, too. Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership

In a world full of CCTV cameras and internet cookies, is privacy something that is important to you? Do you try to keep your real identity a secret on social media? Or do you just accept that a lack of (online) privacy is something we just have to accept these days? Whatever your ideas, join your 2 hosts Dan and Jennifer for a fun chat all about this hot topic! And don’t forget, after the conversation there is an extra vocabulary focus. Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership

Would you want to be in the limelight? ...In the public eye? Or are you a bit too shy to be uber famous? Tune in this week as we talk about being famous and the price that comes with the world knowing who you are. What would we, Jennifer and Dan, like to be famous for? All that and more this week! Enjoy!

Everyone needs a lazy day right? A personal day? Tune in this week as we talk about what it means to be lazy and what we, your hosts, think about it. What animal comes to mind? Hint - it’s in the title’s image! And don’t miss the American and British English differences we stumble upon in our conversation. Enjoy!

Magazines, commercials, billboards and more, we all have experience with different forms of advertising in our lives. How has advertising changed? How is it different in the US and UK? And who is a famous jingle writer that Dan has never heard of? Find that all out and more this week. Stick around for a deeper look into the vocabulary from this episode. Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership

Do you find it difficult to say no? It’s never easy but from time to time we all have to say it and this week we’re talking all about it ... NO! Improve your listening and vocabulary and have fun as you join 2 native speaker English teachers discussing their experiences with this difficult word. After the chat there is a language focus where we discuss some of the key words from the conversation - oh yes! Enjoy! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/community

We all have one. Sometimes they are the same and other times they can be very different. Yes, this week we’re talking about opinions. Should we always give our opinion or is it sometimes better to bite our lip (stay silent)? When you need a second opinion and who do you turn to (ask)? All this and much more in today’s chat and remember to stay to the end for the language focus. After you’ve listened sign up to our free Telegram community and let us know what you think - we’d love to hear your opinion :-D https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/community Enjoy!

5 years? 5 years! We find it hard to believe that our podcast is 5 years old this week. In that time we’ve recorded over 250 episodes which contain over 100 hours of chat, fun and language improvement. Wow! Join us as we celebrate, look back at what we have achieved so far and forward to what the future might hold. And! Keep listening as halfway through the conversation there is a VERY special announcement with details about how you can become a member for a week - for free! Let’s get this party started! https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/5years

Quiet, tranquil, chill, peaceful: these are some of the synonyms to the title of this week’s episode. What does it mean to be “calm”? How do we achieve this tranquil state? Tune in to find out Jennifer and Dan’s favorite ways, the apps they use, and whether or not they think everyone should be calm. You’ll walk away from this episode with not only English vocabulary, expressions and natural language but your own strategies for calming your mind and body. Enjoy!

To fail; to be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal. We all fail at some point or other in our lives and this week we’re taking a look at what it is to fail - Dan talks about his driving test while Jennifer mentions her school grades. We also talk about the phenomenon of internet fail videos as well as considering what we can maybe learn from our failures. As always, the chat is followed by a look at some of this week’s key vocabulary. Enjoy!

This week we’re all about pictures. Pictures as in photos (Do you like having your picture taken? Do you like taking pictures?) and pictures as in paintings (who’s your favourite artist?) We answer these questions and much more in today’s chat. After our conversation, the language focus takes a closer look at some of the vocabulary from today’s podcast. Smile, say cheese! Your transcript & vocabulary for this episode: www.englishacrossthepond.com/membership

Better than an article in a National Geographic magazine, this week will take a walk on the wild side and review a list of the top 10 most well-known Endangered Species. What are these animals, why are they endangered and what do your hosts think of some of these cuddly and not so cuddly creatures? Tune in to find out + learn 2 new expressions in our language focus. Rawr!

Hey there dear Ponders and welcome to another week of chat, fun and language improvement. This week we’re talking about wildflowers - what is a wildflower, anyway? Is it the same as a weed? What’s Jennifer’s favorite wildflower? And which wildflower is currently terrorising the UK? Find out all the answers and improve your English by listening in. Don’t forget, after the conversation, the language focus takes a closer look at some of the key vocab from this week’s episode. Enjoy!

