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!
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Episodes
234 - Important: 4 major English-learning problems
October 02, 2019 12:00 - 11 minutes - 11.2 MBToday I'll teach you about some common English-learning mistakes that I’ve observed among the hundreds of students whom I’ve worked with. This lesson is going to be a little different because it’s not about fixing specific words or phrases; instead, it’s about correcting typical problems that language learners tend to have in the way they approach studying. In some ways, these are the most important errors, because these habits or thoughts or attitudes are at the foundation of everythi...
233 - Watch out for these spelling mistakes!
September 25, 2019 12:00 - 9 minutes - 9.53 MBToday’s lesson is all about spelling mistakes involving adding an extra letter to a word, or accidentally removing a letter from a word. There are so many words in English where these errors can happen, but again I’m going to focus on the most common ones. If you are looking for a quick way to check and correct your spelling and grammar, I recommend Grammarly - it's a free online tool! If you want to get personal correction from an English teacher, then I recommend joining our Advanc...
232 - These errors were made by real students like you
September 18, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 10.6 MBRemember that mistakes are an opportunity to learn - and today you'll learn from the mistakes of other students like you. Today's lesson focuses on errors that I and my teaching team have found frequently when correcting students’ homework. Maybe you've made some of these errors in the past, and now you know how to avoid them! But maybe you're making different mistakes, and you want someone to check your English to see if anything is incorrect. You can get correction from a teache...
231 - Avoid these 7 pronunciation problems
September 11, 2019 12:00 - 12 minutes - 12.4 MBIn this lesson we’re going to look at 7 common pronunciation mistakes in words with confusing combinations of letters.. A lot of students ask me about rules, like how do we know when the letter e sounds like ee vs. eh, or when the letter g sounds like juh (general) vs. guh (get). Although there are some trends in English spelling / pronunciation, there are so many complications and exceptions that I’d encourage you NOT to focus on remembering rules. Instead, when you learn new words...
230 - Common Errors with Adjectives and Adverbs
September 04, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 10.8 MBThis month I'm going to teach you about some common errors in English. These are mistakes that I've observed and corrected frequently during my years of helping English learners improve their skills. Today's lesson focuses on common errors with adjectives and adverbs. Do you want to get correction on YOUR English? Join one of our courses that includes teacher feedback! Here are the options: Advanced English Grammar Course + Feedback on writing Reading Course + Feedback on writi...
229: English Vocabulary for Summer
August 28, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.49 MBHere in the U.S., we’re in the middle of summer - the hottest part of the year! Today you’ll learn some English vocabulary related to summer and hot weather, with pictures to help you remember the words. Expanding your vocabulary is so important because the more words you know, the better you can express yourself in English. Inside my Vocabulary Builder Courses, you'll learn and practice 1000+ useful words. The lessons include lots of pictures to help illustrate the words, and there a...
228: English Grammar - Gerunds
August 21, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.6 MBA gerund is a word that looks like a verb, but functions as a noun in the sentence. Gerunds are formed by using the -ING form of the verb - reading, swimming, studying, etc. - but when it comes to grammar, they act as nouns. Here are some common ways to use gerunds in English - and some practice sentences so you can use them yourself! You can study grammar for hours, but can you actually use grammar well? It's very important to create your own sentences with the grammar you are learnin...
227 - Learn 24 collocations with SPOT
August 14, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.14 MBThe word spot has a few different meanings in English.The word spot has a few different meanings in English. Here are the three most common: as a noun, a spot is a mark that is a different color.A leopard has spots. as a noun, a spot is a place, location, or area.This is a great spot for camping. as a verb, spot is an informal way to talk about seeing or detecting.He spotted an eagle in the sky. Today we'll focus on definition #2 - spot meaning a place, location, or area. There are man...
226: Pronunciation Practice: Where, Were, We're
August 07, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.47 MBAre you ready to practice your pronunciation? Today we’re going to work on three very common words in English: where, were, and we’re - individually and in sentences. To get the most benefit out of this lesson, don’t just watch... instead, actually repeat everything after me! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect! If you keep working on it - especially by listening to a native speaker and trying to imitate - your pronunciation will get better and better. I can help yo...
225 - Ten English idioms with "easy" and "hard"
July 31, 2019 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.32 MBToday I'll teach you 10 English expressions with the words "easy" and "hard." These individual words have simple definitions, but when they are used in idioms, the expression might have a different meaning than you expect. You'll learn what it means when we say "easy does it" and "hard pass," as well as "he got off easy" and "that's hard to swallow." Take the lesson to find out what these idioms mean! How can you learn idioms like these more effectively? My 300+ English Idioms Course ca...
224 - Prepositions: OF vs. FROM
July 24, 2019 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.77 MBDo you know when to use "of" vs. "from" in English? Using the wrong preposition is a very common mistake. Many other languages have just one word for both "of" and "from," but in English we use these two words in several different ways. Learning English grammar can seem like an impossible task... but I want to help you do it step by step! That's why I have grammar products for all levels of English learners: Basic & Intermediate English Grammar E-Books Advanced English Grammar Cours...
223 - More answers to your questions about phrasal verbs
July 17, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.4 MBPhrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + preposition, like get up and find out. Phrasal verbs often have specific meanings that may not be obvious from the words themselves. In today's lesson, I'll explain four phrasal verbs that students have asked me about recently: hook up, plug away, ward off, and whip up. These are just a few of the THOUSANDS of phrasal verbs we have in the English language - and we use them every day! You can learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in the Phrasal V...
222 - Peace of mind vs. Give someone a piece of your mind
July 10, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.8 MBSpoken English has a lot of little expressions that are used frequently by native speakers - and some of these expressions are so similar that you might accidentally mix them up. Two such expressions are "give you peace of mind" and "give someone a piece of your mind" - they sound almost the same, but they are in fact very different. I hope this lesson has helped make these expressions clear! As always, try to put the phrases into practice by creating your own examples. If you wan...
221 - Food, meal, dish, or cuisine?
July 03, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.03 MBA lot of English learners get confused about the words food, dish, meal, and cuisine. These all refer to the general topic of eating, but there are some important differences in how we use each one. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain when to use these words so that you’ll understand them clearly. If you enjoy my explanations and you want to learn more, then you'll love my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! This e-book will teach you the distinctions among "families" of words (...
220 - How to pronounce words starting with DR-
June 26, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.36 MBAre you ready for some pronunciation practice? In today's lesson we're going to work on pronouncing English words starting with DR-. There are two small but important details that you need to know in order for your pronunciation of these words to sound good - click on the lesson to learn, listen, and repeat! If you want to train all the different sounds in English and improve your pronunciation, you can sign up for my pronunciation and shadowing courses. There's a discount if you join b...
219 - Learn 10 idioms and informal expressions with GET
June 19, 2019 12:00 - 9 minutes - 10.3 MBToday's question comes from a student who was watching a movie. In this movie, one character said to another, "Get lost," so the student is asking what this expression means in context. Today, I'll explain this phrase and also teach you some other informal expressions with the word "get," such as get a grip, get off my case, get bent out of shape, and more. That's just a small sampling of the many colorful informal expressions that we have in the English language using the word "get." I...
218 - IETLS exam tips - with Ben Worthington
June 12, 2019 12:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBToday I have a special guest - his name is Ben, and he's an expert in IELTS test preparation. He'll share some top strategies for each section of the IELTS exam, so if you're preparing for the IELTS test - or if you've taken it before but you want to increase your score - listen carefully to this episode and put the tips into practice.
217 - How to use the words invaluable, infamous, inflammable
June 05, 2019 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.83 MBToday I'm going to teach you three pairs of confusing words that have the prefix IN-. In many words, IN- means the opposite or "not": independent = NOT dependent incorrect = NOT correct However, there are some exceptions that might be confusing, and you'll learn three of them in this lesson: invaluable, infamous, and inflammable. I hope this lesson has helped clarify the meanings of these confusing words. The English language has a lot of words that seem similar, but are actually di...
216 - Finish vs. finish up and other verbs vs. phrasal verbs
May 29, 2019 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.39 MBSomeone asked me if there's a difference between finish and finish up. The answer is no - there's no difference in meaning. Finish up is just more informal. But is this the case for every verb / phrasal verb? No! In today's lesson you'll learn the small differences between show and show off, follow and follow up, and several more verb and phrasal verb pairs. There are certainly a lot of little details to remember when it comes to phrasal verbs. That's why it's so important to learn p...
215 – Practice with me to avoid these common pronunciation mistakes!
May 22, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 9.59 MBI’ve heard a lot of students' speaking samples in my courses, and today I’d like to address a few of the pronunciation mistakes that I’ve been correcting. First of all, don’t feel bad if you make a pronunciation mistake! It’s really easy to do this in English, especially because we have so many similar sounds and so many words that are pronounced differently from the way they’re written. So if you mess up a word – don’t be embarrassed, it’s not the end of the world. I can usually under...
214 - What do these TV and movie phrases mean?
May 15, 2019 12:00 - 9 minutes - 9.64 MBIf you watch TV and movies in English, you'll probably see a lot of new words and expressions that might not come up in your regular English study. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what certain phrases mean, so students write to me and ask for clarification. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain ten phrases from TV shows and movies that students have asked me about recently. If you ever come across a phrase that you can’t figure out, feel free to e-mail me and ask me what it means, and I’ll ...
213 - 33 collocations and expressions for decisions
May 08, 2019 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.37 MBToday's lesson will teach you 33 collocations and expressions about decisions. Collocations are combinations of words that native English speakers use naturally. Learning these word combinations makes it easier to put together your ideas in English, so that you can express yourself better. You'll also learn some informal expressions, like "a tough call," "in a quandary," and "the lesser of two evils." Click on the lesson to learn! One major difficulty for English learners is often kn...
211 - Free sample lesson from the new Current Events English Course
April 25, 2019 12:00 - 6 minutes - 7.37 MBHere's a free sample lesson from my NEW Current Events English Course! Today I'll teach you 20 words and expressions from a recent news article about social entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Original article: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/04/15/712653034/no-fake-drugs-more-jobs-for-youth-end-child-sexual-abuse-online-a-vision-for-203 After you watch the video, download the vocabulary exercise to review and practice what you learned. If you enjoyed this le...
210 - New Course! Current Events English: 2019 Edition
April 23, 2019 15:00 - 3 minutes - 2.97 MBJoin the course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/current-events-english-course One common suggestion given to English learners is to read or watch the news in English. This is a good idea, because you can learn how to talk about current events and relevant topics. But there’s one BIG problem – If you’re reading or watching the news and there are words or expressions you don’t know, this can make it hard or even impossible to understand everything else. You might miss the main points and...
209 – Can you use -ING after “to” in English?
April 10, 2019 12:00 - 7 minutes - 8.06 MBI received a great question from a student: Is it possible to use ‘to’ followed by the ‘ing’ form? For example, “I'm looking forward to seeing you.” Normally we use to + the base form (ex. "I want to order pizza.") However, there are some specific words in English after which we use to + ING, and I'm going to tell you about them in today's lesson! English grammar can be quite difficult with all the rules and exceptions! You can learn, study, and practice inside my Advanced English...
208 - How to use the word "fool" in English
April 01, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.38 MBApril 1 is an informal holiday known as April Fools' Day! People celebrate by playing jokes and trying to trick people in funny and harmless ways. You might be wondering about this word "fool" - how is it used in English? I'll teach you all about it in today's lesson. Don't be fooled by confusing English words! There are a lot of them, and they can be very tricky to understand and use correctly. You can get clear explanations and examples inside my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Word...
207 - Emergency English Vocabulary
March 27, 2019 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.66 MBDo you know what to say in English in case of an emergency? In the moment, you might panic and not be able to think of the words – so it’s good to learn and practice them beforehand. In today's lesson you'll learn how to talk about various medical emergencies, accidents, and other dangers. If you want to expand your vocabulary even more, join my Vocabulary Builder Courses to learn more than 1000 useful English words with pictures and examples. There's a discount when you buy Level 1 ...
206 - A tricky little grammar mistake with SEE and HEAR
March 20, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.07 MBToday I want to teach you about a tricky little grammar mistake that I see a lot of students making when using the verbs see, watch, and hear. You'll also learn how the sentence changes when we add the word "that." This was just one small grammar point... but there's a lot more grammar to learn! If you're looking for a detailed course to help you master English grammar, check out my Advanced English Grammar Course. It has 45 lessons with quizzes to help you review and practice - as well...
205 - 30 phrases for business letters and e-mails
March 13, 2019 12:00 - 4 minutes - 5.32 MBDo you have a hard time finding the right phrase to use in your business letters and e-mails? Today you'll learn 30 phrases for business correspondence. If you want to speak English more confidently at work, join my Business English Course! You'll learn phrases for everyday professional situations, as well as lots of vocabulary for marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and more. There are even several lessons on idioms that are often used in the business world.
204 - Difference between clean, wash, clean up, and wash up
March 06, 2019 13:00 - 5 minutes - 5.69 MBAre you wondering about the differences between clean, wash, clean up, and wash up? I'll teach you how to use them in today's lesson... along with a few slang meanings you might not know yet. The English language has a ton of words that appear to be similar, but are actually different in meaning and use. I wrote an e-book explaining the differences between lots of words that my students often confuse. After you read my 600+ Confusing English Words Explained E-Book, you'll have a clear u...
203 - Daily phrases: hit it out of the park, making the rounds, out of line, and more
February 27, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 13.4 MBIn the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
202 - Daily phrases: bear the brunt, move the goalposts, fall by the wayside, and more
February 20, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 12.8 MBIn the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
201 - Daily phrases: rough around the edges, turn a blind eye, do the trick, and more
February 13, 2019 13:00 - 11 minutes - 11.9 MBIn the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
200 - Daily phrases: have a leg up, cut to the chase, up for grabs, and more
February 06, 2019 13:00 - 8 minutes - 9.26 MBIn the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
199 - Five motivational quotes and how they apply to learning English
January 30, 2019 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.9 MBSometimes you might get discouraged when studying English. Becoming fluent takes a really long time and lots of effort and practice, so it's easy to lose your motivation. Today I want to share some motivational quotes with you and show you how these sayings relate to your English learning. I hope this lesson will help you feel more optimistic about your English studies! My goal here at Espresso English is to help you build up your English skills, one lesson at a time! One of the bes...
198 - Learn and practice these 5 tiny pronunciation differences
January 23, 2019 13:00 - 5 minutes - 5.96 MBWe have a saying in English that "the devil is in the details" - this means that you need to be careful, because the small parts of a situation/task can cause major problems or difficulties. Sometimes this is the case for learning pronunciation - a tiny difference in a sound can change the word completely. In today's lesson, I'm going to help you practice 10 words that students often mispronounce, resulting in a totally different word. When it comes to pronunciation, the only way to imp...
197 - Learn 50 collocations with PLAN and HOPE
January 16, 2019 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.17 MBMany of us have hopes and plans for what we would like to accomplish in the new year! Today I'll teach you 50 common collocations with these words. Collocations are combinations of words that are frequently used together. Studying common collocations is a great way to help you form better sentences that sound more natural in English. Wow, that was a lot of collocations! Do you want to keep learning - and practice, too? Check out my e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. Eac...
196 - New English words added to the dictionary in 2018
January 09, 2019 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.91 MBThis is one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year :-) Did you know that the dictionary is updated all the time? The publishers add words that have come to be used frequently in the media and in everyday life. Let's learn some of the new English words added in 2018. There were 12 words in this lesson... but the English language has more than 170,000 words in total. How are you supposed to learn so many? My Vocabulary Builder Courses will teach you USEFUL English words in a clear and eff...
195 - Learn 8 English idioms with END
December 31, 2018 13:00 - 5 minutes - 6.25 MBIt's December 31st - we're at the tail end of the year! (= the very last part) In today's lesson, you'll learn 8 English idioms with the word end.Remember, don't try to translate these idioms literally word by word - if you do, they might not make sense. Instead, learn each one as a whole expression. We're about to start a new year... wouldn't you like to learn some new expressions in English? You can learn 300 Idioms in 30 Days in my course! In 2018 I updated the course with new vid...
194 - Answers to your questions about phrasal verbs
December 19, 2018 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.06 MBPhrasal verbs are very common in everyday spoken English - and many students ask me about the definitions of phrasal verbs they've heard in conversations, TV shows, or movies. Today I'm going to explain five phrasal verbs that you might not know yet: square away, step up, space out, blow over, and swear off. If you come across (encounter) a phrasal verb that you can't understand, please e-mail me and I'll explain it in a future lesson. Do you want to see how native English speakers u...
193 - Three different ways to pronounce CC in English
December 12, 2018 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.05 MBI've noticed a pronunciation mistake that many students make when they say words like "succeed" and "successful." There are actually 3 different ways to pronounce CC in English! Today we're going to practice saying 26 words with CC. Listen and try to repeat after me. Listening and repeating - like you did in today's lesson - is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation! With time and practice, your pronunciation will get closer to a native English speaker's. I've created two...
192 - Business English Vocabulary Quiz
December 05, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.94 MBToday you can test your knowledge of 10 common business English terms. This quiz only taught you 10 words and expressions... but you can learn hundreds more words and phrases inside my Business English Course! The course will teach you practical English for work. You'll learn day-to-day vocabulary for interacting with clients and co-workers, as well as specific words in the areas of management, marketing, finance, and much more. You can try a free sample lesson here, and register for...
191 - Learn English from the News: The growing tradition of Friendsgiving
November 28, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.66 MBWe recently had the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States. Most people celebrate it with their families, but there's a growing tradition of also celebrating "Friendsgiving" - and that's the topic of this week's lesson. Click here to learn 15 vocabulary words/expressions from the article! I hope you've enjoyed my series of English in the news videos in November! If you want to learn more from me, consider joining one of my courses. I've created courses to help you improve all y...
190 - Learn English from the News: Social Media and Depression
November 21, 2018 22:50 - 5 minutes - 5.72 MBToday’s article is about social media and mental health. This one is written in a more casual style, so it has some informal expressions we can learn. I’m going to teach you 15 words and expressions from this news article. I know many of you enjoy listening to my voice as I teach you English - and that's great! But do you have difficulty understanding other English speakers, who may speak faster or with a different accent? It's important to improve your listening comprehension so that y...
189 - English in the News: A problem with the cute baby bear video
November 14, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 6.48 MBYou might have seen a video on social media about a bear cub (that's a baby bear) trying very hard to scale (climb) a snow-covered mountain and eventually succeeding. A lot of people liked that video... but today's article talks about a potential problem with it. In this lesson I'm going to teach you 24 vocabulary words that are important in understanding the text. Do you want more practice reading and understanding articles in English? My new Reading Course will help you improve you...
188 - Learn English from the News: Google Employees Protest Sexual Harassment Policies
November 09, 2018 00:51 - 6 minutes - 6.54 MBThis month, I'm bringing you a very special series of videos in which you can learn English from the news. Every week, I'll choose a current news topic and teach you key vocabulary and phrases in the context of the article. This week's lesson is based on an article about employees of Google protesting their company's policies about sexual harassment. You can read the original news here, and then watch my video explanation of 20 vocabulary words from the article!
187 - 10 English words with alternative pronunciation
October 17, 2018 12:00 - 5 minutes - 5.79 MBThe English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them!The English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-words-with-alternative-pronunciation/ In today's lesson, you'll learn some of the most common ones - like aunt, caram...
186 - Wait or await? Sleep or asleep? Wake or awake?
October 10, 2018 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.59 MBDo you know the difference between wait and await, sleep and asleep, and wake and awake? These words seem simple, but there are some small grammatical differences in the way we use them in sentences. Take today's lesson to find out how to use them all correctly. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wait-and-await-sleep-and-asleep-wake-and-awake/ Small mistakes like saying "await for" often don't affect communication; however, they show that you're not a native English speaker. ...
185 - 5 phrasal verbs with BREAK
October 03, 2018 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.8 MBToday you’re going to learn the difference between break in, break out, break down, break up, and break through. Some of these phrasal verbs have multiple meanings. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/5-phrasal-verbs-with-break/ It can be very hard to remember the meanings of phrasal verbs if you just study lists and definitions. That's why in my lessons, I always try to give you real examples of the phrasal verbs used in sentences! In my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course, ...
184 - Sometimes, sometime, or some time?
September 26, 2018 12:00 - 4 minutes - 4.93 MBToday I want to clear up some confusion around the words sometime, sometimes, and some time. Are they all the same? No! These words have different meanings and uses. Take today's lesson to find out how to use each one of them correctly. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/sometimes-sometime-or-some-time/ Can you make your own example sentences with all three? It’s important to put what you’re learning into practice! My English courses can help you do that – many of...