🎙️ English and Beyond : “Muscles, Masculinity, and Martha (a *very* Strongwoman)” 💪🌱

Get ready for a lively (and ironic) twist on strength, self-image, and a little dash of painful humility in this week’s English and Beyond!

In this episode, I’m chatting with my friend Martha—a powerhouse in urban gardening and strongwoman competitions—to unpack how our views on fitness, masculinity, and confidence have evolved over the time since we first met.

Listen out for:

• My childhood fear of the word “muscles” (true story!)
• Martha’s thoughts on why strength training isn’t just for men
• Why patience is key in both languages and lifting heavy things!

Join us for laughs, insights, and maybe a motivation boost—whether it’s lifting weights or just picking up a new language!

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

🎃 Halloween on English and Beyond! 🎃

Hello, listeners! This week on English and Beyond, I’m taking a closer look at Halloween. As someone who didn’t grow up celebrating the holiday—or even getting in on the fun of Santa or the Tooth Fairy—Halloween has always felt a bit... lacking. But this year, I’m digging into its Celtic roots and considering why this odd, spooky celebration has blown up worldwide, especially in the UK, with a hefty nudge from the US.

Alongside César, we’ll chat about our cultural quirks, from creepy childhood myths to ancient Celtic festivals. Join us as we explore it all with humour (and a touch of darkness). So, get ready to explore Halloween from an unexpected angle—without the sweets!

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

Hello listeners, it’s Oliver here, and this week, we’re tackling the universal experience we all know too well: disappointment. From movies that made us walk out of the cinema (Joker 2: Folie à Deux, I’m looking at you) to our expectations that were set way too high, César and I will be sharing our personal entertainment-based letdowns — yes, even César managed to stay awake long enough in Joker 2 to become disappointed.

In this episode we'll chat about films that weren’t worth the popcorn, musicals that fell flat, and even the agony of feeling disappointed with your own efforts literally in the moment of creating something! But make sure that you stay till the end, because we’ll dish out some tips to turn any English-learning frustrations and disappointments into small victories, using our free eBooks - hopefully you'll experience no disappointments there, but please blame César if you do!

Tune in, subscribe, and maybe share it with a friend who needs a laugh about life’s many letdowns - maybe self-described Italian Lady Gaga may want to give it a listen right now?

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

Today I discuss one of the most potentially awkward but important relationships you’ll ever have in your life: the one with your mother-in-law. From the nervousness of early introductions to shared meals featuring adventurous dishes (yes, rabbit and snails make an appearance), I’ll take you through my own personal experiences of forming meaningful bonds with each of my three mothers-in-law.

With plenty of (attempts at) humour and a dash of sentiment, this episode sheds light on how mothers-in-law can go from being intimidating figures to becoming cherished family members. I'll also be consulting César, of course, on his opinion of his own mothers-in-law, though we must acknowledge that he and I are both aware that my mother does in fact listen to this podcast...

Whether you’ve had a mother-in-law from heaven or the kind that makes you consider an international escape plan, this episode is for you! Grab a cup of tea (or something stronger if necessary, based on your own experiences…) and tune in for a light-hearted take on a relationship that can end up being anything but simple!

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

Please listen to (Episode 18 / Part I) first if you wish to understand Episode 19 fully

If you tuned in last time, you know we left off with a cliffhanger… and now it’s time to wrap up the 'career confessions' with me, Oliver, and my guest, César! César is finally back in the interrogation seat after a few weeks' break, to discuss with me the ups and downs of career switching, the struggles of finding fulfilment, and why today’s economy makes “sticking to one job” nearly impossible for millennials.

In this episode, we share some personal (and occasionally embarrassing!) stories about our past jobs in retail, teaching, law, and beyond. Expect a characteristically candid chat on everything from handling customer complaints, navigating VIP lounges, to the challenges of leaving well-paid but unfulfilling careers behind. César and I both end up reflecting on how teaching - in school and online - has been both rewarding and emotional at times!

Whether you’re navigating your own career changes or just looking for some real-life advice on work and happiness, this episode is sure to resonate. Tune in as we explore what it means to find joy in work, even if it means breaking away from the traditional path.

Catch up now and join us for some honest conversation!

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

Ever wondered how a career can go from law to Latin, politics to podcasting? Join me, Oliver, as I take you through my unconventional career journey, spilling the highs, lows, and unexpected detours that brought me to where I am today. From quitting my job as a secondary school teacher in the UK to packing my bags for a new life in sunny Spain, I’m taking you behind the scenes of some major life changes. 🌍✈️

In this episode, I’ll be rating my previous jobs (including the awful retail days), sharing what really drove me away from law, and discussing why teaching has been both a joy and a challenge. Plus, there's a cliffhanger as I split the episode into two parts! 🎬

Stick around for a little laughter, some honest reflections, and maybe a bit of inspiration to rethink your own career path. Whether you’re a job-hopper like me or feeling a bit stuck, you’ll find plenty to relate to in this candid chat.

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

After I persuaded my mum to sit down and talk to me for last week's episode, it was logical to ask my dad to join me for one as well. It wasn't hard to convince him - I'm sure that he thought that if my mum could do it, he absolutely should be able to do so too!

Our relationship has always been an interesting one—full of debates, arguments, and the kind of exchanges that perhaps many fathers and sons share. In fact, we spent many of my teenage years at odds with each other, but, in retrospect, those arguments shaped our bond and I don't regret it at all! In this episode, we talk about everything from family life to his career in the fashion industry and even dive into a few deeper reflections on ageing and regrets.

One of the things I loved about recording this episode is seeing how much our relationship has changed over the years. My dad might (frequently) refer to himself as being “in decline,” but his sense of humour and sharpness are very much still intact. And despite all the disagreements we’ve had over the years, this chat is a reminder of the deep respect and connection we share. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.

So, if you’ve ever had a complex relationship with a parent, or simply enjoy hearing stories about family, work, and life’s changes, tune in!

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com

This is quite an exciting episode for me, because I've actually persuaded my mum to join me for it, which was a big surprise!

My mother hates to be photographed and has basically told me already that she'll refuse to listen to this episode - like many people, she doesn't like seeing herself in photos or listening back to recordings of her own voice. That's why I am so shocked to have her on board!

So why am I excited to have done this episode? Simply because I love her and I enjoyed creating it. Editing the episode made me smile a lot. Like many people, I feel that I owe so many of the best parts of my life to my mother. I have seen first-hand that not everyone has that relationship with a parent, and I am grateful to have had someone who listened to me, was (mostly!) patient with me, and fundamentally cared about me.

In this episode, we reminisce together about her own childhood, her relationship with her mother, and the best and worst things about being a parent.

I hope that you enjoy this discussion with my mum. :)

For a full transcript and additional learning resources, check out our website at the following link: morethanalanguage.com