Thinking in English

There are thousands of languages in the world. Some are spoken by billions of people, others by less than one hundred! Which country has the most languages? In this episode I’ll answer that question, look at some of the languages spoken in that country, and try to explain why there are so many! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/01/13/42-which-country-has-the-most-languages-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST Diversity (n) - a range of different things or people The wonderful diversity of our country’s wildlife is now under threat Inhabitant (v) - a person or animal that lives in a particular place That city has 5 million inhabitants Linguistically (adv) - in a way that is connected with language or the study of language Apparently Silicon Valley has become one of the most linguistically diverse places in America Dialect (n) - a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country, containing some different words and grammar, etc. The poem is written in northern dialect Descend from (Phrasal v) - if one thing descend from or is descended from another, the later thing develops from the earlier thing Romance languages are directly descended from Latin Ancestor (n) - a person related to you who lived a long time ago There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls of the room Indigenous (adj) - existing naturally or having always lived in a place; native The Navajos are among the indigenous people of North America Colonist (n) - someone who lives in or goes to live in a country or area that is a colony The first American colonists arrived in the 17th century Creole (n) - a language that has developed from a mixture of languages Many Afro-Caribbean Englishes are creoles Tribe (n) - a group of people, often of related families, who live together, sharing the same language, culture, and history, especially those who do not live in towns or cities The Masai tribe live in Africa COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Q. Apart from English, what languages are native to the UK? A. Welsh, Gaelic, Scots, Ulster scots, Irish, and Cornish! Q. How many languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea? A. About 850 Q. Why are there so many languages in Papua New Guinea? A. The geographical conditions, isolated tribes, and a long history are the perfect ingredients to create a huge range of languages. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I'm sure you already know, a riot broke out in the capital of the USA recently as Donald Trump supporters invaded the US Congress. In the aftermath, Trump has been removed and banned from numerous social media platforms. On today’s episode, we will look at the events of January 6th, and then discuss the idea of free speech. Free speech has been a major talking point after the banning of Trump. Should social media sites have the right to ban users because of what they say or believe? CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST To evacuate (v) - to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe The police evacuated the village shortly after the explosion To discredit (v) - to cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea of person Evidence of links with criminals discredited the mayor To intimidate (v) - to frighten or threaten someone, usually in order to persuade them to so something that you want them to do They were intimidated into accepting a pay cut by the threat of losing their jobs To cover (v) - to report the news about a particular important event She is covering the American election for BBC television To excuse (v) - to forgive someone We cannot excuse him for these crimes Freely (adv) - without being controlled or limited Exotic foods are freely available in supermarkets To moderate (v) - to manage a public discussion The local TV anchorman is going to moderate the debate Personality (n) - a famous person The show is hosted by a popular TV personality --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How expensive is the city you live in? Recently, the Economist Intelligence Unit has released its ranking of the most expensive cities in the world. The episode will look at the results of this ranking, as well as talk about some of the trends in price increases or decreases and the reasons behind these trends! https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/01/06/40-what-is-the-most-expensive-city-in-the-world-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST To rank (v) - to have a position a higher or lower than others, or to be considered to have such a position She ranked the bottle in order of size along the shelf Inexpensive (adj) - not costing a lot of money That is an inexpensive perfume To drop (v) - to move to a lower level, or cause something to move to a lower level We had to drop our prices because of the recession Habit (n) - something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it Members of the public were asked about their shopping habits To embrace (v) - to accept something enthusiastically He embraced the opportunity Vice (n) - a moral fault or weakness in someone’s character My one real vice is chocolate To cope (v) - to deal successfully with a difficult situation It must be really hard to cope with three young children and a job To plummet (v) - to fall very quickly and suddenly House prices have plummeted in recent months --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brexit. I’m sure you must have heard about Brexit at some point in the last four years, and the UK finally left the EU on January 1st 2020. I often get asked about Brexit by English students and foreign friends, and one of the biggest challenges people face is the vocabulary. It can be complicated, confusing, and full of political and economic jargon! So on this episode, I will introduce some of the key vocabulary that could help you to understand and read about Brexit! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/01/04/39-brexit-all-the-essential-vocabulary-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST Departure (n) - the act leaving somewhere, or an occasion when this happens Our departure was delayed because of bad weather Union (n) - the act or the state of being joined together The debate on European political and monetary union continues To coin (v) - to invent a new word or expression, or to use one in a particular way for the first time Allen Ginsberg coined the term “flower power” Divisive (adj) - used to describe something that causes great and sometimes unfriendly disagreement within a group of people The Vietnam war was an extremely divisive issue in the US To trigger (v) -  to cause something to start Some people find that certain food trigger their headaches To reach (v) - to achieve something after careful thought or discussion After hours of discussion, the committee finally reached a decision Tariff (n) - a charge for services or on goods entering a country The US has imposed new tariffs on chocolate from Brazil Regulation (n) - an official rule or the act of controlling something New safety regulations have been brought in contention (n) - the disagreement that results from opposing arguments There’s a lot of contention about that issue - for every person firmly in favour, there’s someone fiercely against it --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2020 is almost over! What a strange and unforgettable year it has been! In this episode, we are going to look at New Year’s resolutions. And if you listen until the end, I will give you some suggestions for English learning related New Year’s resolutions that you can try yourself! https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/30/38-new-years-resolutions-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST To alter (v) - to change something, usually slightly, or to cause the characteristics of something to change We’ve had to alter some of our plans To socialise (v) - To spend time when you are not working with friends or with other people in order to enjoy yourself I tend to not socialise with my colleagues resolution (n) - a promise to yourself to do or to not do something I made a resolution to give up chocolate trait (n) - a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behaviour His sense of humour is one of his better traits Cliché (n) - a saying or remark that is very often made and is therefore not original and not interesting People always use cliches in job interviews unachievable (adj) - an unachievable task, ambition, etc. is one that is impossible to achieve It may be an unachievable goal, but you set your targets as high as you possibly can spontaneously (adv) - in a way that is natural, often sudden, and not planned or forced Hundred of people spontaneously appeared at the house for a party satisfied (adj) - pleased because you have got what you wanted, or because something has happened in the way that you wanted Some people are never satisfied! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, let's talk about money. Whether you love the idea of money, or hate it, money is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of our modern world! As an important part of our culture, money has obviously impacted our language. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different ways to refer to or talk about money; although I can't introduce you to all of these, this episode will give you a few interesting alternatives to add to your vocabulary. I’ll also suggest a few money-related idioms you could try to use! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/28/37-money-essential-english-vocabulary/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST Good (n) - things for sale, or the things that you own There is a 25 percent discount on all electrical goods until the end of the week To barter (v) - to exchange goods for other things rather than for money He bartered his stamp collection for her comics. To negotiate (v) - to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an agreement with them I’m negotiating for a new contract Currency (n) - the money that is used in a particular country at a particular time 19 European countries use the Euro as their currency Slang (n) - very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written “Chicken” is slang for someone who isn’t brave Colloquial (adj) - (of words and expressions) informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing English is full of colloquial terms and phrases Simultaneously (adv) - in a way that is simultaneous (= happening or being done at exactly the same time) Two children answered the teacher’s question simultaneously Budget (n) - the amount of money you have available to spend The school budget is going to be cut again Mainstream (adj) - considered normal, and having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that are accepted by most people This is the director’s first mainstream Hollywood film COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Q. What currency does Ireland use? A. Euro Q. “I have no money” - What idiom would describe me? A. Broke/Short on money Q. “I am rich” - What idiom would describe me? A. Loaded/Filthy rich --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and Merry Christmas! This episode is probably being released on Christmas eve, so there is no better time to learn some Christmassy words!! Learn some festive themed idioms, phrases, and sayings to boost your Christmas vocabulary! TRANSCRIPT!