American English Podcast

Do you like this episode format?

I've been thinking about doing a series of these "quick fixes" for word confusion, pronunciation, and grammar.

That is, if you like the format. So please be honest!

In the meantime, check out the Academy!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of ghost towns in the United States—places where thousands of people once lived, worked, and searched for fortune… and then suddenly left behind.

We begin in Coloma, California, where gold was discovered in 1848, sparking the famous Gold Rush. You’ll learn how towns like this quickly grew into busy communities filled with miners, shops, and saloons—and how just as quickly, they became completely empty when the gold ran out.

⭐ Speak about the topics we discuss in this podcast! Join the Academy.

Together with guest Aubrey Carter, we dive into what it’s actually like to visit ghost towns today. From Virginia City and Nevada City in Montana to Goldfield Ghost Town in Arizona and the famous Whaley House in California, we talk about real places you can explore—some of which are even said to be haunted.

You’ll also learn how Americans talk about these places in everyday English. We explain expressions like “this place is a ghost town” and “this place is dead,” and clarify commonly confused words like salon vs. saloon. We also cover idioms like bite the dust and kick the bucket, including when it’s appropriate (and not appropriate!) to use them.

Along the way, we explain vocabulary so you can build your English while learning about U.S. history and culture.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we go back to the fundamentals of language learning:listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

But here’s the key idea: You’ll learn faster when these skills overlap.

Instead of practicing each skill separately, you’ll discover how to combine them so new vocabulary moves from something you recognize… to something you can actually use.

Personalized 1-on-1 language lessons with native teachers on italki!  Buy $10 get $5 for free for your first lesson with code AMERICANPOD 

👉 Book a lesson: https://go.italki.com/americanpod2603 

📱 Get the app: https://go.italki.com/americanpod2603app

What the episode covers:

- Why comprehensible input (at your level) is essential

- How many times you really need to see a word to remember it

- Why simply listening or reading is not enough

- The science behind retrieval practice (and why it works)

- How to improve your speaking—even if you don’t live abroad

- Why extensive reading builds vocabulary naturally

- How writing helps you notice and fix your mistakes

⭐ ⁠⁠Want to take your learning further?

Inside the Academy, you’ll find the full transcript and bonus learning materials designed to help you understand and use the English from this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this 5-Minute English episode, you'll learn useful vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and collocations related to cleaning your home.

Through a short story, we follow someone tackling a messy apartment—from dirty dishes and clutter to sparkling floors. Along the way, you'll hear natural English used to describe common chores and household tasks.

Want to take your learning further? 

⭐ Visit the website for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode.

⚠️ This episode is a more advanced listening exercise, so don't worry if you don't understand every word the first time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, one of the strangest and most tragic disasters in U.S. history. On a cold January afternoon in Boston’s North End, a massive steel tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst, sending a deadly wave of syrup through the streets.

You’ll learn what molasses was being used for, why shipments kept arriving after World War I, and how Prohibition played a surprising role in the story. We’ll walk step by step through what caused the tank to fail, and how this disaster helped shape modern building inspections and safety codes.

Along the way, I explain key vocabulary like seep, debris, dense, rivets, bootleg, and up to code — so you’ll build your English while learning about U.S. history and culture.

⭐ Get the full transcript, vocabulary list, quiz, and bonus lesson on the third conditional inside the Academy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this engaging (and slightly sticky) episode, we explore the common American English idiom “to be in a sticky situation.” After a real-life kitchen disaster involving spilled honey, we break down what the expression means, where it comes from (it dates back over 200 years!), and how Americans actually use it in everyday conversation.

You’ll hear relatable examples—from accidentally hitting “Reply All” at work to public mix-ups at the Academy Awards and even the New Coke decision by Coca-Cola. We’ll also compare similar expressions and practice pronunciation so you can say it naturally and confidently.

And don’t miss Part Two, where we cover the unforgettable Great Molasses Flood.

⭐ Get the full transcript, vocabulary list, quizzes, and more by signing up for Premium Content— available inside ⁠the Academy⁠. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this playful and spontaneous episode, Liz and I play a fast-paced guessing game using common English portmanteaus—words created by blending two others together. From hangry and bromance to Spam and chillax, we break down their meanings, origins, and how Americans actually use them in conversation. Along the way, you’ll hear natural dialogue, cultural references, and plenty of examples to help these words stick. If you want to sound more natural in everyday American English, this one’s for you.

⭐ Get the full list, as well as the full episode by signing up to Premium Content. Now available as part of the Academy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this cozy winter episode, Shana is snowed in with her daughters on the East Coast after a big snowstorm. While it looks like a magical winter wonderland outside, things feel a little chaotic inside the house. Then Julia, who's seven, decides she wants to be a guest on the podcast.

Julia chooses a fun and unexpected topic: hair and hairstyles. Together, they talk about different types of hair, popular hairstyles, and even facial hair vocabulary — all in a relaxed, natural conversation.

⭐ Sign up to the Academy to Learn English with Pictures

Useful Vocabulary

To be snowed in – when so much snow falls that you can’t leave your home
Straight hair – hair with no curl or wave
Curly hair – hair that forms curls
Wavy hair – hair that forms loose waves
Silky smooth – very soft and smooth
Bangs – short hair cut to fall over the forehead
Fringe – the British English word for bangs
Ponytail – hair tied back in one section
Pigtails – two ponytails, one on each side
Braid – three sections of hair crossed over each other
French braid – a braid that begins at the top of the head and continues downward
Bun – hair twisted and tied into a round shape
Mohawk – short on the sides, long in the middle
Mullet – short in the front, long in the back
Afro – a full, rounded hairstyle worn with natural curly or coily hair
Hair down – wearing your hair loose
Lice – tiny insects that live in hair and cause itching
Hair tie / elastic band – used to hold hair back
Salon – a place where people get their hair cut or styled
Highlights – lighter streaks added to hair
Lowlights – darker streaks added to hair
Dye – to change the color of your hair
Peach fuzz – very soft, light facial hair
Mustache – hair above the upper lip
Beard – hair on the chin and jaw
Goatee – hair on the chin only
Cowlick – a section of hair that grows in a different direction

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Shana is joined by her husband Lucas for another fun Preposition Party. Together, they play a guessing game with common English prepositions while sharing personal stories about food, fears, parenting, moving, and unexpected passions.

You’ll hear natural, real-life examples of expressions like look forward to, get used to, care about, to fall in love with and more. It’s a relaxed, conversational episode designed to help you build confidence and sound more natural in American English.

Sign up to the Academy to learn more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if you woke up one day and couldn’t see or hear the world around you?

In this episode of the American English Podcast, you’ll discover the incredible true story of Helen Keller — one of the most inspiring figures of the 20th century — and the teacher who changed her life, Anne Sullivan.

As you follow Helen’s journey from silence to self-expression, you’ll learn 10 essential irregular verbs in the simple past tense, hear them used naturally in a powerful story, and reinforce them with clear examples. Along the way, we’ll explore how Helen learned to communicate, speak, read, and eventually address audiences around the world.

🎧 Listen closely — and see how many irregular verbs you can catch!

⭐ Sign up to the Academy to Learn More with AEP

Cheat sheet:

hear - heard - heard

sit - sat - sat

bend - bent - bent

send - sent - sent

have - had - had

read - read - read

write - wrote - written

go - went - gone

speak - spoke - spoken

say - said - said

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices