American English Podcast

It's a ridiculous visual, is it not?! If the cat's got your tongue, you can't talk, you're speechless! And that's pretty much how we use it in English conversation. We often ask someone "Cat got your tongue?" in situations when they can't respond, or they don't respond. Listen to this episode to hear a joke, learn this expression and practice your pronunciation. This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about Dr. Seuss, one of the most beloved cartoonists and authors in American history. *****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  American English Accent Course *****Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year in New Orleans, Louisiana, a million visitors come to experience the biggest Mardi Gras party in the United States. Learn about the history of this event and the traditions and culture surrounding it.If you plan on visiting, be sure to stay tuned until the very end; you'll learn how to make the most of it as a tourist!This is Part 2. In Part 1 of this episode, Episode 139, you'll learn how to use the very common expression up one's alley, you'll heard a joke and practice your pronunciation!  *****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  American English Accent Course *****Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Isn't it nice when you learn an English expression that you can use a million times a day, every single day that you speak English? Well, listen to this episode. In today's episode, you'll learn how to use the very common expression up one's alley, you'll hear a joke and you'll practice your pronunciation! This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about the massive Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana, and how you can take part in it!*****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  American English Accent Course *****Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You walk into a restaurant and head towards the bar. Behind it, a lighted mosaic of colorful liquors spread from the ceiling to the floor. It's fancy on another level. Some people may describe it as resplendent; it feels like you're looking into a Queen's jewelry box.A long counter separates you from the skilled bartender behind it, who shakes, stirs and strains with ease. As you approach, you consider how you'll place your order in English and suddenly you feel out of your element. In other words, you don't feel comfortable. You feel out of your element.How do you order a drink at a cocktail bar like a native? Well, in today's lesson, you'll learn just that.*****THIS IS AN ADVANCED ENGLISH EPISODE! Don't stress out of you don't understand everything. If you want to understand everything be sure to sign up to Premium Content!How to Get Premium Content for this episode:  Season 3: By purchasing Season 3, 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.  You'll also get the full 5-Minute English Course - Part 2, which contains 12 in-depth lessons to boost your vocabulary! This lesson is part of that course. Get ALL PREMIUM CONTENT FOR SEASONS 1 - 3  (with 5 in-depth courses to improve your English,  includes all transcripts + mp3s, quizzes + more) 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

It's story time! Welcome to a French coffee shop and fancy restaurant where you'll be introduced to a number of common French loanwords in English. A loanword is a words borrowed from a foreign language.American English is packed with French words; how do we pronounce them?  Well, I know a lot of you are saying we butcher them, that's okay (I don't disagree with you!) In general, the pronunciation of a words depends on how popular / common a word is. If a French word is common in American English, naturally, there's an expected way to pronounce it, even if it's not how it is pronounced normally in French. The goal of this episode is to teach you how we pronounce the common ones and what to do when you come across uncommon loanwords. Here is a sample of some of the words in today's episode.  Patisserie Croissants Baguettes Eclairs Creme brulée Soufflé Crepes Facade (less commonly spelled façade in English) Chic Faux pas Maitre d’ (or also spelled maître d') Sommelier Connoisseur Hors d'oeuvres (we say this word often and I guarantee most people can't spell it!) Champagne  Vinaigrette Omelet (or also spelled omelette) Faux Cliché (less commonly spelled cliche in English) Risqué Chauffeur Entrepreneur Rendezvous  À la mode (also spelled a la mode) À la carte (also spelled a la carte) C'est la vie Déjà vu (also spelled deja vu) *****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

In today's episode, we're talking to Camille Hanson, an ESL teacher and social media influencer who grew up in the U.P. - the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Buckle up! You're about to be immersed in an adventure; one that includes snow, lake life, deer flies, girls hunting with bows and arrows and so much more. Learn from a local how you can take advantage of "The Mitten State."*****Michigan is the 10th largest state in the US by population, and there’s quite a bit you should know about it. Michigan is located up in the Midwest, near Canada, and it has two main parts: The Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. Most people recognize the shape of the Lower Peninsula; it looks like a mitten. That’s why Michigan is sometimes referred to as "The Mitten State." College life in Michigan is a big thing. And like most states in the Midwest and South, they’re crazy about American football. The state is also home to the automobile industry with General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler headquartered there. Some famous names from Michigan include: Madonna (the singer), Francis Ford Coppola (the director and screenwriter of "The Godfather"), and William Boeing, a pioneer in aviation and creator of the Boeing Company. Yep, they’re all Michiganders.If you like fishing, hiking and greenery, Michigan is where it’s at. 50% of the state is covered in forest, so it’s lush and green. It’s also home to over 10,000 lakes and 40,000 miles of rivers. Did I mention it touches all five of the Great Lakes? That’s a lot of water, a lot of shore and a lot of trees. As a tourist, you might want to try the world-famous cherries from there, try a pasty – not a pastie – and a beer from one of the many local breweries. Your senses will be overwhelmed! *****Find Camille! You can check out Camille's work by visiting her website at Learn English With Camille. - Yooper English (mentioned in audio)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

In today’s lesson you’re going to hear the story of the creator of Jingle Bells, his questionable character and we’ll  go through the lyrics of the song so if you want to sing it in English, you can. This is Part 2. In Part 1, we spoke about  the common English expression Bells and Whistles.*****In December of 1965, a spacecraft called Gemini 6 was flying in outer space, looking back down at earth. The crew members on board were on call with Mission Control when they announced the following alarming message: “We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a … Very low….” After a few more details, sleigh bells started to jingle and the familiar tune Jingle Bells  passed from Gemini 6 to Mission Control. With a harmonica and sleigh bells, Wally Shirra (Walter M. Shirra Jr.) and Tom Stafford, played the first live song from space: Jingle Bells. You heard me. The popular Christmas song, Jingle Bells was the first song ever played live from space.And yes, the astronauts were playing a joke on Mission Control;  they were in fact pretending to see Santa. *****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

The holiday season is here and I bet some of you are skimming the internet for new gadgets. Do you like gadgets with a bunch of bells and whistles (fancy features) or do you prefer simplicity? In this episode, you'll learn how to use the common expression bells and whistles, you'll hear a joke and you'll practice your pronunciation! This is Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll talk about the popular Christmas song Jingle Bells.*****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

You know Starbucks, right? The coffee company? Born in Seattle, Washington and brewed around the world? I bet you do; they have over 33 thousand stores in over 80 countries. In today's episode, we're going to talk about those guys, the beans and more! Why is it called Starbucks? Who's that woman on their cups?There are a lot of Starbucks haters and a lot of lovers out there, but all of you will find this episode fascinating because 1. it’s an absurdly successful business, how did they do it?! 2. it’s about coffee (who doesn’t love coffee!?) and 3. you’ll learn a bucketload of new vocabulary as we go. Thanks again to my amazing supporters who have contributed to this podcast either by purchasing Premium Contentor buying me coffee! Thank you to Paulo and the few other anonymous contributors from this month :) SO exciting! *****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

The expression To Blow Off Steam is a common one in the United States. In today's episode, you'll learn how to use it in everyday contexts, you'll hear a joke and also practice your pronunciation! :) Thanks again to my amazing supporters who have contributed to this podcast either by purchasing Premium Contentor buying me coffee!Thank you to Paulo, Picante, Stefan, Ortiz and the other anonymous contributors from this month. SO exciting! *****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