Thinking in English

Four years ago, I made an episode titled “Should we boycott the Qatar World Cup?”

As you might remember, the tournament in Qatar was surrounded by criticism. There were concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of migrant workers who helped build the stadiums. There were some calls for fans, players, or countries to refuse to take part.

But despite all of that, the World Cup still went ahead. Millions of people watched, and Argentina beat France in the final.

Now, four years later, I want to ask the same question again… Should we boycott the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the biggest World Cup in history, as there are more teams, more matches, and more fans than ever before.

But once again, there have been some people asking for a boycott. This time the boycott is connected to politics, immigration, and questions about safety and freedom for fans travelling to the United States.

Should we boycott the 2026 World Cup? And maybe even more importantly… do boycotts actually work?

Let’s think about these questions while practicing our English listening comprehension and practicing our vocabulary!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/15/384-the-scramble-for-africa-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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In the 1870s, about ten percent of Africa had been colonised by European countries. But over the next few decades, over ninety percent of the continent was taken, occupied, divided, and partitioned by governments far away in places like London, Berlin, and Paris.

We call this period in history the “Scramble for Africa.” In a remarkably short period of time, countries like Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium claimed vast territories for themselves without any input from African people.

By 1914, only a handful of places remained independent, while most of Africa was ruled as colonies.

How did this happen so quickly? And what were the consequences of dividing an entire continent in this way? These are the questions we’ll explore in today’s episode of Thinking in English!

Conversation Club - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/⁠⁠

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/27/the-scramble-for-africa-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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“I’m just not good at learning languages.”

I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at English” or “He has a gift for languages.”

These kinds of comments are incredibly common. Many people believe that success in language learning depends mostly on talent. Some people are just naturally good at learning English, while others aren’t.

But is this true? Is talent real when it comes to learning languages? And if talent does exist, what exactly is it? Is it the same thing as skill? Is it the same thing as advantage? Is it the same thing as ability?

In today’s episode, we’re going to explore these questions. We’ll look at what talent really means, how it is different from ability, advantage, and skill, and what science and neuroscience say about why some people seem to learn languages faster than others.

Then we’ll apply these ideas directly to English learning and hopefully give you all some motivation!

Conversation Club - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/⁠⁠

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/13/383-what-is-talent-and-do-you-need-it-to-learn-english-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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In 1994, the small African country of Rwanda experienced one of the worst genocides in modern history. Over a one-hundred-day period, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. The genocide shocked the world and left Rwanda devastated.

But if you visit Rwanda today, you would probably be surprised at that history.

The country is often described as one of Africa’s greatest success stories. Its capital city, Kigali, is known for being clean, organised, and relatively safe. In fact, Rwanda has been called the “Singapore of Africa,” thanks to its economic growth and plans for development.

However, not everyone agrees with this positive image. Rwanda is also a tightly controlled political system. Opposition parties face serious restrictions, independent media is limited, and the government closely controls political life.

Is Rwanda an inspiring economic miracle and a model for other developing countries? Or is it an authoritarian state that prioritises control and stability over democracy?

In this episode, I want to explore Rwanda’s history, its rapid economic transformation, and the debate between democracy and development!

Conversation Club - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/⁠⁠

TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/06/rwanda-economic-miracle-or-authoritarian-state-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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00:00 Introduction

01:45 Vocabulary

03:54 Rwanda Basics and Geography

05:17 Precolonial Rwanda

07:38 Colonial Rule and Division

09:05 1994 Genocide Explained

11:24 Rebuilding and Economic Boom

12:39 Kigali and Branding Rwanda

15:27 Elections and Political Control

17:36 DRC Conflict and Regional Security

18:59 Democracy vs Development Debate

21:12 Final Thoughts
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Imagine living in a place so remote that the nearest inhabited land is over two thousand kilometres away. No neighbours. No easy escape. Just ocean in every direction. And across the island are hundreds of giant stone heads, carved by hand.

This place exists… and people have lived there for centuries.

This episode will look at Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known locally. Easter Island is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most isolated inhabited islands on Earth, and home to hundreds of giant stone heads.

So how did humans even get here? How did people cross vast oceans, reach this tiny volcanic island, and then decide to stay? And how did they organise a society capable of carving and moving some of the largest stone statues ever created?

In today’s episode of Thinking in English, we’re travelling to the edge of the world to explore one of the most fascinating human stories ever told. And we’ll learn some English vocabulary along the way!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/03/30/381-easter-island-mystery-moai-and-the-edge-of-the-world-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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