How do you answer the question, “How are you?” It sounds simple, but native English speakers actually use a wide variety of answers. In this Real Talk episode, Andrew and Kassy share more than 30 common replies, including standard answers, sarcastic ones, and phrases people use on a busy or tough day. They explain what each phrase really means and the situations where you’ll hear it.

Listening to many natural responses is one of the best ways to build your everyday listening skills in English.

The best way to learn with this episode:

Culips members get an interactive transcript, a 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

Members can access the ad-free version here

Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice:
https://discord.gg/Bpxa85CFuc

Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:

• To put someone through the wringer
• A scholar and a gentleman
• Murky
• Not one’s cup of tea
• To be foiled
• To chuck something

Have you ever felt the fear of missing out on something exciting? In this bonus episode, Andrew talks about FOMO, finding yourself in a funk, exercising your green thumb, and growing your own food. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency.

The Study Materials for This Episode Are Free:

• The interactive transcript, study guide, and quiz for this episode are free for everyone. No membership needed. Get them here
• Become a Culips member to get study materials for every episode, live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more. http://culips.co to join.
• Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. https://discord.gg/Bpxa85CFuc

English Expressions featured in this episode

• FOMO
• On the ball
• To full send (it)
• To throw your hat into the ring
• To keep your eyes peeled
• To mull (something) over
• To hit (someone) like a ton of bricks
• To snap (yourself) out of (something)
• In a funk
• Green thumb

Would you leave England to start a new life in Bangkok? Would you plan a cycling trip across an entire country?

In this episode, Andrew interviews Michael Lavers from the Level Up English Podcast, a British podcaster who is doing exactly that. They chat about growing up in Cornwall, moving to Thailand, cycling adventures, and the challenges of learning Thai. Andrew ends the conversation with some quick questions about British pop culture that surprise even Michael!

Listening to long conversations like this one is a fantastic way to improve your listening skills and pick up natural English expressions in context.

The interactive transcript, study guide, and quizzes for this episode are 100% free for everyone. No membership is needed!

• Become a Culips Member: Get study materials for every episode, plus live speaking classes, ad-free audio, member-only perks, and more.

• Join Our Discord Community: Connect with other learners and get real-time English practice.

• Check out Michael’s podcast: Level Up English Podcast

Keep an ear out for these phrases during the episode:

• To put someone through the wringer

• A scholar and a gentleman

• Murky

• Not one’s cup of tea

• To be foiled

• To chuck something

Have you ever returned food at a restaurant? Fired a real gun? Used a fake ID to buy alcohol? Andrew and Indiana play Never Have I Ever in this episode, a popular North American game where players share the surprising things they have or have not done in their lives. Who has done more? Listen to find out, and learn some useful English expressions along the way.

Listening to natural English conversations like this one is a great way to improve your fluency.

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.

In this bonus episode, Andrew shares a couple of stories about what he’s been up to so far this spring, including a hike up a mountain in Seoul to see some spring flowers and doing a big deep clean of his house. Listen along to learn some vocabulary that will help make your English more natural and to improve your listening fluency.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member
• Study with the interactive transcript
• Join the Culips Discord server
• Small-group speaking class schedule

Are robots about to take over our houses? In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Kassy catch up and share what’s new in their lives. Kassy talks about the new robotics program at her school and the family members coming to visit her in Korea, and Andrew explains the strange little experiment he tried to finally get over his fear of the stock market.

Kassy also mentions an older episode about the GameStop story, which you can hear in Chatterbox 261 – “Meme stocks”

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 been on a great date, only to suddenly feel completely turned off by something small and unexpected? In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna talk about “the ick,” that sudden feeling of disgust toward someone you’re dating. They share their own icks, from almond milk to vocal fry, and look at why these reactions happen. Are they silly snap judgments, or could they actually be rooted in something deeper, like evolution or personal values?

Practice using the expressions from this episode in your own conversations, and you’ll sound more natural in no time.

– Andrew references articles from Time and Psychology Today: in the episode.

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 here: Click here.

Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join:

In this episode, Andrew looks back on March. He ran the Seoul Marathon for the third year in a row after a rough winter of injuries and almost no training. He also tells you about the construction project he and his wife tackled in their yard, and why two weekends of mixing cement felt harder than running 42 kilometers.

Important links:

• Become a Culips member:
• Join the Culips Discord server:
• Bonus 168 – Sick as a dog: