English Learning for Curious Minds

Disney Part III: The Magic Mar 05, 2021

In the last part of our three-part series on Disney, we take a look at the magic of Disney and ask ourselves what ingredients are in its special, magic sauce.

Can you really explain the 'magic' of Disney?
The Hero's Journey
The 5 core themes: narrative, characters, morale, humour, songs
Theme #1: Narrative
Theme #2: Characters
Theme #3: Morale
Theme #4: Humour
Theme #5: Songs
Bonus magic factor #1: Beautiful animation
Bonus magic factor #2: Easy to internationalise
Bonus magic factor #3: Nostalgia
A missing 'secret' ingredient?

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/disney-magic
Looking for parts I & II of this mini-series?
Part I: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/disney-history
Part II: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/disney-business

Disney Part I: The History Feb 26, 2021

In the first part of our three-part series, we take a look at the fascinating history of Disney.
From why Mickey Mouse isn't a rabbit through to what Walt Disney was like as a person, the history of Disney is as interesting as it is magical.

Early life of Walt Disney
Setting off to California
The "Alice Comedies"
Setting up Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (and why you probably haven't heard of him)
Walt Disney's first big lesson
The arrival of Mickey Mouse
Merchandising
Starting to make longer films (Snow White and The Seven Dwarves)
Almost going bankrupt
Starting to make nature documentaries
Dreaming of an adventure park
What was Walt really like as a man?
Post-Walt Disney
Films you might not know are ultimately Disney
The Disney spending spree

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/disney-history

A Short History of The English Language Feb 19, 2021

From a small, wet island, English has come to be the world's dominant language.
How did this actually happen, where does English actually come from, and how has the language changed over the years?

How many people speak English
Why English isn't a 'pure' language (English as a mongrel dog, and as a soup)
Anglo-Saxons & "Old" English
Anglo-Saxon words in English today (and why you should use them)
“Short words are best, and old words when short are best of all.”
Invasion by the Vikings (and the impact on the English language)
Invasion by the Normans (and their linguistic impact)
How French words became 'fancier' versions of the original English
The French linguistic influence on how we talk about food in English
William Shakespeare & the 1,700 words he added to English
"Borrowing" words from the colonies
How many countries speak English today
English's incredible ability to change (and why some people still don't like that)

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/history-of-english-language

Valentine's Day Feb 12, 2021

It's the day of the year where we celebrate love and desire.
But where does it actually come from?
The origins of Valentine's Day are mysterious, and not even that closely related to love at all.

"One of those mysterious historical or antiquarian problems which are doomed never to be solved.”
Theory #1: St Valentine of Rome
Theory #2: St Valentine of Terni
Alternative legends of St Valentine
Why is Valentine's Day on 14th February?
The traditions of the Roman feast of Lupercalia
The tradition of romance in the Medieval era
Valentine's Day & Shakespeare
The commercialisation of Valentine's Day
How much we spend on Valentine's Day every year
Alternatives to Valentine's Day

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/valentines-day

Rose Island Feb 05, 2021

Discover the story of what happened when an Italian engineer decided to build an island off the coast of Italy..and then declare it to be an independent country.

Giorgio Rosa - the ambitious engineer
The law about who owns the sea
How he built the island
Declaring Rose Island to be an independent country
The political situation in the 1960s
Why people were worried when he declared independence
The reaction of the Italian government
Declaring The Republic of Minerva in The Pacific Ocean
Libertarianism & declaring new nation-states
What will the countries of the future look like?

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/rose-island

The Art of War Jan 29, 2021

It's the world's most famous book on military strategy.
Learn about its fascinating history, about the lessons in the book, and discover how you can apply some ideas from this 2,500-year-old book to your English learning.

What we know (and don't know) about the book
Sun Tzu: military strategist and general
Other authors & editors of The Art of War
Being brought by Europe (and used by Napoleon?)
#1 Lesson from The Art of War: Avoiding War
#2 Lesson from The Art of War: Being Prepared
#3 Lesson from The Art of War: Being Adaptable
#1 English Learning Lesson from The Art of War: Change your strategies
#2 English Learning Lesson from The Art of War: Have both a strategy and tactics
#3 English Learning Lesson from The Art of War: Take opportunities when you see them
Why you should ignore all of the advice in the book (when it comes to learning English)

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/art-of-war

Chocolate Jan 22, 2021

It's the world's favourite sweet snack, and the chocolate industry is worth over $100 billion.
Discover the fantastic history of where it comes from, how it became so popular, and learn about some of the economics of chocolate production.

The Theobroma Cacao tree: where it all starts
Aztecs & the early years of drinking chocolate
The arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors & a ‘bitter drink for pigs’
Arriving in Europe
How cacao trees grow (and why it can't in Europe)
The invention of the cacao press
The golden era of chocolate
The industrialisation of the chocolate process
Chocolate manufacturing & poverty
Cacao trading & buying futures
Chocfinger: the man who cornered the world cacao market

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/chocolate

Oasis vs. Blur Jan 15, 2021

In August 1995 Britain's two biggest bands battled for the number one position.
Discover what happened, how the battle divided the nation, and why the story is about much more than just music.

Introduction to Oasis
Introduction to Blur
Britpop as a reaction to American grunge music
The process of selling music in the 1990s
The cultural and regional differences between Blur and Oasis
August 1995 and deciding to release singles on the same day
Blur's Country House
Oasis's Roll With It
Silly Season in UK media
Who won the battle?
Who won the war?

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/oasis-vs-blur

Bitcoin Jan 08, 2021

It's the most famous cryptocurrency in the world, and went up in value by 269% in 2020.
In this episode, we take a look at what it actually is, how it works, why some people think it is the future of money and others think it is a giant bubble.

How 'traditional' money works
Banks and storing money
1971 and leaving the gold standard
Inflation
Satoshi Nakamoto & the Bitcoin whitepaper
Principles of bitcoin
How bitcoin payments work
How the blockchain works
Bitcoin and inflation
Why the bitcoin price goes up and down
Buying things with bitcoin
The first pizzas bought with bitcoin
Why people don't like bitcoin
The US Federal Reserve & bitcoin

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/bitcoin

Vespa Jan 01, 2021

It's the iconic Italian scooter that has conquered the world.
Learn about how it started, how it got its name, and why it has become such a huge, global success story.

“A completely Italian product, such as we have not seen since the Roman chariot”
1884 and the founding of Piaggio
World War I and making aeroplanes
World War II and being bombed by the Allies
Rebuilding the factory and deciding to build a scooter
Version 1: Donald Duck
Version 2: The Vespa
Designing a scooter from the ground up
Selling 1 million scooters by 1956
Vespa and Hollywood
Vespa as an aspirational symbol
Vespas in the UK: Mods vs. Rockers
Vespa in Italy today
Weird records in a Vespa

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/vespa

9 Things That Happened on Christmas Day Dec 25, 2020

You might think that nothing of historical importance ever happens on Christmas Day, but you'd be wrong.
Here are 9 weird and wonderful events.
The one thing they have in common? They all happened on December 25th.

Jesus of Nazareth - born on December 25th?
Event #1 - Crowing of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor
Event #2 - Coronation of William the Conqueror as King of England
Event #3 - Discovery of Celcius as a measure of temperature
Event #4 - Andrew Johnson pardoning Confederate soldiers
Event #5 - The ceasefire of World War I
Event #6 - The Apollo 8 space shuttle leaves Earth's orbit
Event #7 - The execution of Ceaușescu
Event #8 - The first live testing of the World Wide Web
Event #9 - The resignation of Mikhael Gorbachev

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/9-things-happened-christmas-day

Jeremy Bentham & Utilitarianism Dec 18, 2020

He was the creator of utilitarianism, a philosophical framework for how societies should be structured, based on the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
Learn about the fascinating life of this interesting character, how this theory impacted the law, and how he was true to his beliefs even in death.

Bentham's early life as a child prodigy
Enlightenment principles
Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Measuring pleasure vs. pain
The six different measurements of pleasure and pain
Rejecting existing laws
The Panopticon and treatment of criminals
Why should someone be killed for stealing?
Problems with utilitarianism
Defining the true meaning of happiness
Applying utilitarianism to economics, sexuality and animal rights
Bentham's wishes for his body when he died
The theft of Jeremy Bentham's head

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/jeremy-bentham

Charles Darwin & On the Origin of Species Dec 11, 2020

He is the father of modern biology, and his 1869 book On the Origin of Species presented a revolutionary new idea about how species evolve.
Discover the amazing story of Charles Darwin, and the journey of how he developed this groundbreaking theory.

Early life of Charles Darwin
Being sent to medical school aged 16
Developing an early interest in the natural world
Moving to Cambridge and starting the journey of becoming a priest
What happens when you put a beetle in your mouth
Creationism & evolution
The trip of a lifetime
5 weeks in the Galapagos Islands
Returning to Britain and working in secret
Publishing On the Origin of Species
Modern theories of evolution

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/charles-darwin

Personality Tests Dec 04, 2020

The personality industry is worth billions, and promises to help us better understand ourselves.
But how did it start? How does it actually work?
And most importantly, does it actually work?

What are personality tests?
Historical ideas of personality & character: The four humours
Sigmund Freud & Carl Jung
Katharine Cook Briggs & Isabel Briggs-Myers: the mother and daughter pair from Michigan
The Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator
Personality within a family environment
How The Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator works
Corporate America & personality tests
Personality testing: a billion dollar industry
Problems with the personality test industry
The Forer effect
Why The Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator has remained so popular

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/personality-tests

Black Friday & A Short History of Discounting Nov 27, 2020

It's the biggest shopping day of the year. How did it start, what actually happens, and how much do people really spend?
Plus, learn about the history of discounting, and how companies trick you into buying things you don't need.

How much people spend on Black Friday
How Black Friday has developed over the years
The history of Black Friday (it doesn't come from 'going into the black')
Coca-Cola and the first mass discount
The business of discounting
Tricks companies use to get you to buy stuff you don't need
Trick #1 - The Rule of 100
Trick #2 - Using prices with fewer syllables
Trick #3 - Phased discounting
The Black Friday alternative: Buy Nothing Day
What Leonardo English is (or isn't) doing for Black Friday

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/black-friday-history-of-discounting

Penal Colonies Nov 20, 2020

Starting in the 17th century, Britain sent hundreds of thousands of people to America and Australia for crimes as small as stealing a loaf of bread.
Learn about why this happened, how it worked, and the legacy it has left on the countries where these prisoners were sent to.

Sending criminals away as a punishment - as old as time
The Bloody Code & being killed for stealing a rabbit
Impact of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions on society
Prison boats
Sending criminals to America
What life was like in America as a prisoner
The American Revolution & finding a new place for prisoners
The discovery of Australia
The convicts' journey to Australia
1 in 5 Australians is a descendant of a convict
Penal colonies in other countries
The cultural impact of sending prisoners to the colonies

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/penal-colonies
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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Superstitions Nov 13, 2020

From black cats to Friday the 13th, superstitions exist in cultures all over the world.
Where do they come from? Why do so many people believe them? And is there any evidence to suggest that they are actually true?

Definition of 'superstition'
Superstitions in Ancient Rome
Superstitions + religion
The Catholic Church + superstitions
Why are so many superstitions about 'bad' luck?
Superstition Story 1: Why you shouldn't open an umbrella inside
Superstition Story 2: Salt over your shoulder
Superstition Story 3: Knocking on wood
Superstition Story 4: Saying 'bless you' after sneezing
Superstition Story 5: Friday 13th

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/superstitions
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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Survivalism Nov 06, 2020

It's the belief that the world is unstable and unpredictable, and that we should all be prepared for what happens when catastrophe strikes.
Learn about where this idea came from, what survivalists do, and why the USA is the world's survivalist capital.

What is survivalism?
Different types of survivalist
1960s and the birth of survivalism
Reasons that survivalism has grown
Doomsday Preppers TV show
Survivalism is big business
COVID-19 and survivalism
Survivalists: rich and poor
Why is the US the global capital of survivalist?

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/survivalism
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Daylight Saving Time Oct 30, 2020

In 70 countries around the world we change the time twice a year, giving us longer evenings in summer.
Why did we start doing this? Why do some people love it, others hate it, and will we ever stop doing it altogether?

Early ideas about timekeeping
Romans & hours that were longer or shorter than 60 minutes
When every town had its own time zone
The invention of standard time zones
The Earth's tilt and the reason days are longer and shorter by season
The proposals to create Daylight Saving Time: collecting insects & playing golf
Starting to use Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time in the 20th century
Reasons to keep Daylight Saving Time: wellbeing, reducing crime, reducing accidents, businesses that benefit from it
Reasons to get rid of Daylight Saving Time: doesn't save energy, it's annoying to change, lost productivity, health disadvantages, businesses that don't like it
Farmers in the north of Scotland
When the UK kept Daylight Saving Time all year round
Complications with Daylight Saving Time when communicating between time zones
Getting rid of Daylight Saving Time?
Changing the clocks twice a year at the Queen's residences

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/daylight-saving-time
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Leonardo Da Vinci Oct 23, 2020

He has been called 'the most relentlessly curious man in history', and was the quintessential Renaissance man.
Learn all about the fantastic life of the genius after whom Leonardo English is named, from his talents as an artist to his skills as an engineer, and get inspired by his insatiable curiosity about how the world works.

His early life in Vinci
Apprenticeship in Verrocchio's workshop
Keeping notebooks
"The most relentlessly curious man in history"
How everything in the world is connected
Writing a letter to the Duke of Milan
Painting The Last Supper
Later life & moving to France
Leonardo Da Vinci as a misfit in Florentine society: illegitimate, left-handed, uninterested in fame, homosexual, vegetarian
Love for animals
Work as an anatomist
Work as an engineer
The Mona Lisa
"I haven't achieved enough"

Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/leonardo-da-vinci
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

GDP & Measuring Growth Oct 16, 2020

“It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” - Robert Kennedy
It's the number that world leaders constantly talk about, using it as proof of what a great job they are doing.
But what does it actually mean? What does it tell us, and what doesn't it tell us? And what would happen if we stopped using it altogether?

Measuring growth in history
Simon Kuznets & the invention of GDP
John Maynard Keynes & popularising GDP after WWII
How to calculate GDP
Why GDP started being used & when it was useful
Criticism of GDP #1: What is (and isn't) counted as part of GDP
Criticism of GDP #2: Positive and negative contributions to GDP
Criticism of GDP #3: Unpaid work & GDP
GDP per capita as a measure of 'how well we are doing'
Is all consumption good?
Bhutan & measuring happiness
Alternative #1: The Human Development Index
Alternative #2: The Human Capital Index
Alternative #3: The Genuine Progress Index
Abandoning measuring GDP altogether?

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/gdp
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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The Vikings Oct 09, 2020

For almost 300 years the vikings terrorised large parts of Europe, arriving in boats and killing anyone that got in their way.But they were also traders, inventors, and storytellers, and they have had a lasting legacy on the world we live in.
In this episode we cover:

The oversimplification of the vikings
The first viking attack in 793
Why did the vikings invade in the first place? Overpopulation, the search for brides, revenge, or they sensed an opportunity?
Settling alongside the local population
Technological advances with boats
How the vikings fought
Valhalla & what happened when a viking died in battle
Trading in the middle east
Viking social classes
A viking symbol you probably have on your phone
The vikings' linguistic legacy
How did the vikings end?
The Victorians and the vikings
The viking ancestral legacy

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-vikings
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Cryptozoology | The Hunt for Mystery Animals Oct 02, 2020

You've heard of zoology, but you might not have heard about its pseudoscience cousin, cryptozoology, the subculture that attempts to prove the existence of mysterious animals from folklore and popular culture.
In today's episode we cover

Origins of Cryptozoology
1960s and conspiracy theories
The discovery of the komodo dragon and the giant panda
Problem with cryptozoology #1: lack of professionalism
Problem with cryptozoology #2: problems with sightings of monsters
Problem with cryptozoology #3: where do their remains go?
Problem with cryptozoology #4: geological problems with cryptids
Can you be a 'normal' cryptozoologist?
We are still discovering 'real' species every year
How cryptozoology can help us
Discovering animals before they become extinct

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/cryptozoology
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

** More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast **
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The English of Boris Johnson Sep 25, 2020

The Prime Minister of the UK has a unique way of using language, which shows his privileged upbringing and elite education.
Learn about how he uses language, why he talks in this way, why this appeals to the British people, and what similarities he has with Donald Trump.
In today's episode we cover:

The early life of Boris Johnson
Johnson's classical language
Clip of Johnson in an Ancient Rome vs. Ancient Greece debate
Johnson's carefully maintained image
Johnson's struggle to use simple language
British tradition of upper-class rulers
Why Johnson makes no apologies for himself
A £250,000 a year 'second job' that is 'chicken-feed'
Johnson's human flaws
Johnson's ability to use language to create vivid, memorable images
Johnson as a breath of fresh air vs. status quo politicians
Using comedy to avoid questions
Similarities and differences between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump
Did Boris Johnson attempt to manipulate the Google search results?

