Rob Rudge tells a story about that moment when you’re so close to a problem that you can’t see the solution. Level: Upper-Intermediate  Accent: United Kingdom (Yorkshire) FREE EPISODE LEARNING PACKAGE⁠ to make the most of this episode and subscribe to our newsletter to take your English much further. SPONSORS THAT SUPPORT THIS PODCAST: - Free course Cambridge B2 First for Spanish speakers from AC English School - Enjoy a 5% discount on IATI travel insurance, a company my family uses and trusts 5 words & expressions in today's story: - UPBRINGING: The way a child is raised and taught by their parents. Examples: "Her strict upbringing influenced her strong work ethic." or "He credits his upbringing for his sense of responsibility." - TO KICK BACK: To relax and do nothing. Examples: "After a long day, I just want to kick back and watch TV." or "She kicked back on the sofa with a good book." - MAIN DRAG: The main street or central road in a town or city. Examples: "The main drag is always busy with traffic." or "Shops and restaurants line the main drag of the city." - WITHOUT BATTING AN EYE: Without showing any reaction or surprise. Examples: "She handled the criticism without batting an eye." or "He agreed to the risky plan without batting an eye." - TO DREAD: To feel great fear or anxiety about something. Examples: "She dreaded going to the dentist." or "He dreaded the long flight ahead." Episode Links:  - Learn more about Rob Rudge at his website, Energetic English  - Listen to Rob & Bree chat about small talk on The Business English Podcast 💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our⁠⁠ ⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life.

Fabio Cerpelloni, an Italian writer and educator, shares his inspiring journey of reaching out to famous figures. He discusses overcoming the fear of rejection and the valuable lessons learned from unexpected responses. Fabio highlights how asking questions can broaden perspectives, emphasizing the courage it takes to connect with others. He also reflects on his transformative experiences between London, Australia, and New Zealand, and how prioritizing passion has led to greater success in writing and teaching.

New episodes starting August 13, 2024 — Join Bree as she explores stories that inspire and improve your English.

Season 6 of Into the Story arrives August 2024! Meanwhile, enjoy this fiction story from Ariel Goodbody of Easy Stories in English about two sisters. If you haven't already listened to ⁠Sisters, Sisters (Part 1)⁠, go listen now! Angeline and Annabelle are a classic sister act. Annabelle writes the songs and they sing together, but Angeline gets all the compliments. When a music producer offers a deal to Annabelle, she realizes she can't let the opportunity go. But what starts as a harmonious collaboration soon turns into a discordant nightmare… Level: Intermediate Accent: United Kingdom (Bath)  👉 Get the full transcript at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Sisters  Episode Vocabulary:  - DYE: To change the color of something using a special liquid. Examples: "She dyed her hair bright red." or "They dyed the fabric blue for the costumes." - VOCALS: The singing part of a song. Examples: "Her vocals were amazing in the concert." or "He provided the vocals for the band's latest album." - SYNTHESIZER: An electronic instrument that creates various sounds. Examples: "He played the melody on the synthesizer." or "The band used a synthesizer to add electronic effects to their music." - CUT OUT: To remove something by cutting. Examples: "She cut out the article from the newspaper." or "He cut out pictures from magazines for his collage." Episode Links: - Find more episodes like this one at Easy Stories in English  💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our⁠ ⁠free newsletter⁠⁠ to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life.

Season 6 of Into the Story arrives August 2024! Meanwhile, enjoy this fiction story from Ariel Goodbody of Easy Stories in English about two sisters. Angeline and Annabelle are a classic sister act. Annabelle writes the songs and they sing together, but Angeline gets all the compliments. When a music producer offers a deal to Annabelle, she realises she can't let the opportunity go. But what starts as a harmonious collaboration soon turns into a discordant nightmare... Level: Intermediate Accent: United Kingdom (Bath)  👉 Get the full transcript at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Sisters  Episode Vocabulary:  - FIDDLE: To play with something in a restless or nervous way. Examples: "He fiddled with his pen during the meeting." or "She fiddled with her hair while she talked." - SPRINKLES: Tiny pieces of candy used to decorate desserts. Examples: "She added sprinkles to the cupcakes for a festive look." or "The ice cream was topped with colorful sprinkles." - KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN: To stay out of trouble. Examples: "He tries to keep his nose clean and avoid any legal issues." or "She was advised to keep her nose clean at her new job." - COMPLIMENT: A polite expression of praise or admiration. Examples: "She gave him a compliment on his new haircut." or "He received many compliments on his performance." - FLIRT: To behave playfully towards someone you are attracted to. Examples: "He likes to flirt with her at parties." or "She was flirting with him at the coffee shop." - PINCH: To squeeze tightly between the fingers. Examples: "She pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming." or "He pinched his brother playfully." - FLAP: To move up and down or back and forth quickly. Examples: "The bird flapped its wings and flew away." or "The flag flapped in the strong wind." - X MEETS Y: A way to describe something as a combination of two different things. Examples: "The movie is like 'Indiana Jones meets Star Wars.'" or "Her music is a mix of pop meets classical." - BROADSHEET: A large-format newspaper known for serious journalism. Examples: "He reads the broadsheet every morning for the latest news." or "The broadsheet published an in-depth article on the topic." - NOTE (MUSIC): A single sound of a particular pitch in music. Examples: "She played a high note on the piano." or "He hit the perfect note during his solo." - HIKE: A long walk, usually in the countryside or wilderness. Examples: "They went for a hike in the mountains." or "She enjoys hiking on weekends." Episode Links: - Find more episodes like this one at Easy Stories in English  💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our⁠ ⁠free newsletter⁠⁠ to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life.

Christie was on tour as a professional dancer when unexpected turns teach her about strength and confidence, even when things get difficult. Level: upper intermediate  Accent: Canadian 🚐 Ready to take your English further? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOR FULL EPISODE PACKAGE⁠ with vocabulary, test, and transcript! 5 words and expressions in today's story: - BREAD AND BUTTER: Someone's main job or main source of income. Examples: "For many musicians, playing concerts is their bread and butter." or "Writing is her bread and butter; it pays all her bills." - OUT OF THE BLUE: Something happens suddenly and unexpectedly. Examples: "I was walking home, and out of the blue, it started raining heavily." or "He received a phone call out of the blue from an old friend." - BUMP UP: This phrasal verb means to upgrade or move to a higher position or level. Examples: "She was bumped up to a manager position at work." or "The airline bumped up her seat to business class for free." - LONG STORY SHORT: To explain only the most important parts of a story, leaving out unnecessary details. Examples: "The car broke down, we missed the event, and long story short, it was a terrible day." or "Long story short, we decided to move to a new city after many discussions." - TO BURN OUT: This phrasal verb can mean two things: (1) When a fire stops burning because there is no more fuel. Example: "The campfire burned out after we ran out of wood." (2) When a person becomes very tired and can't continue because they have worked too hard. Example: "The campfire burned out after we ran out of wood." or "After working nonstop for months, he finally burned out and needed a vacation." Episode Links: - To find out more about Christie Cunningham, visit her website 💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our⁠ ⁠free newsletter⁠⁠ to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life

Join Thomas Zachariassen, an experienced ultramarathon runner, as he shares the challenges of race day, pushing oneself in training, trusting gut feelings, and the relief of crossing the finish line. Explore the mindset of ultramarathon runners and the mental and physical hurdles they overcome.

Jaclyn tells the story of a paragliding accident and its emotional impact on her life. Level: upper intermediate  Accent: Canadian 🚐 Ready to take your English further? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOR FULL EPISODE PACKAGE⁠ with vocabulary, test, transcript and much more! 5 words and expressions in today's story: - TO END UP: To arrive at a particular place or find yourself in a situation, often unintended. Examples: "After getting lost, we ended up at a beautiful beach." or "She ended up working late because of the unexpected project." - TO LIFT OFF: To take off, especially for rockets or planes, launching in a vertical direction. Examples: "The rocket lifted off successfully, heading towards space." or "The helicopter lifted off from the helipad." - TO GLIDE: To fly smoothly through the air in a continuous motion. Examples: "The bird glided effortlessly across the sky." or "The paraglider glided down to the landing point." - SLOPE: A surface with one side higher than the other; can also be used as a verb to describe something inclining. Examples: "The children enjoyed sledding down the snowy slope." or "The path slopes gently towards the river." - TO FIT IN: To be comfortable with a group of people or to have enough space for something. Examples: "She fit in well with her new colleagues at work." or "The couch didn’t fit in the small living room, so they had to move it to another room." 💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our free newsletter to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life. 👉 Tell me about yourself! ​​Fill out this 3–5 minute survey and get a chance to win a 30-minute speaking coaching session with me.

Twice in her life has Brigitte felt alone and lost, and both times she decided to search for the northern lights.  Level: Intermediate  Accent: Canadian (Quebec) 🚐 Do you want to get much further? CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOR FULL EPISODE PACKAGE⁠⁠ with vocabulary, test, transcript and more! 5 words and expressions in today's story: - UPROOT: to pull something—especially a tree or plant—out of the ground.  Examples: "The strong winds uprooted the old tree." or "They had to uproot the weeds from the garden." Metaphorically: to move (someone) from their home or a familiar location. Examples: "His family was uprooted when they moved to a new city." or "The war uprooted many families from their homes." - OUTGOING: Friendly and socially confident. Examples: "She is very outgoing and makes friends easily." or "His outgoing personality makes him popular at parties." - FIRST NATIONS: Indigenous peoples that are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada. Examples: "First Nations have a rich cultural heritage and history." or "The government works with First Nations to preserve their traditions."  - PITCH-BLACK: Completely dark. Examples: "The night was pitch-black without any stars." or "The power outage left the house in pitch-black darkness." - STAY PUT: To not move or go anywhere. Examples: "She told the dog to stay put while she answered the door." or "During the storm, we decided to stay put at home." - DIM: Not shining brightly or clearly. Examples: "The room was lit by a dim lamp." or "The dim light made it hard to read." Episode Links:  - Find out more about Brigitte at The Story Warrior 💛 Want more from Into the Story? Subscribe to our ⁠free newsletter⁠ to get a quick email from Bree every few weeks filled with practical tips, fascinating topics from the world of psychology, and strategies to improve your life. 👉 Tell me about yourself! ​​Fill out this ⁠3–5 minute survey⁠ and get a chance to win a 30-minute speaking coaching session with me.

An adventurous caver, Scott Brandon, shares his experience of getting stuck in a dark cave and using his imagination to find a way out. The podcast explores caving vocabulary, the importance of remaining calm in challenging situations, and the power of creativity and innovation in problem-solving.