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PODCAST

Happy English Podcast

Michael DiGiacomo Happy English

The Happy English Podcast helps English learners learn natural American English with clear lessons, practical phrases, everyday conversation tips, and listening practice.Hosted by American English teacher Michael DiGiacomo, the show features short and practical lessons to help you build vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and speak English confidently in real conversations.Episodes range from quick tips to longer explanations and cover useful topics like phrasal verbs, idioms, pronunciation, grammar,

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All Episodes

1:54

908 - Saturday Short – You Know What I Mean?

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/18

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better.Today, let’s look at a super common phrase you’ll hear in everyday English: “You know what I mean?” We use you know what I mean? to seek agreement or to check if the other person understands us. It’s kind of like soft tag questions, like isn’t it? that keeps the conversation friendly and connected.Like, in the office, you might say: “There’s something strange about

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1:55

907 - Phrasal Verb Friday - Flake Out

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/17

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday. I’m here every Friday with a quick, one-poi nt English lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Today’s phrasal verb is flake out. When you flake out, it means you agree to do something - like meet up, help out, or join an event - but then you don’t show up or don’t follow through. Basically, you cancel or disappear at the last minute.Like last weekend. My friend

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8:27

905 - Creepy, Spooky, and Downright Scary- Halloween...

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/15

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it’d be fun to do a little Halloween-themed English. So for the next three weeks, we’re going to dive into some spooky vocabulary, creepy idioms, and even take a look at how Halloween is celebrated in the U.S. Let’s kick it off today with something super useful - Halloween vocabulary! Now, you might be thinking, “Michael, I’m not a fan of horror movies.” That’s totally fine! But you know what? These words aren’t just for Halloween. Native speakers

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11:14

904 - How come we can say foods, hairs, and freedoms?

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/13

Did you know? Eating healthy foods can make you healthy, but I heard that drinking certain wines with cheeses can make you happy. Foods? Wines? Cheeses?You know, English is a strange language sometimes. Like, words that are usually uncountable suddenly show up with an “s” on the end. Like…foods, cheeses, and wines? Wait a minute — aren’t those uncountable nouns? Well… yes! But also… no. Let me show you how it works — and why it actually makes a lot of sense once you understand the pattern.Join my

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1:46

895 - Phrasal Verb Friday - Jazz Up

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/03

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Phrasal Verb Friday. I’m here every Friday, with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. Today’s phrasal verb is jazz up.When you jazz something up, it means you make it more interesting, exciting, or attractive. It’s like giving something a little extra style or energy. Like, my friend Lisa was hosting a party last weekend. She jazzed up her living room

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8:02

894 - What Does Even Mean in Negative Sentences

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/10/02

They didn’t even say thank you. Not “they didn’t say thank you.” They didn’t even say thank you. So… what’s the deal with even in negative sentences?In Episode 880, we looked at how to use even in general - like for comparisons and emphasis. But today, we’re going to zoom in on something more specific… and honestly, something really common - using even in negative sentences.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English

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1:54

890 - Saturday Short - Negative Questions

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/27

We often use a negative question like “Isn’t this…?” or “Aren’t you…?” in conversation. Technically, these are not questions for asking something. They are a casual and friendly way to confirm something or make a suggestion.For example, if you and your friend are at the peir on a sunny day, you might say: “Isn’t this a perfect day for fishing?” You’re not really asking for information — you’re confirming what you already think. OR "Aren't these donuts delicious!”Or if you’re making a suggestion,

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1:58

889 - Friday Phrasal Verb - Slack Off

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/26

Today’s phrasal verb is slack off. When you slack off, it means you become lazy about your work, your studies, or your responsibilities. You don’t try as hard as you should.Like, my friend Eddie started going to the gym in in July, but by the middle of this month, he really started to slack off. And in the office, Jenny was slacking off all week, so now she has to stay late to finish her project. And me? Honestly speaking, I’ve been slacking off on studying Japanese reading and writing. But now

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7:20

888 - Tag Questions & Negative Questions

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/25

Hey, let me ask you a question - You’ve studied English grammar, haven’t you? And you’ve probably heard tag questions or negative questions before, right? Well, isn’t this going to be an interesting lesson for you!It's a nice day, isn't it? That's a Tag Question, and today, I’ll show you how these work - and how you can use them to sound more like a native speaker. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:

