Bonus episode #163 – High-stakes holiday

Have you ever made a funny bet with your family? In this episode, Andrew talks about his Christmas in Seoul. He explores a beautiful neighborhood, eats delicious food, and challenges his wife to an exciting arcade game. As you listen, you will hear clear, natural English and pick up useful expressions and storytelling language that can help you understand English more easily and speak it more smoothly. Don’t forget to check out the free interactive transcript and glossary to learn the idioms, phrasal verbs, and vocabulary Andrew uses in this episode that will help you sound more natural and confident when speaking English. Save 25% off a yearly Culips membership, renewal, or extension! Become a Culips member now. Important links: Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group speaking class schedule

In the last Chatterbox episode of 2025, you’ll listen to Andrew and Anna look back on the year with 15 fun reflection questions. You will hear them talk about surprising news, happy moments, new habits, travel stories, things they bought, and upcoming goals for 2026. Their conversation is relaxed and full of real, everyday English, so you can learn how native speakers look back on the past year and share personal experiences. What you will learn in this episode: How to talk about your year in English, including highs, lows, and things you did not expect Useful phrases for giving opinions, agreeing, and reacting with surprise or humor Natural ways to talk about habits, goals, and plans for the new year This episode is perfect for you if: You want to learn natural ways to talk about goals and habits, including routines that fell apart and new habits you want to keep You want to practice English for small talk topics that come up a lot, like travel, food, buying things, trends, and social media You want ideas and language you can use as inspiration to talk about your own 2025 and your plans for 2026 with friends or coworkers The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. These tools will help you review new words, check your understanding, and build confidence in speaking and listening. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

In this Culips episode, Andrew and his friend Luke talk about the Winter Olympics and why they are such a big deal in Canada. They chat about Olympic ice hockey, the return of pro NHL players, and the excitement and controversy around the next Games in Italy. You also hear them share their favorite winter sports, talk about strange Olympic events, and play a fun memory game where they try to name past Winter Olympic host cities. What you’ll learn with this episode: How to understand and use common conversation words like “chatter,” “lineup,” “controversy,” and “rivalry” How to follow a natural back-and-forth discussion about sports, history, and culture How English speakers react in the moment with expressions like “holy moly” and “it’s escaping me” How to give opinions and make predictions in English This episode is perfect for you if: You want listening practice with real, casual English conversation You want to build your speaking skills for everyday topics like sports, travel, and culture You want to learn useful vocabulary that helps you sound more natural and confident in English conversations The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.  Fact check: Ice Dancing vs. Figure Skating Jumps The Claim: Luke mentions knowing the names of maneuvers like the “triple Lutz” and “triple Salchow” because his mom watched Ice Dancing. The Fact: Those are Figure Skating jumps. In competitive Ice Dancing, athletes are actually forbidden from performing these types of multi-rotation jumps. It is a common mix-up, but the two are separate disciplines! Surfing as a “One-Off” Showcase The Claim: Andrew thought Surfing was a one-time showcase sport for the Summer Olympics, similar to breakdancing. The Fact: Unlike breakdancing (which was only for Paris 2024), Surfing is a permanent Olympic sport. It debuted in Tokyo 2020, appeared in Paris 2024, and is already confirmed for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The History of Ski Jumping The Claim: Luke suggested that ski jumping started at the Calgary 1988 Olympics with Eddie the Eagle. The Fact: Ski jumping is actually one of the original Winter Olympic sports. It has been in every Winter Games since the very first one in 1924 (Chamonix, France)—64 years before the Calgary Games. When the Games “Staggered” (The 2-Year Gap) The Claim: Andrew and Luke discussed the Games being “staggered” (Summer and Winter in different years) starting after 1988. The Fact: The change actually happened after 1992. Both the Summer and Winter Games were held in 1992 (Albertville and Barcelona). The first time the Winter Olympics were held in their own separate year was Lillehammer 1994. Canada’s 2010 Gold Medal Record The Claim: Luke estimated that Canada won about 10 gold medals in Vancouver 2010. The Fact: Canada actually won 14 gold medals in 2010. At the time, this set a world record for the most gold medals ever won by a single country at any Winter Olympics.

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana talk about harmful chemicals in household products and how they try to reduce exposure to these chemicals in their daily lives. You will hear them discuss common household cleaners, beauty items, plastic food storage containers, and some simple choices that they make to try and stay safe and healthy at home. What you’ll learn with this episode: How to talk about cleaners, beauty products, and everyday items in natural English Useful words and expressions related to safety, health, ingredients, and household routines How native speakers share personal stories, give examples, and explain their lifestyle choices Simple ways people try to avoid strong smells, heavy-duty cleaners, and unclear ingredients This episode is perfect for you if: You are interested in learning how to avoid unsafe chemicals in the daily products that you use You want to talk about everyday health and safety in clear, natural English You want to learn useful words for cleaners, beauty products, and daily routines The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

