Better at English
59 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 89 ratingsPodcast for EFL and ESL learners who want learn conversational English. Listen to our live, unscripted English conversations featuring authentic English vocabulary, slang, idioms, and more. Go to https://www.betteratenglish.com/transcripts for FREE transcripts and vocabulary notes. Have fun listening and learning English with us!
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Episodes
055 – Could you kick a robot puppy?
November 30, 2020 16:54 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBHello my lovely English learners! Lori here, your teacher from BetterAtEnglish.com. I love technology, so we’re talking about robots today, but not in the way you might expect. A lot of conversations about robots have to do with whether or not a robot or machine could ever develop genuine feelings or emotions. But today we’re going to be thinking about our own emotions and feelings toward robots, particularly empathy. Can we feel empathy toward robots? And if so, why? Links to pre-listening ...
054 – What in the world is leaf peeping?
November 11, 2020 14:58 - 20 minutes - 19 MBEpisode summary Autumn is in full swing here in the northern hemisphere, so this Real English Conversations episode is full of vocabulary related to the colors, weather, moods and feelings associated with this time of year. Lori and her friend Eliza talk about exercising outdoors, the health benefits of spending time out in nature, and whether or not it’s a good idea to pick and eat wild mushrooms. Are you feeling tired and drained? Grab your audio player and some headphones, get yourself to ...
053 – Is seeing believing? Deepfakes and the information apocalypse
October 24, 2020 15:36 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBWhen you watch the news these days, do you trust your eyes and ears? Do you think what you’re seeing is real and happened the way it is being shown? Or is your first reaction to think: Hmm, I wonder if this video is fake? That’s what today’s episode is about, so stay tuned. TRANSCRIPT PREVIEW - Get the full transcript here: https://www.betteratenglish.com/053-is-seeing-believing-deepfakes-and-the-information-apocalypse-transcript Before we get started, I hope you’ll indulge me in a little B...
052 – The Other F-word: talking about fat
October 07, 2020 04:50 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBTalking about fat and fat bodies is a tricky area to navigate in English because the word FAT is so laden with meaning, associations, emotions, and feelings -- and these are different for everyone. In this episode, you'll hear a wide variety of people who self-identify as fat talking about their experiences. You'll hear how they think, feel and talk about their own bodies and how they experience things as a person of size. There are many registers (styles) of English represented here, as well...
Get FREE podcast transcriptions with Otter.ai (it’s super cool, I promise).
September 29, 2020 14:14 - 3 minutes - 3.64 MBDid you know that you can get FREE transcriptions of any podcast in English, and that it's fast and easy to do? That's right, ANY PODCAST! And did I say FREE? If you are serious about your English learning, you will love Otter.ai -- a FREE online service that transcribes audio files. This means podcasts, audio taken from videos, anything at all where the language is fairly clear. All you do is upload the file to otter.ai, and then let the A.I do the rest. It's unbelievably awesome. You can wa...
051 – The good, the bad, and the flat-out liars. Real English Conversation
September 21, 2020 13:28 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBImagine if you will, the following scenario. You’ve volunteered to take part in a psychology study, say, at your university. All you have to do is show up to the lab, sit by yourself in a little booth and play a very simple game of chance, something like flipping a coin, where there's no skill involved, only luck. You get paid one dollar just for showing up, that’s guaranteed. And if you’re lucky and win the game, you’ll get paid 5 dollars cash. But if you lose, you get nothing. Here’s the k...
050 – Help! I have a horrible neighbor (fixed)
September 17, 2020 12:09 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBNeighbors can be great friends, but let’s face it: sometimes they can be absolutely horrible. But what do you do when you’re stuck living next to a neighbor who you just can’t get along with, no matter what you try? In this episode of Better at English, Lori introduces you to the “How To” podcast with Charles Duhigg. It’s a conversational podcast that covers ways to deal with all kinds of life problems, and does so in an entertaining and fun way. And best of all, it has free transcripts that ...