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9:10

887 – How to Use Unless, As Long As, and In Case

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/24

Unless you have something else to do right now, You should listen to this whole podcast episode. And as long as you’re listening, why not take notes...In case you want to use the phrases from this lesson in your daily English. These three little phrases - unless, as long as, and in case - all help us talk about situations that might happen. But they each have a different nuance, and getting them right can make your English sound much more natural. Let's dive in!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group

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9:25

886 - Have Got vs. Have- What’s the Difference

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/22

You know what? I’ve got a question for you. Or… should I say, I have a question for you? Hmm. Which one sounds better? Or… are they both OK? For many English learners, “have got” can be a little confusing. I mean, we’ve got “I have a dog,” and “I’ve got a dog”… and both are correct? What’s going on here? Well today, we’re going to break it all down — grammar, style, and real-world usage — so you’ll know exactly how and when to use “have” and “have got.” Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

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2:01

883 - Friday Phrasal Verb - Mull Over

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/19

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb. Every Friday, I’ll be here with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Last week we looked at toy with, which means to consider something not so seriously. Today’s phrasal verb is the opposite of that: mull over. When you mull something over, it means you think about it carefully before making a decision. You’re not rushing. You’re

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10:40

882 - Fall Vocabulary in American English

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/18

Fall is right around the corner. Soon there will be a nip in the air as you look at the harvest moon, while sipping your pumpkin spice latte. When the season changes, so does the way we talk. So today, before Indian Summer comes, let’s dive into some seasonal vocabulary and phrases that’ll help you talk about fall just like a native speaker.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:

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10:44

881 - Speaking Naturally - How Native Speakers Break...

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/17

Let me say right now, this ain’t gonna be your average English lesson. And even considering that I’ve been teaching English for over 30 years, I ain’t got no problem sharing this information with you. What I’m trying to say is, would you mind if I break some grammar rules today?In this lesson, I want to show you how native speakers break grammar rules — and why that’s actually a part of sounding more natural when you speak.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

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12:10

880 - Seven Ways To Use Even In English

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/15

I came up with this podcast yesterday. I even wrote some of it in the car. And even though I touched on this topic in a podcast like 10 years ago, this lesson is ever better. Have you ever heard someone say something like, “It’s even colder today than yesterday,” or “He even brought his cat to the party,” and thought… what’s going on with that little word even? It’s just four letters, but even does a lot of work in English. Native speakers use it all the time — in comparisons, for contrast, for

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2:07

879 - Sunday Speak - Polite Ways to Say No

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/14

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:“I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll

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1:46

878 - Saturday Short – Everyday vs. Every Day

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/13

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better. Today’s point is one that even native speakers sometimes get mixed up: 👉 everyday which is one word vs. every day which is two words. Here’s the deal:Everyday (which is one word) is an adjective. It means “common” or “ordinary.” Like, Having a cup of green tea is part of my everyday routine. Or These sneakers are my everyday shoes. Your everyday something is common

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10:41

876 - Using Say, Tell, Was Like, and Go

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/11

I saw one of my old students the other day. I was like, how’s it going, and he goes, I finally found a new job. And I go, that’s awesome. And he was like, I finally got a job using English. And I was like, that’s really fabulous!Have you ever gotten stuck trying to figure out when to use say and when to use tell? These words seem really similar, but they’re used in different ways. So today, let’s break it down, nice and easy, with some everyday examples. And then, I’m gonna show you two other, more

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9:54

875 - Expressions with Time in Everyday English

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/10

Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies!So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that goes along with them. You’re gonna want to listen all the way through to learn about that.Join my

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9:36

874 - American Politeness – Indirect Ways to Say Things

Happy English Podcast ·

2025/09/08

Would you mind checking out this English lesson? Maybe you could try using some of the phrase here in your conversations this week? Do you think you could even tell a friend about this podcast? That would be great!In everyday conversation, we often like to soften our requests — we make them indirect. It feels more polite, more friendly, and honestly, it just sounds more natural.So today, I want to show you some of these indirect phrases that we use all the time. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group

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