Espresso English Podcast
612 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 355 ratingsOn the Espresso English podcast, you'll learn English grammar, vocabulary, phrases, idioms, and more. Espresso English lessons are clear and practical, making it easy to learn the language quickly and effectively.
Visit http://www.espressoenglish.net to get English courses and e-books that will help you learn faster!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Question or doubt?
August 12, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.47 MBStudents often say, “I have a doubt” and then ask me something about English. However, native speakers DON'T usually say it this way. If you want to know the answer about something, you should say “I have a question.” So how can you use the word "doubt" correctly? You'll learn how - with lots of examples and expressions - in today's lesson! When you're not exactly sure about the right word to use, it can make you lose confidence in your English skills, and then you hesitate to...
How we pronounce CAN & CAN'T when speaking fast
August 05, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.31 MBYou might be thinking... why make a video about pronouncing CAN and CAN'T - that's so easy and obvious! But there are some pronunciation changes when native English speakers say these words fast. This lesson will help you understand can/can't better when you HEAR them, and it will also help you SAY these words more naturally in sentences. These pronunciation differences between can and can't are small but important... and native English pronunciation is FULL of these little details! ...
20 expressions with the word FREE
July 29, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.1 MBDo you know what it means to have a "free spirit" or "free rein"? Is being a "freeloader" a good thing or a bad thing? Today you'll learn the answers to these questions and much more - I'll teach you 10 interesting expressions with the word "free." Expressions like "get off scot-free" and "give someone free rein" are examples of idioms - short phrases that can't be explained or translated literally. What's the best way to learn idioms, if you can't translate them literally? The...
20 collocations with the word "goal"
July 22, 2020 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.54 MBIn soccer, we don't say "make a goal," we say "score a goal." Outside of sports, we don't say "follow a goal," but we do say "pursue a goal" or "work towards a goal." Learn 20 collocations with the word "goal"! "Collocations" are the common combinations of words that are frequently used by native speakers. These typical combinations of words can be hard to learn because often there are no rules that can help you know which words to use together - these expressions simply exist bec...
Quick answers to your questions about idioms
July 15, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.82 MBA lot of students ask me about phrases and idioms they've heard in conversations and TV shows. In today's lesson, I'm going to share the answers with you, explaining each expression with a few examples. Quick answers to your questions about idioms There are a lot of idioms in English... and sometimes even native English speakers come across expressions we don't know! So how do we figure them out? We interpret them from the context. Based on the situation in which the idiom is sa...
10 practical phrases for worries and relief
July 08, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 7.05 MBWhen you're worried, it's even harder to express yourself in English - but this lesson will help: 10 Practical English Phrases for Talking about Worries & Relief. These can help expand your vocabulary by going beyond the basic "I'm worried" and "I'm relieved." To learn more, join my Everyday English Speaking Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/everyday-english-speaking-course
4 different ways to pronounce words starting with "U"
July 01, 2020 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.25 MBDid you know that these words all have DIFFERENT ways to pronounce the "u" in the beginning? ultimate union urgent urine In today's lesson, you'll practice pronouncing English words starting with U. Listen and repeat to improve your pronunciation! Just like when you do exercise in the gym to improve your physical condition, doing pronunciation exercises improves your ability to speak English correctly! That's why my American English Pronunciation Course is full of practice. What...
DON'T use a preposition in these 5 situations!
June 24, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.84 MBPrepositions like in, of, at, from, and to are used very frequently in English. However, there are some cases in which you SHOULDN'T use one – and in today's lesson, you'll learn 5 times you should not use a preposition. This is one of my top grammar lessons on Espresso English. I hope you enjoy it! English grammar can certainly be complicated... but I'll make it clear to you when you join my Advanced Grammar Course! The 45 lessons in this course will teach you all the verb ...
Compliment vs. Complement vs. Complimentary vs. Complementary
June 17, 2020 12:00 - 2 minutes - 3.01 MBThese two words are pronounced the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-compliment-and-complement/ This is a free sample from the e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will help clear up your doubts about how to use English words correctly, so that you can speak and write more confidently. Click here for more information.
Learn 36 compound words to expand your vocabulary
June 10, 2020 12:00 - 28 minutes - 33.5 MBToday I'm sending you a special class all about compound words! Compound words are when two or more words are put together to form a new word with a new meaning - like notebook, mother-in-law, and post office. Sometimes compound words are easy to understand: a bookstore is a store that sells books; a dishwasher is a machine that washes dishes. But others might not be so obvious, for example: brainstorm – an intense process where you think of many different ideas scapegoat – someo...
