Culips Everyday English Podcast

How’s your English learning these days? Are you getting into the groove of things? In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Jeremy give you some useful expressions to use when talking about a project or job that you are about to finish. Fun facts Did you know that the act of procrastination has increased significantly in the last few decades? This is due to the fact that there are so many more interesting temptations that are available to distract us from doing our work, like cell phones, TV, internet, and video games. Expressions included in the study guide * Downhill from here * Half the battle * To get into the groove * To get [something] out of the way * Over the hill * Hump day * To call it a day Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

You’re driving down the street and notice the police car behind you has just turned on its siren and flashing lights. You need to pull over. What do you do? What should you say? Getting pulled over by the police while driving can often be a stressful situation, even if you haven’t done anything wrong. In this Real Talk episode, Andrew and Kassy gives you some key English expressions to help you deal with getting pulled over. You will hear what it means to dispute a ticket, to grab your registration, and to write someone up. Fun facts Even though traffic stops occur on a daily basis, Stanford University’s Open Policing project has found that the average driver has about a 1% chance of getting pulled over in a year. Expressions included in the study guide * To act rashly * To get pulled over * To grab your registration * To weasel [one’s] way out of [something] * To dispute a ticket * To write [someone] up Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

Do you love making or fixing things on your own? You’re probably a DIY enthusiast! You’ll enjoy today’s edition of Simplified Speech, where Andrew and Jeremy talk about do-it-yourself projects and whether or not it really is a good idea to do it yourself. Listen and improve your English skills! You’ll hear a conversation between two native English speakers as they discuss DIY projects. You’ll also learn useful idiomatic expressions and phrases. This audio lesson is perfect for intermediate level English learners who want to improve and practice their English listening and comprehension. Fun facts Small DIY projects are a great way to relax after a stressful day of work. Many people make these little projects their hobbies, spending their evenings embroidering, knitting, painting or crocheting. Expressions included in the study guide * Underground * DIYer * Live with [something] * Leave [something] in the hands of [someone] * Learning curve Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

Grab a spoon and a tub of ice cream and dig in while listening to today’s Simplified Speech episode. In this episode, Andrew and Kassy talk about popular desserts from their home countries and their favourites. Fun facts October 14th is designated as National Dessert Day in the United States. Another fun fact: people get paid to taste test different candies for the market. The average salary for a chocolate taste tester is 20,000 dollars, but the most sought after chocolate tasters can make as much as 100,000 dollars annually. Sounds like a dream come true! Expressions included in the study guide * Happy to oblige * As American as apple pie * To instill a love of [something] * Detox * A sweet tooth * To treat [someone] Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

In the last year, online learning has become one of the most convenient ways to learn a new skill or teach a class. In this episode, Andrew and Kassy talk about the advantages and disadvantages to online learning and share what they’ve been studying online. . This episode is a Simplified Speech episode. Simplified Speech is the Culips series that features completely 100% totally natural English conversations, the only difference being that they are slowed down just a little bit. And we hope that by listening to the slowed-down conversation, you can really focus and hone in on the vocabulary and sentence patterns that you will hear Kassy and Andrew use today. Fun facts In 1986, before the internet, the Electronic University Network (EUN) offered the first so‑called “online” course; students ran EUN software on their computers and spoke with each other over the phone. It wasn’t until 1994 that the world saw the first truly online course run by the Computer Assisted Learning Center (CALCampus). Expressions included in the study guide * At [one’s] own pace * Keep on track * Rock star * Think lightly of [something] * Hash out * Fly by night Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

Meeting new people can be intimidating. It can also be the starting point for the best friendships you’ll ever have. In today’s edition of Real Talk, Andrew and Kassy discuss the different ways to start a conversation with a stranger. In this episode, you’ll hear a variety of conversation starters, personal introductions, and good topics to talk about. You’ll also learn about using a nickname versus your real name and what to say if you are in between jobs. This episode is perfect to help you with real-life situations that happen every day. Fun facts The example dialogue in this episode has two people meeting for the first time at a book club. One of the most famous book clubs in the world is Oprah’s Book Club. Led by talk show host Oprah Winfrey, the club has chosen more than 70 titles since 1996. Oprah’s Book Club has done a lot to popularize many books and authors. Expressions included in the study guide * To strike up a conversation * I’m [name], but you can call me [nickname] * What brings you [somewhere]? * Born and raised * In between jobs * To keep it light Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

