In this episode, Andrew tells the story of how he surprised his parents at Christmas. He shares the big reveal, their shocked reactions, and how they spent the holiday. He also talks about what he did during the rest of his visit and how he felt about surprising them. This real-life story will help you improve your English skills and become a better communicator.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Listening: Hear natural, everyday English as Andrew shares a real-life story about surprising his parents at Christmas.
• New Vocabulary: Learn words and phrases about family gatherings, holiday traditions, and making last-minute arrangements during the festive season.
• Idioms and Expressions: Learn useful English expressions like “to be taken aback,” “the more the merrier,” and “to break the ice,” and see how they’re used in real conversations.
• Pronunciation: Listen to Andrew’s intonation and rhythm, then practice repeating short clips of the episode to build your fluency and sound more natural.
• Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server, share your own surprise stories, and practice using new vocabulary in casual conversations.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member
• Study with the interactive transcript
• Join the Culips Discord server
• Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)

Join Andrew as he talks with Mikael, a special guest from Norway. Mikael shares how he learned English and got interested in programming and making video games. He also tells the story of how he met Culips team member Alina through a pen pal app years ago. If you want to know Mikael’s tips for learning English and learn some cool video game vocabulary, this episode is perfect for you!

How this episode will improve your English:

• Build your vocabulary: Learn useful gaming and tech words like “roguelike” and everyday phrases like “head bashing against the wall.”
• Improve your pronunciation: Listen to clear and natural English from native and non-native speakers to sound more fluent.
• Learn about culture: Discover how Norwegians learn English and how gaming connects people worldwide.
• Sharpen your listening skills: Understand real-life English by listening to a fun, engaging conversation.
• Practice speaking: Join the speaking classes about this episode (schedule below) to build confidence and improve your conversation skills.

The best way to learn with this lesson:

• Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
• Sign up and become a Culips member now!
• Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here.
• Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.

Speaking classes with this episode:

We’ll be discussing this episode in the following small-group conversation classes. To join the classes, you must be a Culips member.

• February 22nd, 2025 with Alina at 11:00 AM Ireland time (GMT +0)
• February 27th, 2025 with Andrew at 8:00 PM Korea time (GMT +9)
• March 4th, 2025 with Indiana at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard time (GMT-5)

All classes happen on Zoom and last for one hour. To see the schedule in your time zone and learn how to join the classes, click here:

In this week’s bonus episode, Andrew shares a story about his quick trip to Vancouver before heading to his hometown for Christmas. He talks about flying in from Seoul, meeting his best friend Luke, and enjoying Canadian treats like poutine. Andrew also faced some challenges, like rainy weather and lost luggage, but still found time to watch a hockey game and explore the city. As you listen, you’ll learn useful English expressions such as “we go way back” and “caught up with me,” and improve your fluency while having fun with Andrew’s adventure.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Listening: Hear natural, everyday English as Andrew shares a real-life story about traveling to Vancouver, meeting his best friend, and exploring the city.
• New vocabulary: Learn words and phrases about traveling, winter activities, and spending time with friends.
• Idioms and expressions: Understand common English expressions like “mission accomplished,” “to fend off,” and “to be wiped.”
• Pronunciation: Listen to Andrew’s rhythm and intonation, then practice speaking along to improve your fluency and confidence.
• Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server to practice conversational English and share your own stories.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member
• Study with the interactive transcript
• Join the Culips Discord server
• Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)
• Listen to Simplified Speech 205 – Learning to Scuba with Luke

Andrew and Anna talk about modern identity labels that people use in their daily lives. They look at labels for work, relationships, finances, and more. Some examples include WFH (work from home), solopreneur (running a business alone), and dink (double income, no kids). They also discuss terms for different generations, like millennial and zoomer, and relationship labels like situationship. Andrew and Anna explain what these words mean, how people use them, and why these labels have become popular. This episode will help you understand new English vocabulary and learn more about Western culture.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Build Vocabulary and Learn Idioms: Expand your English vocabulary with terms like “DINK(Y)” and “situationship,” and understand idioms such as “out of touch” to improve your conversational English.
• Practice Listening Skills: Improve your listening skills by following native English speakers’ natural speech patterns, tone, and rhythm in real-life discussions.
• Improve English Pronunciation: Hear and mimic correct pronunciation of challenging words like “Achilles heel” and “mollycoddled” to sound more fluent in English.
• Speak English with Confidence: Use new expressions from this episode in your conversations to improve fluency and natural speech. Join our Discord server and participate in our speaking classes to practice these expressions in real-life discussions with other English learners and our teachers.
• Learn English Culture Through Language: Explore how cultural trends influence vocabulary and understand phrases related to modern lifestyles, like “empty nester” or “slashie.”

The best way to learn with this lesson:

• Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
• Sign up and become a Culips member now!
• Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here.
• Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.

Speaking classes with this episode:

We’ll be discussing this episode in the following small-group conversation classes. To join the classes, you must be a Culips member.

• February 15th, 2025 with Alina at 11:00 AM Ireland time (GMT +0)
• February 20th, 2025 with Andrew at 8:00 PM Korea time (GMT +9)
• February 25th, 2025 with Indiana at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard time (GMT-5)

All classes happen on Zoom and last for one hour. To see the schedule in your time zone and learn how to join the classes, click here: https://esl.culips.com/online-classes-schedule/

In this week’s bonus episode, Andrew shares a story about how his New Year’s plans took an unexpected turn. After a fun trip to Canada, he returned to South Korea feeling under the weather. Despite his plans to start the year with a bang, he spent the first few days battling jet lag and coming down with something. Andrew also talks about celebrating New Year’s Eve with his wife and gives us a glimpse of his gift exchange. As you listen, you’ll learn useful English expressions like “coming down with something” and “start with a bang,” while improving your vocabulary, fluency, and listening skills.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Listening: Hear natural, everyday English as Andrew shares a personal story about his New Year’s experience in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
• New vocabulary: Learn words and phrases about winter, feeling sick, and celebrating holidays.
• Idioms and expressions: Understand common expressions like “rest up,” “work up an appetite,” and “sometimes life throws you a curveball.”
• Pronunciation: Listen to Andrew’s rhythm and intonation, then practice speaking along to improve your fluency and confidence.
• Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server for additional speaking practice.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member
• Study with the interactive transcript
• Join the Culips Discord server
• Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)

In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew and Indiana discuss her recent move to a new house. They talk about the exciting but exhausting process of buying and moving into a home, the challenges of unpacking, and the traditions surrounding moving day. Indiana shares her experience of house hunting for months and finally settling into her new space, while Andrew reflects on his own moving experiences.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Learn new vocabulary and expressions: The episode includes everyday expressions like “every waking hour” and “go to town,” which you can use in conversations to sound more natural.
• Improve listening skills: Listening to real conversations helps you understand how native speakers talk, including their speed, tone, and pronunciation.
• Practice pronunciation: By listening carefully, you can hear how words are pronounced and try saying them yourself to match.
• Understand everyday topics: The discussion about moving houses teaches useful vocabulary related to daily life, like “house hunting” and “moving truck.”
• Gain confidence in speaking: Hearing casual conversations can help you feel more confident in using English for similar discussions in your life.

The best way to learn with this lesson:

• Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
• Sign up and become a Culips member now!
• 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.

Happy 2025! In this week’s bonus episode, Andrew gets the new year off to an exciting start by sharing some big plans for the months ahead. As you listen, you’ll pick up practical English expressions, discover useful fluency tips, and hear about a special membership sale you won’t want to miss. Let’s make this a fantastic year of learning and growth together!

In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew and Kassy reflect on their most memorable moments from 2024, sharing stories about their personal highlights of the year. From family visits and exciting travel experiences to special moments of growth and achievement, they discuss what made this year truly unforgettable.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Improved vocabulary: Learn new words and expressions related to personal experiences, milestones, and emotions.
• Better listening skills: Understand how native speakers use casual language to share stories and reflect on the past.
• Practical English: Learn how native speakers talk about their experiences and feelings and learn how to discuss important moments in your own life.

The best way to learn with this lesson:

• Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, quiz, ad-free audio, and more for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
• Sign up and become a Culips member now!
• Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here.
• Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.

In this week’s bonus episode, Andrew shares a story about trying to celebrate his mother-in-law’s birthday. At first, they planned a hike, but heavy snow forced them to change their plans over and over again. In the end, he and his family enjoyed a cozy, indoor party instead. You’ll also hear about a funny surprise about his father-in-law’s new look! As you listen, you will learn useful English expressions and build your fluency.

How this episode will improve your English:

• Listening: Hear natural, everyday English as Andrew tells a personal story in a clear, understandable way.
• New vocabulary: Learn words and phrases related to family gatherings, food, and cultural traditions.
• Idioms and expressions: Learn common English expressions used in real-life situations and understand how to include them in your own conversations.
• Pronunciation: Listen carefully to Andrew’s rhythm and intonation, then practice speaking along to sound more confident and fluent.
• Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server for additional speaking practice.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member
• Study with the interactive transcript
• Join the Culips Discord server
• Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)

In this episode of Simplified Speech, Andrew talks with new-mom, Kassy! She recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and she tells us all about her pregnancy, childbirth, and the early days of caring for a newborn. Listen to hear about her daily routine, the unexpected challenges she faced, and the cultural differences that shape her new life as a parent.

What you will learn:

• Cultural Insights: Discover how birth and parenting practices differ in Korea, especially in terms of hospital policies and traditions like the “100th day” celebration.
• Parenting Vocabulary: Learn helpful English terms related to pregnancy, childbirth, and baby care.
• Family Life Challenges: Understand the common struggles of new parents, including diapering, breastfeeding, and adjusting to a new routine.
• Personal Stories: Hear Kassy’s unique experiences and lessons from her journey into motherhood.

How this episode will improve your English:

Vocabulary Expansion: Learn useful expressions and terms related to parenting, family life, and cultural traditions.

Listening Skills: Improve your ability to follow natural conversations and personal stories between native speakers.

Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into family dynamics and cultural differences, enhancing your ability to understand real-life situations.

Practical Expressions: Pick up everyday phrases that can help you discuss family life and personal experiences in English.

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

• Culips members get an interactive transcript, 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 here: Click here.
• Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

In this week’s bonus episode, Andrew talks about the Oxford Dictionary’s top English words for 2024. Follow along as he breaks down each word, explains how to use it naturally, and shares why these words capture our changing culture. As a special treat, he even introduces a brand-new word he created himself! How this episode will improve your English: Listening: Get better at understanding spoken English as Andrew clearly explains each word’s meaning and usage. New vocabulary: Learn words and phrases tied to modern life and culture. Idioms and expressions: Pick up new expressions and learn how to use them into your own sentences. Cultural knowledge: Discover how language reflects what people care about today. Pronunciation: Listen closely to Andrew’s natural speech and copy him to practice sounding more fluent and confident. Speaking: Join discussions with other listeners on the Culips Discord server for additional speaking practice. Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group discussion class schedule (member only)