Thinking in English

“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!

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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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What does poverty really mean?

When we hear the word poverty, I think many of us imagine extreme situations, like homelessness, starvation, or people living in very poor conditions. But poverty is far more complex, and far more widespread, than we often realise.

According to the United Nations, more than 700 million people (around 10 percent of the world’s population) still live in extreme poverty. These people are surviving on less than two dollars a day. And despite decades of progress, this number is rising again.

But poverty is not only about income. It’s also about access to healthcare, education, decent work, social protection, and the power to make choices about your own life.

Poverty is also deeply connected to human rights. Issues like child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking are often direct consequences of poverty and economic insecurity.

This is why poverty remains one of the most important global issues today, and why “No Poverty” is the number one goal in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

In this Thinking in English episode, we’ll explore what poverty really is, how it’s measured, why people fall into poverty and struggle to escape it, whether it’s actually possible to reduce or even end poverty, and finally, how the language we use to talk about poverty changes the way we understand it.

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/03/23/380-what-is-poverty-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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Do you know how to ask great questions?

A few years ago, back in 2022, I released an episode called How to Ask Better Questions in English. And today’s episode is an update to that original one.

The core idea is the same, because it’s still important, but a lot has changed since then. I’ve changed as a podcaster and an educator, and I think English learners’ needs have changed too. In fact, the way we use English in 2026 is very different from how we used it just a few years ago.

We now spend more time in online meetings, working with international teams, and communicating through messages, emails, and AI tools. In this kind of world, the ability to ask good questions matters more than ever.

Most people know how to ask questions, but very few people know how to ask good questions. And learning how to do that can change your English, your conversations, and the opportunities you have.

Today, we will look at different types of question, what makes a good question, and I’ll give you a lot of useful advice!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/03/16/379-do-you-know-how-to-ask-great-questions/

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