My secret for staying motivated with Espresso English
June 04, 2020 12:00 - 3 minutes - 3.76 MBMy recent videos were all about staying motivated when learning English... ...but what's MY secret to staying motivated when teaching English? There are some days when I feel sad, lazy, and discouraged. Sometimes I don't have the energy to prepare new lessons, and I don't want to turn on my video camera. Yes... even your English teacher lacks motivation sometimes! But here's how I get motivated again: I visit a page on the Espresso English website that you might not know about......
273 - Stay motivated tip #10 - Challenge and reward yourself
May 31, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MBI’m sharing my tenth and final tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. This one is really interesting and fun, and it can really help you keep up your motivation and desire to make more progress in your English. Tip #10 is Challenge Yourself, Then Reward Yourself When You Reach Goals Sometimes when you’re studying English by yourself, it can be discouraging because there’s nobody to say “Nice work!” or celebrate your successes. But if you give yourself challenges and rewards, it...
272 - Stay motivated tip #9 - Find a learning partner
May 28, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 3.74 MBToday’s tip for staying motivated is Find A Partner Or Join A Community Scientists have discovered that one of the most effective motivators is “peer pressure” – that’s encouragement or expectation from people who are similar to you.
271: Stay motivated tip #8 - Make learning English fun
May 25, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 4.08 MBtoday’s tip for how to stay motivated to learn English is very important. It’s so simple, but it will make a big difference in your English learning experience. Make Learning Enjoyable You don’t have to study the exact same way every time! Try to have some variation, to keep things interesting. Here’s another tip for making English more fun – find material in areas of your interest. Finally, learn from a teacher who you like!
270: Stay motivated tip #7 - Plan to come back after a break
May 22, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 3.96 MBHi there! Today I’ll share my seventh tip for how to stay motivated to learn English, and that is: Plan For Breaks, But Also Plan To Come Back If you have a very busy day, it’s OK to skip your studying – just make sure to come back to it the next day. If you’re going on vacation for a week, it’s OK not to look at English. Relax and enjoy your vacation, then resume your studies afterwards. The key is always to come back to English – don’t let yourself get so busy that you forget to stu...
269: Stay motivated tip #6 - What to do when you feel lazy
May 19, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 3.98 MBHello students! I’m back with another tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. This tip is for you on those days when you really have low motivation and you feel lazy, and you just aren’t very interested in studying English. When You Feel Lazy, Just Take A Baby Step A “baby step” is a very small action.
268: Stay motivated tip #5 - Keep an English success journal
May 16, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 3.4 MBToday I’m giving you tip #5 on how to stay motivated when you’re learning English. This is something very practical and if you do it, you will find it very helpful and encouraging. Keep A Record Of Your Progress (Success Journal) It’s very motivating to keep a record of what you’ve accomplished. Get a notebook, and after every study session write down the date and a summary of “what I learned today.” This results in three benefits.
267: Stay motivated tip #4 - Visualize your English goals
May 12, 2020 16:00 - 2 minutes - 3.2 MBHi students! Are you ready to learn tip #4 for how to stay motivated to learn English? This one is something you can put into practice every time you sit down to study. Visualize The End Goal, And Know That Every Bit Of Time You Invest Is Bringing You Closer! Do you know WHY you want to learn English? Whatever your reason is, try this simple exercise: when you sit down to study English, spend a couple minutes visualizing (imagining) reaching your goal. Then, tell yourself that EVERY ...
266: Stay motivated tip #3 - Don't take mistakes so seriously/personally
May 09, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.36 MBHi there! I’m back with tip #3 on how to stay motivated when learning English, and this is a big one – it is: Don’t Take Mistakes So Seriously/Personally MISTAKES – they have the power to make you afraid to use your English… they can also make you feel humiliated when someone corrects you… they represent your failure to know the rules of English… right? WRONG! Mistakes only have all that power if you allow them to have such power. Remember that making mistakes does NOT mean you are ...
265: Stay motivated tip #2 - Never compare your English to others'
May 06, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 4.09 MBHi students! It’s Shayna from EspressoEnglish.net and I’m excited to share with you my second tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. Tip #1, which we learned last time, is to be encouraged because your English is probably better than you imagine. Now let’s consider tip #2, which is: Never Compare Your English Skills To Others’
264: How to stay motivated when learning English - Tip #1
May 03, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.5 MBDo you ever feel sad and discouraged about your English-learning progress? Do you sometimes find it hard to stay motivated, because learning English takes such a long time? Are there days when you just don't feel like studying? If you've ever experienced these emotions, then you will really enjoy the lessons I have for you this month. I’m going to teach you 10 practical ways to stay motivated in your English learning. Click here for tip #1! This is a special series of lessons tha...
263 - How to pronounce long, complicated words in English
April 29, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.52 MBToday I'm going to teach you an exercise for practicing the pronunciation of long, difficult multi-syllable words. Our example words for this exercise will be particularly and individualistic. But you can use this exercise with ANY English word! I hope you’ll remember the tips in this lesson next time you see a long, complicated English word! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect. The only way to get better at English pronunciation is by doing it, by saying the w...
262 - Phrases for education - 7 expressions and 1 common error
April 22, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.05 MBToday you'll learn some common English expressions for talking about education. This lesson will also help you put these phrases into practice by asking you questions that use the expressions - so you can pause the video and say your answer, or write it down! And at the end of the lesson, I explain a very common error in English when talking about what you studied in school or college... make sure to watch or read to the end so that you can avoid this mistake. If you're following my ...
261 - Learn 10 business English verbs
April 15, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.57 MBIn today’s lesson you’re going to improve your business English vocabulary by learning some interesting verbs that are used in the business world. If you work in an English-speaking environment – or if you want to do so – you’ll encounter a lot of words that you might not have learned in English class. This video is going to teach you 10 business English verbs and how to use them. They’re also used outside business, so you might also see these words in news articles, for example. If ...
260 - 4 ways to use the -ING form of verbs in English
April 08, 2020 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.15 MBDid you know that there are at least four different ways to use the -ING form of verbs in English? You might already know one or two of these, but after this lesson you'll have a more complete understanding of when we use English verbs in the -ING form. English grammar can be difficult, but I try to make it easy for my students! To learn grammar from me, you can get my $1 grammar e-books - these cover basic and intermediate grammar. If you're a more advanced student, then check ou...
259 - Say, tell, speak, or talk?
April 01, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.97 MBIf you frequently confuse the verbs SAY, TELL, SPEAK, and TALK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! They seem like they all mean the same thing - and they are similar - but we actually use them differently in English. In this lesson, I’ll teach you the difference between say, tell, speak, and talk, and help you avoid some common mistakes with these words. For more lessons like this, check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained...
258 - How to pronounce English words ending in -ILE
March 25, 2020 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.85 MBToday I want to answer a question from a student who asked how to pronounce words ending in -ILE, like the word "mobile." Words with this ending are a little tricky because there’s a pronunciation difference between British and American English. I’m from the U.S., so I’m going to teach you the way we say these words in American English. We’ll practice 20 words with the -ILE ending - there are two different ways to pronounce it (plus a couple of exceptions). Come check out my America...
257 - 16 common collocations with "time"
March 18, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.28 MB"Time" is one of the most common words in English - but do you know all the different ways you can use the word time? In today's lesson, you'll learn 16 common collocations with the word TIME, such as: waste time, kill time, it's about time, stall for time There's also a quiz to help you practice the collocations in this lesson - you can click here to try it! One common problem among adults who are learning English is not having much time to study. Between work, school, family, and h...
256 - 20 phrasal verbs with GET
March 11, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 13.1 MBThis lesson is on one of the topics that’s most requested by my students – it’s all about phrasal verbs with the word “get.” We have get off, get by, get along, get over, get back, and lots more… and some of these have multiple meanings! These 20 phrasal verbs with "get" are very common in everyday English, so you need to learn them. I’ll make them clear with definitions and examples. Now you know 20 different phrasal verbs with “get” – but what’s the best way to remember them all? P...
255 - 10 idioms for extreme emotion
March 04, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.28 MBIf you want to speak fluent English, it's important to learn phrases and expressions - NOT just individual words. This is especially important when studying idioms. Why? Because it's often NOT possible to understand the meaning of the idiom by looking at the individual words... instead, you must learn the meaning of the entire idiomatic expression. In today's lesson, I’ll explain 10 idioms for describing strong emotions. I guarantee you'll learn something new! We have so many i...
