Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary.

I believe that thinking is one of the most important steps on the road to fluency. That’s why each episode explores fascinating topics, from politics, economics, and history to philosophy, science, and culture.

Instead of simply learning English, this podcast helps you learn in English. You’ll expand your knowledge, discover new ideas, and improve your language skills, all at the same time.



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Thinking in English

The World Cup is currently underway in North America, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about football, or soccer depending on where you are from. And specifically, we are going to explore the history of the world’s most popular sport.

Most people probably think football has always looked more or less the same. Two teams with eleven players. Referees and clear rules. Ninety-minute matches.

But that is not true at all. If you travelled back a few hundred years and watched a football match in England, you might not even recognise it as football.

In this episode, we are going to explore the development of football.

I want to talk about medieval folk football, the British schools that helped create modern rules, and cities like Sheffield that played their own versions of the game. We’ll also look at why football and rugby developed separately, where the word “soccer” actually comes from, and how industrialisation transformed football into a global professional sport watched by billions of people.

By the end of this episode, I think you’ll see football very differently. And you will also have learned lots of new English vocabulary!



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/19/393-history-of-football-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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393. History of Football! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Today, we’re going to talk about Warsaw. Warsaw is the capital of Poland and one of Europe’s most resilient cities.

If you visit Warsaw today, you’ll find a modern and quickly developing European capital. There are skyscrapers, busy shopping streets, trendy cafés, and a growing economy. But history of city is dramatic and tragic.

In this episode, I am going to explore the fascinating history of Warsaw. We’ll look at its rise as Poland’s capital, periods of foreign occupation and division, the devastation of World War II, communist rebuilding, and the modern city we see today.

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



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/15/392-history-of-warsaw-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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392. History of Warsaw (English Vocabulary Lesson)

The United Arab Emirates has announced that it is leaving OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) after almost sixty years as a member. Why does this matter?

Well, oil is still one of the most important resources in the world. The price of oil affects how much we pay for petrol, the cost of transporting food, airline tickets, electricity, and much more. When oil prices rise, the economy is also affected.

OPEC is one of the most powerful organisations influencing oil prices. For decades, this group of oil-producing countries has worked together to control how much oil enters the global market. But now one of its main members is walking away.

In today’s episode, we’re going to think about a few important questions.

What is OPEC? Why is it often called an “oil cartel”? Why has the UAE decided to leave? And what could happen next?

And we’ll do all of this while learning come new vocabulary and practicing your English listening comprehension!



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/08/391-why-is-the-uae-leaving-opec-and-what-is-opec-anyway-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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391. Why Is the UAE Leaving OPEC? And What Is OPEC Anyway? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Thousands of years ago, Ancient Greek travellers created a list of the most extraordinary sights they encountered: the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

These included places like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Colossus of Rhodes. Today though, only one still survives: the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

So, in the early 2000s, a huge international campaign called the “New Seven Wonders of the World” aimed to create a modern list of wonders.

Some governments launched campaigns encouraging citizens to vote for their country’s monument. Critics argued that countries with larger populations had an unfair advantage. And UNESCO, the United Nations organisation responsible for protecting world heritage sites, was not involved in the project.

So today, I want to explore the story behind the New Seven Wonders of the World. What are they? Why were they chosen? And do they really deserve the title of “wonder”?

And we will do all of this while learning some new vocabulary and practicing your English listening comprehension.



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/01/390-what-are-the-new-seven-wonders-of-the-world-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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390. What are the “New” Seven Wonders of the World? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Humans have been speaking languages for tens of thousands of years. We told stories around fires, passed down myths from parents to children, and memorised important information about survival and history. But for a very long time, nobody could write anything down.

Then, at some point, humans invented writing.

Writing allowed people to record laws, preserve stories, collect knowledge, and communicate across generations. Eventually, writing gave us books.

Today, I want to explore the history of books, from ancient clay tablets in Mesopotamia to modern audiobooks and e-books on smartphones. We’ll look at the origins of writing, the oldest surviving texts, the first true “books,”  the world’s first novels, the printing revolution, the bestselling books in history, and finally… the future of reading itself.

And we will do all of this while learning some new vocabulary and practicing your English listening comprehension.

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/05/25/389-what-was-the-first-book-ever-written-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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389. What Was the First Book Ever Written? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

If you work hard, can you build yourself a better life?

For a long time, millions of people believed the answer in the USA was yes. The “American Dream” is the idea that anyone, no matter where they start in life, can achieve success through hard work and determination. You could own a home, have a stable job, raise a family, and earn more than your parents.

But today, many people in the US are questioning whether that dream still exists. Housing prices are rising. Student debt is growing. Many young people feel locked out of the middle class.

Some people argue the American Dream is dead. Hard work no longer guarantees success. Others disagree. They believe America still offers more opportunity than almost anywhere else in the world.

So, what exactly is the American Dream? Where did the idea come from? Why are people losing faith in it? And is it dead or changing?



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/05/18/388-is-the-american-dream-dead-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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388. Is the American Dream Dead? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

You are invited to a party. The invitation says the party starts at 20:00. What time will you arrive?



Your answer to this question has a lot to do with your culture. Some of you will have said 20:00 exactly, because that is when the part stats. Others will have said 19:45, because it is polite to be early. Others will have said 20:30… or 21:00… or later because it is awkward to arrive too early.



Your answer to my question is connected to how your culture understands time: the direction of time; the use time; punctuality; and more.



So today I want to look at the cultural meanings of time, highlight some common cultural misunderstandings that will be relevant for any of you living/studying/or working internationally, and do all of this while introducing new English vocabulary and practicing your English listening comprehension.





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387. Why Are Some People Always Late? The Cultural Meaning of Time (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds in history.

He painted some of the most famous works of art ever: the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and more. He was also a scientist, an engineer, an anatomist, and an inventor.

He is often described as the perfect example of a “Renaissance man.” A Renaissance man is someone who is skilled in many different areas, especially during the time of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a period of history when art, science, and learning were rapidly developing across Europe.

In today’s episode, we’re going to explore the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Who exactly was he? What were his greatest achievements? Can we really call him a scientist? And does his legacy still matter today, more than 500 years after his death?

And we’ll do this while practicing our English listening comprehension and learning some new vocabulary!



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/05/04/386-who-was-leonardo-da-vinci-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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386. Who Was Leonardo Da Vinci? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?”

As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of migrant workers who helped build the stadiums. There were some calls for fans, players, or countries to refuse to take part.

But despite all of that, the World Cup still went ahead. Millions of people watched, and Argentina beat France in the final.

Now, four years later, I want to ask the same question again… Should we boycott the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the biggest World Cup in history, as there are more teams, more matches, and more fans than ever before.

But once again, there have been some people asking for a boycott. This time the boycott is connected to politics, immigration, and questions about safety and freedom for fans travelling to the United States.

Should we boycott the 2026 World Cup? And maybe even more importantly… do boycotts actually work?

Let’s think about these questions while practicing our English listening comprehension and practicing our vocabulary!



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/15/384-the-scramble-for-africa-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

In the 1870s, about ten percent of Africa had been colonised by European countries. But over the next few decades, over ninety percent of the continent was taken, occupied, divided, and partitioned by governments far away in places like London, Berlin, and Paris.

We call this period in history the “Scramble for Africa.” In a remarkably short period of time, countries like Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium claimed vast territories for themselves without any input from African people.

By 1914, only a handful of places remained independent, while most of Africa was ruled as colonies.

How did this happen so quickly? And what were the consequences of dividing an entire continent in this way? These are the questions we’ll explore in today’s episode of Thinking in English!



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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/27/the-scramble-for-africa-english-vocabulary-lesson/



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