Episodes

  • Chatterbox #332 – The soundscape of our lives

    Chatterbox #332 – The soundscape of our lives
    Feb 21 2025
    In this episode, Andrew and Anna explore the impact of sound on our daily lives. From the noises that wake us up in the morning to the background sounds that shape our work, relaxation, and social interactions, they discuss how these sounds affect our mood, focus, and overall well-being. Tune in to learn how sound impacts daily life and boost your English skills at the same time! How this episode will improve your English: Vocabulary: Learn useful expressions like "placebo effect," "to gab away," and "to make one's blood boil" to describe reactions, conversations, and strong emotions. Listening: Improve your listening skills with a natural conversation about how sounds affect our daily lives, sleep, and focus. Speaking: Gain confidence by discussing your own experiences with sound and how it influences your mood and routines. Culture: Discover how different cultures react to noise, from quiet train cars in Korea to lively restaurant terraces in Spain. Fluency: Improve your overall English skills by listening to real conversations that help train your ears and mind to think in English. The best way to learn with this lesson: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Sign up and become a Culips member now! Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
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    39 mins
  • Bonus episode #137 – The adventure before the adventure

    Bonus episode #137 – The adventure before the adventure
    Feb 20 2025
    In this episode, Andrew shares a funny but stressful story about how a hiking trip almost went wrong before it even started. He talks about losing his wallet, missing a subway, and rushing to catch a bus just in time. This real-life story is easy to understand and will help you improve your English while enjoying an exciting adventure. How this episode will improve your English: Listening: Hear natural English as Andrew describes a real-life story with excitement and detail. Pay attention to how he tells the story and expresses emotions. New vocabulary: Learn useful words and phrases related to travel, problem-solving, and making quick decisions, like get the wheels in motion and rifling through. Idioms and expressions: Discover expressions like go with the flow and in the midst of and see how they make storytelling more engaging. Pronunciation: Listen to how Andrew changes his speed and tone to create suspense and keep the story interesting. Speaking: Join our Culips Discord community and share a time when you had to deal with an unexpected situation. Practice using the new words and expressions in your own sentences! Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)
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    22 mins
  • Simplified Speech #214 – Catching rays and climbing days

    Simplified Speech #214 – Catching rays and climbing days
    Feb 13 2025
    In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew and Kassy share stories about their latest travels. Kassy talks about her trip to Thailand with her four-month-old son. She explains what it was like to ride a speedboat and go through airport security with a baby. Andrew describes his plan to visit Taebaek, the small Korean city where he first lived. He looks forward to hiking the local mountain and seeing how much the city has changed. Listen to learn useful English words and phrases about travel, family, and exploring new places! How this episode will improve your English: Vocabulary: Learn new words and expressions about traveling, flying with a baby, and planning a holiday trip. Listening: Practice understanding natural, easy-to-follow English conversations about everyday life and travel. Speaking: Gain confidence by discussing your own travel stories with friends or in Culips small-group English classes. Culture: Hear about what it’s like to visit Thailand with a baby and learn about local food and customs in Korea. Fluency: Improve your overall English skills by listening to real conversations that help train your ears and mind to think in English. The best way to learn with this lesson: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Sign up and become a Culips member now! Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
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    27 mins
  • Simplified Speech #213 – Beating the winter blues

    Simplified Speech #213 – Beating the winter blues
    Feb 6 2025
    Episode description: In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew and Indiana talk about winter and how it can make people feel sad or tired. They share their own winter experiences from places like Korea and the United States. Andrew and Indiana explain why winter can be hard and give simple tips to feel better, such as getting enough sunlight, exercising, and staying warm. They also talk about fun winter activities and ways to stay happy during the cold months. Listen to improve your English and learn how to beat the winter blues and enjoy the season! How this episode will improve your English: Vocabulary: Learn useful expressions like "down in the dumps," "no pain, no gain," and "there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Listening: Practice understanding natural English conversations about dealing with the winter blues and staying motivated during cold months. Speaking: Build confidence by joining small-group English classes to discuss topics from this episode. Culture: Discover how different countries, like Canada and the United States, experience winter and the traditions they have during the season. Fluency: Listening to real English conversations will help you understand how the language works and train your brain to think in English. The best way to learn with this lesson: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Sign up and become a Culips member now! Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
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    25 mins
  • Bonus episode #136 – Onwards and upwards

