English in 10 Minutes: Recent Episodes
Nick Leonard
English in 10 Minutes is a weekly podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners. Each episode is about 10 minutes long and features real, unscripted English conversations about people, places and their stories. Worksheets for each episode, including full transcripts of every conversation and an analysis of the best language used, are available at http://englishin10minutes.com.
In the last episode of English in 10 Minutes, Nick and Wendy give their top tips for language learning, including how to enjoy the process, how to practice speaking, and which smartphone apps to use.
Our guest Jovanka tells us how she arrived in Rome from New Zealand, why she stayed there, what her favourite Roman places are, and what changes she noticed after recently returning to Rome.
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting two favelas, the famous slums of Rio de Janeiro. In particular, they discuss the security situation and the level of development in the favelas.
Nick and Wendy return to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the last major destination on their trip in South America. They talk about Rio’s staggering natural beauty, from the beaches to the mountains.
Our guest Jovanka talks about her home country of New Zealand. In particular, she discusses the differences between the north and south islands, the indigenous Māori culture, the All Blacks, and New Zealand’s rivalry with Australia.
While in Salvador, Nick and Wendy attended a ceremony of the Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé. In this episode, they talk about the experience and the religion in general.
Nick and Wendy visit the Brazilian city of Salvador de Bahia. They talk about the Afro-Brazilian culture of Salvador, including music and capoeira.
Nick and Wendy continue their trip in Brazil and visit three colonial cities in the northeast of the country: São Luís, Recife and Olinda. They talk about their experiences in each city.
Nick and Wendy visit the Brazilian capital Brasília. They talk about their impressions of Brasília and about other planned cities such as Washington, D.C. and Canberra.
Back in Brazil, Nick and Wendy discuss their visit to the world’s largest wetlands area: the Pantanal. In particular, they talk about the various animals they saw while they were there.
Nick and Wendy visit a working silver mine in Bolivia. They talk about the extremely difficult conditions they saw and the impactful experience they had in the mines.
In our fourth Roman Stories episode, our guest Jill talks about why she moved to Rome 13 years ago. She chooses her favourite place in Rome and explains why life in Italy is different from life in the United States.
Nick and Wendy talk about returning to Bolivia 13 years after their last visit. In particular, they discuss the country’s amazing natural beauty, including the world-famous Salar de Uyuni salt flats.
Nick and Wendy talk about spending a few days in Paraguay. They discuss Paraguay’s attractions such as the Jesuit missions in the south and the capital Asunción.
Our guest Tyson tells his story of moving from the United States to Rome in 2000, starting by working in a bar and eventually becoming a city tour guide and then a tour director throughout Europe.
Nick and Wendy visit Iguaçu Falls for the second time and have a much better experience than on their disappointing first visit. They talk about the wonders of both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the falls.
Nick and Wendy begin their South American trip in the mega-city of São Paulo, Brazil. They talk about their expectations before they arrived and how São Paulo turned out to be a big surprise for them.
In our first ever three-person conversation, Nick, Wendy and Nick’s brother Tim talk about the German city of Munich. In particular, they talk about Munich’s parks, its traditional beer culture and its untraditional urban surfing culture.
As Nick and Wendy prepare to go to Brazil, Wendy reminisces about the time she went to Rio de Janeiro to study Portuguese as a university student in 1995.
In the second episode of Roman Stories, Wendy talks about how she found herself living in Rome many years ago and why she keeps going back, as well as nominating her favourite neighbourhood in Rome.
Our guest is Nick’s brother Tim, who returns to the podcast to talk about his experiences learning German while living in Germany, both as a teenager and as an adult.
In the first of our Roman Stories episodes, Nick shares the story of how he visited Rome for the first time and how he eventually came to live there and to fall in love with the city.
Nick and Wendy talk about their recent trip to Slovakia in Central Europe. They discuss Slovakia’s natural beauty as well as its cities and castles and how it’s a fairly undiscovered country.
Our guest, Nick’s mother Marion, talks about her mother’s life journey, from the Netherlands to Indonesia to spending time in a Japanese prison camp in World War II to finally moving to Australia.
Nick and Wendy recently visited Prague in the Czech Republic. They talk about what they did there and they also reminisce about their previous trips to Prague in 2000-2001.
For our 100th episode, Nick and Wendy talk about their favourite city in the world: Rome, Italy. They discuss Rome's historical layers and the difficulty of having a functioning modern city on top of a ruined ancient city.
Our guest, Nick’s mother Marion, talks about visiting Europe as a 21-year-old in 1969. In particular, she talks about travelling to Europe from Australia by boat and visiting places places like London, Prague and Rome.
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the North African country of Tunisia. They talk about enjoying Tunisia’s cultural heritage, taking a Roman bath, and accidentally stumbling onto a tourist resort.
