English, baby! Daily Podcasts

Watching a game can be as fun as playing one. Sometimes, it’s fun to imagine instead of actually do the work. This is true with sports, chess matches, and even video games! Video game streaming is when people watch other people play video games. They watch to learn cheat codes, shortcuts, and get a sense of the game. Twitch is a popular channel where people can do video game streaming. You don’t get firsthand experience playing the game when you’re just watching it on a channel like Twitch. But some people like to watch video games and nerd out with their friends. Other people think this is really lame. Why would you want to watch other people play video games? Shouldn’t we learn to do these things through our own experience? Gary loves watching video game streaming channels. Listen as he tells Dominique about it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“Ah, dear Adam West. He was always so kind when we met. A real gent. Once when I was a kid, we found ourselves in front of the Batmobile. I got in.” —Actor Val Kilmer, speaking about the death of Adam West, the original Batman (Twitter) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

In 2006, beekeepers started to see many bees dying. This was a sad thing because bees help to pollinate most of the plants that give us food. Scientists don’t understand why bees are dying. There are many possible reasons. However, one thing that can help is to give bees good homes. Now, beekeeping is a very popular hobby in the US. Some people are terrified of bees. They are afraid of being stung, and they might have an allergy. But many people are not fazed by bees. They stay calm in a swarm and can work easily with these small creatures. The have a good symbiotic relationship with their bees. They take care of them, and the bees give them tasty honey. Marni’s neighbor is working with a swarm of bees. Will she also become a beekeeper? Learn more in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Were you ever supposed to watch someone, and then you lost that person? This is a difficult situation. How do you explain that you let this person out of your sight? Sometimes, this happens when you are supposed to watch another person’s child. Children love to play and run, and as soon as you look in another direction, you might lose them. It can be difficult to keep tabs on children! When you keep tabs on someone, you watch them to keep them safe. You can’t be spacey when you are keeping tabs on someone. You might not even want to leave to go to the bathroom. If you lose this person, then someone else might blame you. We use this expression to show who is responsible for watching someone or something. For example, if your friend asks you to keep tabs on their car, you should stay near that parking spot. Andy and Dominique were supposed to keep tabs on Kelsey, but they lost her. Watch today’s English soap opera to see if Jordin can help. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Many people miss reading and writing on paper. There is something magical about it. It’s hard to describe why. Maybe, it feels more real than typing. Maybe, people like the stroke of their pen on paper. Writing something down just feels permanent and tangible. On the computer, everything comes and goes so quickly. Now, one could call handwriting a “lost art.” It’s not hard to figure out why. People don’t try to get better at handwriting. So when they write, no one can read it! Their handwriting is illegible and atrocious. Even if they write in standard script, it’s still difficult to read. In the past, people tried very hard to write in good cursive. Now? Cursive is very, very rare. Kelsey just got a handwritten note from her friend. Listen as Marni tries to help her read it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Tropical fruits are colorful, healthy fruits grown in warm areas of the world. In the United States, we can import these fruits from places like Mexico and South America. People can buy fruits like papaya, guava, and dragon fruit in their local grocery stores. Sometimes, it’s hard to know how to eat these exotic fruits. For example, many people in the US think dragon fruit is unusual. Have you ever seen a dragon fruit? It is red with green scales. These scales look like the scales you would see on a dragon. The dragon fruit is very sweet. You can add dragon fruit to smoothies. The dragon fruit will add nutrients to your smoothie. It will also make it taste very sweet and not so bland. Romeo loves traveling to warm countries and eating these exotic fruits. He also loves smoothies! Listen as he tells Marni about his search for tropical fruits. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s easy to get super excited about something that might happen. But before you get too stoked, you should ask if this thing is really possible. You don’t want to become so excited that you also get nervous. Then, you might not be able to sleep. You might stay awake all night, thinking about future possibilities. But what will you do if this great thing doesn’t happen at all? It’s probably best not to hold your breath. When you hold your breath, you wait for something. But think about this in real life. What happens if you actually hold your breath? Most of us can only hold our breath for a minute or so. If we hold it longer, we might zonk out and become unconscious. This isn’t a good thing. So, if we see a person who is waiting for something that probably won’t happen, we say, “Don’t hold your breath.” Kelsey is planning to take a good, long nap. Find out why Jordin doesn’t think she should hold her breath in today’s English soap opera. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Getting fired is very stressful. It is one of the most embarrassing things that can happen to people. Just ask FBI Director James Comey. He was recently fired by the President of the United States. He was a passionate FBI Director. Many people were very surprised that President Trump decided to let him go. James Comey found out he was fired when he saw it on television. It might take awhile for the pain of getting fired to go away. Even though getting fired is hard, it is important to think about the good things. One good part about getting fired is that it gives people a chance to do something new and exciting with their lives. Maybe, James Comey always wanted to be an astronaut. Now, he has the chance to follow his dream of going into space. Listen as Jordin tells Marni about how she was fired in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Horror movies can be a lot of different things. Some people think they are too gory, terrifying, and violent. But horror movies can also be funny, intelligent, and interesting. They can be a mash up of everything! Sometimes, they have a lot of social commentary. Sometimes, you need to watch the movie twice to pick up on all the details, symbols, and themes. Get Out is a new, controversial, and interesting horror movie. It explores the topic of racism and class in the suburban areas of the U.S. Jordan Peele, a comedian and actor, wrote and directed the film. He made the film scary but tempered it with humor. Some people say that the film is more suspenseful than horrifying. Marni loved the film Get Out. Listen as she tells Jordin about it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I’m a godfather to quite a few of my friends’ [kids] .... I think the key to that is to grow up, but also to be able to stay in touch with your childhood side.”—Prince Harry, speaking about growing up (The Telegraph) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

If someone tells you, “I woke up like this,” should you believe them? Probably not. In fact, it’s now an internet joke to share a bad picture of yourself with the caption, “I woke up like this.” But it didn’t start that way. At first, celebrities were sharing “I woke up like this” selfies to prove they were naturally beautiful. The ridiculous truth, though, is that they probably spent many hours getting themselves made up before taking the picture. Still, these photos started a new trend in beauty. Suddenly, the natural look became more popular than ever. The point of wearing makeup was to look like you weren’t wearing any makeup. It sounds a little funny, right? Not everyone is a fan of this approach. Some people think it’s better to not wear makeup. Why waste time to get a neutral face? After all, a good skincare ritual can do the same thing. Gary is curious about natural beauty. Find out why Dominique isn’t buying into it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What makes you sleepy? Most of us love to nap in warm sunshine, relax with a cup of tea, or fall asleep listening to our favorite lyrics. And almost everyone gets tired when they stay awake for too long. A big homework assignment might keep you up all night. Nerves might keep you awake. Or it’s possible that you might have a long drive and need to stay on the freeway all night. All of these things make a person tired! When you’re feeling super sleepy, it’s time to catch some Zs. To catch some Zs is to sleep. This American English expression began in comics. Artists wanted to show the sound of a person sleeping in their drawings. They used “Z-Z-Z-Z-Z” to show when a person was sleeping and snoring. Because of this, people started talking about catching Zs when they wanted to sleep. Kelsey really needs to catch some Zs. Find out if she can stay awake long enough to talk to Dominique in today’s soap opera. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What does being an adult mean to you? Does it mean getting higher education or getting married? Working full-time? Having children? What about owning your own home? For many people, taking the plunge into adulthood means owning a home. However, it can be scary to go from paying rent to having a mortgage, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. You might decide to hire a realtor. A realtor can help you get a good deal and understand all the fine print. When you find a house that you like, you can make an offer to the owners. If they need to sell quickly, they might settle for a smaller amount. But if you need to buy quickly, it might be you who must settle. Andy thinks it would be fulfilling to own his own home. Listen to his reasons in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Have you ever been on a flight that was overbooked? Usually, it is not a big problem. Airlines offer a voucher to someone for giving up their seat, and often, people are happy to volunteer. However, United Airlines recently had a scandal when they kicked off a doctor who did not want to leave the plane. A video of the incident was released online, and many people were upset by the intense footage.After the video went online, United Airlines got in trouble. Many people said they would no longer fly with this airline. People began to ask why airlines overbook flights at all. Some people think that getting kicked off a flight is worth it in order to get money toward future experiences. However, other people believe that overbooking flights is too much of a gamble for the airline… especially after this video went public!Marni and Jordin are discussing the United Airlines video. Find out what they think in this lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I’ve just learned in life you never say never. I’m looking to do something that I haven’t done yet, not something that I did.” —Actress Blake Lively, speaking about the future (Variety) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com