Plain English

Learn the English expression, "with a straight face." (Can you keep one?)
Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/with-a-straight-face
--
Plain English helps you improve your English:
Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:
Hard words? No problem
Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again!

See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language.

Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The 'cola wars' of the 1980s and 1990s pitted Coca-Cola against Pepsi. Both brands had their classic recipes and their 'diet' alternatives. But as consumers pivoted away from full-sugar sodas, makers of fizzy drinks found a new hit: 'zero-sugar' recipes that tasted just like the original. Now, the hot debate among soda drinkers is between diet and zero-sugar recipes. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/873
Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/873
--
Plain English helps you improve your English:
Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:
Hard words? No problem
Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again!

See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language.

Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn the English expression "grow up" (and why even fully grown adults sometimes need to do it sometimes)
Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/grow-up
--
Plain English helps you improve your English:
Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:
Hard words? No problem
Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again!

See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language.

Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Japan has millions of vacant homes, especially in rural areas where populations are shrinking. Some of these properties, known as akiya, are sold for surprisingly low prices or even given away for free. While they attract adventurous buyers from around the world, many require extensive repairs, complicated paperwork, and a willingness to adapt to life in rural Japan. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/871
Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/871
--
Plain English helps you improve your English:
Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:
Hard words? No problem
Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again!

See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language.

Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn the English phrasal verb, "boil over."
Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/boil-over
--
Plain English helps you improve your English:
Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:
Hard words? No problem
Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again!

See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language.

Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com