The Clark and Miller English Podcast

Have you ever really thought about how some words you use to describe others are a bit ... rude? Have you ever noticed the words you use to describe groups of people you don't like? Have you ever noticed that the word for Germany in your language is different from the word Germans use? Have you ever seen the Wizard of Oz? And what's up with Chavs? In this episode I explore the world of exonyms and endonyms. We look at how language, and these language features in particular, reveals our nasty, tribal side. The side that makes us see ourselves us superior and our neighbours as inhuman. We see how words can be used to create enemies. And why "Paris" is pronounced oddly.

In this interview, I talk to Chris Walker, a long-serving teacher at International House and author of English is a Simple Language. Join us on our quest to “get to the bottom of it all,” examining and uncovering the underlying structures of English, following in the footsteps of Michael Lewis. During this engaging conversation, we ask: “Can we get to the heart of the meaning of modal verbs?” “Can we summarize conditional sentences in a single sentence (or maybe two)?” “Can we divide English grammar into either subjective or objective forms?” But I also ask whether there really is a “Holy Grail of English grammar.” Is there a system behind it all? Is there something that unlocks the way grammar works? Or is it more complicated than that? At the end, and for a bit of a laugh, we also have a look at some badly-written test questions and how they can help you and your students understand these deeper, underlying dynamics at work in the language. Don't forget to check out Chris's blog/archive at: www.closelyobserved.com Music: bensound.com

They lied! They all lied to you! Well, some of them did. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the people who told you that “We use ‘some' for positive sentences and ‘any' for negative and question sentences.” Sure. We do. But what about: “Would you like some tea?” and “It's just some kid.”? Find out how “some” and “any” really work...

Have you ever corrected your student for making a "mistake" that you make yourself? In that case, is it a mistake? Are they mistakes when the same features are used by speakers of English in Kachru's outer and even expanding circles of English? In this episode, I check out a fascinating paper by Elina Ranta on student mistakes, innovations and Angloversals. Whatever they are...

In this episode, I talk to my dad, Peter, about slang. We also play a game where I try to guess the meaning of slang terms from the '40s (his generation), and he tries to guess the meaning of slang terms from the '90s (my generation). The game was fun, but we also end up talking about all sorts of other things like the Hindi, Arabic and Turkish origins of some English words, how words changed over the years and what a potato is. (It's not what you think.)

A very phrasal verby chat with Rob from English with Rob. We talk about: - the best way to learn phrasal verbs, - our favourite bands and whether autotune is evil or a really good idea, - the dreaded pandemic and how we adapted to it (and how we're still adapting to it), - reality tv (and why we don't get it), - how "get" and "be" are cousins, - what stability and certainty in 2022, - capitalism and global warming (Yep! We went there!).

Free eBook "Learn New Words 5 Times Faster": https://www.clarkandmiller.com/learn-english-fast/ ______ Improve your pronunciation AND your listening skills with these 5 English pronunciation tips. Learn about: 1. Jump to the potato! (stress-timed vs. syllable-timed languages) Is your first language stress-timed or syllable-timed? What does that mean for your English pronunciation? How does it affect the hip-hop in your country? 2. Always contract! It might feel like the smart thing to do. But don't do it! Never "decontract"! Unless you want to really emphasize something. 3. Look out for "tits" and "dits" I'll say no more about this here ... :) 4. Watch out for the difference between "can" and "can't" With a lot of American English pronunciation, "can" and "can't" sometimes sound the same. This hack will give you the skills to understand whether that American guy is saying that you CAN borrow a hundred bucks or whether he's saying you CAN'T borrow a hundred bucks. 5. Look out for "therza" It's more common than you might think ... ______ www.clarkandmiller.com

In this episode, I talk to the super-thoughtful Emma from The Procrastination Podcast and Pronunciation with Emma. And, yes! We talk about swearing in English. Lots of f***ing swearing! Join us in this fascinating conversation and ... - learn some really useful English swearing, - find out which swear words are strong and which ones are weaker, - see how swearing can work as a painkiller, - explore the question "Should English learners learn how to swear? Or is it too vulgar?" So, what are you waiting for, tithead? Let's get going!

Today, I share three of my "hot takes" about English. - Do we ever use "will" with "if" (e.g. “If I will be at the party …”)? When? And when can't we use it? Why? - Why do we use “some” in sentences like “I got some bread”? Do we need it? Can't we just say “I got bread”? What's going on with this word? Are there other words like this? Are they really meaningless? And if they are meaningless, why do we keep using them? - Why do we have verbs like "decide" as well as collocations like "make a decision"? Why do we have "run" and "go for a run"? What about “risk” and “take a risk”? What's the difference? Let's take a look at these features of English that are, when you think about it, actually pretty weird. Hopefully, we can uncover some interesting stuff (or at least walk away with some steaming hot takes!).

In this episode, I take a dive into 10 common English proverbs. Wait! What's a proverb? A proverb is basically an idiom you use to give advice or even share some wisdom. Examples? Well, today we're looking at: Two's company, three's a crowd. Too many cooks spoil the broth. When in Rome, do as the Romans. When it rains, it pours. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Where there's a will, there's a way. Out of sight, out of mind. Don't cry over spilt milk. If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Great minds think alike. + a bonus proverb at the end. We also look at how we can shorten these proverbs and how we can replace them with the mega-useful phrase “Well, you know what they say …” Enjoy! :) Music: bensound.com

Should we use L1 in the English classroom? Is there a problem with discrimination against non-native English teachers? Is taking the Cambridge DELTA a good idea? Why is Zdenek's cat so weird ... and it's not even his cat? As an ESL teacher, I'm sure you've asked yourself these questions before. (OK, maybe not the cat one.) In this chat with English teacher Zdenek, we discuss all these things and more. An interview with an ESL teacher, by an ESL teacher for ESL teachers. Enjoy!

It's always the same: The same mistakes. Again and again. Mistakes like: “We've got more five tickets left.” “We work four days in a week in August.” “I want that my kids go to a public school.” “Thank you that you helped me.” “His parents made him to do extra classes at the weekend.” “It's not so big than my city.” But who can help us stop making these small but common mistakes? Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears, that's who! Check out this episode of the Clark and Miller English podcast where we try to answer questions like: - What are we thinking when we use language? - What is pattern grammar? - How can these songs help us correct the same mistakes we've been making FOREVER? And please accept my apologies: These songs will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Music: bensound.com

Have you ever walked away from an English lesson saying, “What?! How?! Why does this language have to be so complicated?!” If you've felt like this, you've either just walked out of a lesson on reported speech, or you were in the Arabic class by mistake. (Don't do that again.) But if you're getting frustrated with reported speech and all its stupid rules, there's some good news: It doesn't have to be this way. In this podcast episode, we look at more common, more natural alternatives to reported speech. We also ask why English learners and English teachers can be so obsessed with "good English" and "correct English" and "proper English," why lawyers speak trashy English, and why the English we think we speak isn't the English we really speak. Music: bensound.com Youtube clip courtesy of: Easy English on YouTube

Why is the past tense not the past tense? Why are "done," "swum" and "gone" just adjectives dressing up as verbs so they can get into a "verbs only" party? How do you hide yourself in a sentence that isn't about you? And did you know that the future doesn't exist in English, and we have no way of expressing the future? Let's take a look at the world of philosophical grammar and discover imposters, impossibilities and Schrödinger's adjective, whatever that is ... ... or isn't. Audio credit: Sweet by bensound.com

If you're anything like me, then you love cooking. Also, if you're anything like me, you have a weird fear of frogs and a passion for experimental music. But let's talk about cooking! How often do you find yourself sharing recipes with friends and talking about your latest success in the kitchen? Cooking, like many subjects, comes with its own little collection of vocabulary. In this podcast episode, you'll hear me use this vocabulary in context as I talk about the three main stages of making something yummy: preparation, cooking and serving. Once you get to the end of this, I guarantee you'll feel hungry.

Here's a question for you: Do you need grammar to understand what people are saying? Really? What about this sign I saw in a posh restaurant? "No shirt. No tie. No service." No grammar, right? But we totally understand what's going on here. Interesting, right? Well, there's more. Join me on this deep dive into how we really understand language. (Clue: it's not all about the grammar.) We'll also look at why reduced relative clauses are so weird, how language is just a collection of ideas bunched together and how you can use "theme" and "rheme" to make better presentations, essays and conversations. All stemming from an email from one of our listeners – shout-out to Hannah from Vietnam! (Music in teaser section: Sweet by bensound.com)

