William Bullokar composed the first formal grammar of the English language in 1586. Prior to that point, the concept of grammar had been largely restricted to Latin. Bullokar's work extended the concept to English, but it did so by employing the Latin grammatical framework. This approach was followed by subsequent grammarians, and it has shaped the way schol ... Show More
Jul 15
Episode 184: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 1)
Over the course of the 1500s, English spelling started to become standardized, but the pronunciation of the language continued to change. By the early 1600s, English scholars noticed that spellings no longer reflected the way words were pronounced, and they recommended phonetic r ... Show More
1h 20m
May 2025
Episode 183: The Fabric of Our Lives
In the early 1600s, cotton fabrics made in India were in high demand throughout Asia and Africa. When the English and Dutch arrived in India and Japan, they realized how popular the fabric was, and they soon began to ship it back to northern Europe. In this episode, we explore ho ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2025
#436 - How to Get Fluent in English WITHOUT Studying Grammar — What You Should Focus On Instead, Why Natives Don't Know Grammar, and How I Learned Verb Tenses in English
Listen with FREE Interactive Transcript only on the RealLife App. In today’s episode, Izzy dives into one of the most debated questions in language learning: Is grammar actually necessary to become fluent? If you’ve ever felt guilty for not remembering all the grammar rules, this ... Show More
22m 51s
Mar 2025
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 525
This episode explains prepositions of place, time, and movement with clear examples, making it easier to use them correctly. Prepositions can be confusing, even for advanced English learners. Many people struggle with when to use in, on, or at, and small mistakes can change the m ... Show More
25 m
Apr 2025
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 531
Struggling with English conditionals? This lesson explains all the main types: zero, first, second, third, and mixed conditionals. You’ll learn how each structure works, when to use it, and how to avoid common mistakes.Perfect for B1 to C1 learners, this lesson covers real-life e ... Show More
22m 32s