Author Archives: ESLPod.com

Important Announcement: Our New UNLIMITED ENGLISH Membership!

First, we want to thank all of you, our listeners, viewers, readers, and members, for continuing to support us. We know that many of you have been with us for many months and some for many years and we are … Continue reading

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The Shadow Wolves are on the Hunt

As in other countries, smuggling and trafficking are both serious problems in the United States. Smuggling is the crime of bringing something into or out of  a country illegally (against the law). Trafficking is the selling or trading of things illegally. … Continue reading

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Welcoming 2018

A new year means new plans and new resolutions (promises to yourself to do better). Here are a few words from Benjamin Franklin to inspire you (make you feel you want to do something). (We talked about him in Cultural English … Continue reading

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Christmas: Outlawed!

Nowadays (Currently; These days), Christmas is celebrated by many Americans, whether they are Christian or not. However, that wasn’t always so (true). The first Europeans to settle (move to and make it their home) in what is the United States … Continue reading

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Punctuation: The Game Changer*

We all know that punctuation — marks in writing, such as ” “, : , and ! — is important. Sometimes just a small change in punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence. For example, consider (look at and … Continue reading

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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…No, It’s a Giant Hello Kitty?!

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and an American tradition on Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (see Cultural English 60). Macy’s is a chain (business with many locations) of department stores in the U.S., selling anything from clothing and cosmetics to … Continue reading

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That’s a Contronym. Yes it is. No it’s not.

The English language is full of quirks (strange things). One of them is contronyms. Contronyms are words with two opposite meanings. Knowing which of its meanings is being used depends on the context (the words around it). Here are two contronyms … Continue reading

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The Sounds of Halloween

It’s Halloween and you’re watching your favorite horror (scary) film today. Can you hear it? It’s the squeak (making a high-pitched sound) of an old door, a high-pitched (with high sounds) scream, the sound of thunder (loud crashing sound during storms). These are all … Continue reading

Posted in Television and Movies | 19 Comments

Yiddish Words in Daily English

The Yiddish language originated in Central Europe in the 9th century A.D., spoken largely by the Jewish communities there. It spread to other parts of Europe (especially Germany), and was widely spoken in several countries prior to World War II. … Continue reading

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Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?

*punk: a worthless person; a young and inexperienced person, who believes he or she is very skilled and knowledgeable –> “Who is that punk? He says he can beat anyone in a game of tennis.” *to have (got) nothing on … Continue reading

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