Thinking in English

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. We use it to write emails, generate images, recommend videos, and even help study English. Some people believe AI will completely change the world, just like the internet did. Others are more sceptical and worry that the excitement has gone too far.

Every day on the news, we hear about new AI startups worth billions of dollars, governments investing huge amounts of money, and tech companies racing to become the next AI leader. There is a lot of optimism, but also a lot of hype.

Some people are starting to question whether we are we seeing real, long-term growth, or are we living through an AI bubble?

In today’s episode of Thinking in English, we’ll explore what an economic bubble really is, look at famous bubbles from history, and ask whether artificial intelligence is following the same pattern or whether this time is different. At the same time, we’ll learn some useful English vocabulary!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/02/09/374-is-there-an-ai-bubble-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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Today we’re going to explore a topic that I notice again and again whenever I work with bilingual people, speak with people who are studying a second language, and actually notice inside my own family: code switching.

You’ve probably done it yourself. You start a sentence in English, suddenly use a word from your native language, then switch back again. This is a form of code switching and is extremely common. Code switching happens all around the world, in every culture, anywhere multilingual people communicate.

So, what exactly is code switching? Why do bilingual and multilingual speakers mix languages like this? Is it a sign that your English is improving? Or could it be something that slows down your progress?

In this episode, we’re going to break it down clearly and practically. We’ll look at what code switching is, why people do it, and most importantly how to manage code switching as a language learner!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/02/02/373-what-is-code-switching-a-guide-for-english-learners-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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People often say history repeats itself… but does it really?

When we look back at the past, certain events feel strangely familiar. Pandemics that spread across the world. Wars that change everything. Economic crashes that seem to happen just when people feel most confident about the future. 

Even though the details are different, the patterns can feel… repeated.

Also, when we talk about history, time matters. Not just what happened, but when it happened. How specific we are, and how we describe time in English. We talk about events in certain centuries, on particular days, and at exact moments that changed the world.

So in today’s episode, we’ll do two things. 

First, I’ll give you a short and clear grammar lesson on prepositions of time: in, on, andat. Then, we’ll explore some big moments from history and ask whether history really does repeat itself. As you listen, pay attention to how I use in, on, and at!

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TRANSCRIPT - ⁠https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/01/26/372-does-history-repeat-itself-prepositions-of-time-english-grammar-lesson/

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In the 19th century, a quiet, curious naturalist named Charles Darwin proposed a theory that went on the shake science, religion, and philosophy. Darwin introduced a new way of thinking about life itself.

His theory of evolution by natural selection revealed that every species (humans included) changes over time, adapts to its environment, and shares common ancestors.

In today’s episode of Thinking in English, I want to explore the life of Charles Darwin, look closely at his most important discoveries, and discuss how his ideas still influence modern biology.

And finally, we’ll discuss a big question: Is Charles Darwin the greatest scientist of all time?

And while we are doing this, we’ll practice our English listening comprehension and learn some new English vocabulary!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/01/19/371-charles-darwin-greatest-scientist-of-all-time-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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People love to debate history, especially when it comes to who was first. Last year, I made an episode about the oldest country in the world. I argued that the answer might be San Marino, because it has a long, continuous history as an independent state.

And the reaction from listeners was… quite intense! I received comments from people around the world saying things like: “No, Egypt is older!” or “China has been around for thousands of years!” or “What about Iran?”.

All of these arguments were interesting. But I think they were also missing something important: a country and a civilisation are not the same thing.

So today, instead of talking about the oldest country, we’re asking a deeper question: What is the world’s oldest civilisation?

This question is not easy to answer. In fact, it depends on how we define civilisation itself. And historians don’t always agree on that definition. But there is a popular idea called the Cradles of Civilisation. These are places in the world where human societies first grew into complex, organised, urban cultures.

So, in today’s episode, we’ll explore these ancient cradles, find out what makes a civilisation, and decide whether there really is one society we can call “the oldest civilisation in the world,” all while learning some new English vocabulary!

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TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/01/12/370-what-is-the-worlds-oldest-civilisation-english-vocabulary-lesson/

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