    Bonus episode #136 – Onwards and upwards
    Feb 3 2025
    In this episode, Andrew talks about going to his nephew’s elementary school graduation and realizing the power of celebrating small wins. He shares how a simple ceremony can bring families closer, boost confidence, and lead to bigger successes. He also explains why supporting each other’s achievements, even when they seem small, can make a big difference. This real-life story will help you improve your English skills and become a better communicator. How this episode will improve your English: Listening: Hear natural, everyday English as Andrew describes his day at the graduation and how it changed his perspective on small victories. New Vocabulary: Learn words and phrases related to school ceremonies, encouragement, and showing support to loved ones. Idioms and Expressions: Discover helpful English expressions like “no easy feat,” “to miss by just a hair,” and “in the whole scheme of things,” and see how they are used in real conversations. Pronunciation: Listen for how Andrew clearly pronounces words, stresses important syllables, and connects phrases. Then practice repeating short parts of the episode to develop your pronunciation skills and speak more clearly. Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server, share your own surprise stories, and practice using new vocabulary in casual conversations. Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)
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    12 mins
  • Catch Word #282 – Makes my skin crawl

    Catch Word #282 – Makes my skin crawl
    Jan 31 2025
    In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Indiana teach you two useful English idioms: "can't stomach something" and "makes my skin crawl." These expressions are perfect for describing strong negative reactions, like disgust or fear. Together, Andrew and Indiana break down the meanings of these idioms, share real-life examples, and discuss how to use these expressions in a wide variety of situations. How this episode will improve your English: Vocabulary: Learn useful expressions like "gory," "to scurry," and "creeped out" to use in everyday English. Listening: Understand common English idioms that you will hear in everyday situations. Speaking: Build confidence by joining small-group English classes to discuss topics from this episode and practice these idioms. Culture: Discover which situations these expressions are appropriate for and when they might sound too strong or rude. Fluency: Spending time with real English will help you understand how the language works and train your brain to think in English. The best way to learn with this lesson: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Sign up and become a Culips member now! Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.
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    25 mins
  • Culips Community Update – January

    Culips Community Update – January
    Jan 27 2025
    In this episode, Andrew and Alina share exciting news about February's free grammar challenge on countable and uncountable nouns. Learn how to join the challenge by signing up for the Culips Discord server, participating in fun, easy tasks every second day, and earning a completion certificate. Plus, discover other ways to connect with the Culips community and improve your English. Don’t miss it! How to Join the Culips Discord Server and Participate in the Challenge Create a Discord Account: Sign up for free at Discord. Download the App: Install Discord on your phone or computer for easy access. Join the Culips Server: Click this link to join the Culips English Podcast Discord server: Join Here. Enable the Monthly Challenge Channel: From the menu, select Channels and Roles. Go to the Browse Channels Under the English Learning category, select Monthly Challenge to add it to your menu. Access the February Challenge: Click the pin icon at the top of the Monthly Challenge channel to view the February Challenge (available from February 1st). Join in and start improving your English with the community! Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)
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    19 mins
  • Simplified Speech #212 – Learning about Norway

    Simplified Speech #212 – Learning about Norway
    Jan 24 2025
    In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew talks with Mikael about Norway, a country with beautiful fjords, long winters, and tasty seafood. Mikael shares fun facts about life in Norway, like their famous brown cheese, exciting holidays, and how they stay cozy during dark winters. They also talk about Norwegian traditions, popular foods, and the best places to visit. It’s a fun way to learn about Norway and improve your English skills at the same time! How this episode will improve your English: Vocabulary: Learn useful expressions like "pitch black," "take it in stride"," and "rite of passage" to use in everyday English. Listening: Practice understanding natural English conversations with this discussion about Norway. Speaking: Build confidence by joining small-group English classes to discuss topics from this episode. Culture: Discover interesting facts about Norway’s traditions, foods, and daily life. Fluency: Spending time with real English will help you understand how the language works and train your brain to think in English. The best way to learn with this lesson: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Sign up and become a Culips member now! Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. Speaking classes with this episode: We’ll be discussing this episode in the following small-group conversation classes. To join the classes, you must be a Culips member. March 1st, 2025 with Alina at 11:00 AM Ireland time (GMT +0) March 4th, 2025 with Andrew at 8:00 PM Korea time (GMT +9) March 11th, 2025 with Indiana at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard time (GMT-5) All classes happen on Zoom and last for one hour. To see the schedule in your time zone and learn how to join the classes, click here: https://esl.culips.com/online-classes-schedule/ Links mentioned in this episode: More About Mikael - Listen to our previous episode featuring Mikael’s interview. Alina’s Trip to Norway - Learn about Alina’s experience and her favorite Norwegian foods. Flåklypa Movie Trailer - Watch the trailer for the stop-motion movie Mikael mentioned.
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    23 mins