In many parts of the world, a very special day is just around the corner. A day to celebrate, to honor, and to love mothers. It’s Mother’s Day on May 9th. Tune in this week to hear about your hosts mothers, a bit about Jennifer’s motherhood journey and tons of natural vocabulary. Continue the conversation in Telegram and tell us if or how you’re celebrating this special day. Enjoy!

Do you play ‘never have I ever’ in your country? Join your 2 podcast hosts as they share their experiences by playing the game together. Has Dan Jennifer ever fallen asleep on public transport? Has Dan ever been on a blind date? Find out all about your 2 hosts’ experiences, and improve your English at the same time Have you ever had some much fun listening to an English language podcast before?!

In honor of Earth Day, we’re talking about gardens in this episode and you’ll learn about the American and British English differences with this word + many other words throughout this episode. Tune in to find out about garden beds, Jennifer’s ideal garden and our idea for celebrating Earth day as a team. Our language focus will highlight some of the American and British English vocabulary differences as well. Enjoy!

At some point or other (sadly!) we all have to pay them … taxes. But what about taxes in the US and the UK? While we aren’t financial experts (we’re English teachers!) in today’s episode we tell you a little about what you can expect when you’re paying your taxes in our 2 countries. And, as you’ll discover, we have 2 very different systems! So relax, sit back, educate yourself and have fun listening to our natural conversation. Enjoy!

English loves turning nouns into verbs, and in this episode you’ll hear a very common phrase, once even nominated ‘word of the year’. What are some common activities of ‘adulting’? What do your hosts think about it, and can you spot the pronunciation differences? Stick around and listen to this week’s language focus to get American and British English pronunciation tips and practice! Enjoy!

Episode 250! Wow, can you believe it?! Today we are celebrating reaching 250 episodes, taking a look back and seeing what we’ve achieved over the years and also looking forward to one or two changes we have planned. Come and celebrate with us!

Some say silence is golden while others think silence is the loudest scream, and in this episode we’ll tell you what we, your hosts, think! What are some ways to ask people to be quiet and when do you like silence? Listen in to find out these questions and how you, too, can talk about silence! 2 helpful expressions in the language focus will help you expand your vocabulary so you don’t have to be silent :)

This week we are talking about that most popular, sweet, freezing cold treat … ice cream! Find out about your hosts favourite flavours, the ice creams they enjoyed as kids and a recipe Jennifer uses to create ice cream with her son. Lots of ice cream vocabulary is included - you’ll learn all about cones, mivis, 99s, flakes and popsicles! I scream, you scream, we all scream for … ice cream!

In a world with so many options, many people rely on a rating system to judge whether a product, service or restaurant is good. What is this rating system? Reviews! Tune in to hear what your hosts think of reviews, why your review will help our podcast and how you can win silver membership! We personally give this episode, 5 stars! Enjoy!

Ladies and gentlemen ... You Ask, We Answer! This week we invited members of our Telegram communities to ask us questions and we are here answering them in this week’s podcast. What’s our favourite film genre? Why did we decide to become English teachers? How do we manage our time? Listen along and find the answers to these and more juicy questions ... and improve your English at the same time! P.S. If you have a question for us then come into our free Telegram community and let us know - www.englishacrossthepond.com/community Enjoy!

Everyone needs them, and when you do, it can be frustrating when you don’t have them! What are we talking about? Batteries! Learn American and British English pronunciation differences, about batteries in our everyday life, and get a helpful tip from Jennifer :) Stick around for vocabulary in our language focus and how to learn phrasal verbs and idioms more easily. Enjoy!

We all have good ones and we all have some bad ones too! That’s right, dear listeners, this week we are chatting about habits. Jennifer teaches us all something new by talking about the science behind our habits while Dan just grosses his podcast partner out (makes her feel sick). Can you guess what he does?! After the chat there is the language focus where we take a closer look at some of the important vocabulary from this week’s conversation. If you haven’t done so already, we suggest you make listening to our weekly English language podcast one of your habits :) Enjoy!

Passion! What are you passionate about? Here at English Across The Pond we are extremely passionate about bringing you the very best in online English learning. Every. Single. Week. Oh yeah! Join Jennifer and Dan for another fun-filled chat, packed with everything you need to improve your fluency - natural conversation, 21st century expressions and … passion! Enjoy!

