English Learning for Curious Minds | A More Interesting Way To Learn English

 In 1755, Samuel Johnson published an English dictionary that has gone down in history.Not only was it the first of its kind, it was full of funny jokes.Today we tell the story of this fantastic dictionary.Dictionaries before 1755Why Johnson's was so famousWhy was a dictionary needed?Why was the English language a mess?'Fixing' EnglishJohnson's dictionary: 40,000 words of fine scholarshipHidden joke 1: the definition of 'oats'Hidden joke 2: the definition of 'lexicographer'Hidden joke 3: the definition of 'lunch'Why writing a dictionary is so hardKey vocabulary: Scholarship, Intriguing, Politically correct, Authoritative, Captured, The masses, Painting a picture, Linguistic, Reflecting on, Estimated, Mess, Literacy, Formal, All-encompassing, Collate, Unsatisfactory, Fast-forward, Scene was set, Stabilise, Anomalies, Peculiarities, Set things straight, Hang on, Exceptions, Convoluted, Messy, Organism, Gargantuan, Rivalry, Harmless, Busies, Tracing, Unpleasant, Unappreciated, Extensive, Buried, Highlighted, Adapt, From scratch, EvolvingFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-story-of-a-fantastic-dictionary ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 300 years ago, London experienced a gin craze of epic scale, with the average Londoner drinking 10 times the amount of gin that the world's biggest gin drinking country does now.Today, it's time to learn about how gin almost destroyed London.We'll learn about:👀 Why 'gin' is called 'gin'⚡ The perfect storm that made caused the gin boom🍸 The gin shops🌡 The ingredients of the 'gin'☠ "Drunk for a penny; dead drunk for two pennies; clean straw for nothing.”💊 Gin craze = crack cocaine epidemic?👶 Poor Mary Defour⚖ The Gin Act of 1751📈 Gin today & the resurgence of ginKey vocabulary: Epidemic, Epic, Bear in mind, Customary, Sophisticated, Phenomenon, Spirit, Juniper, Variant, Liquor, Brandy, Fate, Imported, Patriotic, Domestic, Reliance, Unlicensed, Boom, Legislation, Disposable income, Perfect storm, Establishments, Sipping, Emerge, Fiendishly, Sulphuric acid, Turpentine, Impotent, Sterile, Exceeded, Vast, Pass out, Monotonous, Drawn parallels, Impurities, Hopelessly, Wake-up call, Passed, Consumption, Resurgence, Craze, StrongholdFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/londons-gin-craze ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 After water and air, it's the most used natural resource in the world. But are we really running out of it?If so, why? And what happens if we do?In today's episode we cover:🌡 What do we use sand for?🏘 How much sand goes into a house?🇨🇳 How much sand China uses⏳ Where does this sand come from?👮‍♂️ Sand mafias🤷‍♂️ Can we avoid using sand?🗼 Sand in Dubai (it doesn't come from where you think it does)Key vocabulary: Rolling, Dunes, Trekking, Infinite, Implausible, Run out, Pace, Consume, Crucial, Small-fry, Concrete, Asphalt, Aggregate, Runways, Gravel, Foundation, Cubic, Inhabitants, Urbanisation, Phenomenal, Reiterate, Vast, Embarked, Infrastructure, Trucks, Fine, Grains, Spherical, Barefoot, Cement, Angular, Sucks it up, Finite, Emergence, Mafias, Bribing, Turn a blind eye, Extracting, Corrupt, Suck up, Sucked up, Ecosystem, Ecological, Over the course, Outstrips, Particles, Temporary, Reinforce, Clocking in, Imported, Excess, Sink, Bunkers, Gargantuan, Uplifting,Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/is-the-world-really-running-out-of-sand ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 What would happen if the government just gave everyone money? That's the idea of Universal Basic Income, and it's an idea that has supporters from all across the political spectrum.In today's episode we cover:✍ History of Universal Basic Income🤖 Are the robots coming?💸 Who should get the money?💰 Who should pay for it?👏 Who supports Universal Basic Income?👍 Advantages of Universal Basic Income👎 Disadvantages of Universal Basic Income🇫🇮 The experiment in Finland - what happens when you give 2,000 people €560 a month?🇱🇷 The experiment in Liberia - what happens when you give alcoholics and drug addicts money?❓ Future of Universal Basic IncomeKey vocabulary: Traction, Entrepreneurs, Programmers, Shareholders, Counteract, Bureaucracy, Poverty line, Corporations, Majority, Shareholdings, Spectrum, Libertarians, Pushing for, Proponent, Signature, Regardless, Neoliberal, Top-up, Extensively, Outcomes, Outspoken, Widespread, Adoption, Touched on, Dishing out, Assessing, Better off, Vehemently, Handing out, Implementing, Factor in, Welfare, Backsides, Handout, Incentive, Vicious cycle, Inflation, Get by, Vicious circle, Subsistence, Counter argument, Persuasive, Deemed, CompellingFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/universal-basic-income ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 It's the most visited website in the world, with 80,000 searches per second. But have you ever actually wondered how it really works?In today's episode we'll take a look at how this technology giant really works.🔠 Alphabet & Google🖥 What does 'The Internet' actually mean?🕷 Google Spider🤔 How does Google decide what results to show you?❓ How does Google decide how websites are good or bad?