In this episode, I’m going to talk about a bad study habit. This is something that you should avoid doing when you are studying English.  Do you have any bad study habits? I know that when I first started learning Korean, I had lots of bad study habits.  And also, as I was teaching English in Korea, I noticed that many Korean people also had some bad study habits. Key points covered in this episode Jeremy introduces a bad study habit, which is studying long lists of words.  Studying long lists of words is difficult and ineffective because you can’t use the words when you need them in real life Memorizing words and their meanings doesn’t give you context for how the word is used by native speakers in real life Knowing when to use a word is more important that knowing what it means.  Cramming long lists of words can be helpful if you are going to take a test, but for serious language learners, it is not advisable. Key Expressions * I assure you: what I am saying I believe is the truth * I am/was definitely guilty of ___action____ : Other people have done __action_____ and I have also done ___action____ * That’s all I have: this is the end of what I have prepared to say to you * In other words: I am going to say what I just said in a different way and simplify it Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

In this week’s Catch Word episode, Andrew and Jeremy explain three everyday expressions using the word slip: slip up, to slip [one’s] mind, and to slip through [one’s] fingers. If you don’t know what Catch Word is, well, let me explain. It is the series where we teach you interesting English vocabulary that is very useful for your everyday life when you are speaking English or especially when you are listening to English. So in Catch Word, we focus on idioms, phrasal verbs, or expressions that are just a little bit difficult. They’re on the difficult side. Our first expression for today is a phrasal verb, to slip up, to slip up. Now since our episode is related to this word slip, it’s at the centre of each of the expressions that we’ll check out, maybe we should talk about the core meaning of slip. Our second expression for this episode is to slip someone’s mind or that slipped my mind We also look at another expression, which is to slip through someone’s fingers. Usually we use this expression when we’re talking about opportunities, and especially when we miss out or we lose an opportunity. Fun facts There are an estimated 60 different phrases that use the word slip. From slip of the tongue (when you accidentally say something you don’t mean) to slipping one over on someone (when you deceive someone), each phrase has a unique meaning. Expressions included in the study guide * Slip up * To know [something] all too well * Get this * To slip [one’s] mind * To slip through [one’s] fingers * Simple as that Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

We are back with Part 2 of Andrew’s interview with Robin MacPherson! In this episode, Robin shares the last two steps of his five-step method to better learn a new language. In this Chatterbox episode, you’ll get to listen to the second part of my interview with YouTuber and language education expert Robin MacPherson. So if you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, make sure to check that episode out first. And then you can come back and listen to the second part of the interview here. In Part 1 of the interview, Robin started to share the five-step method that he has for how to learn a language. And in our situation here, we focused on English by using a podcast. Quiz time: Do you remember what steps 1 to 3 were? Those are the steps we covered in Part 1 of the interview. Well, if you can’t remember, that’s all right. Let me refresh your memory in case you forgot. Step 1: listen for the gist and general meaning. Step 2: study with a transcript. And step 3: listen again, many times. Support Robin by following him on Instagram, subscribing to his Youtube channel, and checking out his website for practicing writing, Journaly. Fun facts In this episode, Andrew and Robin talk about the importance of podcast listening for language learning. There is no shortage of choice. According to the website Podcast Industry Insights, there are more than 1.8 million podcasts to choose from! Expressions included in the study guide * Solid * To roll up [one’s] sleeves * To do heavy lifting * [Something] is getting old * Granular * To keep things fresh Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

How many languages can you speak? What are the best ways to improve your language skills? In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew talks with YouTuber, blogger, author, and polyglot Robin MacPherson. Our guest offers several tips to help you learn English with podcasts. Robin and Andrew really got into the nitty-gritty of how you can use a podcast like Culips to improve your English. And Robin gives you some specific tips about how to improve all of your English skills in this interview. So you’ll learn how you can improve your reading, writing, speaking, listening, and pronunciation. So there is a ton of valuable information in this interview, everyone. We’ll get to my chat with Robin in just a moment. Fun facts The given name of this episode’s guest is Robin. There have been many Robins, both real and fictional, such as Robin Williams, Robin Hood, and Batman’s sidekick Robin. Originally, the name was exclusively for males, but now it’s given almost equally to males and females in the United States. Expressions included in the study guide * To exhibit traits * Still in the game * Over [one’s] head * To calibrate * To eat [one’s] words * To internalize [something] Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

