Podcasts · Fiction · Education

Easy Stories in English

Ariel Goodbody, Polyglot English Teacher & Glassbox Media

278 episodes

Learning a language is hard, but Easy Stories in English makes it easy! Ariel Goodbody introduces each story, explaining difficult vocabulary and talking about their life. Thanks to their high energy and clear pronunciation, the stories are entertaining and simple to understand.

More about the show

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced learner, there’s something for everyone. The stories cover a wide range of genres, such as fairy tales, myths and legends, drama, comedy, romance, horror, science fiction and action. There is a balance of children’s stories, as well as more mature themes for adults. While listening to the stories, you can read the transcript at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com and get both reading practice and listening practice. With enough time, you’ll find that your reading and writing skills improve as well.

Ariel Goodbody has a strong background in linguistics and language acquisition, and they base the podcast on Stephen Krashen’s theory of comprehensible input. Ariel changes the level of grammar to suit each level, but prioritise comprehension and good storytelling over anything else. Vocabulary is described using paraphrase, cultural references, pictures, intonation and sound effects. British culture, especially English culture, is naturally introduced throughout the episodes.

Ariel also has experience in theatre, and treats every episode like an audiobook performance. With character voices, dramatic timing and a range of accents, adults and kids alike will soon forget that they’re ‘learning’ at all!

Some of the most well-known stories from the podcast are: the Doggo and Kitty stories, Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales, The Very Hungry Dragon, Sleeping Beauty, The Perfect Pet, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Why Blood is Red, Saint George and the Dragon and Pioneers of the Continuum. Many stories are adapted from famous authors, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Hans Christian Andersen, Isaac Asimov, Josef Čapek, Margery Williams and Ryuunosuke Akutagawa.

Ariel studied linguistics at the University of Cambridge and started teaching in 2018. As a language teacher, they use comprehensible input techniques such as TPRS and story listening. In 2021 they published a series of graded readers. These easy readers allow fans to get their favourite stories in a physical format.

Apprendre l’anglais facilement avec des contes de fées et histoires racontés en anglais britannique. Méthode pour étudier les vocabulaires, la prononciation, la grammaire et la lecture en anglais. Les livres audio en anglais pour les niveaux débutant, intermédiaire et avancé.

Einfach Britisches Englisch lernen mit Märchen und Geschichten. Methode, um Vokabeln, Aussprache, Grammatik und Lesen auf Englisch zu studieren. Hörbücher auf Englisch für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittene.

Imparare l'inglese facilmente con fiabe e storie in inglese britannico. Metodo per studiare vocabolario, pronuncia, grammatica e lettura in inglese. Audiolibri in inglese per i livelli principiante,…

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. I Can't Keep Doing This (Intermediate)

    · 28 min · Episode 275

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Enough is enough. Something has to change. I’m sorry everyone, but I can’t do episodes every fortnight anymore. Go to…

  2. Cambodia is Hard to Talk About (Conversation)

    · 30 min · Episode 274

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! I discuss my friend visiting me from the UK, and an emotional holiday in Cambodia. I touch on the heartbreaking topic of…

  3. Herding Mountains to Make a Forest (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 27 min · Episode 273

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! The Stone Forest in Yunnan is a beautiful karst mountain range. But how did it come to be? Learn all about the Sani people…

  4. Doing Stand-Up Comedy in Chinese (Conversation)

    · 25 min · Episode 272

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Comedy is hard enough, but doing it in Chinese? Oh, Ariel, you do love a challenge! Hear all about my performance…

  5. The Animals' Peace Party (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 21 min · Episode 271

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! The cows and horses have argued with the pigs for too long. It's time to have a peace party and finally settle things. But…

  6. All the Housemates I've Ever Had (Conversation)

    · 59 min · Episode 270

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Living with people isn't easy, and I've had it really hard. The Illuminati, the silent treatment, and deadly narcissists -…

  7. How the Moon Became Beautiful (Beginner)

    · 18 min · Episode 269

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! The moon is beautiful, but it wasn't always that way. True love was needed, as well as breaking a mother's heart... Go to…

  8. Christmas in Japan (Conversation)

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 268

    Hear all about my time in the bars of Osaka and Fukuoka at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Christmas in Japan isn't like Christmas in the UK. For one thing, it includes humiliation. It…

  9. Hansel and Gretel (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 36 min · Episode 267

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! What if the witch in Hansel and Gretel was Chinese? Well, then things would be very different. In this twisted version of…

  10. It's My Podcast and I'll Ramble If I Want To (Conversation)

    · 38 min · Episode 266

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Have you ever eaten bone marrow? You know, the fat inside of animal bones? Have you ever wondered whether…

  11. The Three Goats (Rerun)

    · 22 min · Episode 265

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Three goats live happily in a field eating grass. But one day, there's no more grass. They decide to…

  12. Hangzhou and the Joy of Cycling (Conversation)

    · 44 min · Episode 264

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! This episode has come out very late because of my appendicectomy. Apologies! I have recovered now and we…

  13. The Demon Cats (Beginner)

    · 22 min · Episode 263

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Would you go fishing on Halloween night? That's when demons walk the Earth, and nobody is truly safe... But Murdo…

  14. Doggo and Kitty Bake a Cake (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 30 min · Episode 262

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! It's Kitty's birthday! And how better to celebrate than by baking a cake? Just one problem: how do you do it? Well, if you…

  15. How Slow Can I Go? (Conversation)

    · 36 min · Episode 261

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Listen to me articulate and enunciate every word as I discuss unusual beverages, insane apps, doing…

  16. The Juniper Tree (Advanced)

    · 51 min · Episode 260

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Skin as white as snow and eyes as red as blood. Some would call it beautiful, but to Nicholas's parents, he is a demon…

  17. My Morning Routine (Conversation)

    · 43 min · Episode 259

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! What I do every morning, in excruciating detail. When do I floss, how do I know when to put on deodorant,…

  18. Before the Light Dies (Beginner)

    · 30 min · Episode 258

    Get episodes without adverts at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! The king asks a clockmaker to repair an old magical clock. But when the clockmaker tries to repair the clock, nothing…

  19. Hello from China! (Conversation)

    · 44 min · Episode 257

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Spicy bullfrog, fights with policemen and getting locked out... my first two weeks in China have…

  20. Running (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 25 min · Episode 256

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Her mind runs, so she runs. She runs to stop her mind running. But one day, she sees an owl in the park,…

  21. I Ate Colin's Face (Conversation)

    · 31 min · Episode 255

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! In the last week before moving to China, I recount awkward goodbyes, the British tradition of…

  22. The Cave of the Danishman (Beginner)

    · 50 min · Episode 254

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! A horrible pirate called the Denschman terrorises a small Scottish island. But when a storm leaves the…

  23. Freezing to Death in Scotland (Conversation)

    · 38 min · Episode 253

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! So I recently went to my cousin’s wedding in Edinburgh, which turned out to be much colder than expected,…

  24. I Got Kicked Out! (Conversation)

    · 43 min · Episode 252

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Yes, that's right, I was kicked out of a public building... Not only that, I went to a wild party in…

  25. The Monkey's Heart (Intermediate)

    · 21 min · Episode 251

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! A monkey shares his figs with a shark, and for a while they are friends, but when the shark invites the…

  26. Who is Middle Class? (Conversation)

    · 38 min · Episode 250

    Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! British people are obsessed with class, but what does it mean to be middle class? From accents to…

  27. Just Say Yes (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 249

    Book a class in June and July and get 50% off! EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Classes Tony cannot say no. So he eats food he doesn't like, does a job he hates, and goes on holidays where he almost dies. But when his friend…

  28. Have You Met Elaine? (Intermediate)

    · 50 min · Episode 247

    Book a class in June and July and get 50% off! EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Classes Have you met Elaine? Elaine is very giving, but not very nice. Oh, she loves everyone, but she shows her love through action, not smiles.…

  29. Return to the Sea (Intermediate)

    · 50 min · Episode 245

    Book a class in June and July and get 50% off! EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Classes An old fisherman sits by the sea, waiting for fish to come. He has seen the world change hugely through his life. But today, something…

  30. Saint George and the Dragon (Rerun)

    · 41 min · Episode 244

    Today's episode is a rerun of an older story. Before we get into the story, I talk about my religious experiences during Easter. St George is a famous mythical figure throughout Europe. Most versions of his story…

  31. Grandmother March (Beginner)

    · 35 min · Episode 242

    Why is the weather in March so changeable? Well, it's all to do with wine and a very angry lady from Bulgaria... Go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/March for the full transcript. Get episodes without adverts + bonus…

  32. Giving Up Sugar for Lent (Conversation)

    · 29 min · Episode 241

    Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. Traditionally, during Lent, Christians fast or give something up. In today's episode, I talk about giving up sugar, plus give some tips on how best to use flashcards to learn…

  33. Banksy | The World's Most Famous Anonymous Artist (English Learning for Curious Minds)

    · 25 min · Bonus

    Hello, my Lovely Learners! Today we have an episode from English Learning for Curious Minds with Alastair Budge. You might remember last year we did an episode together where we wrote a story, A Visitor from Chilly…

  34. Adrian's Dream

    · 56 min · Episode 240

    Adrian wants to write, but he can never concentrate. He tries waking up early before work, but he always just goes back to bed. Finally, he decides to start napping, but the results aren't what he expects... Go to…

  35. Life, Love and Learning Japanese (Conversation)

    · 39 min · Episode 239

    I catch you all up on what I've been up to recently. There's a bit of philosophy, some dating, and some very manic studying for Japanese. Plus a bit of history! Ever wanted to know about Britain's most infamous king?…

  36. The Dragon of Kraków (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 33 min · Episode 238

    A dragon is terrorising the city of Kraków, but one man has a way to defeat it. It won't take strength, though, but wisdom. Go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Krakow for the full transcript. Get episodes without adverts…

  37. The Shape of Art (Beginner)

    · 25 min · Episode 237

    Felicity is a successful lawyer, but she wants a change. She tries painting and loves it. But there's a problem: everyone hates her paintings. Can she find the true shape of her art? Go to…

  38. Three Balls of Wool (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 40 min · Episode 236

    One day, Leila finds a strange butterfly with three dots and fine lines on its wings. When she tries to touch the butterfly, it turns into a witch and drags her to her castle! For seven years Leila works for the witch,…

  39. Think Fast! (Beginner)

    · 22 min · Episode 235

    Eugene is a big nerd, and he's afraid of everything. But one day, a man attacks him in the street, and Eugene discovers that he isn't so weak after all. Go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Fast for the full transcript.…

  40. How I Celebrate Christmas (Conversation)

    · 40 min · Episode 234

    Chocolate oranges, burning puddings and white carrots: British Christmas is quite unique. Find out all about how it's celebrated in today's episode. Go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Christmas for the full transcript.…

  41. How the Platypus Came to Be (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 24 min · Episode 233

    The nose of a duck, the fur of an otter and the tail of a beaver: platypuses are one of the strangest animals in the world! So where did they come from? Find out in this hilarious story... Go to…

  42. New? Start here! (Conversation)

    · 50 min · Episode 232

    New to the podcast, or want to know how best to learn English, and more about me, Ariel Goodbody? You're in the right place. In today's episode I reintroduce myself, answer some frequently asked questions and recommend…

  43. The Curse of the Pig (Beginner)

    · 46 min · Episode 231

    A princess finds a book that tells her future. When she grows up, she will have to marry a pig. The girl doesn't want to believe it, but one day a pig comes knocking on her door. But things are not as they seem. This…

  44. Three Kisses (Pre-Intermediate)

    · 30 min · Episode 230

    Answer my survey and get the free beginner story, The City Mouse and the Country Mouse: https://www.easystoriesinenglish.com/ask Leah's mother dies, and her brother leaves home, and Leah is so sad that she cannot…

  45. I have a confession to make...

    · 12 min · Episode 229

    Answer my survey and get the beginner story, The City Mouse and the Country Mouse: EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Ask Today, I have a confession to make. I thought I knew what you all wanted, but I was wrong. In this…

  46. The Freezer Door (Beginner)

    · 28 min · Episode 228

    Level up your English with Story Builders, an eight-week online course https://www.easystoriesinenglish.com/build A woman has a loving husband and children, and she's great at her job. So why is she sad? One day, she…

  47. The Superpower of Story with Bree Aesie

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 227

    Get 25% off my Story Builders course by signing up by the end of today! https://easystoriesinenglish.com/build Today I talk to Bree Aesie from the Into the Story podcast about how to use stories in your everyday life,…

  48. Hamburg, City of Water (Conversation)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 226

    Get 25% off my Story Builders course by signing up before 1st October! https://easystoriesinenglish.com/build In today's episode, learn all about the second-largest city in Germany with the world's largest model…

  49. The Pumpkin Jug (Beginner)

    · 45 min · Episode 225

    A king meets a woman who grows pumpkins. She gives him water in a dirty old jug, and then she breaks it. The king thinks this is strange, but he likes the woman. So he gives her a challenge: if she can put a big…

  50. Misty the Snake (Rerun)

    · 32 min · Episode 224

    Misty the Snake loves eating other people's pets. This does not make the people of the United Kingdom happy. So her owner takes her to Brazil, but really she wants to go home to Ghana... This episode is a rerun, BUT I…

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