Have you ever had a moment where you thought, “OK, time for revenge”? In this episode, Andrew takes you to the streets of Seoul to talk about participating in the 2025 JTBC Marathon. As you listen, you will hear clear, natural English and pick up useful expressions and storytelling language that can help you understand English more easily and speak it more smoothly. Don’t forget to check out the free interactive transcript and glossary to learn the idioms, phrasal verbs, and vocabulary Andrew uses in this episode that will help you sound more natural and confident when speaking English. Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group speaking class schedule Andrew’s Gyeongju Marathon story

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana chat about the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Indiana shares how she hosted a vegetarian Thanksgiving potluck, talks about classic U.S. traditions like turkey, parades, football, and turkey trots, and compares them with Canadian Thanksgiving. Then Andrew and Indiana discuss Christmas: when the Christmas season really starts, decorations in the USA and in Seoul, Christmas cookies and holiday baking, Christmas music, and the stress of buying and choosing gifts for family. What you’ll learn with this episode: How to talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions in natural English Useful holiday vocabulary, such as potluck, parade, stocking, turkey trot, and Christmas carols How native speakers describe hosting guests, giving gifts, and feeling stressed or excited about holidays Real examples of small talk and storytelling about family, food, and celebrations This episode is perfect for you if: You want to speak more naturally about holidays, family gatherings, and special events You want to build your vocabulary for English conversations about traditions and culture You want to improve your listening skills with clear, natural speech from native speakers You want to feel more confident joining English conversations about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holiday season The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. These tools will help you review new words, check your understanding, and build confidence in speaking and listening. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

In this episode, Andrew and Alina share a Culips Community Update and introduce the final monthly challenge of 2025. They chat about their personal highlights from the year, then invite you to join the December 2025 Challenge on the Culips English Podcast Discord server. This month’s theme is reflecting on 2025, sharing your wins, celebrating community, and looking ahead to realistic English goals for 2026. December 2025 Challenge: Year End Reflection Theme: Reflect on your year, your English journey, and your connections in the Culips community  How it works: New tasks every other day throughout December Answer questions about your 2025 highlights, goals you achieved, and what you learned Share your favorite Culips episode of 2025 Tag and thank someone on the server who supported you or who you have practiced with Seasonal prompts about Christmas, end of year traditions, and setting realistic English goals for the new year Finish all the tasks to earn a festive completion certificate created by Alina It’s completely free, and it’s a fun way to practice English while connecting with learners from all over the world. How to Join the Culips Discord Server and Participate in the Challenge Create a Discord Account: Sign up for free at Discord. Download the App: Install Discord on your phone or computer for easy access. Join the Culips Server: Click this link to join the Culips English Podcast Discord server: Join Here. Enable the Monthly Challenge Channel: From the menu, select Channels and Roles. Go to the Browse Channels tab. Under the English Learning category, select Monthly Challenge to add it to your menu. Access the December Challenge: Click the pin icon at the top of the Monthly Challenge channel to view the December Challenge (available from December 2nd). Complete all the tasks to earn a certificate. Join in and start improving your English with the community!

In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna talk about what curiosity is, why you feel it, and how it can help or hurt you in everyday life. You will hear real stories about things they have been curious about lately, how curiosity can help you discover new ideas, and how it can sometimes distract you. They also explain the different types of curiosity (diversive curiosity and specific curiosity) and share useful idioms related to curiosity like “curiosity killed the cat.” What you will learn in this episode: Natural English phrases to describe what you want to learn, what interests you, and what catches your attention. Common words and idioms connected to curiosity, such as “childlike curiosity,” “healthy curiosity,” and “my curiosity got the better of me.” How Andrew and Anna talk about what interests them, respond to each other’s stories, and describe curiosity in clear, everyday English. This episode is perfect for you if: You want to think in English more easily when talking about what interests you You want to sound natural and confident when sharing your own stories and questions You want to learn clear, useful expressions to describe curiosity in everyday life The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. These tools will help you review new words, check your understanding, and build confidence in speaking and listening. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana talk about ethical dilemmas. They share everyday tricky situations, like splitting a restaurant bill, switching airplane seats, and seeing someone cheat on a test. You will hear how they think through hard choices, weigh pros and cons, and set healthy boundaries without starting a fight. What you’ll learn with this episode: Clear meanings for key words and phrases used to discuss ethics and choices How to give reasons, agree politely, and disagree respectfully in conversations Useful sentence patterns for sharing opinions and asking follow-up questions Real examples of softening language, like “it depends,” “I feel,” and “maybe” This episode is perfect for you if: You want to speak more confidently about real-life problems and choices You need practical phrases for meetings, classes, and daily life You like clear examples you can copy and use in your own English conversations The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

What makes the perfect bachelor weekend? In this episode, Andrew explains the English proverb “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” by sharing what happens when his wife takes a trip to Japan. He talks about his simple list of things he’s looking forward to doing alone. Along the way, you’ll learn useful idioms and everyday expressions while getting an inside look at Andrew’s wild weekend. Don’t forget to check out the free interactive transcript and glossary to learn the idioms, phrasal verbs, and vocabulary Andrew uses in this episode that will help you sound more natural and confident when speaking English. Important links: Become a Culips member Study with the interactive transcript Join the Culips Discord server Small-group speaking class schedule