Do you ever hear native speakers use expressions like “movie buff,” “gearhead,” or “shopaholic” and feel confused? In this episode, Andrew and Indiana break it all down for you. You’ll learn how to sound more natural and expressive when talking about your own passions or anyone else’s.

This episode is great for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to build their vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

✅ How to use useful, advanced vocabulary like cinephile, metalhead, and audiophile

✅ The difference between -phile, -head, buff, -holic, and fiend

✅ How to avoid sounding unnatural or overdoing it when using slang

✅ Why these expressions show up in pop culture, podcasts, and movies

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

🔥 Culips members get everything: interactive transcript, study guide, ad free audio, and bonus content with two extra expressions, holic and fiend. Click here to join and get the most out of this episode!

🧠Members can access the ad-free version: Click here.

🚀Want to level up your speaking? Join the Culips Discord to connect with other learners, share your interests, and practice using today’s expressions in real conversations. Click here to join the community!

Ready to finally master phrasal verbs?

In this episode, Andrew and Alina introduce the Culips June Challenge, designed to help you learn and use 15 high-frequency phrasal verbs in real conversations. You’ll hear how to join the free challenge on Discord, how it works, and why it’s a great way to stay consistent and motivated with your English.

They also share details about the first-ever Culips meetup in Europe, happening this July in Prague.

If you want to connect with other learners, speak more naturally, and have fun while you study, this episode is for you.

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

Join in and start improving your English with the community!

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What happens when you visit a dog shelter and find the perfect pet? In this episode, Andrew tells the story of adopting his new dog, O’Wall. Listen as he explains how he and his wife chose their new pet, went through the adoption process, and helped their dog settle into her new home. You’ll hear about visiting shelters, picking the perfect name, and why O’Wall is the luckiest dog around!

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In this episode, Andrew and Kassy talk about how friendship changes as we grow older, especially when life gets busy with work, relationships, and family. They discuss how marriage and parenthood can shift friendship dynamics, how the media creates unrealistic ideas about friendship, and what real connection looks like today. Listen to this episode to hear a natural conversation about adult relationships while building your fluency and learning new vocabulary about friendship, connection, and modern life.

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Have you ever experienced a week so busy and memorable it felt like a whole month? In this episode, Andrew shares two stories from one incredibly eventful week in his life. Listen in as Andrew talks about special celebrations, cultural traditions in Korea, and thoughtful surprises from loved ones. There’s even a mystery gift involved… but you’ll have to tune in to find out exactly what it was!

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In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna talk about taste. They discuss how our preferences for food and drinks develop from childhood to adulthood, sharing personal stories about acquired tastes and interesting foods from their home countries. The conversation then shifts to personal preferences in music, fashion, films, and coffee, with both hosts talking about how their tastes have evolved over time. They end by questioning if having similar tastes is important for friendships and what our preferences reveal about who we are.

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In this episode, Andrew talks about how he spends his free time and shares his top three YouTube channels. You’ll hear about a Dutch YouTuber exploring Seoul, a British marathon runner living in Tokyo, and a Canadian couple building a quiet life in the Japanese countryside. Andrew explains why he enjoys each channel and how they fit into his daily routine.

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In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana catch up and talk all about weddings. Indiana shares her recent experience traveling to Florida for her husband’s cousin’s wedding, which was held in Miami. She explains what a Jewish wedding is like and describes some unique traditions, such as the chuppah, the ketubah, the breaking of a glass, and the fun dance called the hora. Andrew and Indiana also compare weddings in Canada, the United States, and Korea, talking about receptions, wedding cakes, group photos, and gift-giving traditions.

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Andrew talks about a fascinating and sad news story involving three deaths from eating poisonous mushrooms. Accident or crime? Listen to and decide for yourself! In the vocabulary lesson, you’ll learn about the phrasal verb to feel for (someone).

Support Culips and take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. To sign up, visit Culips.com.

Study with the interactive transcript: Click here.

Join the Culips Discord server: Click here.

Read the news article about the mushroom mystery: Click here.

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Kassy catch up and share updates about their lives. Kassy talks about taking short trips with her baby to nearby cities in Korea. She describes visiting a busy flower festival and returning to a town just to eat her favorite vegetable bread. She also talks about her upcoming move and her hope to make her new place feel more like home. Andrew talks about how voting by mail works in Canada and the recent Canadian election. He also shares a funny story about planting trees and decorating his front yard with his wife.

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