Thinking in English

Thinking in English

Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary. I believe that thinking is one of the most important steps on the road to fluency. That’s why each episode explores fascinating topics, from politics, economics, and history to philosophy, science, and culture. Instead of simply learning English, this podcast helps you learn in English. You’ll expand your knowledge, discover new ideas, and improve your language skills, all at the same time. Bonus episodes and ad-free episodes, exclusive for Patreon subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866 Join our Conversation Clubs and support the podcast: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠ Visit the website: ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/⁠ Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English.

Episodes

399. What is the Resource Curse? Why Some of the World's Richest Countries Stay Poor (English Vocabulary Lesson)

August 2, 2026 • 28 mins
Scientists have just discovered enormous deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, or the rare earth minerals that are in smartphones and electric cars beneath your country. Is this good news? Not necessarily. You might think that becoming “resource rich” is a great way for a country to become prosperous, but this not always the case. Some of the world's most resource-rich countries have struggled with corruption, dictators...
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398. Why Does Canada Speak French and English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

July 26, 2026 • 33 mins
Why does Canada speak both English and French? Why is Canada's head of state the King of the United Kingdom? Why didn't Canada become part of the United States when the rest of Britain’s North American colonies rebelled? Canada is one of the largest countries on Earth. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and all the way north to the Arctic. It has one of the world's wealthiest economies, consistently ranks a...
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397. Who Will Be the Next Prime Minister of the UK? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

July 19, 2026 • 31 mins
In 2024, Keir Starmer became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after leading the Labour Party to one of the biggest election victories in modern British history. Just two years later, he has announced his resignation… and Britain is once again preparing for a new leader. Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the UK has gone through an unusually high number of prime ministers. Each has promised to solve the countr...
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396. 10 Years Language Learning: Lessons I'd Give My Younger Self (English Vocabulary Lesson)

July 12, 2026 • 28 mins
In August 2016, I moved to a small town on the Japanese island of Shikoku. I had almost no Japanese ability and I didn't have an expectation that I'd stay very long in Japan. Maybe I'd stay in Japan for one year. 10 years later, though, I'm still in Japan. I'm now married. I have a daughter. I run a business from Japan. And I can live my entire life in Japanese if I need to. Looking back, there are things that I'm incredibly prou...
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395. What Was the USA Like in 1776? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

July 5, 2026 • 28 mins
When I think of the USA, I picture New York's skyscrapers, Hollywood movies, and Silicon Valley technology companies. I think of the world’s largest economy, and the most powerful country, with a population of more the 340 million people. But what was the USA like when it was first founded? This year, the US is celebrating the 250th anniversary since it declared independence from the British Empire. I thought it would b...
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394. How to Become a Confident English Speaker (English Vocabulary Lesson)

June 28, 2026 • 29 mins
What is confidence? What does a confident English speaker look like? And how can you become a confident speaker? This episode is going to try and answer some of these important questions. You might assume that someone with perfect grammar, a huge vocabulary, and a native-like accent will be a confident speaker. But that is not necessarily the case. Over the years, I've met English learners with excellent English, but who were...
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393. History of Football! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

June 21, 2026 • 32 mins
The World Cup is currently underway in North America, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about football, or soccer depending on where you are from. And specifically, we are going to explore the history of the world’s most popular sport. Most people probably think football has always looked more or less the same. Two teams with eleven players. Referees and clear rules. Ninety-minute matches. But that is not ...
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392. History of Warsaw (English Vocabulary Lesson)

June 14, 2026 • 27 mins
Today, we’re going to talk about Warsaw. Warsaw is the capital of Poland and one of Europe’s most resilient cities. If you visit Warsaw today, you’ll find a modern and quickly developing European capital. There are skyscrapers, busy shopping streets, trendy cafés, and a growing economy. But history of city is dramatic and tragic. In this episode, I am going to explore the fascinating history of Warsaw. We’...
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391. Why Is the UAE Leaving OPEC? And What Is OPEC Anyway? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

June 7, 2026 • 21 mins
The United Arab Emirates has announced that it is leaving OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) after almost sixty years as a member. Why does this matter? Well, oil is still one of the most important resources in the world. The price of oil affects how much we pay for petrol, the cost of transporting food, airline tickets, electricity, and much more. When oil prices rise, the economy is also affected. OPEC...
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390. What are the “New” Seven Wonders of the World? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

