Learning English Conversations

In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases that you might not find in your dictionary. This week's phrase is 'rabbit in the headlights'.

This week Finn and Wang Fei talk about the usage of the suffix -tastic. What does it mean and what words can you use it with?

In this series you can learn authentic English words and phrases that you might not find in your dictionary. This week's word is 'icebreaker'.

In our new series you can learn authentic English words and phrases that you might not find in your dictionary. This week's phrase is 'good egg'.

Listen to the final part of our pantomime. Last time, Cinderella had to leave the ball in a big rush. Will she really get her happy ending this week?

Cinderella meets Prince Stephen who only speaks in English idioms, creating a humorous interaction. The story unfolds at the ball with romantic moments and a search for the owner of the glass slipper, leading to a cliffhanger for the final part of the pantomime.

Listen to the first part of Cinderella, our special pantomime. Cinderella dreams of escaping her ugly sisters, but how will she ever be able to go to Prince Stephen's Ball? Part two is next week.

Exploring the slang term 'bottle' in British English, from representing courage to cowardice, with a touch on its Australian slang variations. John Ayto delves into the origin, meaning, and implications of 'bottle' and 'bottler' in the final episode of the series.

In this week's episode, John Ayto explores the origin, meaning and use of the expression 'early doors'.

In this week's episode, John Ayto explores the origin, meaning and use of the phrase 'go commando'.