In this episode, we’re slowing down to look into the quiet theatre of daily life: the commute.
What begins as a simple ride to work becomes a moment of inward-looking and introspection as we lay out the odd, silent intimacy of sharing space with strangers.
From fluorescent-lit train carriages to the grey underground tunnels lines, we talk about how the mundane can sometimes hide unexpected beauty — in glances, habits, and the imagined lives of those around us.
I share the thoughts that run through my mind on my own ride — the characters I’ve come up with, the quiet empathy I feel, and the thought that behind every unread book or tired gaze is a life as full as my own.
If you've ever found yourself people-watching on the bus, wondering what someone’s going home to, or feeling oddly connected to someone you’ve never spoken to… this episode is for you.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
Vocabulary: Travel & Transport, Describing Boredom & Repetition, Observing Human Behaviour, Work & Daily Life, Speculation & Imagination
Grammar: Participle Clauses (to reduce sentence length and add a flowing, lyrical rhythm), Advanced Use of Past Modals (to add emotional nuance, uncertainty, and reflective speculation for poetic storytelling)

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🤯 Too difficult?
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The beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James
The intermediate version on Slow English with James.

In today’s episode, we’re looking into one of the more complex feelings we can feel as human beings - bittersweetness.
I’ll show you how this feeling mixes joy and sadness, using the metaphor of taste to help make sense of it all, just as the word itself does.
We’ll look at moments of personal change and the emotional weight that comes with saying goodbye to people and places we love, even when we’re excited for what’s next.
From leaving my hometown to watching close friends go their own way, I’ll share how these experiences shaped me, and why they’re both painful and beautiful at the same time.
If you’ve ever found yourself looking back on a memory that stings and warms your heart at once, this episode is for you.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
Vocabulary: Everyday spoken expressions / idioms, Emotions & feelings, Thinking & decisions, Travel & lifestyle change, People & relationships
Grammar: Inversion for Emphasis (“Only then did I realise that…” instead of “I only realised then that..”), Using Past Perfect for Narratives to describe events that happened before another past event (“I had already seen my friends leave when I made my decision to leave myself.”)

✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode:
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💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊
Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish
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🤯 Too difficult?
Don’t worry. Listen to:
The beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James
The intermediate version on Slow English with James.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into a true British classic—fish and chips.
I’ll share my thoughts on why this humble dish holds such a special place in British culture, not as a delicacy, but as pure comfort food.
We’ll explore its working-class roots, the best ways to eat it, and how my own relationship with it has changed over the years.
From childhood memories at the seaside to rainy-day chip shop visits, this episode is all about nostalgia, tradition, and the simple joys of food.
If you’ve ever wondered what makes fish and chips so special to us Brits, this episode is for you.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
Vocabulary: Speaking & Expressing Opinions, Food & Eating, Texture & Sensory Experience, Pricing & Value, People & Culture
Grammar: Relative clauses – adding natural detail and explanation (e.g. "Fish and chips, which is a staple in the UK, is often eaten with salt and vinegar."), Past habits with 'would' and 'used to' (e.g. "We used to get fish and chips after football."), Causative form ('have/get something done', ‘make something happen’)

✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode:
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Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-8-fish-and-chips

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🤯 Too difficult?
Don’t worry. Listen to:
The beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James
The intermediate version on Slow English with James.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into moments of reflection and the strange way the past can collide with the present.
I’ll share a story about reconnecting with students I taught five years ago and how that encounter made me stop and think about how much has changed—and how much has stayed the same.
We’ll explore themes of growth, nostalgia, and the idea of meeting your past self.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about the person you used to be and how they’d see the life you’re living now, this episode is for you.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
Vocabulary: Phrasal verbs, Feelings, Senses, & Perceptions, Memory & Time, Personality & Behaviour
Grammar: Fronting (moving key info to the start), Cleft sentences for emphasis, Narrative tenses: past perfect (describing what happened before another past event)

✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode:
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🤯 Too difficult?
Don’t worry. Listen to:
The beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James
The intermediate version on Slow English with James.

Today’s episode is all about happiness - what it truly means, where we find it, and whether it’s something we can ever fully hold onto.
We’ll get into the topic of money versus experiences, the balance between personal achievements and shared moments, and whether chasing happiness as a final goal is a mistake.
I’ll also share my own thoughts on what brings me happiness, from purpose and self-care to life’s little joys - like a warm cup of tea on a stormy day or the smell of fresh bread from a bakery.
If you’ve ever wondered what happiness really is, or if you’ve questioned whether it’s something we should chase at all, this episode is for you..

🧠 What You’ll Learn:
Vocabulary: Abstract Concepts & Feelings, Money & Success, Wealth, Financial stability, and Personal Achievement, Time & Change, Social & Human Connection
Grammar: Relative Clauses, Passive Voice, Comparatives and Superlatives, Conditionals

✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode:
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💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊
Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish
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🤯 Too difficult?
Don’t worry. Listen to:
The beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James
The intermediate version on Slow English with James.

📅 Today’s Episode: Today’s episode is all about a winter adventure I went on last January in Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. I’ll take you through some surprises we faced, like roaming costs, a kind stranger who saved the day, and a nerve-wracking gondola ride through gale-force winds. I’ll also share my first attempt at snowboarding there, with plenty of falls, bruises, and laughs. If you’ve ever had an adventure that didn’t quite go to plan but still turned out amazing, you’ll definitely relate to this one.
🧠 What You’ll Learn: Vocabulary: Travel, transportation, winter, skiing, mountain activities Phrasal verbs and idioms
✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode: Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/everyday-english-120557421 Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-5-snowboarding-andorra
💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊 Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/JamesBradleyEnglish
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🤯 Too difficult? Don’t worry. Listen to the beginner’s version on Beginner’s English with James or the intermediate version on Slow English with James.

📅 Today’s Episode: Today I talk about music. Music has been a constant in my life, from my early days of flipping through record shop stacks to my current 3,000-song Spotify library. In this episode, we take a nostalgic trip through the growth of listening habits. From vinyl records and cassettes to CDs, MP3 players, and the world of streaming. We discover how the experience of finding, buying, and enjoying music has changed, and why albums, mixtapes, and playlists all have their place. I'll share my own music journey, the pros and cons of today’s streaming era, and why I think being more mindful with music can help us reconnect with the art.
🧠 What You’ll Learn: Vocabulary: Shopping, Music
✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode: Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/118779334 Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-4-listening-to-music
💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊 Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/JamesBradleyEnglish
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🤯 Too difficult? Don’t worry. Listen to Beginner’s English with James or Slow English with James.

📅 Today’s Episode: In today’s episode, I talk about a fear that’s been with me for as long as I can remember: flying. Living in Spain means I have to fly to visit my family in the UK, but every time I step onto a plane, the nerves creep back in. I share how this fear developed, how it affects me even now, and the ways I’ve learned to cope over the years. From looking up how planes work to finding little comforts (like an occasional “liquid courage” before takeoff). I also talk about the moments of beauty and calm I’ve found along the way, like breathtaking views above the clouds and the kindness of strangers that helped ease my fear. Whether you’re a nervous flyer or just curious about pushing through fears, this one’s for you.
🧠 What You’ll Learn: Vocabulary: Travel and transportation, feelings and emotions, mostly fear, actions and reactions, comparisons, phrasal verbs Grammar: Conditionals, Future Hypothetical, Modal Verbs
✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode: Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117719636 Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-3-fear-of-flying
💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊 Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/JamesBradleyEnglish
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🤯 Too difficult? Don’t worry. Listen to Beginner’s English with James or Slow English with James.

📅 Today’s Episode: Today, we dive into one of my favorite hobbies: photography, with a twist—urban exploration, or "urbex." I take you on a journey through abandoned buildings, forgotten factories, and eerie, derelict places that hold stories of the past. We talk about the thrill of finding and capturing hidden spots, the history behind these locations, and the unique art of urbex photography. Along the way, I share personal stories from my own adventures, tips for staying safe, and why these places are so fascinating. Have you ever explored an abandoned place?
🧠 What You’ll Learn: Vocabulary: Talking about places and objects, describing actions and movement, feelings and reactions to environments, hobbies, photography, urban exploration
✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode: Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116742053 Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-2-a-hobby-of-mine
💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊 Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/JamesBradleyEnglish
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🤯 Too difficult? Don’t worry. Listen to Beginner’s English with James or Slow English with James.

📅 Today’s Episode: In this episode, we talk about seasons and how they shape our lives, from what we wear to how we spend our days. I take you through all four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—and share some unique British traditions and phrases tied to each one. We chat about layering up in the freezing cold, enjoying barbecues in the summer sun, and watching the world transform during spring and autumn. Whether you’re dealing with “brass monkeys” in winter or “cracking t’flags” in summer, there’s something magical about every season.
🧠 What You’ll Learn: Vocabulary: Kinds of weather, adjectives to describe weather, feelings at certain temperatures
✨ Get the transcript (with highlighted vocabulary) and flashcard pack for this episode: Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116742053 Buy on Gumroad for €1: https://jamesbradleyenglish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-english-with-james-1-seasons
💡 Do you love my English lessons? Want to support my work? 😊 Buy me a cup of tea ☕ https://ko-fi.com/jamesbradleyenglish Join my Patreon for €3 a month: https://www.patreon.com/JamesBradleyEnglish
📲 Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @jamesbradleyenglish
🤯 Too difficult? Don’t worry. Listen to Beginner’s English with James or Slow English with James.