A mad, mad story about a live sex show, uncomfortable bars and an elephant walking down the street. In this podcast episode, I talk to Martin from Rock 'n' Roll English about that time he went to Thailand without doing ANY research about the place. Listen to Martin's story and answer the True or False questions. Then listen to us talking about the interesting vocabulary from the story. Vocabulary like: - Is he f**k! - what you had in mind, - getting strange looks, - grin and bear it, - going at it. We also talk about how the internet has changed since 2004 and how much we like swearing. WARNING: There is a lot of swearing in this episode. If you don't like swearing, I'd recommend maybe giving this one a miss. :)

I talk to Luke from Luke's English Podcast – one of the longest-running ESL podcasts – about one of our favourite topics: comedy. We discuss our favourite British sitcoms and comedians. We also look at how you can improve your communication skills by “keeping things light” and even being weird and surreal. And you also get to hear at least three pirate jokes (and two cheese jokes, too). List of shows and comedians mentioned in this episode: Alan Partridge (also referred to as simply “Partridge”) Monty Python (also referred to as “The Pythons”) The Mighty Boosh The Young Ones The Goon Show The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Office Tintin Asterix Hancock's Half Hour Gimme Gimme Gimme Keeping Up Appearances Only Fools and Horses Blackadder Fawlty Towers One Foot in the Grave The Thick of It Peep Show Phoenix Nights The Day Today Brass Eye Peter Cook and Dudley Moore Have I Got News for You Tommy Cooper Book: The Naked Jape by Jimmy Carr and Lucy Greeves

In this interview, I discuss pragmatics and pragmatic competence with Andreas Grundtvig, author of "English is Context," a new book for teachers and learners about English pragmatics. This is a big one! And we talk about a lot of amazing topics, including: - how gamers now, the gay community in the early twentieth century and London Cockneys evolved their own language ... and why; - why they rap the news in Senegal; - how learning about Grice's maxims can help you see through propaganda; - how to understand people from a particular country beyond the food, the flag and stuff like that; - how to terrorize people ... by being polite! - three things you can do right now to improve your pragmatic competence.

Here's why your English learning journey is just like the Beatles' career. Except without the millions of dollars. Sorry about that! :) In this episode, we look at how the Beatles changed during their ten-year career, how those changes are just like the changes you experience when learning English, and what you need to do to sound mature and wise in English. Mature and wise ... just like "Hey Jude."

An interview with the awesome Krisia Justesen from Lightning English on how you can change your learning mindset. OK, OK ... I know that sounds like abstract advice. But here's the thing: Krisia will talk you through the steps you need to take to start thinking in a way that'll get you learning English more comfortably and more naturally. In this episode, you'll also get the chance to join a free webinar with Krisia, who will talk you through some of her top strategies. We also talk about: - the weird places Krisia worked at (and how I met her); - why students still can't speak after studying English for years; - why focusing on your English can be a problem; - how not to lose your personality in English; - five tips for adding English into your everyday life (number four is brutal).

Have you ever had problems communicating with people from different cultures? Have you ever felt that your English is good, but you're still not getting your message across? Speaking a language isn't just about getting the words right – especially when you're dealing with people from all over the world. In this episode, I interview the awesome Chia Suan Chong, an expert in international communication and English as a lingua franca. We talk about: - what English as a lingua franca is; - who can communicate better in English: native speakers or non-native speakers (the answer will surprise you); - how to be polite in English; - an interesting case of misunderstandings between catering ladies from India and baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport; - how communication skills can save lives; - whether teachers are prescriptivists or descriptivists; - how giving grammar reasons and not grammar rules can be better teaching; - how language can show us our similarities and differences. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (which was a lot!)

We are not free! And that's a good thing! When we speak English, we're not completely free to choose what we say. However, this lack of freedom can actually make it easier to communicate. In this podcast, you'll find out: - why communicating with people can be like going through airport security ... or being in a Borat film; - how to collect language "passcards" to make your communication more efficient; - how English is just one big script (but we can manipulate it, too); - some examples of classic English "passcard" phrases that you can use every day. Join me on this little journey of discovery!

Have you ever seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Remember that part when Charlie and Grandpa drink some magic soda and start floating towards a giant fan? Remember how they got out of that tricky situation? That's just like grammar! Well ... kind of. Today I talk about: - how we don't use grammar so much for marking time but to give our personal perspectives on how we see the world; - how some grammar is like floating around a giant tunnel; - how some grammar is like having your feet planted firmly on the ground; - how some grammar is more like a personal reflection than a description of reality. If you're learning or teaching English, this episode will give you a new perspective on how language works. And hopefully, you don't end up in that giant fan, and you get to explore the rest of the chocolate factory.