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/english-of-boris-johnson
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The House of Medici Sep 18, 2020

"He it is who decides peace and war… He is king in all but name.” Quote about Cosimo de' Medici
The Medici family rose to power in Florence in the 1400s, and controlled the city for a large part of the Renaissance. Their legacy lives on through much of the art, culture, and architecture that we now take for granted.
In this episode we tell the story of how they rose to power and developed the idea of modern philanthropy.
In today's episode we cover:

The founding of the Medici bank
The bank and the Vatican City
Cosimo de Medici: "The Father of The Fatherland"
Patronage of the arts
Lorenzo The Magnificent
The attempted assassination of Lorenzo in front of 10,000 people
Being held prisoner by the King of Naples
The Medici entering the Vatican City
Making marriage matches
The legacy of The Medici

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-house-of-medici
Join the conversation:

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Join the Leonardo English community: community.leonardoenglish.com

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, an exclusive community, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The Amazing Life of Whales Sep 11, 2020

“The whales do not sing because they have an answer, they sing because they have a song.”- Gregory Colbert
Whales are some of the most amazing animals that have ever existed.
From where they come from to how they live their lives, through to the threats that they have faced and how they bring new life in death, it's time to learn more about the amazing life these animals lead.
In today's episode we cover:

What really is a 'whale'?
The great variety of whales
How whales feed
How whales migrate to find food and mate
How whales communicate
Whales: one of only 6 animals in the world that 'learn' to vocalise
A whale song
Whale hunting
What happens when a whale dies

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-amazing-life-of-whales
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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Electric Cars Sep 04, 2020

The history of electric cars goes back a lot further than Tesla and Elon Musk.
Indeed, the 'golden age' of electric cars was over 150 years ago.
Discover how electric cars have evolved, why some people say they aren't as green as people think they are, and we run the calculations to see what the true environmental cost of electric car ownership is.

Electric vs. Petrol vs. Steam
The Golden Age of the electric car
Electric: The lady's choice
The arrival of the Ford Model T
The oil crises
Tesla & The Roadster
Criticisms of electric cars: production, usage, and resource extraction
Calculating the true environmental cost of an electric car
Tesla's share price
Betting against electric?

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/electric-cars
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Tito | The Man Who Stood Up To Stalin Aug 28, 2020

Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia, survived 21 assassination attempts, fought in two world wars, and managed to stand up to Josef Stalin and live to tell the tale.
In this episode we tell the tale of the fascinating life of Josip Broz, 'Tito'.
In today's episode we cover:

Birth and early life of Josip Broz
Joining the Austro-Hungarian army & World War One
Being captured by the Russians
Returning home to a different country
World War II & the partisan underground
Beating the Nazis
Struggling with Stalin & death threats
Post-Stalin years
Authoritarian rule within Yugoslavia
What was Tito's legacy?

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/tito
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The English of Donald Trump Aug 21, 2020

The President of The United States of America uses a kind of English you won't find in a textbook.
Here we take a look at how he speaks, why he speaks like he speaks, and what Donald Trump can teach you about speaking English effectively.
In today's episode we cover:

"I have the best words"
The vocabulary that Trump uses
The coherence of Donald Trump
The problems that translators have with Donald Trump
The vulgar language that Trump uses
Linguistic techniques that Trump uses
Why Trump is so effective
What you can learn from Donald Trump

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/english-of-donald-trump
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

1MDB & The Missing Malaysian Billions Aug 14, 2020

It's one of the biggest financial frauds in history, and involves bankers, politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
It's time to find out what happened to the missing Malaysian billions.
In today's episode we cover:

Najib Razak comes to power in 2009
Malaysia and the role of a development fund
Enter Jho Low
From $1 billion to $10 billion
Lavish shopping sprees
“Big-spending Malaysian is the mystery man of city club scene”
The wildest party in Vegas
The Wolf of Wall Street
How the fraud really worked
Offshore companies
Goldman Sachs
How everything came crashing down
Najib Razak, Jho Low, and Goldman Sachs in 2020

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/1mdb
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Modern Pirates Aug 07, 2020

The pirates of the 21st century don't have parrots and swords, but night-vision goggles and AK47s.
Discover why pirates have re-emerged, how they work, and what the effect of piracy is on the areas in which they operate.
In today's episode we cover:

Somalia - the world's piracy hotspot
Why pirates emerged in Somalia
How fisherman became pirates
How pirates are organised
Ransoms and getting paid
The pirate stock market
The effect on the community on land
The 'new' pirate hotspot

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/modern-day-pirates
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The World Bank Jul 31, 2020

It's one of the world's most important financial institutions, but also one of the most controversial.
Discover what the World Bank actually is, how it works, what happens when it gets things right, and what happens when things go badly wrong.
In today's episode we cover:

The creation of the World Bank
The difference between the World Bank and the IMF
The ambitious aims of the World Bank
The first World Bank loan, to France
Structural Adjustment (or "you do what we say")
The Cochabamba Water War in Bolivia
Why the World Bank imposes conditions
What happens to all this debt?

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/world-bank
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

QAnon | America's Most Dangerous Conspiracy Theory? Jul 24, 2020

This far-right conspiracy theory has gone from niche internet forums to President Trump's Twitter account.
Discover the story behind QAnon - where does it come from, what do they believe, and is it really the most dangerous conspiracy theory in America?
In today's episode we cover:

The first Q message
PizzaGate
Hillary Clinton
What does Q actually believe?
Donald Trump & QAnon
QAnon & social media companies
Why is QAnon so popular?
US politicians & QAnon

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/qanon
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The War on Drugs Jul 17, 2020

In 1971, Richard Nixon declared The War On Drugs. Almost 50 years later, and a war that has cost the US over a trillion dollars, we take a look at the effect that this war has had on society.
Why was it declared, what actually happened, and who are the real winners?
In today's episode we cover:

History of drug use in the United States
Sherlock Holmes & cocaine
The prohibition era
Why was The War on Drugs launched?
Hippies + black community
What actually happened
Are drugs harder to buy now?
Are drugs more expensive now?
The balloon effect
Prescription opiates
The future for the War on Drugs

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website http://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-war-on-drugs

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Human Rights Jul 10, 2020

In 1948 the United Nations signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set out the 30 'inalienable' rights that all humans on Earth should get at birth.
But where did this come from? How effectively does it actually work?
And what comes next for human rights?
In today's episode we cover:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The 'first' human rights
Human rights vs. Natural rights
The French Revolution & United States Declaration of Independence
Slavery & human rights
Human rights & the law
Ignoring human rights
The countries that didn't vote for human rights
Human rights as a western invention
Environmental human rights
The future of human rights

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/human-rights
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

What Happens When Languages Die? Jul 03, 2020

There are 7,000 languages spoken across the world.
Yet 80% of the population speaks just 1.1% of the languages, and 43% of the languages are endangered.
What happens when they die out?
In today's episode we cover:

How people feel differently when speaking different languages
The 12 'dominant' world languages
Why have certain languages dominated?
Why do languages die out?
When the last two speakers of a language hate each other
Dying languages in the UK
Hawaiian - a revival success story
Reviving a dead language
Written vs. oral languages
Should we save languages?
Why language is a part of culture

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/dying-languages
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating
things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The Weird History of Madame Tussauds Jun 26, 2020

Discover the amazing story of how a young woman from France befriended the royal family, escaped the guillotine, made death masks of revolutionaries, and then created the world's most successful waxworks museum.
The story of Madame Tussauds has a lot more to it than meets the eye.
In today's episode we cover:

What is wax-working?
Going to Paris to seek fortune
Teaching art to King Louis XVI’s sister
The arrival of the revolution
Death masks
The trip to London
The UK tour
Why Brits loved it
Madame Tussauds in modern times

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/madame-tussauds
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating
things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The Hidden Cost of Food Delivery Apps Jun 19, 2020

Food delivery apps have taken over cities across the world, promising delicious food at the tap of a button.
But is it really that simple?
In this episode we discuss what the rise of food delivery apps means for us, for restaurants, and for the people who do the deliveries.
In today's episode we cover:

How food delivery apps work
Why restaurants use them
The early years of food delivery apps
Unfair tactics
Charging $9 for a phone call
Offers and commissions
Chicago Pizza Boss
Racing to the bottom
Dark kitchens
The people who deliver the food

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-hidden-cost-of-food-delivery-apps
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast
Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The Resource Curse Jun 12, 2020

When a country finds gold, oil or diamonds, you might think this would be a good thing.
But in many cases, it is a curse for that country, and it would have been better off leaving its natural resources in the ground.
In today's episode we cover:

Expression: "to strike gold"
Wars & conflict
What happens to your currency when you export natural resources
Government accountability & politicians
Equatorial Guinea (and the $600M president)
Prices that change a lot
Did the resource curse cause the fall of the Spanish empire?
Countries that disprove the rule
"The devil's excrement"

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-resource-curse
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

The British Sense of Humour Jun 05, 2020

People in Britain have a unique sense of humour.
For lots of foreigners it's difficult to understand and confusing. But British people are fiercely proud of their sense of humour, and Britain has produced some of the world's best comedies.
In this episode we take a look at what makes Brits laugh, and tell a few jokes along the way.

