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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

21:16

A new highway across South America | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/05/23

" A new highway will connect the landlocked regions of South America to the Pacific Ocean, and the first link from Paraguay was just completed. South America produces a lot of the world’s food, and the highway will help speed up exports. But not everyone is on board. The highway also threatens areas of forest and indigenous culture. Plus, learn “work on.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

20:11

A dog's personality is more than its breed | Learn...

Plain English ·

2022/05/19

" Labrador Retrievers are friendly; pit bulls are aggressive; poodles are playful. These generalizations are often true, but a new study shows that a dog's breed only explains a small part of its behavior. Plus, learn the English expression ""bring back."" -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/469 -- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about

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22:04

Timeline of Musk's Twitter takeover | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/05/16

" Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies, surprised the business world by offering to buy Twitter, a publicly-traded company, for about $44 billion. Not everyone took him seriously at first, but he backed up his offer with the money he needs to do the deal. Plus, learn the English expression ""come up with."" -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

18:45

Turkey is getting a name change | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/05/12

" Turkey, the country, officially changed its English name. If you Google “Turkey,” chances are there will be a mix of search results: everything from ugly birds, to a fungus, to the country itself. This bothers President Erdogan, so he decided to re-brand the country internationally from Turkey to Türkiye. Plus, learn what it means to “turn the tables.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

21:11

Poland has been a friendly neighbor to Ukraine |...

Plain English ·

2022/05/09

" As the situation in Ukraine gets increasingly dire, Ukrainians are leaving the country in droves. Five million people have already left the country. The majority of the refugees have gone to Poland, where to many people’s shock, they are getting a warm welcome and an unexpected level of support. Plus, learn “ride out.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/466 --

en

18:09

The good and the bad of company mission statements |...

Plain English ·

2022/05/05

" Company mission statements are supposed to articulate what a company does and how it helps the world. Ideally, mission statements should send a positive public signal and also motivate employees – at least that’s the idea. But some company mission statements really miss the mark, and we have some examples of both the good and the bad today. Plus, learn “come away.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be

en

23:24

The search for meaningful work | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/05/02

" Covid prompted many employees to take a step back from the endless emails and Zoom calls and reevaluate what they want out of their jobs. Many people left their jobs to find work that was more meaningful to them. But what does it even mean to have “meaningful” work? Plus, learn “day-to-day.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/464 -- Learning English should be fun

en

24:54

‘Succession’ gives us a different angle of the rich |...

Plain English ·

2022/04/28

" ‘Succession’ is all about media mogul Logan Roy and his children, who are all trying to succeed him as CEO of the family company. Instead of envying the rich, the overwhelming emotion we feel toward these characters is pity. The children are portrayed as the victims, not the beneficiaries, of Logan’s life and fortunes. Plus, learn “curry favor with.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

26:13

Volodymyr Zelensky: actor turned President turned war...

Plain English ·

2022/04/25

" Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as the surprising hero of Ukraine’s resistance efforts, but his resume might surprise you. Before he was Ukraine’s president, he played a president on a TV show. His background as an actor has been key to his success as a war leader. Plus, learn “stand out.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/462 -- Learning English should be fun

en

24:04

Passwordless authentication is the future | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/04/21

" An organization dedicated to creating simpler, strong authentication – i.e. killing the password – has published a broad outline of how this will work. The end of the password might actually be in sight. But the plan requires tech companies to implement it and users to adopt it. Plus, learn “pass along.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/461 -- Learning English

en

24:22

Passwords may be dying a slow death | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/04/18

" The pattern – for some of us – of setting, forgetting, and resetting passwords might soon be behind us. Passwords are slowly dying out and simpler, more secure forms of authentication that don’t involve remembering a pesky string of numbers and letters are taking over. But will people be able to adapt and change their habits? Plus, learn “fall for.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

20:56

Lost ship found in Antarctica after 100 years | Learn...

Plain English ·

2022/04/14

" Over one hundred years ago, an explorer’s ship sunk off the coast of Antarctica, and amazingly, the entire crew of 28 survived the wreck. Just last month, a team finally found the ship, and one of the scientists said it was the best-preserved wooden shipwreck he’s ever encountered. Plus, learn “eat away at.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/459 -- Learning

en

22:08

We’re getting closer to a birth control pill for men...

Plain English ·

2022/04/11

" The University of Minnesota is close to kicking off human trials for a male birth control pill. Researchers have developed a pill for men that was found to be 99 percent effect in mice. But would men even take it? Plus, an update on another scientific breakthrough, and learn what it means to “shoulder the burden.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/458 -- Learning

en

23:16

How do animals safely cross highways? | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/04/07

" The US is investing in more animal overpasses to help wildlife navigate around highways. If you think about it, highways are fast and convenient for humans to get from place to place. At the same time, they restrict wildlife from getting where they need to go and harm animal species in the area. But these aren’t like ordinary bridges. Plus, learn “cut through.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be

en

24:07

Ukraine’s not-so-secret weapon in the war | Learn the...

Plain English ·

2022/04/04

" The Ukraine-Russia war is the first time the world is seeing social media and crowdsourced intelligence having a major impact on the battlefield. Both Russians and Ukrainians are leveraging social media to give real-time updates and share stories. It’s giving the world a less filtered view of war than we’ve seen before. Plus, learn “play out.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

28:45

The hidden costs of inflation | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/03/31

" Inflation is a hot topic around the world as countries are recording their highest inflation rates in decades. In the U.S., inflation recently hit its highest rate in over 40 years: 7.9 percent. Because customers are especially price sensitive right now, companies are trying not to raise prices. But they are still passing along the price increases in hidden ways. Plus, learn “apples-to-apples.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson,

en

The hidden costs of inflation | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/03/31

" Inflation is a hot topic around the world as countries are recording their highest inflation rates in decades. In the U.S., inflation recently hit its highest rate in over 40 years: 7.9 percent. Because customers are especially price sensitive right now, companies are trying not to raise prices. But they are still passing along the price increases in hidden ways. Plus, learn “apples-to-apples.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson,

en

21:01

Birdnesting: the divorce trend where the parents...

Plain English ·

2022/03/28

" “Birdnesting” is a co-parenting trend where the kids of divorced or separated parents stay in the same home they had always lived in, and the parents take turns staying in the home with them. The arrangement is meant to give kids a more stable home environment. But is birdnesting really the best setup for the kids, or the parents? Plus, learn “move on.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at:

en

18:58

Will COVID-19 be with us forever? | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/03/24

" COVID-19 seems to be on the trajectory to becoming an endemic disease, meaning that it follows a regular and predictable pattern. Diseases move from epidemic to endemic when its spread slows and people have the tools to reduce its severity. But does this mean we are going to be dealing COVID for forever? This lesson dives into endemic COVID. Plus, learn “build up.” -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be

en

21:53

A post Russia-Ukraine war world | Learn the English...

Plain English ·

2022/03/21

" Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a complete re-ordering of how the world works. Everything from supply chains to payment systems could change as the world scrambles to figure out how to carry on without relying on Russia. Plus, learn what it means to “set your sights on” something. -- At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world. -- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/452 -- Learning English should be fun

en

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