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American English Podcast

American English Podcast

Shana Thompson Language Learning 268 episodes USA 2026-06-18 1 extractions
The American English Podcast teaches the language and culture of the United States. Through common expressions, pronunciation tips and interesting cultural snippets or stories, I hope to keep this fun, useful and interesting! All bonus material can be accessed at http://americanenglishpodcast.com/
Genre: Language Learning Podcasts Education Society & Culture Places & Travel

Episodes (268 episodes)

214 - Soccer in the United States
⭐ Take part in our Free ⁠14-Day English Slang and Expression Challenge.⁠ Why do Americans call it soccer instead of football? Why isn't it the most popular sport in the country? And do Americans actu...
2026-06-18
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⭐ Feature: The Sweet History of the American Doughnut (or Donut)
⭐ Want to start sounding more natural in English? Sign up to ⁠⁠the Academy⁠⁠ to learn more with each lesson. About this episode Why do doughnuts have holes? Who invented them? And how did they bec...
2026-06-04
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213 - Discover South Carolina with Lora
What comes to mind when you think of South Carolina? Maybe it's Charleston's cobblestone streets, beautiful beaches, or Spanish moss hanging from ancient oak trees. But South Carolina has much more t...
2026-05-29
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212.2 - The Birth of Netflix and the Fall of Blockbuster
In this episode, I’m taking you back to the 1990s and sharing what family movie nights were like growing up in suburban California. From browsing the aisles at Blockbuster with my family to ordering D...
2026-05-14
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212 - Expression: To Think Outside the Box
What does it really mean to think outside the box? In this episode, you’ll learn one of the most common expressions in American English, used to describe creativity, innovation, and doing things diff...
2026-05-07
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211 - Preposition Party 🎉 : 7 Everyday Word Pairs with Lucas
Lucas and I are back for another Preposition Party! Today our conversation is going to based on common English collocations like famous for, similar to, suffer from, believe in, proud of, and recover ...
2026-04-24
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⭐ Feature: 5-Minute English: Springtime in the U.S.
Join my 14-Day Slang and Expression Challenge. It's free! In this 5-Minute English episode, we’re diving into springtime in the United States. From blooming flowers and unpredictable April weather to...
2026-04-10
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210 - Quick Fix: Further vs. Farther
Do you like this episode format? I've been thinking about doing a series of these "quick fixes" for word confusion, pronunciation, and grammar. That is, if you like the format. So please be honest...
2026-04-03
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209 - Ghost Towns in the American West with Aubrey Carter
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of ghost towns in the United States—places where thousands of people once lived, worked, and searched for fortune… and then suddenly left behind. We ...
2026-03-26
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208 - How to Improve the Four Skills in English: Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing
In this episode, we go back to the fundamentals of language learning:listening, reading, speaking, and writing. But here’s the key idea: You’ll learn faster when these skills overlap. Instead of pra...
2026-03-19
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⭐ Feature: 5-Minute English: Cleaning
In this 5-Minute English episode, you'll learn useful vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and collocations related to cleaning your home. Through a short story, we follow someone tackling a messy apartment—fr...
2026-03-11
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207.2 - The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
In this episode, we explore the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, one of the strangest and most tragic disasters in U.S. history. On a cold January afternoon in Boston’s North End, a massive steel tank ho...
2026-03-04
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207 - Expression: In a Sticky Situation
In this engaging (and slightly sticky) episode, we explore the common American English idiom “to be in a sticky situation.” After a real-life kitchen disaster involving spilled honey, we break down wh...
2026-02-25
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⭐ Feature: Hangry, Bromance & Spam: Everyday Portmanteaus with Liz!
In this playful and spontaneous episode, Liz and I play a fast-paced guessing game using common English portmanteaus—words created by blending two others together. From hangry and bromance to Spam and...
2026-02-18
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206 - Let's Talk about Hair! (with Julia)
In this cozy winter episode, Shana is snowed in with her daughters on the East Coast after a big snowstorm. While it looks like a magical winter wonderland outside, things feel a little chaotic inside...
2026-02-11
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205 - Preposition Party with Lucas 🎉 Love, Caring, Passions & Worries
In this episode, Shana is joined by her husband Lucas for another fun Preposition Party. Together, they play a guessing game with common English prepositions while sharing personal stories about food,...
2026-02-04
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204.2 - Irregular Verbs with Helen Keller
What if you woke up one day and couldn’t see or hear the world around you? In this episode of the American English Podcast, you’ll discover the incredible true story of Helen Keller — one of the most...
2026-01-29
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204: Expression: To See Eye to Eye
In this episode of the American English Podcast, we explore the meaning and usage of the common English expression to see eye to eye. Along the way, you’ll learn vocabulary related to sight, wordplay,...
2026-01-20
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⭐ Feature: The Story of Starbucks
You know Starbucks, right? The coffee company? Born in Seattle, Washington and brewed around the world? I bet you do; they have over 40 thousand stores in over 80 countries.  In today's episode, we'r...
2026-01-13
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203 - Preposition Party with Lucas 🎉 Everyday Verb + Preposition Pairs
In this episode, I’m joined by my husband, Lucas, for another Preposition Party—a casual, conversation-based way to learn common verb + preposition combinations in American English. You’ll hear natur...
2025-12-30
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