Introduction to British humour
What do British people laugh about?
Sarcasm ("No sh*t Sherlock")
What happens when you tell a joke about pasta to an Italian
Self-deprecation (and putting yourself down)
How to deliver a joke
British vs. American humour
Laughing at the mundane (and some classic British TV shows)
Innuendo and double-entendre
British stereotypes (and the Englishman, Scotsman and Irishman jokes)
It takes a while, but it's worth it

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-british-sense-of-humour
Links mentioned:

Carry On Series
Fawlty Towers
Gavin And Stacey (funniest moments)
The Office
Monty Python
Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Plastic May 29, 2020

It has revolutionised our lives, made cars lighter, food fresher, and water safer.
But at what cost?
In this episode we take a look at the history of plastic, and ask ourselves what comes next.
In today's episode we cover:

Elephants, combs and billiard balls - how plastic was invented
Throwaway living in the 1950s
How much plastic waste exists in the world?
How much plastic do we eat?
Recycling plastic
The 5 countries that are responsible for the plastic in the oceans
New non-plastic options
A simple solution to the plastic problem

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/plastic
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
You can become a member of Leonardo English and get access to every podcast, transcripts, key vocabulary, and be able to participate in members-only live sessions.
Discover a more interesting way to improve your English at leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Turkmenistan May 22, 2020

It's one of the most isolated countries in the world, ruled by an authoritarian leader with a passion for horses and Guinness World Records.
It's time to find out about the weird and wonderful country of Turkmenistan.
In today's episode we cover:

The cult of personality under Niyazov
No dogs allowed in the capital
The golden statue that turned to face the sun
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and the love for horses
Firing a gun from a bicycle
The resource curse
Changing money on the black market
COVID-19
Guinness World Records

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/turkmenistan
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind. English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English. There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills. You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.Listeners can become a member of Leonardo English and get unlimited access to every episode, transcripts, key vocabulary, member Q&A sessions, and more. It's English learning, but for curious minds.
Find out more at www.leonardoenglish.com

Harrods | The Playground of London's Rich & Famous May 15, 2020

It's one of the most famous department stores in the world, catering to the world's rich and famous.
But it hasn't always been this way.
In this episode we take a look at the story of Harrods, and discover the fascinating and unusual history of this iconic London location.
In today's episode we cover:

How it all started, back in 1824
The Great Exhibition
When it all burned down
Harrods' famous customers
Brandy on the escalator
The Mohamed Al-Fayed years
The lawsuit with Harrods New Zealand
The cash for questions scandal
The feud with The British Royal Family
Selling lions and tigers
Spending £32,000 on chocolates
The Russian hoodie

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/harrods
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind. English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English. There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills. You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.Listeners can become a member of Leonardo English and get unlimited access to every episode, transcripts, key vocabulary, member Q&A sessions, and more. It's English learning, but for curious minds.
Find out more at www.leonardoenglish.com

The Guinness World Records May 08, 2020

It's a collection of the biggest, fastest, and weirdest things in the world.
But how much do you really know about The Guinness World Records?
Today we look at the story behind the book, and discover how an argument about a bird turned into one of the best selling books in the world.
Here's what you have to look forward to in today's episode:

Finding out the answers to things before the internet
How the idea for the Guinness Book of Records came about
The McWhirter twins and their photographic memory
Record-breaking is big business
Three strange records (Big Macs, Star Wars, and tall men)
How to become a record-breaker (and how much it costs)
Why there are so many 'strange' records (and who pays for them)
Guinness gets all the free publicity

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/guinness-world-records

Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Become a member of Leonardo English and get unlimited access to every episode, transcripts & key vocabulary, exclusive Q&A sessions, and more: www.leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

It's English learning, but for curious minds.

A Service Announcement May 05, 2020

A quick announcement of some exciting developments at Leonardo English.
New memberships, request an episode, and exclusive Q&A sessions for members.
Find out more at www.leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

Fair Trade May 01, 2020

You recognise the name. You recognise the label.
You've seen it on bananas, chocolate, coffee, and all over thousands of everyday products.
But how much do you really know about Fairtrade?
In today's episode we take a look at how it really works, who benefits, and why some companies are starting up alternatives to Fairtrade.
In today's episode we cover:

A brief history of 'trade'
Why farmers get a bad deal
Max Havelaar & the first fair trade coffee
The Dutch in Indonesia
The mission of Fairtrade
How Fairtrade works
Why it works
The criticisms of Fairtrade
Alternatives to Fairtrade
The future of Fairtrade

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/fair-trade

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Fox News // The Presidential Propaganda Machine Apr 24, 2020

It's one of the most powerful television channels in the United States, the current US president’s preferred news channel, and referred to by some as 'state TV'.
In today's episode we take a look at Fox News: who watches it, how it really makes money, and what event could cause its downfall.
In today's episode we cover:

The growth of Fox News
Fox News & Donald Trump
News vs. opinion
Very good, excellent, or superb - North Korean TV in America
Advertisers on Fox News
How Fox News really makes money
Is Fox News really American?
The Fox News viewer
The Coronavirus & Fox News

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/fox-news

Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Guy Fawkes // The Man Who Tried To Blow Up Parliament Apr 17, 2020

In the early hours of November 5th, 1605, a man was found in a cellar under The Houses of Parliament. He was moments away from blowing everything up, killing the King, and changing the course of British history forever.
Today we tell the story of Guy Fawkes, and how we went from religious terrorist to anti-establishment icon.
In today's episode we cover:

November 5th celebrations in the UK
The persecution of Catholics in Britain
The plan to blow up parliament
The anonymous letter
Who really was Guy Fawkes?
The execution of Guy Fawkes
Was it all a conspiracy?
Impact on the English language
Weird Guy Fawkes traditions
Guy Fawkes in popular culture

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/guy-fawkes

Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Tulipmania // When Flowers Cost More Than Houses Apr 10, 2020

In Holland in the 1600s the price of tulips rose so much that a single bulb reportedly cost more than a townhouse on Amsterdam's grand canal.
Today we look at the real story behind one of the greatest bubbles in history.

What is a tulip?
Why are things expensive?
Why were tulips so expensive in Holland?
Why were some people in Holland so rich?
How tulips grow
Tulip contracts
The greater fool theory
When the market crashed
What really happened
Have we learned our lesson?
(BONUS) How to not lose all your money in a financial bubble

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/tulipmania

Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

The Great Train Robbery Apr 03, 2020

In 1963 a criminal gang managed to stop a Royal Mail train, steal £2 million pounds in cash (£55 million in today's money), and escape. It took them just 15 minutes.
Today we tell the story of this infamous robbery, and the hunt to find the men who did it.

The train carrying all the money
Why was it carrying so much money?
The story of the robbery
The hunt for the suspects
The discovery of the farm
The Monopoly piece and the fingerprints
The arrest of the suspects
Who were the robbers?
The escape from jail
Ronnie Biggs in Brazil
The victim of the robbery
The Great Train Robbery in popular culture

Key vocabulary: Robbery, Equivalent, Thefts, Miss a trick, Fantastic, Royal Mail, Cash, Whole load, Circulation, Grabbed, Harsh, Tied up, Carriage, Detach, Track, Rear, Routine, Gang, Robbers, Overpowered, Embankment, Accomplices, Fellow, Getaway, A matter of, Thieves, Alerted, On the hunt for, Robbery, Squad, Underground, Associates, Infamous, Tip-off, Coming and going, Abnormal, Deserted, Be onto something, Wipe sth down, Fingerprints, Clues, Track down, Tracking, Consisted, Motley crew, Threaten, The muscle, Man inside, Get away with something, Passed away, Sentence, Most certainly, Escapee, Fled, Plastic surgery, Extradition, Treaty, Deport, Tried, Caipirinhas, Deteriorated, Longed to, CommittedServe, Compassionate, Grounds, Romanticised, Victim, Iron bar, Severe, Victimless, Theft, Eclipsed, Pop culture, Lyrics, Manhunt, Inspire

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-great-train-robbery

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

The Story Of A Fantastic Dictionary Mar 27, 2020

In 1755, Samuel Johnson published an English dictionary that has gone down in history.
Not only was it the first of its kind, it was full of funny jokes.
Today we tell the story of this fantastic dictionary.

