English for Life in the UK

How schools are organised in England. 3 people discuss their own experiences of teaching and of the school system.

What is a co-operative? The history of co-ops in the U.K. Interviews with 2 co-operatives - Suma Wholefoods and Valley Organics. Including how they operate and the principles on which they are based.

We interview Kate about her work as a visual artist, how she goes about creating a painting, her influences and why art is important.

We interview a dairy farmer and cheese maker about the history and process of milk and cheese making. We discuss the idea of organic farming and the use of the word ‘culture’ in cheese making.

A discussion with a doctor (general practitioner) and a community pharmacist about how individuals can access primary healthcare services in England

We interview 2 teenage girls about playing football and an older man about playing and watching the game. In the language support section we talk about the modern everyday use of the word ‘like’.

We talk to the housing manager for Calderdale, discuss owning or renting property, the problem of finding affordable housing, housing issues for refugees and the issue of homelessness.

We interview the owner of a family bakery called Lottie Shaw’s. We hear about making ‘Parkin’, a traditional northern gingerbread, and the challenges of running a sustainable business.

Interview with Holly Lynch, MP for Halifax

We interview Councillor Jane Scullion who is the deputy leader of Calderdale Council about how the Council works, her role and why local government is important. We also highlight some interesting phrases including ‘taking for granted’.

We preview the new season, explain the idea behind this season of the podcast, introduce 2 new members of the team and outline some of the topics we will cover.

We discuss our personal experiences of what works in learning a language, some of the research on language acquisition, how many people listen to the podcast and where they live and interviews with 2 of our students.

We interview the Artistic Director of a national touring theatre company about what they do and how they work. We also talk about theatre in the West End and elsewhere.

We discuss and illustrate a number of the regional variations in how English is spoken in different parts of the U.K. including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Liverpool, Birmingham, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. We hear the story of Wilfred Pickles who was used in World War 2 to confuse the Nazis.

A soap opera is a tv or radio drama. We interview one of the writers and ask her to explain what is a ‘soap’, talk about some of the most popular soaps, give examples of story-lines and discuss whether soaps reflect our society.

The G7 is meeting in the U.K. this week. This episode explains the G7 and talks briefly about other international organisations including the United Nations, the Commonwealth and NATO. In Language Support we talk about abbreviations and acronyms.

The history and work of our independent charity which specialises in support for asylum seekers and refugees. We hear the voices of some of our asylum seekers and refugees.

The right to asylum. How the process I supposed to work. Some of the challenges. The voices of experience from asylum seekers and refugees.

In May 2021 there were local and mayoral elections in England, national elections in Scotland and Wales. We interview one of the local candidates to find out what it was like.

We discuss the recent proposals for a European Super League. The history of some of England’s big clubs including Manchester City and Manchester United. Football related phrases and idioms.

We recorded this episode on Shakespeare’s birthday which is also St George’s day. We discuss aspects of Shakespeare’s life and plays. Idioms from Shakespeare.

The importance of Easter to Christians and the Easter story. Easter as a pagan festival. Modern U.K. traditions at Easter. Easter in some other countries. Symbolism and metaphors.

What is the census? Historical examples of the census. How the census changes over time. The census 2021 and how it will be used. How to talking about obligation in English including ‘to have to’ and ‘must’.

History of film. Festivals and award ceremonies, the Oscars. How films get selected and the impact of streaming. Film genres. Film vocabulary.

Wild animals, trees, plants and flowers in different parts of the U.K. How to talk about quantities and amounts in English.

The 4 seasons in the U.K. what happens and what the weather is like in each season. Weather vocabulary and phrases.

British history during the reign of Queen Victoria. The workshop of the world, the British Empire, the extension of the vote, the Great Hunger in Ireland. Queen Victoria and her family.

How Britain became the first country in the world to have an industrial revolution. Inventions, transport, resistance to the changes, urbanisation and trade.

The St Augustine’s Centre is based in the town of Halifax and the borough of Calderdale. We explain the geography, history, famous places and people of the area. Plus superlative adjectives.

We discuss a range of things which people can do to look after themselves and keep busy and healthy during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus.

An update on the COVID-19 virus, what is happening across the world and in the U.K. Ideas for looking after yourself and information about the vaccine in the U.K.

The causes of the Civil War in England. The war itself, events in Scotland and Ireland, Oliver Cromwell. The restoration of the monarchy and the glorious revolution.

A brief overview of the life of two of England’s most famous monarchs, King Henry V111 (8th) and Elizabeth I. In a bonus section we cover in more detail the second part of the Tudor period.

A discussion of aspects of the history and traditions of Christmas in the U.K. and the importance of Christmas to Christians.

History of English as a language. English in use today in the U.K. and around the world. The differences between British English and American English

Anglo-Saxons arrive in Britain. The two St Augustines. The Vikings. The Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest. How the Normans changed Britain.

The early history of Britain including Stonehenge and the Bronze and Iron ages. Roman Britain including Hadrian’s Wall and Boudicca.

An overview of the 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom. More information about each of the smaller countries Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Outline and discussion of the process for becoming a British citizen. Freedoms and responsibilities of citizens. The pledge and oath of allegiance to the Queen.

Why the US Presidential election is important to the U.K. How the US election system works. What has happened in this year’s election and the possible implications for the U.K.

The Government handbook identifies 5 principles - democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance, participation. We discuss each of these and suggest some others

What is this podcast? What have we done so far and what are our plans for series 2? How to use this podcast to improve your English and learn more about life in the U.K.

What we mean by fashion and design. Some famous British designers, including fashion designers. Nouns and adjectives for materials

Famous British poets. Personal choice of poetry by Robert Burns, Wilfred Owen and Lemn Sissay. Similes and metaphors.

Famous British authors and novels past and present. Favourite books of the presenters. The use of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person narratives in literature.

Famous British landscape gardeners and gardens. Gardening as a pastime in the U.K. including allotments. How to start and continue a conversation.

Some of the famous architects and the buildings they designed. Our own favourite buildings. Adjectives in English and in particular the word order we use.

Driving requirements, the driving test, examples of driving incidents, recognising and using modal verbs

Traditional British food, how our tastes have changed, recipe for shortbread, the use of the imperative tense