Thinking in English

Latest Episodes:

156. Should Owning a Dog Be Illegal!?!? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

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Should owning a dog be illegal? On today’s episode of Thinking in English, I’m going to explain why I think that owning certain types of dog, in particular “purebred” and flat faced dogs, is cruel and should not be allowed! Let’s learn about the history of dog breeds and the serious problems modern dogs experience, all while learning new vocabulary and practising your listening comprehension!

TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/22/should-owning-a-dog-be-illegal/

Vocabulary List

Opinionated (adj) - an opinionated person is certain about their beliefs, and expresses their ideas strongly and often

He was opinionated and selfish, but undeniably clever

To breed (v) - to keep animals for the purpose of producing young animals in a controlled way

Some dogs were bred to retrieve birds shot during hunting trips

Breed (n) - a particular type of animal or plant

What’s your favourite breed of dog?

Characteristic (n) - a typical or noticeable quality of someone or something

Having a big nose is a characteristic in my family

To bark (v) - (of a dog) to make a loud, rough noise

I can hear a dog barking outside

To herd (v) - to make animals move together as a group

Farmers use dogs to help herd sheep

Stocky (adj) - a stocky person or animal is short, wide across the chest, and strong looking

He was stockier than I remembered

Squashed (adj) - flat, soft, or out of shape due to being crushed or squeezed

He ate some squashed sandwiches for lunch

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Learning English From the News?!? (with SEND7 Podcast) Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

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How can you use the news to learn or improve your English? Stephen from the Simple English News Daily podcast joins us today to discuss the news, how you can use the news in your daily study plans, and also some predictions for future news stories. I really enjoyed talking with Stephen, and I hope you also enjoy listening to this episode!

Transcript - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/20/learning-english-from-the-news/

Riddle 1

What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?

Riddle 2

What month of the year has 28 days?

Riddle 3

There’s a one-story house in which everything is yellow. Yellow walls, yellow doors, yellow furniture. What colour are the stairs?

Riddle 4

You see me once in June, twice in November and not at all in May. What am I?

Riddle 5

What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?

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155. What is an Endangered Language? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

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A recent report has revealed that nearly 2500 languages are at risk of becoming extinct in the near future. Why do languages die out? Does it matter if they do? And how can we save an endangered language? Let’s talk about this on today’s episode of Thinking in English!

TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/08/155-what-is-an-endangered-language/

Vocabulary List

Endangered (adj) - things that may soon not exist because there are very few around now

The rhino is an endangered animal

Generation (n) - all the people of about the same age within a society

The younger generation smokes less that their parents did

Elder (n) - an older person, especially one with a respected position in society

You should listen to the advice of your elders

To absorb (v) - to take something in, especially gradually

Towels absorb moisture

at the expense of (phrase) - resulting in the loss of something

They chose to speed up production at the expense of safety

To document (v) - to record the details of an event, a process, etc

His interest in cars has been well-documented

Exclusively (adv) - only

That YouTuber has an exclusively female audience

To revitalise (v) - to give new life, energy, activity, or success to something

They made a plan to revitalise the city centre

Multilingualism (n) - knowledge of more languages than a native language

The school embraced multilingualism and offered classes in the country’s three national languages

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Sanam Monteiro: Creative Writing, Making Mistakes, and Learning English! Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

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Sanam Monteiro is poet, activist, political science graduate, youth worker, former intern for United Nations Women, and a friend of mine who once let me sleep on her sofa in Brussels! I invited Sanam on to Thinking in English today to discuss her experiences of both learning and teaching English.

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/06/sanam-monteiro-creative-writing-making-mistakes-and-learning-english/

Follow Sanam and the Compass Collective!

Sanam's Instagram - @namnaaam

Compass Collective - https://www.compasscollect.com/

Compass Collective Instagram - @compasscollect

Donate to Compass Collective

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Every Royal Word You Need to Know! (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

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To mark the 70th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the UK is holding a large celebration this week called the platinum jubilee! And this episode of Thinking in English is going to introduce you to every “royal” word you need to know to talk about the Queen, the Monarchy, and the Crown!

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/06/01/every-royal-word-you-need-to-know/

Vocabulary List

Firearm (n) - a gun that can be carried easily

Pistols and revolvers are firearms

Homicide (n) - murder

The number of homicides in the city increased last year

To bear (v) - to have or continue to have something; to carry something

He arrived bearing gifts

Equivalent (n) - having the same amount, value, purpose, qualities, etc

$50 is roughly equivalent to £40

Background checks (n) - a check of what a person has done in the past, often to help decide whether or not to employ them

A criminal background check showed he had been arrested as a teenager

Would-be (adj) - wanting or trying to be

Would-be soldiers are required to pass physical examinations

Amnesty (n) - a period of time during which people are not punished for committing a crime

People who hand in illegal weapons to the police will not be prosecuted during the amnesty

Lobby (n) - a group of people who try to persuade the government or an official group to do something

The pro-coal lobby has succeeded in stopping the government from shutting down the mine

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153. Should We Pay Reparations for Slavery? (English Vocabulary Lesson) May 25, 2022

Show notes

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During recent trips to the Caribbean, the British royal family has faced demands for reparations and compensation for the UK’s involvement in the historic slave trade. What are reparations? And should we pay reparations for slavery? Let’s talk about this on today’s episode of Thinking in English!

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/05/25/should-we-pay-reparations-for-slavery/

Vocabulary List

head of state (n) - the official leader of a country, often someone who has few or no real political powers

Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in 15 countries

Atrocity (n) - an extremely cruel, violent, or shocking act

They are currently investigating the atrocities committed during the war

To trace (v) - to discover the causes or origins of something by examining the way in which it has developed

She traced her family back 400 years

Impoverished (adj) - very poor

He was an impoverished young actor

Wrongdoing (n) - a bad or an illegal action

She has denied any wrongdoing

Descendant (n) - a person who is related to you and who lives after you

They claim to be the descendants of the royal family

To emancipate (v) - to free a person from another person’s control

Slaves in the British empire were mostly emancipated in 1833

Appalling (v) - very bad

The weather today is appalling

Precedent (n) - an action, situation, or decision that has already happened and can be used as a reason why a similar action or decision should be performed or made

There is already precedent for promoting people with no formal qualifications in this company

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How to be an ACTIVE English Learner!! May 23, 2022

Show notes

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On today’s episode of Thinking in English, I’m going to talk about active learning. Active learning is the best way to study and improve your English ability, but most language learners do not learn actively. How can you become an active English learner? Keep listening to find out!

FULL TRANSCRIPT -- https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2022/05/23/how-to-be-an-active-english-learner/