Happy English Podcast

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:“I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll pass.“Not really my thing.” Like, do you want to go bouldering? → Nah, That’s not really my thing.And one that I like to use all the time is “It’s not my cup of tea.” Like, Everyone’s watching that new horror movie, but scary films are not my cup of tea.So, I’ll pass,  It’s not really my thing, and It’s not my cult of tea. When you need to refuse or decline something, these all sound softer, more polite, and very natural. So how about you? What’s something that’s Not your cup of tea? Leave a comment belowJoin my Po

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better. Today’s point is one that even native speakers sometimes get mixed up:

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb.Starting today, I’ll be here every Friday with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. Today’s phrasal verb is toy with. When you toy with something, it means you’re considering it, but not very seriously. It’s like you’re playing with the idea — maybe yes, maybe no, but you’re not 100% committed. And we usually use the phrase “Toy with the idea of” followed by a gerund. Like, my friend Alex has been toying with the idea of moving to Chicago, but he hasn’t started packing boxes yet.And last week, Jessica said she was toying with the idea of starting her own bakery, but right now it’s just an idea.And me? I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a new guitar, although I should probably sell one of the old ones first.So how about you? Are you toying with any ideas these days? Leave a comment below, at myhappyenglishy.com, or come tell me on Inst

I saw one of my old students the other day. I was like, how’s it going, and he goes, I finally found a new job. And I go, that’s awesome. And he was like, I finally got a job using English. And I was like, that’s really fabulous!Have you ever gotten stuck trying to figure out when to use say and when to use tell? These words seem really similar, but they’re used in different ways. So today, let’s break it down, nice and easy, with some everyday examples. And then, I’m gonna show you two other, more natural ways to talk about what someone said, that are not found in most textbooks.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE: 

Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies!So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that goes along with them. You’re gonna want to listen all the way through to learn about that.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Would you mind checking out this English lesson? Maybe you could try using some of the phrase here in your conversations this week? Do you think you could even tell a friend about this podcast? That would be great!In everyday conversation, we often like to soften our requests — we make them indirect. It feels more polite, more friendly, and honestly, it just sounds more natural.So today, I want to show you some of these indirect phrases that we use all the time. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Sunday Speak.Starting today, every Sunday I’ll be here with one quick phrase to make your English sound more natural. Today’s phrase is “You bet!”  “You bet” is a super casual, American-English phrase. You can use it in a few different ways:

Hey there, it’s Michael here from the Happy English Podcast — and welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Did you know that when you are interested in doing something you can say “I’m down for that.” And — you can also invite someone to do something with a slightly different phrase “Are you up for that?” Listen to this podcast to learn more!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is here.

You wanna sound more natural in English? I’m on it. You want me to teach that kind of lesson? Yeah, will do. You need my help to speak better? Gotcha. Today, that’s what we’re all about here!In real conversation, we use more relaxed, casual phrases — and they’re often shorter and more natural-sounding.  So today, I want to show you some of those everyday expressions that native speakers use instead of formal grammar. You’ll sound more fluent — and you’ll feel more confident, too.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is here

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna rain on your parade today, even thought it’s pouring outside here. Nope, come rain or shine, I’m always excited to bring you these podcast English lessons.Today, I thought we’d take a look at some natural rain vocabulary, along with some really common idioms and phrases that native speakers use when the skies open up. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Thanks for making time to listen to this podcast English lesson. I’m so happy that you’ve made up your mind to improve your English. And yeah, everyone’s really busy these days, but somehow, you make it work. That’s awesome!Today, we’re gonna break down five super useful and natural phrases: Make it work, Make time, Make up your mind, Make a mess, and Make do And I’ll give you a few examples for each — all woven into real-life situations so you can see how native speakers actually use them. My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s clear up something tricky: stop doing vs. stop to do. These two sound similar, but they mean totally different things. Here's how we use them. My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com

I saw Halloween decorations at the store yesterday. What a reality check. I guess summer is almost over and we need to get back into the swing of things!Today, I want to talk about two big things that happen at the end of the American summer: Getting ready to go back to school and Labor Day weekend — the last big hurrah before fall kicks in. And along the way, I’ll toss in a few idioms that you’ll hear Americans using during this season. My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

I’m glad you’re still studying English. I’m gonna guess that you have already heard my last podcast about linking sounds. What did you say? Not yet? You’re not going to do that anymore, are you?Today, I want to talk about four small — but powerful — words that can totally change the feeling of your sentence. I’m talking about Already, Still, Yet, and AnymoreMy AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Wha-cha do-win right now? It’s time to tur-nup the volume and lih-seh-up to this lesson about link-in' sounds in English. Today, we’re continuing our series on how to speak more naturally in English, and this time we’re talking about something that really helps you sound more fluent — and that’s linking sounds. My AI English Tutor is HERE: Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Today, let’s talk about nostalgia. You know, you hear an old song on the radio and it brings you back to your high school days. Or you find some old photos in your phone from 15 years ago and suddenly, you are transported back to that time. Well, in English, when you experience something that gives you nostalgic or sentimental feelings you can say it’s a blast from the past.My AI English Tutor is HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Lemme tell you something. An outdoor concert is a great way to have a blast and get into the grove. That’s where a lot of people enjoy the vibe and have a great time. Ah, live music in the summer. Nothing beats it!Today, we’re diving into one of the best parts of American summer culture — music and festivals. There’s just something about summer in the U.S. that makes people want to be outside, especially with good food, good friends… and good music.  My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

I used to drink a lot of coffee all day, but these days, I tend to just have a cup or two in the morning, so I’m drinking less coffee. Sure, it was hard to get used to, but now that I’m used to it, it’s all good!Today, we’re check out something that looks simple… but I’ve seen it trip up a lot of English learners. I’m talking about used to, be used to, and get used to. Yeah, they all kinda look the same — but they mean totally different things My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/

Today, I want to talk about something that might seem small, but it actually plays a big role in everyday English — and that’s small talk. Small talk is one of those things that isn’t really taught in textbooks… but it’s something people do all the time in English-speaking countries. And if you’ve ever found yourself in an awkward elevator ride or sitting next to someone on a train and didn’t know what to say… this episode is for you. My AI English Tutor is HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/Crickets Sound Effect by felix_quinol from Pixabay

Welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Today, let’s talk about three super common words in spoken English: