Simplified Speech #250 – Weird and wacky questions
How do you like your eggs? It sounds like a small question, but the answer can tell you a lot about a person. In this episode, Andrew surprises his co-host Kassy with a list of weird, wacky, and random questions. She hasn’t seen them before, so you get to hear her real, unplanned answers. They talk about all sorts of everyday things, from what they would want to be famous for to how they wake up in the morning, and they use some natural expressions that native speakers say all the time. Culips Meetup in Seoul! If you are in Korea, come and meet us in person at the Culips Meetup in Seoul on July 19, from 2 to 4 PM. RSVP here. To build your fluency, try listening to the episode more than once and saying the new expressions out loud until you feel comfortable using them yourself. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, a helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: Infamous No holds barred To zonk out Dogs Up and at ’em To come full circle
Bonus Episode #177 – Three Horses in the Race
In this bonus episode, Andrew shares a few quick updates from behind the scenes at Culips and tells a story about following the World Cup as a fan with more than one team to cheer for. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and improve your listening fluency. Culips Meetup in Seoul! If you are in Korea, come and meet us in person at the Culips Meetup in Seoul on July 19. RSVP here. Free study guide: This episode comes with a free study guide for everyone. Download it to review the vocabulary, follow along with the episode, and practice using the new expressions. Resources mentioned in this episode: RSVP for the Culips meetup in Seoul Become a Culips member Join the Culips Discord server
Chatterbox #349 – Using AI for health advice
Have you ever asked the internet about a health problem before asking a doctor? In this episode, Andrew and Anna talk about using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini for health advice, and whether you can really trust them. Andrew shares a small health problem of his own and the answer he got from AI, and together they work out when a chatbot is actually helpful and when it is time to see a real doctor. Along the way they get into how confident these tools sound, who should be responsible when the advice is wrong, and what a visit to the doctor might look like in the future. Culips Meetup in Seoul! If you are in Korea, come and meet us in person at the Culips Meetup in Seoul on July 19, from 2 to 4 PM. RSVP here. To build your fluency, try listening to the episode more than once and saying the new expressions out loud until you feel comfortable using them yourself. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, a helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: To get something checked out First port of call To take something with a grain of salt Off you trot Hypochondriac To go through the roof
Simplified Speech #249 – iPod Archeology
What do you think is hiding on a 20-year-old iPod that someone forgot in a drawer? In this episode, Andrew and Indiana share three news stories and trends they came across recently. The first is about a woman who buys old iPods and shares the playlists she finds on them, like a small window into strangers’ lives. After that, they talk about a new idea for spending less time on your phone, and a surprising change in what makes food popular today. To build your fluency, try listening to the episode more than once and saying the new expressions out loud until you feel comfortable using them yourself. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, a helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. Stories mentioned in this episode: iPod archaeology (NPR): The analog bag trend: Texture is the new flavor: Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode: To come across someone’s desk Time capsule To have dirt on someone To hold something over someone In vogue To have hang-ups
Bonus Episode #176 – Take Me Out
Have you ever loved something your partner just won’t try? For years, Andrew’s wife said no to baseball. In this bonus episode, he finally gets her to the ballpark and finds out what she really thinks. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency. Study resources: Become a Culips member: Join the Culips Discord server: Get the interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary here: Glossary expressions: To brush something off To prod To level with someone To put yourself in someone’s shoes To come around To look the part To pay through the nose A who’s who Nosebleed seats To be priced out