It can be hard to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. An art class at Harvard takes this to the extreme. All students get an assignment during the class. They have to go to a museum and look at a painting for three hours. We didn't do that...but we came close, in this classic episode of Plain English. Here's what it's like to look at a single painting for one full hour.

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/painting-challenge

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Today's story: After years of delays, Cairo’s Grand Egypt Museum is finally nearing completion. The massive museum will house over 100,000 artifacts from Ancient Egypt, including more than 5,000 items from King Tut’s tomb. Although the King Tut galleries are still closed, most of the museum is open to the public — and visitors say it’s stunning.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/799

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/799

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s family to lunch and served them beef wellington. But her guests soon got sick, and doctors discovered the recipe had been made with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Patterson claimed it was all a tragic mistake, but inconsistencies in her story led police to suspect murder. A jury found her guilty on all counts. The case captivated news junkies around the world.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/798

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/798

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Cities around the world are sinking due to a combination of groundwater extraction, rapid urbanization, and the weight of large buildings. This phenomenon, called subsidence, can damage infrastructure, worsen flooding, and, in some places, become irreversible.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/797

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/797

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: For decades, white text on a full blue background has meant one thing to Windows users: the computer has crashed and needs to be restarted. The screen was splashed across display boards in public places during a massive outage in July 2024. But now, Microsoft is redesigning the screen, frowny-face and all.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/796

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/796

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The western province of Alberta is moving toward a vote of independence from Canada. Polls show that only about 30 percent of residents truly want to break away. However, the growing independence movement reflects the frustration and isolation that many Albertans feel over the energy and environmental policies made at the national level.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/795

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/795

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: 'Birthright citizenship' is the legal concept that grants citizenship to children born within a country's borders, no matter the nationality of their parents. The modern version started in the United States and quickly spread to other countries in the Americas. But the rest of the world (generally speaking) gives citizenship based on the nationality of the parents.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/794

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/794

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

We recently did an episode about how movie titles are translated from their original to other languages. That made us nostalgic for the days of movie rentals, and it called to mind this classic episode of Plain English about the ""last Blockbuster."

There were once over 9,000 locations of the video rental store with the eye-catching blue-and-yellow logo. But now, there is just one."

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/last-blockbuster

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com