May 31, 2026 • 31 mins
Thousands of years ago, Ancient Greek travellers created a list of the most extraordinary sights they encountered: the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These included places like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Colossus of Rhodes. Today though, only one still survives: the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. So, in the early 2000s, a huge international campaign called the “New Seven Wond...
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389. What Was the First Book Ever Written? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

May 24, 2026 • 28 mins
Humans have been speaking languages for tens of thousands of years. We told stories around fires, passed down myths from parents to children, and memorised important information about survival and history. But for a very long time, nobody could write anything down. Then, at some point, humans invented writing. Writing allowed people to record laws, preserve stories, collect knowledge, and communicate across generations. Eventuall...
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388. Is the American Dream Dead? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

May 17, 2026 • 26 mins
If you work hard, can you build yourself a better life? For a long time, millions of people believed the answer in the USA was yes. The “American Dream” is the idea that anyone, no matter where they start in life, can achieve success through hard work and determination. You could own a home, have a stable job, raise a family, and earn more than your parents. But today, many people in the US are questioning whether tha...
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387. Why Are Some People Always Late? The Cultural Meaning of Time (English Vocabulary Lesson)

May 10, 2026 • 24 mins
You are invited to a party. The invitation says the party starts at 20:00. What time will you arrive? Your answer to this question has a lot to do with your culture. Some of you will have said 20:00 exactly, because that is when the part stats. Others will have said 19:45, because it is polite to be early. Others will have said 20:30… or 21:00… or later because it is awkward to arrive too early. Your answer to m...
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386. Who Was Leonardo Da Vinci? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

May 3, 2026 • 20 mins
Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds in history. He painted some of the most famous works of art ever: the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and more. He was also a scientist, an engineer, an anatomist, and an inventor. He is often described as the perfect example of a “Renaissance man.” A Renaissance man is someone who is skilled in many different areas, especially during the time of the Renaissance. The Renaissance...
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385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

April 26, 2026 • 22 mins
Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?” As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of migrant workers who helped build the stadiums. There were some calls for fans, players, or countries to refuse to take part. But despite all of that, the World Cup still went ahead. Millions of p...
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384. The Scramble for Africa (English Vocabulary Lesson)

April 19, 2026 • 29 mins
In the 1870s, about ten percent of Africa had been colonised by European countries. But over the next few decades, over ninety percent of the continent was taken, occupied, divided, and partitioned by governments far away in places like London, Berlin, and Paris. We call this period in history the “Scramble for Africa.” In a remarkably short period of time, countries like Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium claimed v...
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383. What Is Talent? And Do You Need It to Learn English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

April 12, 2026 • 21 mins
“I’m just not good at learning languages.” I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at English” or “He has a gift for languages.” These kinds of comments are incredibly common. Many people believe that success in language learning depend...
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382. Rwanda: Economic Miracle or Authoritarian State? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

April 5, 2026 • 25 mins
In 1994, the small African country of Rwanda experienced one of the worst genocides in modern history. Over a one-hundred-day period, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. The genocide shocked the world and left Rwanda devastated. But if you visit Rwanda today, you would probably be surprised at that history. The country is often described as one of Africa’s greatest success stories. Its capital city, Kigali, is known ...
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381. Easter Island: Mystery, Moai, and the Edge of the World (English Vocabulary Lesson)

March 29, 2026 • 23 mins
Imagine living in a place so remote that the nearest inhabited land is over two thousand kilometres away. No neighbours. No easy escape. Just ocean in every direction. And across the island are hundreds of giant stone heads, carved by hand. This place exists… and people have lived there for centuries. This episode will look at Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known locally. Easter Island is in the middle of the Pacific ...
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380. What is Poverty? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

March 22, 2026 • 24 mins
What does poverty really mean? When we hear the word poverty, I think many of us imagine extreme situations, like homelessness, starvation, or people living in very poor conditions. But poverty is far more complex, and far more widespread, than we often realise. According to the United Nations, more than 700 million people (around 10 percent of the world’s population) still live in extreme poverty. These people are survivin...
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