Education

Easy English: Learn English with everyday conversations

Get to know and learn English with Isi & Mitch; a bi-national couple in the UK. We talk all things British including pubs, small talk, music, food, the stiff upper lip and the bloody weather! We love to hear from our listeners and answer your questions on the English language or British life and culture. This is the authentic way to learn the language with day-to-day conversations and getting to know Isi & Mitch a little bit better. Become a member and we’ll give you interactive transcripts and bonus content for each episode at www.easyenglish.fm/membership!

Latest Episodes:

12: Unhelpful Advice Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

This week, in our special Unhelpful Advice themed episode. We answer questions from the self-proclaimed cocktail king on travel advice for couples; how we like to experience holidays together and how a couple who are both organised and spontaneous can enjoy travelling together. David asks why Mitch is a pathetic Brit and shares his empathy on his fear of complaining. And Marketa asks Isi for her advice on learning English, Isi shares her tips and experiences of learning English through school, work, friends and media. We also have an exciting NEW ANNOUNCEMENT for Easy English at the start!

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Isi:
[0:24] Okay, what do we do today Mitch? Tell me.

Mitch:
[0:28] Today is a weird day. (Why?) Because we're recording this in the very, very distant past.

Isi:
[0:37] Are we telling this?

Mitch:
[0:39] We're recording this in the very distant future. No, for the future, 'Back to the Future'. (Okay.) Marty!

Isi:
[0:46] When you hear this it will be a bit, a bit... long ago.

Mitch:
[0:51] Yeah, we're recording this for the future, but, when you're listening, this would have been recorded in the past, like 'Back to the Future', where he went to cowboy days and had sex with his mum.

Isi:
[1:00] You're very confusing.

Isi:
[1:12] So the first thing we have is an...

Mitch:
[1:14] Exciting update! Easy English is now expanding its membership to now include conversational lessons? (No.) Conversational... (No.) Conversation...

Isi:
[1:30] It's called the conversation membership and it's not a lesson, but it's a conversation meeting, I would say. It's a meeting where we talk English. Yeah, we did this because we heard from a lot of you, what you really lack is English practice because, you don't live in an English-speaking country or you don't have friends to speak to, or colleagues to speak to and it's just not in your everyday life. And to learn a language, this is really important to just speak, to use the language and to make mistakes and to hear someone speaking and react on this. So we thought, it would be a lot of fun... sorry, I took over from you, is that okay? (Keep going.) To meet once a week, in a virtual online pub, so it's an online meeting. And, pub-style-ish, we'll come with our favourite drink and we talk about everything life.

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11: How Now, Brown Cow? Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

This week, Isi takes the test in our Last Week's Episode section to try and identify all 12 accents from the British Isles... can YOU beat her score? Later, Mitch and Isi talk about the success of hosting their first ever, members-only pub quiz and answer your questions about our language learning history and what we think is the most beautiful sounding language.

Interactive Transcript

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Show Notes

Watch the 12 accents challenge video: 12 BRITISH ACCENTS... 1 VIDEO (Easy English 149)

Transcript

Mitch:
[0:25] Hello and welcome to the Easy English Podcast.

Isi:
[0:28] Hello, hello, hello. Test, test, one, two.

Mitch:
[0:32] Red lorry, yellow lorry. Red lorry, yellow lorry. Red lorry, yellow lorry.

Isi:
[0:36] Yed... already done. Red lorry, yellow lorry. Red lorry, yellow lorry. No, I can't.

Mitch:
[0:43] Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper.

Isi:
[0:45] Okay. Episode 11. Nice number, isn't it? In Germany, we say Schnapsal. (What, sorry?) Schnapsal.

Mitch:
[0:53] What's this?

Isi:
[0:54] Schnaps number.

Mitch:
[0:55] Eleven?

Isi:
[0:56] Yeah, everything with like, the same numbers. Eleven, three hundred and thirty three.

Mitch:
[0:59] It makes me think of number eleven from Stranger Things.

Isi:
[1:04] There we are again.

Mitch:
[1:05] Mike! Mike!

Isi:
[1:08] Okay, what's our topic, Mitch?