Nick and Wendy talk about one of their favourite countries in Africa: Ethiopia. They discuss the country’s history and food and talk about some of the places they liked the most in Ethiopia.
Our guest, Nick’s father Geoff, is back to talk about his home town of Sydney, Australia. He talks about Sydney’s harbour, beaches and beauty.
Nick and Wendy talk about the famous Portuguese music style known as fado. They discuss the concept and origins of fado, and how to see it in Lisbon.
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting Maya archeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. They discuss the Maya pyramids, the surrounding landscapes and the value of visiting several different sites.
Nick and his father Geoff talk about their home country of Australia. In particular, they talk about identity and development in Australia, the country’s popular sports, and some special places in Australia that Geoff has visited.
Nick and Wendy talk about walking the Camino Primitivo - the Original Way - of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. They talk about the people they met along the way, the difficult weather conditions, and the spirit of the camino.
Nick and Wendy talk about their recent trip to the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. They talk about the region’s famous vineyards and its other attractions.
In the second part of this two-part conversation about his overland trip from South Africa to the UK in 1976, our guest Reg talks about travelling through Arabia, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
In the first part of a two-part episode, our guest Reg talks about living in Apartheid-era South Africa in the 1970s and the challenges he faced and experiences he had driving through Africa in 1976 in a kombi van.
Nick and Wendy talk about Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. They talk about life along the riverfront and the other things they did during their recent trip to Porto with Nick’s family.
Nick and Wendy talk about another one of their favourite countries: Egypt. They discuss Egypt’s incredible ancient sites as well as its natural beauty.
Our guest Hairul talks about his home country of Singapore. He talks about doing army service as well as Singapore’s ethnic mix, its delicious food and its famous chewing gum ban.
Nick and Wendy talk about the country Wendy listed as her second favourite in the world: Peru. They talk about Peru’s archeological sites and incredible nature.
Nick and Wendy talk about one of their favourite (and most surprising) countries: Pakistan. They discuss Pakistan’s friendly people and beautiful mountain scenery.
Our guest Alex talks about his hometown of St. Louis in the United States. He talks about the city’s famous arch, its charm and what he thinks of its reputation as the best baseball town in America.
Nick and Wendy talk about Iceland, which Wendy ranked as her fourth favourite country in the world. They discuss the extraordinary natural beauty of Iceland and doing a hike that didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Nick and Wendy talk about their visit to Madagascar several years ago. The highlight, of course, was all the different lemurs they saw while they were there!
Our guest Joanna talks about her experiences living and working in Papua New Guinea. She discusses Papua New Guinea's languages, culture and love for her favourite sport, rugby league.
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the chocolate festival held in the beautiful medieval town of Óbidos in Portugal.
On a short trip to Berlin, Nick and Wendy take an ‘alternative’ walking tour to discover some of the lesser known sites and areas of the city.
Our guest, Nick’s brother Tim, talks about being in Germany as a teenager when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989 and visiting Berlin shortly afterwards.
Wendy talks about her love for ice skating. She talks about the many opportunities she had to go ice skating while living in Switzerland and her search for a skating rink this winter while living in Portugal.
Nick and Wendy talk about their memories of the Winter Olympics from childhood, and Nick talks about his experiences volunteering and working at four Winter Olympics for the Olympic News Service.
Our guest Yassin talks about the development of Swiss identity despite the language divides that exist in the country. He discusses direct democracy and differences between French-speaking Switzerland and France.
After walking for 39 days to get there, Nick and Wendy talk about the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela: the Celtic atmosphere, the historical architecture, and going up to the rooftop of the cathedral. This episode is part of our special audio series The Way. Find out more: https://englishin10minutes.com/theway/
In their last conversation from Southern Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about visiting two historically poor but very different areas of Johannesburg: the township of Soweto and the Ponte Tower.
Our first special audio series - The Way - is now available! Find out more at https://englishin10minutes.com/theway
Our guest Ed talks about his parents’ early lives in the Soviet Union, growing up in Tajikistan in the 1960s, and moving to Canada at age nine.
Nick and Wendy talk about two community tourism projects in the small African country of Lesotho. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes.
Nick and Wendy talk about the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the ninth and last country that they visited on their trip in Southern Africa.
Our guest Patrick talks about the first part of his sailing trip around the world. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the famous Apartheid-era prison on Robben Island, near Cape Town in South Africa - where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned - and being guided by an ex-prisoner.
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the Namibian Desert and enjoying its spectacular scenery. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Our guest Patrick talks about his life spent sailing on Lake Geneva, from learning how to sail as a young boy to making a career out of sailing as an adult.
Nick and Wendy talk about their overnight camping trip in a canoe in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick and Wendy talk about the first two train trips in sub-Saharan Africa that they took recently: an overnight train in Zimbabwe and a day train in Mozambique.
