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Easy English: Learn English with everyday conversations

Easy English: Learn English with everyday conversations

Written by: Isi & Mitch
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About this listen

 Get to know and learn English with Isi & Mitch; a bi-national couple in the UK. We talk all things British including pubs, small talk, music, food, the stiff upper lip and the bloody weather! We love to hear from our listeners and answer your questions on the English language or British life and culture. This is the authentic way to learn the language with day-to-day conversations and getting to know Isi & Mitch a little bit better. Become a member and we’ll give you interactive transcripts and bonus content for each episode at www.easyenglish.fm/membership!© 2026 Mitchell Hargreaves Foreign Language Audiobooks Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 90: How to Start a Conversation in English

    90: How to Start a Conversation in English
    Apr 20 2026

    Mitch and Isi give you advice on things you shouldn't do, things you should do when making conversations with strangers in English in different, everyday scenarios.

    Interactive Transcript

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    Transcript

    Intro

    Mitch:
    [0:22] Welcome aboard the HMS Easy English.

    Isi:
    [0:27] Her Majesty's sail.

    Mitch:
    [0:29] Her Majesty's ship.

    Isi:
    [0:30] Why are we on a ship?

    Mitch:
    [0:32] I don't know, because people are on a journey with us when they listen to the Easy English Podcast. And if we had to pick any mode of transport, we'd pick a boat.

    Isi:
    [0:40] I just realised that I didn't have this peach tea. Little fun fact for that.

    Mitch:
    [0:45] Fun fact.

    Isi:
    [0:46] For months and months.

    Mitch:
    [0:48] Fun fact.

    Isi:
    [0:49] I think I got a bit sick of it. I love a certain peach tea from Germany that we always bring to England.

    Mitch:
    [0:54] Oh yeah, you do. That has nothing to do with today's episode. Today's episode, we're going to be talking about introductions, specifically, how to start conversations in English and when in England or in the UK, because starting conversations is always quite difficult, in these in different scenarios, right?

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    22 mins
  • 89: 10 Everyday English Contractions

    89: 10 Everyday English Contractions
    Mar 31 2026
    Mitch and Isi give you 10 useful English contractions to help you sound like a native speaker! They also update you on a new, Asia-friendly 'Zoom' conversation call time. Interactive Transcript Support Easy English and get interactive transcripts and bonus content for all our episodes: easyenglish.fm/membership Show Notes Register your interest in our Asia-Friendly conversation call here: Click Here Transcript Intro Mitch: [0:22] Hiya, podcast peeps. Isi: [0:25] Hello. Mitch: [0:25] Welcome to another episode of the Easy English Podcast. Just in case you didn't know what you're... Isi: [0:32] What's your alarm for? Mitch: [0:34] That the laundry's done. Okay. Isi: [0:37] We're both eating sweeties. Mitch: [0:39] Mm-hmm. I'm eating a chocolate bar that is based on the stars, the Milky Way. I just said the name of the actual chocolate bar. So I'm eating a chocolate based on a space-themed chocolate. Isi: [0:55] We cannot make advertisement. There are also other really great... Mitch: [0:58] Space-themed chocolate bars. Isi: [1:00] Yeah, like Mars. They're probably all from the... Mitch: [1:02] Don't say Mars. Don't say the name. Isi: [1:04] You just said Milky Way. Mitch: [1:05] Oh yeah, sure. Yours is based on the planet. Isi: [1:07] Mars is the planet. Mitch: [1:08] Are there any other space... Isi: [1:09] We need to name them all now so that we don't do advertisement. Mitch: [1:11] Space-themed chocolate. Isi: [1:12] They're all yummy, yummy. Kinderriegel. Mitch: [1:13] Uranus. Oh God, what's going on? So in today's episode, we've got a few subjects to cover. The first thing I want to do, part of our 'Topic of the Week', is I realised, when making a lot of these street interviews, that there are a lot of informal contractions that people and myself are saying. And I sort of, thought it'd be good to sort of, do a rundown of maybe, 10 that you will commonly hear, that are very useful for you to try to pick up, try to integrate into your English vocabulary, into your English speaking. So I'm going to read them out and Isi, maybe you're going to tell me what two words are being contracted into one or what three words or... I think these are all mostly two words though. Isi: [1:55] This is always a test of my English knowledge, isn't it? Mitch: [1:57] A little bit, yeah. But you'll get them all, for sure. Topic of the Week Mitch: [2:07] Okay, the first one, and it's almost the same as this infamous 'bottle of water'. It's got the same sort of feel to it. Do you know what I mean? Isi: [2:18] Do you know what I mean? Mitch: [2:20] Exactly. Do you say, are you able to do this? Are you doing it in your everyday speaking? Isi: [2:25] Yeah, but it's even shorter. Mitch: [2:26] What? Isi: [2:27] Do you know what I mean? Mitch: [2:28] Do you know what I mean? Do you know what I mean? Do you know what I mean? And that's a very common one that people say. And it will almost be like a reflex kind of thing, you'll say when making a point. Like, maths is boring, do you know what I mean? Okay, next one. Probs. It is a contraction, but only of one word. Isi: [2:48] Probably. Mitch: [2:49] Probably. So how would we use this in a sentence? Mitch, is the laundry done? Probs. A classic one, which you like to use. You alright? Isi: [3:00] Are you alright. Mitch: [3:01] And you're not even saying the 'are' at the beginning. Isi: [3:03] No. Mitch: [3:06] Are you all right? Isi: [3:07] All right. Mitch: [3:08] Which can be used as a question or even just a sort of, a greeting. Isi: [3:12] All right, all right. Mitch: [3:13] You all right? And then the other person would respond. Isi: [3:16] Yeah, all right. Mitch: [3:17] Yeah, you all right? You all right, mate? Tomoz. Isi: [3:21] Tomorrow. Mitch: [3:22] Is shortening for tomorrow. Okay, here's ones that are very common that you should be using if you really want to sound like a native speaker, because everyone's using those. Those previous ones are kind of, quite informal. These ones are almost so commonly used, that they've almost become formal contractions. Dunno. Isi: [3:44] I don't know. Mitch: [3:45] I don't know. Dunno. I don't know. I don't know. What do you think? Isi: [3:49] What do you think? Mitch: [3:50] Dunno. What do you think? Gonna. Isi: [3:54] I'm going to. Mitch: [3:55] I'm going to. I'm going to. I'm going to go get the laundry in a bit. What are you going to do? Isi: [4:00] I'm going to go to the doctors. Mitch: [4:02] Nice. That is all very true statements we're saying. Isi: [4:05] For today. Mitch: [4:06] Wanna. Isi: [4:08] I want to. Mitch: [4:09] I don't wanna go get the laundry, how about you? Isi: [4:14] I don't wanna go to the doctors. Mitch: [4:16] Got... gotta or gotta. a lot of people say gotta. Isi: [4:20] Like, gotcha? Mitch: [4:21] g-o-t-t-a gotta. Isi: [4:25] I have to, I got to. Mitch: [4:27] Yeah, but I got to get the laundry. Isi: [4:30] But you would probably more say; I have to get the laundry than I got to get the laundry. Mitch: [4:34] I...
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    19 mins
  • 88: UK vs US | ft. Justin from Easy Languages

    88: UK vs US | ft. Justin from Easy Languages
    Mar 23 2026

    Justin, an American from Texas and Easy Languages family member joins us to talk about money, driving on the left, the Royal Family, plus culture shocks and strange similarities between Brits and people from the United States

    Interactive Transcript

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    Transcript

    Intro

    Mitch:
    [0:23] Hello, everybody.

    Isi:
    [0:24] Hello.

    Mitch:
    [0:25] Welcome to another episode of the Easy English Podcast. Isi, we have an exciting episode today, right?

    Isi:
    [0:33] Yes.

    Mitch:
    [0:35] Why is that?

    Isi:
    [0:36] We have a guest from our Easy Languages family. And, it will be exciting and interesting. Maybe we let our guests introduce themselves.

    Mitch:
    [0:49] Yes, greetings to our mystery guest. Who are you

    Justin:
    [0:54] Hello hello, my name is Justin, and I am a part of the Easy Languages family. I've been with Easy Languages for over four years now, which is beautiful, amazing. - Wow. - Yes. - And I'm really... yeah, I'm really excited to be on this Easy English podcast, because my native language is English. I grew up in the United States, in Houston, Texas, to be specific. But I also lived in Manchester, UK for a bit of time, around nine months, I want to say. And yeah, there are definitely a lot of differences. Some of them I kind of yearn to go back for, if I'm being honest.

    Mitch:
    [1:40] Wow, amazing. That's a good introduction. And you're a really amazing guest to have on to do these comparisons and contrasts, I guess. Can I ask a question before we start, Justin?

    Justin:
    [1:53] Yeah, go ahead.

    Mitch:
    [1:53] Can you name us some famous people from where you're from? Where in Texas were you from again?

    Justin:
    [1:59] I'm from Houston, Texas. And the most famous person that I will always represent is Beyoncé.

    Mitch:
    [2:03] Oh, really!?

    Justin:
    [2:04] Beyoncé is from Houston, Texas. Yes. So is all of the Destiny's Child. Some younger artists that I know. Post Malone is from Texas.

    Mitch:
    [2:14] Really? Wow!

    Justin:
    [2:15] Yes. But... Khaled, if you know that artist.

    Isi:
    [2:20] Yeah.

    Mitch:
    [2:21] DJ Khaled?

    Justin:
    [2:22] Not that one. The one that made that like breezy song. I forgot what it's called.

    Mitch:
    [2:29] Is Dolly Parton from Texas?

    Justin:
    [2:31] I was thinking about that, but I think she's from Tennessee.

    Mitch:
    [2:35] Because with Texas, it comes with a stereotype of people that look a bit like Dolly Parton in my mind. That's what I always think of.

    Justin:
    [2:42] I mean, they do exist. - Cowboy hats, cowboy boots. - The "bless your heart", type of people. Bless your heart, darling. Those people exist for sure.

    Mitch:
    [2:51] Pumpkin pie, people.

    Justin:
    [2:54] Matthew McConaughey. He's from Texas.

    Mitch:
    [2:57] Wow. All right, all right, all right.

    Justin:
    [3:00] Yes. He actually was a professor at the United... at the University of Texas in Austin.

    Mitch:
    [3:07] Wow. From Matthew McConaughey to Liam Gallagher, you went from. But this is great. This is already good. I'm already sort of getting a sense for the cultural comparisons that we're going to get. So, I believe you've prepared a list of certain contrasts and similarities for our 'Topic of the Week', right?

    Justin:
    [3:31] Yes.

    Mitch:
    [3:32] Okay, let's get started with that.

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    22 mins
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