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Plain English

Jeff at Plain English

Improve your English and learn about the world at the same time. Plain English brings you short, modern stories about culture, science, travel, business, and everyday life, all told in clear, natural English designed for learners. You’ll grow your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and build your confidence one episode at a time. Like the show? Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com and get a personalized learning path.

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All Episodes

24:55

Parents and school shooters: who's responsible? (Take...

Plain English ·

2024/10/03

Today's story: School shootings are sadly, tragically common in the United States. Now, prosecutors are bringing murder or manslaughter charges against parents of school shooters, even if the parents weren't directly involved in the crime. Some say that's justified; others say it's going too far. What do you think?Learn this English expression: To 'take advantage' is to enjoy a benefit or treat someone unfairly for personal gainFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/715 --Upgrade all your skills in

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26:50

How to get a Birkin handbag (Deal with)

Plain English ·

2024/09/30

Today's story: The Birkin might be one of the coveted handbags in the world. Part of its appeal is its exclusivity: you can't just buy one in online or in a store. You have to build a relationship with a sales associate and spend thousands of dollars on other goods just to get one. So is it worth it?Learn this English expression: To 'deal with' is to handle a challenge or talk about a subjectFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/714 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best

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23:26

Somehow, Abercrombie & Fitch is popular again (Take...

Plain English ·

2024/09/26

Today's story: For a generation of Americans, the brand Abercrombie & Fitch was synonymous with overpriced, exclusive clothing for teenagers (and a highly sexualized staff and brand). It fell out of favor when the public mood turned against that kind of marketing. But against all odds, the company has turned its image around and is now a darling of the mall (and Wall Street).Learn this English expression: Use 'take it easy' to talk about lowering the level of effort or intensityFull lesson:

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21:39

Matthew Perry and the drug that killed him (As far as...

Plain English ·

2024/09/23

Today's story: Matthew Perry, the actor who played Chandler on the popular TV series 'Friends,' died of an overdose of ketamine in 2023. Last month, five people were arrested in connection with his death, including a drug dealer to the stars called the 'Ketamine Queen,' government documents show.Learn this English expression: Use 'as far as I know' to say what you think, even if you're not completely sureFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/712 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is

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24:13

Do men need to wear ties anymore? (Close call)

Plain English ·

2024/09/19

Today's story: Neckties were adopted in France in the 1600s as a symbol of power and respect. For many, they were a required part of business dress during the boom in white-collar work in the 20th century, but men are increasingly leaving the tie at home, even if they wear suits. So, is the necktie dead?Learn this English expression: A 'close call' is when something bad almost happens--but doesn'tFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/711 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the

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27:32

Two astronauts are stranded in space (Short run /...

Plain English ·

2024/09/16

Today's story: Astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore left Earth on June 5, planning to be in space for eight days. But thrusters on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned, so they have to return on another vehicle in February 2025, bringing their time on the International Space Station to eight months.Learn this English expression: Use 'short run' and 'long run' to talk about times in the futureFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/710 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English

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23:40

Why women's clothing sizes are so confusing (In touch)

Plain English ·

2024/09/12

Today's story: Generations ago, women went to seamstresses for custom-made clothes. But today, many women's fashion brands use standard sizing that distills the fit to just a single number. But even that can be misleading, as the size standards vary by brand (and even by year).Learn this English expression: To be 'in touch' is to stay in contact with someoneFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/709 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning

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24:04

'Massacre law' in Turkey threatens street dogs (Get...

Plain English ·

2024/09/09

Today's story: Turkey's parliament recently passed a law aimed at removing millions of dogs living on the street. The law doesn't specifically require euthanasia. But many in Turkey are afraid this new law will nonetheless lead to mass killing of the dogs they've grown attached to.Learn this English expression: Something that 'gets out of hand' becomes difficult to manageFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/708 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast

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03:57

Improvements coming to Plain English

Plain English ·

2024/09/07

Preview the changes improvements coming to Plain English this fall:The English expressions you learn may or may not appear in the main story. This will let us focus on those expressions that are most useful to you, whether or not you heard them in the first half of the lesson.Each month will have a theme with three or four episodes. (The remaining four to six episodes will be about current events and trending topics.) This will let us intentionally create stories about a wide variety of topics, so

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24:43

Biden's awful debate and the rise of Kamala Harris...