049 No excuses – The best place to get FREE speaking practice right now
September 14, 2020 16:21 - 8 minutes - 8.13 MBThis is NOT a sales episode, I promise! Seriously, I have found and tested the BEST place to find people to practice speaking English with for free. It only takes 5 minutes to set up an account, and you'll be up and running, practicing your English with nice people from all over the world. No hidden charges, no sales, I promise you...as of September 2020 when I am publishing this podcast, it's 100% free. There aren't even annoying ads! No excuses. Start speaking NOW. :-) You can find free4ta...
048 – The Robots are Coming – part 2
September 07, 2020 10:08 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBHere comes part 2 of Lori and Will's discussion about A.I. and automation. If you enjoy these podcasts, please take a moment and rate or review. You can find the full transcript at https://www.betteratenglish.com/transcripts. TRANSCRIPT PREVIEW Lori: I heard that...I think it's Pizza Hut already has... or no... Domino's is already experimenting with robot pizza delivery vehicles. Yeah. I mean, this this is happening now. Will: Well, you know, a main...I've been talking about this whole aut...
047 – The robots are coming. Are you ready?
September 01, 2020 06:13 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBA study predicts that all human tasks could be automated in the next 30 years. And that all human jobs might be replaced within the next 100 years or so. Holy crap! What will we do when the robots take over? A.I. is coming. The robots are coming. But are we ready? In this Real English conversations podcast from Better at English, Lori and her American friend Will talk about their questions and concerns about the rise of A.I. (Artificial intelligence) and the automation of human labor. You ca...
The robots are coming – pre-listening task
August 29, 2020 15:44 - 3 minutes - 3.27 MBHi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from better at English dot com. This little update is just to let you know that new Real English Conversations are coming. I know you love the conversations, and I do love making them for you, but they are quite a lot of work, let me tell you! In fact, I just invested in some fancy new recording equipment that’s going to make it much easier for me to record and transcribe the conversations in the future. Because hey, let’s face it, what good is a c...
Pre listening information for Real English Conversations 047
August 29, 2020 15:44 - 3 minutes - 3.27 MBHi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from better at English dot com. This little update is just to let you know that new Real English Conversations are coming. I know you love the conversations, and I do love making them for you, but they are quite a lot of work, let me tell you! In fact, I just invested in some fancy new recording equipment that’s going to make it much easier for me to record and transcribe the conversations in the future. Because hey, let’s face it, what good is a c...
046 – Five American English slang expressions
August 18, 2020 08:43 - 11 minutes - 9.3 MBHey there English learners, Lori here, your teacher from BetterAtEnglish.com. I've got a different type of episode here for you today. I'm gonna go through some American English slang expressions, some really common ones that you hear all the time if you're watching American English sitcoms or dramas on TV or Netflix. They're ones that have been in use for quite a few years, and that you hear people in a wide range of ages using. So it's not just super new ones that are just used by teenag...
045 – Stupid English grammar rules – is it OK to break them?
August 10, 2020 05:14 - 8 minutes - 6.82 MBThe data is clear: some English grammar rules are stupid. Is it ever OK to make a grammar "mistake" on purpose? Is it ever OK to know a grammar rule and break it anyway, even when you know that some people will strongly disapprove? In this episode I talk about English grammar rules that (I and many people think) are stupid, and discuss whether or not it's OK to break them. You'll also hear a short extract from a podcast by Scott Adams, a well known cartoonist and professional writer, talkin...
044 – A very embarrassing mistake
August 02, 2020 13:45 - 10 minutes - 9.88 MBHi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Better at English dot com. It's story time here today, something I don't think I've done here on the podcast before. I'm going to use natural English, but will try to speak just a little more carefully than I normally would, so that more people can follow along. You can find the full transcript of everything I say on my website: www.betteratenglish.com/transcripts Today I've been thinking about mistakes, mainly how the fear of making mist...
