I really enjoyed putting this episode together. I've lived both in the U.S and Europe, and I've always been intrigued by the cultural differences. I thought it would be interesting to explore some of these differences, specifically around work. I think there's a fundamental difference in philosophy when it comes to this topic and understanding where it comes from gives us a good idea of how we can navigate it.  

+ We'll explore how the idea of "The American Dream" really became so widespread, by understanding how the events of the Second World War shaped the world.

Let me know if you enjoyed it!

Your English is fine. But something still feels a bit off, right? In this episode I want to show you something I learned at university that completely changed the way I understand how language works. It's one of those things that once you start paying attention, you'll see it everywhere. This episode is all about something I like to call "pre-loading" and how you can use to really refine what you say and how it is recieved. 

Let's talk about the things that make your English sound natural without you having to think about grammar every two seconds. The phrases that carry tone, attitude, and meaning way beyond the literal words. We're going to cover "chunking", "discourse markers", and the hidden layer of communication that controls tone, intention, and flow.

Episode Transcript

I started teaching again and I noticed a common mistake that people make regardless of level. I think it's because it feels like it's just a minor detail, but minor or not, I don't want you to make this mistake anymore. + We read a short article about an interesting topic that happens to be packed full of useful vocabulary, so get ready to level up.

Three bizarre news stories from around the world that are sure to give us a bunch of new vocabulary. A man who accidentally hacked into 7000 robot vacuums, a man who introduced a WW1 era bomb into his body, and Draco Malfoy goes viral in China. I swear I didn't make any of these up.

Controlling 7000 robots

Frenchman with lodged projectile

Malfoy viral in China

CLASSES

I have a list of stuff that I keep adding to, of words, expressions, phrases, etc that I want to talk about on the show. This episode is me going through this list and telling you all about how to use them, the nuances behind each one, and giving you ways in which you can incorporate them into your day-to-day with practical examples.

GROUP SESSIONS

I LOVE THIS EPISODE. It's really strange to hear myself like this. This was one of the first every episodes of English with Dane and you can definitely tell. I was listening to old episodes, to see if I noticed much of a difference, and wow. It feels like a totally different person. This episode talks about stuff that we don't really consider in our day-to-day but that I find fascinating. I hope you enjoy it, and if you haven't heard early episodes of the podcast I recommend that you do. It had a different vibe. Not better or worse, just different. Let me know what you think.

TRANSCRIPT (follow along while you listen)

A fun, varied little mix. We're starting off with the first Human vs Machine chess duel (1996), followed by the story of a family that tried to scam a restaurant in Sydney by putting armpit hair in their food, and then we're finishing off with questions from listeners who are understandably looking for advice. A bunch of great vocabulary and expressions in this one, too.

TRANSCRIPT

Get ready to learn a bunch of great vocabulary while analysing the importance of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime show. We're going to read an article that features not only a review, but also provides the cultural context necessary to really grasp what we watched.

TRANSCRIPT

What if there was a tool that could help your kids improve their English in a way they ACTUALLY like, while also allowing you the chance to connect with them? What if this tool also helped their critical thinking, problem solving and spatial-motor skills?

What if I told you that this tool was video games?

Before you dismiss this as a gimmick (a flashy or clever trick) let me try to remove the stigma some of us have about video games, and let me make my case for it being a really helpful and underrated tool for language learning, among other things (entre otras cosas).

Advanced Listening Practice - EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

A New York Times article read-along about the ongoing clashes between ICE agents and the people of Minneapolis. You'll find that this episode is a bit more demanding than others I've put out in the past, in that it features more complex sentence structures and trickier vocabulary. I want this to be a test of your listening and general comprehension skills.

The goal is not to understand every word, but to keep up as best you can and learn to tolerate that uncomfortable feeling of not catching every word. Don't get discouraged if you struggle. In fact, struggling should be your goal. Struggling is what comes right before growth and improvement. You should feel proud for sticking with it and keeping up the improvement, even when it doesn't feel linear. Here's the full article.

