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In today's English listening practice we improve your fluency with some intriguing news stories from Britain's mainstream media. We ask why has King Charles cut off Prince Andrew? Why does the NHS struggle with nutrition advice? And what does a knitted Christmas tree have to do with mental health? And lots more. So why not click play and improve your English the easy way?
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More About This Lesson
Improve your English by listening to real-world stories about health, the Royal Family, and UK traditions. In this lesson, you’ll grow your vocabulary and understanding of how English is used in daily life.
Challenging the status quo requires questioning mainstream narratives and looking beneath the surface.
⭐ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
This lesson helps you learn English in a natural way. Instead of focusing on grammar rules, you’ll hear real British stories that make learning fun. For example, discover how a knitted Christmas tree brings people together or why surprising Royal Family news can teach you useful words.
You’ll pick up vocabulary, understand how phrases fit into conversations, and feel more confident when speaking & a lot more:
- You improve listening skills with real-world topics like health, traditions, and the Royal Family.
- You learn new vocabulary, such as "inappropriate," "liability," and "misinformation."
- You hear common British English phrases used naturally in context.
- You gain insights into current events to discuss in conversations.
- You practice understanding different accents and sentence rhythms.
- You build comprehension skills through storytelling and examples.
- You expand your knowledge of British culture and society.
- You develop better pronunciation by mimicking native speech patterns.
- You learn formal and informal expressions for varied situations.
- You gain confidence by listening to clear, accessible language.
If you would like to access our premium Listen & Learn English podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & many other podcast services, we explain everything you need to know here: https://adeptenglish.com/faq/subscription-faq/
🎧 Follow and subscribe to our podcast to hear more lessons that bring English to life. Learn how real stories can make your English stronger and more natural! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adeptenglish/
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How can listening to news stories help you learn British English fluently? Listening to news stories improves your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation by exposing you to authentic English. You hear how native speakers use words and phrases in real-world contexts, making it easier for you to understand and practice conversational English. This method is especially effective when the stories cover a variety of topics, such as health, the Royal Family, and traditions.
- What makes this English lesson suitable for all levels of learners? This lesson caters to beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners by using clear explanations of vocabulary and grammar, along with practical examples. The variety of topics ensures that you stay engaged, while the focus on listening skills helps you absorb the language naturally, regardless of your current level.
- Why is learning vocabulary in context important for fluency? Learning vocabulary in context, as in this lesson, helps you remember words and phrases better. For example, hearing the term "inappropriate" used in a story about Prince Andrew teaches you not only its meaning but also how it fits naturally into sentences. This approach builds your confidence to use new words in conversations.
- How does this lesson improve your understanding of British culture? This lesson covers topics like the Royal Family and traditional crafts like knitting, offering insights into British customs and values. Understanding culture deepens your connection to the language, making it easier for you to pick up idioms, expressions, and subtleties in conversations.
- What are the benefits of practicing with English listening lessons like this one? Regular listening practice strengthens your comprehension skills, improves your pronunciation, and builds your ability to think in English. Lessons like this expose you to a range of accents, topics, and speaking styles, which prepares you for real-world conversations and enhances your overall fluency.
Most Unusual Words:
- Inappropriate: Not proper or suitable for a situation.
- Liability: Someone or something that causes problems or risks.
- Misinformation: False or incorrect information shared as if it’s true.
- Mainstream: Commonly accepted by most people or widely used.
- Contentious: Likely to cause disagreement or argument.
- Dogma: A fixed belief or idea that is not open to change.
- Therapeutic: Something that helps you feel better or improves your health.
- Vested: Having a strong personal interest in something because of benefits.
- Credibility: The quality of being trusted or believable.
- Judgment: The ability to make good decisions or form sensible opinions.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| People | 21 |
| Prince | 14 |
| About | 13 |
| English | 10 |
| Andrew | 10 |
| Podcasts | 9 |
| Really | 9 |
| Health | 9 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: Learn English with Light British News Stories
Learn English with mixed news topics
Hi there and welcome to the Adept English podcast. It's not quite Christmas - there's another week of work left. But people are starting to have their meals out, nights out, celebrations for Christmas this week. I haven't yet got my Christmas tree up. It's in a bucket in the back garden having a drink. But it will be in the house and decorated very soon. So let's save most of the Christmas theme for next week's podcast. And let's have a look instead at some lighter news stories today. We know you love these podcasts about news and that they really help with your understanding of English using current news topics, things that are happening in the world. And if you're familiar with the Adept English podcast, you'll know that I usually leave the really big, contentious pieces of news alone. We are just an English language podcast. And I don't want to get into big disputes with listeners about contentious topics! I do read about the big topics in the news, of course. But let's focus on smaller news items today. One of my news items perhaps is a bit contentious. But let's see what you think.
