Podcasts · Education

Thinking in English

Thomas Wilkinson

300 episodes

Thinking in English is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to do more than just study grammar and vocabulary.

More about the show

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.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 411. Why Is Trump Renaming Places? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 22 min · S1 E411

    There is a large lake between New York State in the USA and the Canadian Province of Ontario. Do you know what it is called? Lake Ontario is the name the lake has been known by for centuries. But if you look at an…

  2. 410. Why Spain Is Banning Evictions? (Vocabulary in the News)

    · 23 min · S1 E410

    Today, we're trying something a little different. This is a vocabulary-focused episode based on a recent news story, where we'll take one interesting event and use it to learn useful English words and expressions in…

  3. 409. The World Map Is Changing (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E409

    The United Nations has recently voted to adopt a new world map. The UN now supports the Equal Earth map which tries to represent the relative size of continents and countries more accurately. If you compare the Equal…

  4. 408. The Bayeux Tapestry (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 25 min · S1 E408

    Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most famous historical objects in the world: the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is a huge piece of embroidered cloth, about 70 metres long, covered with pictures…

  5. 407. Is British Food Really Bad? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 31 min · S1 E407

    British food has a bit of a reputation. I’m sure that for a lot of you, the words “British food” brings to mind boiled vegetables, overcooked meat, greasy breakfasts, and meals that are, above all, rather bland.…

  6. 406. Where Is the BEST Place to Study English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 30 min · S1 E406

    Where is the best place to study English? Is it better to move to Britain, the US, or another English-speaking country, or can you learn just as effectively at home? Does studying in person produce better results than…

  7. 405. History of Singapore! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 27 min · S1 E405

    Singapore is one of the wealthiest and most modern countries in the world, but that wasn’t always the case. Today, I want to discuss the history of Singapore. We'll look at its early role in Asian trade, British…

  8. 404. What is Corruption? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 30 min · S1 E404

    What is corruption? Corruption or corrupt are words that I use quite often in my episodes… but what is corruption? What forms does it take? Why does corruption happen, what damage does it cause, and why can it be so…

  9. 403. What is a Growth Mindset? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E403

    Some people see failure as proof that they aren’t good at something. Others see it as an opportunity to improve. Why? Today I want to try and answer this question by thinking about “growth mindsets”. The growth…

  10. 402. France is Bigger Than You Think! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 34 min · S1 E403

    Which country shares the longest border with France? I think most people would say Spain. Spain is right next to France in Europe. Or perhaps you might have said Belgium, Switzerland, or Italy. But the answer is…

  11. 401. English Tests: Do They Improve Education? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 27 min · S1 E401

    English tests are everywhere. Many of you listening to this episode will have spent (or currently are spending) months preparing for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and the Cambridge English qualifications. Passing a…

  12. 400. History of Rio de Janeiro! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 25 min · S1 E400

    Today I want to discuss the history of one of the most famous cities in South America: Rio de Janeiro. Rio is a city that had become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It is known for its…

  13. 399. What is the Resource Curse? Why Some of the World's Richest Countries Stay Poor (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E399

    Scientists have just discovered enormous deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, or the rare earth minerals that are in smartphones and electric cars beneath your country. Is this good news? Not necessarily. You might…

  14. 398. Why Does Canada Speak French and English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 34 min · S1 E398

    Why does Canada speak both English and French? Why is Canada's head of state the King of the United Kingdom? Why didn't Canada become part of the United States when the rest of Britain’s North American colonies…

  15. 397. Who Will Be the Next Prime Minister of the UK? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 32 min · S1 E397

    In 2024, Keir Starmer became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after leading the Labour Party to one of the biggest election victories in modern British history. Just two years later, he has announced his…

  16. 396. 10 Years Language Learning: Lessons I'd Give My Younger Self (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E395

    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…

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

    · 29 min · S1 E395

    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…

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

    · 29 min · S1 E394

    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…

  19. 393. History of Football! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 33 min · S1 E392

    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…

  20. 392. History of Warsaw (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 28 min · S1 E392

    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…

  21. 391. Why Is the UAE Leaving OPEC? And What Is OPEC Anyway? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 22 min · S1 E391

    The United Arab Emirates has announced that it is leaving OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) after almost sixty years as a member. Why does this matter? Well, oil is still one of the most…

  22. 390. What are the “New” Seven Wonders of the World? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 32 min · S1 E390

    Thousands of years ago, Ancient Greek travellers created a list of the most extraordinary sights they encountered: the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These included places like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the…

  23. 389. What Was the First Book Ever Written? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E389

    Humans have been speaking languages for tens of thousands of years. We told stories around fires, passed down myths from parents to children, and memorised important information about survival and history. But for a…

  24. 388. Is the American Dream Dead? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 26 min · S1 E390

    If you work hard, can you build yourself a better life? For a long time, millions of people believed the answer in the USA was yes. The “American Dream” is the idea that anyone, no matter where they start in life, can…

  25. 387. Why Are Some People Always Late? The Cultural Meaning of Time (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min

    You are invited to a party. The invitation says the party starts at 20:00. What time will you arrive? Your answer to this question has a lot to do with your culture. Some of you will have said 20:00 exactly, because…

  26. 386. Who Was Leonardo Da Vinci? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 21 min · S1 E386

    Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds in history. He painted some of the most famous works of art ever: the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and more. He was also a scientist, an engineer, an anatomist, and an…

  27. 385. Should We Boycott the 2026 World Cup? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 22 min · S1 E385

    Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?” As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the…

  28. 384. The Scramble for Africa (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E384

    In the 1870s, about ten percent of Africa had been colonised by European countries. But over the next few decades, over ninety percent of the continent was taken, occupied, divided, and partitioned by governments far…

  29. 383. What Is Talent? And Do You Need It to Learn English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 21 min · S1 E383

    “I’m just not good at learning languages.” I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at…

  30. 382. Rwanda: Economic Miracle or Authoritarian State? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 26 min · S1 E382

    In 1994, the small African country of Rwanda experienced one of the worst genocides in modern history. Over a one-hundred-day period, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. The genocide shocked the world and left…

  31. 381. Easter Island: Mystery, Moai, and the Edge of the World (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 23 min · S1 E381

    Imagine living in a place so remote that the nearest inhabited land is over two thousand kilometres away. No neighbours. No easy escape. Just ocean in every direction. And across the island are hundreds of giant stone…

  32. 380. What is Poverty? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E380

    What does poverty really mean? When we hear the word poverty, I think many of us imagine extreme situations, like homelessness, starvation, or people living in very poor conditions. But poverty is far more complex,…

  33. 379. Do You Know How to Ask Great Questions?

    · 25 min · S1 E379

    Do you know how to ask great questions? A few years ago, back in 2022, I released an episode called How to Ask Better Questions in English. And today’s episode is an update to that original one. The core idea is the…

  34. 378. Moving to the UK?: UK’s New Immigration Policies Explained! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 27 min · S1 E378

    Is it becoming harder to move to a new country? Everywhere seems to be tightening the rules. Canada, the US, Australia, Europe, Japan, the UK. Countries that once focused on attracting people are now focused on…

  35. 377. History of Berlin! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E377

    Berlin is one of the most iconic cities in the world. Few cities have been destroyed so completely, divided so deeply, and then rebuilt so many times. Understanding Berlin’s past helps us understand the development of…

  36. 376. Who was Alan Turing? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E376

    Every time you type a message, unlock your phone, or trust a computer to make a decision, you’re relying on the ideas of someone you may never have heard of and probably never learned about at school. That person is…

  37. 375. Do We Live in a Surveillance Society? – Prepositions of Place (English Grammar Lesson)

    · 22 min · S1 E375

    Grammar Study Pack - https://www.patreon.com/posts/prepositions-of-148657101?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Last year, I was walking on the street…

  38. 374. Is There an AI Bubble? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E374

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. We use it to write emails, generate images, recommend videos, and even help study English. Some people believe AI will completely change the world, just like the…

  39. 373. What is Code-Switching?: A Guide for English Learners (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 21 min · S1 E373

    Today we’re going to explore a topic that I notice again and again whenever I work with bilingual people, speak with people who are studying a second language, and actually notice inside my own family: code switching.…

  40. 372. Does History Repeat Itself? – Prepositions of Time (English Grammar Lesson)

    · 19 min · S1 E372

    Grammar Study Pack - https://www.patreon.com/posts/prepositions-of-148657101?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link People often say history repeats itself……

  41. 371. Charles Darwin: Greatest Scientist of All Time? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E371

    In the 19th century, a quiet, curious naturalist named Charles Darwin proposed a theory that went on the shake science, religion, and philosophy. Darwin introduced a new way of thinking about life itself. His theory…

  42. 370. What is the World’s Oldest Civilisation? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 30 min · S1 E370

    People love to debate history, especially when it comes to who was first. Last year, I made an episode about the oldest country in the world. I argued that the answer might be San Marino, because it has a long,…

  43. 369. History of Australia! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 24 min · S1 E369

    Australia is a country that many English learners dream of visiting, studying in, or even working in. Its beaches, culture, and cities are famous all over the world. But how much do you really know about the history of…

  44. 368. How to Make Resolutions for 2026 (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 23 min · S1 E368

    Interested in joining Patreon in 2026? 20% off with code 2026 - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish Last year, I made an episode where I openly shared my goals and New Year’s resolutions for 2025. Now, it’s time…

  45. End of Year Update & Free Bonus Episode

    · 3:11 · Bonus

    This is a short end-of-year bonus episode of Thinking in English. In this episode, I share a few important updates as we move towards the new year. The Thinking in English AGM 2025 (Bonus Episode) Free to listen to…

  46. 367. The Strange Story of Christmas Island: Exploitation, Occupation, and Refugees! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 20 min · S1 E367

    Interested in Joining the Thinking in English Patreon in 2026? 20% Discount is you use the code 2026 - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish Welcome to a special Thinking in English Christmas episode! Today’s…

  47. 366. Do We Live in a Post-Truth Society? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 22 min · S1 E366

    In a world of social media, fake news, and deepfakes… how can we know what’s true anymore? The phrase “post-truth” has become one of the defining ideas of our time. Politicians lie without consequence, misinformation…

  48. 365. Who Was Ramanujan? The Greatest Mathematician of All Time? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 21 min · S1 E365

    Today I want to talk about one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. A genius who, with almost no formal training, made mathematical discoveries that still astonish experts today. His name is Srinivasa Ramanujan,…

  49. 364. What is the EU? (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 29 min · S1 E364

    Thinking in English BLACK FRIDAY SALE (50% Off Annual Memberships) - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish What is the EU? Is it just a group of countries in Europe? Is it a trade bloc? Or is it something much…

  50. 363. History of Mexico City! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

    · 26 min · S1 E363

    Thinking in English BLACK FRIDAY SALE (50% Off Annual Memberships) - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish The biggest city in North America isn’t New York or Los Angeles, it’s Mexico City. Mexico City is also…

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