Ethos English

In this episode we find out about binomials as well as some interesting facts about the British Empire, jingoism and why British civil servants are threatening to revolt agains the government's latest plans to deal with refugees.

The teacher, writer and podcaster Tim Warre joins me to discuss the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. We talk about ways in which language teachers and learners can benefit from this insightful book on habit formation. To watch the video recording of this conversation go to https://betterlanguagelearning.com/episode-15/

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is a common saying in English. In short, having good intentions does not always lead to good outcomes. I argue that condemnation of Putin's war in Ukraine is not enough. We need to understand the conditions that allowed his rise to power and the ways in which Western powers might be partly responsible for this tragic war. I bring in Slavoj Žižek, Aditya Chakrabortty, Naomi Klein, John Mearsheimer and Masha Gessen. Lots of food for thought.

In this conversation with Iván, who's both a student and teacher of English, we talk about an issue of interest to him, namely economics and supply chain issues that have been affecting the world economy. We also exchange ideas on effective language learning approaches, and discuss things such as translation and the use of flashcards. 

In this episode I discuss Valentine's Day and its Catalan equivalent Sant Jordi as well as delve into research on the hidden benefits of being single. What's more, I look into the concept of "greedy marriages" and why it's okay to want a relationship if you aren't in one. As always, you'll find an interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcard sets by going to my podcast page.

What does it mean to be well-read? In this episode I talk about Pierre Bayard's book How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read and why book reviews are an underrated tool for your personal development.

Click here to access the interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcard sets.

In this episode I talk about embracing being a nerd and the expression "Seek and ye shall find" and how the Bible, specifically the King James translation, has provided English with a wealth of idioms still in use today.

Access the interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcards here.

Find out how Marshall McLuhan's media theory might just save your relationships.

Click here to access the interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcard sets.

In this episode I talk about some counterintuitive yet helpful advice from one of my favourite columnists and address the issue of philistinism in English language teaching. Why does literature play such a small role in the teaching of English? Why are we so unambitious in our approach to writing?

Click here to go to the interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcard set.

In this week's episode I talk about my recent trip to Dubai. This year the emirate is hosting Expo, so I decided to explore a bit of the cultural impact of this international event throughout history. I come to the conclusion that the post-Covid world needs more catharsis-inducing art.