The Clark and Miller English Podcast

An interview with the awesome Krisia Justesen from Lightning English on how you can change your learning mindset. OK, OK ... I know that sounds like abstract advice. But here's the thing: Krisia will talk you through the steps you need to take to start thinking in a way that'll get you learning English more comfortably and more naturally. In this episode, you'll also get the chance to join a free webinar with Krisia, who will talk you through some of her top strategies. We also talk about: - the weird places Krisia worked at (and how I met her); - why students still can't speak after studying English for years; - why focusing on your English can be a problem; - how not to lose your personality in English; - five tips for adding English into your everyday life (number four is brutal).

Have you ever had problems communicating with people from different cultures? Have you ever felt that your English is good, but you're still not getting your message across? Speaking a language isn't just about getting the words right – especially when you're dealing with people from all over the world. In this episode, I interview the awesome Chia Suan Chong, an expert in international communication and English as a lingua franca. We talk about: - what English as a lingua franca is; - who can communicate better in English: native speakers or non-native speakers (the answer will surprise you); - how to be polite in English; - an interesting case of misunderstandings between catering ladies from India and baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport; - how communication skills can save lives; - whether teachers are prescriptivists or descriptivists; - how giving grammar reasons and not grammar rules can be better teaching; - how language can show us our similarities and differences. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (which was a lot!)

We are not free! And that's a good thing! When we speak English, we're not completely free to choose what we say. However, this lack of freedom can actually make it easier to communicate. In this podcast, you'll find out: - why communicating with people can be like going through airport security ... or being in a Borat film; - how to collect language "passcards" to make your communication more efficient; - how English is just one big script (but we can manipulate it, too); - some examples of classic English "passcard" phrases that you can use every day. Join me on this little journey of discovery!

Have you ever seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Remember that part when Charlie and Grandpa drink some magic soda and start floating towards a giant fan? Remember how they got out of that tricky situation? That's just like grammar! Well ... kind of. Today I talk about: - how we don't use grammar so much for marking time but to give our personal perspectives on how we see the world; - how some grammar is like floating around a giant tunnel; - how some grammar is like having your feet planted firmly on the ground; - how some grammar is more like a personal reflection than a description of reality. If you're learning or teaching English, this episode will give you a new perspective on how language works. And hopefully, you don't end up in that giant fan, and you get to explore the rest of the chocolate factory.

Want to improve your listening skills AND enjoy movies? Want to join a community of other English learners who love films and TV series? Then Cara's your go-to! In this episode, I talk to Cara Leopold, an expert on listening skills and using movies and TV series to improve listening skills, share ideas in English and make sense of the world. We talk about: - how to improve your listening skills and enjoy movies in English; - the differences between film English and real-world English; - how you can improve your English by talking about movies; - what to do before watching a movie to get yourself ready for it; - why listening is such a nightmare; - why it can be a good idea to start a new language with listening and pronunciation; - how to make sense of the crazy world we live in through "watch parties" and movie clubs; - how to join Cara's watch parties; - why you should watch Fargo.

Let me ask you two questions: How many books have you started to read in English? And how many books have you finished in English? I bet the answers to these questions aren't the same. So why do we give up on books so easily? Well, it's usually for one of these reasons: 1. You've chosen a book that's too difficult. 2. You’ve chosen a book that’s not very interesting to you. 3. You’re a strong visual learner and you don’t like reading very much – even in your first language. 4. You either don’t have enough time to “get into” the book or you have a short concentration span. In this episode, I talk about why you're not finishing your English books, the difference between intensive and extensive reading, and I recommend eight books that you will (probably) finish. Reading is great fun – when you do it right!

A New Year's ramble and 10 natural English expressions. This episode is in two parts: In part one, I talk naturally and without a script. This is your chance to listen to ungraded, natural English (and my weird innermost thoughts). In part two, I talk you through 10 of the most interesting natural English phrases, idioms, pronunciation strategies and communication strategies I used in part one. In this episode, you will learn: - strategies to correct yourself; - how to use auxiliaries to sound natural; - new English phrases like "see the back of" and "every man and his dog"; - how to be less specific and more general; - strategies to use when you're not sure of your facts; - how to understand some tricky English pronunciation. All of this to bring you one step closer to understanding the messy world of “real world” English.

A conversation with former Harvard professor Lawrence Weinstein about how the future can limit our power, how using the active can empower us, how the past tense can make us stronger, a man being strangled by a giant paragraph and much, much more. About a month ago, I was lucky enough to receive a forward copy of Lawrence's book, "Grammar for a Full Life: How the Way We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us." Interesting title, right? I had a look at it, and it was full of enticing chapters such as: "Tapping Inborn Energy: Transitive Verbs in the Active Voice" and "Generosity: Semicolons, Cumulative Sentences" and "Friends in the Graveyard: A Special Use of Present Tense." In his book, Lawrence shows us the power of grammar and how it can make us better and happier people (and how it can make us worse and unhappier people, too). I couldn't resist asking him onto the podcast to talk about these ideas. So I did. And, very happily, he said, "Yes!" And we had a truly wonderful conversation full of insights and new ideas. I hope you enjoy it!

Here's something you might be doing without realising it: You might be putting too many flashing lights and flags in your English sentences. But how? With word order! The order that we choose to put words in a sentence in English can subtly (and not so subtly) change the meaning by emphasising certain words. Check out this Clark and Miller English podcast episode to find out how you might be emphasising words that you don’t want to emphasise (and destroying the universe in the process). Seriously -- don't destroy the universe! Just Ipswich. :)

What is the point of Business English? What is Business English? Does it even exist? In this fascinating chat with Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat, you can find out ... - why "removing the language" can make you better at communicating in a business setting, - how a quick pause can make you a stronger communicator, - how to deal with small talk (especially if you're an introvert), - why learning a language is like cutting grass, - how reflecting on your "first language personality" can take the pressure off speaking in English, - how to forget Business English and think in terms of Business Communication, - 3 tips for newbie teachers, - 4 questions to ask yourself if you're learning English, - how to stop worrying about "not having enough English", - how to listen to understand, not listen to reply.