Plain English ·

2024/09/05

Today's story: At age 81, Joe Biden was the oldest person ever to seek the U.S. presidency. And while voters had concerns about his age, he easily won the Democratic Party's nomination. But after a terrible debate performance, he withdrew from the race. The sitting vice president, Kamala Harris, will face Donald Trump in the November election.Learn this English expression: A race is 'down to the wire' if the result is in doubt until the last momentFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/707 --Upgrade

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24:19

Summer 2024: Three months that felt like decades (Get...

Plain English ·

2024/09/02

Today's story: From an attempted assassination of Donald Trump to a landslide election in the UK to an uplifting Summer Olympics, the summer of 2024 was a rollercoaster of news.Learn this English expression: To get out of something is to avoid doing itFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/706 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family

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23:12

Buying vs renting a home (Pay back)

Plain English ·

2024/08/29

Today's story: Most American families are confronted with the decision to buy or rent a home at some point. This decision is a common one around the world, but the specific pros and cons can be different, depending on the country. Here's what the decision is like in the U.S.Learn this English expression: When someone has given you money, and you return it, you pay that person backFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/705 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events

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24:01

Office culture in the U.S. (Wrap up)

Plain English ·

2024/08/26

Today's story: American office culture isn't exactly what you see on TV. In this story, learn about the typical workday, including what time people arrive, what they wear to work, how much time they have for lunch, and how they get to the office from their homes.Learn this English expression: To 'wrap up' is to finish something successfullyFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/704 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be

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19:03

Jury duty: what it's like (Check in)

Plain English ·

2024/08/22

Today's story: It starts with a notice from a court: ""You have been summoned."" American citizens are occasionally required to appear for jury service. Most people called don't have to serve on juries. Here's what the experience is like, for selected jurors and for those who are excused.Learn this English expression: To 'check in' is to register with a company or personFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/703 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast

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19:22

What is retirement like in the United States? (Stay put)

Plain English ·

2024/08/19

Today's story: There are over 50 million retirees in the United States, about the equivalent of the entire population of Spain. Every person's retirement is different, but today, you'll learn about what retirement is like for most people in the U.S.Learn this English expression: To 'stay put' is to stay in one place and not moveFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/702 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning

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20:08

Train travel in the U.S. (Up and running)

Plain English ·

2024/08/15

Today's story: Train travel is famous in Europe. In the United States, though, it's a little more complicated. But with some planning, you can make train travel part of a U.S. vacation (if you plan ahead and leave plenty of time).Learn this English expression: A system is 'up and running' when it is fully workingFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/700 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve

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15:18

Sample Video Workshop: 'Even as'

Plain English ·

2024/08/14

This workshop teaches you how to use "even as" to present a potential contrast in a sentence.See full workshop: https://plainenglish.com/videos/even-asVideo Workshops give you all the tools you need to express more complex ideas.Workshops include:Video lesson ~10 minutesQuizExercisesOpportunity to practice & get feedbackWatch workshops free todayThe Workshops are a benefit of Plain English Plus+. From now until August 18, access the video workshops for free at PlainEnglish.com.Just log in using

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14:28

Fast Version: A quick tour through America's national...

Plain English ·

2024/08/13

** Enjoy this fast version of Episode #700. Listen to the fast audio of our lessons at PlainEnglish.com during this free trial week, August 12-18, 2024. Sign up at PlainEnglish.com to enjoy this free week.Today's story: America's national parks are an important part of the country's natural landscape and they attract millions of visitors per year. Some parks preserve wilderness areas. Others have pristine beaches. Two parks include networks of caves. All are preserved for future generations and open

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24:11

A quick tour through America's national parks (One of...

Plain English ·

2024/08/12

Today's story: America's national parks are an important part of the country's natural landscape and they attract millions of visitors per year. Some parks preserve wilderness areas. Others have pristine beaches. Two parks include networks of caves. All are preserved for future generations and open to visitors.Learn this English expression: Something is 'one of a kind' if it's uniqueFull lesson: https://plainenglish.com/700 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best

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04:37

Happy #700: Plain English Plus+ is free this week

Plain English ·

2024/08/11

🥳 Happy Episode 700!Plain English is celebrating episode #700 on August 12!And to celebrate, we are opening up our full, premium program, Plain English Plus+, to all Plain English listeners -- absolutely free for an entire week.Join us from August 12 to 18, 2024 and you can:Practice listening with the fast episode and interactive listening exercisesLearn to express complex ideas with step-by-step video workshopsBuild your confidence speaking on live Zoom calls with Jeff and JRLearn new words with

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