📊 Relevance, Quality, and User Experience💵 How Google makes $6,000 a second🛎 How Google Ads work💍Why advertisers pay almost $1,000 for one click📍 3 weird facts about Google - 1) How many new queries are asked every day, 2) How far a search travels and 3) How many computers are used in a single Google search?Key vocabulary: On the hunt, Junk, Crawlers, Algorithm, Scanning, Adopt, Straightforward, Obscure, Trustworthy, Likewise, Popups, Tend, Tradeoff, Delicate, Distinctive, Rank, Auction, Bid, Indicate, Asbestos, Bidding, Implications, Round trip, Scratched the surfaceFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/how-google-works ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 You might know nothing about it. But certainly does (or could do) know a huge amount about you.Let's take a look at this incredibly powerful company that has the power to see everything we do.In today's episode we cover:Animating transcriptsPeter Thiel - founder of PalantirWhat does Palantir actually do?Big dataWhat if the technology wasn't used for good?Minority Report in real life - the crime prediction toolPalantir & ICEThe successes of PalantirLord of the RingsKey vocabulary: Poses, Libertarian, Doublespeak, Anything but, Connect the dots, Insider trading, Buzzword, Gargantuan, Piece together, Scratching their head, Crack, Infinitely, Hardware, Weigh up, Erosion, All-seeing, Comb, Speak out, Monitor, In inverted commas, Eerily, Algorithm, Creepy, Bias, Weighted, Deport, Pleas, Back down, Treasonous, Cynics, Lucrative, Web, Intrusion, Fraudster, Omnipotent, Orb, Blinding****Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/palantir-the-most-important-company-youve-never-heard-of ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 Today is a bit of a change from the normal. It's time to ask for your help. Let's build the best podcast in the world together.Animated transcriptsUpdate on the podcast after 2 monthsWhat do I know?How you can helpWhat you get in returnKey vocabulary: Animated, Browser, For one, Condense, Ether, Hand in hand, Pile, Operation, Shape, Priority, Shaping, Ray of light, Pleading****Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/help ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 The media might portray it as just a failed state run by a mad dictator, but today we'll find out that things might be just a little bit more complicated than they seem. In today's episode we cover:Post Second World War - US vs. USSR in the Korean PeninsulaThe Korean WarThe post-war yearsNorth Korea & ChinaNuclear weapons (and why do they really have them?)Kim Jong-unNorth Korea in 20204 weird facts about North Korea (haircuts, marijuana, holes in one & the calendar)Key vocabulary: Isolated, Feature, Animates, Neat, Slap bang in the middle, Powerhouse, Pariah, Hermit, Dictator, Recapping, Peninsula, Annexed, Colony, Guerilla, Construct, Jurisdiction, Backing, Stronghold, Armistice, Thriving, Polar, Unwind, Dissolution, Toppled, Precarious, Cozy up, Buffer, Affiliated, Perished, Enriching, Uranium, Volatile, Ruthless, Erratic, Counterpart, , Offensively, Reprisal, Offensive, Deterrent, Bargaining, Diplomatic, Concessions, Dismal, Prestige, Credentials, Longevity, Portrayed, Missile, Legitimacy, Gestures, Surreal, Brutal, Sentenced, Lighthearted, Curtail, Trivia, Feats, Sank, Hole in one, Phenomenally, EnlighteningFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/north-korea-the-hermit-kingdom ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 Confused about the difference between Great Britain and The United Kingdom, and always wondered when to call someone British instead of English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish? Let's clear it up, and explain how we got to this, admittedly, pretty complicated situation.In today's episode we cover:Bye bye European UnionDo people in the UK know the difference?The UK vs. Great BritainEngland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - countries or not?Key events in the history of the formation of The United KingdomThe British Isles (actually 6,000 islands)Why is Great Britain 'Great'?Why does England play at the football World Cup but Great Britain compete at the olympics?When should you call someone British vs. English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish?What might happen after Brexit?Key vocabulary: Listing out, Tricky, Interchangeably, Generalise, Stereotype, In light of, Admittedly, Synonyms, Sovereign state, Counties, I wouldn't blame you, Parliament, Ultimately, Key, Unification, Tribes, Effectively, Withdrew, Recap, Comprised, Bailiwick, Conflicting, Distinguish, Ego, Abundantly, Compete, Catchy, Branding, Fiercely, Heritage, Offended, Bet, Long story short, Phenomenally, Plausible, Referendum, Inevitably, MisusesFull transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

 It's time for Part 2 of our most common mistakes people make when learning English.In today's episode we cover:Recap of Part 1Why you shouldn't focus on grammar (and how to actually learn grammar)Why you shouldn't just do 'survival' listeningWhy you don't need to go to an English-speaking country (and how to create your own immersion course)How to set aside time for English learningWhy you should set yourself goalsHow to set yourself goalsHow to avoid getting disheartenedKey vocabulary: Hacks, Rid, Right up your street, Standalone, Discipline, Tricky, Bonus, Genders, Conjugations, Discouraged, Motivation, Heads down, Masochist, Classify, Base, Conjugated, By all means, Embrace, Quirkiness, Pet peeve, Combat, Gist, Core, Starting out, Purely, Turn of phrase, Switch, Interaction, Close to my heart, Hats off to you, Assuming, Immersive, Enroll, Hate on, Setting foot, Kudos, Dedicate, Postpone, Skip, Overused, Shinier, Chore, Motivation, Vicious circle, Slot, Routine, Ambitious, Penultimate, Motivate, Annotate, Flowing, Elaborate, Disheartened, Roller coaster, Uphill, Pack everything in, Uplifting, Interlude, Pointless****Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/part-2-the-most-common-mistakes-people-make-when-learning-english-and-how-to-avoid-them ---You might like:🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter---Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية