From a small, wet island, English has come to be the world's dominant language. How did this actually happen, where does English actually come from, and how has the language changed over the years?

Alastair Budge is the creator of English Learning for Curious Minds, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving their English.

English Learning for Curious Minds

A Short History of The English Language

Today we’ll learn two very useful words。

中国文化

对不起

💍 What you’ll learn in this podcast: 💞
✔ Essential English vocabulary to describe boring events
✔ Fun and creative idioms to spice up your conversations
✔ Phrases for expressing boredom or dissatisfaction politely
✔ Small talk tips to keep the conversation going during uneventful moments
✔ How to discuss boring events with friends or colleagues in English

English with Hamed

✅ Turn a Boring Wedding ❤️ into English Learning Fun!

If learning English really worked, why do you still panic?

This short episode explores a question many adult learners quietly struggle with:
why English feels “there” in class, but disappears in interviews, meetings, or conversations with native speakers.

Based on patterns observed in years of working with adult learners in professional contexts, the episode looks at why vocabulary, grammar, apps, and repeated courses often don’t lead to confidence when pressure appears.

Instead of focusing on “learning more,” this episode invites listeners to reflect on what happens inside them in high-stakes moments — and why the problem may not be language knowledge at all.

The goal is not to offer quick fixes, but to help learners recognize a hidden gap that keeps English feeling endless, frustrating, and unreliable, even after years of study.

Written and recorded to encourage clarity, self-observation, and a new way of thinking about progress.

Written by Anatoly Glazkov

⭐ The Voice Unlock Method™ –  The Inner Game of Speaking English with Calm, Clarity & Presence 

If English feels endless, it’s not your fault. It’s the system.

🎧🌯
Escúchanos a Belem (de Chihuahua) y a mí (de Coahuila), hablar de comida, de salsita, de guisos, de burritos y algo más de acá de México.


Hablando Al Chile

Hablando de algunas comidas mexicanas norteñas 🎧🌯

Det här avsnittet är lite svårare (b2+) Jag pratar snabbare och om lite mer komplicerade ämnen : träning och hälsa, delar med mig av vad jag går igenom. Pratar också om några saker jag lärt mig ur böcker om hjärnan och människans evolution. 

Tankar på svenska

Tankar på svenska : träning och hälsa

Real Life Chinese phrase: 
“Take care”用中文怎么说？
How to say “Take care”in Chinese?

bǎo zhòng   zhào gù zì jǐ
保重。 =  好好照顾自己。/ 照顾好自己。Take care/Take good care of yourself
duō bǎo zhòng 
多保重。    take good care of 
bǎo zhòng shēntǐ
保重身体。  take care of yourself 

****Script for your second time listening****

片段一Clip one
A:姐，那我们就走了。你保重啊。
I guess we should go, sis. Take care.
B：你们也是。
So do you.
片段二 Clip two
A:保重！
B：Take care.

片段四Clip four
A:  过两天我就走了，你一个人好好照顾自己。
I am leaving in a couple of days.Take care of yourself.
B：嗯，你放心吧。
Don’t worry.

片段五Clip five
A：以后自己照顾自己了啊。
You need to take care of yourself from now on.
B：下了飞机看到妈妈就给我打个电话。
Give me a call once you see your mom at the terminal.


Iris' screening room

“Take care ”用中文怎么说？—Improve Chinese with movie clips

Hey there, this is Teacher Smith speaking and you're listening to this right now because you are looking for and English teacher who will help you learn how to express yourself in English and it's not that you don't know a lot of vocabulary it's just that you don't know how to use them to express yourself. If this is your problem then Book a lesson with me and I'll teach you how to express yourself in English

LEARN BY LISTENING

I Am Your English Teacher

Situation: Employee Experiencing Micromanagement

Statements: "I feel like I'm constantly being watched," "I don't have autonomy in my role," "My manager doesn't trust me to make decisions," "I'm overwhelmed with constant check-ins."

Questions: "How can I communicate my need for more autonomy?" "What strategies can I use to build trust with my manager?" "How can I handle excessive workload due to micromanagement?" "Is it appropriate to set boundaries with my manager?"

Situation: Manager Accused of Micromanagement
Statements: "I'm just trying to ensure the work is done correctly," "I want to be supportive of my team," "I'm afraid of making mistakes," "I have high expectations."

Questions: "How can I delegate effectively without losing control?" "How can I build trust with my team?" "What are the signs of micromanagement?" "How can I empower my employees to take ownership of their work?"

Situation: Team Discussion About Micromanagement
Statements: "Micromanagement is killing our morale," "We need more trust from management," "I feel like I'm not learning or growing," "This is affecting our productivity."

Questions: "How can we address micromanagement as a team?" "What can we do to improve communication with our manager?" "How can we create a more empowered work environment?" "Are there specific examples of micromanagement we can share?"

Situation: Organizational Level Discussion
Statements: "Micromanagement is a systemic issue," "We need to develop leadership training," "We need to redefine our management philosophy," "This is impacting our company culture."

Questions: "How can we create a culture of trust and autonomy?" "What are the long-term consequences of micromanagement?" "How can we measure the impact of micromanagement on performance?" "What role does organizational structure play in micromanagement?"