logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
20m 32s

Why is New Year's Day on January 1? | Le...

Plain English
About this episode

"

Our current calendar is the Gregorian calendar and it's over 400 years old. But the basics (12 months, 365 days, leap years) have been in place for over two thousand years. A small change brought it closer into alignment with the astronomical year, but it's still not perfect. Plus, learn the English expression ""seek to.""

--

At Plain English, we make English lessons for the modern world.

-- Today’s full English lesson, including a free transcript, can be found at: https://plainenglish.com/534

-- Learning English should be fun! That’s why our lessons are about current events and trending topics you care about: business, travel, technology, health, science, politics, the environment, and so much more. Our free English lessons always include English expressions and phrasal verbs, too.

-- Learn even more English at PlainEnglish.com, where we have fast and slow audio, translations, videos, online English courses, and a supportive community of English learners like you. Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com/Join

-- Aprende inglés gratis en línea con nuestro curso de inglés. Se habla a una velocidad lenta para que todos entiendan. ¡Aprende ingles con nosotros ahora! | Aprenda Inglês online grátis com o Plain English, a uma velocidade menor, para que todos possam entender.

Contact: E-mail jeff@plainenglish.com | WhatsApp +1 312 967 8757 | Facebook PlainEnglishPod | Instagram PlainEnglishPod | Twitter @PlainEnglishPod

"

Mentioned in this episode:

The Expressions are back!

Subscribe to our new podcast, "Essential English Expressions." Each episode shows you step-by-step how to use a common English expression, with plenty of examples. Season 1 is available now. Download or stream all 14 episodes at [link].

Up next
Jul 10
How to keep a high passenger rating
Today's story: You thought only the passengers rated the drivers? Think again: drivers rate passengers, too. And a low passenger rating might cost you. But it's not hard to earn a high passenger rating. To keep a high rating, don’t make the driver wait, be polite, avoid eating or ... Show More
17m 37s
Jul 7
Three words to say exactly where you are
Today's story: A company called what3words has divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each three meters by three meters, and labeled each square with a unique three-word combination. This makes it easier to specify precise locations—even in parks, rural areas, or places with ... Show More
19m 56s
Jul 3
Which way is home? It’s complicated
Today's story: In many parts of the world, buildings don't have formal, complete addresses that can be identified on a map. Locals often use landmarks to explain where they live. But these improvised systems come with inefficiencies and real-world consequences. It's hard for resi ... Show More
16m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 281
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. In today's podcast episode you're going to learn popular English collocations. A ... Show More
15m 39s
Aug 2023
150 english phrases for American English
Learn 150 English phrases and idioms that you can learn formally and informally in your English conversations. Visit https://englishwithkayla.com/ to upgrade your English conversations with my new six-week conversation course //JOIN MY EMAIL LIST https://englishvocabularyhelp.com ... Show More
1h 59m
Sep 2020
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 215
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. Today, we're reviewing English grammar rules. In this episode, we will concentrate on ... Show More
14m 1s
Jun 2021
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 293
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. How do I learn new English vocabulary quickly? In this advanced English lesson, you're ... Show More
15m 21s
Feb 2021
#134: A Short History of The English Language
  From a small, wet island, English has come to be the world's dominant language.How did this actually happen, where does English actually come from, and how has the language changed over the years?How many people speak EnglishWhy English isn't a 'pure' language (English as a mon ... Show More
19m 58s
Mar 2021
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 274
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. In this podcast episode, you're going to learn trendy new words in English. These word ... Show More
14m 58s
Feb 2022
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 365
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. In this podcast episode, you will learn English collocations about education. To get into u ... Show More
14m 19s