Dictionaries before 1755
Why Johnson's was so famous
Why was a dictionary needed?
Why was the English language a mess?
'Fixing' English
Johnson's dictionary: 40,000 words of fine scholarship
Hidden joke 1: the definition of 'oats'
Hidden joke 2: the definition of 'lexicographer'
Hidden joke 3: the definition of 'lunch'
Why writing a dictionary is so hard

Key vocabulary: Scholarship, Intriguing, Politically correct, Authoritative, Captured, The masses, Painting a picture, Linguistic, Reflecting on, Estimated, Mess, Literacy, Formal, All-encompassing, Collate, Unsatisfactory, Fast-forward, Scene was set, Stabilise, Anomalies, Peculiarities, Set things straight, Hang on, Exceptions, Convoluted, Messy, Organism, Gargantuan, Rivalry, Harmless, Busies, Tracing, Unpleasant, Unappreciated, Extensive, Buried, Highlighted, Adapt, From scratch, Evolving

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-story-of-a-fantastic-dictionary

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

London’s Gin Craze // Mother’s Ruin Mar 20, 2020

300 years ago, London experienced a gin craze of epic scale, with the average Londoner drinking 10 times the amount of gin that the world's biggest gin drinking country does now.
Today, it's time to learn about how gin almost destroyed London.
We'll learn about:

👀 Why 'gin' is called 'gin'
⚡ The perfect storm that made caused the gin boom
🍸 The gin shops
🌡 The ingredients of the 'gin'
☠ "Drunk for a penny; dead drunk for two pennies; clean straw for nothing.”
💊 Gin craze = crack cocaine epidemic?
👶 Poor Mary Defour
⚖ The Gin Act of 1751
📈 Gin today & the resurgence of gin

Key vocabulary: Epidemic, Epic, Bear in mind, Customary, Sophisticated, Phenomenon, Spirit, Juniper, Variant, Liquor, Brandy, Fate, Imported, Patriotic, Domestic, Reliance, Unlicensed, Boom, Legislation, Disposable income, Perfect storm, Establishments, Sipping, Emerge, Fiendishly, Sulphuric acid, Turpentine, Impotent, Sterile, Exceeded, Vast, Pass out, Monotonous, Drawn parallels, Impurities, Hopelessly, Wake-up call, Passed, Consumption, Resurgence, Craze, Stronghold

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/londons-gin-craze

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Is The World Really Running Out Of Sand? Mar 13, 2020

After water and air, it's the most used natural resource in the world. But are we really running out of it?
If so, why? And what happens if we do?
In today's episode we cover:

🌡 What do we use sand for?
🏘 How much sand goes into a house?
🇨🇳 How much sand China uses
⏳ Where does this sand come from?
👮‍♂️ Sand mafias
🤷‍♂️ Can we avoid using sand?
🗼 Sand in Dubai (it doesn't come from where you think it does)

Key vocabulary: Rolling, Dunes, Trekking, Infinite, Implausible, Run out, Pace, Consume, Crucial, Small-fry, Concrete, Asphalt, Aggregate, Runways, Gravel, Foundation, Cubic, Inhabitants, Urbanisation, Phenomenal, Reiterate, Vast, Embarked, Infrastructure, Trucks, Fine, Grains, Spherical, Barefoot, Cement, Angular, Sucks it up, Finite, Emergence, Mafias, Bribing, Turn a blind eye, Extracting, Corrupt, Suck up, Sucked up, Ecosystem, Ecological, Over the course, Outstrips, Particles, Temporary, Reinforce, Clocking in, Imported, Excess, Sink, Bunkers, Gargantuan, Uplifting,

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/is-the-world-really-running-out-of-sand

Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Universal Basic Income Mar 06, 2020

What would happen if the government just gave everyone money?
That's the idea of Universal Basic Income, and it's an idea that has supporters from all across the political spectrum.
In today's episode we cover:

✍ History of Universal Basic Income
🤖 Are the robots coming?
💸 Who should get the money?
💰 Who should pay for it?
👏 Who supports Universal Basic Income?
👍 Advantages of Universal Basic Income
👎 Disadvantages of Universal Basic Income
🇫🇮 The experiment in Finland - what happens when you give 2,000 people €560 a month?
🇱🇷 The experiment in Liberia - what happens when you give alcoholics and drug addicts money?
❓ Future of Universal Basic Income

Key vocabulary: Traction, Entrepreneurs, Programmers, Shareholders, Counteract, Bureaucracy, Poverty line, Corporations, Majority, Shareholdings, Spectrum, Libertarians, Pushing for, Proponent, Signature, Regardless, Neoliberal, Top-up, Extensively, Outcomes, Outspoken, Widespread, Adoption, Touched on, Dishing out, Assessing, Better off, Vehemently, Handing out, Implementing, Factor in, Welfare, Backsides, Handout, Incentive, Vicious cycle, Inflation, Get by, Vicious circle, Subsistence, Counter argument, Persuasive, Deemed, Compelling

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/universal-basic-income

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

How Google Works Feb 28, 2020

It's the most visited website in the world, with 80,000 searches per second. But have you ever actually wondered how it really works?

In today's episode we'll take a look at how this technology giant really works.

🔠 Alphabet & Google
🖥 What does 'The Internet' actually mean?
🕷 Google Spider
🤔 How does Google decide what results to show you?
❓ How does Google decide how websites are good or bad?
📊 Relevance, Quality, and User Experience
💵 How Google makes $6,000 a second
🛎 How Google Ads work
💍Why advertisers pay almost $1,000 for one click
📍 3 weird facts about Google - 1) How many new queries are asked every day, 2) How far a search travels and 3) How many computers are used in a single Google search?

Key vocabulary: On the hunt, Junk, Crawlers, Algorithm, Scanning, Adopt, Straightforward, Obscure, Trustworthy, Likewise, Popups, Tend, Tradeoff, Delicate, Distinctive, Rank, Auction, Bid, Indicate, Asbestos, Bidding, Implications, Round trip, Scratched the surface

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/how-google-works

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Palantir: The Most Important Company You’ve Never Heard Of Feb 21, 2020

You might know nothing about it. But certainly does (or could do) know a huge amount about you.
Let's take a look at this incredibly powerful company that has the power to see everything we do.
In today's episode we cover:

Animating transcripts
Peter Thiel - founder of Palantir
What does Palantir actually do?
Big data
What if the technology wasn't used for good?
Minority Report in real life - the crime prediction tool
Palantir & ICE
The successes of Palantir
Lord of the Rings

Key vocabulary: Poses, Libertarian, Doublespeak, Anything but, Connect the dots, Insider trading, Buzzword, Gargantuan, Piece together, Scratching their head, Crack, Infinitely, Hardware, Weigh up, Erosion, All-seeing, Comb, Speak out, Monitor, In inverted commas, Eerily, Algorithm, Creepy, Bias, Weighted, Deport, Pleas, Back down, Treasonous, Cynics, Lucrative, Web, Intrusion, Fraudster, Omnipotent, Orb, Blinding

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/palantir-the-most-important-company-youve-never-heard-of

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Help! Feb 19, 2020

Today is a bit of a change from the normal.
It's time to ask for your help.
Let's build the best podcast in the world together.

Animated transcripts
Update on the podcast after 2 months
What do I know?
How you can help
What you get in return

Key vocabulary: Animated, Browser, For one, Condense, Ether, Hand in hand, Pile, Operation, Shape, Priority, Shaping, Ray of light, Pleading
****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/help

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

North Korea - The Hermit Kingdom Feb 18, 2020

The media might portray it as just a failed state run by a mad dictator, but today we'll find out that things might be just a little bit more complicated than they seem.
In today's episode we cover:

Post Second World War - US vs. USSR in the Korean Peninsula
The Korean War
The post-war years
North Korea & China
Nuclear weapons (and why do they really have them?)
Kim Jong-un
North Korea in 2020
4 weird facts about North Korea (haircuts, marijuana, holes in one & the calendar)

Key vocabulary: Isolated, Feature, Animates, Neat, Slap bang in the middle, Powerhouse, Pariah, Hermit, Dictator, Recapping, Peninsula, Annexed, Colony, Guerilla, Construct, Jurisdiction, Backing, Stronghold, Armistice, Thriving, Polar, Unwind, Dissolution, Toppled, Precarious, Cozy up, Buffer, Affiliated, Perished, Enriching, Uranium, Volatile, Ruthless, Erratic, Counterpart, , Offensively, Reprisal, Offensive, Deterrent, Bargaining, Diplomatic, Concessions, Dismal, Prestige, Credentials, Longevity, Portrayed, Missile, Legitimacy, Gestures, Surreal, Brutal, Sentenced, Lighthearted, Curtail, Trivia, Feats, Sank, Hole in one, Phenomenally, Enlightening

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/north-korea-the-hermit-kingdom

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

What's The Difference Between Great Britain and The United Kingdom? Feb 11, 2020

Confused about the difference between Great Britain and The United Kingdom, and always wondered when to call someone British instead of English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish? Let's clear it up, and explain how we got to this, admittedly, pretty complicated situation.
In today's episode we cover:

Bye bye European Union
Do people in the UK know the difference?
The UK vs. Great Britain
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - countries or not?
Key events in the history of the formation of The United Kingdom
The British Isles (actually 6,000 islands)
Why is Great Britain 'Great'?
Why does England play at the football World Cup but Great Britain compete at the olympics?
When should you call someone British vs. English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish?
What might happen after Brexit?

Key vocabulary: Listing out, Tricky, Interchangeably, Generalise, Stereotype, In light of, Admittedly, Synonyms, Sovereign state, Counties, I wouldn't blame you, Parliament, Ultimately, Key, Unification, Tribes, Effectively, Withdrew, Recap, Comprised, Bailiwick, Conflicting, Distinguish, Ego, Abundantly, Compete, Catchy, Branding, Fiercely, Heritage, Offended, Bet, Long story short, Phenomenally, Plausible, Referendum, Inevitably, Misuses

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Part 2: The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Learning English (and How To Avoid Them) Feb 07, 2020

It's time for Part 2 of our most common mistakes people make when learning English.
In today's episode we cover:

Recap of Part 1
Why you shouldn't focus on grammar (and how to actually learn grammar)
Why you shouldn't just do 'survival' listening
Why you don't need to go to an English-speaking country (and how to create your own immersion course)
How to set aside time for English learning
Why you should set yourself goals
How to set yourself goals
How to avoid getting disheartened

Key vocabulary: Hacks, Rid, Right up your street, Standalone, Discipline, Tricky, Bonus, Genders, Conjugations, Discouraged, Motivation, Heads down, Masochist, Classify, Base, Conjugated, By all means, Embrace, Quirkiness, Pet peeve, Combat, Gist, Core, Starting out, Purely, Turn of phrase, Switch, Interaction, Close to my heart, Hats off to you, Assuming, Immersive, Enroll, Hate on, Setting foot, Kudos, Dedicate, Postpone, Skip, Overused, Shinier, Chore, Motivation, Vicious circle, Slot, Routine, Ambitious, Penultimate, Motivate, Annotate, Flowing, Elaborate, Disheartened, Roller coaster, Uphill, Pack everything in, Uplifting, Interlude, Pointless
****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/part-2-the-most-common-mistakes-people-make-when-learning-english-and-how-to-avoid-them

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Part 1: The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Learning English (and How to Avoid Them) Feb 04, 2020

It's time to take a look at the most common mistakes people make when learning English, and how to avoid them.
In today's episode we cover:

📍 Strategic vs. Specific mistakes
📕 Why you shouldn't use traditional language learning content
👀 Why you shouldn't judge your progress against that of others
📈 Are there really any English learning hacks?
😍 How to embrace the English learning process
🤞 How to get over your fear of making mistakes
👨🏻 Francesco, the fearless Sicilian English learner
🗣 Why you shouldn't speak too fast
🧠 Barack Obama as an orator
🔍 Sneak peek at Part 2

Key vocabulary: Deviation, Avoiding, Specifics, Strategic, Pat on the back, Disheartened, Hacks, Squeeze, Boosting, Specific, Without further ado, Artificial, Staged, Motivate, Chore, Dulled down, Over and above, Small-talk, Motivation, Pace, Engage, By all means, Tactics, Zero-sum, Endlessly, Core, Caught up, Shiny, Pains me, Prominent, Miraculously, Minimise, Framing, Embrace, At ease, Tedious, Relish, Elusive, Degree, As useful as being hit in the face with a wet fish, Patronise, Literate, Nod, In all probability, Scholarship, Implausible, Aptitude, Moustache, Prestigious, Single out, Equate, Orators, Hesitate, Comes across, Proxy, Linguistic, Nuanced, Accomplished, Bite-sized, Call this a day, Sneak peak, Detrimental, Momentum

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/part-2-the-most-common-mistakes-people-make-when-learning-english-and-how-to-avoid-them

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Conspiracy Theories Jan 28, 2020

Do you believe in conspiracy theories?
Millions of people around the world do.
Today we're going to ask ourselves why, talk about why they can be so seductive, and zoom in on some of the wackiest ones out there.
This episode covers:

👀 What is a conspiracy theory?
👄Why conspiracy theories can be so seductive
🧠Why do we seek connections between events?
📈Why are conspiracy theories growing in popularity?
🍕Pizzagate & the danger of conspiracy theories
❄Why people believe Disney made Frozen
🦖Why people believe the dinosaurs built the pyramids
⛩Who people think advised on the building of Stonehenge
🐰The internet rabbit warren of conspiracy theories

Key vocabulary: Seductive, Faked, An inside job, Deep state, Fictional, Narratives, Goodies, Baddies, Institution, Baddy, Overplay, Assume, Narrative, Underlying, Intentionally, Deceived, Niche, Recesses, Mainstream, Attribute, Ease, Engaged in, Fanning the flames, Serial, Legitimises, Given the light of day, Laughable, Child sex ring, Spread, Surfaced, Harassed, Debunked, Airtime, Wackiest, Without further ado, Extinct, Tamed, Domesticated, Supposedly, Tenuous, Policy line, Distract, Cryogenically frozen, Franchise, Prehistoric, Piled up, Estimated, Blocks, Quite a stretch, Rabbit warren, Slippery slope

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/conspiracy-theories

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

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Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

British Food Part 4 - The (Earl of) Sandwich Jan 21, 2020

Britain's biggest contribution to gastronomy, the sandwich, was invented 250 years ago. How it was invented may surprise you though. Today it's time for part 4 of our mini-series on British food, where we go for a journey into sandwich history.
In today's episode we cover:

10 days left to get promotional price for transcripts & key vocabulary
Earl of Sandwich (and his gambling problem)
Did the Earl of Sandwich really invent the sandwich?
Growth of sandwich eating in the UK
Invention #1 - sliced bread
Invention #2 - pre-packed sandwiches
Science of sandwich making
Sandwiches in the USA (and why they didn't adopt sandwiches immediately)
My favourite sandwich
Conclusion of British food mini-series

Links:
List of notable sandwiches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sandwiches
Key vocabulary: Sojourn, Lock in, Gastronomy, Popularised, Earl, Serial, Habitual, Binge, Wrapped, Biography, Commitment, Culinary, Genius, Fillings, Predate, Out of thin air, Mezze, Platters, Sandwiched, Likelihood, Took off, First men, Boosted, The best thing since sliced bread, Fiddly, Iconic, Leftover, Wrapped them up, Hit, On the go, Nowadays, Soggy, Travel hack, Travel hack, Affordable, For want of, Adopt, Founding fathers, Stuffy, Archaic, Afresh, Held off, Aristocratic, Morals, Upheld, Iconic, Notable, Peruse, Bucket list, Boxing day, Pardon, Pun, Reputation, Aristocracy, For that matter.

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/british-food-part-4-the-earl-of-sandwich

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog
Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

British Food Part 3 - The English Breakfast Jan 17, 2020

The English Breakfast is a truly British institution, and its history goes back 700 years. In today's podcast we go into the story behind the meal, and reveal how it went from favourite of lords and ladies to the way the working classes started the day.

Different types of English breakfast
The Gentry and their breakfasts
Breakfasts for normal British people (and how they weren't very exciting)
The emergence of a new merchant class (and how they tried to emulate the gentry)
The Victorian concept of breakfast
The emergence of the modern 'English breakfast'
When half of Britain started the day with an English breakfast
Where to find the best English breakfasts
When can you eat an English breakfast?
What's the difference between a wedding breakfast and an English breakfast?