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/23/36-christmas-special-christmas-idioms-phrases-and-sayings-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary list Intrinsic (adj) - being an extremely important and basic characteristic of a person or thing Maths is an intrinsic part of the school curriculum To associate (v) - to connect someone or something in your mind with someone or something else Most people associate this brand with good quality Ecstatic (adj) - extremely happy The new president was greeted by an ecstatic crowd Loosely (adv) - not exactly The film is loosely based on a novel by John Smith Illogical (adj) - not reasonable, wise, or practical, usually because directed by the emotions rather than by careful thought It is an illogical statement, because if one part is true, then the other must be false Insignificant (adj) - small or not noticeable, and therefore not considered important Why bother arguing about such an insignificant amount of money? Intention (n) - something that you want and plan to do I’ve no intention of changing my plans just to fit in with his --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, I'm hoping to give you some tips to improve your writing skills! Writing is one of the key language skills, and often students want to know how they can get better! We’ll look at some of the reasons writing is important to practice, and then I'll offer some advice on how to improve! Transcript - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/21/35-how-to-improve-your-writing-skills/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST To reinforce (v) - to make something stronger The pockets on my jeans are reinforced with double stitching Aspect (n) - one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc. Which aspects of your job do you most enjoy? Element (n) - a part of something The movie has all the elements of a blockbuster Flow (n) - if discussions or ideas flow, people talk and exchange information in a relaxed way Ideas flow more easily in an atmosphere of trust Factor (n) - a fact or situation that influences the result of something People’s voting habits are influenced by political, social, and economic factors Perfection (n) - the state of being complete and correct in every way In his quest for physical perfection, he spends hours in the gym To express (v) - to communicate what you think or feel, by speaking or writing, or in some other way Children often express themselves in painting To analyse - to study or examine something in detail, in order to discover more about it Researchers analysed the purchases of 6,300 households --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode we are going to discuss the controversy and debate surrounding zoos! Are zoos vital organisations because they promote scientific research and public education, and save animals on the verge of extinction? Or are zoos terrible prisons with no educational value that damage animals physically and psychologically? TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/16/34-should-zoos-exist-a-discussion-of-the-benefits-and-controversies-surrounding-zoos-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com VOCABULARY LIST Controversial (adj) - causing disagreement or discussion The book was very controversial To struggle (v) - to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something I’ve been struggling to understand this article all afternoon Logistically (adv) - in a way that involves the careful organization of a complicated activity In theory, this is a great idea, but logistically, it's a nightmare Aristocrat (n) - a person of high social rank who belongs to the aristocracy Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution Conservation (n) - the protection of plants, animals, and natural areas from the damaging effects of human activity Wildlife conservation is an important idea in a number of African countries Biodiversity (n) - the number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area in the world, and the problems of protecting this Much of this area’s biodiversity is threatened by climate change Captive (adj) - (of a person or animal) having limited ability to move or act freely because of being kept in a space If it is successful, releasing captive animals into the wild could restore the population to over 500 this year! Habitat (n) - the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives With so many areas of forest being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat Detrimental (adj)- causing harm or damage These chemicals have a detrimental impact on the environment Comprehension Questions Q. Why was Calgary zoo struggling to feed its pandas? A. They could not buy/import enough bamboo!’ Q. Where is the world's oldest operational zoo? A. Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Austria Q. What is the leading cause of death of gorillas in captivity? A. Heart disease --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we are going to look at how to ask great questions! Asking questions is one of the most important skills in daily life, but most people do not realise we can practice and improve! I’ll look at why questions are important, the mistakes we often make when asking questions, and then some tips on how to improve! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2020/12/14/how-to-ask-excellent-questions-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Twitter - @thinkenglishpod Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List To clarify (v) - to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation Could you clarify the first point please? I don’t understand it completely. Tremendous (adj) - very great in amount or level, or extremely good They were making a tremendous amount of noise last night respective (adj) - relating or belonging to each of the separate people or things you have just mentioned Everyone would walk to school together then afterwards we’d go to our respective classes To fuel (v) - something that fuels a feeling or a type of behaviour increases it or makes it stronger The president’s speech fuelled speculation that she is about to resign eager (adj) - wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable He is very eager to meet you apathetic (adj) - showing no interest or energy and unwilling to take action, especially over something important Young people today are so apathetic about politics To bias (v) - to cause someone or something to have a bias (bias is the action of supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way, because of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgement) I don’t want to bias your judgement! Intrusive (adj) - affecting someone in a way that annoys them or makes them feel uncomfortable The journalists intrusive questioning made me uncomfortable transparent (adj) - open and honest, without secrets We are committed to being totally transparent about our decisions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices