American English Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, we explore the fascinating legacy of the Vanderbilt family and their iconic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Discover how Cornelius Vanderbilt, "The Commodore," built a fortune through steamboats and railroads during the Industrial Revolution, leaving a lasting impact on American infrastructure, culture, and philanthropy. Together we'll take a tour of the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately-owned home in the U.S., featuring 250 rooms, stunning gardens designed by Central Park's Frederick Law Olmsted, and modern innovations like indoor plumbing and electricity. You'll learn polite and casual ways to describe wealth in English, such as "affluent" or "filthy-stinkin' rich," while gaining insights into the Gilded Age—a term coined by Mark Twain to describe the era's wealth and inequality. What next? Plan a visit to experience the Blue Ridge Mountains, farm-to-table dining, and the country’s most-visited winery, especially during the magical holiday season. Access the full transcript, vocabulary list, and more by signing up to Season 4 Premium Content. //IMPORTANT LINKS// Get all Premium Content for Season 4: https://bit.ly/3rF36k4 All Premium Content for Seasons 1, 2 and 3: https://bit.ly/44822TQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the iconic idiom "Go Big or Go Home!" With a mix of humor, real-life examples, and a pronunciation exercise, you'll learn how to use this bold expression in everyday conversation. Whether you're making a big decision or simply going all-in, this idiom is perfect for describing those "go for it" moments. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we'll take you on a journey through the grand legacy of the Vanderbilts and explore the majestic Biltmore House—coming soon! //IMPORTANT LINKS// Get all Premium Content for Season 4: https://bit.ly/3rF36k4 All Premium Content for Seasons 1, 2 and 3: https://bit.ly/44822TQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Southern cuisine is more than just food—it's a reflection of history, traditions, and the diverse cultural influences. From Native Americans bringing corn to the table, to the fisherman of the Carolinas and Georgia introducing shrimp to grits, there's a story behind all of the classic must-try Southern dishes. Learn vocabulary, hear stories, and learn what you should order for breakfast, lunch and dinner when you're here! :) Learn more with each episode! Sign up for Premium Content! Premium Content:  Season 4 (Episodes 150 - 200) = Each episode includes a quiz, the PDF transcript (the text of the audio) with definitions of challenging words and the mp3 file. All Premium Content for Seasons 1, 2 and 3 (Episodes 001 - 150) - and get Season 4 at a discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie, our good friend from The British English Podcast, came up with an incredibly entertaining podcast format: "Off the Beaten Track." In short, it's all about asking someone detailed questions about their ideal itinerary for a DREAM vacation. I emphasize DREAM because this episode is packed with HYPOTHETICALS! You've hit the hypothetical jackpot... and it's real!  In today's episode, we heard all about his crazy trip up to space and then to the Maldives; he would go skydiving and scuba-diving with sharks among some other legit (very cool) activities. Tune in to learn a great deal about Charlie - you'll hear plenty of conditionals in natural English conversation.Take Language Classes on iTalki (Sponsor) Get 3 Free Trial Sessions with ESL teachers! Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3.  By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is part of Season 3.  In this episode of the podcast, you'll hear about our recent month-long stay in Brazil. Other than spending time with family and friends, the highlights of the trip were with animals and nature. Tune in and learn a lot of animal vocabulary! In this story, you'll also be exposed to the 10 most common collective nouns for animals. A collective noun is a word used to describe a group. For example, a group of fish is called a school of fish. A group of birds that hang out / fly together is called a flock.  Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3.  By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/americanenglish) Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to move overseas is a big one and it requires preparation. The first step for non-native English speakers who want to live, study or work in the U.S. is taking an English exam as proof of English ability. The IELTS exam is one of the most popular. Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Beck all about IELTS.  She shared many reasons why you should consider taking this exam over the TOEFL or TOEIC, she gave some tricks on how to get a higher score, how to deal with anxiety of speaking in English in an interview setting and much much more. Jessica is an expert in IELTS. She worked for 14 years as an IELTS examiner, so she knows what students go through and what examiners are looking for! To share her knowledge she created a test prep course called the 3 KEYS IELTS  (IELTS KEYS for short). Get 20% off on the 3 KEYS IELTS course now. Use the code: FLUENT.I am an affiliate of this course for a few reasons:  Jessica has 14 YEARS of experience as an IELTS examiner! She created the study plan.  The 30 and 60-day study plans are structured in an achievable format with fun activities.  Student success stories serve as proof of course effectiveness! So many students have increased their score with the tips, trips and knowledge within the course. Their stories can be found on the IELTS Energy podcast as well as on the official YouTube Channel.  Even if you decide you want to take the IELTS 6 months from now, plan ahead! Start working on your general English knowledge and learn more about the test format. Get a $50 DISCOUNT on the 3 KEYS IELTS course now. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is part of Season 3.  In this episode of the podcast, you'll learn how to use the common expression TO PUSH SOMEONE'S BUTTONS. For the fun fact about American History and Culture, you'll learn about THE MILGRAM EXPERIMENT. Premium ContentThis episode is the first episode in Season 3.  By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Recommendation: The Psychology of Evil - by Stanley Milgram's friend Philip Zimbardo Recommendation: Full Footage of the Milgram Experiment (as heard in intro) Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The term "toddler" is typically used to describe a child that is between the ages of one and three, although some people consider a three-year-old up until four, also a toddler. It's the stage in a human's life when they're no longer a newborn, they're no longer an infant, so a baby, but they're also not really a kid. The term toddler comes from the verb toddle, which means to walk with short and unsteady steps, according to Oxford Languages. For most of us, when we learn to walk well, we no longer toddle. We actually don't use the term toddle very often in English, although it does exist.  There is much to be said about toddlers, and that's why today's 5-minute English lesson will be about this stage of development in a human's life. Mentioned in this episode:   The 5-Minute English Course The Whole-Brain Child (12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind) How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen (A Survival Guide To Life With Children Ages 2-7) This episode is part of Season 2 as well as a BONUS lesson for Season 3. By purchasing Season 2, you'll be able to access the full transcript for this episode as well as the entire 5-Minute English course at a discount.Season 2  contains bonus material for episodes 051 - 100. Learn more. Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Season 3!! In this episode, I share some news going on here in California and then we talk about what you can expect from Season 3.  Premium Content This episode is the first episode in Season 3.  By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..  Other Links! Morena by Luan Santana (co-written and produced by Lucas!) - WARNING: The video is explicit :0 Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 5 years of teaching intermediate to advanced level English online, I found trends in the words that my students mispronounced. In today's episode, I consolidated the common mispronounced words in my language classes into one episode with example sentences so that you can work on your pronunciation.Premium Content (formerly called the Classroom)This episode is part of Season 2.  By purchasing Season 2, you'll be able to access the full transcript, a comprehension quiz and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Season 2  contains bonus material for episodes 051 - 100. Learn more. The American English Accent CourseNobody needs to change their accent; it's a personal decision! If your accent bugs you - if it screws with your confidence, makes it difficult to be understood, or is the reason why natives speak slower to you - I've made a course to help you out. The American English Accent course teaches the foundations and structure of a good accent. From word and syllable stress, to linking, glottal stops, reductions and minimal pairs, you'll be taught exactly how to mimic the sounds of native speakers. Access the course here. Other Content Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words Connect on Instagram Get updated when new episodes are posted via Instagram. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices