Plain English

Nov 18 2024 745 ep. 21 mins 964
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The best podcast for learning English if you like current events and trending topics. Improve your English listening, learn new words, and build your confidence with the #1 English-learning podcast focused on current events and trending topics. Improve your English listening: Plain English episodes go a little slower than native speed so you can understand every word and improve your English listening little by little. Your host is Jeff. He's a native English speaker from the United States and he's committed to helping you improve your English skills with real-life stories—not textbook exercises. ==> Want more? If you like listening to our episodes and want to do more with us, then join us at PlainEnglish.com, where you can take quizzes, do interactive exercises, watch step-by-step video lessons, get expert feedback on your writing, practice speaking in English on live Zoom calls…and much more! 👉 Visit PlainEnglish.com/join to start for free

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Greenland bets on responsible tourism (Fall from grace)

Nov 18 2024 24 mins  
Today's story: Greenland, a vast but sparsely populated island, is investing in new airports and sustainable tourism strategies to attract international visitors. With upgrades to airport infrastructure and policies favoring local businesses, Greenland aims to offer an eco-friendly experience while preventing the kind of over-tourism experienced by neighboring Iceland. These effort

Lost Mozart composition found in German archives (Every now and then)

Nov 14 2024 15 mins  
Today's story: A hand-copied manuscript of a musical composition believed to have been written by Mozart has been discovered in the archives of a German library. Mozart experts believe the composition dates to the 1760s, when Mozart was between 10 and 13 years old. An analysis of the music suggests that the piece is consistent with Mozart's style from this period. The piece is now

The return of the backflip in figure skating (Give away)

Nov 11 2024 20 mins  
Today's story: The backflip has been a controversial move in figure skating for decades. It was first performed in high-level competition at the 1976 Olympics by American skater Terry Kubicka, but was quickly banned due to safety concerns. Despite its prohibition, some skaters continued to perform it in exhibitions. Now, nearly fifty years later, the International Skating Union has

Haggis: Scotland's most famous recipe (Out of reach)

Nov 07 2024 21 mins  
Today's story: Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made from various animal organs mixed with oats and spices. In the traditional recipe, it's cooked in the lining of a sheep's stomach. It's a beloved part of Scottish culture (even if outsiders aren't always brave enough to try it).Learn this English expression: 'Out of reach' refers to something that is inaccessible or unattaina

Scientists map a fly's entire brain (On a roll)

Nov 04 2024 23 mins  
Today's story: Scientists have completed a ""connectome"" of an adult fruit fly, mapping all 140,000 brain cells and the 55 million connections between them. The map will allow scientists to study in much greater detail how a brain works. And the complete connectome of the fruit fly may pave the way for mapping larger, more complex brains, including those of mice and, potentially,

What Election Day is like in the U.S. (Pull off)

Nov 01 2024 25 mins  
Today's story: When the sun rises on Election Day, about half of Americans will have already voted. But here's what the experience is like for the tens of millions of people who cast their votes in person on the first Tuesday of November. Plus, learn why it takes so long to count the votes.Learn this English expression: 'Pull something off' means to succeed in doing something diffi

Dengue in Italy, M-pox vaccines, and Netflix’s new 'Monsters' (Sooner or later)

Oct 28 2024 24 mins  
Today's story: Dengue fever has spread to Italy, which has seen 500 cases this year. M-pox vaccines are now being distributed in Africa for the first time. Shohei Ohtani’s translator has pleaded guilty to bank fraud, and Netflix’s new ""Monsters"" series, based on the Menendez brothers' case, has hit number one on the charts.Learn this English expression: 'Sooner or later' mean

Build more homes? Now, some say ‘yes’ in my backyard (Out of touch)

Oct 24 2024 24 mins  
Today's story: Across the English-speaking world, the cost of housing (to buy or to rent) has far outpaced increases in incomes. That has caused governments to take a critical look at policies that have limited homebuilding, especially apartments. From London's green belt to cities in America, Canada, and Australia, people are increasingly saying ""yes"" to more building.Learn this

‘Emily in Paris’ is the show France loves to hate (Keep an eye on / out)

Oct 21 2024 23 mins  
Today's story: Netflix recently released season four of its hit show ""Emily in Paris."" Television critics in France and the U.S. panned the show for its unrealistic, Instagram-worthy fantasy of life in Paris. But audiences love it: the show reached number one on Netflix when its fourth season was released (and yes, it was popular in France, too). ""Emily in Paris"" will return fo

Why only 538 votes decide the U.S. presidency (On track)

Oct 17 2024 25 mins  
Today's story: America’s complicated system of choosing a president can be traced back to its origins as a union of individual states. The process involves two elections: a popular vote by citizens and an electoral vote by states. This indirect system places more emphasis on the results of the election in the individual states. Learn why Americans will cast hundreds of millions o