How to study English as a busy person | The English Podcast

Welcome to the English podcast, a podcast designed to make English a part of your life.

My name is Evie from the YouTube channel English with Evie. And it's great to have you here today for podcast episode

one.

Podcast episode one. Um, we're making this podcast today because in my opinion

podcasts are one of the best ways to improve your English, especially if you are a busy person, if you are an adult

or a busy student. I swear listening to podcasts is going to improve your English so much. I will explain a little

bit of my reasoning later. So, the

reason why I think this later on, but I first thought that maybe I could introduce myself. Maybe this is your

introduce myself. Maybe this is your first time meeting me or you've seen me from my YouTube videos, but you don't really know

who I am or maybe maybe you don't care.

I will explain anyway. I'll try and keep it keep it very brief. Um, but an introduction is a good way to warm up

with English, too, because I think most of us probably could introduce ourselves in English, so it will be easy easy to start with. So,

start with. So, my name is Evie.

I am an English teacher from the UK.

Uh, lots of people ask me where exactly my accent is from. So, I am from a place called Cornwall. Um, but I don't really

called Cornwall. Um, but I don't really have a Cornish accent. Um,

I do have a Cornish accent when I speak to somebody else who has one.

So, if I speak to my family, I might have more of a Cornish accent, but when I'm teaching, when I'm making these

videos, uh my accent is more like a very typical southern English accent.

I've also been told it's a bit London in some places. My accent is not like

some places. My accent is not like Cockney, obviously, but just like a lot of how a lot of people speak in London, uh which makes sense. I lived in London

for 4 years while I was at university.

I did, um my degree at the London School of Economics in history.

So, anyway, that's why if I sound a little bit like I'm from London, that is uh that's probably why.

As a person, um things that I am interested in personally, I really love writing. I'm a big writer. I love

writing. I'm a big writer. I love

writing when I get time. Uh I like writing stories, I like writing poetry, I like writing articles. Anything

creative is just a lot of fun for me, including like making YouTube videos or podcasts. I really enjoy that as well.

podcasts. I really enjoy that as well.

Anything creative. Um I also I just really enjoy language in general. So, I

like language learning. I love reading as well. I don't get a lot of time to

as well. I don't get a lot of time to read these days. I think many of us probably feel that way, right? We don't

read enough. But, I love reading. I want

to read more. I just need more time.

So, I've been listening to to lots of audiobooks at the moment. I recently

finished one called Daisy Jones and the which is a book by I don't know what the author is. Taylor

Who the author is? Taylor Reed,

something like this. It was a good It was a good book. If you want a random recommendation, [laughter] Daisy Jones and the Six is is very good.

So, languages, I mentioned that's something I like. Um

I have only learned one language to a point where I could have a conversation, which is Spanish.

I learned Spanish because my boyfriend is from Spain. So, that's the reason why I learned that. I started learning that

when I was 20 two years old or 23 years old. So, I'd

never learned a language before that moment. So, I feel very passionate about

moment. So, I feel very passionate about adult language learning, and this is why I started making videos. Um it's because

I work with adult students. So, I wanted to create content online that would be interesting for adult learners.

I think there's a real um there's a real tendency for people to patronize adult learners a little bit, especially with languages. They say,

"Ah, you know, if you're an adult learner, then watch um Peppa Pig."

Peppa Pig." You know, that stupid kids cartoon. And

honestly, are you going to make a 40-year-old man watch Peppa Pig?

It's so boring.

And so many like so much of learning a language is being interested. You need

to really care because you are going to study that language for years, like maybe forever.

And I tell you now, if you try and learn a language by watching Peppa Pig, maybe you love Peppa Pig, I don't know, but most people will be bored out of

their minds. They will be bored out of

their minds. They will be bored out of their minds and they are not going to study English because why why would you work for 10 hours, work 10 hours, come back home,

you know, do house chores and then watch Peppa Pig? It's not going to happen.

Pig? It's not going to happen.

Well, maybe it is. If you've done that, honestly, please tell me how that was.

Because you are another level of motivated if you can do that, but I I could not do that, so that's why I I started this channel.

It's to do with like language learning, languages, adult education.

It's kind of my thing. I'm into it. I

like it.

Um Outside of languages, reading and writing, maybe something less practical

that I enjoy. I love pop stars. I've

always loved pop stars, but I love girl pop stars. So, I love like Britney

pop stars. So, I love like Britney Spears in the 2000s. I loved her.

Well, I was like a child, but I love her now. I look back on those clips and I love Britney Spears. I love

like modern-day pop stars like um Cat's Eye. There's a girl group, like a pop

Eye. There's a girl group, like a pop group, called Cat's Eye. I don't like their music, but I just like them, the people, the girls. Um

I like Who else do I like?

I really like Chappell Roan, for example, another great pop star who has come up recently, or Sabrina Carpenter.

I really like her.

This actually reminds me that um some people have been commenting in my comment section saying that I look like Avril Lavigne.

[laughter] I'm laughing um because if you are listening to this on Spotify, uh I don't look like Avril Lavigne.

[laughter] She's the She's not a pop star. She's a

Does that count as rock rock pop? Uh

from like the 2010s.

And we look we don't look alike in my opinion. I think we're both just like

opinion. I think we're both just like white women with with blonde hair. Maybe

you think I look like Avril Lavigne. I

love that. It's a great like it's a huge compliment cuz I think she's iconic.

She's iconic, but I don't look like Avril Lavigne. Or maybe I do. Maybe I do

Avril Lavigne. Or maybe I do. Maybe I do and I just don't I don't see it.

Um Anyway, couple things I dislike or maybe one maybe two Yeah, one or two things I dislike. Um I hate running.

dislike. Um I hate running.

I hate running, but I go running because I work a desk job. So, I spend every single day sat down at my desk.

And that sucks. So, like I get literally like what maybe 1,000 steps a day.

That's not okay.

Honestly, that's not okay. You need to walk more than 1,000 steps a day. So, I

sometimes go running.

I don't run very far and I don't run very fast. And sometimes I walk.

very fast. And sometimes I walk.

Actually, I walk a lot of it.

[laughter] But I still hate it. Um so, I hate running. I also hate meat. So, I hate

running. I also hate meat. So, I hate beef, which is from a cow. I hate pork, which comes from pigs. I hate chicken, which comes from chickens.

Uh because I am a vegetarian. So, I

don't eat meat. I don't eat fish, um I don't eat shellfish either, like crabs or lobster or shrimp. Um I don't eat any

of it.

But, I do eat um eggs and cheese because I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan. I

actually I eat a lot of cheese, which I probably should give up uh those things, but I really like eating cheese.

So, I haven't done that.

Anyway, maybe that's enough about me. Um

I wanted to convince you that this podcast is something that you should listen to, something you should engage with. It's something that should become

with. It's something that should become a part of your English study routine.

If you can understand me right now, honestly, your level of English is very good. It's very good because especially

good. It's very good because especially listening to something with no prompts, with no pictures to help you understand

the meaning, um that's quite difficult to do. It's very difficult just to

to do. It's very difficult just to listen.

And listening to a podcast is something that you unlock. It's something that you're able to do usually when you are

around intermediate in a language. So,

when you have an intermediate level, then you can understand podcasts. And I

would say this is a game changer.

It's a game changer.

Why is it a game changer? It's a game changer because it means that you can now study passively.

So, you can study without staring at the screen or focusing 100% on a video. Instead, it means that you

can now study English while you are doing other things. For example, you can listen to English while you commute to work, you can listen to English while

you are on the train, while you are driving, while you are doing dishes.

And if you are an adult who does not have a lot of time in the evenings to listen to Peppa Pig or whatever stupid thing you

have to watch. Um

It means that you can study while getting something else done.

And at least for me, with Spanish, the moment that I could understand podcasts, it changed it changed my level. Because I went from

studying Spanish or listening to Spanish for maybe one or two hours a day. I was

pretty intense, to be honest.

To, you know, three or sometimes even four hours a day, because when I was walking, I had a podcast on in Spanish.

Or when I was cleaning my bedroom, I would have a podcast on in Spanish. It

literally meant that I was engaging with the language so much more. And I was really training my ear. I was training

my ear to understand just the noises, no help from pictures or actions.

That's why it's so difficult. So, that's

why podcasts usually come or um that's why podcasts usually come when you are at an intermediate level, because you

are only relying on what you can understand with your ear.

I also want you to understand, because if you are only listening to this while you do something else.

My videos might be too easy for you, but focusing on the podcast might feel more difficult. This is just from personal

difficult. This is just from personal experience, but I find that if I'm driving, I find it more difficult to

understand content that usually I understand no problem. I usually need something easier because my brain is having to focus on two different things.

So, if you have a good level of English or maybe you understand my videos, but now this podcast feels difficult, don't

worry. That's completely normal. Um and

worry. That's completely normal. Um and

just trust that with time, it will get easier. It's going to get easier.

easier. It's going to get easier.

This just leaves me to maybe explain a little bit what this podcast will be like.

Uh I don't know, really. I haven't got a very specific structure. So, feel free to comment if there is something in

particular that you would like to see.

This is not going to be a weekly podcast yet. Maybe by the time you listen to

yet. Maybe by the time you listen to this, I have made it weekly, but for now it's going to be as and when, we say. It's going to be as

and when. That means it's going to be

and when. That means it's going to be whenever I have the time. Um for

example, you would say I go running as and when. It means I go running whenever I can. It's not a priority, it's just something I do when

I'm able to. So, this podcast will be uploaded as and when.

Uh but hopefully this was enjoyable for you and maybe a little bit of a challenge.

But I encourage you to engage with the podcast, to listen to multiple episodes and if you do not listen to podcasts already,

hopefully I have convinced you to make it a part of your routine.

Um, but thank you very, very much for listening and I will see you in the next episode which should already be up.

See you then.