#363 Thanksgiving 2025

Tom (Being serious): Hey, do we have to send thank you notes to everyone we've ever met for Thanksgiving? James (Laughing): Oh no, it's not like that! Thanksgiving is more about enjoying turkey and pie with family and friends, not writing thank you notes to everyone!  Hi! Welcome to a special podcast about Thanksgiving! I'm Georgiana, your English teacher, and I want to tell you about Thanksgiving.  Before we start, get the transcript of this episode for free. Visit: SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast 

This is the fourth and final episode in our pronunciation series. In the first episode, we practiced R and L. In the second, we worked on the TH sound. In the third, we practiced V and B. And today, we will practice the difference between SH and CH. These sounds look similar, but they are not the same. For example: ship and chip. So let's practice with some minimal pairs, some fun tongue twisters, and finally a mini-story. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/362-english-pronunciation-practice-sh-and-ch-sounds/

This is the third episode in our pronunciation series. In the first episode, we practiced R and L. In the second one, we worked on the TH sound. And today, we'll practice the difference between V and B. These sounds can be very tricky, because in some languages there isn't much difference between them. But in English, they are very different. So today, we'll warm up with some minimal pairs, then practice with simple sentences, and finally we'll do a mini-story. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/361-english-pronunciation-practice-the-v-and-b-sounds/

Today, we'll practice one of the trickiest sounds in English: the TH sound. Actually, English has two TH sounds: The voiceless /θ/, like in think, thank, thirty. The voiced /ð/, like in this, that, brother. Many students replace them with t, d, s, or z. For example: They say tank you instead of thank you. Or zis instead of this. Get the transcript on my website: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/360-english-pronunciation-practice-the-th-sound/

This is the first episode in a special pronunciation series. We'll do four episodes in a row, each one focused on different sounds. In this first episode, we'll work on R and L. Next time, we'll practice the TH sound. Then, we'll look at V and B. And finally, we'll practice SH and CH. So, step by step, you'll train your pronunciation with word pairs, tongue twisters, and fun mini-stories. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast/  

This is the first episode in a special pronunciation series. We’ll do four episodes in a row, each one focused on different sounds. In this first episode, we’ll work on R and L. Next time, we’ll practice the TH sound. Then, we’ll look at V and B. And finally, we’ll practice SH and CH. So, step by step, you’ll train your pronunciation with word pairs, tongue twisters, and fun mini-stories. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast/

Welcome back, travelers! One last time, pack your bags — we're heading west. Today, we'll visit the Southwest and the West. In the Southwest, we have: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. And in the West, we have: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. That's fifteen states in total! Today, we'll take a closer look at Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. Get the text here: 

This is the third episode of our state names series. This time, we're traveling to the Midwest. Let's quickly list all the states in the Midwest: They are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. That's twelve states in total! I'll just focus on a few of the most representative ones: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Get the text here: Speakenglishpodcast.com/357-us-state-name-stories-midwest/

Hi! This is part two of our series about US state names. Today, we'll explore the Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. That's eleven states in total! And today I'll focus on: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. You'll hear stories of English kings, Dutch settlers, and Native American words that still live on today. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/356-us-state-name-stories-northeast/

Are you ready for a trip through the United States? Pack your bags — because today we're starting a special journey! In this first episode, we'll travel to the Southeast: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Next time, we'll continue our trip to the Northeast, then to the Midwest, and finally we'll finish in the West and Southwest. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/the-weird-wonderful-origins-of-us-state-names-southeast