ESL Pod Official - Speak English Fluently by Listening (with Text)
English as a Second Language Podcast (ESL Pod) helps learners master English by listening and reading along. The lessons are simple, clear, and easy to follow, breaking down everything as you listen. The podcast emphasizes comprehension as the key to fluency, making it effective for learners.
Episodes
ESLPodcast 55 - A Trip to the Library
I read in the local paper that a new public library had just opened two weeks ago in my neighborhood. I wanted to check it out. But first, I called the library to check the hours of operation. The librarian told me that they were open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 6 so I decided to see the new library for myself. I parked my car in the library parking lot and walked in. There were two library
ESLPodcast 54 - Talking to the Professor
[A knock on the door.] Jeff: Come in. Julie: Hi, Dr. McQuillan, I'm Julie Taylor. I'm in your 2 o'clock class on Thursdays. Jeff: Hi, Julie. Have a seat. What can I do for you? Julie: I wanted to come see you during your office hours because I missed class last week. I had a family emergency . Jeff: I'm sorry to hear that. We went over a lot of material so make sure you get the notes from another
ESLPodcast 53 - Understanding Men and Women
Lucy: Jeff, here's a question. I was just talking to Dawn. You know, they had their first wedding anniversary last week. Guess what her husband gave her as a present. Jeff: I don't know. What? Lucy: He gave her a vacuum cleaner . Jeff: Didn't she want a vacuum cleaner? Lucy: Yes, the old one was broken, but that's not the point! It was their wedding anniversary, their first one. Dawn was really up
ESLPodcast 52 - At the Art Exhibit
I really wanted to see the new exhibit at the art museum and invited Lucy to come along. We both like contemporary art and this was an exhibition for an artist that we've both liked, ever since she was an up and coming artist 10 years ago. This was a retrospective so there was going to be a lot of different types of work by the artist. There would be some of the artist's paintings, her early work.
ESLPodcast 51 - Staying In
It's Friday night and my roommate and I feel like staying in. We've both had a tough week at work and decided to have a low-key evening. On my way home, I stopped at the video rental store and rented a couple of movies. I got a new release and a classic. I thought I had left my membership card at home but found it at the last minute. I like going to my local rental store because it doesn't charge
ESLPodcast 50 - Cashing a Check
The local branch of my bank is located just a few blocks from where I live. It's very convenient, since it has four ATMs open 24/7. Today I had to go in to make a deposit, but since I wanted to cash a check as well, I needed to go inside to talk to a teller. Inside the bank, I got in line for the tellers. All the tellers are behind a large piece of bulletproof glass , so you have to speak up when
ESLPodcast 49 - Car Trouble
I was driving down the Santa Monica freeway yesterday, headed towards downtown, when all of a sudden I see my engine light come on. Needless to say, that's not the sort of thing one likes to see. So I immediately pull over to the side of the road and park on the shoulder . I pop the hood and look to see what the problem might be. I'm no mechanic. I barely know how to change the oil and the wiper f
ESLPodcast 48 - At the Movies
My friend Jim and I decided to see the latest blockbuster this weekend. I like a good action movie once in a while. We decided to meet at the movie theater after work. When I got the theater, I looked around and didn't see Jim. So, I thought I would get in line to buy tickets. There were two different lines so I asked a woman standing in the first one, "Is this the line for Mission Impossible 4?"
ESLPodcast 47 - A Trip to New York City
(The phone rings.) Lucy: Hello. Jeff: Hey Lucy, it's Jeff. Lucy: Hey, welcome back. How was your vacation? Jeff: Oh, it was great. The seven days in New York was a blast. Lucy: Oh, yeah? Did you do any sightseeing or just visit with friends? Jeff: I got to do both, actually. First, I saw my friend Edmundo who just moved there. He hadn't seen much of the city himself so we went to all the tourist s
ESLPodcast 45 - A Visit to the Doctor
Going to the doctor is never particularly pleasant for me. But I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time for my annual physical, and there was no getting around it. So I picked up the phone and called for an appointment. "I'd like to see Dr. Shimoya next week, please, if that's possible," I said. Of course, it wasn't possible. The doctor was booked until next month, the receptionist told me. "
ESLPodcast 44 - Making a Good Impression
My interview is today. It is with a marketing company. It is a large corporation with its headquarters in San Francisco, CA. It also has satellite offices across the U.S. and in Europe. I'm not sure if this would be the right fit for me, but I'm keeping an open mind. I got some sound advice from my aunt. She said that I should be confident but not cocky. That means I have to look for opportunities
ESLPodcast 43 - Getting an Interview
I've finally landed my first interview. Well, actually, that's not really true. I have been on many interviews for part-time jobs. This was my first interview for a full-time job. In less than two months, I will graduate from Arizona University. After a lot of back and forth trying to decide on a major, I finally decided to double major. I would study both political science and marketing. These ar
ESLPodcast 42 - Formal Emails
Dear Dr. Lee: I don't know if you'll remember me, but I introduced myself to you after your keynote at last week's conference. As I mentioned to you, I have read all of your journal papers and I am a great admirer of your research. Your article in the top journal Language Learning was groundbreaking. The reason I am contacting you is that I would like to come to your university to study with you.
ESLPodcast 41 - Tough Negotiations
I'm not what you would call the world's best negotiator, but sometimes it's necessary to engage in a tough negotiation. Take, for instance, the time I had to renew the lease on my apartment. This was back in college, when I was renting a small studio in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. When my lease was up , the landlord and I sat down to hammer out the terms of a new lease. "I'll tell you wh
ESLPodcast 40 - Homecoming
Fall is once again upon us, and that means that homecoming celebrations are just around the corner. Homecoming is an American tradition each September and October for high schools and colleges where they celebrate their school spirit with a football game and other celebrations. I remember the homecoming events when I was in school. First, there was the election of a homecoming king and queen. Each
ESLPodcast 39 - Reality T.V.
It's hard to watch TV these days without seeing reality shows. Some nights, it's hard to find a scripted drama to watch. There are so many different kinds of reality shows, too. The most popular one in the U.S. has been the "American Idol" show. This is a singing competition where amateurs try to impress the judges and the audience calls in to vote off a contestant each week. The last person left
ESLPodcast 38 - Food for the Barbecue
I moved into the new apartment last month and decided to invite a few friends over for a house-warming party. I didn't want to spend the day cooking, so I decided to have a barbeque. The food would be easy to prepare and I could cook it when my friends got here. But first, I had to go get a few things at the supermarket. I got to the store and got a cart. I started out in the meat department. It w
ESLPodcast 37 - Buying a Pet
My niece is turning 8 next week and I decided to buy her a new pet. She had been asking her parents for a pet for a long time. But, they were worried about taking care of a pet. I told them I would go to the pet store to see if I could find a pet that wouldn't be too much of a bother. I walked into a big pet store and looked around. I saw cages with dogs and cats. There were also bird cages with b
ESLPodcast 36 - Shopping at the Mall
I needed a new dress for a wedding I was attending next week so I went to the mall during my lunch hour. The mall had a big variety of stores, including two department stores so I was sure to find something that was just right. I found a space in the parking structure and entered the mall through the main entrance. This was right next to the food court. Okay, where to start? I headed to one of the
ESLPodcast 35 - Working Late at the Office
I was so glad it was Friday afternoon. I've been thinking--TGIF--all day. I was on my way out of the office when I saw Nick sitting at his desk. Even though the office was nearly empty, he didn't look like he was ready to leave. In fact, he looked like he was still swamped with work. Linda: Hi, Nick. You're here late. Nick: Yeah, it looks like this may be an all-nighter. I just got a project dumpe
ESLPodcast 34 - Cafe Living
