Learning English Conversations

BBC Radio

Everyday expressions and real English conversations to help make your English conversations easier.

Every week, we teach you a new phrase or word you can use in conversation with The English We Speak.

And we bring you special series to improve your English conversation.

Try Beating Speaking Anxiety to learn how to fight your fears of speaking English.

Find more at bbclearningenglish.com

Listen in PodNod RSS feed Show website

818 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes818

Newest first

March 10 · 3 min
The English We Speak: Cut corners
Do you ever cut corners to save time? Learn this phrase and hear lots of examples.
March 9 · 9 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 8. I’m scared I can’t be myself
Do you feel like you can show your personality and be yourself in English?
March 3 · 3 min
The English We Speak: Short-change
Have you ever felt short-changed? Learn what this phrase means and hear more examples!
March 2 · 7 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 7. I’m scared I’m not getting better
Georgie and Hanan talk about what to do when you feel stuck learning English.
February 24 · 2 min
The English We Speak: Go through a rough patch
Learn an expression to use when life gets difficult for a while
February 23 · 10 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 6. I’m scared I won’t get the joke
Georgie and Hanan talk about understanding humour and making people laugh in English.
February 16 · 3 min
The English We Speak: Learn the hard way
What did you have to learn the hard way?
February 16 · 8 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 5. I’m scared people won’t understand me
Georgie and Hanan talk about accents and pronunciation
February 10 · 2 min
The English We Speak: A big ask
What's a big ask for you? Learn how to use this expression here!
February 9 · 9 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 4. I'm scared of speaking in front of people
Georgie and Hanan talk about public speaking and speaking in bigger groups.
February 3 · 3 min
The English We Speak: Facepalm moment
Something embarrassing or frustrating could cause a facepalm moment.
February 2 · 9 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 3. I’m scared I won’t understand people
Georgie and Hanan talk about how you can improve your listening during conversations
January 27 · 2 min
The English We Speak: Shoot off
Everyday English conversations to help make your everyday conversations easier.
January 26 · 8 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 2. I’m scared of forgetting my words
Georgie and Hanan talk about why our brain can’t always remember words we know.
January 20 · 2 min
The English We Speak: Hot on the heels
This expression means something happens immediately after something else.
January 19 · 11 min
Beating Speaking Anxiety: 1. I’m scared of making mistakes
In our new series, learn how to increase your confidence speaking English.
January 13 · 2 min
The English We Speak: Aura farming
Learn this expression which means do something for attention or praise.
January 6 · 2 min
The English We Speak: Lock in
This phrasal verb means to focus hard with no distractions. Learn how to use it here!
Dec 30, 2025 · 2 min
The English We Speak: A fresh start
A new year is the perfect time for a fresh start.
Dec 23, 2025 · 2 min
The English We Speak: A little something
Learn a phrase about small gifts with Feifei and Phil.

Learning English Conversations

The English We Speak: Cut corners

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 8. I’m scared I can’t be myself

The English We Speak: Short-change

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 7. I’m scared I’m not getting better

The English We Speak: Go through a rough patch

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 6. I’m scared I won’t get the joke

The English We Speak: Learn the hard way

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 5. I’m scared people won’t understand me

The English We Speak: A big ask

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 4. I'm scared of speaking in front of people

The English We Speak: Facepalm moment

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 3. I’m scared I won’t understand people

The English We Speak: Shoot off

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 2. I’m scared of forgetting my words

The English We Speak: Hot on the heels

Beating Speaking Anxiety: 1. I’m scared of making mistakes

The English We Speak: Aura farming

The English We Speak: Lock in

The English We Speak: A fresh start

The English We Speak: A little something