English, baby! Daily Podcasts

Where do you go the most? Do you visit the same places you visited when you were younger? Your favorite places change over time, but you probably have one or two important places that you visit almost every day. For example, you might go to work each day in the same place. Or you might stop at the same coffee shop every morning. These places are your stomping grounds. A person spends a lot of time in their stomping grounds, and they usually enjoy these places. It can be a lot of fun to return to your old stomping grounds, too. You might visit your hometown and see old friends from a past neighborhood. You may even visit an old favorite restaurant, where you used to share gossip with the other regulars. Your past stomping grounds will probably give you many happy memories. Kelsey is getting ready to record a music video about her old stomping grounds, but she’s very nervous. Find out if the director can help her in today’s video English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“The whole shebang. All the help you can get.” —Actress Dakota Johnson, speaking about going to therapy as a child (Vogue) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

We all get bored with our surroundings at times. And in college, dorm rooms can be very boring. Most people like to personalize their dorm rooms so they feel more like home. They might put some fun posters on the wall or hang twinkle lights. These little things are mood enhancing, and they make college more comfortable. Now, there is a new trend in college dorms. Not only are college students decorating their dorm rooms, but they are also doing extreme dorm room makeovers. After an extreme makeover, a dorm room might look like a fancy hotel suite. It might have beautiful drapery and professional blinds. It will likely be decorated with rich fabrics and expensive textures. Is it worth spending this much money to create the perfect dorm room? Find out what Kelsey and Dominique think in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s not easy to be the boss. Often, the boss has to make important and difficult decisions. For example, should the company hire new employees? Or should the company fire some employees? It’s the same for presidents and parents. Presidents must decide which laws should pass and what is best for the country. Parents also have a tough job, too, especially if they have teens. A parent might need to make the call on whether a teen can stay out late on a school night. To make the call means to make a decision. This is why bosses, presidents, parents, and other leaders are always making the call. They are responsible for making choices that affect other people. If people think that a leader makes the right call most of the time, that leader can become very popular. However, sometimes parents and bosses make the call on something that makes their child or employee very unhappy. In that case, the child or employee will wish they could make the call instead. It’s very slippery out, and Kelsey might reschedule today’s shoot. Will she make the call? Watch today’s English soap opera to see what she decides to do. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you live with animals? Maybe, you own a cat or dog. Or maybe, you live on a farm and have a sheep or goat. What would your animal think about wearing a costume for a pet parade? Many animals are too shy or nervous. For example, if you try to put a costume on most cats, you will end up with scratches everywhere. On the other hand, some animals love to dress up. There are many different types of pet parades. At these community events, people bring their animals and show them off. Sometimes, there is a costume contest, but at other times, people just walk with their animals through the street. They might ask their animals to do tricks. There are many different types of artistic expression at pet parades. Brian just went to the UFO festival, where he saw an alien pet parade. Listen as he tells Jordin about it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

In 1955, a man named Walt Disney helped create an amazing theme park called Disneyland. Mr. Disney was already a famous and successful man. As a young adult, he created Mickey Mouse and made cartoons like Bambi, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. Many people came to visit his movie studio, but it was a boring place. He wanted to make a new place where children and their parents could have fun together. This place is Disneyland. Disneyland is in Anaheim, California, and is often called the happiest place on Earth. Here, people walk around in coordinated outfits, wear ears, or dress up as cartoon characters. Tasty, fresh food is sold on the streets, like churros with cinnamon. There are parades and fireworks. And, of course, there are rides… lots and lots of fun rides, like Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. Dominique is telling Kelsey about her upcoming trip to Disneyland. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out Dominique’s plans. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“Warren Buffett told me once … always follow your gut. When you have that gut feeling, you have to go with it; don’t go back on it.” —Basketball Player LeBron James, speaking about using his instinct (Reflections) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Imagine that you want to sell something. Maybe, it is jewelry, clothing, or even a cool computer game. You already have your idea, but how do you market it to your audience? First, you need to think about branding. What will your audience enjoy? How can you tailor your advertising to them? Will trendy, artsy people want to buy from you? Or will your audience be different? Knowing who will like your jewelry, clothing, or game is a key to selling it. There are many things to figure out when you create a marketing plan, but knowing your audience is the most important thing. You will need to know what these people like to do and what their age range is. Then, you can begin to create advertisements. Jordin wants to sell her new jewelry, but she is fuzzy about how to market it. Listen as Brian gives her some ideas in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Cars are wonderful! They help us to travel quickly to many places. They are great for road trips. And if you like to drive fast, you might even enjoy race cars. However, when the elements create a sheet of ice on the road, it is very difficult to drive. Even the best car might slide on an icy street. And it’s possible that the car might slide into another car, causing a fender bender. A fender bender is a small car accident. It probably won’t hurt any people, but it might put dents in both cars. Fender benders often happen in snowy and icy weather. If you get in a fender bender in the US, you should stay with your car and wait for the police to help. You will also need to talk to your insurance company. The best idea is to drive slowly and carefully in the elements or not drive at all. Andy just had a fender bender. Will Kelsey need to cancel her music video plans again? Watch this week’s English video to find out. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Nothing is better than a classic dance party! It’s fun to get together with friends and remember the killer dance moves of the past. In the US, 1970s disco is one of the favorite themes for this type of party. In fact, a roller party is one of the most popular types of disco parties. There, people can wear roller skates and shake their groove things under the disco ball. Disco parties often happen at discotheques. People dress up in bell-bottom jeans and platforms. A person who has lots of hair might even wear an Afro hairstyle. Then, everyone goes out on the dance floor to boogie. They will probably dance to music by the Bee Gees as well as other popular 1970s bands, and they will likely do the Hustle. Andy is super excited for his 1970s disco party. Listen as he tells Marni all about it in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