Key vocabulary: Penultimate, Fueled, Dodgy, Batch, Institution, Deviations, Cornish, Ulster, Bursting at the seams, Mortified, Stuffing their faces, Reserved, Prevalent, Pauper, Nobles, Lavish, Ale, Better off, Stretch to, Dripping, Toiling, Besides, Inheriting, Aspire, Seeking, Enthusiastically, Notion, Flaunt, Go to huge lengths, Secure, Cured, Offal, Sumptuous, Banquets, Precious, Copious, Accessible, Take for granted, Emerge, Bed and breakfasts, Black pudding, Peak, Aspiring, Staple, Decline, Hipster, Natural selection, Longevity, Age-old, Hangover, Pre-reformation, Bride, Groom, Fasted, Communion, Stomach, Comfort foods

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/british-food-part-3-the-english-breakfast

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

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fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

British Food Part 2 - Fish & Chips Jan 14, 2020

It's a British classic, but how much do you really know about it? Today we are diving into the fascinating history of fish and chips, and we'll discover that it might be not quite so British as you might think.
In today's episode we cover:

How famous people liked their fish and chips
Why people think fish and chips helped the Allies win World War I and World War II
Why French housewives might be key to fish and chips
Did Jewish immigrants to Britain invent the fried fish?
Or was it a Northern entrepreneur?
Why fish and chips was so popular
The factors that meant that fish and chips could be eaten up and down the country
Why fish and chips used to be wrapped in newspaper (and why they aren't anymore)
Fish and chips today
Preview of the next episode: The History of The English Breakfast

Key vocabulary: Fateful, Greasy, Smothered, Mushy peas, Payday, Safeguarding, Vital, Home front, Regime, Snooty, Staving off, Disaffection, Tolerate, Home comforts, Averted, Bent over backwards, Rationed, Iconic, Humble, Substitute, Resourceful, Coated, Breadcrumbs, Shabbat, Anti-semitism, In accordance, Marry, Controversy, Rage, Hut, Wildfire, Deviation, Arithmetic, Staple, Advent, Trawl, Inland, Ruled, Greaseproof, Portions, Plummeted, Plethora, Self-respecting, Cliché, Transition, Aristocracy

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/british-food-part-2-fish-chips

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

British Food Part 1 - Oysters Jan 10, 2020

Today is the first of our 4-part mini-series on British food, and we're going to talk about something you might not expect to appear in a series on British food: the oyster.
In today's episode we cover:

Introduction to the mini-series on British food
Oysters in Roman times (and how Romans were crazy about oysters)
Oysters as a poor man's food
How people used to eat oysters (with beer, salt and pepper, and in pies)
A time when Londoners used to eat 1 oyster per day
The meal (and scandal) that destroyed the oyster industry
The future of oysters in Britain

Key vocabulary: Hot off the heels, Culinary, Oysters, Pearl, Fell completely out of favour, Distrusted, Slurping, Sitting, Prospect, Think much (of), Delicacy, Drift, Plucked, Cultivation, Ale, Flat, Drumming up business, Era, Heyday, Slimy, Substitute, Stretch, Banquet, Transpired, Batch, Contaminated, Dignitary, Typhoid, Esteemed, Sewers, Piped, Moguls, Sewage, Bitter, Litigation, Press charges, Amounted to, Nutrients, Award, Testified, Compensation, Clubbed together, Inscribed, Dodgy, Stocks, Depleted, Bolstered, On the off chance, Next in store, Cunning, Albeit, Cult, Allies

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/british-food-part-1-oysters

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Why Is All The News So Negative? And What If It Wasn't? Jan 07, 2020

Episode #015 - English Learning for Curious Minds

Why Is All The News So Negative? And What If It Wasn't?
****
Why is the news always full of disasters? What would the world be like if it wasn't?
Let's take a look at some of the theories about why the news is always so negative, and imagine what kind of world might exist if it wasn't.
In today's episode we cover:

What is the point of the news?
What is the role of journalism?
Who decides the news?
If it bleeds, it leads (and why bloody stories always come first)
Why are people attracted by negative stories?
News organisations as commercial entities
What negative news does to our brains
The Gandhi Thought Experiment
What if our news wasn't so negative? An introduction to solutions-based journalism
How to avoid the negative news cycle

Key vocabulary: Famine, Tuning in, Bleak, Commonplace, Untold, Accountable, Noble pursuit, Lead with, Editorial, Prominence, Gravitate, Mortality, Gore, Gloating, Taken for granted, Captivate, Numerous, First and foremost, Eyeballs, Bursting your bubble, Revenue, Gravitating, Skewed, Mindset, Exposed to, Bombarded, Empathise, Bombardment, Perception, Perceived, Minuscule, Recalibrating, Anchoring, Implausible, Glued, Contradictory, Unwed, Back of our minds, Bushfires, Helpless, Advocating, Inspire, Uplift, Strike fear into, Optimistic, Fed up, News cycle, Retreat, Intake, Longer form, Fearmonger, Flicking through, Nutrition, Cut yourself off, Out of the loop, Outweighed, Freshness
Jodie Jackson's website: https://www.jodiejackson.com/

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/why-is-all-the-news-so-negative-and-what-if-it-wasnt

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Why is New Year, New Year? Dec 31, 2019

Have you ever wondered why January 1st is the start of the new year?
In today's episode we cover:

History of the celebrations of New Year
When New Year used to be in mid-March
How the Romans tried to fix the calendar
The longest year in history
The Julian calendar (why it worked, and why it didn't)
The pope who brought things back to January 1st
New year today

Key vocabulary: Pressing, Conversation starter, Bringing in, Topical, Timely, Observed, Festivity, Falling out of sync, Toasted, Implemented, Leap year, Pagan, Befitting, Abolished, Circumcision, Circumcised, Reticent, Colonies, Millennia, Custom, Neglected, Myriad, Skipping over
****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/why-is-new-year-new-year

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

The Book That Made Christmas, Christmas Dec 24, 2019

Episode #011 - English Learning for Curious Minds

The Book That Made Christmas, Christmas
****
Today we take a look at the book that is fundamental to our modern understanding of what makes Christmas, Christmas. No, it's not the Bible. It was written in Victorian London, and tells the story of an old miser who discovers the Christmas spirit.
In today's episode we cover:

The publication of A Christmas Carol
When and why the British stopped celebrating Christmas
Summary of the story of A Christmas Carol
Dickens' moral tale about the importance of Christmas
The cultural importance of A Christmas Carol
The linguistic importance of A Christmas Carol
How the Christmas card was invented
Merry Christmas

Key vocabulary: Dare say, Tables may be turned, Instrumental, Enduring, Further afield, Consensus, Puritanical, Sabbath, Headed off, Inherently, Sinful, Degenerate, Reluctant, Wholeheartedly, Underlying, Vivid, Seized upon, Recap, Squeezing, Wrenching, Grasping, Scraping, Clutching, Covetous, Sinner, Self-serving, Fate, Befallen, Paralysed, Infamous, Alter, Resonated, Utterly, Horrific, Rallying call, Stamped, Crippled, Vulnerable, Smash hit, Inexorably, Frantically, Civil servant, Caught on, (give) a shot, Deed

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-book-that-made-christmas-christmas

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Who Owns Space (And Why Does It Matter)? Dec 17, 2019

Part 3 of the 3-part series on "Who owns the sea, sky, and space?"

We humans do a pretty good job of dividing up ownership of the world. But what about beyond that? Who owns space? Who decides who owns that, and why does it matter?
In today's episode we cover:

Why nobody used to even think about space ownership
The Cold War (and what people thought it meant for weapons in space)
The Space Treaty (and what its real intention was)
Where does space start?
What happens if a shuttle crashes when in space?
Why you can't really buy a piece of the moon

Key vocabulary: Customary, Captivated, Realm, Supernatural, Implausible, Into orbit, Realms of possibility, Logical, Implied, Figurative, Catchy, Side note, Ban, Vice versa, Loose, Demarcation, Provision, Mine, Proliferation, Framework, Untapped, Sovereign territory, Interpreted, Set up, Grab yourself, Holding up, Plough, Lunar, Tycoon, Congested, Thorny

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/who-owns-space

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Who Owns The Sky (And Why Does It Matter)? Dec 13, 2019

Part 2 of the 3-part series on "Who owns the sea, sky, and space?"
Ever wondered who actually owns the sky?
Today we'll discuss who owns it, why it's still not clear who does own most of it, and why that doesn't actually really matter.

What does 'the sky' actually mean?
Different parts of 'the sky'
Why only the very bottom of the sky matters
The 13th Century law upon which western laws are based
How do countries use ownership of the sky to help their political goals
Where does the sky end?

Key vocabulary: Contextualise, Extends, Slice, Stick with, Round off, Lump, Soil, Stood the test of time, Encroach on, Amendments, Advent, Trespassing, Infinite, Extract tariffs, , Routine, Hard and fast, Obscure, Proportion, Stretch out, Come in pretty handy, For starters, Revenue, Air traffic control, Nice little earner, Handy, Exert, Leader on, Consensus, Bypass, Crises, Frontier

****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/who-owns-the-sky

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Who Owns The Sea (And Why Does It Matter)? Dec 10, 2019

Part 1 of the 3-part series on "Who owns the sea, sky, and space?"

