Strange News: The Man Who Used an Eel to Cure Constipation

Strange News: The Man Who Used an Eel to Cure Constipation

Strange news is back! In this episode, we’re reading three bizarre news stories from around the world while picking up plenty of useful English vocabulary along the way. A flight from New Jersey to Mallorca gets turned around because of a suspicious Bluetooth device name, Uber reveals the strangest items passengers have left behind in their cars, and a man in China attempts a highly questionable cure for constipation involving a live eel. Along the way, you’ll learn expressions like pull a U-turn, offbeat, roll out, poke fun at, catch a break, and more.

A Guide to Clear Thinking (Read-Along)

Here's an article [https://www.nirandfar.com/self-serving-bias/] I came across from that had a good lesson to teach. It's about self-serving bias, and how we protect ourselves and blame others when we feel like the idea we have of ourselves is challenged. As always, we'll mine it for vocabulary, so make sure you write down the words that catch your eye.  Let me know what you think.

Working in the U.S vs Europe (The American Dream)

I really enjoyed putting this episode together. I've lived both in the U.S and Europe, and I've always been intrigued by the cultural differences. I thought it would be interesting to explore some of these differences, specifically around work. I think there's a fundamental difference in philosophy when it comes to this topic and understanding where it comes from gives us a good idea of how we can navigate it.   + We'll explore how the idea of "The American Dream" really became so widespread, by understanding how the events of the Second World War shaped the world. Let me know if you enjoyed it!

Do THIS to Sound More Natural

Your English is fine. But something still feels a bit off, right? In this episode I want to show you something I learned at university that completely changed the way I understand how language works. It's one of those things that once you start paying attention, you'll see it everywhere. This episode is all about something I like to call "pre-loading" and how you can use to really refine what you say and how it is recieved.

Things Native Speakers Actually Say (And Why You Don’t)

Let's talk about the things that make your English sound natural without you having to think about grammar every two seconds. The phrases that carry tone, attitude, and meaning way beyond the literal words. We're going to cover "chunking", "discourse markers", and the hidden layer of communication that controls tone, intention, and flow.