My brother James joins me again on the podcast for a rambling chat about diverse topics such as: trousers 👖 sandwiches 🥪 gangster films 🍿 the work of Edgar Allan Poe 📖 vinyl and cassettes 🎵 memories of living together 🎮 annoying behaviour 😤 and English words and grammar that irritate people 😠 plus James has a new vinyl EP out now on Ooz records. Transcript available 📄.

🎧 Get OOZ004 - James' new vinyl EP 👉 https://oozrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ooz004

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Thompson-Originals-A-Chat-with-My-Brother-956-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/10/06/thompson-originals-a-chat-with-my-brother-956/

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In episode 949 I did an online test which claimed to be for C1 level, but let's be honest - it was more like an intermediate level, the questions were rubbish and it was ultimately a useless scam. This time I'm taking a proper C1 English test - the Use of English section from a Cambridge CAE exam. Let's see what is required to pass this, and what bits of English you can learn from it.

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lets-take-a-REAL-C1-English-Test-CAE-Use-of-English-955.pdf

🔗 Website page for this episode 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/29/lets-take-a-real-c1-english-test-cae-use-of-english-955/

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What is the pass mark for this CAE test?

I forgot to add that the pass mark is 60% for this test, which means you must get a minimum of about 22/36 in the Use of English section (that's 14 lost points). Could you do it? Bear in mind that this is only a part of the whole test, and you'd need to get at least 60% across all 4 sections (also including listening, writing and speaking).

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The Pod-Pals are back on the podcast for another catching up session! Recorded just after the summer holidays, there is talk of Paul's hatred of the beach 🏖️, the English tradition of building epic sandcastles 🏰, other famous people with our names (including an "evil" teacherluke 👿) and what AI gets completely wrong about us 🤦. PDF transcript available. (a.k.a Catching Up with Amber & Paul #15)

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Transcript-Holiday-Hell-Serious-Sandcastles-AI-Inbreeding-with-Amber-Paul-954-2.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/22/holiday-hell-serious-sandcastles-ai-inbreeding-with-amber-paul-954/

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My 7-year-old daughter joins me again as co-host in this fun episode. We play "Would you rather?", a conversation game in which we ask each other ridiculous questions about various hypothetical situations. Enjoy listening to another cute and funny chat with my daughter, which covers topics such as food, world peace, wealth, fame, success and Inspector Gadget.

📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/A-game-of-Would-You-Rather_-with-my-daughter-953-TRANSCRIPT-1.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/15/a-game-of-would-you-rather-with-my-daughter-953/

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A description of my recent family holiday to Norway 🇳🇴 including rambling about how I can't stand beach holidays 🏖️, chasing my son around different international airports 🏃, visiting Oslo ⛴️, Bergen 🏠, fjords 🚤 and mountains 🏔️. Edward Munch's The Scream 😱, staying in a cabin with no hot water, shower or washing machine, swimming in a freezing lake 🥶, catching a trout 🎣 and driving an electric Jaguar 🐆(that's a car). Includes a PDF with vocabulary in context, definitions, full transcript, and vocabulary quiz.

📄 Get the PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/The-Trip-to-Norway-_-Learn-Vocabulary-in-Context-952.pdf

🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/08/the-trip-to-norway-learn-vocabulary-in-context-952/

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Dealing with some questions from listeners about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, namely how to know when 'd is had or would (in writing and pronunciation), the curious origins of the word podcast and a vocabulary lesson about the word cast including various collocations and phrases which include this morpheme (that means a part of a word, not some kind of shape-shifting alien). More groundbreaking and genre-defying content to grace your earphones, and not boring grammar stuff at all, not even a little bit, no, no way, not here.

Get the PDF here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Questions-of-English-Listener-Comments-Bits-Bobs-4.pdf

Website page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/09/01/questions-of-english-listener-comments-bits-bobs-4-951/

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Peter, my old flatmate from Japan, is back on the podcast after his previous appearance 11 years ago! We chat about travelling experiences, teaching English in Malaysia and Japan, dealing with jet lag and culture shock, doing stand-up comedy abroad, and some of the funny, strange, and even weird experiences we’ve had while travelling. A relaxed, wide-ranging conversation full of stories, laughs, and cultural insights.

Get the full PDF transcript here https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Flatmate-from-Japan-Returns-Travelling-Tales-More-950-TRANSCRIPT-.pdf

Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/25/the-flatmate-from-japan-returns-travelling-tales-more-950/

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In this episode I take a typical multiple choice grammar test that you can find online, explain the answer to each question and give mini grammar lessons along the way. I also discuss what makes a good test of your English, and what good and bad level tests do. Learn more about grammar, and about how to check your language level.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lets-take-a-C1-English-Grammar-Test-and-critique-it.pdf

🔗 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/18/lets-take-a-c1-grammar-test-and-critique-it-949/

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In this fun and practical episode I dive into realistic workplace English through improvised role-play conversations. Designed to help you boost your vocabulary, listening skills, and confidence in professional settings, this episode features six humorous and educational role-play scenarios in workplaces like a factory, office, supermarket, and a shop. Listen to me improvising with ChatGPT and see if it can keep up with some ridiculous ideas, and learn some useful practical English in the process.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Workplace-Role-Plays-_-Scenarios-for-Practical-English-948.pdf

🔗 Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/11/workplace-role-plays-scenarios-for-practical-english-948/

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This episode is all about choices we have to make relating to technology in our everyday lives, and the vocabulary of technology today. This episode focuses on issues such as information quality & fact checking, digital sustainability, AI and automation, security, surveillance and privacy, tech company ethics, & tech and well-being. All important topics which you should be able to talk about in English! PDF available. Part 2 of 2.

📄 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Technology-in-Everyday-Life-Part-2-The-Choices-We-Make-_-Topic-Discussion-Vocabulary-947.pdf

🔗 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/08/04/technology-in-everyday-life-part-2-the-choices-we-make-topic-discussion-vocabulary-947/

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