Feeling unmotivated? You’re not alone! In this episode of English & Beyond, I explore the common struggle of losing motivation—whether in work, hobbies, or language learning. September is usually my mini New Year, but this time, I’ve found myself stuck in ennui (a perfect French word for deep boredom and dissatisfaction).

César joins me to discuss how to stay productive when motivation disappears. We share strategies for building strong habits, keeping up with goals (like learning English!), and finding your "bare minimum" to maintain progress. If you’ve ever lost momentum in your studies, work, or fitness routine, this episode is for you!

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

Do you believe in luck, fate, or the supernatural? In this episode of English & Beyond, I explore superstitions, omens, and the role of rituals in shaping our lives. From black cats and Friday the 13th to cultural traditions like Scotland’s First-Footing and Spain’s 12 grapes at New Year, I discuss why—even as a sceptic—I still find myself following these rituals.

Joining me is my friend Charlie, a Wiccan and expert in the occult, who sheds light on tarot readings, astrology, and divination. Are these practices just psychological tools, or do they tap into something deeper? We also perform a live tarot reading for the future of this podcast!

This episode is packed with advanced English vocabulary, idioms, and cultural insights. Don’t forget to download the free transcript at www.morethanalanguage.com to help with tricky phrases.

🔔 Subscribe for more advanced English listening practice, and leave a review—it really helps!

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

🎃 Why Do We Love Being Scared? A Deep Dive into Horror Films

Fear is universal, but today we’re diving into cinematic terror – a genre I’ve loved (and sometimes regretted loving!) for years. César and I explore:

💀 My first horror experiences – and the film that traumatised my childhood friend!
📽 Why do we want to feel scared?
👻 Do horror films lose their effect over time? Or is the genre just getting worse?
🔪 Our favourite horror movies – from The Sixth Sense to Scream
🤡 The strange shift from horror films to true crime obsession

This is a fun, high-level English episode with plenty of vivid storytelling, horror insights & film vocabulary!

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

🇮🇹 Italy: Expectations vs. Reality – My Experience in Milan

This week, I’m joined by Federica, one of the most impressive non-native English speakers I’ve ever met, to unpack my complicated experience living in Milan.

💡 In this episode, we discuss:

• 🍕 My dream of living ‘La Dolce Vita’ vs. the harsh reality
• 👨‍💼 Toxic office culture & bizarre work expectations in Italy
• 🤝 Why making friends in Milan was impossible
• 📜 Italy’s paradoxes: a country of beauty, culture… & inefficiency
• 🏛 Is the UK becoming more like Italy in terms of bureaucracy & politics?
• 🇮🇹 Federica’s take: A proud Italian’s love-hate relationship with her homeland

This is an insightful, high-level English episode, full of reflections on culture, expectations, and the reality of life in Italy.

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

🎓 Oxford: Reality vs. Myth – My Honest Experience

For the first time ever, I’m going solo on the podcast! While César enjoys his holiday, I’m following his strict instructions to discuss the reality of the (in)famous University of Oxford.

💡 What’s in this episode?

• 🎭 The myths & realities of Oxford life
• 🏛 How hard is it really to get in?
• 📚 Why the tutorial system is so intense
• 🎓 Why so many UK politicians studied there
• 🍷 The ‘work hard, party hard’ social scene
• 🤯 The pressure & mental health challenges of Oxford students
• 🗣 Why I feel awkward even mentioning I went to Oxford

Oxford is one of the world’s most prestigious universities, but is it really the academic utopia people think it is? Or is it just an overrated, elitist relic of the past? I share my personal stories and opinions on what it’s really like to study there.

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

😨 Why Am I So Afraid of Being ‘Cancelled’?

This week, César and I dive into one of my biggest fears—Cancel Culture. I explain in more detail why I (still) don’t use my face to promote this podcast and share my (hopefully) irrational anxiety about becoming the next person to be publicly shamed for an opinion I didn’t even realise was controversial.

In this episode, we discuss:

❌ What cancel culture actually is
💬 Why I’m nervous about expressing opinions online
📢 The pressure to not only think the ‘right’ thing but also say it loudly
📖 How past generations had more space to ‘learn’ without fear of social media backlash
🤔 Is shame always a bad thing, or can it serve a purpose?

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

If something bad happens to you, how should you react? Should you fully express your emotions or try to stay detached? Is grief always bad? Is happiness always good?

In this episode, César and I take a deep dive into Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that teaches us how to navigate life’s highs and lows with balance and resilience. We discuss:

🛡️ What Stoicism is and where it comes from
🧠 How it helps us handle emotions and uncertainty
😌 Whether it’s possible (or even desirable) to stay ‘calm’ at all times
🔄 Why modern ideas of resilience are surprisingly similar to Stoicism

We also challenge some common misconceptions, like whether Stoicism means ignoring emotions entirely. Can we really detach ourselves from pain and joy? Or do our emotions give meaning to life?

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

Does your foreign accent make you feel insecure when speaking English? You're not alone! In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Franziska, who has lived in the UK for nine years and still struggles with her German accent. Together, we dive into the realities of accents in language learning:

🔹 Why accents matter so much to language learners
🔹 How perceptions of accents impact confidence & identity
🔹 The unexpected struggles of mastering English – even after years abroad
🔹 How Latin (yes, really!) helped both of us avoid speaking fears in school
🔹 Can you ever fully lose your foreign accent?

Franziska shares her insecurities, her experiences with judgment, and whether she regrets never taking pronunciation classes. It’s an honest, insightful, and sometimes funny discussion about the challenges and realities of sounding "foreign" in another language.

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

What happens when you spend years learning a language… and then forget it? 🤯

In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend Laura, and together, we take a trip down memory lane to our language-learning adventures in Beijing. We talk about:

• How we met while studying Mandarin in China 🇨🇳
• The joys and pitfalls of language learning – and why it disappears so quickly!
• Whether speaking a different language changes your personality 🤔
• Laura’s workplace email disaster (she accidentally emailed Christ instead of Chris for six months!)
• The reality of moving abroad and why some expats never truly integrate

Join us for a fun and insightful chat filled with memories, cultural differences, and a few embarrassing language mishaps!

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!

What makes a relationship work? In this special episode, César and I take an honest, unscripted look at our eight-year relationship, from our first meeting to navigating cultural differences and conflicts. With César feeling under the weather and my voice barely holding up, it’s the perfect storm for some genuine British awkwardness!

💡 What We Cover:
✔️ How we met (and why I never left Spain!)
✔️ How long-distance relationships shaped us
✔️ The challenges of living and working together
✔️ The differences in British and Spanish relationship dynamics
✔️ The realities of love, compromise, and occasional moody moments!

📖 Want to improve your English even more?

• Read the full transcript & vocabulary flashcards → www.morethanalanguage.com
• Follow us on Instagram → @BritishEnglishandBeyond
• Watch us on Youtube → @englishandbeyondpodcast
• Email your thoughts or questions → [email protected]

🎙 New episodes every week! Subscribe now to practise listening, expand your vocabulary, and learn English in a natural, fun way.

And remember, if this podcast is a little too tough for you, we have "English and Beyond: Intermediate English Podcast" too!