On the final Sunday of March, the UK and many other European countries adjust their time forward by one hour. This is known as Daylight Savings Time, or Summer time, and is designed to give people more hours of sunlight during the summer months. In this episode of Thinking in English we will look at the history and rationale for DST, before discussing whethe ... Show More
Apr 27
385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?” As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of migrant workers who helped build the stadiums. There w ... Show More
22m 25s
Apr 20
384. The Scramble for Africa (English Vocabulary Lesson)
In the 1870s, about ten percent of Africa had been colonised by European countries. But over the next few decades, over ninety percent of the continent was taken, occupied, divided, and partitioned by governments far away in places like London, Berlin, and Paris. We call this per ... Show More
29m 3s
Apr 2025
Time Shift: The Economic Impact of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time — a simple clock adjustment with far-reaching consequences. As countries debate whether to keep, ditch, or make DST permanent, the economic and health implications of this time-shifting practice are coming under increasing scrutiny. In this episode of Down to ... Show More
16m 8s
Jan 2025
793 - Tired, Tired Of, Tired From
The word tired is one of those words in English that has a number of different uses and while you may be familiar with the basic meaning of tired, which is sleepy, did you know that tired can also be used to mean that something is not fresh or that a machine is not in working con ... Show More
6m 51s
Nov 2024
770 - 7 Ways To Give A Reason In English Without Because
Seeing that you like learning English here, I thought you may be interested in sounding more fluent and sophisticated. Today, we’ll look at 7 different ways to give a reason, aside from because, for you need to always expand your vocabulary.Today's English lesson is all about hel ... Show More
7m 41s
Oct 2025
908 - Saturday Short – Learn To Use The Conversational Phrase, You Know What I Mean?
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 o ... Show More
1m 54s
Oct 2025
906 - How to Use ‘By’ in English - Time, Deadlines, and Authorship Explained
Welcome - and by the way - thanks for stopping by today! I’ve been thinking… by is one of those little words that shows up everywhere in English. It’s just two letters, but it does a lot of work. Today we’re gonna take a close look at by - and I think you’ll be surprised at how m ... Show More
9m 19s
Jun 2024
Dollar stores dominate rural America (Fall out of fashion)
Today's story: Dollar stores started as a novelty, a place where consumers could hunt for amusing bargains. But now, they're a big business. Customers can buy cleaning supplies, hardware, clothes, and some food there, all for rock-bottom prices. But not everyone loves dollar stor ... Show More
21m 23s
Oct 2025
FOR or TO? How to Express Purpose Clearly in English [557]
🚨 If you use English at work, these phrases matter. These are the only English phrases I allow my private students to use at work, and the ones I tell them to stop using. 👉 Download the PDF (€9): https://www.englishlessonviaskype.com/workphrases-podcastIn this episode, you’ll l ... Show More
8m 43s
Oct 2021
The Case For A 4-Day Workweek
The five-day workweek can feel as preordained as the number of minutes in an hour, but it hasn't always been the norm. Workers fought for a Monday-to-Friday schedule before it became standard in the U.S. in the 1930s. Since then, the nature of work has changed a lot, and now, wor ... Show More
18m 2s