I have to be honest, I do need a vacation. Wait, what? Did you notice that? I said, I do need a vacation. Do, need. Two verbs one after another. Do we need to talk about this!  Are you tired of using very and really for emphasis? For today’s podcast English lesson, I’m going to help you  take your English up to the next level, by using do and other verb patterns to express emphasis.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website...

I hope you don’t mind if I bend your ear a little bit today. This past week, I’ve been up to my ears in new ideas for English lessons, and today’s podcast English lesson is going to be something that I hope won’t go in one ear and out the other.  Ears! Today, we’re going to look at six idioms that have to do with how you listen to something.   Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:...

In the last podcast episode, I showed you some idioms using the verb get. Well after that I was thinking and just the word get, all by itself has more that 10 different meanings and uses. Let's check it out! Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com

I first got my feet wet in the podcast world in 2014. In those days, everything was new to me, and it took a while for me to get my act together. Thankfully, I got my ducks in a row, and nowadays, I actually need to get my fix of doing this. As you can see, get is an interesting word in English because there are tons of idioms that use this versatile verb. For today’s English lesson we’re gonna look at things you can get - seven get idioms. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:...

Would you like to learn something interesting today? I knew you would say yes! It would seem that you're pretty interested in improving your English. Well, I would love to help.  According to the dictionary, would is the past tense of will, which is the future, but talking about the future in the past is just one part of today’s podcast English lesson, where we’re gonna look at ten different ways we use would, in everyday English. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:...

It’s the end of August, and you know what that means, right? It’s back to school season here in the US. The school schedule, and education in general is handled by each state, but basically the school year starts around the beginning of September. Today, let’s check out some back to school idioms. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

One of the things that I like about being self-employed is that I’m in the driver’s seat. Being independent like that and not having a boss is one of the driving forces behind my motivation to do this job. In the driver’s seat, the driving force. For today’s podcast English lesson, we’re going to talk about something that plays a huge role in the daily lives of Americans: Driving. Let’s take a look at the importance of driving in American culture and the unique tradition of road trips. After...

Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast English lesson. Did you know that this podcast was started in 2014? On top of that, My company, Happy English was established in 2010. Those to facts have been presented to you using the passive voice, and that’s the focus of our lesson today.   For this podcast English lesson, let’s look at what the passive voice is, how to form it, and when to use it. We’ll also go over some examples to help you understand this concept better.  Join my Podcast...

They say that New York City is a melting pot, and if you’ve been here before, you certainly know how true that is. As you walk down the streets and avenues here, you can see people from all over the world, hear many different languages, and even smell a wonderful tapestry of international foods. This is all thanks to immigration.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

I've been working all month long to bring you variety of podcasts to learn English and American culture. All along, I had an idea that these would be helpful and all in all, I think I was right. Thanks a lot for being all ears when it comes to my lessons.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Today we’re going to look at the topic of job culture in America. I’ll show you how these concepts shape the daily lives of American workers, and then we’ll go over some useful vocabulary words that will help you talk about work culture in your own conversations.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

I started my own company, Happy English in 2010, but it wasn’t until several years later that it dawned on me that both of my grandfathers were also entrepreneurs. As immigrants, their families came to America seeking the prosperity and upward mobility that came along with the American dream. I think that’s where I get my ambition and perseverance.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

I was off work yesterday, so I decided to go off the grid and spend a quiet day at a little park which is totally off the beaten path. Well, I was way off the mark because as soon as I sat down, there were tons of mosquitoes flying around.  In this podcast English lesson, I’m going to show you 8 phrases that use be off.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Right off the bat, I want to let you know that I’m not exactly a big sports fan. I hope my saying that wasn’t a curveball, but maybe for some of you, that came out of left field. Well, today we’re gonna talk about baseball, and I really hope I can hit a home run with this lesson.  By the end of this podcast, you'll know how to use five American idioms that come from baseball. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website:...

The other day we looked at the iconic hot dog, and how can we not discuss fast food without mentioning the hamburger, a staple of American cuisine. This totally customizable food is a crowd pleaser everywhere.  The iconic hamburger has become a symbol of American cuisine all over the states and around the world. With its juicy beef patty and a wide variety of toppings, the hamburger is a staple at backyard barbecues, fast-food joints, and diners across the United States. Join my Podcast...

The other day, someone asked me what’s a classic American food. The beloved hotdog is the first thing that comes to mind. Whether you get one from a street vendor with mustard, or grill one at home with your favorite toppings, the hot dog is the quintessential American food.   In episode 734, we looked at summers in the USA. And if there is one food that reminds me of summer it’s a hot dog. Hot dogs go with summer like peanut butter goes with jelly. And I think it’s safe to say that the hot...

Do you like to have fun in the sun? Would you rather take a road trip, or laze around the house? Maybe you’re one of those people who likes to hit the beach and soak up the sun.  Today we're gonna dive into a fun and vibrant topic: Summertime in the USA! In this English lesson podcast, I’m gonna show you some common words and phrases  that you can use to talk about summer activities in English. These words will help you describe how people enjoy their leisure time and make the most of the...

I told my coworker Bob that there was a new pizza shop down the street and he said that since the internet was down now, he was down with going there. He was a little down because the boss was down on his idea to change the website, and I figured going out would cheer him up. After all, pizza is a happy food, isn’t it!  As you’ve probably noticed in your study of phrasal verbs, one phrasal verb can have a number of different uses and meanings. Be down is no exception and today, we are going...

There’s nothing better than a summer barbecue. You can pig out on burgers and hot dogs, even make a total pig of your self and everyone there is as happy as a pig in mud. One of my friends asked me when I was going to stop eating meat. When? Well, when pigs fly, that’s when!  In the last few episodes of the Happy English podcast, I talked about hot and heat idioms. After all, it is the middle of the summer now. And summer brings us to barbecues and picnics - two kinds of events where you can...

I wasn't really sure what I was going to talk about here on the podcast but then, I decided to do this. This lesson is going to be nothing but expressions using, but. And, but for a short conversation it's just going to be me doing the talking, as you know, I am but your humble English teacher. I couldn’t do anything this morning but think about how to teach you these five ways to use but. In fact, I couldn't come up with anything but the following conversation. Join my Podcast Learner's...

Last week, I took the heat for an English lesson with hot idioms. But trust me when I say that when the heat is on, I’m ready for it. I may even catch heat for this lesson...who knows!   It was close to the 40 degree mark this past week in New York and all of that heat inspired me to help you with these heat idioms. There are 8 of them all together, so let’s dive in. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website:...

I know that this may be a hot potato but have you been in the hot seat recently? Or perhaps you have been hot under the collar because some hot head got you all hot and bothered.  trust me I'm not full of hot air when I say this.  I love helping you learn idioms because they make your English conversation sound much more natural and interesting.  for today's English lesson we're going to look at six idioms that contain the word hot.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:...

When I found out that the company picnic was off, I drove off from the park and went to the library to study. Since I was off today, I thought I could make good use of my time. Plus, I was a little off yesterday and couldn't focus on studying. Off is one of those interesting words in English that has a number of meanings and uses, just like what I mentioned at the beginning of this episode. So don’t turn this off, because today I’m going to show you 7 ways we use off.  Join my Podcast...

I went through a rough time when I had to go through with a speech last week. Of course, before I went on stage, I went through a couple of cups of coffee while going through the notes for the speech. That’s a lot to go through! Have you ever gone through a tunnel with your car? Or maybe a train you were on went through a tunnel. Well, when you go through a tunnel, you start at one end come out the other end. It’s a process of moving from one point to the other. Think about that as you listen...

I am gonna go to the store in order to buy milk. I am gonna go to the store to buy milk. I am gonna go to the store and  buy milk. I am gonna go and buy milk. I’m gonna go buy milk.  Go is a pretty basic verb in English, and I guess because it’s so basic, there are a lot of different phrases with go and different ways to use go. Today let’s look at some of the common ones.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my...