How to find the meaning any English idiom without a dictionary (updated for 2020)
July 10, 2020 00:21Lori gives you a quick and easy way to find the meaning of idioms that aren't in your dictionary. The post How to find the meaning any English idiom without a dictionary (updated for 2020) appeared first on Better at English. © 2020 Lori Linstruth
043 – Real English conversations: Lori scores a year’s supply of toilet paper (archive)
June 26, 2017 14:59 - 3.83 MBA funny thing happened today when Lori was shopping for office supplies, and it involves an industrial-sized package of toilet paper rolls.
043 – Lori Scores a year’s supply of toilet paper – Transcript
June 26, 2017 14:58This is the free downloadable transcript for the Real English Conversations episode from Better at English. Download the transcript to read along as you listen. The transcript also contains a study guide with vocabulary definitions and English usage notes. The post 043 – Lori Scores a year’s supply of toilet paper – Transcript appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
042 – Make the Most of your Motivation part 2 of 2 – Real English Conversations
April 13, 2017 04:40 - 7.73 MBIntroduction Hi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. Last week I shared the first part of a cool conversation I had with Dr. BJ Fogg, all about making the most of your motivation. Today you’ll be hearing part two, the final part of this conversation. If you missed the first part, make sure to go back and listen to part one before you listen to part two. At the end of part one, BJ was telling me about his goal to get better at writing neatly on a whiteboard. He...
042 – Make the Most of your Motivation part 2 of 2 – Real English Conversations
April 13, 2017 04:00This is the transcript and bonus vocabulary lesson for part 2 of Lori’s conversation with Dr. BJ Fogg, an expert in the field of persuasion and motivation. You’ll learn about how to make the most of the motivation that you have, no matter if it’s high or low. This conversation is an example of informal […] The post 042 – Make the Most of your Motivation part 2 of 2 – Real English Conversations appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
041 – Make the most of your motivation – a conversation with BJ Fogg (part 1 of 2)
March 28, 2017 19:53 - 11 minutes - 9.06 MBWhat can you do when you're not feeling motivated? What is the best way to use your motivation when you ARE motivated? Find out in this episode of Real English Conversations from Better at English. Lori talks to Dr. BJ Fogg about how to make the most of the motivation that you have, no matter if it's high or low.
041-Make the Most of Your Motivation part 1 (of 2) – TRANSCRIPT
March 28, 2017 19:53This is the transcript for Better at English podcast episode 41 – Make the Most of your Motivation, a conversation with Dr. BJ Fogg. Lori talks to psychologist BJ Fogg about how people can best leverage their motivation to be able to keep showing up and working to reach their goals. You’ll hear how to […] The post 041-Make the Most of Your Motivation part 1 (of 2) – TRANSCRIPT appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
040 – Daily Rituals part 5 of 5 – Real English Conversations
March 19, 2017 11:00 - 11 minutes - 8.86 MBIntroduction Hi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. In this episode of Real English Conversations, you'll hear part 5 of my conversation with Kyla. This is the final part of our conversation about the book Daily Rituals by Mason Currey. In the previous episode we talked about dealing with distractions and interruptions when you're trying to work. This time we talk about one of the biggest interrupters of all: email. We also talk about ways to structure your day...
040 – Daily Rituals part 5 – Transcript
March 19, 2017 10:55This is the transcript for Real English Conversations episode 40 from Better at English. This episode of Real English Conversations is part 5 of Lori and Kyla’s discussion about a book they both liked: Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey. This is the FINAL part of this conversation. First they talk about feeling overwhelmed by the […] The post 040 – Daily Rituals part 5 – Transcript appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
039 – Daily Rituals part 4 – Real English Conversations
March 12, 2017 00:20 - 10 minutes - 8.63 MBIntroduction Hi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. In this episode of Real English Conversations, you'll hear part 4 of my conversation with Kyla. Up until now we've been talking about the book Daily Rituals by Mason Currey. But in this part of the conversation we digress [go off topic] and talk about dealing with distractions and interruptions when we're trying to work. That's one of the fun things about conversations: you never know where they are going to g...
