Easy Stories in English

By Ariel Goodbody, Polyglot English Teacher & Glassbox MediaEducation Fiction Language Learning

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Typical duration
22 min
per episode
If it hooks
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Based on Podcast App listening data

Easy Stories in English episodes

May 04 I Can't Keep Doing This (Intermediate)
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Enough is enough. Something has to change. I’m sorry everyone, but I can’t do episodes every fortnight anymore.
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Cant for the full transcript.
New Vocabulary
Binge – to do a lot of one thing in one go, e.g. to binge a TV show
A leap of faith – a big, scary decision in your life – comment and let me know what leap of faith you’ve been putting off in your life!
Watching paint dry – an expression we use to refer to a very boring activity
On the back burner – when you keep putting off an important project because it’s not urgent
‘That sucks’ – a colloquial way of saying something is bad
Fortnight – two weeks, or fourteen days (UK English)
To kick in – to start taking effect, e.g. when a medicine kicks in
Anodyne – boring, uninspired, unoriginal
Anecdote – a small story from everyday life
A preview – when you get to see/hear part of something before it’s released
Video about North Korean pop culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-pPPUAppk
00:00 Intro
01:24 New Vocabulary
07:37 How tastes have changed
10:45 Me vs. the other English learning podcasts
14:04 Bored of my own style
16:34 I need more time
18:19 Big plans
19:42 Story preview!
24:27 Vocabulary Recap
25:29 Tell me about your leap of faith!

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28 min
April 06 Cambodia is Hard to Talk About (Conversation)
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I discuss my friend visiting me from the UK, and an emotional holiday in Cambodia. I touch on the heartbreaking topic of the genocide, but also something more fun: eating a giant spider!
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Cambodia⁠⁠⁠ for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
01:07 A visitor
03:16 Two big empires
05:59 Visa-free travel
07:01 Force-fed in a teahouse
08:23 My new spirit animal
11:36 My most important job
13:55 Cambodia
18:00 Yummy spider!
20:13 The challenge of talking about this
25:31 Summer plans
27:01 Outro

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31 min
March 23 Herding Mountains to Make a Forest (Pre-Intermediate)
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The Stone Forest in Yunnan is a beautiful karst mountain range. But how did it come to be? Learn all about the Sani people and the magical origins of this Chinese nature site in today's episode.
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Mountains⁠⁠ for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Herd, Bucket, Spirit, Order, Whip, Unfurl, Dam, Rooster, Freeze.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 681.
Author: Chinese Myths.
00:00 Intro
00:52 The Sani people
01:39 My full circle momoent
04:12 Leaving Chinese
06:19 Coming back to Chinese
08:57 Busy busy!
11:14 Stumbling across the origin story
13:30 Vocabulary
17:34 Herding Mountains to Make a Forest
23:31 Outro

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27 min
March 09 Doing Stand-Up Comedy in Chinese (Conversation)
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Comedy is hard enough, but doing it in Chinese? Oh, Ariel, you do love a challenge! Hear all about my performance adventures and upcoming travel in this laughs-packed episode.
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Comedy⁠⁠ for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
01:18 Batching episodes
03:09 Discovering pine cones
05:14 The nightmare of tones
08:33 Trying comedy in Chinese
11:37 This is your host!
13:45 London vs. China
15:48 I've arrived
17:56 Upcoming holidays
19:33 Wicked 2
22:31 Let's gallop!

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26 min
February 23 The Animals' Peace Party (Pre-Intermediate)
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The cows and horses have argued with the pigs for too long. It's time to have a peace party and finally settle things. But one very talkative pig has a different view...
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Peace⁠ for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Hoarse, Filthy, Greedy, Settle a dispute, Master (leader), Amongst, Farmhand, Favour (verb), Wisdom, Squeal.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 1044.
Author: Mary Hayes David, Chow Leung.

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21 min
February 09 All the Housemates I've Ever Had (Conversation)
Get episodes without adverts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Your support is appreciated!
Living with people isn't easy, and I've had it really hard. The Illuminati, the silent treatment, and deadly narcissists - I've seen it all. If you live alone, this episode will fill you with relief, and if you have housemates, it'll make you think 'Maybe they aren't so bad after all!'
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Housemates⁠ for the full transcript.
Cover art image of dirty dishes by Johan Hansson CC BY 2.0
00:00 Preview
00:39 Intro
03:48 The ethics of this episode
05:50 Living in Bristol
13:46 Moving in with a 'friend'
20:16 Choosing my next housemate
22:36 A brief interlude
23:21 Moving to London
27:27 Down to Eltham
32:20 Finally, up to Walthamstow
38:40 The confrontation
48:58 The actual building
52:11 Would I do it again?
55:07 Outro

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1 hr
January 26 How the Moon Became Beautiful (Beginner)
Get episodes without adverts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Your support is appreciated!
The moon is beautiful, but it wasn't always that way. True love was needed, as well as breaking a mother's heart...
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Moon for the full transcript.
Level: Beginner.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Astronomy, Poem, Pick (flower), Sharp, Gentle, Ridiculous.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 843.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
00:00 Intro
01:11 Vocabulary
04:53 How the Moon Became Beautiful
12:58 Transcription problems
16:10 Outro

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19 min
January 12 Christmas in Japan (Conversation)
Hear all about my time in the bars of Osaka and Fukuoka at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Your support is appreciated!
Christmas in Japan isn't like Christmas in the UK. For one thing, it includes humiliation. It also includes very strange food. And don't forget the hot springs!
Vocabulary: Elephant in the room, Onsen, Thatched house, Bullet train, Purikura, Chazuke
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Japan for the full transcript.
00:00 Preview
00:31 Intro
01:34 The elephant in the room
03:23 New Year's resolutions
07:03 A spicy train journey
12:25 The hotel tricked me!
14:19 A smooth flight
15:57 The little things
18:32 Public behaviour
20:38 The wonderful resort
23:26 My first onsen experience
27:41 Let's go to the murder village!
34:13 The panda has left the building
36:14 Meeting the locals
39:15 Pew pew trains
40:51 Bright lights, big city
42:25 Ariel, you tease!
43:58 Welcome to the New World
46:54 The magical disappearing hangover
49:09 Onwards to Fukuoka!
50:51 Embarrassing ourselves at the Pretty Club
52:54 Crooning like robots
53:59 Exploring Fukuoka
57:23 But what about Christmas?
59:34 Culture shock-ish
01:02:35 Outro

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1 hr 8 min
December 30, 2025 Hansel and Gretel (Pre-Intermediate)
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What if the witch in Hansel and Gretel was Chinese? Well, then things would be very different. In this twisted version of the classic fairy tale, the two young children run away from the house of sweets and end up somewhere far more exotic...
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Hansel for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-intermediate.
Genre: Horror.
Vocabulary: Woodcutter, Sweet tooth, Twig, Abandon, Breadcrumbs, Quitter, Betrayal, Witch, Belly, Prison bars.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 2357.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
00:00 Intro
10:55 Hansel and Gretel
29:52 Outro

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37 min
December 15, 2025 It's My Podcast and I'll Ramble If I Want To (Conversation)
Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Your support is appreciated!
Have you ever eaten bone marrow? You know, the fat inside of animal bones? Have you ever wondered whether ancient humans sucked out the marrow like a tube of yoghurt? Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I've been doing recently. Have a listen.
Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Ramble for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
00:48 Friday dreams vs Saturday realities
02:57 Dreaming of any colour Christmas
05:06 Whammageddon
06:42 Yummy bones
09:56 Style change!
12:22 Japan for Christmas
17:06 Osaka is Daban, apparently
23:52 No more faffing about with thumbnails!
30:34 Me, Myself and AI
34:03 Outro

