English Fluency Now Podcast

In this episode I talk about the typical expenses that are included in a household budget: a mortgage, property taxes, utilities and insurance. Beyond these fixed expenses, you will have to spend money on groceries, health insurance, car insurance, entertainment, education, exercise and more. Listen to this episode to learn how to talk about this topic in English and learn what some of the average expenses are here in the United States. If you want to get the Lesson Guide, go to the website www.englishfluencynow.com and go to the products page. Also on the website, you will find other types of free lessons on the blog and my speaking course "Success with Stories". If you like the podcast, please give me a 5-star review on iTunes, so that other people can find out about this podcast. Thanks a bunch! Take care, Lisa

Reading easy chapter books is a great way to improve your understanding of everyday English and help you learn more about the American culture. In this episode, I introduce you to the international bestselling series from American author Barbara Park - Junie B. Jones. Junie B. is a feisty 5-year-old who will crack you up with her unique perception of and commentary on everyday life events: going to school, having a new baby brother, dealing with classmates and the many wonderful experiences that children live. Listen to the episode to learn how reading easy chapter series such as Junie B. Jones will help you improve your English in a fun and entertaining way. To purchase the Lesson Guide, with the complete transcript, comprehension questions and much more, go to my website www.englishfluencynow.com 

In this episode, I talk about three books that I've read recently related to the idea of neuroplasticity. You will learn lots of new vocabulary words related to the brain, improving intelligence and overcoming learning disabilities. You will also learn about brain games: what they are and why you might want to play them. To get the Lesson Guide for this episode, with the complete transcript and additional learning materials, go to my website www.englishfluencynow.com - If you like this podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes and share it with your friends. This helps more people find it and use it to help them improve their English. Thank you! The books that I talk about in this episode are: Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power by Dan Hurley; The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norma Doidge, MD; and The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: How I Left My Learning Disabiilty Behind and Other Stories of Cognitive Transformation by Barbara

Talking about your day is a very common thing you need to be able to do in English. Why? Because people ask you all the time things like: What did you do today? What did you do this weekend? What did you have for dinner last night? When do you go to work? Being able to speak with ease and confidence about your daily routine is a great skill. In this episode, I help you learn how to use some of the most common phrasal verbs that are used to describe the actions you do all day long. As you listen to me describe one of my typical days, you will learn how to talk about the things you do throughout the day, in the morning, at work, in the afternoon, and in the evening. If you want to learn more about this topic and be able to read along with the entire transcript, get the Lesson Guide on my website at www.englishfluencynow.com. If you like my podcasts, it'd be great if you could leave me a 5-star review on iTunes and elsewhere, as that helps other English learners find this podcast and use it to improve their Engl

A lot of people think that world-class peformers have special genes, that they are just born with talent, but recent research proves that this isn't true. Certainly some people are born with interests or they develop a passion for something as they grow, such as a passion for music, sports or academics, but in order to become a world-class musician, athlete or scientist, you must put in a lot of time and practice. In fact, you need to put in something called deliberate practice over many, many years. In this episode, you will learn more about this as I talk about Geoff Colvin's book "Talent is Overrated". Once you hear this podcast, you won't be able to complain that you don't have the language gene or the music gene or the sports gene; you will know what it takes to become an expert in anything. If you like this podcast, please leave me a positive review on iTunes. Also, you can get the Lesson Guide on the website at www.englishfluencynow.com -- Thanks and enjoy!

In this episode, I tell you about the importance of working with a coach to achieve success. Successful business people, athletes, scientists, authors and actors all use coaches and mentors to help guide them to success. To achieve high levels of fluency in English, it is beneficial to work with an English coach (tutor, mentor or teacher). However, finding the right coach is just the first step. There are many things that you, as the student/client must do to make sure you use your time (and money) wisely to get the most out of your time with your coach. In this episode, you will learn specific things you must do to work successfully with an English coach. I wish you success in reaching your English fluency goals. To get the Lesson Guide that goes along with this episode, go to the website www.englishfluencynow.com. 

In this episode, I tell you about my recent trip from Seattle (SEATAC) to Oakland (OAK) by plane. By listening to my story, you will learn a lot of useful vocabulary related to traveling by plane, plus you will understand the grammar more intuitively (if you pay attention). You will hear how I use a lot of different phrasal verbs while telling the story. As always, you can get the Lesson Guide for this episode online at the website at www.englishfluencynow.com if you would like to read along with the transcript. Listening is really important for improving your English fluency and listening to EFN podcast episodes is a great way to prepare for English exams, such as IELTS and TOEFL. If you like this podcast, please leave a 5-star review for me on iTunes - this helps the rankings, which helps more people find it. I also appreciate active participation, so make sure you comment on the blog page or on the Facebook page for English Fluency Now. Using your English in a real way is the best way to get you motivated

In this episode, I talk about "The Rosie Project", the best-selling novel from Australian author Graeme Simsion. I think the book would be a great read for advanced English learners and I highly recommend it. It's the story of Don, a socially awkward, 39-year-old professor of genetics and search for love. He is on a mission to find a wife - the Wife Project - and though he doesn't exactly get what he was hoping for, he does have a lot of fun discovering what true love is. Rosie, the unlikely recipient of his confused affections, is a barmaid and Ph.D. student who he gets involved with while using his skills as a geneticist to help her find her biological father - The Father Project. The book deals with the themes of being different (Don shows signs of having Asperger's Syndrome), human relationships and emotions, and the diversity of the human experience. I hope you enjoy this little synopsis of the book and that you have a look at it for yourself. If you do end up reading it, let me know what you think by wr

A New Year is here and it is a time to make New Year's Resolutions and set some goals for yourself, or is it? Is this a truly effective way to get things done? Is it even necessary? In this episode, I discuss the pros and cons of setting goals. I discuss how goals can help motivate you to get a desired result and discuss Matt Stone's book "Goals Suck: Why the Obsessions with Goal-Setting is a Flawed Approach to Productivity and Life in General". Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself whether or not you will be setting goals for the new year. I hope you enjoy the podcast and find it useful. The Lesson Guide is available at www.englishfluencynow.com. 

Everybody is always trying to figure out what the best way to do something is, and learning a language is no exception. In this episode, I review 10 suggestions that were given by mulitlingual experts in a recent discussion on language learning, reported on in The Guardian. You will hear what these experienced language learners and teachers have to say about language learning, in general, and what I have to add to their suggestions, especially for ESL students. As you know, I believe in comprehensible input and a lot of listening and reading in order to improve your English skills. I hope you enjoy the podcast and find it useful. The Lesson Guide is available at www.englishfluencynow.com. 

Topic: Renting an Apartment. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. You can also donate on the website. Thanks!

Topic: Privacy & Edward Snowden. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. You can also donate on the website. Thanks!

Topic: Preparing for a Job Interview. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. You can also donate on the website. Thanks!

Topic: What is a MOOC?. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: Cultural Differences. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: U-Pick Farms. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: World Domination Summit. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: World Cup 2014. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Topic: Entrepreneurs. This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English. Lesson Guides are available at www.englishfluencynow.com If you find this podcast helpful, and you'd like to help more people find it, please take a minute to give me a positive review on iTunes. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!