039 Daily Rituals part 4 Real English Conversations transcript
March 12, 2017 00:19This is the transcript for Daily Rituals part 4 – Better at English episode 39 of the Real English Conversations series. Vocabulary and usage notes plus the full transcript of the audio podcast. There are many ways you can use the Better at English conversation transcripts to get more benefit from your listening practice. Use […] The post 039 Daily Rituals part 4 Real English Conversations transcript appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
038 – Daily rituals part 3 – Real English Conversations
March 05, 2017 12:59 - 11 minutes - 8.88 MBIntroduction Hi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. In this episode of Real English Conversations, you'll hear part 3 of my conversation with Kyla. We are talking about the book Daily Rituals by Mason Currey. In this part we talk about the routines and practices that many creative people have in common. Now before you listen I have to warn you: this is a particularly challenging conversation. Here is why: because both Kyla and I read the book, we have a lot of...
038 – Daily rituals part 3 – Real English Conversations Transcript
March 05, 2017 12:52This is the transcript for Better at English "Real English Conversations" episode 38. Daily rituals and routines part 3. You'll hear Lori and Kyla continuing their discussion about the routines and practices of creative people. Their discussion is based on reading the book "Daily Rituals" by Mason Currey. The transcript contains the full conversation, a vocabulary lesson, and 5 discussion questions for speaking practice. The post 038 – Daily rituals part 3 – Real English Conversations Trans...
037 – Daily Rituals 2 – Real English Conversations
February 27, 2017 09:23 - 9 minutes - 7.93 MBHi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. In this episode of Real English Conversations, you'll hear part 2 of my conversation with Kyla. We're discussing a book that we both really liked. It's called Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey. The book describes the daily routines and habits of 161 creative people, people like writers, painters, musicians, philosophers, and scientists. Now, while I love the book, I don't recommend it for English learners at lower levels. T...
037 Real English Conversations – Daily Rituals 2 – Transcript
February 27, 2017 09:22This is the transcript for Better at English podcast episode 37. A Real English Conversation episode titled Daily Rituals 2. Lori and Kyla discuss the book Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey. The post 037 Real English Conversations – Daily Rituals 2 – Transcript appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
036 – Daily Rituals 1 – Real English Conversations
February 23, 2017 17:06 - 8 minutes - 7.12 MBINTRODUCTION Hi English learners! Lori here, your teacher from Betteratenglish.com. In this episode of Real English Conversations, you'll hear me talking to Kyla, a fellow musician. We met up to talk about a book that we both really like. It's called Daily Rituals, and was written by Mason Currey. But as it turned out, Kyla and I had a lot more to talk about than the book. In fact, we didn't even start talking about the book until several minutes into the conversation. So you'll have to wait...
036 Daily Rituals 1 Transcript
February 23, 2017 17:05Download the transcript for the Better at English podcast episode 036 – Real English Conversations – Daily Rituals 1. Lori talks to Kyla about daily routines, guitar practice, and dealing with the sucky feeling of being a beginner when you’re learning something new. Watch the video version here: The post 036 Daily Rituals 1 Transcript appeared first on Better at English. © 2017 Lori Linstruth
035 – There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep – Real English Conversations
June 08, 2014 15:09 - 10 minutes - 8.23 MBIn this Real English Conversations podcast, you'll hear Lori and her mom talking about their bedtime routines and what they do to get good night's sleep. The conversation includes lots of idioms and phrases related to going to bed, sleeping, waking up, and daily routines, and these interesting language items are listed in the vocabulary notes.
034 – Showing up for English learning success
May 26, 2014 03:41 - 10.1 MBLori talks to you about one of her favorite quotes: 80% of success is showing up. You'll learn what it means and who said it. And if you're feeling discouraged with your English progress, you'll learn how resolving to keep "showing up" can get you back on track with your learning.
