Thinking in English

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Today I’m joined by one of my oldest friends – James Brock. James has led a very international life: as a child he lived in the UK, France, and Morocco. And as an adult he moved across the world to China, taught English, and eventually graduated top of his class from a Chinese university. I invited James on to Thinking in English today because I think all of you listening can be inspired by James’ approach to studying languages, his ability to throw himself into foreign cultures, and his dedication to becoming an advanced language speaker! Aside from that, we also discussed the difficulty of attending school in France, accidentally eating duck heads in China, and why the visas prevented him from his dream job at Huawei! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/18/how-to-go-from-intermediate-to-advanced-english-w-james-brock/ FOLLOW JAMES ON LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-brock-78a326193/ You may also like... Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Thousands of Sri Lankans are protesting in the streets, the president is about to resign, the prime minister’s house has been set on fire, and the country has run out of money. What is happening? Why is Sri Lanka in crisis? What went wrong with the country’s economy? TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/13/why-is-sri-lanka-in-crisis/ You may also like... 159. What is the Supreme Court? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 158. What was the Great Depression? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 157. Why Do Countries Change Their Names? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List Turmoil (n) - a state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder The whole region is in turmoil Foreign Exchange Reserves (n) - the amounts of money in foreign currencies that a country has at a particular time Exporting more than you import is the best way of building foreign exchange reserves Mismanagement (n) - the process of organising or controlling something badly Two schools were shut down due to financial mismanagement Remittance (n) - money that is sent by a foreign worker back to their own country Immigrants sent $45 billion in remittances to Latin America last year Domestic (adj) - relating to a person’s own country You do not need a passport for domestic flights To lease (v) - to make a legal agreement by which money is paid to use land, a building, a vehicle etc for a period of time Our building lease expires in two weeks To storm (v) - to attack a place or building by entering suddenly in great numbers The fortress was stormed by hundreds of soldiers Bailout (n) - the act of helping a person or organisation that is in difficulty, usually by giving or lending money The bank asked the government for a bailout --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States has made some incredibly influential and consequential decisions. But what is the supreme court? What is its role in US politics? And why has the supreme court become so active? TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/11/what-is-the-supreme-court/ You may also like... 158. What was the Great Depression? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 157. Why Do Countries Change Their Names? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List To overturned (v) – to change a legal decision The Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision last month Branch (n) – a part of something larger The Supreme Court is part of the judicial branch of government To enforce (v) – to make people obey a law It isn’t easy for the police to enforce speed limits To implement (v) – to put a plan, system, or law into operation Congress refused to implement tax reforms To interpret (v) – to decide what the intended meaning of something is It is difficult to interpret the meaning of the statistics Check (n) – rules intended to prevent one person or group from having too much power We need effective checks on the power of the president Veto (n) – an official power or right to refuse to accept or allow something The president has the power of veto over any bill Segregation (n) – the policy of keeping one group of people apart from another and treating them differently, especially because of race, sex, or religion The system of racial segregation that used to exist in South Africa was called apartheid To split (v) – to divide into two or more parts The teacher split the students into three groups --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ With the world currently experiencing a variety of economic problems, I thought it would be interesting to look at the worst economic crisis in modern history! What was the Great Depression? What caused it? And how did it end? Let’s discuss these questions and more on today’s episode on Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT --- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/06/what-was-the-great-depression/ You may also like... 157. Why Do Countries Change Their Names? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List Recession (n) – a period when the economy of a country is not successful and conditions for business are bad for months Much of the world fell into recession after the stock market crash in 2007 Depression (n) – a serious economic crisis in which there is very little business activity and little employment for years The world plunged into depression in the 1930s Downturn (n) – a reduction in the amount or success of something, such as the economy There is evidence of a downturn in the housing market Recklessly (adv) – in a way that is dangerous and shows that you are not thinking about the risks and results of behaviour She spends her money recklessly Production (n) –making or growing goods to be sold Wheat production has fallen over the past 6 months To trade (v) – buying and selling shares on the stock exchange The volume of stocks traded today was unusually high Makeshift (adj) – temporary and of low quality, but used because of sudden need Thousands of refugees are living in makeshift camps To stimulate (v) – to encourage something to grow, develop, or become active The government plans to cut taxes to stimulate the economy To devalue (v) – to reduce the rate at which money can be exchanged for foreign money The British pound was devalued and it caused a major economic crisis --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ On today’s episode of Thinking in English, I want to give you all some tips and advice on how to improve your small talk skills! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/07/04/how-to-improve-your-small-talk-skills/ You may also like... What is Cultural Literacy??: The KEY to Becoming Fluent in English! Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) How to Improve Your PUBLIC SPEAKING! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Podcast and Join my Patreon HERE -- https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Most of you probably know the four main language skills: writing, reading, listening, and speaking. But there is a fifth skill that people often forget, but is just as essential for communication - culture! Today I’m going to explain why learning culture is so important and give you a few tips on how to improve your cultural literacy. TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/29/what-is-cultural-literacy/ You may also like... 157. Why Do Countries Change Their Names? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) How to Improve Your PUBLIC SPEAKING! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Sometimes a country will change its name. In recent years, Swaziland became Eswatini, Cape Verde became Cabo Verde, and Turkey is now Türkiye! But why do countries change their names? Let’s discuss this today on Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT --- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/27/why-do-countries-change-their-names/ You may also like... 156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) How to Improve Your PUBLIC SPEAKING! 155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List Intention (n) - something that you want and plan to do It wasn’t my intention to exclude her from the party - I just forgot her Anglicised (adj) - made English in sound, appearance, or character Immigrants to the US often anglicised their names Pride (n) - feelings of worth and respect The country’s national pride has been damaged by sporting failures Synonymous (adj) - having the same meaning The words “ annoyed” and “irritated” are synonymous To adopt (v) - to accept or start to use something new I think it is time to adopt a new approach to climate change To ditch  (v) - to get rid of something that is no longer wanted The criminals ditched the stolen car in a different town To signal (v) - to show that you intend or are ready to do something The death of Chairman Mao signalled the end of an era in Chinese history Long-standing (adj) - having existed for a long time He broke our long-standing agreement --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Should owning a dog be illegal? On today’s episode of Thinking in English, I’m going to explain why I think that owning certain types of dog, in particular “purebred” and flat faced dogs, is cruel and should not be allowed! Let’s learn about the history of dog breeds and the serious problems modern dogs experience, all while learning new vocabulary and practising your listening comprehension! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/22/should-owning-a-dog-be-illegal/ You may also like... Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) How to Improve Your PUBLIC SPEAKING! Creative and Critical Thinking Challenge! (English Riddles) 155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Vocabulary List Opinionated (adj) - an opinionated person is certain about their beliefs, and expresses their ideas strongly and often He was opinionated and selfish, but undeniably clever To breed (v) - to keep animals for the purpose of producing young animals in a controlled way Some dogs were bred to retrieve birds shot during hunting trips Breed (n) - a particular type of animal or plant What’s your favourite breed of dog? Characteristic (n) - a typical or noticeable quality of someone or something Having a big nose is a characteristic in my family To bark (v) - (of a dog) to make a loud, rough noise I can hear a dog barking outside To herd (v) - to make animals move together as a group Farmers use dogs to help herd sheep Stocky (adj) - a stocky person or animal is short, wide across the chest, and strong looking He was stockier than I remembered Squashed (adj) - flat, soft, or out of shape due to being crushed or squeezed He ate some squashed sandwiches for lunch --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ How can you use the news to learn or improve your English? Stephen from the Simple English News Daily podcast joins us today to discuss the news, how you can use the news in your daily study plans, and also some predictions for future news stories. I really enjoyed talking with Stephen, and I hope you also enjoy listening to this episode! Transcript - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/20/learning-english-from-the-news/ You may also like... Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Does Your English Accent Matter? w/ Dan Sensei (English Conversation Lesson) Feminist Majo: Maintaining Advanced English, Feminism, and East Asia What is the Point in Studying Latin? w/ Village Green English INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Follow Simple English News Daily! Website - https://www.send7.org/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/send7podcast/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/send7podcast Full Vocabulary List on the Blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE PODCAST!!!! - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/donate-and-support/ Four years ago I gave a speech in Japanese in front of over a hundred people, completely forgot my words, started to sweat profusely, and ended up skipping half of the topics I wanted to talk about. I don’t want Thinking in English followers to have the same experience as I did, so today I’m going to give you tips and advice on how to become a better public speaker! TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/15/how-to-improve-your-public-speaking/ You may also like... Creative and Critical Thinking Challenge! (English Riddles) 155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Every Royal Word You Need to Know! (English Vocabulary Lesson) How to be an ACTIVE English Learner!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices