This episode of Zdenek's English Podcast was originally published as an episode of my other podcast, The Footglish Podcast.

My guests this time are Honza Popek — my cousin and a sharp football mind — and David Nyč, a reporter, commentator, presenter of ONE PLAY TV, and co-author of the podcast Druhý Dotek Zdeňka Folprechta. 🎙️

In this episode of Footglish, we dive into a historic moment as Czechia finally books their place at the World Cup — and yes, we properly celebrate it too.

We discuss:

⚽ Czechia’s long-awaited qualification and the key factors behind this success,

⚽ The captaincy shake-up — why Tomáš Souček lost the armband and whether Ladislav Krejčí has stepped up as a stronger leader,

⚽ Standout performances from Pavel Šulc and how he’s transformed our attacking threat,

⚽ The tactical identity under new manager Miroslav Koubek — now officially the oldest coach at the World Cup,

⚽ Our strengths: set pieces, penalties, and why Czechia might be more dangerous than people think,

⚽ And finally, our chances in the World Cup group — can this team go further than expected?

Video from this episode

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners, where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

Luke Thompson from Luke’s English Podcast joins me to talk AI and humour. Master podcaster, English teacher and stand-up comedian,

Luke tells a series of jokes — my task is to work out which one wasn’t written by AI. We speculate on how funny artificial intelligence really is, where it falls short, and, unsurprisingly, we don’t always agree.

Luke's English Podcast

Luke's website

Video from this episode

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners, where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

In this episode, I’m joined once again by my friend and former colleague Jack, who you might remember from his last appearance when he talked about composing a soundtrack for a board game.

This time, Jack’s back to talk about his latest creative adventure: collaborating on a PC game called Soulstone Survivors. He helped proofread the script, contributed to the writing, and recorded a whole series of voice lines for several characters.

If you’re into language, creativity, game development, or just enjoy hearing two old mates talk about a fun project, this episode is for you.

Soulstone Survivors

Jack's Instagram

Video from this episode

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners, where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

I was hiding in an apartment building in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, while Typhoon Kalmegi was raging outside.

The wind was howling, the windows were shaking, and it was genuinely frightening — especially when the storm suddenly went calm, and I realised I was inside the eye. In this video,

I share what it felt like to sit through the typhoon and experience its full power up close.

Apologies for several factual inaccuracies throughout this video. Notably, the Typhoon Kalmegi came from the Philippines, and my estimation of how many people lost their lives due to floods in Hue and Hoi An this year is also incorrect.

Video from this episode (includes a few authentic mini videos recorded on my phone, which capture some of the experience)

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners, where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

We all make mistakes—and this time, I made a big one. Embarrassing, costly, and a lesson learnt.

In this episode, recorded at the airport, I share what happened, along with some of my upcoming plans in Vietnam. Let’s see if any of them actually take off.

Video from this episode doesn't exist, but it's on my YouTube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners, where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

🇻🇳➡️🇨🇿

In this episode of Zdenek’s English Podcast, I trade Vietnam’s chaotic motorbike traffic for the peaceful Czech countryside — no helmet required. I look back on my time abroad: how I went from terrified scooter rookie to semi-respectable rider, discovered the joy (and occasional humiliation) of pickleball 🏓, and… well… also lost a few battles to my gaming addiction and laziness. It’s the good, the bad, and the slightly embarrassing — before I pack my bags for round two in Vietnam.

Video from this episode.

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

In this episode, I sit down once again with Kieren, author of the short story collection Battery Life, which we discussed back in Episode 350.

This time, it's a more casual catch-up — we talk about how life has been since we last spoke, dive into thoughts on London, reflect on the state of the world, and have a good old ramble about all sorts of things. Just two friends chatting and seeing where the conversation takes us.

Kieren's Book

video from this episode

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learners where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts, and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening

Hugh Dellar is a teacher, teacher trainer, and materials writer, but above all, he has my deepest respect for his unwavering support of Ukraine.

In this episode, we explore the past and present of the "Ukraine War", including Trump’s dealings with Zelensky, the broader geopolitical landscape, and the challenges Europe faces today. Hugh offers sharp insights into what’s going wrong and how Europe could emerge stronger from these turbulent times. A thought-provoking discussion on war, politics, and the future.

Hugh's Instagram

Hugh's Website

Video from this episode

_______________________________________________________________________

🏆 ENGLISH ACHIEVERS CHAMBER

The ULTIMATE SOLUTION to NOT living in an English-speaking country, not working with English-speaking people, and not having enough English-speaking friends.

An international community for high-level learners of English who feel stuck at their level and are determined to do something about it.

👉detailed information: https://teacherzdenek.com/?page_id=2816

👉Quick guide video

_______________________________________________________________________

👉Footglish Podcast My other podcast for English learner where I combine football and learning English

👉Instagram My Instagram profile is full of football vocabulary posts, and funny videos.

👉ZEP Facebook - Join Zdenek's English Podcast Facebook group, like, share, and comment on Facebook.

👉Apple Podcasts - Write a brief review of ZEP on Apple Podcasts to help more people find this podcast.

👉Teacher Zdenek - My YouTube channel, every Wednesday a "Live English Lesson" with a real student, and every Monday a football show with cool guests called "Learn English with Football".

_______________________________________________________________________

#englishpodcast #learnenglish #englishlistening