254: Quiz - 10 Common English spelling mistakes
February 26, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.19 MBToday's lesson is a quiz to help you practice some English words that are frequently spelled wrong. These spelling mistakes are made by both English learners and by native English speakers. Can you spell all 10 words right? It’s much easier to avoid mistakes in English when you know exactly what to watch out for! You can learn to correct the most common English mistakes inside my course, 200 Common Errors in English. These are the most common mistakes that are made by students who are l...
253: English phrases for talking about the weather
February 19, 2020 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.73 MBToday you’ll learn 14 conversational English phrases about the weather. If you want to know how to talk about the weather in English, beyond the basic phrases of “It’s sunny” and “It’s raining,” then this lesson is for you. As you can see, these are real English phrases that native English speakers use to talk about the weather – from hot weather to cold weather, good weather to bad weather – I hope you’ve learned some useful vocabulary and expressions today. To continue learning every...
252 - Pronunciation Practice: Difficult words with "R"
February 12, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.89 MBToday we're going to practice pronouncing some difficult English words that feature the letter R, like choir, drawer, rural, library, temperature, and more. Do you have a difficult word that you want to know how to pronounce correctly in English? If so, tell me about it, and I'll add it to my list for future lessons! If you want to continue learning pronunciation and practicing with me, come check out my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses. They will help you learn to pronounce English ...
251 - 10 vocabulary words starting with "F"
February 05, 2020 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.58 MBWe’ve just started the month of February, and I realized it’s been a long time since I did an English vocabulary lesson with pictures – so in today’s lesson, you’re going to learn 10 vocabulary words starting with the letter F. In addition to learning what these words mean, you can also practice pronouncing them by repeating the words after me. That’s just a small sampling of the many English words we have, starting with F. You can continue learning English vocabulary inside my Vocab...
250: English phrase - Hindsight is 20/20
January 29, 2020 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.52 MBToday I'm going to explain the expression "hindsight is 20/20." It's now the year 2020, so I thought this would be an interesting phrase to learn! I don't want you to have regrets about your English learning. I don't want you to get to the end of the year and then to look back and say, "Oh, I should have studied harder, or I wish I'd taken that course, but I didn't, and so my English didn't really improve this year." Instead, I want you to take action! Practice your English every ...
249 - How it feels to be fluent - My language-learning story
January 27, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.56 MBWhen you're learning a language, it's common to feel sad about your progress. You want to become fluent... but it seems like that goal is so far away! If you hear an expression that you don't know, or have difficulty understanding a fast conversation, it's easy to lose confidence in your abilities. You might think negative thoughts like "My English is so bad." You might wonder, "Will I ever become fluent in English, or is it impossible for me?" Let me tell you about my languag...
248: How to speak English confidently!
January 22, 2020 13:00 - 9 minutes - 9.94 MBDo you often feel nervous when speaking English? Today I'm going to tell you my top tips for improving your confidence when speaking English. First, I'll give you three reasons why it's important to improve your confidence about your English. Then, I'll teach you three mental exercises and three physical exercises that will help you speak English more confidently! If you do these things, then your confidence will improve! I believe that YOU CAN learn to speak confident English, becau...
247: 10 new words added to the dictionary in 2019
January 15, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.12 MBEvery year I like to teach a lesson on new words that have been added to the dictionary recently. The English language is always changing and evolving, and we're always creating new words or new meanings for existing words. Today you're going to learn 10 new words and definitions that were added to the dictionary in the past year. These are just a few of hundreds of new words that have been added to the dictionary in the past year, and I hope you found them interesting! It's really i...
246 - Holiday or vacation?
December 23, 2019 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.06 MBIt's just a couple days away from Christmas, which is a major holiday in the United States. So in today's lesson I'm going to teach you about the difference between the words holiday and vacation. English learners often ask me about this, and it's a little tricky! Now put it into practice! What’s your favorite holiday? Describe it in English. What did you do on your last vacation? Write about it in English. One common expression you’ll often hear in December is “Happy Holidays!...
245 - Correct your English errors FAST!
December 18, 2019 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.47 MBToday's lesson is about common mistakes, but first I want to say one thing: Please don't let the fear of errors stop you from speaking English! It's MUCH more important to communicate and practice your speaking, even if it's not perfect. However, one of the fastest ways to correct your English errors is to focus on avoiding the most common mistakes - and I'll teach you 5 in this lesson. In my years of experience as an English teacher, I've heard many of the same errors very frequent...
