In this episode, Alina recaps the Culips meetup that happened in July, introduces the next Culips meetup, and tells you all about the September challenge!

September Challenge: Let’s talk about work

Theme: Work-related English (interviews, dress codes, workplace situations)

How it works:

It’s completely free and perfect for practicing professional English skills while connecting with other learners!

How to Join the Culips Discord Server and Participate in the Challenge

Complete all the tasks to earn a certificate. Join in and start improving your English with the community!

The 2025 Culips Meetup in Prague.

In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Indiana teach you two very useful English idioms: to go off the rails and to get out of hand. These are common expressions that English speakers use to describe situations that become chaotic, unmanageable, or out of control. You’ll hear Andrew and Indiana explain the meaning, give background, and share many everyday examples. They also act out short conversations to show how these expressions are used naturally in real life.

What you’ll learn with this episode:

This episode is perfect for:

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

In this episode, Andrew talks about his recent trip to Sapporo, Japan. He tells you about exploring the Susukino district, visiting the coastal town of Otaru, and discovering beer and sake festivals throughout the city. You’ll also hear about many of his other adventures including witnessing a car accident and navigating the city without Google Maps for an extra challenge!

This episode is perfect for intermediate English learners who are ready to take it to the next level with their English fluency. Andrew’s storytelling is clear, understandable, and designed to help you build your vocabulary, comprehension, cultural knowledge, and communicative fluency.

Make sure to check out the free interactive transcript and vocabulary glossary to get the most out of this episode.

Important links:

Why do some people do foolish things even though they’re smart? And why do some things that are obvious to you seem difficult for others to understand? In this episode, Andrew and Anna explore the idea of “common sense.” They discuss what it means, where it comes from, and why people sometimes seem to lack it. As they chat, Andrew and Anna share funny real-life stories from their lives and compare “common sense” with “book smarts.”

This episode is best for upper-intermediate English learners who want to speak more fluently about common sense, decision-making, and how people think in everyday life.

What you’ll learn with this episode:

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

Get the study guide, which comes with an interactive transcript, vocabulary explanations with examples, a quiz, and practice questions. Join Culips to get full access.

Already a member? Get the ad free version and study materials here.

Want to connect with other listeners and practice what you learned? Join our Culips Discord community today Click here to join the community!

In this episode, Andrew tells the story of his quick one-day visit to Osaka. You’ll hear about his record shopping plans, an unexpected tsunami alert, and how he had to make some tough decisions about his travel plans.

This is perfect for English learners because you’ll hear natural storytelling with everyday vocabulary and expressions. Andrew speaks clearly and shares real experiences, which helps you understand how native speakers actually talk.

This episode is highly recommended for intermediate learners who are looking to hit the next level with their English fluency.

Important links:

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana explore a topic everyone can relate to – the things we’re bad at. They share funny and honest stories about their struggles with tasks like assembling IKEA furniture, drawing, handling insects, recalling movie details, parking while chatting, and even stretching. Through your hosts’ lighthearted conversation, you’ll hear how these challenges show up in daily life and how they react to each other’s skills (or lack of them).

This episode is perfect for intermediate English learners who want to build everyday vocabulary, improve listening skills, and gain confidence talking about personal experiences in a natural way.

What you’ll learn with this episode:

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

Do you ever get a feeling that something is right or wrong, even if you can’t explain why? In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna explore the idea of the sixth sense, also known as intuition. They talk about what it means, how it works, and when they’ve relied on it in real life. You’ll hear personal stories, learn common expressions, and improve your listening skills while enjoying a fun, natural conversation between native speakers.

This episode is great for upper intermediate to advanced English learners who want to talk more confidently about thoughts, gut feelings, and intuitive decision-making in English.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

Get the study guide, which comes with an interactive transcript, vocabulary explanations with examples, a quiz, and practice questions. Join Culips to get full access.

Already a member? Get the ad free version and study materials here.

Want to connect with other listeners and practice what you learned? Join our Culips Discord community today Click here to join the community!

August Challenge – Vocabulary Boost!

In this episode, Andrew and Alina introduce the August Challenge, happening on our Discord server. This month, you’ll focus on expanding your vocabulary by learning and using 15 advanced adjectives that have been featured in Culips episodes. It’s a great way to make your English sound more colorful, expressive, and natural like a native speaker.

The challenge runs every second day throughout August, giving you time to really understand each adjective and practice using it in your own stories, example sentences, or voice messages. These include words like “remiss,” “palpable,” “low-key,” and “fancy schmancy” – words that native speakers use regularly but English learners often skip over when listening.

Andrew and Alina also chat about Alina’s new hobby: chess! She recently learned to play at age 31 and has been winning games at her local expat board game meetup in Ireland.

How to Join the Culips Discord Server and Participate in the Challenge

Complete all the tasks to earn a certificate. Join in and start improving your English with the community!

This episode is all about musical education! Andrew and Indiana share stories about learning instruments as kids, their music classes at school, and how they feel about playing musical instruments today. You’ll hear Andrew talk about jamming on his drum set in his basement, Indiana’s experiences in school chorus, and whether they think parents should push their kids to take music lessons.

This episode is perfect for intermediate English learners who want to pick up natural vocabulary and expressions about music, school, and hobbies while listening to a real conversation between native speakers.

In this lesson, you’ll work on:

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

Get the study guide, which comes with an interactive transcript, vocabulary explanations with examples, a quiz, and practice questions. Join Culips to get full access.

Already a member? Get the ad free version and study materials here.

Want to connect with other listeners and practice what you learned? Join our Culips Discord community today Click here to join the community!

How can a homemade lunch end in tragedy, mystery, and a murder trial that shocks the world? Join Andrew as he revisits the infamous mushroom murder case in Australia and guides you through the dramatic courtroom outcome. In this episode, you’ll read along with a real news article and learn important vocabulary that helps you understand the story. You’ll learn legal words like “jury” and “plead”, and more advanced terms like “deception” and “estranged.” Andrew explains everything clearly so you can follow the story and improve your English at the same time.

What you’ll learn:

Perfect for intermediate learners who:

Important links: