Luke's English Podcast

A Big Talk about Small Talk 🗣️ (with Ray Addam) Improve your Speaking Skills in English [1007]

137K views · 1w ago · 2:13:08

Guest: Ray Addam

Small talk is not just a pointless way to fill silence in social situations, it is an opportunity to make great social connections, build your network and just have an interesting conversation with someone new, but how do we do it successfully? How can you develop your confidence, and take the right approach to making good connections with people you meet?

Topics: What is small talk, and why do we do it? · How confident are you at small talk in English? · Introducing Ray Adam · The big misconception about small talk · Everyday situations where we need small talk · Cultural differences in small talk

9 True Ghost Stories & Unexplained Mysteries from Listeners 👀🕯️ LEPster Writing Competition [1006]

82K views · 2w ago · 1:34:04

Listen to a selection of 9 fascinating stories written by listeners, one of which will win the competition which I launched earlier this year. Finally, the wait is over and the creepy story competition episode is here. I had to work very hard to narrow down the entries from 74 to only 9. Anna Brooke and I chose our favourite, as you will hear. These are extremely mysterious and extraordinary stories sent in by my listeners.

Topics: Story 1. Encounter on the Balcony · 2. Grandmother’s Medallion · 3. We Did a Really Good Job · 5. Therapy of a Ghost · 6. Who is that Baby Who is Crying? · 7. Anna and the Man in the Corridor

Sir David Attenborough 🌍 Britain's #1 National Treasure [1005]

145K views · 3w ago · 1:35:13

This episode is a celebration of a living-legend of British life & culture - Sir David Attenborough, who is best known for making documentaries on the BBC about the natural world. Listen as I give an overview of his life and career, explain why he is so loved by people, share anecdotes from people who have met him, describe memorable animal moments from his documentaries, and do a few impressions of his distinctive voice.

Topics: Sir David's voice (Luke's impression) · Life and career · The "greatest living British person"? · The BBC · Positive values · When my cousin met Sir David

Luke’s Improvised Storytelling: Jurassic Park 🦖 [1004] Listen & Learn English

139K views · 1mo ago · 2:05:26

Guest: Luke’s Improvised Storytelling

Retelling the story of your favourite film, or book, can be a great way to practise your speaking skills in English. It can help you focus on narrative tenses, vocabulary recall and spoken fluency, while having fun reliving some great moments from cinema or literature. In this episode I demonstrate this, while giving you an entertaining re-telling of Steven Spielberg's classic dinosaur adventure, Jurassic Park (the original and best in the franchise).

Topics: Story · Ending Comments 1 · Corrections, improvements & scientific inaccuracies · Ending Comments 2

Testing My Friends on English Grammar / Irregular Verbs with Amber & Paul 🎯 [1003]

139K views · 1mo ago · 2:37:53

Following a challenge from the comment section, I decided to see if it was possible to make an entire episode with my friends Amber and Paul based on the table of irregular verbs. This is the result. I decided to test the POD-PALS on their grammatical knowledge, and to see what anecdotes and funny comments I could get from them.

Topics: Conversation

Neuroscience & Learning English 🧠 11 Surprising Facts [1002]

881K views · 1mo ago · 1:28:17

This episode is full of fascinating science-backed insights into how the brain processes language. I read an article, and then explain various conclusions about the best way to learn English, with a lot of practical tips for speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary. What does neuroscience tell us about the best way to learn a language?

Topics: Gianfranco Conti PhD (article author) · Reading the article · 1. Language is processed by the whole brain · 2. Grammar and vocabulary in procedural and declarative memory · 3. Complex grammar requires more brain power · 4. Listening and speaking share the same brain circuits

Real English Learning Stories from Around the World 🌏 Listener Comments & Questions [1001]

353K views · 1mo ago · 2:44:49

LEP is back after a summer break, and in this episode you can hear messages and questions from listeners, including stories of English learning, and testimonials from LEPsters who have made a significant improvement to their English after listening to this podcast long-term.

Topics: Welcome to Episode 1001 & Calling All LEP Ninjas · YouTube Comments: Learning New Vocab & Favourite Formats · Maro’s Story: From A2/B1 to Qualified Tour Guide · The Science of Listening: Why Rambling Actually Works · Dissecting the Frog, AI Roleplay & Future Topics · Q&A: Managing Long Podcasts Around Family & Busy Life

Episode 1000! 🎉

164K views · 2mo ago · 3:36:18

Here it is, finally! The long-awaited episode 1000. It has taken me weeks to finish this. If you listen, you will understand why it has taken so long! This is a celebration of this podcast after 17 years and 1000 episodes. It includes a lot of rambling, an interview with my brother, questions from friends and family, and the voices of various guests who have been on this podcast over the last few years.

Topics: Collective nouns · Send me your questions and stories · 1000 episodes, 17 years! · Feeling lucky · Day 2 · How did the sun get so hot?

Sherlock Holmes & The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip 🕵 [999]

213K views · 3mo ago · 3:14:12

Back by popular demand, here is another Sherlock Holmes mystery for episode 999. How will Watson deal with his mini-mission to an opium den, before joining Holmes on one of his most singular cases so far, attempting to solve the disappearance of a gentleman and the suspicious involvement of the man with the twisted lip? Listen to the story and then keep listening as I break it down paragraph by paragraph. Get the story PDF here Episode page LEP Premium

Topics: Story starts · Story summary · Explaining the story paragraph by paragraph

Rambling in the Countryside 🏡 (feat. my daughter) [998]

53K views · 3mo ago · 57:48

Some podcast housekeeping is necessary in this episode, as I talk about current LEP news, moving into a house in the countryside, sketchy plans for episode 1000, an update on the scary story competition, final thoughts on the World Cup, and more. My daughter joins me with various comments throughout, and at one point a bird even flies into the room. What fun we had. PDF transcript available. Get the PDF transcript Episode page LEP Premium

WORLD CUP RAMBLE #4 ⚽️ FIFA 2026 England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 vs Argentina 🇦🇷 and more... (with Zdenek) [BONUS]

30K views · 3mo ago · 2:05:15

Recorded the day after Argentina beat England in the semi-final here is World Cup Ramble #4. Zdenek joins me again as we discuss as many talking points as possible, including what on earth happened yesterday, the intense rivalry between Argentina & England, the historical background to that rivalry, Spain eliminating France, predictions for the final and so many other things, including a passionate conversation about cultural differences and communication style, plus the…

Funny Childhood Memories & Stories ⚡️👦 (with Martin) [997]

43K views · 3mo ago · 1:47:48

Martin returns with a set of questions about childhood, sparking a funny conversation full of stories from school, family holidays, getting into trouble, and formative years of Luke growing up both in urban West London and rural West Midlands. Expect a premium episode dealing with vocabulary in this conversation. Get the PDF transcript Episode page LEP Premium

Topics: Let's talk to Martin / Heatwave · Jim Carrey stuck inside a mechanical rhino · Topic: Childhood · Earliest Memories · Transport on Transport (holidays) · Terrified by a Toy Train

WORLD CUP RAMBLE 3 ⚽️ FIFA 2026 with Fred [BONUS]

23K views · 3mo ago · 1:14:26

Debating Skills in English 🗣️ (with Ray Addam) [996]

119K views · 3mo ago · 2:30:58

Guest: Ray Addam

Win any argument in English with these incredible debating skills. Ray Addam joins me for a discussion about the art of debating, including various strategies you can use to help you win arguments, disagreements and debates. With plenty of examples given and techniques explained, this is surely a useful episode for developing your speaking skills in English.

WORLD CUP RAMBLE 2 ⚽️ FIFA 2026 with Zdenek [BONUS]

23K views · 4mo ago · 2:09:28

Here is the next bonus football rambling episode on LEP. The group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026 is over and teams are now being eliminated in the round of 32. In this episode, which is roughly the same length as the average game at WC2026, I am joined by Zdenek from The Footglish Podcast.