American English Podcast

After seven years of being glued to my kids, I finally packed a bag and took a trip on my own. In this Chat with Shana episode, I take you back to my backpacking days in Europe: hostels, grocery store picnics, and one very loud night in Amsterdam. Then I tell you about my recent trip to Ireland and Tenerife, where I stepped way out of my comfort zone.

Along the way, you’ll learn 10 common American English expressions about travel, including:

✈️ to have itchy feet🐛 to get the travel bug💸 to be on a tight budget🏰 a tourist trap🌍 off the beaten path

Plus a bonus expression you’ll hear Americans use all the time: “not my cup of tea.”

You’ll also hear some news: I’m going to start showing up more on YouTube, on camera! Follow along here: https://www.youtube.com/@americanenglishpodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show and leave a rating wherever you listen. It really helps other English learners find the podcast!

🎁 Free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠14-Day English Slang and Expression Challenge

📚 Want to go deeper? Inside the AEP Academy, this episode comes with an interactive transcript, vocabulary flashcards, a listening quiz, a Speaking & Writing Challenge, and a live speaking session. Learn more about the Academy.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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📖 Need help following along? Read the transcript + vocabulary explanations while you listen!

In this episode, we're diving into the dark and mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most famous writers in the U.S.

First, I'll introduce you to Gothic literature, a genre known for its eerie settings, suspense, and supernatural elements. We'll explore what makes Poe's storytelling unique and why his stories are still widely read in American high schools today.

Then, you'll listen to the original, unabridged version of The Tell-Tale Heart, a short story about a narrator who insists he's perfectly sane—even as he describes a horrifying crime.

After the story, I'll break down the plot in simpler English and explore its deeper themes, including guilt, paranoia, and the power of the human mind.

This episode is especially suited for high-intermediate and advanced English learners who want to challenge their listening comprehension, expand their vocabulary, and experience a classic of American literature.

In this episode, you'll:

Learn what Gothic literature is and what makes Edgar Allan Poe's writing distinctive.

Listen to The Tell-Tale Heart in its original English.

Discover useful vocabulary, including acute, in vain, foul play, and dismember.

Explore the story's psychological themes and possible interpretations.

🎧 Read the transcript

⭐ Learn more about the Academy
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We live in a day and age that is driven by science and technology, yet people are still superstitious. According to a study I read by YouGov, 9% of Americans claim to be superstitious, while another 35% admit to not being very superstitious, but somewhat. That makes over 40% of individuals in the United States somewhat superstitious.

So what does it mean to be superstitious?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, it is to have beliefs that are not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but are connected with old ideas about magic. Many times, superstitious people believe in irrational, unproven signs of good and bad luck.

In today’s episode, we’re going to go through 13 common superstitions in the United States and their origins. By the end of this audio lesson, you’ll walk away with more knowledge about American culture and some new vocabulary and phrases. I’ll teach those as we go along.

Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck!

Want to take your learning further?

⭐ ⁠⁠Visit the website⁠⁠ for more learning materials. You’ll also find the Academy there, where you can access bonus content for this episode (formerly “The Classroom”).

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Have you ever noticed how many of your best stories begin with, “The first time I…”?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend Elise to talk all about firsts—first jobs, first driving experiences, first adventures, and those moments when you try something completely new and have no idea what to expect.

Elise has had a particularly interesting path. She went to culinary school in France, worked in restaurants, moved to Hawaii to work on a coffee farm, and picked up plenty of funny and memorable stories along the way. We’ll talk about everything from her first paycheck and failing her first driving test to swimming in the Pacific Ocean and the moment she first realized, “Oh… this is what it feels like to be an adult.”

This episode is also a great opportunity to practice talking about your own first experiences in English, and to naturally use the past perfect to describe what you had or hadn’t done before those moments.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Elise and thinking back on some of your own memorable firsts!

⭐ Check out Elise's business: The French Needle

⭐ Start improving your English today! Learn more about the Academy.

⭐ Take part in our Free 14-Day English Slang and Expression Challenge.
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➡️ Start improving your English today! Learn more about the Academy.

What’s on your bucket list? ✨

In this episode, I sit down with my mom, Mara, to talk about some of the things she’d still love to do, see, and experience in her lifetime.

We talk about her dream of spending a month somewhere in Europe, living in a fisherman’s shack in Cornwall, building tiny houses near a lake, visiting the places her ancestors came from, taking another big family vacation, and even writing a children’s book someday.

Along the way, we also talk about something I think is really important: our dreams can change.

This conversation is full of useful everyday English, including expressions like:

go with the flowto wing somethingfrom scratchhave something under your beltbe on board

It’s also a great episode for practicing conditionals and talking about dreams and hypothetical situations.

For example:

Where would you go if you could live anywhere for a month?

What would you do if money were no object?

What would you put on your bucket list?

As you listen, think about your own answers. What are three things you genuinely hope to do someday?

And more importantly, what would it take to make them happen?

Want to take your learning further?

⭐ Join us inside the American English Academy, where we’ll be talking about our own dreams, goals, and bucket lists this month.
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