Culips Everyday English Podcast

In this interesting episode, Andrew interviews his neighbour, Brian, an English teacher in South Korea and an aspiring artist. Tune in to this episode to hear Brian’s story and learn how to check out some of his amazing artwork. Fun facts Historically, the five main fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry. Performing arts consist of theatre and dance. Although art is not considered an essential subject in schools, it has been shown that students who study art are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Expressions included in the study guide * Buzz cut * Hall of fame * In short supply * Starving artist * Rolling in dough * To bounce around Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Image: Brian DePauli

Cathedrals, the Mediterranean Sea, beautiful architecture, spectacular food! Hear about Andrew’s amazing trip to Spain as he talks about it with Morag in this Simplified Speech episode. Fun facts Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous churches in the world. However, not everyone knows this, but it’s still unfinished! It’s set to be completed by 2026 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudi. Expressions included in the study guide * To chuckle * Smooth sailing * People watching * To be zonked * Props * To bring it Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Have you ever been in a situation where you were offered some food that you really hate, but you didn’t know how to politely decline it without offending the person? Well, then, look no further! In this Real Talk episode, Andrew and Suzanne provide you with some useful phrases for refusing that food you hate in the politest way possible. Bon appétit! Fun facts Why do so many children hate vegetables? Studies have concluded that children hate vegetables due to three common reasons: biology, bitterness, and food association. Children need a lot of energy in their daily life; therefore, they are much more inclined to eat fatty, sugary foods rather than high-fibre, low-calorie vegetables. Children also hate the slightly bitter taste of most vegetables. Finally, children associate fatty, sugary foods with fun, parties, and celebrations, but they associate vegetables with boring family dinners and chores. All of these facts combine to give children a very bad impression towards leafy greens! Expressions included in the study guide * Picky eater * I don’t care for [something] * Tiptoe around [something] * I’m not a fan of [something] * I wanna save room for [something] * A hawk * To have [something] in your back pocket Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo by Charles PH(Unsplash.com)

In this interesting episode, Andrew takes a trip around the globe to Finland. Grab a notepad and jot down some notes for your next trip to Helsinki! Listen carefully, you might come across a great idea for your next trip abroad. Fun facts Finland is the least densely populated country in the European Union; the average population density is only 16 people per km2! Finland also has a very dark winter; every year, several winter weeks pass without the sun ever rising. Nonetheless, despite the dark, cold winter, Finland was voted one of the happiest countries in the world. Expressions included in the study guide * To bear with * In transit * Venture out * To come across * Down [someone’s] alley * To cram [something] in Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo by Andrew Bates

Suzanne and Andrew teach you how to properly stress words that end with the suffix “-ion” in this Speak Easy episode. Fun facts Confused about how to spell words that end with “-ion”? Check out this helpful article from Oxford Dictionaries: Material included in the study guide * Transcript * Practice exercises * Bonus audio download Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Have you ever experienced culture shock while travelling abroad? How about reverse culture shock? In this episode, Andrew talks about some instances of reverses culture shock that he felt in Canada after living abroad in South Korea for a long time. Fun facts Reverse culture shock occurs when you return home after immersing yourself in a different culture for a long period of time. Symptoms include boredom, isolation, frustration, and loss of self-identity. Adjusting back to your routine at home can be extremely difficult. Reaching out to your friends and family before you return home can help lessen the effects of reverse culture shock. Expressions included in the study guide * To ramble on * To strike someone as [odd, strange, bizarre] * A bust * Out of luck * To stand out * To jive with [something] Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo by Ian Tormo on Unsplash

Internet slang can be very difficult to understand. In this Catch Word episode, Andrew quizzes his sister Heather on new internet slang. Do you know these terms? Fun facts The World Wide Web was invented by one person. His name is Tim Berners-Lee. One of the most important decisions he ever made was to make the World Wide Web free for everyone. Imagine that! Expressions included in the study guide * Living my best life * To glow up * Adulting * Woke * Millennial * Goals Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash

Everyone has a home country, but how proud are you of that country? In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Morag talk about patriotism and how people think about their home countries. Fun facts The New England Patriots is the most successful American football team in recent history. Is it possible that their name, the Patriots, has made them great? Expressions included in the study guide * Patriotism * Memorabilia * Universal health care * To brag * Wishy-washy * Full of yourself Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo: Jason Leung (Unsplash.com)

Winter is in full swing in Canada, and many people like to stay indoors where it is warm and cozy. What better way to spend time inside than by baking some delicious treats? In this episode, Andrew and Morag talk about their baking skills and even some baking disasters. Enjoy! Fun facts Bread baking began in Ancient Greece around 600 B.C. This was also the time that enclosed ovens were invented to bake the bread. Expressions included in the study guide * A craving * To cave in * The moral of the story * Vegan * To broil * A blessing in disguise * To crumble Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo: rawpixel (Unsplash.com)

Senior year of high school is a stressful time. It is a time when many students have to make a lot of big decisions and choose a path for their life, whether it be going to college, getting a job, or taking a gap year. Either way, one of the final challenges of high school is taking the high school exams, whose results will ultimately determine whether and where you can go to college. In this episode, Andrew and Jeremy discuss what it is like to take the exams in their, and other, countries. Fun facts The first modern intelligence test, the IQ test, was invented in 1904 by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. They were tasked with making an exam that would help educators distinguish children with mental deficiencies from children with normal or average intelligence. These tests later led to more sophisticated tests and to the variety of standardized tests that we use today. Expressions included in the study guide * To click * To write a test * To specialize in [something] * To choose a path * To come to light * Likely Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo: Ben Mullins (Unsplash.com)

What does it mean to troll someone? Trolling has become a big problem online. In this Catch Word episode, Andrew and Jeremy explore the words you can use when talking about online trolling. Fun facts In the United Kingdom, some people have been sent to prison for trolling. They were imprisoned for online harassment. Expressions included in the study guide * To troll * To flame * Avatar * First Nations * Invite * Toxic Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo: Jay Wennington (Unsplash.com)

Fruits and vegetables are essential to maintaining a healthy diet. And there are so many to choose from! In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Jeremy discuss their favourites. Fun facts The durian is a fruit native to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. Many people call it the “king of fruits” due to its size. It is also famous for its odour. In Singapore, for example, there are many signs banning the eating of durian in public places because of its strong smell. But it’s actually really good! Expressions included in the study guide * Significant blow * To troll * To bother * Genetic * Pickled * Love affair Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free Photo: by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

In this episode, Andrew and Suzanne answer a listener’s question about the pronunciation of “-less.” Fun facts The Culips team loves answering questions from listeners. If you have a question you’d like answered, send an email to contact@Culips.com. Material included in the study guide * Transcript * Practice exercises * Bonus audio downloads * To push to the limit Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Have you ever thought about buying a motorcycle and cruising through the neighbourhood at breakneck speeds? Then this is the topic for you! In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Morag talk all about these two-wheeled vehicles. Fun facts The very first motorcycle was invented by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany in 1885. The Dodge Tomahawk, the fastest motorcycle nowadays, can reach speeds over 550 kilometres per hour and accelerate from 0 to 96 kilometres per hour in less than 3 seconds! Expressions included in the study guide * General opinion * Exposed * Thinking seriously about [something] * To push to the limit * Flat out * Chunky * Wiped out Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Out with the old, in with the new; bye-bye 2018, hello 2019! In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew highlights the major events in his life in 2018 and looks ahead to 2019. Fun facts New Year’s resolutions have been around for a long time. The most common ones are to eat healthier and to do more exercise. With obesity on the rise in many Western and Asian countries, it looks like those resolutions will be around for a while. Expressions included in the study guide * Holy moly * To highlight * To conquer * Leaps and bounds * To fall off the wagon * To let the cat out of the bag Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free