One of my favorite hang-outs is a cafe near where I live called Bolivar in Santa Monica. It's only five minutes away, and its never too busy to find a table. Sometimes it can be bustling, but that's usually just in the morning during rush hour or at lunchtime. The owners are from Venezuela, and always have some cool music playing in the background. Yesterday, I decided to take my New York Times an
ESLPodcast 33 - Being Gifted
Would you want to have a special talent in something? Maybe as a musician or an athlete? I'm of two minds about this. Sometimes I watch TV or read about someone who has a special talent. This was true during the Olympics. Some of those athletes I saw were very talented. Whether it was playing soccer, running track, ice skating, or doing gymnastic routines, you could see how gifted they were and ho
ESLPodcast 32 - Going to the Post Office
For me, things never go very smoothly at my local post office. I've learned that if you want to mail a letter, you'll have no problems. But if things get more complicated than that, well, watch out! Yesterday I went there to mail a small package and to pick up a book of stamps. I waited my turn in line, and when I get up to the window, the clerk asks me, "What can I do for you?" "Well," I said, "I
ESLPodcast 31 - Reading the Newspaper
I fell into the habit of reading the newspaper every morning when I was a kid. Back then, there used to be two daily newspapers--morning edition and an afternoon edition. Nowadays, of course, many cities in the U.S. have just a morning paper. I'm not too picky about which newspaper I read, although when it comes to national newspapers, I prefer reading the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal
ESLPodcast 30 - Going to the Drugstore
I stopped by the drugstore last night on my way back home from work. I had a few toiletries to pick up, as well as my prescription. Fortunately, the chain pharmacy where I go has a little bit of everything: food, greeting cards, magazines--it's almost as big as a regular supermarket. To begin with, I needed to get some medications for my allergies. I've got hay fever, so I'm sneezing up a storm ev
ESLPodcast 29 - Unkind Comments
Yesterday, I was talking to an ex-colleague of mine who, quite frankly, has something of a big mouth. I bumped into him at the beach, where he was walking his dog. Anyway, as I was saying, he's the kind of guy that's always bad mouthing his co-workers. So he comes up to me and says, "Hey, Jeff. Long time, no see. What've you been up to?" "Ah, not much, " I said. "Well, guess who I saw yesterday? J
ESLPodcast 28 - Small Talk About the Weather
I admit that I'm not very good at small talk . When I'm with friends, I can just shoot the breeze all day long. But when I talk to a stranger or someone I don't know very well, I'm always casting about, searching for something to talk about. Politics and religion are definitely taboo subjects, at least here in the United States. But you have to chat about something, otherwise there are these uncom
ESLPodcast 27 - Good Advice
I came across some good advice while reading this week. If you're like me, you spend most of your time thinking about all of the things that are on your "to-do‚" list and you try to figure out how you're going to do them all. Or, sometimes, I think about things that have already happened. Maybe I messed up my presentation at work or had a fight with my boyfriend. People dwell on these kinds of thi
ESLPodcast 26 - Daily Errands
I've had a really busy day today. I rolled out of bed at around 7:00 AM, like every morning, and jumped in the shower. After brushing my teeth and shaving, I picked up my morning paper from the front sidewalk and started reading it. I like to eat breakfast when I read the paper, so I poured myself a bowl of cereal. At around 7:30, I went into my office and sat down to go over my to-do list. First,
ESLPodcast 25 - Problems at the Office
Lucy: Hey Jeff, can I pick your brain for a minute?Jeff: Sure, what's up? Lucy: Well, I have a sticky situation at work and I wanted to get your input. You're always so tactful .Jeff: Thanks. I'm not sure I can help but I'll give you my two cents.Lucy: Well, it's like this. There's this guy I work with who is always making jokes about the boss. Don't get me wrong. I like a good joke now and then,
ESLPodcast 024 - Driving on the Freeways
Driving in a big city like L.A. can be so stressful. It sometimes feels like I'm doing battle just to get to the grocery store, much less across town. What is it about getting behind the wheel that brings out people's aggressive side? The most mild-mannered mother of three turns into a race car driver when she gets on the road. In L.A., people rely on the freeway to commute to their jobs or just t
ESLPodcast 023 - Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is supposed to take place before summer, not after it. But, as usual, I procrastinated and now I have to finally get rid of all the junk I've accumulated over the year. But now there are no if's, and's, or but's about it--the cleaning must be done!I start in my bedroom. I have a king bed, with a sheet on the mattress and a top sheet, with pillow cases on the pillows. At top all tha
ESLPodcast 022 - Seeing Old Friends
This is turning out to be a month for seeing old friends. I got an email a couple of weeks ago from an old friend from graduate school. She and her family are visiting L.A. for a week. They plan to see family and to visit old friends. Since she moved out of the country, I hadn't seen her in ages. I'm looking forward to meeting her new kids and seeing her again. Another old friend called this week.