Our guest Jane talks about growing up in Zimbabwe when it was ruled by the British and called Rhodesia. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick and Wendy visit the archeological site called Great Zimbabwe in the country of Zimbabwe. They talk about the atmospheric nature of Great Zimbabwe and the things they liked about it.
Nick and Wendy talk about their visit to an elephant orphanage project in Zambia. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Our guest Ted talks about his current home city of Cape Town, South Africa. He discusses Cape Town’s incredible natural beauty, its cultural mix and much more.
Nick and Wendy talk about the Scottish colonial village of Livingstonia in Malawi and the road that leads there. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
In the second part of a two-part episode about Stone Towns off the east coast of Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about wonderful Mozambique Island.
In the first part of a two-part episode about Stone Towns off the east coast of Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about the wonderful destinations of Lamu and Zanzibar.
Our guest Ted talks about exploring the network of tunnels underneath Paris. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the Mozambican capital Maputo and, in particular, the historic and fascinating Mafalala neighbourhood.
Nick and Wendy talk about the spectacular African festival that is the Swaziland Reed Dance. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick’s friend Ted grew up in North America but has Taiwanese parents. In this conversation he talks about how his father was nostalgic for Taiwan and what happened when he eventually returned.
Nick and Wendy talk about their walking safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick and Wendy recently visited a chimpanzee rescue sanctuary in South Africa called Chimp Eden. In this episode they talk about the sanctuary and the chimps who live there.
Nick’s colleague Melissa talks about her home town of San Francisco in the USA. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
To celebrate the 50th episode of the podcast, Nick and Wendy each list their five favourite countries in the world. Some of their choices might surprise you!
Nick and Wendy talk about hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
Nick’s friend Yassin is an English teacher in his native Switzerland. In this conversation, he talks about the four Swiss national languages: (Swiss) German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Six years after their overwhelming first experience in Morocco, Nick and Wendy returned. In this conversation, they talk about their second trip to Morocco.
Nick and Wendy have travelled a lot, but the first time they went to Morocco in 2001 they were inexperienced and unprepared. In this conversation they talk about the culture shock they experienced in Morocco.
Nick’s friend Cathy is from the English-speaking Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago. In this conversation she talks about her family background and Trinidad’s history and culture.
Several years ago Nick and Wendy had the great pleasure of visiting Antarctica. In this episode they talk about the white continent and their amazing experience there.
Nick and Wendy recently went to the Portuguese town of Mértola to experience the Islamic Festival that is held there every two years. In this episode, they talk about the markets and other activities of the festival.
Our last guest Sarah is back for another chat. In this conversation, she talks about her love for the theatre in all its forms, including ballet and Pantomime.
Nick and Wendy talk about the fun (and tasty) experience of going to illegal Chinese restaurants in their new home city of Lisbon, Portugal.
Nick and Wendy talk about their new home: Lisbon, Portugal. They discuss the city’s hills and some of the lookout points that afford great views of old Lisbon.
Nick’s English friend Sarah lives in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. In this episode she talks about the life she leads in Copenhagen and why she loves it.
During their trip to southern Italy and Malta, Nick and Wendy saw several paintings by their favourite painter, Caravaggio. In this episode they talk about Caravaggio’s life and about why they like his paintings.
Nick and Wendy discuss their recent visit to Malta. In particular, they talk about visiting the site of Gozo’s famous Azure Window, which collapsed and disappeared a few weeks earlier.
Nick’s English friend Helen is a Russian-English interpreter. In this conversation she talks about learning Russian and her experiences in Russian-speaking countries.
Nick and Wendy are in the Sicilian capital Palermo. They talk about the famous Ballarò produce market, the unusual vegetables you can find there, and how it’s different from markets in their home countries.
As part of their recent trip to southern Italy, Nick and Wendy climbed the volcano on the island of Stromboli. In this conversation they talk about the climb and what they saw at the top of the volcano.
Nick’s friend Caitriana used to be a potter. In this conversation she talks about how you make pottery, how she got into the profession, and how artists are viewed in society.
In their second conversation about the Italian city of Naples, Nick and Wendy talk about walking ‘The Sacred Mile’ in the Sanità neighbourhood, a fascinating and undiscovered part of the city.
Nick and Wendy have spent Easter in Spain for the last two years. In this conversation, they talk about seeing the famous Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations in three different Spanish cities, including Seville.
Nick’s colleague Sandra grew up speaking English and French and now she teaches both languages. In this conversation she talks about her language experiences.
Nick and Wendy talk about traditional Italian pizza from the city of Naples and about how it’s different from American pizza. They also discuss the concept of 'cucina povera' (poor man’s cooking) in Italian cuisine. Delicious!
Last year, Nick and Wendy spent several days walking alongside Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. In this conversation, they talk about their visit and about the Wall itself.
Nick’s friend Ciaron is half English and half Irish. In this conversation he talks about his family background and his experiences related to both countries and cultures.
Nick and Wendy recently saw two very different Carnaval parades in Portugal - one in Portuguese style and the other in Brazilian style. In this conversation they discuss the two parades.
Nick and Wendy have been to Berlin twice together, and it snowed both times. In this conversation they talk about these two snowy experiences in the German capital.
Our last guest Zsuzsa is back to tell Nick about her home country, Hungary. She talks about living under communism as a child, what Hungarians are like, and where to go in Hungary as a tourist.
Nick and Wendy talk about learning Chinese. Wendy explains why she decided to start learning Chinese, why she likes it, and why it’s different from other languages.
In the second part of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about seeing baby turtles hatch on a beach at a turtle conservation project in Panama.
In the first of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about volunteering at a turtle conservation project in Panama and seeing a mother sea turtle come up to the beach in the middle of the night to lay her eggs.
Nick’s friend and former boss Zsuzsa talks about the FIVE languages she speaks every day, and she teaches Nick a thing or two about Hungarian.
In the second episode of this two-part conversation, Nick and Wendy talk about seeing several other sections of the Great Wall of China, including both the eastern and western end points of the Wall.
In the first part of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the Great Wall of China at Badaling, near Beijing.
Wendy’s father was an armchair traveller who didn’t have the opportunity to travel as much as he wanted to. In this episode Wendy talks about her Dad’s love of travel and his one big trip to the Holy Land.
Nick’s American friend John talks about the city he lives in: Los Angeles, California. He explains the appeal of the city, why he always wanted to move there, and the things you can do in L.A. as a tourist or a local.
Nick and Wendy reminisce about their visit to Palmyra before the Syrian civil war. They talk about the spectacular Roman ruins and the tragedy of what has happened in Palmyra and in Syria because of the war.
Winter has arrived in Switzerland and even though it’s cold, it’s still an enjoyable time of year. Nick and Wendy talk about the different winter activities they do and other aspects of winter life in Switzerland.
Greece is a wonderful holiday destination for many people, but what’s it like to live there? Nick’s Australian friend Phil talks about his experiences living in Greece, both positive and negative.
Nick and Wendy talk about seeing orang-utans on their travels in Southeast Asia. They compare their experiences at rehabilitation centres in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Nick and Wendy talk about the Escalade, a local festival celebrated in Geneva every December. They talk about the history behind the festival and how it is celebrated each year in the old city.
Nick’s English friend Paul wrote a book about a personal journey that took him from being unemployed on Brighton Beach in the UK to working at the European Games in Baku and then at the Olympics in Rio. In this episode he talks about his journey.
Nick and Wendy talk about the tradition of Christmas markets in Europe. They discuss several Christmas markets that they have visited, their experiences at the markets, and why they like them.
Nick and Wendy talk about their recent weekend trip to the Swedish capital Stockholm. They discuss their impressions of Stockholm, the boat trip that they took around the city and the old city itself.
Nick’s English friend Dave has worked as a journalist at every summer Olympic Games since 1980. In this conversation, recorded at Rio 2016, he talks about his Olympic experiences from Barcelona 1992 to London 2012.
Nick’s English friend Dave has worked as a journalist at every summer Olympic Games since 1980. In this episode he talks about his experiences at the Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Olympics.
Nick and Wendy talk about autumn in Switzerland, including why it’s different from where they grew up, the places you can go in Switzerland to make the most of autumn, and the food that’s in season at this time of year.
Nick and Wendy were lucky enough to see wild mountain gorillas in the Congo several years ago. In this episode they talk about this incredible experience and the impact it had on them.
Nick’s friend Lena was born in the Soviet Union, moved to Canada at age 10, and now lives in Russia. In this episode she talks about her childhood and her experiences in both countries.
Nick and Wendy talk about two walking tours they went on during their recent trip to Belgrade. One was a communist walking tour mostly about Tito and his era, while the other one took them underground to some of Belgrade’s hidden places.
Nick and Wendy talk about the Serbian capital, Belgrade, which they have visited several times. They discuss the history and location of the city and talk about how proud Serbian people are of their culture and their capital.
Nick’s English friend Luke has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the past three years with his wife and young son. Luke talks about why likes living in Rio and about the experiences he has had there.
Nick and Wendy talk about the city they currently live in: Geneva, Switzerland. They talk about the size of the city, how they get around the city, the things they like about living in Geneva and what they do on weekends.
In the first episode of English in 10 Minutes, married couple Nick and Wendy talk about their different backgrounds as native English speakers and how this has affected the way they speak English.
In this introductory episode, host Nick Leonard explains what the podcast is all about, why listening is important in language learning, and how you can use English in 10 Minutes to improve your English.