Episódios

  • 197 - 5 Prepositions Advanced Speakers Still Get Wrong (with Lucas!)
    Aug 21 2025
    Think you’ve mastered English prepositions? Think again. In this episode, I sit down with my husband Lucas (an advanced English speaker) to tackle 5 prepositions even fluent speakers still get wrong. We’ll cover:✅ Invest ____✅ Be interested ____✅ Participate ____ / Take part ____✅ Spend money ____✅ Depend ____ / Rely ____ And a few more that came UP naturally in conversation. Can you find them? You’ll hear real-life examples, fun U.S. culture facts, and some entertaining stories. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but the goal is to have you stop second-guessing yourself and start sounding more natural when you speak. What do you think? 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more lessons on American English, culture, and expressions! Mentioned in this Episode ⁠Season 4 Premium Content⁠ ⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    25 minutos
  • ⭐ Feature: The Incredible Flight of "Lawn Chair" Larry
    Aug 14 2025
    In today's episode, you’ll hear the incredible story of a man named Larry Walters, or "Lawn Chair" Larry, who bought over 40 weather balloons, attached them to a lawn chair in his backyard and flew 16,000 feet up in the air. The story is weird and funny, and it gives way to a larger discussion about “Cluster Ballooning.” I’ll explain challenging words and phrases as I go along!*****Premium Content: This episode is part of By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation. All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Season 3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    30 minutos
  • 196.2 - Invasion of Burmese Pythons in South Florida
    Aug 7 2025
    In this wild episode, we dive deep into the Burmese python invasion in Florida’s Everglades, which is one of the most unexpected and dramatic ecological crises in U.S. history. It all started with exotic pet owners, relaxed laws in the '80s and '90s, and one catastrophic storm: Hurricane Andrew. From there, things spiraled. Thousands of snakes were released, some intentionally, others by accident, and they found paradise in the Everglades. Warm weather, endless food, no predators? That’s a snake's dream vacation... permanently. We’ll talk about: 00:58 - Introduction: Bears, Neighbors & the Python Cowboy 03:23 - The Everglades: An important ecosystem for Florida 05:53 - How Burmese Pythons got to South Florida 06:00 - The rise of python ownership as a trendy, edgy status symbol; Exotic Pets & Loose Laws 09:09 - From Pet to Predator: The Rise of the Python Population 11:17 - Hurricane Andrew & the Reptile Escape 18:25 - How Many Are Out There? Estimating the Python Population 19:59 - Are Pythons Dangerous to Humans? 22:01 - The Python Elimination Program (Paid Hunting) 24:17 - The Florida Python Challenge Explained 25:46 - What Happens to the Snakes After They’re Caught 28:11 - Can We Ever Win? An Uphill Battle 29:44 - Shana’s Creative Snake Solutions 30:22 - High-Tech Tools: Judas Snakes & eDNA 30:58 - Robo-Bunnies and Future Innovations By the end, you’ll see just how complex, challenging, and Florida this whole saga is. //SPONSORS ○ Brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at better help.com/AMERICANENGLISH and get on your way to being your best self. Mentioned in this Episode ⁠Season 4 Premium Content⁠ ⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Local Legends Video by Brad Leone (as heard in intro) Cowboy Python Interview with Joe Rogan (most popular segment) All Creatures: A Giant, The Burmese Python (learn more about the snake) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 minutos
  • 196 - Expression: To Have a Hissy Fit
    Jul 31 2025
    Ever heard someone say, “Don’t have a hissy fit”? In this episode, we break down this funny, very Southern expression that describes a dramatic overreaction (think tantrum, or an overreaction). You’ll hear real-life examples—from picky eaters at restaurants to Wi‑Fi meltdowns—and find out how “hissy fit” made its way into American English. Mentioned in this Episode ⁠Season 4 Premium Content⁠ ⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    21 minutos
  • 195 - The Goose & The Golden Egg (+10 Advanced Adjectives)
    Jul 24 2025
    Yesterday at the library with my girls, a lightbulb went off in my head 💡—fables aren’t just great for kids... they’re perfect for English learners too! This week on the podcast, we’re diving into one of Aesop’s most famous tales: The Goose & The Golden Egg (or The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs). 🪿✨ It’s short, memorable, and it teaches a timeless lesson about greed—a perfect jumping-off point to learn advanced adjectives like: - Greedy - Selfish - Inconsiderate - Ungrateful - Spoiled - Entitled - Gluttonous - Materialistic - Impatient - Insatiable Whether you want to describe people more accurately, express opinions more clearly, or just sound more natural when speaking English, this episode is packed with real-life vocabulary and pop culture examples (yes, Veruca Salt and Augustus Gloop make an appearance). Mentioned in this Episode ⁠⁠Season 4 Premium Content⁠⁠ ⁠⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 minutos
  • 194 - Discover Iowa with Bethany
    Jul 17 2025
    Brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at better help.com/AMERICANENGLISH and get on your way to being your best self. Ever wondered what life is like in the middle of the U.S.? Tune in to this week’s episode with Bethany Anderson and discover tornado drills, taco pizza, sweet corn, Amish visits, and small towns bursting with culture. You’ll get fun expressions, new vocab, and a fresh view of Iowa you won’t find on any map! 🌟 About Our Guest Bethany Anderson grew up in Iowa and she currently lives in the town of West Liberty. She owns Anderson Language Center where she teaches English to Spanish speakers living in the U.S. You can contact her through her website, andersonlanguage.com or follow her on Facebook or Instagram. Improve your English with the AE Podcast Season 4 Premium Content⁠⁠ ⁠⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 minutos
  • ⭐ Feature: 5-Minute English: A Day at the Beach
    Jul 10 2025
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AMERICANENGLISH and get on your way to being your best self. In this immersive summer episode, you'll escape to the sun-drenched shores of an American beach and soak up advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and collocations—all beach-themed and delivered in under 10 minutes (ish 😉). You'll need to use your imagination for this one. You'll look back on your childhood memories and teenage beach days, from building sandcastles and kite flying to sunbathing and snorkeling. Along the way, you'll learn natural U.S. beach expressions and many beach rules in the U.S.! At the end, I'll give a hot tip on where to go if you're between the ages of 18-24 and want to meet lots of locals! 👙 Vocabulary highlights: bathing suit vs. swimsuit, board shorts, Speedo, skimpy🔥 Cultural insights: U.S. beach rules, bonfires, beach snacks, and more.🎧 Perfect for: High Intermediate and Advanced English learners. 👉 For full vocabulary support, exercises, quizzes, and pronunciation practice, check out the Premium Content: All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    26 minutos
  • 193 - Sharks, Swamps, and Sweet Tea: Our Wild Trip to South Carolina
    Jul 3 2025
    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AMERICANENGLISH and get on your way to being your best self. In this casual Chats with Shana episode, I’m taking you along on our sweaty summer trip to Charleston, South Carolina. 🌴 You’ll hear about: Milo’s first vacation (spoiler: he’s a sand-digging pro) Dining outside in 95° heat… while swatting a swarm of flies Why Folly Beach is a top spot for shark attacks—and why we still went A surprise encounter with a horseshoe crab under the pier The iconic rowboat scene from The Notebook—yep, we went! Tasting frog legs and learning about frog gigging The Southern tradition of painting porch ceilings "haint blue" to keep away spirits Plus, fun facts about pineapples, sweet tea, ghost tours, and more! You'll also learn natural expressions like “sweating bullets,” “the cherry on top,” “food for thought,” and “to keep something at bay,” all explained as we go. So grab an iced tea (sweet, of course) and join me for a fun and language-packed adventure through the Palmetto State. 🐊🦈🍍 Mentioned in this Episode ⁠Season 4 Premium Content⁠ ⁠All Premium Content Seasons 1-3⁠ (+ discount on Season 4) 10 Must-Know Southern Foods Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 minutos