🎙️ Do you need a native English teacher, or can a non-native teacher be just as effective? In this episode, we look at the real advantages and disadvantages of both so you can choose the best option for your English learning journey. You’ll hear when a shared language can be helpful, when native pronunciation matters, and why different teachers offer different strengths. This episode is made for B1–B2 learners who want practical advice and better study strategies.

🔔 Follow us on social media @LearnEnglishPod and visit our website:

Podcast website: https://learnenglishpod.com/

Follow us on social Media: https://linktr.ee/learnenglishpod

Take lessons with me: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/8531387

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Affiliate link for Lingq: https://www.lingq.com/?referral=msusc

📝 Vocabulary list:

1) Good fit – Something that matches your needs or situation well.

2) Role model – A person you admire and want to be like.

3) Interchangeable – Two things that can be used in the same way without changing the meaning.

4) Subtle – Not easy to notice or understand right away; very small differences.

5) Clarify – to make something easier to understand

6) Reflect on – To think carefully about something that happened.

7) Overt reliance on - Too much dependence on something that is obvious or not hidden.

8) Absorb – To take in information naturally and quickly.

🎙️ In this episode, we explore the six different vowel sounds of the letter A in American English. You’ll learn how to recognize the short A, long A, broad A, the schwa, the R-colored A, and a regional A sound you may hear in some New York accents. This episode gives clear examples and simple explanations to help you improve your pronunciation and understand how native speakers use these sounds in everyday words.

This episode is made for B1–B2 English learners who want to reduce pronunciation mistakes, speak more clearly, and understand spoken English more easily. Follow along with the vocabulary list in the episode description so you can review the key terms and make real progress with your English pronunciation.

🔔 Follow us on social media @LearnEnglishPod and visit our website:

Podcast website: https://learnenglishpod.com/

Follow us on social Media: https://linktr.ee/learnenglishpod

Take lessons with me: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/8531387

📚Affiliate link for italki: https://www.italki.com/en/i/ref/GBBdbb

Affiliate link for Lingq: https://www.lingq.com/?referral=msusc

📝 Vocabulary list:

1) Vowel – A speech sound made without closing the mouth (a, e, i, o, u).

2) Consonant – A speech sound made by stopping or restricting airflow (like b, t, or m).

3) Syllable – A single unit of sound in a word (for example, “hap-py” has two syllables).

4) Short vowel sound – A quick sound of a vowel, like the a in “cat.”

5) Long vowel sound – A sound where the vowel says its name, like the a in “cake.”

6) Broad vowel sound – A more open sound made with the jaw wide, like the a in “father.”

7) Schwa sound – The most common vowel sound in English, pronounced as “uh,” like the a in “about.”

8) R-colored vowel – A vowel sound that changes because of an “r” that follows it (like air in “care”).

9) Differentiate – To recognize or show how two things are not the same.

10) Tricky – Difficult to understand or do.

11) Unstressed syllable – A syllable that is not emphasized or said strongly.

🎄 In this episode of the Learn English Podcast, you’ll hear the surprising story of how Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol helped create the modern Christmas traditions we know today. We talk about Dickens’ life, why he wrote the book, and how the story changed the way people thought about generosity, family, and the “spirit of the season.”

You’ll also learn useful English vocabulary connected to the story, like “Scrooge,” “bah humbug,” and “Merry Christmas,” plus hear about different movie adaptations you can watch to practice your listening skills. This episode is perfect for B2 English learners who want to improve their vocabulary and understand more about Christmas culture in the English-speaking world.

🎬 Best Adaptations to Improve Your English

• A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott) – Most faithful to the book
• A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart) – Intense, emotional performance
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) – Perfect for kids
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – Great mix of humor + classic story
• Spirited (2022, Apple TV+) – Modern musical version
• The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) – Behind-the-scenes story of Dickens

🔔 Follow us on social media @LearnEnglishPod and visit our website:

Podcast website: https://learnenglishpod.com/

Follow us on social Media: https://linktr.ee/learnenglishpod

Take lessons with me: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/8531387

📚Affiliate link for italki: https://www.italki.com/en/i/ref/GBBdbb

Affiliate link for Lingq: https://www.lingq.com/?referral=msusc

📝 Vocabulary list:

1) Modern-day – describing something as it exists in the present time.

2) Debtors’ prison – a jail where people were once sent when they could not pay their debts.

3) Child labor – the use of children to work, often in bad or unsafe conditions.

4) Social criticism – writing or art that shows problems in society and calls for change.

5) Pamphlet – a small booklet or paper that gives information or expresses an opinion.

6) Rebrand – to change the image or identity of something, often to make it more appealing.

7) Grumpy – easily annoyed, complaining, or in a bad mood.

8) Preachy - Used to describe someone or something that tries too hard to teach people what is right and wrong in a moral way

9) Scrooge - A person who hates spending money or refuses to share or give to others.

10) Undeterred - Still continuing to do something or still determined to do something even after experiencing difficulties.

11) Groundbreaking – very new and different, introducing important changes or ideas.