Who Owns The Sea (And Why Does It Matter)?
***
Ever wondered who actually owns the sea? Learn about who owns 2/3 of the surface area of the world, why countries want to claim ownership of rocks in the middle of nowhere, and why this matters.
In today's episode we cover:

Introduction to the 3-part mini series
Who owns the world's land?
History of sea ownership & the cannon shot rule
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Why the US hasn't signed the convention
Different types of ownership of different parts of the sea
Why countries are rushing to claim ownership of the Arctic ocean
What happens in the 'high seas' (spoiler alert: pirates not allowed)
Why countries in East Asia are fighting over abandoned rocks
The man who orchestrated it all: Arvid Pardo

Key vocabulary: Frontier, Sovereign, Straightforward, Enshrined in law, Come in pretty handy, Glossing over, Cannon, Cannonball, Anomalies, Consensus, A body of water, Demarcate, Zero-sum, Gargantuan, Undermines, Open up, Dent, In short, Boil this down, Impinges, , Submerged, Ended up, Recap, Ratified, Scrambling, Prevalent, Abide by, Engaged in, Piracy, Get round, Violating, Maritime, Claim jurisdiction, Unintended, Uninhabited, Prized, Flare up, Single out, Gives you the measure, Orphaned, Penniless, Tirelessly, Impassioned, Treacle, Heritage
****
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/who-owns-the-sea

Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

What Is Soft Power (And Why Does It Matter)? Dec 03, 2019

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" - Mao Zedong, 1927
"In the 21st century, culture is power" - Park Geun-hye (ex President of South Korea, home of Gangnam Style)
How do other countries win the political game without force? Why is language such a fantastic tool to project power across the world? What is Donald Trump doing for US interests outside the US?
Learn about how soft power is a vital tool in the global diplomatic toolbox, and how countries use it to advance their diplomatic aims.
Topics covered:

The history of soft power
Why it is no longer acceptable to attack other countries
What components go into soft power
Why language is the ultimate example of soft power (and why countries promote the learning of their language)
The UK's soft power across the world
The Soft Power Report (and who came top in 2019)
Why the UK, France, Italy, the US, Sweden and Estonia all do well in terms of soft power
China's soft power initiatives
Why you can't buy soft power
Why politicians neglect soft power
What Europeans think of the US since 2016

Key vocabulary: Self-proclaimed, Geopolitics, Zero-sum, Projected, Coercion, Sanctions, Aspirational, Coined, Lingua franca, Dominant, Packs a sizeable punch, Prevalence, Gradual, Decline, Institutions, Slipped, Footprint, Republican, Imprint, Mastery, Amplifies, Deemed, Agenda, Funding, Portray, Toolbox, Timeframes, Reap, Foster, Blossom, Soundbites, Hostile, Struggle, Ranked, Bound, Dividends, Set in motion, Shift, Packs a substantial soft power punch, Neglect

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/what-is-soft-power-and-why-does-it-matter
Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

How To Use Podcasts To Learn English (Like A Boss) Dec 03, 2019

In today's podcast we go in depth into why you should use podcasts to learn English, and explain some of the best techniques to maximise your English learning with podcasts.
We'll explain how you can take a 10 minute English podcast and turn it into an intensive 2 hour lesson, where you work on your English listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Then you can decide whether you're a serious English learner and want to test it, or you'd rather just put on Netflix and trick yourself into thinking that you're learning.
In today's episode we cover:

Why listening is underrated
Why learners find English podcasts hard
Understanding language without visual cues
Detailed explanation of how to use a 10 minute podcast to create a 2hr lesson
How this compares to a 2hr film in English
Final 2 tips on listening to podcasts in English

Key vocabulary: Dear to my heart, Underrated, Turbocharge, Toolkit, Attuned, Exposed, Superficial, Comes down to, Indulging, Switch off, Revert, Cues, Get by, First things first, Tend to, Spellcheck, Beneficial, Fundamental, Does wonders for, Akin to, Pastime, Inbuilt, Set aside a time, Brainlessly, Flicking, In your heart of hearts

Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/how-to-use-podcasts-to-learn-english-like-a-boss
Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

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Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

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More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

The Most Amazing Prison Escapes in History Dec 03, 2019

Today we're going to be taking a look at 5 of the most amazing prison escapes in history.
We'll travel to South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and the US, and discover some of the ingenious ways in which prisoners evaded their guards.

Escape 1: John Herbert Dillinger and the wooden pistol
Escape 2: Choi Gap Bok, the South Korean yoga expert
Escape 3: The Alcatraz escape - but did it really happen?
Escape 4: The Great Escape - how 600 men managed to keep an escape plan hidden from their guards
Escape 5 (and 6): El Chapo, $2.5 million, laundry baskets, tunnels, and motorbikes

Key vocab: Protagonists, Ingenious, Dummies, Without further ado, Ringing a bell, Notorious, Carved, Lured, Shootout, Brute, Wriggle, Perished, Cult, Shark-infested, Tides, Feat, Raft, Intriguing, Immortalized, Squadron, Sheer, Barbed wire, Implicated, Evade, Extradited, Bribe
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Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-most-amazing-prison-escapes-in-history
Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

The Places In The World Where Planes Can't Fly Dec 03, 2019

Ever wondered if there are places in the world where planes can't fly?
From mountainous regions to hostile states, from theme parks to ancient temples, it's time to find out where planes can and can't fly.

A time when Western aeroplanes couldn't go over all of Russia and China
How countries use their airspace as a political tool
Why planes can't go over Tibet
Why planes don't fly over Antarctica (hint, it's probably not why you think)
What do Disney World, Disney Land and Buckingham Palace have in common?
Why are there no planes over Paris?

Key vocabulary: Airspace, Ally, Ban, Revenue, Detour, Booming, Desirable, Lofty, Elevation, Regulation, Warrant, Prohibited, Inhabitants, Ostensibly
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/the-places-in-the-world-where-planes-cant-go
Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Meet the English Learning for Curious Minds podcast Dec 03, 2019

Wondering what the English Learning for Curious Minds podcast is all about, who is behind it, and whether it's for you?
In today's inaugural episode, we'll cover who should be listening to the podcast (hint - if you want to improve your English and learn interesting things about the way the world works, this is you), who is behind the podcast (an English native speaker and avid language learner), and talk about some of the quick things you can do to get the most out of the podcast.

Who is behind the podcast (introduction to Alastair Budge)
Why you need to listen to native speakers
Where the English for Curious Minds podcast came from
What you can expect from the podcast
What does a 'curious mind' mean
2 quick and easy tips for how to use podcasts to learn English

Key vocabulary: Inaugural, Maximise, Let's get cracking, Trilingual, Avid, Exposing, Unforgiving, For starters, Scripted, Must, Whirring away, Innate, Absorb, Squarely, Condense, Dulled down, Artificially, Authentic, Non-trivial, Carve out, Mammoth, Touch on, Come round, A taster, Faceless, Corporation.
Full transcript and key vocabulary available on the website www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/meet-the-english-for-curious-minds-podcast
Want tips, resources, and tricks on how to learn English with podcasts? www.leonardoenglish.com/blog

****
Join the conversation:

instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

Trailer: English Learning for Curious Minds Nov 26, 2019

Learning English doesn't need to be boring. You don't need to drown in grammar books, you don't need to spend hours memorising phrasal verbs.
English Learning for Curious Minds is the podcast that teaches you English through teaching you fascinating things about the world.
No boring listening exercises, no drills, no scripted conversations.
Just thoroughly researched, utterly fascinating stories.
It's English learning, but just not as you knew it.
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Join the conversation

Website: www.leonardoenglish.com
IG: instagram.com/leonardoenglishapp
FB: fb.me/leonardoenglishapp
Join the Learn English with Podcasts community: www.facebook.com/groups/learnenglishwithpodcasts

****
More about Leonardo English and the English for Curious Minds podcast

Learning English shouldn't be boring. It should open your mind.
English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast aimed at intermediate level English speakers and above, where listeners learn fascinating things about the world while learning English.
There's no small-talk, no boring grammar exercises or vocabulary drills.
You'll learn English by listening, by hearing real conversations and real English, spoken by native speakers, and at a speed you can understand.
Listeners can subscribe to Leonardo English to get a copy of the transcript and key vocabulary for every podcast on www.leonardoenglish.com.
It's English learning, but for curious minds.

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