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PODCAST

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

13:48

Louvre robbery: How it happened

Plain English ·

2025/11/03

Today's story: On a Sunday morning in October, four thieves disguised as construction workers used a ladder truck and power tools to break into the Louvre museum. In just seven minutes, they smashed display cases and escaped with eight priceless pieces of French crown jewelry, including emeralds, sapphires, and pearls once worn by empresses.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/814Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/814 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best

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17:24

A visit to Dublin [archive]

Plain English ·

2025/10/30

In this episode from the Plain English archives, you'll learn about Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It's a great place to explore the best of Irish culture: the music, the drinks, and the literature.--Cold plunges are the new health trend championed by high-fliers and ordinary people alike. By submerging yourself water that's 15 degrees Celsius (or colder!), you can manage stress, reduce muscle soreness, improve your concentration, and more, advocates say."Full lesson:

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11:16

What sound should a quiet car make?

Plain English ·

2025/10/27

In this episode from the Plain English archives: Electric vehicles promised to improve safety and reduce harmful CO2 emissions, but they’re also eerily quiet, which is causing safety problems for pedestrians and cyclists. Several countries now have regulations mandating that electric vehicles make noise with external speakers, but it’s up to the car companies to decide on the sound.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/travel-dublin --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the

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12:43

Update episode: BTS, Birkin, NYC trash, Seine...

Plain English ·

2025/10/23

Today's story: Get ready for some updates to previous Plain English stories: New York begins rolling out containerized trash collection; Paris opens the Seine for public swimming; BTS announces a comeback; the original Birkin bag sells for a record €8.6 million; Ethiopia opens the long-disputed Nile dam; and the UK, Uruguay, and Italy take steps toward legalizing assisted dying.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/813Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/813 --Upgrade all your skills

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10:13

Sagrada Familia nears completion after 140 years

Plain English ·

2025/10/20

Today's story: Construction on the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, is approaching a major milestone after more than 140 years. The basilica’s central tower is nearly complete, and the project is expected to be structurally finished by 2026, the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí. But more than a decade of additional work remains before Gaudí's famous basilica is fully complete.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/812Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/812 --Upgrade

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15:19

Keep calm and carry on: the backstory

Plain English ·

2025/10/16

Today's story: A British wartime propaganda poster created in 1939 featured the slogan, ‘Keep calm and carry on.’ The poster was never used and the slogan had been forgotten, until it was rediscovered in 2000. In a brand-new age, the slogan took on new meaning, and started to appear on posters, mugs, t-shirts, and countless online memes.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/811Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/811 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best

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17:40

Why your AI always thinks you're brilliant

Plain English ·

2025/10/13

Today's story: Large language models like ChatGPT are increasingly sycophantic—flattering users, validating flawed reasoning, and agreeing too easily. This tendency stems from how models are trained: by rewarding responses users like. While some innocent flattery is harmless, models' sycophancy can be harmful in hidden ways. Here's what AI sycophancy is, and how to avoid it.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/810Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/810 --Upgrade all your skills in

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14:01

New discoveries from ancient Pompeii

Plain English ·

2025/10/09

Today's story: Archaeologists are excavating a never-before-studied part of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by a volcanic eruption. They’ve uncovered luxury homes, decorated bathhouses, and evidence of how residents tried to survive the disaster. These new finds offer a vivid window into Roman life—and death—in the first century A.D.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/809Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/809 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best

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13:43

More schools are banning cell phones

Plain English ·

2025/10/06

Today's story: A growing number of state and national education systems are banning cell phone use during the school day. Supporters say phones are distracting, addictive, and bad for learning. Not everyone agrees, but teachers—and even some students—say the changes are making a big difference.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/808Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/808 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You

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13:35

Newest status symbol? Your water bottle

Plain English ·

2025/10/02

Today's story: Reusable water bottles have become a big global industry, driven by health trends, social media, and changing values around sustainability and style. Brands like Stanley turned practical hydration into a fashionable status symbol—but are they environmentally friendly if you collect them and don't use them?Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/807Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/807 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events

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15:53

Alcaraz & Sinner: the new rivalry in men’s tennis

Plain English ·

2025/09/29

Today's story: For two decades, the Big Three—Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic—defined men’s tennis. With Federer and Nadal retired and Djokovic aging out of contention, a new rivalry has taken center stage. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have claimed every major title in the past two years, marking the beginning of a new era.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/806Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/806 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events

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14:40

Canada's sweetest export: maple syrup

Plain English ·

2025/09/25

In this lesson from the Plain English archives, you'll learn about one of Canada's sweetest exports: maple syrup. In 2021, there were fears of a shortage. This episode tells the story."A weaker maple syrup harvest this year put Canada in a bit of a sticky situation. As the world leader in maple syrup production, Canada had to tap into its maple syrup reserves to avoid a global shortage. Pancake enthusiasts: keep calm, there will still be syrup!"Full lesson:

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14:12

⚖️ Emoji in the courtroom

Plain English ·

2025/09/22

Enjoy this episode from the Plain English archives. Emoji are everywhere, including some unlikely places...like the courtroom.Court cases often hinge on what words mean. But what happens when a dispute involves an emoji? To decide cases or rule on motions, judges often have to decide what a 👍 or a 💓 means. To make matters worse, there's no emoji dictionary and not everyone agrees on what each emoji means. 🤷Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/emojis-in-court --Upgrade all your skills in

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15:54

How stolen vehicles move around the world

Plain English ·

2025/09/18

Today's story: How do stolen cars move around the world? Easy. They're loaded into standard shipping containers and sent overseas using the same freight network that moves legal goods. Weak customs enforcement and decentralized criminal networks help keep the operation running smoothly.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/805Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/805 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might

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14:57

Car theft goes global

Plain English ·

2025/09/15

Today's story: Car theft is on the rise, and it's high tech and global. Thieves in rich countries steal luxury SUVs using relay devices and other tools, then ship them overseas to markets in Africa and the Middle East, where demand is high and oversight is weak.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/804Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/804 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to

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15:30

Women are making inroads into officiating men’s sports

Plain English ·

2025/09/11

Today's story: Umpire Jen Pawol made history as the first woman to officiate a Major League Baseball game in 150 years. Her milestone highlights the growing presence of female officials in men’s sports, from soccer to basketball, and the challenges they face breaking into these roles.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/803Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/803 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be

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14:24

Italy envisions a bridge to Sicily

Plain English ·

2025/09/08

Today's story: Italy has approved plans for the Messina Bridge, a €13.5 billion suspension bridge linking Sicily to the mainland. If completed by 2033, it would be the world’s longest suspension bridge, but faces engineering, environmental, financial, and political challenges.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/802Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/802 --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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14:05

The era of slim clothing is over

Plain English ·

2025/09/04

Today's story: Skinny jeans and tight-fitting clothes are out, and loose, oversized fashion is in. The shift is driven by comfort after the pandemic, greater body inclusivity, and a wave of 1990s nostalgia. Designers and retailers alike are embracing relaxed cuts for all genders.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/801Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/801 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be

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14:56

‘Coldplay couple’ in a viral nightmare

Plain English ·

2025/09/01

Today's story: A playful concert tradition took a serious turn when Coldplay’s “Jumbotron Song” captured an embrace between a tech CEO and his HR director. The viral video ignited a nationwide scandal, raising questions about workplace relationships and the risks of being caught on camera.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/800Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/800 --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You

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19:22

How prescription drugs get their names [archive episode]

Plain English ·

2025/08/28

Xoloft, Ibrance, Zocor, Mounjaro: How do drug companies come up with these names? That's exactly what we explored in this classic episode of Plain English.When a pharmaceutical company develops a new treatment, the company creates both the generic (scientific) name and the brand name. They sound weird, but there's a method behind the madness of naming prescription drugs.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/prescription-drug-names --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the

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