Want to improve your listening skills AND enjoy movies? Want to join a community of other English learners who love films and TV series? Then Cara's your go-to! In this episode, I talk to Cara Leopold, an expert on listening skills and using movies and TV series to improve listening skills, share ideas in English and make sense of the world. We talk about: - how to improve your listening skills and enjoy movies in English; - the differences between film English and real-world English; - how you can improve your English by talking about movies; - what to do before watching a movie to get yourself ready for it; - why listening is such a nightmare; - why it can be a good idea to start a new language with listening and pronunciation; - how to make sense of the crazy world we live in through "watch parties" and movie clubs; - how to join Cara's watch parties; - why you should watch Fargo.

Let me ask you two questions: How many books have you started to read in English? And how many books have you finished in English? I bet the answers to these questions aren't the same. So why do we give up on books so easily? Well, it's usually for one of these reasons: 1. You've chosen a book that's too difficult. 2. You've chosen a book that's not very interesting to you. 3. You're a strong visual learner and you don't like reading very much – even in your first language. 4. You either don't have enough time to “get into” the book or you have a short concentration span. In this episode, I talk about why you're not finishing your English books, the difference between intensive and extensive reading, and I recommend eight books that you will (probably) finish. Reading is great fun – when you do it right!

A New Year's ramble and 10 natural English expressions. This episode is in two parts: In part one, I talk naturally and without a script. This is your chance to listen to ungraded, natural English (and my weird innermost thoughts). In part two, I talk you through 10 of the most interesting natural English phrases, idioms, pronunciation strategies and communication strategies I used in part one. In this episode, you will learn: - strategies to correct yourself; - how to use auxiliaries to sound natural; - new English phrases like "see the back of" and "every man and his dog"; - how to be less specific and more general; - strategies to use when you're not sure of your facts; - how to understand some tricky English pronunciation. All of this to bring you one step closer to understanding the messy world of “real world” English.

A conversation with former Harvard professor Lawrence Weinstein about how the future can limit our power, how using the active can empower us, how the past tense can make us stronger, a man being strangled by a giant paragraph and much, much more. About a month ago, I was lucky enough to receive a forward copy of Lawrence's book, "Grammar for a Full Life: How the Way We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us." Interesting title, right? I had a look at it, and it was full of enticing chapters such as: "Tapping Inborn Energy: Transitive Verbs in the Active Voice" and "Generosity: Semicolons, Cumulative Sentences" and "Friends in the Graveyard: A Special Use of Present Tense." In his book, Lawrence shows us the power of grammar and how it can make us better and happier people (and how it can make us worse and unhappier people, too). I couldn't resist asking him onto the podcast to talk about these ideas. So I did. And, very happily, he said, "Yes!" And we had a truly wonderful conversation full of insights and new ideas. I hope you enjoy it!

Here's something you might be doing without realising it: You might be putting too many flashing lights and flags in your English sentences. But how? With word order! The order that we choose to put words in a sentence in English can subtly (and not so subtly) change the meaning by emphasising certain words. Check out this Clark and Miller English podcast episode to find out how you might be emphasising words that you don't want to emphasise (and destroying the universe in the process). Seriously -- don't destroy the universe! Just Ipswich. :)

What is the point of Business English? What is Business English? Does it even exist? In this fascinating chat with Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat, you can find out ... - why "removing the language" can make you better at communicating in a business setting, - how a quick pause can make you a stronger communicator, - how to deal with small talk (especially if you're an introvert), - why learning a language is like cutting grass, - how reflecting on your "first language personality" can take the pressure off speaking in English, - how to forget Business English and think in terms of Business Communication, - 3 tips for newbie teachers, - 4 questions to ask yourself if you're learning English, - how to stop worrying about "not having enough English", - how to listen to understand, not listen to reply.

Why are "a" and "the" like a stock market dance? What are "the cat rules"? Join me on my "hot take" on English articles and how we use them to invite people into our world and build relationships. In this episode I talk about: - how the grammar we use depends on what the other person knows, and why this is like a "stock market dance"; - what "the cat rules" are, and why they show us more than just some grammar rules; - how to use "the" to make a stronger bond between you and the person you're talking to; - why we don't use articles to talk about some places; - why Abra is one of the best R&B singers out there. I hope this podcast makes you think more deeply about how language (and articles) really work.