You may know the famous cats of the internet, such as Grumpy Cat, Hamilton the Hipster Cat, and even Lil Bub. But do you know the most incredible kitty-cat live act? The Amazing Acro-Cats are a famous group of kitties who tour the United States with their owner and trainer, Samantha Martin. They show people what cats can learn from a good trainer with lots of treats. The Amazing Acro-Cats do many different circus tricks. Some cats walk on ropes. Other cats do incredible jumps. Some cats climb ropes. However, the most famous subset of this group is The Rock Cats, a kitty rock-n-roll band. These cats play a guitar, drum set, keyboard, and cowbell. Their rhythm may be in question, but there is nothing cuter than a kitty plucking a guitar. Andy thinks the Acro-Cats are ridiculous until Brian tells him how amazing they are. Listen to their conversation in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

The fandom of the show has to be led by what we’re doing as opposed to us being led by them.—Actor Martin Freeman, speaking about the storylines on the TV show Sherlock (buzzfeed.com) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

One of the most difficult things to do is to ask your boss for a raise. However, this is an important ability. After all, you don’t want to be underpaid, and the cost of living is too high to work for minimum wage. But it can be difficult to bring this up with your boss. Do you politely ask for more money, or do you just tell your boss to pay you more? Sometimes, the best way to ask for more money is to ask for a review. During your review, you and your boss can talk about the things that you do well and the things that you can do better. Your boss can explain the industry standard for your job, and you can request a promotion. Romeo would like his pay to be bumped up. Will his supervisor agree? Find out in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Your friend just came back from a rad trip to Thailand. Your brother just bought a brand new Tesla. Your roommate just finished watching Game of Thrones. Now, every time you hang out with your friend, she talks for hours about beautiful Thai beaches, amazing Thai food, and friendly Thai people. Every time you see your brother, he tells you how cool his new electric car is. Every time your roommate is home, he says many wonderful things about the TV show. Your friend, your brother, and your roommate wax lyrical about these things. If you have a favorite thing, you might also wax lyrical about it. It’s easy to talk and talk and talk about the things we love. Wax lyrical means to talk about something with excitement. For example, people often wax lyrical about the holiday season, since it’s a time of happiness and cheer. During the holidays, we can shake off our problems and celebrate life. Wax lyrical can also mean describe something beautifully. You might be very knowledge about something or very skilled at describing a thing. Kelsey is a talented singer and songwriter. Watch today’s English soap opera to hear her wax lyrical about the lives of her friends. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Imagine that your best friend broke his leg. What would you say? If you want to make him feel better, you might tell him that now he can stay home and watch his favorite TV show all day. Maybe, breaking his leg wasn’t so bad after all. But what if your best friend’s TV breaks? Maybe, there’s also something good about this. Now, he can read lots of books and learn many new and interesting things. When something bad happens, you can always put a positive spin on it. So, what does it mean to put a spin on something? This phrase can have different meanings. If you put a positive spin on something, you think of something good that will happen in a bad situation. On the other hand, sometimes people spin a story to make you agree with them or feel a certain way. For example, politicians often spin the story. They change the truth a little bit because they want you to be happy with them. Jordin did something spontaneous, and now Sheila is upset. What will happen next? Watch today’s English soap opera to find out! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com