English, baby! Daily Podcasts

“I keep saying to her, I don’t need my phone blowing up at 4am to alert me to the fact that you’re having your second cup of coffee.” - Actor Will Arnett on his mom discovering texting. (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

It’s almost hard to think of a food that isn’t good when wrapped in flaky dough and baked. There are all sorts of pies that are good for all sorts of occasions. In the US, apple pie is the most famous. There’s even an expression about it. If something is very American, you can say it’s “as American as apple pie.” For instance, “Baseball is as American as apple pie.” But you can put almost any kind of fruit in pies. Peaches and berries make great pies. There’s also pecan pie, and even pies with meat in them, like chicken pot pie! Learn food English and find out what kind of pies Jason and Vanessa enjoy in this food English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

The TV is on, the lights are shining, the refrigerator is humming, the radio is playing-and then, suddenly, everything goes dark. And silent. There’s been a blackout! Blackouts occur when the electricity stops working for some reason. They can last an hour, or a day, or more.There’s also another kind of blackout. This kind happens when you get hit really hard in the head. Or maybe when you take too many painkillers, or drink too much alcohol. A sort of mental blackout happens, and, the next day, you can’t remember a whole part of your night. Jeff is still worried that he might have something to do with Marni’s pregnancy. In this English lesson video, we learn the meaning of the English idiom “blackout,” and find out what happens when Jeff asks Greta Vanderlake for advice. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Recently, a man in a small town near New York shot and killed 20 young children and six adults at a school. That same day, a man in China stabbed many students at a school. These events are very hard to understand. Many people who were not directly affected by the violence still feel hurt and scared. Schools are supposed to be safe. How could someone do this? Attacks like these are hard to prevent, and people disagree about what should be done now. Find out how Jason and Vanessa have coped with the violence in this English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

If you’ve ever seen American money, you know Abraham Lincoln. His face is on the penny and the five dollar bill. Lincoln was President during the American Civil War in the 1860s. Without his leadership, the US would likely have split into two countries. He is also the President who ended slavery. With his very tall, thin body and beard, Lincoln is a legendary figure who any actor would have a hard time portraying. But in a new movie called Lincoln, Daniel Day Lewis becomes one of the greatest Americans to ever live. Listen to Mason and Jeff discuss Lincoln in this movie English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I always said that if I was going to go back to music, I would do country. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.” - Actress Hayden Panettiere on singing country music. (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Mustaches, beards, goatees, soul-patches. There are many options for men who want to sport some facial hair. Facial hair has become so trendy that there are even contests to see who can grow the best mustache or longest beard.Not every man wants to go the hairy-face route, though. Some men find beards itchy. Others don’t like worrying about getting food caught in their mustache. But it’s not as if shaving’s all that great either. Find out Mason and Jeff’s thoughts on facial hair in this fashion English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Let’s say one of your friends is about to do something that you think is really stupid. Or maybe it’s just something that you don’t agree with. How can you get your friend to change his or her mind? You can try to use force. You can yell at your friend. But often, the best way to convince someone of something is to simply use words. You can try to talk someone out of something.For example, if your friend is about to go skydiving and you think it seems dangerous, you might say, “Is there any way I can talk you out of it?” Or, if your friend can tell that you disapprove, she might say to you, “There is no way you will talk me out of skydiving!” Basically, you are saying you want to convince her not to go, and she is saying that you will not be able to convince her.Outside the office, the storm is getting worse. Mason’s got big plans for the weekend, and he’s nervous. In this English lesson video, we learn the meaning of the English idiom “talk someone out of something,” and find out what what Mason’s big plans are. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Three…two…one…meh. New Year’s Eve is supposed to be lots of fun. It’s the biggest party night of the year. Everyone gets dressed up and goes someplace special to count down to midnight. The problem is, the expectations are so high for New Year’s Eve, that it’s easy to be disappointed. What if you’re stuck in traffic at midnight? That’s no way to start a new year. Or what if you didn’t get invited to any parties? In this New Year’s Eve English lesson, Jason is excited for the holiday, but Vanessa is preparing for the worst. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

One of the most popular musicals of all time is coming to the big screen. A brand new adaptation of Les Miserables, the classic tale of love, justice, and the French Revolution, will be in theaters soon. Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, the musical has all the elements of a romantic epic.The thing about musicals, though, is that some people love them, and some people really hate them. Those who love them love the melodrama and the fantasy. Those who hate them usually hate them for the same reasons. Learn what Marni and Greta think in this movies English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Is that some blood on the roller rink floor? If so, chances are that the rink was recently the site of a roller derby competition. Roller derby is a sport that has been around for a while, but has become especially popular in the last decade. Two teams compete to pass each other as they skate around a rink, and if someone gets in one of the player’s way? Down she goes.That’s right, she. In the US, at least, roller derby has become particularly popular among women. Maybe it’s because women don’t typically have the opportunity to put on helmets and act competitive and tough. Or maybe it’s just because it’s fun! Hear what Mason and Greta think about roller derby in this sports English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

In the United States, many people decorate their houses for the Christmas holiday. They get a Christmas tree, and put ornaments on the tree. They might put a wreath on the door, or put up some lights outside. The decorations reflect the festive feeling of the holiday season. When a couple comes from two different religions, it can be hard to come up with a solution for holiday decorating. Hear how Mason and Greta have dealt with this issue in this holiday English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Thanks to the Internet, anyone can hear music from anywhere at any time now. But for most people, there is a certain kind of music that reminds them of home. It’s often the traditional music of their parents and grandparents. Traditional music is usually folk music, played by common people on acoustic instruments without amplification for many, many years. Some types of traditional music are also well-known art forms now, such as Spain’s Flamenco. To sing or listen to the songs of your ancestors can make you feel all sorts of things. Listen to Mason and Vanessa talk about the traditional music of their cultures. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What does the date December 21, 2012, mean to you? If all you can come up with is that it’s the winter solstice, or that it’s four days before Christmas, then you’ve been out of the loop. This is the date when the calendar used by the Mayans, an ancient Central American people, ends. And that’s got some people convinced that it’s also the end of time.So what that means is that lots of people are freaking out. They’re convinced that an apocalypse is coming. Zombies, superstorm, who knows what form the catastrophe will take? For all the believers, there are plenty of skeptics, too. Find out whether Marni and Greta believe in this English lesson about the apocalypse. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I did my time and I respect the law.” - Actress Lindsay Lohan on what she learned in jail. (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com