Shows / Canguro English
Canguro English
Canguro English presents a podcast about language for people learning languages.
Episodes
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 17/10/19 | Speak English without fear
Today's daily digest explains why you are afraid of speaking English, and having conversations, and how you can overcome your fear and use your English in…
Canguro EnglishLanguage and the brain (with Ev Fedorenko)
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to cognitive neuroscientist Ev Fedorenko. She is head of EvLab, her own language lab at MIT, and their mission is to…
Canguro English9/10/19 | The advantages of speaking bad English
Today's daily digest shows why having a low level of English, and a foreign accent, and only knowing a few key concepts, are all advantages when you first…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 07/10/19 | Language is universal
Today's daily digest shows what Hindustani music, cave drawings, and Japanese psychology can teach us about linguistic universals, learning a language from…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 19/9/19 | Language and sexism
Today's daily digest talks about gendered languages, sexism, culture, and some common myths and misconceptions about the effect that language has on the way we…
Canguro EnglishInput vs output in language learning (with Adele Goldberg)
In the world of linguistics, there are very few people with a resume as impressive as Adele Goldberg. She has had a major influence on the way we understand…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 17/9/19 | Does language affect the way you think?
Today's daily digest shows how your brain is only interested in content, not language, and why it's so important to have something to say. It also shows how…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 16/9/19 | An alien language with no verbs
Today's daily digest is a philosophical journey into the meaning of language, what it means to be human, how we could understand and speak alien languages, how…
Canguro EnglishPractice and immersion (with Josh Hartshorne)
I always talk about how important patience is when you’re learning a language, because it’s really hard, and it takes a really long time, and recently I spoke…
Canguro EnglishThe truth about non-native English teachers (with Marek Kiczkowiak)
In the world of English language learning and teaching there is an obsession with the native speaker. Recently I spoke to someone who explains exactly why that…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 30/8/19 | Learn with a flying penis
Today's daily digest shows how you can learn and especially teach language not with grammar and textbooks, but with ideas, concepts, discussion, and deep…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 29/8/19 | How to test your fluency
Today's daily digest is all about fluency. What is fluency? How can you test your fluency? How can you get fluency? You might be surprised at the answers to…
Canguro EnglishThe shape of language (with Peter Gärdenfors)
Unfortunately, most people view language as grammar, and rules, and concrete concepts. But we need to think about language differently. In this interview I…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 26/8/19 | Native language interference
Today's daily digest shows how things are hidden in language, and how your hidden native language structures interfere with your ability to be like a native…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 23/8/19 | The TRUTH about language
Today's daily digest starts with a joke about politicians and then explains how they make us believe lies, what it tells us about the way our brains work, and…
Canguro EnglishThe myth of the native speaker (with David Crystal)
In this interview I talk to David Crystal: a legend in the world of the English language. He is a linguist, lecturer, and broadcaster, and he has written or…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 20/8/19 | Understand native speakers easily
Today's daily digest shows the magic of eye contact and how a trick from the internet might help you to understand native speakers quickly and easily.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 16/8/19 | Why do native speakers talk so fast?
Today's daily digest explains why people from some languages appear to speak faster than others, and why syllables are not the same as information.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 15/8/19 | How to remember vocabulary
Today's daily digest talks about the science of vocabulary learning and why you are more likely to remember magicians and dogs, than newspapers and belts.
Canguro EnglishHow to teach English (with Scott Thornbury)
Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Scott Thornbury, a giant in the world of English language teaching. He is a teacher, teacher trainer, award-winning…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 13/8/19 | Get patience to learn English
Today's daily digest talks about the real meaning of patience, where patience comes from, how to get patience, and why you need it if you want to get fluent in…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 9/8/19 | How to get motivated to learn English
Today's daily digest talks about how motivation is a quality, not a quantity, and the important effect that can have on your language learning.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 8/8/19 | Language is a tool
Today's daily digest starts with a joke about an Englishman and then explains why language is as deeply human as food, water, and shelter.
Canguro EnglishHow polyglots learn languages (with Steve Kaufmann)
In this interview I speak to Steve Kaufmann, a well-known polyglot who at the age of 73 has learnt 20 different languages. We talk about language learning…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 6/8/19 | Why you should learn English
Today's daily digest tells the story of a prison debate team and what it shows us about the power of education to change lives, and why it should motivate you…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 5/8/19 | More pronunciation practice
Today's daily digest continues with a joke about janitors and some pronunciation practice activities for Russian and Greek speakers.
Canguro EnglishFree education (with Mihalis from Language Transfer)
In the world of language teaching there are people who teach, and then there are others who go beyond simply teaching, and into real learning, and today I am…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 2/8/19 | Pronunciation practice activities
Today's daily digest moves from pronunciation theory to practice. I am going to show you how Arabic, German, and Spanish speakers can improve their English…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 1/8/19 | Babies and accents
Today's daily digest show the amazing accent abilities of 11-month-old babies, and what that tells us about the difference between accent and pronunciation.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 31/7/19 | Meatballs and pronunciation
Today's daily digest explains why most people practice pronunciation in the wrong way, how our human instruments are not perfect, and how Spanish meatballs and…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 30/7/19 | How to pronounce English
Today's daily digest shows what Thai and Arabic can teach us about the English alphabet, and why consonants are the only things that matter in pronunciation.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 29/7/19 | How do you feel lettuce?
Today's daily digest shows how some strange science involving gasoline, hydrogen, and lettuce might explain why we learn some words better than others.
Canguro EnglishLanguage and computing (with Steven Piantadosi)
In this interview I speak to Steven Piantadosi, assistant professor of the computation and language lab at UC Berkeley. We talk about language acquisition, how…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 25/7/19 | Subtitles or no subtitles?
Today's daily digest answers the question of whether you should watch English films and series with subtitles or no subtitles. And the answer might surprise…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 24/7/19 | How do I learn English?
Today's daily digest answers a question that I get asked every day: "How do I learn English?". The answer involves elephants, bees, and children playing with…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 23/7/19 | Illusions and language learning
Today's daily digest explains what audio and video illusions can tell us about how our brains work, and the best way to prepare ourselves for fluent English…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 22/7/19 | A photographic memory for English
Today's daily digest talks about why I seem to contradict myself, how children remember everything they hear, and what it tells about how adults might learn a…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 19/7/19 | Learn English by doing nothing
Today's daily digest talks about what sign language can tell us about spoken language: why children are more successful at learning than adults, and how we can…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 18/7/19 | Your name controls your life
Today's daily digest talks about how sound symbolism can work in two directions, why you should change your name to pass that English exam, and how to describe…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 17/7/19 | How to write better in English
Today's daily digest talks about how to learn how to write in English, and why you really have no excuses in 2019. You can become my patron here…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 16/7/19 | Adults learn languages better than children
Today's daily digest is about a group of rich and irritating Greek philosophers, and why children DO NOT learn languages better than adults.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 15/7/19 - In defense of non-native English
Today's daily digest talks about the myth of beautiful and ugly language, and why the critics are wrong about non-native English.
Canguro EnglishLanguage and communication (with Daniel Everett)
In this interview I talk to one of the most important and influential people working in the field of language today about the origins of language, language…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 12/7/19 - Left and right
Today's daily digest talks about how superstition and bad science has led to hundreds of years of social and linguistic consequences for left-handed people.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 11/7/19 - Winking and blinking
Today's daily digest talks about having one eye closed, what it means in various cultures, and what it tells us about non-verbal communication.
Canguro EnglishEnglish is a global language (with Jennifer Jenkins)
In this interview I talk with professor Jennifer Jenkins, the Chair of Global Englishes at the University of Southampton and the creator of ELF (English as a…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 10/7/19 - Banks and bunks
Today's daily digest talks about my upcoming interview with Scott Thornbury, and also the relationship between benches, money, and myths. You can become my…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 9/7/19 - Mondegreens and eggcorns
Today’s daily digest shows how words are formed by accidents, and the relationship between being full, and vegetables. You can become my patron here…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 8/7/19 - Old vs new
Today’s daily digest is about how far we've advanced in 80 years, except with language learning and teaching. You can become my patron here…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 5/7/19 - Hunting and hearing
Today’s daily digest starts with a mother-in-law joke, moves to an old English word which has become a fossil, and then explains why we need to stop studying…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 4/7/19 - Crushed rocks and gestures
Today’s daily digest goes back to the future, to incorporate various things that we have learned over the past few episodes. You will discover how adjectives…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 3/7/19 - Soldiers and teeth
Today’s daily digest story starts with a joke about a soldier, then moves to teeth, and finally to why we can’t change our accents.
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 2/7/19 - Peaches and sour grapes
Today’s daily digest is about fruits, what they tell us about how we see the world, how we form adjectives, and where words come from. You can become my patron…
Canguro EnglishDaily Digest 1/7/19 - Pigs and Babies
Today’s daily digest is about pigs, chaos, repetition, and the importance of talking to children, especially if you’re poor. You can become my patron here…
Canguro EnglishEpisode 9: The Pregnant Fireman
In this episode I am going to be talking about euphemisms, bears, and the magical power of language. See you in class!
Canguro EnglishEpisode 8: It's ALIVE!!!
In this episode I'm going to be talking about language change, why we should learn to love it instead of hate it, and why language is exactly like…
Canguro EnglishEpisode 7: Thirty Million Words
In this episode I’m going to reveal the secret to fluency that is too good to be true, and show you how you can control the future, only by talking. See you in…
Canguro EnglishEpisode 6: Chinese Restaurants and Frank Sinatra
In this episode I talk about a fascinating language paradox, how it predicts the future of the English language, and how it explains why the music of Frank…
Canguro EnglishEpisode 5: Birds and Babies
In this episode I talk about HOW we learn to speak a language, and the incredible importance of the similarities between birds and babies. See you in class!
Canguro EnglishEpisode 4: Fifty Words For Snow
In this episode I talk about words. What exactly are they? How do they represent ideas? Can they change the way we think? And you will finally discover the…