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38 min

About Easy Stories in English

From the publisher's feed

Learning a language is hard, but Easy Stories in English makes it easy! Ariel Goodbody introduces each story, explaining difficult vocabulary and talking about their life. Thanks to their high energy and clear pronunciation, the stories are entertaining and simple to understand.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced learner, there’s something for everyone. The stories cover a wide range of genres, such as fairy tales, myths and legends, drama, comedy, romance, horror, science fiction and action. There is a balance of children’s stories, as well as more mature themes for adults. While listening to the stories, you can read the transcript at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com and get both reading practice and listening practice. With enough time, you’ll find that your reading and writing skills improve as well.

Ariel Goodbody has a strong background in linguistics and language acquisition, and they base the podcast on Stephen Krashen’s theory of comprehensible input. Ariel changes the level of grammar to suit each level, but prioritise comprehension and good storytelling over anything else. Vocabulary is described using paraphrase, cultural references, pictures, intonation and sound effects. British culture, especially English culture, is naturally introduced throughout the episodes.

Ariel also has experience in theatre, and treats every episode like an audiobook performance. With character voices, dramatic timing and a range of accents, adults and kids alike will soon forget that they’re ‘learning’ at all!

Some of the most well-known stories from the podcast are: the Doggo and Kitty stories, Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales, The Very Hungry Dragon, Sleeping Beauty, The Perfect Pet, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Why Blood is Red, Saint George and the Dragon and Pioneers of the Continuum. Many stories are adapted from famous authors, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Hans Christian Andersen, Isaac Asimov, Josef Čapek, Margery Williams and Ryuunosuke Akutagawa.

Ariel studied linguistics at the University of Cambridge and started teaching in 2018. As a language teacher, they use comprehensible input techniques such as TPRS and story listening. In 2021 they published a series of graded readers. These easy readers allow fans to get their favourite stories in a physical format.

Apprendre l’anglais facilement avec des contes de fées et histoires racontés en anglais britannique. Méthode pour étudier les vocabulaires, la prononciation, la grammaire et la lecture en anglais. Les livres audio en anglais pour les niveaux débutant, intermédiaire et avancé.

Einfach Britisches Englisch lernen mit Märchen und Geschichten. Methode, um Vokabeln, Aussprache, Grammatik und Lesen auf Englisch zu studieren. Hörbücher auf Englisch für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittene.

Imparare l'inglese facilmente con fiabe e storie in inglese britannico. Metodo per studiare vocabolario, pronuncia, grammatica e lettura in inglese. Audiolibri in inglese per i livelli principiante, intermedio e avanzato.

Aprender inglés fácilmente con cuentos de hadas e historias en inglés británico. Método para estudiar vocabulario, pronunciación, gramática y lectura en inglés. Audiolibros en inglés para todos los niveles: principiante, intermedio y avanzado.

童話、メルヘン、物語でイギリス英語を学ぶことがやさしくさせるイージー・ストーリーズ・イン・イングリッシュ。アリエル・グッドボディはきれいなブリティッシュイングリッシュの発音で新しい単語を説明して、毎週のストーリーを語る。初級、中級、上級の生徒にむかうオーディオブックで英語文法や英語読書をアップさせる勉強取材。

通过英国英语的童话故事和故事轻松学习英语。学习英语的词汇、发音、语法和阅读。为初学者、中级和高级学生提供英语的有声读物。

Легко изучать английский язык с помощью сказок и историй на британском английском. Методика изучения словарного запаса, произношения, грамматики и чтения на английском языке. Аудиокниги на английском языке для начинающих, студентов среднего уровня и продвинутых студентов.

تعلم الإنجليزية بسهولة مع القصص الخرافية والحكايات باللغة الإنجليزية البريطانية. طريقة لدراسة المفردات والنطق والقواعد والقراءة باللغة الإنجليزية. كتب مسموعة باللغة الإنجليزية للمبتدئين والمتوسطين والمتقدمين.