Thinking in English

Thomas Wilkinson
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Mar 30, 2026 • 23min

381. Easter Island: Mystery, Moai, and the Edge of the World (English Vocabulary Lesson)

A journey to one of Earth’s most isolated islands and its hundreds of giant stone heads. Discussion covers Polynesian navigation and how people reached and settled such a remote place. Exploration of theories about carving and moving the Moai. Consideration of environmental change, colonial impact, and modern cultural revival and museum debates.
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Mar 23, 2026 • 24min

380. What is Poverty? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

A concise look at what poverty really means beyond income. Short explanations of absolute, relative and multidimensional poverty. Discussion of causes, poverty traps and why people struggle to escape. Overview of measurement challenges and which policies, like safety nets and education, can help. A segment on how the words we use shape understanding.
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Mar 16, 2026 • 25min

379. Do You Know How to Ask Great Questions?

Practical tips for asking clearer, more useful questions in modern English communication. Short techniques for open, probing, funnel and follow-up questions. Advice on avoiding biased or leading questions and how culture and emotion shape inquiry. Notes on using questioning skills with online meetings, international teams and AI tools.
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10 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 27min

378. Moving to the UK?: UK’s New Immigration Policies Explained! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

A clear breakdown of the UK’s new immigration plans and why nations are tightening borders. Key terms like earned settlement, ILR, points-based systems, and B2 English are explained. Discussion of longer residence requirements, changes to work and health visas, and tougher student-to-work routes. Practical tips on planning ahead and meeting higher standards are highlighted.
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32 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 29min

377. History of Berlin! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

A lively tour through Berlin’s dramatic past, from medieval river towns to imperial power and 19th-century industrial boom. The story moves through war, destruction, and Cold War division with the Wall and its human impact. It finishes with reunification, economic challenges, and a creative cultural rebirth. Vocabulary highlights are woven throughout to boost English learning.
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Feb 23, 2026 • 24min

376. Who was Alan Turing? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Every time you type a message, unlock your phone, or trust a computer to make a decision, you’re relying on the ideas of someone you may never have heard of and probably never learned about at school. That person is Alan Turing. He was a British mathematician, logician, and wartime codebreaker, and one of the most important figures in modern science and technology. Turing helped lay the foundations of modern computing. He played a crucial role in breaking Nazi codes during the Second World War. And he asked questions about machines that still shape how we think about artificial intelligence today. His influence is everywhere, from the security that protects your data to the algorithms behind AI. In this episode, I want to explore Alan Turing’s life, his scientific achievements, and the legacy he left behind, before connecting his story to my Greatest Scientist of All Time series. Conversation Club - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/02/23/376-who-was-alan-turing-english-vocabulary-lesson/ TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/02/16/375-do-we-live-in-a-surveillance-society-prepositions-of-place-english-grammar-lesson/⁠ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Editing Software (Affiliate Link) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://descript.cello.so/BgOK9XOfQdD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Feb 16, 2026 • 22min

375. Do We Live in a Surveillance Society? – Prepositions of Place (English Grammar Lesson)

A lively look at how cameras and digital tracking have become part of city life. Short segments map where surveillance appears and which countries have the most coverage. The conversation explores how watching changes behavior and questions who controls and analyzes all that data. Practical grammar practice weaves through, focusing on natural use of in, on and at.
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Feb 9, 2026 • 24min

374. Is There an AI Bubble? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. We use it to write emails, generate images, recommend videos, and even help study English. Some people believe AI will completely change the world, just like the internet did. Others are more sceptical and worry that the excitement has gone too far. Every day on the news, we hear about new AI startups worth billions of dollars, governments investing huge amounts of money, and tech companies racing to become the next AI leader. There is a lot of optimism, but also a lot of hype. Some people are starting to question whether we are we seeing real, long-term growth, or are we living through an AI bubble? In today’s episode of Thinking in English, we’ll explore what an economic bubble really is, look at famous bubbles from history, and ask whether artificial intelligence is following the same pattern or whether this time is different. At the same time, we’ll learn some useful English vocabulary! Conversation Club - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/02/09/374-is-there-an-ai-bubble-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thinking in English Bonus Podcast -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Editing Software (Affiliate Link) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://descript.cello.so/BgOK9XOfQdD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media podcast network.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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11 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 21min

373. What is Code-Switching?: A Guide for English Learners (English Vocabulary Lesson)

A clear look at why bilingual speakers mix languages and the common types of switching you might do. New vocabulary around bilingualism is explained in simple terms. Practical reasons for switching and how it affects language learning are covered. Actionable strategies to manage switching and keep English practice focused are presented.
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Jan 26, 2026 • 19min

372. Does History Repeat Itself? – Prepositions of Time (English Grammar Lesson)

Short grammar lesson on using in, on, and at for periods, days, and exact times. A comparison of economic crashes, pandemics, wars, and social movements to spot recurring patterns. Discussion on whether history truly repeats or only echoes similar human behaviors. Brief recap tying the history talk back to time prepositions.

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