Hello, I’m Hilary, and you’re listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.
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Prince Andrew in trouble again
So in the news this week, I noticed Prince Andrew once again - he's the brother of King Charles, head of our British Royal Family. And Prince Andrew also has the title Duke of York. Well, he's in trouble again for having 'inappropriate friendships'. The word 'inappropriate', I-N-A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-E - it's a word we use a lot in English. It basically means 'ill judged, not using good judgment'. Prince Andrew is well known for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which seems really hard to defend, given what we now know about Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew had to step down from his duties as a member of the Royal Family several years ago, after a sex scandal involving a woman who was also abused by Jeffrey Epstein, and whom Jeffrey Epstein introduced Prince Andrew to. And last month, a book about the Royal Family by Robert Hardman said that Prince Andrew's brother King Charles had cut him off financially. King Charles has stopped paying for Prince Andrew's security or providing him with a personal allowance, giving him money, in other words.
📷
A shady character selling bottles of health pills in a dark alley. Podcasts and Health Misinformation: Learn English and Stay Informed
An unwise and dangerous friendship?
The man that Prince Andrew chose to have a close friendship with this time was banned from the UK on security grounds. This man's name isn't mentioned in the reports. He's just called 'H6'. This gives it the feel of a spy novel. And indeed, H6 is believed to be, is suspected to be a spy! That's S-P-Y. Apparently, H6 lost his appeal to be able to return to the UK just this last week. So H6 will still be banned. But as part of this process, part of this process in court, the phones and electronic devices belonging to H6 were taken and looked at. And they show that Prince Andrew had previously given this person permission to act on his behalf, with regards to Prince Andrew's business interests in China, whatever they were. So this person, now seen to be a spy, previously had permission to act for Prince Andrew. I'm afraid Prince Andrew is now seen as more of a liability. That's L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y, 'liability'. And it means 'someone who will only bring problems whose judgments are not good'. It must be hard for Prince Andrew with his royal upbringing to be outside the protection of the Royal Family. But he does seem to lack good judgment. And the British Royal Family do need good publicity, not bad. So King Charles distancing from whatever Prince Andrew is up to, very understandable, I think.
Mainstream news slams podcast channel
A slightly contentious story now. I notice a news story from the BBC about how 'online podcasts are putting out harmful health information'. The article warns readers about 'the influence of podcasts on people's views on health and lifestyle' and how this information differs from what's 'mainstream'. That's M-A-I-N-S-T-R-E-A-M, what's the usual advice, the 'received wisdom', if you like. This material is often branded 'misinformation'. M-I-S-I-N-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N. Bad information, in other words. I don't know the podcast that was cited in this news story - it's a podcast hosted by Stephen Bartlett - or whether it goes further than other health podcasts of this type in its claims.
Trustworthy Health Information or not?
However, I do recognise two of the guests. That's Dr Aseem Malhotra of the UK and Dr Thomas Seyfried of the US. These doctors both have a high level of experience, qualification and are world-renowned in their own fields. Aseem Malhotra is a cardiologist and Thomas Seyfried is a cancer specialist. But their views on certain aspects of health are not mainstream. However, if you take the time to listen to these people speak, their claims are based on scientific data and research and seem worth hearing, worth considering - if not compelling. But they're just not mainstream. They don't always agree with the mainstream information put out by organisations like the NHS, the National Health Service in the UK. As I've observed in previous podcasts, the NHS is great at emergency medicine, at saving your life. And sometimes it's great at helping people who are already sick. But it really doesn't do nutrition and lifestyle advice very well at all. And I wouldn't go to my GP, my doctor, for this type of advice. I find much better researched and evidence-based advice online. You have world- renowned experts at your fingertips and I love this.
Should mainstream news be considered ‘misinformation’?
I found it interesting that this news story was promoted in a number of places. It popped up on my laptop and on my phone. One of the problems with healthcare systems in the US and in the UK is the big influence that pharmaceutical companies have over mainstream information. My fear is we're only dimly aware of the extent of this. So news stories about alternative health podcasts and their 'misinformation' interest me, particularly where I can see that those health podcasts do have some scientific backing.
An interesting process about to happen in the USA?
I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, as you know. And there are certain elements of his upcoming presidency that worry me. But I do find the appointment of Robert Kennedy interesting. Robert Kennedy has been fighting 'Big Food', 'Big Pharma' and 'Big Agriculture' in lawsuits for many years. And he wants to turn around the healthcare system of the United States so that it's based on objective evidence from sources that don't have huge financial investment around what people eat, how food is produced and around what drugs people are prescribed. I'm really excited to see what Robert Kennedy does. It's easy to dismiss him as 'an anti-vaxxer'. That's the word used for people who are against vaccination. If you go a little deeper, you'll find this is not quite the true representation and that many people who brand him 'an anti-vaxxer' have vested interests. If you've 'got vested interest', it means you're receiving money from organisations and that influences what you say. Robert Kennedy has all sorts of ideas about 'Big Pharma' and how to reduce the influence. If you go below the surface and get past the dismissive 'anti-vaxxer' label, you find that Robert Kennedy's ideas on health and 'Big Pharma' are really interesting. He wants to challenge the status quo, change things and reduce the influence of 'Big Pharma' and the billions of dollars that are made from that industry. It will be fascinating to watch.
Nationalised ‘Pharma’, with profits into healthcare systems, rather than rich shareholders’ pockets?!
Personally, I think pharmaceutical drugs should be manufactured by government-owned organisations and any profits fed back into governments so that the money can be used for healthcare. That would be a much better system but it means big changes. We could then perhaps have healthcare based on objective, unbiased data. What a great world that would be!
Is mainstream news losing being superseded by online information?
I think there's another issue here too. Audiences for mainstream news - well, they're declining. Young people don't watch mainstream news in the same way as the older generations and news outlets like the BBC, even though it's great on certain types of reporting - well, they're suspected of being 'too influenced by government'. The government influences the BBC and what they report. And sometimes what they don't report - it's as much what's missing from the news as what's in it. I've seen evidence of this on so many news stories. It's worth digging deeper yourself to get nearer to the truth. I do wonder if there's a bit of a panic amongst mainstream news providers in lots of different countries because they've lost credibility. People would rather judge for themselves by looking online for their information. People would rather use their own judgment and choose what online content they want to subscribe to. Of course, it can be a bit of a 'Wild West' online but you can use your own intelligence to work out what is credible content. And get away from 'mainstream dogma', that's D-O-G-M-A, which means 'fixed ideas'. If you put forward 'dogma', it means you're no longer listening to new ideas. I hope we don't live in an era where new ideas are going to get closed down. So I'm fascinated to see what happens with all of this. I wasn't going to get contentious but maybe that one is! Let me know.
The Best Way to Learn English? Real UK News Stories!
The 16ft knitted Christmas tree to defeat loneliness
Lastly, let's go with a slightly Christmassy story but one which is nice and make some interesting points about our modern world. In Edinburgh, in Scotland, a community group have created a 16-foot knitted Christmas tree which 'aims to tackle loneliness'. Vocabulary here? 'Loneliness', L-O-N-E-L-I-N-E-S-S - that's a noun and it means 'the state of being alone when you don't want to be'. Being alone can make you very sad. That's 'loneliness'. And a knitted Christmas tree? Well, the verb 'to knit', K-N-I-T, means 'to create things, things like jumpers and scarves from wool and knitting needles'. The traditional way of making knitted clothing like this, by hand. That's 'knitting'. Note the silent K at the beginning of that word. And lots of people love to knit. Knitting may be associated with old people, your grandmother perhaps, and indeed lots of people on the video that I've linked to about this knitted Christmas tree are elderly. But in the UK there are also lots of young people who find knitting therapeutic and enjoy being creative. Do you remember that craze in the UK that I've spoken about of knitted postbox covers? That's P-O-S-T-B-O-X, 'postboxes'. That's where we post our mail, our letters. Well, it continues. Our local postbox - the previous postbox cover celebrated 25 years of Park Run and it's just been replaced with a lovely wintery scene with snow and reindeer. So people like 'craft'. That's C-R-A-F-T. Things like knitting.
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So the 16 foot knitted Christmas tree in Edinburgh was someone's idea to tackle loneliness. And it got older people coming together to knit. Apparently this idea really took off and more and more people joined together, joined the group to knit together. People came together to knit and friendships were made and people benefited from this community shared activity. Long ago when the people of Cornwall in the UK and places like Aran and Shetland used to knit jumpers - that was important local industry. The only way to turn sheep's wool into clothing. And this was important to local economies. So knitting is a tradition and has a long history here in the UK. People coming together to knit - they enjoy it, it makes them feel better and people do well when they have a creative outlet and more social contact. I think perhaps we should have more local knitting circles, more local knitting groups. I think it would do people's mental health a great deal of good!
Goodbye
Let us know what you think of these new stories, whether you agree with me or not. It would be lovely to hear from you.
Enough for now, have a lovely day, speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com
Links
- Media Nations UK 2024
- Alleged Chinese spy
- Steven Bartlett
- The 16ft knitted Christmas tree
- Knitting traditions of the British Isles and Ireland
- Downfall of a CEO?
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