033 – Lori burns her arm – Real English Conversations
May 09, 2014 14:55 - 4.54 MBLori burns her arm while making a cup of tea, and can't sleep because it hurts so much. Her mother tries to help her find a way to get through the night. The real English conversation is between Lori and her mother the following morning, discussing what they did to relieve the pain and whether or not it worked.
032 – Real English Conversations: Perfectionism 3
May 05, 2014 14:30 - 106 KB application/pdfThis is the transcript for Better at English "Real English Conversations" podcast episode about perfectionism and procrastination (part 3)
031 – Telling Time in English – Real English Conversations
May 06, 2010 15:50 - 9 minutes - 6.59 MBLori invites her mom onto the podcast to discuss telling time in English, focusing on some of the differences between American and British English usage.
032 – Perfectionism and Procrastination 3 – Real English Conversations
March 30, 2010 20:54 - 7.5 MBLori and her Dutch friend Yvette return to finish their conversation about perfectionism and procrastination. This time they focus on the strategies that have proved useful in their own battles with this debilitating problem.
030- Perfectionism and Procrastination 2 – Real English Conversations
March 15, 2010 21:12 - 5.33 MBLori and her Dutch friend Yvette continue their discussion of perfectionism, focusing on how it can cause problems for foreign language learners.
029 – Perfectionism and Procrastination 1 – Real English Conversations
February 21, 2010 16:34 - 4.5 MBDo you ever procrastinate? Lori sure does! She and her Dutch friend Yvette talk about what procrastination is, why we do it, and what we can do about it.
028 – Don’t step in the dog doo (4 of 4) – Real English Conversations
November 26, 2008 14:16 - 6.74 MBIn today's conversation, which is part four of four, my British friend Michael and I wrap up our lengthy conversation about the pros and cons of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. Warning: some of the vocabulary we deal with in this episode is a bit vulgar, so if you are sensitive or easily offended I suggest you stop listening now.
027 – Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the Dog Doo (part 3 of 4)
October 28, 2008 22:57 - 4.21 MBMichael and Lori continue their discussion of dogs and cats, focusing on the tendency for humans to get emotionally attached to their pets.
Real English Conversations: Don’t step on the dog doo (2 of 4)
October 19, 2008 20:09 - 3.9 MBIn today's conversation, which is part 2 of 4, my British friend Michael and I continue discussing dogs and cats, and which we prefer.
Real English Conversations: Don’t step on the dog doo (part 1 of 4)
October 06, 2008 15:14 - 7 minutes - 4.88 MBMy British friend Michael and I begin by talking about whether we are dog people or cat people. Then we move on to discuss the social etiquette of dog walking, particularly picking up after them in public places.
Real English Conversations: Weird food
July 11, 2007 22:18 - 8 minutes - 4.6 MBIn this episode, Michael and Lori talk about weird food combinations -- you won't believe what some Americans like on their hamburgers!
Real English Conversations: 20 questions game
June 29, 2007 03:22 - 5.58 MBLori and Michael talk about 20Q, a fun electronic game that Lori got to try while she was on her recent vacation in the USA.
Real English Conversations: Itchy palms (superstitions)
June 04, 2007 06:53 - 2.97 MBLearn about the idiom "to have itchy palms" and more on the topic of superstions.
Real English Conversations: Lori wants a naked cat
May 21, 2007 01:52 - 4.76 MBLori wants a pet cat, and not just any cat, but a naked Sphinx cat. Michael thinks they are ugly. A heated discussion ensues...
Real English Conversations: What leads to success?
April 26, 2007 01:08 - 4.62 MBEveryone wants to be successful, right? But have you ever wondered what it is that leads to success? Lori and Michael discuss their reactions to a presentation about "What leads to success," given by Michael St. John. Richard St. John spent several years interviewing hundreds of successful people, trying to find out the secrets to their success.
Real English Conversations: junk food (part 3 of 3)
April 17, 2007 00:05 - 2.72 MBThe third and final part of Michael and Lori's discussion of the English government's ban on commercials for junk food before 9 pm, when children are likely to be watching.