American English Podcast

We live in a day and age that is driven by science and technology, yet people are still superstitious. According to a study I read by YouGov, 9% of Americans claim to be superstitious, while another 35% admit to not being very superstitious, but somewhat. That makes over 40% of individuals in the United States somewhat superstitious.So what does it mean to be superstitious? According to Cambridge Dictionary, it is to have beliefs that are not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but are connected with old ideas about magic. Many times, superstitious people believe in irrational, unproven signs of good and bad luck.In today’s episode, we’re going to go through 13 common superstitions in the United States and their origins. By the end of this audio lesson, you’ll walk away with more knowledge about American culture and some new vocabulary and phrases. I’ll teach those as we go along.Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! *****Buy Me a Coffee*****Premium Content: This episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.   Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (with 5 in-depth courses to improve your English,  includes all transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  *****Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Sunday Toasted" is a song that was recently released by a new artist named Zinn, and it's jam-packed with American slang and vocabulary which we'll go through in this episode. This song is also full of cultural references about working and partying :). All in all, I can't think of a more fitting song to be the first "music" episode on this podcast. By the end, you'll have a beautiful picture in your mind of a typical summer's day in the South and understand why lake culture is so big there! "You just don't know what you're missing!" This song was written by Zinn, my husband (Lucas) and Stefan."Sunday Toasted" - by ZinnClocked out, now I’m en routeIt’s about summertimeBeen waitin' all damn week There’s one thing on my mindYeah I'm thinking about tan lines And moonshine, it goes down easilyNight rides, in the moonlightA cozy on my kneeCold beer in the YetiBeckies on deckIn the dirty waterWe'll be speedingFalling off jetsNo sir, no blue collarOut of touch, ain't no serviceSoak it up Sunday ToastedLake house, party down SouthYou just don't know what you're missingChorus*Pull out from the dock, three deep, three boats heading out your wayLight it up, let the speakers bleedGot the girls choosing what to playYeah we bumpin' Nelly, Aldean, Country, R & BWaiting all week, to kick back and release Chorus*Meet me on the table, cuz I’m heating upWe can run it back, wanna test your luckShoot behind the back it’s a double cupOne more shot I’m on fireRerack that I’m a gentlemanWho’s going next you can send them inBetter get ready cuz I’m running it Let’s get f***Listen to the song on SpotifyFor those of you who have been following our story in Los Angeles, you may know that my husband Lucas is a Brazilian songwriter and music producer trying to get a song on the radio in English in the U.S..  A few of you have asked to listen to his songs in the past and I'm happy to announce that this is his first release in English - many more are coming out this year (from artists in Japan, Spain and Britain).*****Premium Content: This episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.  Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Monster Study (aka Tudor Study) is an unethical psychology experiment that was conducted in 1939 on 22 orphans in Davenport, Iowa.  The goal was to a test the theory that by deeply worrying about starting to stutter, one may develop the speech disorder. Mary Tudor, a graduate student, attempted to induce stuttering - to create the behavior - in fluent speakers with the assistance of her advisor Wendell Johnson.The study was dubbed "The Monster Study" for the cruelty and misconduct of it. Learn more about the creators, the experiment and what can be deduced from its results. This study was kept OFF THE RECORD for many years; now the official documentation can be found online for anyone to view.*****I'm not a speech pathologist, but I do know one thing. Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you are not worth being heard. What you say has value, and it doesn't matter how fast you speak or how perfectly you speak, what you say matters. Try to be patient with others as well.*****Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, there are two parts. In Part 1, you'll hear a joke, practice your pronunciation and learn the expression "Off the Record". In Part 2 of today's lesson, we’re going to talk about The Monster Study, a wildly unethical study (by today's standards) that is about orphans and language development, specifically stuttering.To amp up the learning experience in episode 129, I explain challenging words and phrases as I go along. The American English Accent Course As mentioned in the audio, if you're interested in improving your pronunciation and overall accent in English, check out this course. Hours of videos and transcripts will help you hone the nuances of American English, from word stress, syllable stress and connected speech to reductions, vowel sounds and so much more. Check it out.Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode, you'll learn vocabulary, phrasal verbs and expressions related to Birthday Parties. This episode was created with a goal in mind: to help you think about the birthday parties in your life. I hope that by the end of this lesson you feel like you can describe your special days with more detail in English.This is an advanced listening exercise so it's ok if you don't understand everything! To access to material and worksheets that correspond to this episode, check out Premium Content below. A birthday is just another day, but it's also a new beginning. It's a time to reflect on life, on how far you've come, how you've changed, and where you're going. So live it up and take lots of videos and pictures. You won't regret it!Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AboutPhilip Clem is a talented singer and songwriter from Seattle, Washington who has lived in San Francisco, Spain and now Los Angeles, California. Today, Philip is going to tell us about what it's like to be a local from Seattle. In this episode, you'll learn about the state, its stereotypes (and whether or not they're true!), you’ll learn about the culture, food, weather and, of course, about our special guest!I hope that after you’re done listening to this episode, you feel like you know a local!Interested in Philip, or his music? Find Philip on Instagram here (@philipjohnclem)Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's 5-Minute English episode, you'll learn vocabulary, phrasal verbs and collocations needed to describe A Day At The Beach.Beach Recommendations U.S. Beaches where you can drink Nude Beaches in the U.S. My favorite beaches in California:  Pacific Beach - San Diego Pismo Beach - near San Luis Obispo La Jolla - near San Diego (go kayaking + look at the lion sharks below!) Zuma Beach - Malibu (this is our go-to beach) Santa Cruz (go to the Boardwalk boardwalk, SO fun!) East Beach (downtown Santa Barbara - I love this because of the beach / city combo:)) Most people from California would probably also recommend Santa Monica ( go on rides at the pier and shopping on 3rd Street) / Venice Beach for its canals and Abbott Kinney Blvd for shopping, then of course Laguna Beach (go to Urth cafe!). All of the beaches south of Malibu are pretty awesome (Manhattan, Redondo, etc.) Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're going to be talking about doughnuts (or donuts; both spellings are acceptable in American English). You'll learn the history, the stories behind the most famous doughnut brands and all about the most popular doughnuts in the display case. After all, if you're going to be the one who brings doughnuts to the office, you got to do it right.Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, there are two parts. In Part 1, you'll hear a joke, practice your pronunciation and learn the expression "To Sugarcoat Something". In Part 2 of today's lesson (available on Saturday, July 23), we’re going to talk about donuts. You’ll learn the history, the stories behind the most famous brands and all about the most popular donuts in the display case. Afterall, if you’re going to be the one who brings donuts, you gotta do it right! To amp up the learning experience, I’ve packed a ton of fun vocab and phrases into this episode. By the end, you will be able to describe a perfect donut and a bad one in English! You can reuse the descriptive adjectives for other baked goods - anything made with dough or batter. Premium ContentThis episode is part of Season 3. By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download  and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. Follow along with the Season 3 audio (episodes 101-150) as episodes are released. Season 3..Other Links! Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1-3  (including transcripts + mp3s) Get ONLY the Transcripts for Episodes 001 - 150.  Get the Free E-Book: 101 American English Slang Words  Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to move overseas is a big one and it requires preparation. The first step for non-native English speakers who want to live, study or work in the U.S. is taking an English exam as proof of English ability. The IELTS exam is one of the most popular. Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Aubrey Carter, who shared three expressions that you can use on the IELTS exam and in daily life. These expressions can be squeezed into almost any conversation! If you'd like to learn all about the IELTS exam and hear some tricks for getting a higher score and dealing with the  anxiety of speaking in English in an interview setting be sure to check out episode 104 with Jessica Beck! Jessica is a former IELTS examiner of 14 years and creator of the 3 KEYS IELTS course.Get a $50 DISCOUNT on the 3 KEYS IELTS course now.I am an affiliate of this course for a few reasons:  Jessica has 14 YEARS of experience as an IELTS examiner! She created the study plan.  The 30 and 60-day study plans are structured in an achievable format with fun activities.  Student success stories serve as proof of course effectiveness! So many students have increased their score with the tips, trips and knowledge within the course. Their stories can be found on the IELTS Energy podcast as well as on the official YouTube Channel.  Even if you decide you want to take the IELTS 6 months from now, plan ahead! Start working on your general English knowledge and learn more about the test format. Get a $50 DISCOUNT on the 3 KEYS IELTS course now.Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices