Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson

Small talk is not just a pointless way to fill silence in social situations, it is also an opportunity to make great social connections, build your network and just have an interesting conversation with someone new, but how do we do it successfully? How can you deal with your shyness and awkwardness about small talk moments, particularly in English? How can you develop your confidence, and take the right approach to making good connections with people you meet? That's what this episode is all about, as I am joined again by Ray Addam, who has plenty of good advice and stories to share. Get the PDF with phrase bank and full transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/A-Big-Talk-about-Small-Talk-with-Ray-Addam-1007.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/10/20/a-big-talk-about-small-talk-🗣️-with-ray-addam-improve-your-speaking-skills-in-english-1007/ LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Ray's Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/learnenglishwithray/ Ray's Preply page for 1-to-1 lessons 👉 https://preply.in/RAY6EN200844011?ts=17815602 Ray's online courses 👉 https://www.skool.com/elevate-english-6228/about?ref=77d17e9d6acf4bf1ae51158796ecaa0f Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to a selection of 9 fascinating stories written by listeners, one of which will win the competition which I launched earlier this year. Finally, the wait is over and the creepy story competition episode is here. I had to work very hard to narrow down the entries from 74 to only 9. Anna Brooke and I chose our favourite, as you will hear. These are extremely mysterious and extraordinary stories sent in by my listeners. They describe very bizarre and spooky experiences, often involving the sad loss of a family member, spirits from the past searching for peace, or just disturbing coincidences that are hard to reconcile. All 74 stories are available to read on the episode PDF, and there are plenty of very interesting entries there too. Thank you to everyone who sent a story, and congratulations to the winner, who will win a copy of Anna Brooke's "Death by Chocolate". Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/True-Ghost-Stories-Unexplained-Mysteries-from-Listeners-LEPster-Writing-Competition-1006.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/10/13/9-true-ghost-stories-unexplained-mysteries-from-listeners-lepster-writing-competition-1006/ "Death by Chocolate" by Anna Brooke 👉 https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/death-by-chocolate/ Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a celebration of a living-legend of British life & culture - Sir David Attenborough, who is best known for making documentaries on the BBC about the natural world. Listen as I give an overview of his life and career, explain why he is so loved by people, share anecdotes from people who have met him, describe memorable animal moments from his documentaries, and do a few impressions of his distinctive voice. Get my PDF notes 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sir-David-Attenborough-Britains-1-National-Treasure-1005_compressed.pdf Get the episode transcript PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sir-David-Attenborough-Britains-1-National-Treasure-1005-Episode-Transcript.pdf Episode page with video clips & more 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/10/07/sir-david-attenborough-1005-britains-1-national-treasure/ Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retelling the story of your favourite film, or book, can be a great way to practise your speaking skills in English. It can help you focus on narrative tenses, vocabulary recall and spoken fluency, while having fun reliving some great moments from cinema or literature. In this episode I demonstrate this, while giving you an entertaining re-telling of Steven Spielberg's classic dinosaur adventure, Jurassic Park (the original and best in the franchise). Listen as I tell the story from the point of view of one of the main characters. Notice the phrases and descriptive words I use, and check the PDF transcript later to reinforce your learning through reading. In the second half of the episode to hear my own self-corrections and feedback, focusing on better vocabulary and scientific terms I could have used in the episode. Improvising this version of the story was both a challenge, and a lot of fun for me! You can try it too. No need to use the original plot - feel free to get creative and just have fun telling your own version of a story you know well. Get the PDF transcript here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lukes-Improvised-Storytelling_-Jurassic-Park-1004-Listen-Learn-English-Full-Episode-Transcript.pdf Episode page with links to more episodes like this 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/25/auto-draft/ Sign up to LEP Premium for the really good stuff: vocabulary review, quiz and pronunciation practice based on this episode 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a challenge from the comment section, I decided to see if it was possible to make an entire episode with my friends Amber and Paul based on the table of irregular verbs. This is the result. I decided to test the POD-PALS on their grammatical knowledge, and to see what anecdotes and funny comments I could get from them. The result is both a classic Amber & Paul episode, and quite a revealing demonstration of how English native speakers process grammar in their first language. Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/22/testing-my-friends-on-english-grammar-irregular-verbs-with-amber-paul-🎯-1003/ LEP Premium 🏆 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is full of fascinating science-backed insights into how the brain processes language. I read an article, and then explain various conclusions about the best way to learn English, with a lot of practical tips for speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary. What does neuroscience tell us about the best way to learn a language? Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/14/neuroscience-learning-english-🧠-11-surprising-facts-1002/ Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Neuroscience-Learning-English-11-Surprising-Facts-1002.pdf LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LEP is back after a summer break, and in this episode you can hear messages and questions from listeners, including stories of English learning, and testimonials from LEPsters who have made a significant improvement to their English after listening to this podcast long-term. Also included are some philosophical musings about life & death, an update on the plants in my pod-room, and some research-backed insights into the language learning benefits of listening to my rambling episodes. Get the PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Real-English-Learning-Stories-from-Around-the-World-Listener-Comments-Questions-1001.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/09/03/real-english-learning-stories-from-around-the-world-🌏-listener-comments-questions-1001/ Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here it is, finally! The long-awaited episode 1000. It has taken me weeks to finish this. If you listen, you will understand why it has taken so long! This is a celebration of this podcast after 17 years and 1000 episodes. It includes a lot of rambling, an interview with my brother, questions from friends and family, and the voices of various guests who have been on this podcast over the last few years. Also, regular interruptions from my daughter and all sorts of other random moments such as the sounds of dogs, woodpeckers, neighbours, and more! Thank you to all the LEPsters around the world and my guests for helping to make this achievement possible! ❤️ Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/08/12/episode-1000/ PDF Transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Episode-1000-Transcript-1.pdf LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Full LEP Episode Archive 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/episodes Get James' latest EP "High Score Table" here 👉 https://jimthompson.bandcamp.com/album/high-score-table Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back by popular demand, here is another Sherlock Holmes mystery for episode 999. How will Watson deal with his mini-mission to an opium den, before joining Holmes on one of his most singular cases so far, attempting to solve the disappearance of a gentleman and the suspicious involvement of the man with the twisted lip? Listen to the story and then keep listening as I break it down paragraph by paragraph. Get the story PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Sherlock-Holmes-The-Adventure-of-the-Man-with-the-Twisted-Lip-999.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/29/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-man-with-the-twisted-lip-🕵/ LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some podcast housekeeping is necessary in this episode, as I talk about current LEP news, moving into a house in the countryside, sketchy plans for episode 1000, an update on the scary story competition, final thoughts on the World Cup, and more. My daughter joins me with various comments throughout, and at one point a bird even flies into the room. What fun we had. PDF transcript available. Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Rambling-in-the-Countryside-feat.-my-daughter-998.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/21/rambling-in-the-countryside-🏡-feat-my-daughter-998/ LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded the day after Argentina beat England in the semi-final 😭 here is World Cup Ramble #4. Zdenek joins me again as we discuss as many talking points as possible, including what on earth happened yesterday, the intense rivalry between Argentina & England, the historical background to that rivalry, Spain eliminating France, predictions for the final and so many other things, including a passionate conversation about cultural differences and communication style, plus the real heroes and villains of this epic World Cup competition. Normal podcasting will continue next week. Luke on The Footglish Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-Wjg_DEXk Episode Page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/16/world-cup-ramble-4-fifa-2026-england-vs-argentina-and-much-more-with-zdenek/ LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin returns with a set of questions about childhood, sparking a funny conversation full of stories from school, family holidays, getting into trouble, and formative years of Luke growing up both in urban West London and rural West Midlands. Expect a premium episode dealing with vocabulary in this conversation. Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Funny-Childhood-Memories-Stories-with-Martin-Episode-Transcript.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/13/funny-childhood-memories-stories-with-martin/ LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is the third World Cup ramble, covering the events of the last 16, predicting the outcomes of the quarter finals and beyond, and discussing the various issues, talking points and controversies. Is the World Cup rigged? Are the referees biased? What about the scandal involving FIFA and Trump? Who is going to win this massive competition? I'm joined by football fan and returning guest Fred Eyangoh. Leave your comments below and join the discussion! Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/08/world-cup-ramble-3-fifa-2026-with-fred-bonus/ LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Win any argument in English with these incredible debating skills. Ray Addam joins me for a discussion about the art of debating, including various strategies you can use to help you win arguments, disagreements and debates. With plenty of examples given and techniques explained, this is surely a useful episode for developing your speaking skills in English. Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/06/debating-skills-in-english-with-ray/ Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Debating-Skills-in-English-with-Ray-Addam-996-.pdf LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Links for Ray Addam His Preply profile, to book one-to-one English tuition with Ray 👉 https://preply.in/RAY6EN200844011?ts=17815602 Ray's school website, to access my courses and join live group sessions to practise English together, plus soft skills such as debating and public speaking 👉 https://www.skool.com/elevate-english-6228/about?ref=77d17e9d6acf4bf1ae51158796ecaa0f Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is the next bonus football rambling episode on LEP. The group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026 is over and teams are now being eliminated in the round of 32. In this episode, which is roughly the same length as the average game at WC2026, I am joined by Zdenek from The Footglish Podcast. Expect discussion of styles of play in modern football, the changes introduced this year and their effects on the game - including VAR updates, time wasting measures, plus an overview of England today (30 June) and Czechia, who is the true GOAT - Messi? Who will get to 1000 first? Luke or Christiano Ronaldo? Plus various meme-worthy moments of weirdness and hilarity. The Footglish Podcast 👉 https://pod.link/1751816033 Contact Zdenek through his website https://teacherzdenek.com/ Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/07/01/world-cup-ramble-2-fifa-2026-with-zdenek-bonus/ LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There has been an awful heatwave in Europe recently, with really high temperatures and a humid, sticky atmosphere. In this episode I ramble about the conditions, explore vocabulary with the words "hot" and "heat" and show the typical things British people say when the weather is boiling. Expect various funny tangents, anecdotes and improvisations, including a David Attenborough BBC nature documentary about Luke trying to buy lunch on a red-hot Paris boulevard, and plenty more. PDF notes available. Get the PDF with notes and full transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/How-to-talk-about-HEATWAVES-like-a-sweaty-British-man-995-PDF-Transcript.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/29/how-to-talk-about-heatwaves-like-a-sweaty-british-man-995/ LEP Premium (new episodes coming) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the different English accents you can hear if you visit London? In this episode I am talking to Patricio from the YouTube channel Patricio Languages, who makes videos about diverse English accents from around the world. We talk about 4 specific accents that are native to his home town of London, namely Received Pronunciation, Cockney, Estuary English and Multicultural London English. We also chat about Patricio's study routines for learning Spanish and Portuguese. So, plenty of insights about British English pronunciation, how to understand native English speakers, and some tips for language learning. Perfect topics for another episode of LEP, right? Full transcript available, and listen all the way to the end to hear me turn into a proper cockney geezer. Check out Patricio's YouTube channel 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@PatricioLanguages Get the episode transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/London-Accents-Study-Tips-with-Patricio-Languages-994TRANSCRIPT.pdf Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/22/london-accents-study-tips-with-patricio-languages-994/ Sign up to LEP Premium for more episodes on vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I am reconnecting with an old friend after over 25 years of not seeing each other. Jez Booker is from Solihull in the West Midlands and I first met him at 6th form college, where we became friends and later we got into a band together and had many adventures. Jez later went on to work in marketing and has recently started up his own YouTube channel all about getting out and enjoying the British countryside. Expect a chat full of natural English expressions and slang, and a journey into the past as Jez and I reminisce and also jog each other's memories of things that we did together years ago. Check out Jez's channel "Get Out" @getoutfilms Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Music-Marketing-Memories-with-Jez-Booker-993-Episode-Transcript.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/15/music-marketing-memories-with-jez-booker-993/ LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009 I did a solo travelling experience around Vietnam, and I wrote a diary while I was there. In this episode, over 16 years later, I read out the diary, follow my descriptions of each part of my trip, explore how I was feeling at that time of my life, go off on some comedy and English teaching tangents, and take a journey into the past, across a very different country. Get the episode transcript PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vietnam-Travelling-Diary-992-Transcript.pdf Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/08/vietnam-travelling-diary-992/ LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bonus mid-week episode previewing the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. I'll be talking about all the teams, the favourites, the underdogs, the wild cards, the dark horse teams, England's chances, plus various issues and controversies both on and off the pitch. Comments are welcome! This is a bonus episode, and you will get another normal episode (no football) on Monday. Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/BONUS-FIFA-WORLD-CUP-2026-PREVIEW-MEGARAMBLE.pdf Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/04/bonus-fifa-world-cup-2026-preview-megaramble/ LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.