Some tragic news regarding a high-speed train accident in Spain.

At around 19:30 on Sunday 18th, a high-speed train derailed and crashed into another oncoming train. At the time of recording, at least 39 people have lost their lives, with dozens more in critical condition. On this episode, we read the news story surrounding the events that took place, in order to gain further insight into what happened.

We are OBSESSED with sports metaphors. I think it's because in the U.S sport have become a religion, and the corporate culture that they have exported mirrors this. Anywhere you look you find things like "the final stretch", "a heavy hitter" "out of left field", but do you know how to use them, or even for where they come from? This episode is a guide on how to use these phrases to blend in with native speakers and sound more natural.

I thought it would be cool to share this with you. I've been on a journey the last few years, and this past year (2025) was really the year it all clicked (or made sense). This is a bit of a personal episode, but hopefully that wont deter you from listening to it. There's some great vocab in there as always, and a challenge for you at the end of the episode. WARNING: you're going to be intimidated by it, but it's probably exactly what you need.

⁠TRANSCRIPT⁠

Here's part two of this article read along, that features what are probably the two most important ways in which we sabotage ourselves. Thinking of the WHOLE instead of the next part, and also lying to ourselves with what it is we actually want. This article has really helped me to reevaluate things in my life and I hope it does the same for you.

This article I came across had a refreshing perspective on the psychology behind how we stop ourselves from reaching our goals and how we kid ourselves (cómo nos engañamos) when it comes to actually changing things in our lives. With New Year's resolutions around the corner, what better time to reflect on how we're holding ourselves back.

I thought it was a fun article to read together because of the way it's written. It's as if your friend was talking to you, giving you a no-bullsh*t take on things. I really enjoyed it, and there's a bunch of great vocabulary and expressions that we'll talk about along the way. Hope you like it, and if you do, share it with a friend ✌️

Learning English with TV Shows is all good. But not all genres are created equal. This is a guide to the most underrated genres of shows that you might be ignoring. Yes, Friends and How I Met Your Mother are fun and stuff, but you might be sleeping on where the learning is actually happening. This episode is a wake up call for those of you whose main exposure to English is related to your TV. + Let's end the subtitle debate. This episode is ALSO a guide for how to use subtitles the right way, as well as strategies you can start using to really challenge yourself and ge to that next level. I really liked this episode. I hope you agree 🫶

TRANSCRIPT

Read this article with me.

We change the way we speak depending on who we're talking to. I think we can all agree on that. Some do it more than others, and some ethnicities HAVE to do it more than others, in order to try to avoid being stigmatised or stereotyped. I thought this was SUCH an interesting article about the Costs of Code-Switching and how we are impacted by it. This article focuses more on how Code-Switching affects black professionals in the US, and gives a really interesting view into a world that perhaps most of us are completely unaware of.

A look into some of the most common phrases and verbs you can use at work to sound like you know what you're talking about 😉. To circle back, to touch base, to sync up and more.

+ Dane's new immersion project right here in Madrid.

Conversación en inglés para practicar.

This conversation features my friend and celebrity hairstylist / make up artist Ruben Ramos @theawakeningofstyle

We talk about the importance of feeling good about yourself and how that impacts how you act upon the world, if beauty standards are getting away from us a bit, if botox and other procedures are a "slipper slope", and more.

Ruben's English isn't perfect, and throughout our conversation im helping him with small corrections to make sure we don't reinforce any incorrect structures. I hope this conversation illustrates that your English doesn't have to be perfect to be able to get your point across, and it's more about choosing your words with purpose, and speaking at a pace that feels good to you.

¿Es posible criar hijos bilingües sin aunque tú no lo seas? Pues sí. Y no lo digo yo, lo dice la ciencia. Este episodio responde a muchas preguntas que tenemos como padres sobre la educación de nuestros hijos en cuanto a la enseñanza de idiomas. ¿Se van a confundir si les exponemos al inglés desde muy pequeños? ¿Qué podemos hacer desde hoy mismo para que puedan desarrollar esta habilidad? ¿Me tengo que dejar todo el sueldo en clases? ¿En qué deberíamos enfocarnos? etc.

+ Te cuento mi filosofía sobre cómo hacer que disfruten del inglés y que no sea una experiencia estresante, tanto para ellos como para ti.

Noticias en inglés para practicar.

Cómo Trump esta arrinconando a los Latinos y por qué los jóvenes están tan desilusionados con todo.

I hope you enjoy this type of episode, because I think it's really

imporant (and interesting) to talk about these kinds of things. This isn't a political podcast, as you know, but sometimes we need to talk about the world to try to make sense of it. Tell me if you like this type of episode and I'll be sure to include them more often.

Thanks for listening, and for all of your support and kind messages . 🫶

Dane

P.S: I made a mistake in the recording, this is actually episode 28 of season 2.

Hoy hablo con mi amigo Coco Montes (@coco.montes), uno de los chefs más talentosos de España y creador de PABÚ, un restaurante que hace poco recibió su primera estrella Michelin 🌟Hablamos sobre el proceso secreto de evaluación de la guía Michelin y si realmente es como lo pintan en las pelis o en los programas de cocina. También sobre por qué ser chef puede ser una experiencia tan solitaria, qué es lo que de verdad separa a un chef con estrella Michelin de una persona normal, y la filosofía de Coco sobre la alta cocina, la hospitalidad y si la industria está fallando a la gente común.Coco isn’t just a great chef — he’s also a perfect example of how having a non-native accent but speaking English at a high level can sound incredible. His comfort with the language and his natural communication style allow him to express his ideas clearly and be himself — which is the whole point. He doesn’t stress about pronunciation or trying to sound “more native.” He speaks calmly, chooses his words carefully, and gets his message across beautifully. I think there’s really something to that.Let me know what you think about this type of episode, and if there’s anything I can do to make it an even richer experience.As always, thanks for watching (or listening) 🙌

Se podría decir que las preposiciones son una de las frustraciones más grandes para la gente. Te han enseñado mil reglas (con mil excepciones), pero pararte a pensar qué regla tienes que usar mientras vas hablando es inviable. Este episodio de English with Dane propone una manera más manejable y eficiente para lidiar con las preposiciones para que te cueste menos navegarlas .

This episode is NOT about debunking (proving wrong) any particular theories. It's about understanding why some of us are susceptible to adopting these theories. Is it something inside us? Is it mostly to do (tiene que ver) with external factors? Is it about the current state of the world? This article read-along is about trying to find answers to these questions and shed light on (clarify) why we are so quick to believe things that already fit our vision of the world. Let me know what you think.

Episode Transcript

Article

After listening to this episode you'll think smarter. Guaranteed.

The human brain isn't perfect. In fact, it’s lying to you every single day. In this episode, we’ll break down 5 of the most common biases (the sneaky mental shortcuts that mess with your decisions) and 3 everyday fallacies (the bad arguments we fall for without realizing). From thinking everyone is staring at you, to finishing a terrible TV show/series because you’ve “already watched half,” these little traps are everywhere. Let’s expose them, and fight back.

TRANSCRIPT

¡PRIMER EPISODIO EN VIDEO! 😲

Three news stories, and a bunch of new words/phrases for you to start using. An influencer on a plane doing something really unhygienic, rumours about White House staff, and a man with an unconventional bond to his alligator.

@englishwithdane on socials

What does it mean to sound natural? Is it something we can practice? (YES). This episode is a guide on how to make your English flow, and help you achieve the ultimate goal: to sound more like you. It turns out (resulta que) there's something you can start doing today that will give you the fastest results. This episode is about exactly that.

[TRANSCRIPT]

@englishwithdane

If you haven't grown up speaking English, you might have a

difficult time making some of these vowel sounds. This episode is all about helping you feel more comfortable with those "in-between" sounds that seem to escape us at times. A step by step guide for how to really internalise these sounds and apply them right away.

Transcript

For most people, moving to an English-speaking country for a few months isn't really a possibility. This episode is the antidote to that malady (illness). We'll cover what changes you can make right now in your life that will mimic/copy the benefits that you get from a full language immersion. From small like changing your devices to bigger things like your very own conversation buddy, there's a lot you can do to trick your brain into thinking you moved abroad. And the best part, it's all free.

Transcript to follow along

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A man gets stuck behind a waterfall for two days while out with his friends, which means we get a bunch of new vocabulary + Some thoughts on why English is tailor made (hecho a medida) for humans and the origins of phrasal verbs.

Follow along with the [transcript]

@englishwithdane

Instagram / TikToK / YouTube

Conversations are about connection and this episode is dedicated to help you connect. We get into what makes a great conversation great, how you can tweak (slightly change) your approach to follow-up questions, how to be more likeable, and more. New vocab too, of course.

Follow along by reading the transcript while you listen.

@englishwithdane on Instagram / TikTok

Episodes will now also come out on YouTube

I read this article about why facts don't change our minds and it gave me a lot to think about. What views am I holding that I haven't really thought through? How can I communicate my frustrations with certain ideas/beliefs in a heated argument in a way that makes people actually listen? Can we even change people's opinions? Oh, and there's some cool new vocabulary in there that we'll talk about, of course.

[EPISODE TRANSCRIPT]

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Are we laughing at actors/actresses failing at accents? Yup.

Ranking the 5 most appalling attempts at accents in Hollywood . But this episode isn't just making fun of actors, it's a bout understanding why accents mean so much to us, what they reveal and how we are slaves to our evolutionary traits.

Transcript

The story behind the dark origin of "Don't drink the Kool-Aid".

In the 1950s a preacher named Jim Jones starts a cult in Indiana. He envisions a multiracial, tight-knit* community where everyone succeeds. Sounds good, right? Well, in theory. Things take a turn for the worse and the man who once preached equality and respect suddenly thinks he's the voice of God, and he must be worshipped. What started out as a search for a utopia, ends in mass tragedy.

*Tight-knit = muy unido/estrecho, hablando sobre grupos de personas.

TRANSCRIPT

Original Article

En algún momento vas a tener que decirle a alguien que no estás de acuerdo. Eso es así. Este episodio te da las herramientas que necesitas para poder hacerlo sin faltar el respeto, de manera profesional y además sonando a que controlas de inglés. No sé qué más quieres.

Episode TRANSCRIPT

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Transcript

I bring good news. It turns out that learning a second language is actually doing much more for you than you think. Sure, the communication stuff is great, but were you aware that it's also protecting your brain against potential future ailments, while also allowing you to have more neuroplasticity (the rewiring of your brain) and more cognitive computing? ALSO, stuff on the correlation between English proficiency and career fulfilment. Check it out.

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Follo me on TikTok @englishwithdanae

Articles I reference in the episode:

Bilingual Brain

The Bilingual Advantage

Impact of Learning a Language on Brain Health

TRANSCRIPT

A veces no me creo que el inglés sea un idioma real. Tiene reglas invisibles, expresiones que no tienen ningún p*to sentido, sustantivos que se convierten en verbos y verbos que se vuelven sustantivos. ¿Hay reglas, o estamos improvisando todos? En este episodio vemos por qué el inglés puede parecer tan caótico y cómo podemos navegarlo.

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Here's the link to the article to read along while you listen.

It's not all podcasts and movies and tv series when it comes to staying sharp. Don't forget to branch out (buen phrasal verb) and try things you might not usually do. Reading an article while on your coffee break, or on the bus on the way to see a friend is a great way to keep practicing while learning new things. Let me know if you like this type of episode

Vamos a cambiar un poco las cosas porque siento que últimamente he estado predicando demasiado. Tengo unos segmentos nuevos para ti: Behind the Headline, Lost in Translation y La lista de Dane. Cuéntame qué te parece este episodio en los comentarios. Let's go!

@englishwithdane on Instagram and TikTok

Esto no puede ser. ¿Por qué todo el mundo es “intermediate?” Si sientes que estás estancad@ y que nunca vas a salir del “intermediate”, tengo buenas noticias: Puede que ya no seas intermediate. Ahora te lo tienes que creer. En este episodio vemos por qué tanta gente se considera intermediate, y si tiene realmente que ver con habilidad o si es algo social. También te cuento como salir del “Intermediate trap” si sientes que estás ahí. 

Un episodio para entrenar el oído.

¿Por qué hay acentos en inglés que cuestan más a los hispanohablantes? ¿Deberías elegir entre acento americano o británico cuando estás aprendiendo inglés? + Un TEST para ponerte a prueba, entrenar el oído y subir de nivel.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@englishwithdane⁠⁠⁠⁠

¿Puedes mejorar tu ingles viendo series? Sí. Pero hay que hacerlo bien. No vale con solo ponerte la tele y ver tus series favoritas. En este episodio de English with Dane te cuento el método que mejor funciona (según la ciencia) para que esas horas de televisión te sirvan de verdad. 

Una colección de noticias bizarras de las cuales vamos a extraer un montón de palabras nuevas para tu vocabulario. Un "YouTuber" que fue detenido en la india por colarse a una isla prohibida, una pasta de dientes con sabor a pollo frito y una mujer que intenta asaltar a los pilotos por llegar tarde. Locura total. Pero eso no significa que no podamos aprender alguna que otra cosa.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠@englishwithdane⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠@danerivarola⁠

El sistema de niveles (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) no se creó para ayudarte a aprender. Se creó para compararte y para encasillarte y para hacerte creer que aprender un idioma es un proceso lineal y nítido. Esto no es verdad y hasta me parece peligroso. Ahora usamos estos niveles como parte de nuestra identidad "pues yo soy un b1", cuando en realidad dicen muy poco de nuestra capacidad de comunicación. En este episodio te doy 7 razones que explican por qué deberíamos dejar de fijarnos tanto en estos niveles y como puedes enfocar tu aprendizaje de manera mas eficiente.

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⁠⁠⁠@englishwithdane⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠@danerivarola

Oye, si ya estás cansado de traducir y quieres empezar a pensar en inglés de una vez, este episodio es para ti. Para llegar a ser "fluent", tienes que dejar de darle vueltas al español en tu cabeza e intentar pensar como un "native speaker". En este episodio de English with Dane, te voy a dar unos trucos para que lo consigas, sin excusas y sin importar si eres un novato o ya llevas algo de tiempo.

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⁠⁠@englishwithdane⁠⁠

⁠⁠@danerivarola

One of the most useful episodes of English with Dane. I've been researching what it means to sound "more professional" and I have summarised it for you to be able develop better habits right away. I made a list of great compound adjectives for you to sound better right away, but there's also some scientific research about pauses, intonation and overall competency that I think you will find very eye-opening. Let me know what you think.

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⁠@englishwithdane⁠

⁠@danerivarola

This episode is my answer to the most-searched question on Google about learning English. I'm not going to give you miracle advice (because that doesn't exist) but I will give you my take (or opinion) on the best thing you can do moving forward. It’s free, and it’s something you can start doing today: A shift in perspective that will help you be more consistent and more efficient. I hope you enjoy it and more importantly, that you start applying it today.

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⁠@englishwithdane⁠

⁠@danerivarola

La obsesión con tener un “buen acento” le revienta la cabeza a muchísima gente que está aprendiendo inglés. Los que ya hablan bien quieren sonar como nativos, y los que están empezando ni abren la boca porque creen que su acento da pena. Spoiler: no necesitas sonar como nadie más para comunicarte. Da igual en qué punto estés, este episodio es la sacudida que necesitas (con amor).

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@danerivarola