ESLPodcast 21 - Tell Me About Yourself
Well, I was born and raised in Minnesota, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to be exact. I won't say how long ago that was, but let's just say I'm no spring chicken. I grew up there with my rather large family of 8 brothers and 2 sisters. (I was the baby of the family, but I swear I wasn't spoiled!) We were 13 in all, probably the biggest family in the neighborhood, maybe in the state. I had a mostly happy
ESLPodcast 020 - Buying a New Computer
My computer has been acting up on me. It's a pretty old model, and I need to replace it. So I decided to call up my friend Kevin to ask for his two cents. Kevin is a computer whiz. He knows PC really well since he worked on them for years, but in his heart of hearts, he is a big Mac fan. So, I thought he would be good person to ask. I have always used a PC. I do mostly word processing so I don't n
ESLPod019 - Going Shopping
ESLPodcast 19 - Going Shopping Tags: ShoppingAudio Index: 15:33Believe it or not, I don't own an iPod. I know, I know. I'm really behind the times, but I have an excuse. I've been so busy at my work lately, I haven't had time to take a break. So finally yesterday I went shopping for an iPod down at the mall in Santa Monica. I walked into the Mac store there and was immediately greeted by a salespe
ESLPod018 - Getting Around (Fast)
ESLPodcast 18 - Getting Around (Fast) Tags: Daily Life , TransportationAudio Index: 15:34Getting around in the United States is sometimes not very easy. Most people own their own cars, but not everyone can foot the bill for the car, plus the insurance, gas, and maintenance. Most big cities have buses, but they are much slower than a car. Several cities in the U.S. have subway systems, but many do
ESLPod017 - Going to the Movies (Fast)
ESLPodcast 17 - Going to the Movies (Fast) Tags: EntertainmentAudio Index: 20:00I love watching movies. I like a lot of different genres. No matter what my mood is, I can always find something that fits the bill. When I'm feeling down, I sometimes like a good comedy. My favorite are romantic comedies. The plot is pretty simple. A boy meets a girl and there are road blocks to them getting together.
ESLPod016 - Summertime Vacations (Fast)
ESLPodcast 16 - Summertime Vacations (Fast) Tags: TravelAudio Index: 18:41I think the best summer vacation I've ever taken was when I went out East a few years ago. Two of my friends and I went on a two-week road trip. At the time, I was living in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the Midwest of the United States. Anyway, we started off camping every night, but that got real old, real fast. So we started ch
ESLPod015 - Going to a Concert II (Fast)
ESLPodcast 15 - Going to a Concert II (Fast)Tags: EntertainmentAudio Index: 14:52My friend Ben and I have been waiting a month to see our favorite band in concert. This was the night. We were so excited. In a small venue like the Whiskey, there wouldn't be a bad seat in the house.So, we get to the Whiskey really early to find street parking and snagged a spot about four blocks away. Then, we got i
ESLPod014 - Going to a Concert I (Fast)
ESLPodcast 14 - Going to a Concert I (Fast) Tags: EntertainmentAudio Index: 15:47I heard on the radio this morning that my favorite band was going to be in concert here next month. I was so excited. The first thing I did was to call my friend Ben who is also a big fan of the band. Not only was the band playing in town, they were going to play at a bar called the Whiskey. The Whiskey is known as a
ESLPod013 - Dining at a Restaurant II (Fast)
ESLPodcast 13 - Dining at a Restaurant II (Fast)Tags: DiningAudio Index: 14:52I love coming to this Italian restaurant. The appetizers and desserts are to die for. When the waiter came to our table to take our order, my friend ordered a lobster ravioli dish, and I ordered my favorite, lasagna. The waiter then asked us, "Would you like a soup or salad with that?" My friend said yes; I passed on bot
ESLPod012 - Dining at a Restaurant I (Fast)
ESLPodcast 12 - Dining at a Restaurant I (Fast) Tags: DiningAudio Index: 12:13 Well, I love going out to restaurants to eat. One of the best experiences I've had recently was at a place here in Los Angeles called Il Fornaio. It's an Italian restaurant in a very nice part of Beverly Hills. I don't go there very often--I can't really afford it, but every once in a while I'll treat myself. The la
ESLPod011 - Expressing Emotions
InterviewIt would be great if I could always feel happy all the time, day in and day out. But sometimes I feel down. This is one of those days. Sometimes I get depressed if something disappointing happens—like if I interview for a job and I don't get it, or if I have to cancel my vacation after looking forward to it for a long time.Once in a while, I'll even feel down if I've read a very sad book
ESLPod010 - Asking Information Politely
Telephone ConversationGood morning, Roth and Company. Good morning. I'm trying to reach Michael Dobson. I'm sorry, Mr. Dobson is not in the office. Would you know if he will be in today? I'm afraid I don't know Mr. Dobson's schedule. Oh, I see. Well... I wonder if I could leave a message for him. Sure. I can take a message. Please let him know that Susan Kale called, and would you please ask him t
ESLPod009 - Asking for Favor
There have been several times in my work where I had to ask permission or for a favor that was somewhat difficult. And so I wanted to ask very nicely, very politely.One time I went into my boss's office and asked if I could have some vacation time near one of the big holidays. So I went to her and I said: Excuse me, Ms. Chang, may I ask you a question? And she said: Sure, go ahead. Well, I said: I
ESLPod008 - Writing an Email to a Friend
Personal Email Hi, Julia. I'm sitting here in front of the computer in our apartment writing this email to you. It feels so weird not to have you here. You were my roommate for four years after all. I really miss having my best friend here. But enough with feeling sorry for myself.I am so happy to hear that you're getting settled in New York City. I'm trying to imagine what it's like for you—first
ESLPod007 - Food and Cooking
Mary's Response I love to eat, but I don't like to cook—not at all. I probably don't like to cook because I'm really bad at it. When I was growing up, my mother did all of the cooking in our house. But I never did learn how to cook any dishes at all. And so when I went to college and I moved into my own apartment, I had to learn how to cook a little bit. Usually what I made were very simple instan
ESLPod006 - Bad Dreams
I do have nightmares sometimes. I do have bad dreams. A lot of my bad dreams are things like I'm being chased by someone and I can't get away from them, or I'm hiding from them. Some other of my bad dreams involve not being able to get home. I'm trying to get home and there are a lot of different obstacles that I have to get past before I get home. And I usually wake up before I get there. So I fi
ESLPod005 - Favorite Place to Live
Today we're going to talk about favorite places to live. I'm going to talk a few minutes, and then we'll go back and listen for some particular vocabulary. Let's get started, shall we?Well, I would say that my favorite place to live is in a big city. I've lived in a medium-sized city, a city of about 500,000 people. And now I live in a city—Los Angeles—of three and a half, four million people. It'
ESLPod004 - Bad Habits
Well, my worst habit that I have ever had is probably smoking. I don't smoke anymore, but when I graduated from college, I went abroad to study in Mexico. And almost everyone around me was a smoker. So it was very difficult for me not to smoke. And I just decided after a couple of months to give in and to start smoking myself. I smoked for probably about two or three years, and then I decided to q
ESLPod003 - Interview with Lucy
If you asked me which I like better, the suburbs or the city, I would definitely say the city. I'm a little biased, though. I have only lived in a city, in a medium-sized city and in large cities. I was born in a very large city. Then I grew up in another city, and now I live in what some people think may be a very exciting city—perhaps the best city in the world—and that's Los Angeles.I like livi
ESLPod002 - Family Members
My name is Jeff McQuillan, and let's get started.Today we're going to talk about family and family members, and in doing so, we're going to go over some idioms and expressions related to expressing likes and dislikes. We focus on two questions today: What family member are you most like, and what family member are you least like?Well, my family member that I think I have the most similarity to or
ESL Podcast 1 - Introduction
ESL Podcast 1 - Introduction Welcome to our first English as a Second Language Podcast! In this podcast, we are going to introduce you to the format of the podcast, as well as the people who record it. ESLPodcast is designed especially for people who are intermediate or advanced speakers of English, but want to improve their listening and speaking skills. We plan on providing a new podcast
Recommended
11 O'Clock Comics Podcast
123 GO! Food
1-2-3 Learn Spanish with Me!
128 Civics Questions for U.S. Citizenship Test
12 Hour Sound Machines for Sleep (no loops or fades)
#12minconvos
12 Minute Meditation
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson, Book Summary, Podcast, English
1440 Explores
1490 Doom - Lore Series Podcast
15 MINS OF FAME
15 Minute Mysteries: The Deep Dive
