Cape Town: 10 surprises

Cape Town: 10 surprises

27, July, 2026

Episode 199: 10 Surprising Things about Cape Town

In this podcast, Sue tells Chris about her trip to Cape Town, South Africa and the many things that surprised her.

Usa and guns

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode you’ll hear about Cape Town and many of your notions of this city may be challenged. Listen in as Sue tells Chris what surprised her ranging from the weather, to the food, to the politics.

Notes

Do you sometimes go on holiday and are surprised by what you find there? Away from the usual tourist attractions everyday life can be so different from your home town. 

What do you know about Cape Town ?

Politics ? Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years first in Robben Island and then in other prisons around Cape Town. Since the end of Apartheid Cape Town has become a vibrant melting pot.

Geography ? The landscape is dramatic thanks to the imposing sight of Table Mountain.

Wine ? The land around Cape Town is home to many vineyards producing first class wine.

Shopping ? The shops in the Waterfront centre are some of the best in the world.

The sea ? The dramatic coast line is home to penguins, sharks and whales

What does Sue say about the water situation in Cape Town? It was a surprise !

Recap & Takeaways

These photos may help you to follow the conversation.

This is a photo of the weather in Cape Town. How does Sue describe it?

What does Sue say about the many statues in the city and why they surprised her?

This is a photo of a Hen Party which surprised Sue. Can you imagine what a hen party is, and why it surprised Sue on Robben Island. Why was the tour guide cross with the girls?

 

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Are you a terrible cook?

Are you a terrible cook?

27, July, 2026

Episode 230: Are you a terrible cook ?

In this podcast Sue chats to Victoria. As a novice cook, Victoria has certainly had some mishaps. Listen in to these amusing stories, maybe you have similar experiences too. She also gives great tips about writing a blog, especially its a language learner.

Welcome back to English-Podcasts In this episode you can hear lots cooking vocabulary and word associated with the kitchen. Plus listen till the end to hear tips on wrting skills.

Notes

Have you ever had any mishaps in the kitchen? If so, are you able to describe what happened in detail? In this podcast you can hear Victoria talk about her mistakes and how she reacted.

Victoria also give tips on improving writing skills. Food blogging is a very popular subject, with bloggers from all over the world sharing their recipes and thoughts on food with an ever-growing audience of foodies.
To expand your vocabulary ever further check out the foods and tons of great vocabulary.

Plus many others…..

 
 
 

Recap & Takeaways

ACTIVE PREPARATION

Before listening to the podcast, think about the following :

  1. What are food blogs about?
  2. Who writes food blogs?
  3. Why do people write food blogs?

After listening to Victoria – English Food Blogger, try to answer the following questions?

  1. How old is Victoria?
  2. How did she start doing her blog?
  3. What did Victoria study at university?
  4. Why did Victoria choose to write a food blog?
  5. What foods does Victoria mention?
  6. Who tests out Victoria’s recipes?
  7. Is it difficult to set up a food blog?
  8. Is setting up a food blog expensive?
  9. Who does Victoria primarily write her blog for?
  10. What tips does Victoria give for potential bloggers?

Victoria gives some tips for non-native English speakers who may wish to write a blog.

 

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Effective Presentation Skills Ep 1

Effective Presentation Skills Ep 1

27, July, 2026

Episode 229: Effective Presentation Skills Episode 1

In this podcast, we talk about the best way to overcome the fear of speaking in public and then building on that how to make your presentations effective.

Welcome back to English-Podcasts. Effective Presentation Skills Episode 1 is part of a series of podcasts aimed at helping people to be more effective when presenting in front of an audience.Listen in as we talk about some of the pitfalls in presentations, including managing stress, information overload and why people deliver presentations.

Notes

Presenting information clearly and effectively is one of the key soft skills, if not the most important soft skill for life, and especially in business.

Getting your message or opinion across is essential, and, today, presentation skills are required in almost every field of professional life.

If you are a manager, a technician, an engineer, a student, business owner or whatever, you may very well be asked to make a presentation at some point.

This can be something that not all of us relish.

This series of podcasts are meant to help you avoid some of the common mistakes that some presenters make, so that you can get your message across effectively and engage with your audience..

Everything that we talk about is about common sense skills that can be applied by anyone in a presentation, there are no miracle answers, just pragmatic tips that actually work.

After all, there is no point being the best student, manager, technician or engineer in your organisation if you cannot effectively communicate what you know and convince others.

Preparation is the most important part of a successful presentation and is a part that is often neglected by speakers.

This is the crucial foundation and there are no short-cuts to excellence.

Recap & Takeaways

In this podcast you’ll be motovated and boosted by the tips and advice we give about presenting efectively. We cover:

Preparation

Breathing and stress

Effective slides

How to present data

The best hook (opening remarks)

The Take Home Message

Accent

Speaking in English

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Christmas on Bondi Beach

Christmas on Bondi Beach

27, July, 2026

Episode 205: Christmas, Red Bikini and BBQ

Do you dream of Christmas sitting by a log fire, or by a beautiful sunny beach ? Listen to this podcast to get both sides of the story. 

Australia is known for it’s informal lifestyle and Christmas is no different. So, how does this sound to you…. Christmas on the beach with a red Santa hat, a beer and a barbecue? Well, this is how people in Sydney, Australia celebrate Christmas Day. They don’t have snow or fireside drinks but they make up for it with the typical Aussie party spirit. Listen to the podcast to find out more. The podcast was recorded via Zoom, so the sound is not always stable.

 

Notes

But even though Christmas  is a special holiday and a precious time spent with friends and family for many. Most of us spend Christmas hoping for snow and wearing ugly Chritmas jumpers, in Sydney they trade that for red bikinis and trunks. 

Would you miss your Christmas turkey ? In Sydney, they don’t ! Let us know in the comments what your Holiday lunch is, you can even leave us your recipes.

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays

 

Recap & Takeaways

Listen out for these words:

It’s packed  – I’ve scrapped the Christmas tree  – I miss the food (grammar construction)

To get a feel for Bondi Christmas Day check out this popular TV show, Bondi Rescue. Real Aussi fun and a real Aussi accent ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM3qegyZHys

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History of Famous Foods QUIZ

History of Famous Foods QUIZ

History of Food QUIZ

Do you know the origins of your favorite foods ? Have you ever wondered where your favourite foods came from? You’d be surprised to discover the origins behind some of the most popular foods in the world. Have you thought about the origins of the hamburger, sandwich, French baguette or even the more fancy desserts?This quiz will really surprise you !

Many of the recipes and staple foods that we enjoy are the result of social change, economic consequences or sometimes just plain “happy” mistakes.

Many dishes that we think come from one country, either do not originate there, or are served in a completely different manner. Some things that we consider to be extremely popular in certain countries, or even believe are national dishes in certain places, may originate loosely in that country but are rarely eaten there.

Try this quiz, be prepared to be surprised ! 

History of Food Quiz

Try this quiz to whet your taste buds, expand your general knowledge and your English vocabulary.

You may not know the answer immediately so try to consider which answer options are probable, likely, possible, highly unlikely or just a joke !

Enjoy and Bon Appétit. 

 

 

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