244 - How to improve your English listening
December 11, 2019 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.28 MBIf you have difficulties in listening to and understanding English, you're not alone. This is one of the most common problems for English learners. It's frustrating and embarrassing when you can't understand, but in this lesson I'm going to explain why it's so difficult and teach you how to improve your listening skills. You can also improve your listening skills by joining my Listening Course, which has 45 lessons with exercises that help you understand more and more. The audios in ...
243 - Later vs. Latter
December 04, 2019 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.6 MBToday I’m going to explain the difference between LATER and LATTER. These words are only different by one letter, but they have different meanings and they're pronounced differently, too. That’s all for now! If you want more, you can find lots of great explanations inside my 600+ Confusing Words E-Book. Thanks for joining me for today's lesson, and I'll talk to you later :-)
242 - Learn 7 MORE everyday English phrases!
November 27, 2019 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.02 MBAfter last week's lesson on common informal phrases, a lot of students e-mailed me saying, "please make more lessons like this!" So today I'll teach you more: You'll learn informal spoken expressions like "No hard feelings," "Join the club," and "Just my luck!" (that last one might be different from what you expect...) Let me know if you have any questions about these phrases - or if you have another phrase that you're not sure what it means or how to use it. One of the best ways to ...
241 - Learn 8 everyday English phrases and expressions
November 20, 2019 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.89 MBThere are lots of little phrases that native English speakers use in daily life. But if you don't live in an English-speaking country, then you don't have the chance to hear these expressions - except maybe in movies or TV shows. So today I’ll teach you 8 common informal phrases that you might not find in textbooks - and I'll give you examples of situations in which we use them. Do you want to learn more conversational English? I’d like to invite you to join my Everyday English Speak...
240 - How to use going to, gonna, gonna go
November 13, 2019 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.92 MBToday's lesson is all about the expression "gonna” and when you CAN and CAN'T use it. I'll also tell you about "gonna go" - is this correct? Listen to the lesson to find out. I hope this lesson has been helpful! If you want to learn more from me, come check out my courses, where I can teach you about conversational English, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, phrasal verbs, idioms, business English, and more.
239 - English Pronunciation Tip: Say, Says, Said
November 06, 2019 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.57 MBToday's quick pronunciation tip involves a very common verb: the word "say." You might be surprised that there's slightly different pronunciation in the different forms of this word. In this lesson I’m going to ask you to repeat after me, because the best way to practice pronunciation is for YOU to say the words and sentences out loud, not just watch me say them :-) You can get a LOT more pronunciation training inside my courses called American English Pronunciation and Shadowing with ...
238 - 15 English idioms and phrasal verbs you CAN use at work
October 30, 2019 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.09 MBStudents often ask me if we can use idioms and slang in professional situations - and the answer is "it depends." Some expressions are not appropriate for the workplace, but there are many that you can use in conversations among co-workers and less formal emails. Today you’ll learn 15 English idioms & phrasal verbs you CAN use at work. There are several more lessons about business idioms inside our Business English Course. This course also teaches you essential words and phrases for ...
237 - Confusing English Words: Experiment and Experience
October 23, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.89 MBThe words experience and experiment might be the same in some languages... but in English they are different, and I often see students confuse them. Both of these words can be both nouns and verbs. Let’s see how exactly they are used. Want more? Check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained, for lots of lessons that will help make these differences clear to you. Also, if you are confused about some English words, reply to this e-mail and let me know, so that I can create f...
236 - How can I use grammar correctly when speaking English?
October 16, 2019 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.75 MBToday I want to answer a question that is important for everyone who is studying English. Many of my students say, "I study grammar a lot and I understand it in theory. But when I speak, I can't think of the grammar in the moment, or it takes too long to remember the rules. So how can I use grammar correctly when speaking English?" This is a great question! It's true that when you're speaking there's really no time to think about grammar rules and to analyze each sentence. But what if ...
235 - English phrases explained: Good grief & For goodness' sake
October 09, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.75 MBWhen you're studying English, I recommend focusing on learning phrases and not just individual words. When you only study individual words, it's hard to put them together into a phrase - but when you study phrases, then it's much easier for you to use the whole phrase when speaking. The problem is that sometimes you might hear or see a phrase that doesn't seem to make sense. This often happens with idioms and informal expressions. My students ask me about phrases all the time, and toda...