A fascinating conversation with the wonderfully engaging and enthusiastic Ariel Goodbody, teaching expert and presenter of the Easy Stories in English podcast. In this interview, we talk about: - how Ariel started Easy Stories in English; - Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) - how to teach phrases rather than grammar; - how TPRS has a lot in common with Dogme and lexical learning; - how the word for “school” was the same word as “game,” and how this should inform our teaching; - why storytelling is beneficial to learning; - how to use stories to help business English students; - two tips for English teachers. If you're interested in new and interesting ways of developing your teaching, then this is definitely the interview for you!

An interview with the amazing polyglot Lindsay from Lindsay Does Languages. I talk to Lindsay about: - How she got into learning languages; How food (and specifically bread) is a great motivator for learning languages; - 3 tips for overcoming the dreaded "intermediate plateau"; - 3 tips for learning a new language. Join us and pick up some great strategies for learning English.

Conversations can be hard sometimes – even in your first language. In this episode, I take a look at strategies to start, finish and keep alive a conversation in English. You'll never need to die of "awkward silence" again.

Sometimes your own culture can surprise you. After a couple of years away from the UK, I got some serious culture shock when I came back to visit. Pick up some advanced English phrases from the story of my trip. This is a full English listening lesson with phrases to download (from www.clarkandmiller.com/english-podcast), descriptions of the phrases and the opportunity to listen to the story twice -- the first time nice and slow and the second time faster and more natural. Good luck and, most importantly ... enjoy the story!

In this episode, I chat with Christian Saunders from Canguro English about language teaching methods, including: - Some obscure methods from the 19th century, - Superstitious pigeons (no, really), - The problem with testing and why we should burn the exams, - Whether Dogme is a problem without a solution, - What we can learn from the ancient Greeks, ... and much, much more. I really enjoyed this chat, and I hope you do, too.

Remember when studying was fun? When things were new and interesting? Well, you CAN enjoy studying again. The trick is NOT to make a study plan. Make a study menu instead. In this podcast episode, I give you some basic first steps to create your own self-study menu and get you enjoying it all again.

Sure, it's important to tell the truth and to make yourself clear, right? But what about comedy and sarcasm? What about using language to form closer relationships? In this episode, I chat with Ali Uygur Erol, French teacher and PhD student in musicology, about how we "break the communication rules" in order to communicate better. Learn how, by "flouting Grice's maxims," we use language in so many more ways than just giving and requesting information.

In this episode we explore the world of auxiliary verbs and how high-level English speakers use them all the time. Sometimes they make the language more efficient. But it gets better! You can use them to sound witty, to put people down, to bond with people and to play with words. Check out how auxiliary verbs work in each of these different situations.

Quick – answer this question: Why do we use the past simple tense? Did you say, “Er … to talk about the past, obviously”? Then how do you explain sentences like: “I wish I knew.” or “What was your name again?” But … but … these sentences aren't about the past! What's going on? You know what this means? It's time to look at English verbs in a different way.

Some places can definitely surprise you. And Cambridge was no exception for me. In this podcast I describe my experience going to Cambridge for the first time and why it was such a strange place. You get the chance to hear 25 advanced, everyday English phrases in their natural context.

In this episode I have a very involved chat with Hugh Dellar, coursebook writer, teacher trainer, teacher and all-round nice guy. We cover a lot of ground ranging from dealing with racism and homophobia in the classroom to 3 useful tips to help you learn English

What on Earth is an ergative verb? How can I recognize one? Do I need them? There are some verbs in English that don't work in way you might think. In this podcast, we'll take a dive into the weird, but useful, world of ergative verbs in English. These verbs are very handy if in these situations: 1. When the subject isn't important (but the passive sounds wrong) 2. When things do things to themselves (like technology) 3. When we want to avoid responsibility Use them well and you will sound more natural in English. And who doesn't like avoiding responsibility! :)

Impress your friends at parties with these WEIRD but totally grammatically correct sentences. Even better, learn how they work and get a better insight into advanced English grammar and vocabulary. Can you understand these sentences: "Put a bigger space between giraffe and and and and and avocado"? "Peter, where Paul had had had, had had had had, 'had had' had pleased the teacher more."? "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."? No? Well, but the end of this episode, you will!

"Say" and "Tell" are not all they seem to be! Join Gabriel with an interesting look at the very different personalities behind these two simple, everyday words.