PODCAST · education
Bite-sized English
by Mathew Rideout
Learn English in bite-sized pieces. With each daily episode, Matt will take you through a large variety of topics to help improve your listening and speaking bit by bit. Each episode will also feature some small goal or homework so you can apply the material in your day to day life.
Episodes
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Lesson 37: "hand" idioms
In this episode, we will be covering some... "handy" idioms (pun very much intended). We hope you enjoy some of the great idioms below! lend a hand hands are clean blood/dirt on your hands show your hand bite the hand that feeds sitting on your hands take something off your hands
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Lyric Series 3: Childish Gambino - "This is America"
Matt covers Grammy Award winning song of 2018, the smash hit "This is America." As it is July 4th, Independence Day in the United States, seems like the most fitting choice. Enjoy a break down of some of the more colloquial style of language used by Gambino! Childish Gambino - "This is America":...
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Lesson 36: Game Idioms
Despite Matt's misleading intro, this episode covers idioms with the word game in them. Different uses and very different means, but still all quite common in English. Help support the show with a review and warm recommendation to friends or family! Idioms in today's show: blame game numbers game...
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Lyric Series 2: Smash Mouth - "All-star"
Why not go back to this 90s classic and look at some of the great language available? We cover some cool words and phrases in the song so you can really rock your English! Smash Mouth - "All-star": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jWHffIx5E https://open.spotify.com/album/0QluVU5ReXs7oI1ZyS101F...
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Lesson 35: Funny Idioms
We return to the idiom series talking about these 6 idioms that have to do with laughing, humour, or joking. Matt also gives his unsolicited opinion on the humour of Aussies, Kiwis, and Brits. Idioms in today's episode: butt of the joke barrel of laughs pull one's leg take a joke all joking aside...
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Lyric Series 01 - Shawn Mendes "Treat You Better"
We kick off our new lyric series with the music from Canadian musician Shawn Mendes. Matt goes into some of the great language Shawn uses to convey romance, relationships, and more. Help support the podcast by subscribing! Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better…
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Raptors Talk
I talk unscripted (obviously) about my fourth favourite sports team, the Toronto Raptors. Learn a little about the North American sports culture and why this run of the Raptors is so important to Canada. There is plenty of content upcoming over the next month and I am really excited for you guys…
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Lesson 34: pre- and post-
In this episode, we will be kicking off a new series exploring the wide variety of prefixes available in English. Today we will be learning about pre- and post-. Words uses in this lesson: Postscript Preview Postgraduate Postmortem Predict Preempt Pre-workout Post-workout Pregame Postgame…
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Lesson 33: Peace and Piece
These two homonyms are very different in meaning, but are both very useful! In this episode Matt covers the means of the words, and some common phrases you might encounter: peace and quiet peace out peace in our time falling to peaces piece of cake bits and pieces piecing something together For...
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Lesson 32: Returns and Comebacks
Matt is back with a brand new series of Bite-sized English! We kick of with a lesson about returns, coming back (getting back, going back as well), and the word comeback. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. I am very happy to be back behind the mic after so much time away. I...
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April 09 - Thanks
Matt walks through just a few alternate ways of saying thank you. There is no assignment for today, but do send questions to [email protected]
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April 08 - Tip(s) for Our Listening and Speaking
Matt talks about a few tips when talking to native English speakers, watching a film, and flashcards.
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April 07 - Third Conditional
We finish our week on the conditional with the third and perhaps most complicated of the three. Matt talks about the differences between "could have" "should have" and "would have." All questions and assignments can be sent to [email protected] or via Twitter @bitesizedengpod.
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April 04 - Second Conditional
Matt continues talking about the conditional phrasings, covering the hypothetical or second conditional. Used to talk about unlikely or impossible situations, this is a very common phrasing in English. All questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].
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April 03 - Degrees of possibility
Matt covers some basic phrases and adverbs we use to determine how likely something is to happen. The phrases he talks about are: will definitely will probably likely to may well / might not likely to probably won't definitely won't Send all questions and assignments to [email protected].
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April 01 - Phrases using the word "game"
Matt goes over six different phrases using the word game. The phrases: -fair game -zero-sum game -game plan -waiting game -I'm game -a whole new ball game
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March 31 - Phrases using the word "ball"
Matt talks about some (but certainly not all!) of the phrases that we use that contains the word ball. The phrases that he discusses are: -on the ball -keep your eye on the ball / take your eye off the ball -have a ball -the ball is in your court -a curve ball -drop the ball / fumble the ball...
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March 30 - Reading Comprehension Tips
Matt goes through some basic tips when we are tackling reading comprehension in our English proficiency tests. He discusses some places to find some extra practice like: BBC News, CNN News, CBC News, The Economist, The New Scientist, and the askhistorians and askscientists subreddits on…
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March 29 - Passive: Present Perfect and Future Form
Matt wraps up his short topic on the passive voice with two more tenses, the present perfect and the future form. Present perfect: have/has + been + past participle Future form: will + be + past participle Be sure to practice converting or changing active sentences into the passive voice to…
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March 28 - Chatting w/Cecelia
Matt sits down with his long time student, Cecelia, for a quick chat about some interesting topics. They discuss the environment, animals, and Beijing's bikes. Vocabulary: QR code apex predators refraction rainbows
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March 27 - Passive Present Simple/Continuous
Today we continue our discussion on the passive voice using the present tenses. We form the simple with am/is/are + past participle and we form the continuous with am/is/are + being + past participle. Send your practice sentences to [email protected].
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March 26 - Past Passive
Matt begins his week talking about the passive voice with one of the more important tenses of the passive: past simple. We use it to describe some of the major achievements in human history all the way to minor happenings in day to day life. Please direct all questions and homework to...
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March 25 - French in English
Matt summarises some of the complicated history between France and England, and how that has impacted the English language in very dramatic ways. He also covers a few French words and phrases that we use in day to day English: -touche -bon voyage -mousse -carte blanche -entree -cul-de-sac Be sure...
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March 24 - Writing Advice
Matt talks about some important tips we can focus on when we are writing persuasive essays, especially for tests or in a classroom setting. He does introduce a few new words/phrases: anecdotal, infrastructure, stay on topic, rack your brain. Direct questions and comments to bitesizedenglish@gmail...
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March 23 - Tricky Uncountable Nouns
Matt covers some of the trickier uncountable nouns that caused some confusion for submitted answers. He talks about words like news, meats, paper, money (and currencies), and grass. If there are any more nouns you are not sure of, please do send your questions to [email protected].
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March 22 - Quantifiers
Today Matt covers the main quantifiers we use in English with countable and uncountable nouns. We practice some of them with examples, and highlight some of the related quantifiers that are interchangable or similar but slightly different. Send your assignment to [email protected] and…
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March 21 - Countable and Uncountable
Matt talks us through countable and uncountable nouns. He covers some important basic points like general rules, basic quantifiers, and some key irregularities. Check in tomorrow for more detail on quantifiers. Send your assignment to [email protected] or Tweet at Matt @bitesizedengpod!
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March 20 - Smoking
Matt talks about the various words we use when talking about the habit of smoking. Vocabulary: cigarettes, tobacco, cigars, pipe, smoking, butts, second-hand smoke, inhale, addicted to, quit, cold turkey, wean off
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March 19 - Greetings
Matt practices some basic greetings we use in English rather than the boring standard: "hello." Please do email [email protected] for any questions or comments!
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March 18 - Emotional Review
Matt reviews some of the highlights of this week's material. Be sure to check out the podcasts from the last week to practice the material we covered. Comments and questions to [email protected]!
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March 17 - St. Patrick's Day
We celebrate the national day of Ireland by talking about the origins, celebrations, and meaning of Saint Patrick's Day! Vocabulary: -Catholic saint -shamrock -diaspora -Ireland/Irish
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March 16 - Scary
Matt covers the different feelings of fear, from the mild to the extreme. He explains how different words like startling and spooky are used. Vocabulary: spooky and eerie scary and terrifying startling / startled nervous Phrases: scared the crap out of me scared stiff butterflies in my...
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March 15 - Angry!
Matt covers how we express our anger! He covers some important synonyms and some practice on how we can sound angry. Vocabulary: -mad, angry, furious -Short temper (noun) and short tempered (adj) -enraged -blood boiling -hot blooded Phrases we say when we are angry: -Oh come on! For Pete's sake!...
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March 14 - Disappointed w/ Thomas
Matt is joined by a guest, Thomas, to talk about the feeling of disappointment. They practice "disappointed in" and the following phrases: Let down Bummer Fall short
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March 13 - #sad
Matt talks about the two main ways we use the word "sad." It can be used as a feeling of unhappiness, but also as an insult for a situation or person that is unaccomplished or pathetic. Examples: -I am sad to hear that you are leaving. -She looked sad when I told her the news. -Does that make you...
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March 12 - Happiness
We start the week of emotions with one of the best ones: joy and happiness. Matt covers the verbs we use with the adjective happy, and reminds us how to use emotional nouns like joy. Phrases from today: -happy as a clam -happy hour -happy camper (commonly "not a happy camper") For questions or...
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March 11 - Present Perfect
Matt covers the basics of the Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous tenses. The example sentences are below: -I have seen that movie before. -She has written eight books. -You haven't cooked dinner for months. -Have you seen my watch?? -I have been living here for three years. OR…
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March 10 - Seconds, Minutes, Hours
We have a shorter episode today, covering some ways we use these three vocabulary words in phrases and practical spoken English. To focus on: half an hour, quarter of an hour, two and a half hours (NOT 2.5 hours) 24 hours describing a store, 24/7 describing something constant. "Give me a...
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March 9 - Phrases using "time"
Today's phrases: "It's time to +verb" "The time has come" "On time" "I don't have the time" "Time's Up" "Good times" "You got me at a bad time" "It's a matter of time" "Time flies" "I am pressed for time" "It's about time" Be sure to post your questions or comments to [email protected]!
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March 8 - Time Prepositions
Matt goes over the main three prepositions we use with time, and also covers three less used (but still very important) prepositions. We use in with: months, years, centuries, periods of time, times of the day We use on with: days of the week, days+parts of the day, dates, special days We use at...
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March 7 - Days and Months
Matt covers the origins of the names of the days of the week and months of the year. The vocabulary for today: Monday - Moon Day Tuesday - Tyr's Day Wednesday - Odin's Day Thursday - Thor's Day Friday - Frigg's Day Saturday - Saturn's Day Sunday - Sun Day January - Janus, God of Doors February -...
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Podcasts and Introduction
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Learn English in bite-sized pieces. With each daily episode, Matt will take you through a large variety of topics to help improve your listening and speaking bit by bit. Each episode will also feature some small goal or homework so you can apply the material in your day to day life.
HOSTED BY
Mathew Rideout
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Bite-sized English have?
Bite-sized English currently has 42 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Bite-sized English about?
Learn English in bite-sized pieces. With each daily episode, Matt will take you through a large variety of topics to help improve your listening and speaking bit by bit. Each episode will also feature some small goal or homework so you can apply the material in your day to day life.
How often does Bite-sized English release new episodes?
Bite-sized English has 42 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Bite-sized English?
You can listen to Bite-sized English on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Bite-sized English?
Bite-sized English is created and hosted by Mathew Rideout.
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