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Thinking in English

Thinking in English

Thomas Wilkinson 474 Episodes Jun 29, 2026

Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary. 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, expanding your knowledge and improving your language skills simultaneously.

Episodes

394. How to Become a Confident English Speaker (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 29, 2026 1766 What is confidence? What does a confident English speaker look like? And how can you become a confident speaker? This episode is going to try and answer some of these important questions. You might assume that someone with perfect grammar, a huge vocabulary, and a native-like accent will be a confident speaker. But that is not necessarily the case. Over the years, I've met English learners w
393. History of Football! (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 22, 2026 1952 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-minu
392. History of Warsaw (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 15, 2026 1650 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
391. Why Is the UAE Leaving OPEC? And What Is OPEC Anyway? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 8, 2026 1296 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,
390. What are the “New” Seven Wonders of the World? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Jun 1, 2026 1898 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 campai
389. What Was the First Book Ever Written? (English Vocabulary Lesson) May 25, 2026 1711 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 commun
388. Is the American Dream Dead? (English Vocabulary Lesson) May 18, 2026 1565 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
387. Why Are Some People Always Late? The Cultural Meaning of Time (English Vocabulary Lesson) May 11, 2026 1457 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
386. Who Was Leonardo Da Vinci? (English Vocabulary Lesson) May 4, 2026 1259 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 Renai
385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Apr 27, 2026 1345 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 we
384. The Scramble for Africa (English Vocabulary Lesson) Apr 20, 2026 1743 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
383. What Is Talent? And Do You Need It to Learn English? (English Vocabulary Lesson) Apr 13, 2026 1265 “I’m just not good at learning languages.” I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at English” or “He has a gift for languages.” These kinds of comments are incredibly common. Many people believe that success in language learning depends mostly on talent. Some people

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