Hey everyone and welcome to a special episode of English Across The Pond. We are really excited to be answering all of your questions about our new certification course, Step Up To Fluency. The course is now open for enrolment. Listen as we answer all of your FAQs using polite question and answer forms (so useful for speaking exams and job interviews!) and give you the opportunity to go from fearful silence to confident conversations. Enroll at www.englishacrossthepond.com/community Enjoy!

In addition to being fluent, most of our students and listeners also want confidence when it comes to English. So what is confidence and how do we, your teachers, think you can increase your confidence? Tune in and listen carefully because we're sharing the strategies and secrets. Our language focus will help you with 2 vocabulary words commonly used to talk about things that are specific and we remind you about our free training which starts this Monday, February 1. Visit www.englishacrossthepond.com/community to learn more.

We recently asked our listeners what their top English language challenge was and over 50% said fluency - big wow! But what is fluency - what does it mean to be fluent? And is it possible to achieve and if it is, then how? Join your 2 English language teacher hosts Dan (UK) and Jennifer (US) as they discuss the one thing every language learner is searching for - fluency. Enjoy!

Hey there Ponders! This week’s episode is all about improving - getting better. And here at English Across The Pond, we’ve spent the last 4 years trying to improve … we’ve made some pretty big changes over the years! How about you? What are you trying to improve in your life at the moment? And how can we improve our language skills? If you’d like to find out, join us for our fun, natural conversation! Enjoy!

Everyone knows that a new year calls for “New Year’s resolutions” but we don’t want those this year! Instead, we want to be more intentional with ….intentions. What’s the difference between resolutions and intentions? What are Jennifer and Dan intending for the new year? Find out in this episode and learn more about 2 phrases from this week’s episode in our language focus. Enjoy!

It’s January 1st 2021! Wow! New Year is always a time for plans and here at English Across The Pond things are no different. So join us as we look ahead to the next 12 months - find out what 2 words is going to have as a new tattoo and why flexibility is going to be so important in the coming months. We also have news about our plans for 2021 and our new community feature at https://www.englishacrossthepond.com/community Fun, friendly chat from your 2 favourite English language teachers. Enjoy!

It’s Christmas! And here at English Across The Pond we’re looking back to Christmas when we were kids. Why is Christmas a little different for Dan? What did Jennifer do on Christmas Day when she was younger? And what is Scaelxtric?! Listen along, find out the answers and improve your English at the same time. Merry Christmas!

‘If you know your history, then you would know where you’re coming from…’ Bob Marley. Yes, this week we’re talking about a subject that Dan loves and Jennifer … perhaps isn’t quite so keen on - history! Listen along to your 2 English language teacher hosts to improve your English language skills, have fun and maybe even learn something new along the way. After the chat the language focus explains two expressions from the episode connected to water. Enjoy!

This week, right here, you will hear all about homophones! What are they? Well this introduction gives you an example. Can you find it? Whether the weather is cold or warm, the show will go on! Us two have too much to do to continue with the homophone examples here, so have a listen and enjoy the episode! The expressions in our language focus will hopefully bring a smile to your face, too! Enjoy!

Jokes - things that people say to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline. Do you like hearing jokes? Or telling them? Have you got a favourite joke? Join your 2 English language teacher hosts as they tell a few jokes, explain the meaning and discuss why it can be so difficult to understand jokes in another language. Enjoy!

Black Friday will look a little differently this year as we are still in a worldwide pandemic. What are our predictions of this shopping day, which usually has people sleeping outside stores? What is online shopping? And do we, your hosts, enjoy it? Listen to this week’s episode and find out all the answers your waiting for! Our language focus talks about common expressions while highlighting a British and American English difference. Enjoy!

Whether we like or not we all live in a society of some kind - it may just be a group of friends or something as big as your country, but (almost!) everyone lives together in an organised community. What are the benefits of living this way? Are there also disadvantages? Join your 2 hosts as they discuss these topics and improve your English listening, vocab and so much more at the same time! Enjoy!

Are you comfortable in the kitchen? Do you spend a lot of time there or as little as possible? Did you grow up helping out with meals and chores? Find out what your hosts think about the kitchen and whether or not we feel at home in them. We’ll even talk about our favorite meals. Expand your vocabulary from this episode in our language focus. Enjoy!