 
A New Year's Eve celebration isn't always fireworks. Sometimes it's colourful underwear, dark-haired men rushing into Scottish houses, and smashing plates.  

In this episode, we'll explore the most unusual New Year's Eve traditions around the world.  



Origins of Unusual Traditions
Italian Red Underwear Tradition
Scottish First Footing Ritual
Scottish Hogmanay Celebrations
Dangerous Johannesburg Tradition
Spanish Twelve Grapes Tradition
Japanese Temple Bell Ritual
Danish Plate Smashing




Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/unusual-new-year-traditions

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#432 | The Most Unusual New Year's Eve Traditions

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English Learning for Curious Minds is a podcast for intermediate-advanced English learners.

Learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving your English.

Every episode comes with an interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary and is spoken at a speed you can understand. 

Join listeners from 189 countries and discover a more interesting way of improving your English. 

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Ice cream vans can be a sweet memory for many, but for Glasgow in the 1980s, they were anything but.  

From selling drugs to inciting gang wars and even murder, we'll uncover the dark and shocking tale of the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars. 



Background to The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars
Ice cream vans in Glasgow
Living conditions in Glasgow schemes
Ice cream van territory fights 
Criminals entering the ice cream trade
Organised crime and drug dealing
Andrew Doyle's resistance to intimidation
Doyle family fire and deaths 
Wrongful conviction of Campbell and Steele
Campbell and Steele's exoneration after 20 years




Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/glasgow-ice-cream-wars

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#476 | The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars

 
Amanda Knox's study abroad adventure turned into a nightmare when her housemate was brutally murdered and she found all police attention pointed at her.   In this episode, we'll learn about the twists and turns of this murder case that gripped Italy, the UK and the United States. Overview of Amanda Knox casePerugia as a popular student cityMeredith Kercher and Amanda Knox's backgroundDiscovery of Meredith Kercher's bodyInitial police investigation and Knox's interrogationBeliefs and contradictions in police findingsMedia sensationalism and "Foxy Knoxy" personaPresentation of evidence in courtAppeals and ultimate acquittal of Knox and SollecitoRudy Guede's involvement and continuing developments
 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/amanda-knox-trial

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#474 | The Trial Of Amanda Knox (pt1)

 
Nayib Bukele is the self-proclaimed "world's coolest dictator", and he has managed to do what many people thought was impossible in El Salvador.  In this episode, we'll learn about his rise to power, his controversial treatment of gang members, and explore what comes next for the small Central American nation. President Nayib Bukele of El SalvadorBukele legalises Bitcoin as currencyHigh crime rates in El SalvadorBukele's controversial policies on gangsBukele's rise to power and strategiesInternational vs domestic opinions on BukeleCriticisms of Bukele's authoritarian tendenciesBukele's landslide victory in re-electionBukele's popularity and domestic supportChallenges ahead for Bukele in El Salvador
 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/nayib-bukele

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#472 | Nayib Bukele | “The World’s Coolest Dictator”?

 
In this episode, we'll explore how the country with the largest oil reserves in the world managed to implode, plunging its citizens into extreme poverty.  We'll discover how a mixture of economic decisions, political ideologies, and external pressures contributed to the country's current situation. Rise and collapse of VenezuelaChavez's presidency and socialist policiesControl over currency and economyThe impact on inflation and poverty ratesMaduro's presidency and worsening conditionsMass exodus and economic devastationVarious viewpoints on causes of collapseLegacy of hope turned into despairVenezuelan citizens' anger and sadnessReflection on the future of Venezuela
 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/venezuela-collapse

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#470 | The Collapse Of Venezuela

 
I lived in Malta from 2017-2024. In part one of this two-part series, I'll talk about some of my experiences living there, and try to answer a question I'm asked multiple times a week: "Should I come to Malta to study English?"  We'll talk about what types of people come to Malta to study English, how this changes over the year, and what life is really like on a Mediterranean rock. Why I moved to Malta in 2017Brief introduction to MaltaIntroduction to learning English in MaltaThe three different categories of English learner in MaltaWhy you should come to Malta to learn EnglishWhy you shouldn't come to Malta to learn EnglishHow Malta has changed in the past 15 yearsLife in Malta for foreignersWhy so many foreigners are coming to MaltaHow much does life cost in Malta
 Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/malta-pt1

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#432 | The Most Unusual New Year's Eve Traditions

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