Mitch:
[1:10] Okay.

Isi:
[1:11] You said you prepared everything. I'm just here.

Mitch:
[1:13] This is good though. We can surprise each other with topics, maybe.

Isi:
[1:17] Nola's just sitting in front of me, waiting for me to give her F-O-O-D. We cannot say the word, because then she will get excited.

Mitch:
[1:25] The magic word. Feed me! (Okay.) First topic is related to one of our past week's episodes, in which, I went down onto the streets and I had some pre-recorded local British people, including British Isles, including Ireland, reading out a transcript and I made people from Britain, guess where they're from. And now I want to test you. You've been in Britain for some time now.

Isi:
[1:55] Oh God!

Mitch:
[1:57] How do you fancy your chances?

Isi:
[2:00] Not good. .

Mitch:
[2:11] Okay. (Let's go.) Let's try some. (Let's try, yeah.)

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10: Keep Calm And Carry On Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

The Easy English Podcast has made it to 10 episodes! Mitch and Isi discuss the pros and cons of the modern interpretation of the British motto 'Keep Calm And Carry On' in relation to ongoing building works in their block of flats. They debate if te-ra is even a Welsh farewell and Mitch tries to sell the biggest TV "horror-drama" to Isi.

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Intro

Isi:
[0:24] That's episode number 10.

Mitch:
[0:28] 10 is the magic number.

should we directly jump into the topic of the... day? Topic of the day? What is our category named? Topic of the... (Week.) Week.

Topic of the Week
Isi:
[0:50] Okay, Topic of the Week. (I've forgotten what it is.) I know what it is. (I've forgotten.) When English people are too polite.

Mitch:
[0:58] Ah yeah.

Isi:
[0:59] How would you call that? It's actually coming from my point of view.

Mitch:
[1:03] Well, I'd call it the... the lack of backbone. But, it has a name. Well, it's actually a phrase, which all Brits kind of, inadvertently stick to, which is 'keep calm and carry on'. Someone, somewhere, listening to this, probably has a tote bag, they bought, that one time they came to London, which has 'keep calm and carry on', with a crown behind it or something. You see it everywhere (Yeah?) in these souvenir shops.

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9: The Rigatoni Curtain Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

The duo over-enunciate into this week's episode, as Isi and Mitch rate themselves out of 10. Mitch reveals the correlation of skinny-jean tightness to his own self-worth. Isi chooses Disney fox over Keven Costner Robin Hood as The Easy English Tour takes shape. And they answer Your Questions about Brits lack of door security as Mitch reveals his previous career as a door-to-door, front door salesman.

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Isi:
[0:24] Hello.

Mitch:
[0:24] Hi! (Hi!) Hi! (Hi!) New Year's energy... hi!

Isi:
[0:33] Hello. How are you?!

Mitch:
[0:35] We so sound like we're children's presenters. Hi! Do you like triangles?! I love triangles! Do you know how many corners they have?! Two?! Ha! You're stupid! They have three!

Isi:
[0:52] That's like morning show, radio host, from morning shows. (Oh yeah!) Good morning in the morning.

Mitch:
[0:59] Oh, yeah.

Isi:
[1:00] Where are you now? Are you in the car, on the way to work?

Mitch:
[1:04] Yeah. Good morning, you log-jammers on the M25.

Isi:
[1:07] Yeah. God... M25. The horror of my dad.

Mitch:
[1:12] Today is a great sunny day and if you're stuck in a traffic jam, this one's for you. It's 'Stuck in the Middle With You'. Shabba! I'm loving this radio voice, from last... the last episode we did, over enunciating voice.

Isi:
[1:27] That's probably because it's not my native language, but I can do a better radio host voice, in German.

Mitch:
[1:34] How do they... how do they do it, on German radio?

Isi:
[1:36] Should I do it now, in German? (Yeah.) Hello. No. Wait. I have to do it in... No... Uh, I have to go higher... wait, wait... not higher, but, more weird.... A bit like, always a bit like, haaaa...

Mitch:
[1:57] Yeah, it sounds like the microwave is on.

Isi:
[2:02] A bit like this high.

Mitch:
[2:05] I don't like that, creeps me out. (Hi.) Sounds like you're holding in a big poo. Hello!

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8: Bring Your Own Tea Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Godzilla / Building work causes havoc on the podcast as Mitch and Isi tell tales of ice throwing parties and cocktail dressed locals in Ireland. They answer David's advice after he's "taken aback" due to tea lacking facilities and update you on Easy English's first ever online pub quiz for the members.

Interactive Transcript

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Show Notes

Brits on the Irish: What BRITISH People REALLY Think About the IRISH | Easy English 145 (Easy English 145)

Transcript

Isi:
[0:23] Well, hello hello.

Mitch:
[0:27] Welcome to a time limited and critical episode of Easy English Podcast.

Isi:
[0:31] Yeah. So the situation is, we are sitting here, having exactly 25 minutes or half an hour to record, because we have our construction work going on and they are on a lunch break, now.

Mitch:
[0:48] It has this sort of, sound of an earthquake, doesn't it?

Isi:
[0:52] But I don't think you can hear that. So let's go.
Past Week's Episode
Isi:
[1:04] The Irish.

Mitch:
[1:06] Yeah. Brits' perception of the Irish. And before we get into it, I'd actually like to know; maybe you could write in, or send us a voice message via our easyenglish.fm website. What are your thoughts on the Irish? What have you sort of, learnt through TV and media? And have you met any Irish people? Have you been to Ireland?

Isi:
[1:25] I have been to Ireland. (Where in Ireland did you go?) Uh, it's long ago. 13 years ago. Yeah, I've been... oh, the workers are back, guys. If you hear something in the background, we'll just keep on going now, because, it's real life guys. We don't have a recording studio, we're just at home.

Mitch:
[1:49] Just imagine, it's like a sci-fi movie and Godzilla is approaching.

Isi:
[1:53] Whaa... oh no, sorry. Does he do a sound? Whaa...

Mitch:
[1:59] That sounds like a cat. (Okay.) An annoyed cat.

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7: Country, Country, Country! Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Today, Isi's helps Mitch remember New Years Eve's binge of eggnog and BBC's 'The Traitors'. Isi descibes her longing for Britains country lanes, tiny pubs and thatched cottages. The two reminice on the blossoming stages leading up to the beginning of the Easy English YouTube channel... Happy New Year!

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Intro

Mitch:
[0:26] Isi, Happy New Year.

Isi:
[0:28] Happy New Year! Ting... ting we are too far away from each other to bing.

Mitch:
[0:34] Make a toast, to the New Year. (To a better one.) No more shit things happening. Let's drink to no more... (Stop... stop the shit!) No more shit.

Isi:
[0:48] We actually, um, for everyone not seeing this, which is basically everyone, we actually, do drink sparkling wine. It is not New Year's Eve, we are, way into the year. But, we wanted to cheer with you on the New year 2023.

Mitch:
[1:04] So Isi, how... how was our new year?

Isi:
[1:07] Super exciting. It was actually really, really nice. Because, we decided to stay home. Um, which we actually really enjoy, anyway on New Year's Eves, because we're both not really into those New Year's Eves parties, where you have to have a ticket to go into a pub or club, oh God's that's horrible anyway. Um, home parties are good... are good, but yeah, we stayed home this year. And, we had... should I say... tell the whole story, yeah? Not much more to come anyway. We had good drinks, good cocktails. We had, um, like an Italian little buffet from our favourite Italian restaurant here, that was delivered to us. And we had good drinks and we talked to some friends. And yeah, it was a good night, wasn't it?

Mitch:
[2:00] I don't really remember much of it actually, but I'm not sure that's my bad memory or the cocktails.

Isi:
[2:04] Well, I will now do the super duper transition to our first category of today.

Mitch:
[2:10] Remind Mitch what happened on New Year's Eve.

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6: Calorific Jesus-Bread Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

We begin with a dramatic tale of glass eating and evasive, spider driving before discussing the incredible, but dire state of the NHS. Isi describes horrific British wallpaper choices whilst Mitch opens up on his love and ignorance for mince pies. And finally... Germany has multi-pack crisps!

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Intro

Mitch:
[0:23] Hello, welcome to the Easy English Podcast. We have, yet again, changed erm... I was gonna say continents. But England has... the UK didn't quite leave all of Europe, just the European Union.

Isi:
[0:37] They are not yet a continent. We travelled yes... no, the day before yesterday. And, we are now in Germany, and I directly want to start with telling... (Revelations.) that I saw a multi-pack of crisps. But... (It wasn't a real multi-pack.) It was not. It was four little packs, stuck together as a four times four... why was it four times four?

Mitch:
[1:04] A "4er". It was so funny. They were just sellotaped together, back to back.

Isi:
[1:08] Yeah, so it wasn't a multi-pack in that sense, because, it did show what you get. The multi-packs that I mean, they trap you.

Mitch:
[1:16] The UK is having a big influence on the German crisp market.

Isi:
[1:22] Anyway.

Mitch:
[1:23] You can tell your story. (What story?) You have a bit of a story coming up, I think. Maybe you want to save it for a section. (Oh, yeah.) It's been an exciting couple of weeks.

Isi:
[1:35] People think always something is happening to me. Run over by car... nearly run over. Yeah. (This one was pretty...) but it has a reason, why we tell this story.

Mitch:
[1:45] Yeah. This one was like something out of a crime thriller.

Isi:
[1:48] What? For you, maybe. For what you saw.

Mitch:
[1:52] Okay. (Okay, yeah.) Let's go straight into our first segment then.

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5: Engulfed in Crisps Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Mitch adapts the '12 days of Christmas' carol to make it more "British", Isi re-tells her account of a near-miss and asks for your moral help, they talk about the British phenomenon of multi-packs, answer your questions on differences between Northern Europeans and South Americans and reveal plans for the Easy English Tour!!?

Interactive Transcript

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Transcript

Intro
Mitch:
[0:00] On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me; Bluetooth earphones, IKEA vouchers, an ill-fitted T-shirt, tenner in a card, secondhand bike, multi-pack of condoms, stationary set, Sports Direct socks, bottle of Bailey's, six-pack of Carling, two spa days and a Blu-ray of Die Hard 2.

Isi:
[0:57] Welcome... to the Easy English Podcast. Nola is confused. (I worte that.) That is brilliant. (I'm the new John Lennon.) You are right after him. And my first question goes out to you; why am I always having a very uncomfy recording situation, and you sit there, like King Mitchy?

Mitch:
[1:20] Yeah, I feel a bit like... yeah, like a King. Or like, how the Godfather would sit.

Isi:
[1:22] I mean, it's obviously my decision to sit on this chair. At least I have a good drink in my hand, because we just prepared espresso martinis for the first time, this season, this Christmas season. But also for the first time for... uh, since last winter.

Mitch:
[1:42] It was a while ago. I forgot how to make them.

Isi:
[1:44] Did we even do it this year, yet? (Er... no.) Maybe not. Uh, and aren't they still the best?

Mitch:
[1:51] There's something... they're not very Christmassy, but...

Isi:
[1:54] It is Christmassy for me, though. (Why?) I think because I connected it to Christmas last year.

Mitch:
[2:00] Christmasy to me has to have cream in it. Cream and Christmas go together.

Isi:
[2:03] Yeah, but you know how much I (do) not adore cream in anything drinkable. So for me, the froth... or how you call that, on top is cream. That's cream for me, that's good cream. That's ice... icey cream and not milk, or...

Mitch:
[2:19] Yeah, it's the only frothy coffee that you can really have.

Isi:
[2:24] We can really do a whole episode (On frothy coffees?) about people putting cream or hot milk in their drinks.

Mitch:
[2:33] Even oat... flrothy oat... oak... oat milk.

Isi:
[2:36] That's a bit better than cow milk. I think hot cow milk smells like vomit.

Mitch:
[2:42] Oat milk, also, when you froth it, smells a bit like burnt porridge.

Isi:
[2:45] Yeah. (Excuse me.) Well anyway, this froth is good... froth!?

Mitch:
[2:50] Froth, (Froth.) Froth, frothy coffee.

Isi:
[2:53] Um... yeah, so here we are. We have some good topics today.

Mitch:
[3:00] We do. Should we do our first one?

Isi:
[3:022] Yep.

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4: Potato Party Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Mitch and Isi exorcise their sobriety to debate their favourite style of potato, choose their favourite part of a Sunday roast dinner, discuss why Brits resort to shorts in Arctic conditions and consider why Brits make the best music when they have such rubbish weather.

Interactive Transcript

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Show Notes

Cook a traditional Sunday roast dinner: Sunday Roast Dinner RECIPE (Easy English 140)

Transcript

Intro

Isi:
[0:23] Hello! Hello, hello. Welcome to episode number... what is it four? Three? Three. Four? (Four.) Four! (God.)

Mitch:
[0:36] Hiya! (Is it really number four?) We are on episode number four. And it's... well, when you're listening to this, it will be Monday. Unless you're a Podcast Member, then you'll be hearing it on Friday. But for us, it is, the Friday before the Friday that the Podcast Members listen to. (Yes.) It's Friday, Friday, Friday. We have reason to celebrate. (I guess.) We've been released from the sobriety demons.

Isi:
[1:04] Yeah, we had a... quite long detox. A bit over five weeks, I think. And all in all, it was seven. And it's good, isn't it? Seven weeks really does something. Why are you looking so weirdly at our dog? She just came in.

Mitch:
[1:17] Just like Darth Vader's come into the room, breathing so heavily. So the reason we're excited is because... she just threw up in her mouth. We've kind of, been looking forward to having like, a little cheers for the weekend and having our first little boozy drink in... yeah, nearly seven weeks. So now we're gonna do some ASMR of opening our drinks.

Isi:
[1:40] Yeah, unfortunately, I have a wine bottle with a screw-top. So it's not the nice plop. Should I do it first? (You do that one first.) Listen. Open. (Oh, head tingles everywhere.) Doesn't smell so good. Okay, should I should I pour it?

Mitch:
[1:57] Oh yeah. What are we doing? Right, and what is it you're drinking, Isi?

Isi:
[2:07] Um, a pinot grigio, ice cold.

Mitch:
[2:11] Lovely! Oh God. Nola's a big gross sound effects machine of burping, farting and throwing up noises. Okay, and now I'm gonna open German Krombacher pils. Ready? Here's the ASMR for me.

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3: D'you Know What I Mean? Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Join Mitch & Isi as they attempt to stay warm in their cold flat, Isi prescribes lemon and ginger tea to the world. They curate their own one day music festival, Mitch gives up on queuing and Isi tries to become more British... D'you know what I mean!?

Interactive Transcript

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Show Notes

The Easy English Festival: The BEST Music Festival (Easy English 139)

Transcript

Intro

Mitch:
[0:23] Hello. (Hello.) Hello. Welcome to the Easy English Podcast. (Okay.) Episode number three.

Isi:
[0:32] Nobody knows who... who can talk now. (What do we say next?) I'm freezing.

Mitch:
[0:36] Yeah, okay. Describe the situation.

Isi:
[0:40] Should have... we should have made ourselves a tea before. (Very English.) Um... uh, basically, I'm so English now, I... the past two months... I mean, I've always been drinking tea, but now I drink seven or eight teas a day.

Mitch:
[0:55] But not builder's tea. (Not builder's tea.) Which, builders tea is a black tea with a splash of milk. Like a breakfast tea with milk.

Isi:
[1:02] I hate milk in tea. No, I only drink like... things like, lemon/orange/ginger/fennel. Uh... what else?

Mitch:
[1:11] It's your like, homoeopathic remedies, (Peppermint.) isn't it right? (Yeah, basically.) Your witchcraft.

Isi:
[1:15] Even... really, until... into the night, I always drink, only tea, tea, tea. And now we don't have a tea and we're freezing because our heating is broken, again.

Mitch:
[1:24] If you go... if you go to Isi with any illness should just prescribe lemon and ginger tea. I've got bronchitis - lemon and ginger. I've got tuberculosis - lemon and ginger. I've got eczema - lemon and ginger tea.

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