

Plain English
Plain English
The best podcast for learning English if you like current events and trending topics. Improve your English listening, learn new words, and build your confidence with the #1 English-learning podcast focused on current events and trending topics.
Improve your English listening: Plain English episodes go a little slower than native speed so you can understand every word and improve your English listening little by little.
Your host is Jeff. He's a native English speaker from the United States and he's committed to helping you improve your English skills with real-life stories—not textbook exercises.
==> Want more? If you like listening to our episodes and want to do more with us, then join us at https://plainenglish.com/join/ (PlainEnglish.com), where you can take quizzes, do interactive exercises, watch step-by-step video lessons, get expert feedback on your writing, practice speaking in English on live Zoom calls…and much more!
👉 Visit https://plainenglish.com/join/ (PlainEnglish.com/join) to start for free
Improve your English listening: Plain English episodes go a little slower than native speed so you can understand every word and improve your English listening little by little.
Your host is Jeff. He's a native English speaker from the United States and he's committed to helping you improve your English skills with real-life stories—not textbook exercises.
==> Want more? If you like listening to our episodes and want to do more with us, then join us at https://plainenglish.com/join/ (PlainEnglish.com), where you can take quizzes, do interactive exercises, watch step-by-step video lessons, get expert feedback on your writing, practice speaking in English on live Zoom calls…and much more!
👉 Visit https://plainenglish.com/join/ (PlainEnglish.com/join) to start for free
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 22, 2024 • 22min
Massive bridge falls after collision with ship (Fire up)
" A massive bridge over a river in Baltimore, Maryland, fell into the water last month, after a container ship veered off course and crashed into one of the support columns. The ship lost power and had mechanical problems in the moments before impact. All port activity was halted in the aftermath of the disaster. Six construction workers died. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/668 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Apr 18, 2024 • 20min
The growing popularity of Turkish television (Open to)
Exploring the global success of Turkish TV dramas and their impact on tourism. Discussing challenges in introducing Turkish content to English-speaking audiences and the importance of being open to new ideas. Showcasing captivating storylines and themes of love, betrayal, and tragedy in popular Turkish dramas.

Apr 15, 2024 • 21min
Cracks are showing in America's real-estate racket (In the best possible light)
" Americans buy and sell millions of homes per year, and about 90 percent of transactions use a real estate agent. But agents in the U.S. charge among the highest rates in the world, thanks to their stranglehold on the listing databases. But recent court cases are challenging the agents' control of the market. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/666 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Apr 11, 2024 • 23min
Will new dry 'tiles' be the future of laundry detergent? (Morph into)
" First there was powder. Then there was liquid laundry detergent. And then there were laundry ""pods,"" small capsules of pre-measured detergent. But now Proctor & Gamble, the maker of Tide, has a new way of getting laundry detergent into the machine. It's a dry tile, which is lighter, easier to pack, and contains less plastic. The company spent ten years developing the product. Will this be the future of laundry detergent? -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/665 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Apr 8, 2024 • 26min
Gabriel García Márquez sons publish last book against author's wishes (Cloud your judgment)
" The Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez worked on a slim novel called ""Until August"" on and off for decades. In his final years, the author determined the book was not fit for publication and ordered the drafts destroyed. Now, ten years after his death, the writer's sons have published the book against his wishes. Did they do the right thing? -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/664 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Apr 4, 2024 • 24min
Podcasting turns 20 years old (Come to mind)
" Twenty years ago, a new computer program let consumers download a feed of audio clips onto their iPod music players. Today, ""podcasting"" serves millions of listeners of all interests. Here's how podcasting has grown over the years. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/663 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Apr 1, 2024 • 23min
Like it or not, it's Biden vs. Trump again (Pass the torch)
" Three years ago, it seemed that neither Biden nor Trump would be on the American presidential ballot in 2024. But now both are, setting up a rematch from four years earlier. Too bad it's a rematch most voters don't want. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/662 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Mar 28, 2024 • 21min
Four questions about weight-loss drugs (Press up against)
" Weight-loss drugs look to figure prominently in the business and health landscape of the future. So today, we take a look at four questions about these drugs: How do patients' take them? Are they covered by insurance? How much do they cost? And why are they so hard to find? -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/661 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Mar 25, 2024 • 20min
The perils of going off weight-loss drugs (Slow down)
The podcast discusses the perils of going off weight-loss drugs, the challenges of maintaining weight loss, the impact of side effects and affordability, the risks of using drugs without doctor's prescriptions, and the concept of slowing down in life

Mar 21, 2024 • 22min
How our lives are different after the pandemic (Stick with)
" Four years ago, our lives changed in an instant. As the immediate danger of the pandemic subsided, we went back to our old habits of eating indoors, gathering with friends and family, and traveling. But there are some changes that persisted, even after the pandemic ended. Here are a few of them. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/659 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too. -- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join -- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender. Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod "Mentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app
Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com