In this episode, we are going to be talking about taking a break. Now I often get this question from language learners all over the world, and it is, “Is it okay to take a break from studying?” Now I understand why most people ask this question. For those of us who are really serious about learning a language, we sometimes feel like if we stop, we are going to lose what we have gained. In other words, we feel like if we take a break for too long, we might lose all of our language learning progress. Burnout is what happens when you have been working too hard for too long, and your brain is exhausted. I’m sure we have all had this experience at some point in our life. Burnout in language learning can actually be very dangerous in the sense that it might knock you off your language learning journey. It might lead to you quitting or stopping your language learning all together. And of course, this is not what we want. So in order to avoid burnout, I recommend taking a break from time to time, a day, maybe a few days, or even a week is usually enough for you to renew your spirits and come back to your language studies refreshed and ready for more. Key points covered in this episode * Very long breaks can have negative effects on your English ability, but regular study can help you regain your progress quickly. * Burnout is what happens when you work too hard for too long and this can be detrimental to your language learning efforts. * Taking a break can help to avoid burnout and can help us to digest what we learn. * The brain needs time to synthesize and understand linguistic information. * Grammar is especially difficult to digest, so taking breaks from grammar study can be very helpful.  Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

Health care is different in every country. In this episode, Andrew and Kassy talk about the differences between the Canadian and American healthcare and health insurance systems. Today we are going to talk about a heavy subject, a serious subject. It’s not as lighthearted as our usual episodes. It is health care and health insurance. First, we will compare and contrast the way that health care is covered in North America and then all of our listeners can compare North American healthcare systems to their own countries and see how it adds up. Fun facts Koreans go to see their doctor the most of everyone in the world, at an average of 17 times per year. The average Japanese citizen goes 13 times per year. In contrast, Canadians go 7 times per year and Americans go only 4 times per year, on average. Expressions included in the study guide * Dark * Hot mess * Lucky duck * Humblebrag * Butt heads * The haves and have-nots Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

One of the biggest stories in financial news these days is what’s happening with meme stocks and Reddit subgroups. Although the story and the English terms used to explain it are difficult to follow, hosts Andrew and Kassy carefully walk you through the ins and outs of this fascinating current event. Hello everyone. Welcome back to Culips. Today, we have a Chatterbox episode planned for you. Now Chatterbox is this series that features realistic, totally natural English conversations that are unedited, and are designed to help you boost your English listening comprehension, and vocabulary skills, and help you become a better English speaker. Now, as you know, getting awesome at English requires a lot of listening practice. And we hope that is exactly what you’ll get with us here today. Fun facts Meme stocks, the subject of this episode, are now very interlinked with the website Reddit. The Reddit community is not to be laughed at. There are over 330 million active users on the site! Expressions included in the study guide * One half of the equation * To recoup [something] * Mind-boggling * Namesake * To see how [something] plays out * To poke [something] with a stick Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar

Hello there language learning friend. Welcome back to Culips. In this episode, I am going to talk about technology. Specifically, I’ll talk about what kinds of technology I have used to learn Korean and Spanish in the past. Now I should start off by saying when I started learning Korean about 10 years ago, there were very few language learning apps available at the time. I remember the only applications I could find were akin to phrase books. This meant that they had a certain phrase and the translation next to it. First of all, if you have a smartphone, I highly recommend utilising your smartphone for repetitive listening. If you are unfamiliar with repetitive listening, please refer to episode #2 and episode #16 in the Culips series Jeremy’s English Tips to find out more about it. Key points covered in this episode * You can use a smartphone, MP3 or computer to practice listening. * Good headphones and listening to high quality audio gives your brain more audio information. * Language exchange apps like HelloTalk and Tandem can help you find language exchange partners and conduct language exchanges. * You can use online translators to check if your English sentences make sense or not. * You can check to see if a word or phrase is commonly used by native speakers by putting it in quotations and searching for it on Google. Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com.

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Kassy have a blast talking about their favourite childhood games. Tune in to hear about childhood classics like tag, hide-and-seek, and much more. Hey there, friends, welcome back to Culips. This is a Simplified Speech episode. If you’re wondering what that is, well, Simplified Speech is the Culips series where we have totally natural English conversations but we slow down our speech just a little bit. And we hope that by listening to the series, you can improve your English listening skills and become a fluent English listener. Today, I am joined by my cohost, Kassy. Kassy, hello. We have a fun one today. Our topic for today is childhood games. Games that we played when we were kids. And this episode was actually suggested to us by one of our listeners. Fun facts “Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you’ve made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.” This anonymous quote helps to show how reflecting on past decisions is a great way to see how you’ve grown as a person and what you can do to reach new goals in the future. Expressions included in the study guide * Right off the bat * That’s all there is to it * To ditch * Rebel * Ingrained * Safe assumption Copyright: Culips.com For more information about this episode, visit culips.com. Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free, Step On by Jahzzar