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Thinking in English

Thomas Wilkinson
Thinking in English
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481 episodes

  • Thinking in English

    396. 10 Years Language Learning: Lessons I'd Give My Younger Self (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    13/07/2026 | 27 mins.
    In August 2016, I moved to a small town on the Japanese island of Shikoku. I had almost no Japanese ability and I didn't have an expectation that I'd stay very long in Japan. Maybe I'd stay in Japan for one year.

    10 years later, though, I'm still in Japan. I'm now married. I have a daughter. I run a business from Japan. And I can live my entire life in Japanese if I need to.

    Looking back, there are things that I'm incredibly proud of in my Japanese learning journey and a few things that I wish I had done differently.

    So in today's episode of Thinking in English, I thought it would be interesting to discuss my past 10 years of language learning experiences: how I went from zero knowledge of Japanese to being able to live in Japanese daily if I [00:01:00] need to. Hopefully by listening to this episode, you guys will receive some motivation and some advice about your own language learning journeys.

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    TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/07/13/396-10-years-language-learning-lessons-id-give-my-younger-self-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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  • Thinking in English

    395. What Was the USA Like in 1776? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    06/07/2026 | 28 mins.
    When I think of the USA, I picture New York's skyscrapers, Hollywood movies, and Silicon Valley technology companies. I think of the world’s largest economy, and the most powerful country, with a population of more the 340 million people.

    But what was the USA like when it was first founded? This year, the US is celebrating the 250th anniversary since it declared independence from the British Empire.

    I thought it would be interesting to spend this episode considering what the US was like two hundred and fifty years ago. Back when it was thirteen separate colonies, that were not united at all, and before there was a concept of being an “American” or being a citizen of the USA.

    I’m going to talk about the original colonies, the declaration of independence, the revolutionary war, and how the USA developed. At the same time, we will be practicing our English listening comprehension and learning some new vocabulary!

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    TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/07/06/395-what-was-the-usa-like-in-1776-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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  • Thinking in English

    394. How to Become a Confident English Speaker (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    29/06/2026 | 29 mins.
    What is confidence? What does a confident English speaker look like? And how can you become a confident speaker?

    This episode is going to try and answer some of these important questions. You might assume that someone with perfect grammar, a huge vocabulary, and a native-like accent will be a confident speaker. But that is not necessarily the case.

    Over the years, I've met English learners with excellent English, but who were afraid to speak. And learners with much weaker English ability, but who seemed completely confident and comfortable communicating. This suggests that [00:01:00] confidence and language ability are not exactly the same thing.

    So I want to explore confidence from a slightly more psychological perspective. What is confidence? What is the opposite of confidence? Why is confidence so important for language learners? How about self-efficacy? And how can you become a more confident English speaker?

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    TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/29/394-how-to-become-a-confident-english-speaker-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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  • Thinking in English

    393. History of Football! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    22/06/2026 | 32 mins.
    The World Cup is currently underway in North America, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about football, or soccer depending on where you are from. And specifically, we are going to explore the history of the world’s most popular sport.

    Most people probably think football has always looked more or less the same. Two teams with eleven players. Referees and clear rules. Ninety-minute matches.

    But that is not true at all. If you travelled back a few hundred years and watched a football match in England, you might not even recognise it as football.

    In this episode, we are going to explore the development of football.

    I want to talk about medieval folk football, the British schools that helped create modern rules, and cities like Sheffield that played their own versions of the game. We’ll also look at why football and rugby developed separately, where the word “soccer” actually comes from, and how industrialisation transformed football into a global professional sport watched by billions of people.

    By the end of this episode, I think you’ll see football very differently. And you will also have learned lots of new English vocabulary!

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    TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/06/19/393-history-of-football-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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  • Thinking in English

    392. History of Warsaw (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    15/06/2026 | 27 mins.
    Today, we’re going to talk about Warsaw. Warsaw is the capital of Poland and one of Europe’s most resilient cities.

    If you visit Warsaw today, you’ll find a modern and quickly developing European capital. There are skyscrapers, busy shopping streets, trendy cafés, and a growing economy. But history of city is dramatic and tragic.

    In this episode, I am going to explore the fascinating history of Warsaw. We’ll look at its rise as Poland’s capital, periods of foreign occupation and division, the devastation of World War II, communist rebuilding, and the modern city we see today.

    And we will learn some new vocabulary and practice our English listening comprehension at the same time!

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About Thinking in English
Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary. I believe that thinking is one of the most important steps on the road to fluency. That’s why each episode explores fascinating topics, from politics, economics, and history to philosophy, science, and culture. Instead of simply learning English, this podcast helps you learn in English. You’ll expand your knowledge, discover new ideas, and improve your language skills, all at the same time. Bonus episodes and ad-free episodes, exclusive for Patreon subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/collection/869866 Join our Conversation Clubs and support the podcast: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠ Visit the website: ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/⁠ Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on Thinking in English.
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