The Level Up English Podcast

I sit down in a Bangkok park and casually discuss some deep feelings on the idea of home, how this changes when you leave your country, and answer some more big questions.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast400

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We all feel like we're not good enough from time to time, and sometimes this feeling affects our language learning. Have you ever felt "My English is terrible" or "I'm just not a strong language learner"?

If so, this is the episode for you.

You'll hear some ideas to let you know you're not alone, but also some practical advice and reminders to help overcome these negative feelings holding us back.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast399

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Join me on a long, hot walk through the suburbs of Bangkok as I talk and share some insights about life in Thailand.

I talk about some of the things I'm seeing as I walk, cultural differences, the difference between judgements and observations, and insights on language learning based on my experience with the Thai language.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast398

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Feeling a bit under the weather today, I share some thoughts on the idea of starting again and the feeling of getting back to old routines after a break.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast397

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AI has come up a few times on this podcast, but I haven't done a great job until now of discussing the drawbacks of using it. I'm not strongly pro or anti Artificial Intelligence, so it's only fair that I spend some time and talk about the ways in which we might want to question our relationship to it.

In this episode, I share the problem of outsourcing our thinking to AI, when you shouldn't use it, and also the downsides of using it for language learning.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast396

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I chat with Tom from the Thinking in English podcast about some ideas from his podcast. Like me, Tom has been publishing episodes for over 6 years, so we have a lot in common here.

We start by discussing the question of how to think in English (and whether this is actually a good goal), and then go into some debate topics inspired by some recent episodes on Tom's podcast.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast395

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Have you ever wondered how to improve your speaking, but you find it hard to get a teacher or language partner? In this episode, I explore on method I found recently that works really well for me, so you'll have no excuse not to practice!

I'm not saying this method can replace interaction with another person, but if you're looking to get more speaking practice in your week, this might just work for you. Let me know what you think!

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast394/

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This podcast series is based on the idea that fixing just one or two of the biggest mistakes in your English will have the largest effect.

I noticed that students from the same countries always made the same mistakes in English, so let's go around the world and share the biggest mistake made by learners in that country based on my teaching experience.

Was your country mentioned? If not, leave a comment and share what you think the biggest mistake is there.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast393/

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This is Part 2 in my series of comparing formal and casual English, with the aim to make your English sound more natural for everyday conversations. You can listen to part 1 in Episode 388.

I give you a list of phrasal verbs and their more formal synonyms while giving examples of each one. I encourage you to share your own examples too so you can practice these yourself.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast392

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On my final day in the UK before returning to Thailand, I get quite self-reflective as I sit in the countryside and answer 10 questions that might change your life.

These are deep questions where on the way to find the answer, you might come to some big realisations about how to life. Of course, along the way, I'll also be sharing new and useful vocabulary.

I encourage you to answer these questions too, and as a bonus, try to practice any words that were new for you.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast391

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Paul is a teacher from the UK who has recently been teaching Saturday group classes on the Level Up English website. Although we've got to know each other over the years, this is the first time talking together on the podcast.

Paul shares his experience gaining confidence for TV appearances, the ups and downs of teaching group classes, interesting experiences teaching private classes, and more!

What I love most about this episode is Paul's insights on learning English, from accent and how you sound, to the most important things to focus on. Don't miss this one!

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast390/

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This is one of the rare Level Up English Podcast episodes that is better suited for video watching, so if you like, check it out on YouTube or Spotify to see where I am. Hopefully, the listening experience is still good despite the wind in the middle.

I take you on a journey to the 2nd most remote place in all of England. This is Dartmoor National park, where I'm on a hike to a place called Fur Tor. This is just one example of exploring off-the-beaten-path places in the UK, and I talk about some more in today's episode.

Remember, new vocabulary and bonus lessons are available for members on the link below.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast389/

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English is pretty famous for having loads of confusing synonyms - these are different words that have the same meaning.

What learners often struggle with is knowing when to use these words, because although they have the same meaning, they are used in different ways and at different times.

In this episode, I'll be sharing some pairs of words that have the same meanings, but one is formal and one is casual, so you'll know the best one to use in each situation. I'll also be sharing examples and answering questions using these words, and I encourage you to do the same to help learn them faster.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast388/

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Let's explore why Gerunds and Infinitives are so important.

The basics are a gerund is an ING verb that acts as a noun (eg. swimming), while an Infinitive is a verb beginning with 'to' (eg. to swim). Sometimes we can say both: I like to swim / I like swimming. But sometimes (in fact, more often) only one is possible.

What many learners don't know, is that sometimes you can use both, but the meaning changes when you do. In this episode, we'll be exploring these meaning changes in more detail.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast387/

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I bring Molly to a beautiful field in the English countryside on the border between Devon and Cornwall, and I quiz her on British culture.

I ask a variety of questions on topics of behaviour, attitudes, cultural norms, and language. Play along while you listen and see how many you can get right too.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast386/

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Over the years I've taught students from most corners of the world, and over that time, I've noticed that students from each country tend to make the same mistakes. This could be due to the education system, or perhaps also the differences between English and their native language.

In this episode, I got a few of the largest countries and shared the number 1 mistake I hear from students in each country. I also share how you can avoid this mistake, then answer a question using the correct English as an example. Of course, I invite you to answer the questions too. You can do so in the shownotes comments.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast385/

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I'm sure you've asked yourself the question before - "What's the best way to learn a language?"

In this episode, I'll be trying to answer exactly that, as I rank various methods in a Tier List to find the most effective and least effective. Make sure you stay until the end because my summary and conclusion might be the most useful advice of the whole episode.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast384/

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We make decisions every single day - some of them little ones, and some of them huge life-changing decisions.

I'll be sharing some really useful expressions you can use when deciding between two things, while giving my own stories and examples for each one as well. This way, you can see how the expressions is used naturally, and I'll also encourage you to share or think about your own answers to each question.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast383/

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Which city in the UK is the best and which is the worst? In this episode, you will find out the answer and a little bit more on why. I will be ranking some of the biggest and most popular UK cities all around the country, from best to worst, and I'll be talking about my own experience in each one as well. So whether you are planning a future trip to the UK, or maybe you just want to hear more about it, the culture, what each place is like, and my opinion, then this will be a good episode for you.

And of course, you'll also be getting fantastic listening practice to level up your English,

For a visual guide, you can watch the video version to see my final scores.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast382/

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Meg (Mega Language Coach) joins me for a second episode and this time we talk about inclusive language.

Inclusive language is a way of speaking that includes other people and doesn't leave people out based on their ability, gender, personality, or anything else. It's a small shift you can make in your language to sound nicer.

We talk about whether you can say "guys" when talking to girls, the difference between he, she and 'they', and also why people don't often say "police man" anymore.

In the second half of the episode, I challenge Meg to a game to fill in the blanks in common expressions, and I invite you to join in as well.

Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast381/

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