Luke's ENGLISH Podcast – Learn British English with Luke Thompson

In 2009 I did a solo travelling experience around Vietnam, and I wrote a diary while I was there. In this episode, over 16 years later, I read out the diary, follow my descriptions of each part of my trip, explore how I was feeling at that time of my life, go off on some comedy and English teaching tangents, and take a journey into the past, across a very different country.

Get the episode transcript PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vietnam-Travelling-Diary-992-Transcript.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/08/vietnam-travelling-diary-992/

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A bonus mid-week episode previewing the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. I'll be talking about all the teams, the favourites, the underdogs, the wild cards, the dark horse teams, England's chances, plus various issues and controversies both on and off the pitch. Comments are welcome! This is a bonus episode, and you will get another normal episode (no football) on Monday.

Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/BONUS-FIFA-WORLD-CUP-2026-PREVIEW-MEGARAMBLE.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/04/bonus-fifa-world-cup-2026-preview-megaramble/

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[991] A conversation with English teacher / comedian / cake maker Kate Billington, talking about her academic qualifications, cutting edge subtitling technology for theatres, questions of teaching English including teaching in Taiwan vs in France, Kate's tips for language learning, a cat-village in Taiwan, traffic madness, earthquakes, signage in train stations, using flashcard apps to learn English, testing Kate's Chinese by making her translate jokes, and drinking coffee in Taipei! Just that! Check out P81 a premium episode with vocabulary review for this conversation.

Get the PDF transcript https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Coffee-Cats-Conversation_-900-Days-in-Taiwan-with-Kate-Billington-991.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/06/01/coffee-cats-conversation-kate-billingtons-900-day-streak-in-taiwan-991/

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Kate Billington on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cakey_comedy/

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An epic rambling episode packed with British humour, listener emails, anecdotes, English teaching, thoughts about AI, parenting, podcasting, language learning, YouTube comments, animals listening to LEP, British communication styles, and much more.

Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RAMBLEMAN_-Into-the-Ramble-zone-990_compressed.pdf

Episode page on my website https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/25/rambleman-into-the-ramble-zone-990/

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This is a long-form English listening experience designed to help you improve your English naturally through extensive listening. I explain vocabulary, break down expressions, tell stories & jokes, react to listener comments, and reflect on recent episodes featuring Amber, Paul, James, Charlie Baxter, my parents, my daughter, and more.

In this episode:

Why some people complain about Luke’s long intros

The truth about “rambling” and learning English through listening

British expressions like “shoot the breeze”, “chew the fat” and “talk the hind legs off a donkey”

Funny listener stories and emails

British indirectness and politeness

AI, YouTube algorithms and the future of content

Parenting, children asking “why?”, and a Louis CK routine

Wild boar in Fontainebleau

Funny dad jokes and Comedy Corner

Luke’s thoughts on recent episodes and the future of the podcast

Vocabulary explanations including “bothered” vs “disturbed”

Why long podcasts can help your English

This episode is ideal for:

Intermediate to advanced English learners

Fans of British English and British humour

Learners looking for long English listening practice

Anyone who enjoys relaxing podcasts, storytelling and rambling discussions

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In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, I chat with my 8-year-old daughter as we answer a series of absurd questions, including funny Would You Rather...? questions, imaginative What if...?questions, food questions, science questions, superpowers, animals, fairy tales and more.

This is a natural, funny and heart-warming English conversation full of real spoken English, perfect for English learners who want to improve their listening skills, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency.

Get the PDF transcript for this episode

Use the transcript to check words, follow the conversation and study vocabulary from the episode.

https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Crazy-Questions-with-my-daughter-989-Questions-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Website page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/18/crazy-questions-with-my-daughter-989/

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[988] In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, Luke and James discuss artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, the AI bubble, generative AI, AGI, automation, job displacement, tech startups, Silicon Valley culture, deep fakes, AI hallucinations, cryptocurrency, Blade Runner, and the future of work. This is a long-form British English conversation designed to help learners improve listening comprehension, vocabulary and fluency while exploring the hype, risks and promises surrounding AI technology.

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/11/is-the-ai-bubble-bursting-technology-discussion-with-james-988/

PDF transcript and vocabulary glossary https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Is-the-AI-Bubble-Bursting_-Technology-Discussion-with-James-988-Transcript.pdf

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Are the massive predictions about AI and the future real, or just hype? Why does the tech industry push frightening narratives about AI and its effects on society? Will tech companies ever make a profit from the huge $$$ investments they have made in AI? How are ordinary people reacting to AI at the moment? How useful is it for Luke in his job? Do people really like or want what is produced by AI? Will AI ever reach super-intelligence? Is Harrison Ford actually a robot in the film Blade Runner? What disgusting thing did James eat for breakfast today? All these questions answered and discussed in rambling style by The Low Tech Bros - James and Luke. PDF transcript available with vocabulary glossary.

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[987] British English listening practice at a natural speed with surprising facts and lots of humour. Pod-pals Amber & Paul join me for an outlandish and outrageous "true or false" quiz . Can Amber and Paul decide if these facts are true, or just total bulls#*t (or maybe that should be b*llocks?) The episode is long, the English is fast, but the jokes come regularly and I promise that you will learn something new.

Warning: some topics are a bit disgusting, graphic or explicit and not for the kids.

Includes talk of satanic cats ‍, animal accents , unsexy corn flakes , wolverine toads , blood-shooting lizards, suicide sex-bees , British tank tea ?, astro pee , urine mouthwash , ancient dogs , 23-hour dinosaurs and a lot more. Listen all the way to the end as things get incredible in the 2nd half. Transcript available. 

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/05/04/insane-facts-true-or-false-with-amber-paul-987/

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Another short story on LEP to entertain you and help you learn some more English words and expressions. This one is a creepy tale about a room in a house with a strange, fatal attraction. People can't stop themselves going through the door, but then what happens to them? Follow along with me and try to understand the final, crucial line at the end. I will explain everything, analyse the vocabulary line by line and teach you plenty of useful English phrases. PDF available as usual!

Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Bad-Room-Learn-English-with-a-Short-Story-986.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/27/the-bad-room-learn-english-with-a-short-story-986/

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A funny British English conversation about food, cooking & eating habits, with my friend Martin. Why is British food a bit of a joke? Do French people have the right to criticise British cuisine? What is marmite, and why don't Brits just throw it away? What did Luke eat for lunch every single day during secondary school? And, who would be Luke's dream dinner party guests? All that and more, in a conversation full of tangents, recipes, rants and apologies, and a nice range of vocabulary expressions to spot. Enjoy! PDF Transcript available.

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Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/10-Questions-about-Food-with-Martin-985-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

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[984] English listening practice in the form of an authentic conversation about ghosts and the paranormal. Returning guest Anna Brooke returns to talk about her latest book "Death by Chocolate" which is inspired by various spooky and unexplained experiences she has had recently, including a suspected haunting of her apartment, poltergeist activity, cold and creepy atmospheres, sightings of spirits and more strange encounters. Anna describes these experiences and we have a discussion about the paranormal. A premium episode with vocabulary review is available for premium subscribers. PDF transcript also available.

Get the PDF transcript https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Paranormal-Experiences-with-Anna-Brooke-984-Episode-Transcript.pdf

Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/04/13/paranormal-experiences-with-anna-brooke-984/

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"Death by Chocolate" available now https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/books/death-by-chocolate/

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