English, baby! Daily Podcasts

In order to waste money, you have to choose to spend it on something foolish. Time, however, passes whether you’re doing something useful with it or not. Wasting time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can be fun. Everyone needs to relax sometimes, and as long as you don’t waste too much time too often, it can be good for you. If you space out for too long though, it can get you in trouble. You can get behind on your responsibilities. It can also make you tired and you can start to feel bad about yourself. In this English lesson about time, Sara notices that Jeff doesn’t appear to be too busy at the moment. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“They are adorable! He’s totally sweet on her!”- Singer Solange Knowles, on how her son feels about Blue, the one-year-old daughter of Solange’s sister, Beyonce. (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you love animals but not have a pet of your own? Maybe petsitting is the job for you! You can stay at someone’s house and take care of their cat, dog, bird, or whatever pet needs some attention. Depending on what kind of pet it is, and how high maintenance the owner is, petsitting can either be a lot of work or not much work at all. Cats might only need to be fed a few times a day, while dogs might need multiple walks. Either way, expect lots of calls from anxious owners, checking up on how their animal companion is doing. Find out about Mason and Greta’s experiences with petsitting in this pets English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Have you ever made a plan to do something, and then regretted it? Maybe you realized you’d rather do something else instead, or that you didn’t like the person you were supposed to have the plan with, or that you were just not into it anymore. It should be easy to cancel plans, but it’s not. The plan starts to feel like a trap. And you don’t know how you’re going to get out of it.The desire to get out of something can come up for any kind of commitment. It can simply be a coffee date with a friend, or it can be something as big as an engagement to be married. Either way, that suffocating feeling can come on, and you can spend hours trying to come up with the excuse that will let you off the hook.The blackout and the storm are making Amanda and Mason stressed out about their wedding and their relationship. Find out who wants to get out of the wedding in this wedding English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Who would have thought that the first video in the history of the Internet to be viewed more than a billion times would be a Korean pop star dancing as if he’s riding a horse? The title of the song “Gangnam Style,” by PSY, refers to a neighborhood in Seoul, but the hit is a global phenomenon. The song reached #1 in 30 countries. Everyone from other famous pop stars to President Obama has imitated the video’s signature move on camera. Despite being one of the biggest hits of all time, there are still people who haven’t heard “Gangnam Style.” Learn English in this music English lesson, and listen to Sara and Greta discuss the most popular video in the world. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s strange to think about how every person you know was once a baby. Some animals have offspring that are born walking. But human babies are so helpless. They seem very different from adult humans. Babies are very cute, but also loud and always a handful. Some people these days live lives that don’t have a lot of babies in them. If you live in a city and mostly hang out with adults who don’t have children, you might not see babies very often. If you don’t have a lot practice, it can be hard to know what to do and how to act when you meet a baby. In this English lesson, find out how Jason and Vanessa feel about babies. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

The movie industry is in trouble these days. With online movie-viewing and illegal downloading on the rise, it’s not a surprise that the movie business is trying to figure out a way to keep people coming in to the theater. One strategy they’ve been pushing hard over the last few years is 3D. But have they been pushing it too hard? Sure, 3D effects are cool for certain movies with cool effects, like Avatar or Coraline. But do we really need 3D versions of dramas, like Titanic, or family movies, like The Smurfs? Hear what Jason and Mason think in this movies English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What’s your idea of a dream vacation? Is it a week at a five-star hotel, with expensive sheets and lots of room service? Or is it a week in the woods, sleeping outside and cooking your meals over a fire? If you chose the second option, chances are you’re into roughing it.Rough is the opposite of smooth. Rough means bumpy, or coarse. Rough also means not easy. Choosing to rough it means deciding against modern conveniences or luxuries. It means going back to nature, or to an older way of doing things, even if it might be more difficult.Since everyone is stuck at the office without beds or food, it looks like it’s going to be a night of roughing it. And some people, it turns out, enjoy roughing it more than others. Find out who prefers luxury in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Teachers are some of the most important people in our lives. A good teacher can get you excited about a topic you never liked before, or help you develop habits you never forget. At some point in your life, a teacher shaped who you are. It can be hard to be a good teacher and be liked at the same time. Teachers have to maintain order in their classroom and push their students to work hard. Teachers who can do this and somehow make it fun are likely to be someone’s favorite teacher. No matter how much you like a teacher though, eventually you finish their class and move on. Sara has a special teacher from years ago who she still thinks about often. Learn education English in this English lesson as Sara tells Mason about her favorite teacher. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

There’s a saying in English, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” You say it when your friends do something that isn’t very friendly. We like to think of friends as people who support us and want us to do well. But not all friends are like that. Some friends are actually frenemies. A frenemy is a slang term for someone who is supposed to be your friend, but always tries to cut you down. Why do we keep these people in our lives? Listen to Vanessa tell Jason about a frenemy of hers in this English lesson about friendship. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“[My sons] think my fame is funny…They take it with a grain of salt!” - Pop singer Rick Springfield on his sons’ feelings about having a famous dad. (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s a time of the month that no one looks forward to: bill-paying time! Between all the utilities, including electricity, heat, cell phone, land line, cable, Internet, and more, all those bills can sure add up! Our modern world means not only more bills, it also means more ways of paying bills. You can write a check, pay online, or even pay with your phone. Some people prefer the old school method of paper and pen, while others prefer to do everything as virtually as possible. Learn how Vanessa and Jason prefer to deal with bills in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

If you don’t have all the information about something, it can feel like you’re in the dark. Your eyes are open, but you just can’t see. If someone gives you some helpful information, you can say they shed some light on the situation. When someone sheds light on something, they reveal something about it or help you see it more clearly. For instance, during a trial, new evidence can shed some light on the case and help everyone discover the truth. Jeff was having a conversation with Greta when suddenly the lights went out because of a big storm outside. Learn English and find out if Jeff stays in the dark in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

When terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden was killed by the US Navy last year, a lot of people said, “Wow, that would make a great action movie.” Well, now it is one. Zero Dark Thirty follows the story of the manhunt and what lead up to the raid, and then depicts Navy SEALs sneaking into Bin Laden’s compound via helicopter. The film is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Academy Award for her last military film, The Hurt Locker. There has been a lot of controversy around Zero Dark Thirty. The movie is very realistic. The US government provided the filmmakers with a lot of information while they were doing research. Some believe the film shows things that should still be classified. Others have criticized the film for showing torture. They say it implies that torture is an acceptable way to get information from enemies. Learn military English and find out what Jason and Vanessa think in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s time to go to sleep. Do you reach for the light switch, or reach for your book? Many people find that reading before bed helps them calm down, relax, and get sleepy. Also, it can be hard to fit reading into our busy, modern lives, so bedtime can be a good opportunity to get some time with your book. Learn reading English and find out what Jason and Vanessa’s bedtime reading habits are in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com