Thinking in English

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The biggest city in North America isn’t New York or Los Angeles, it’s Mexico City.

Mexico City is also the oldest capital city in the entire Americas and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world.

Today, this enormous metropolis is home to over twenty million people. But its story began centuries ago, long before the arrival of the Spanish, when it was an island city built by the Aztecs in the middle of a vast lake.

In this episode of Thinking in English, we’re going to explore the incredible history of Mexico City from its origins as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, to its destruction and rebirth under Spanish rule, and finally, to its rise as a vibrant and dynamic modern city.

At the same time, we will learn some new and useful English vocabulary and practice our listening comprehension at the same time!

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TRANSCRIPT - ⁠⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/11/24/363-history-of-mexico-city-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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The Collins Dictionary Word of the Year is… Vibe Coding!

In this Thinking in English episode, I’m going to define and explain the term vibe coding and talk about why it was chosen as the Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary. I’ll also discuss some of the other contenders and runners up for the 2025 Word of the Year, including Broligarchy, Task Masking, and Micro-Retirement.

These are interesting words and are connected to some fascinating changes and problems in modern society!

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TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/11/17/362-what-is-the-2025-word-of-the-year-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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Have you ever heard someone say, “kick the bucket” or “pass away,” and felt confused? They both have the meaning of “die”… but are used in different contexts.

English, like all languages, is full of phrases and expressions that don’t always make sense if you look at the words literally.

Native speakers use this kind of language all the time… in conversations, TV shows, songs, and workplaces. But for English learners, idiomatic and informal expressions can be some of the hardest parts of the language to understand.

In today’s episode, we’re going to explore idioms, euphemisms, and slang. These are three important (and sometimes confusing) types of everyday English. We’ll talk about what they mean, why native speakers use them, and whether you should spend time learning and using them yourself.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clearer idea of how these kinds of expressions work and how understanding them can help you sound more natural and follow native-level conversations more easily.

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/11/10/361-what-are-idioms-euphemisms-and-slang-and-should-you-learn-them-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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When people think of the United Kingdom, they often think of England. Maybe, on a rare occasion, they might also think of Scotland. But the United Kingdom is made up of four historic countries, including the proud nation of Wales.

Wales is a small country with a big identity. It has its own language, culture, and its own parliament. Yet many people around the world know surprisingly little about it.

In today’s episode, we’re going to explore what Wales really is. We’ll discuss its geography, history, language, and culture.

Along the way, I’ll try to emphasise what makes Wales unique within the United Kingdom and introduce you to some new and useful English vocabulary!

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TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/11/10/361-what-are-idioms-euphemisms-and-slang-and-should-you-learn-them-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠

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When you hear the word vampire, what comes to mind? Dracula? The Twilight books? Ancient castles in Transylvania?

What if I told you that vampire stories are much older, and much stranger, than you think?

In today’s Halloween special episode of Thinking in English, we’re going to explore the history of vampires. We’ll start with ancient superstitions and medieval fears, move on to the vampires of literature, and finally look at how vampires appear in modern culture.
Along the way, we’ll ask an important question: Why do humans invent blood-drinking monsters?

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand where vampire myths came from, why they terrified people for centuries, and you’ll have learned some new English vocabulary along the way!

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TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2025/10/27/history-of-vampires-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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When you imagine the city Rome, what comes to mind?

Maybe the Colosseum, the Vatican, one of the largest empires in history, or delicious pasta? Rome isn’t just Italy’s capital; it’s also one of the most influential cities in human history.

In today’s Thinking in English episode, we are going to take a journey through time, from the mythical founding of the city by Romulus and Remus, through the Roman Republic and Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and finally to modern Rome. I’m not an expert on Italian history, but I loved researching this episode and I think this is such an interesting topic.

You’ll discover its myths, politics, art, and language, and of course learn plenty of useful English vocabulary along the way.

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In 1666, most of London was destroyed. Over 13,000 houses were burned, thousands of people were made homeless, and the entire city had to be rebuilt. The event I’m talking about is one of the most famous disasters in English history: the Great Fire of London.

Today, I want to tell you this story, but with a special focus. You’re going to learn about history, while also learning some English grammar.

The Great Fire is a perfect example of when we use the passive voice in real English. Disasters are often described with the passive because the actions are more important than the people who did them. We don’t always know who was responsible, and sometimes it doesn’t matter. What matters is what happened.

So in this episode, I’ll share the story of the Great Fire of London, and we’ll look together at how the passive voice is used. At the beginning I’ll guide you through a short grammar lesson to help you use the passive voice, and then you’ll hear plenty of natural examples while talking about the Great Fire of London!

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What actually is a podcast?

You probably think you know. You might think you are listening to one right now. But are you actually?

The definition of the word podcast has been changing over the past few years. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, especially with platforms like Spotify and YouTube changing how we listen and what podcast means.

Video podcasts, for example, are everywhere now (including Thinking in English) and some podcasts don’t even use the traditional RSS feed anymore. It made me wonder: What actually is a podcast?

In today’s episode, I want to explore this question from different angles. We’ll start with the etymology of the word of the word podcast, move on to the technology that made podcasts possible, look at the content that defines them, discuss how definitions are changing today, and finally, consider what the future might hold!

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Imagine learning to drive… joining classes, talking to driving instructors, and taking theory exams in a foreign language. That’s exactly what I just did. Two weeks ago, I passed my Japanese driving test!

It wasn’t easy. I went from knowing almost nothing about Japanese road signs, traffic rules, or driving terminology to passing both my provisional and main license written tests on the first try. I also completed over 60 hours of lessons, both online and in a car, all entirely in Japanese.

In this episode, I want to share what this experience taught me about language learning: how you can absorb hundreds of new words, understand complex grammar, and actually use all of it in real life… much faster than I ever thought possible.

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This is a podcast feed swap with the amazing English Learning for Curious Mind Podcast

Is there a global water crisis, and what happens when the world’s most popular YouTuber, MrBeast, builds 100 wells across Africa?

In this episode, we explore some of the reasons why billions of people around the world still don't have access to clean water, and look at what happens when a Western influencer becomes involved.

Show Notes

Check out English Learning for Curious Minds - https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts

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