Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

5 Items of Potpourri

Posted on Tuesday - February 2, 2016 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Potpourri is originally a French term that, in English, is now used to refer to a variety of things that are not related to each other. Today’s post is a potpourri of items that are unrelated, but still, I hope, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

5 Words I’d Better Not Hear You Using in 2016

Posted on Tuesday - January 5, 2016 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Every year a group of professors and staff members at a small public university in Michigan (Lake Superior State University) publishes a list of banished words. To banish usually means to force someone to leave his or her home city … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & Terms | 17 Comments

3 Things I Hope To Do Over the Holidays

Posted on Wednesday - December 9, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I’m looking forward to a little break over the holidays.* Here are three things I hope to do with my extra time, besides the actual celebration of Christmas itself: 1. Visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art – My … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, Television and Movies | 15 Comments

When They Moved Veterans Day (Then Moved It Back Again)

Posted on Wednesday - November 11, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Today is a public holiday in the United States called Veterans Day. A veteran is someone who was once in his or her country’s military (army, navy, etc.). Today is also a day of remembrance in many countries, since it … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Current Events | 11 Comments

Headline English: Double Meanings

Posted on Tuesday - October 13, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Today’s episode of my little video experiment, Headline English, talks about how newspaper headlines often use phrases and words with more than one meaning as a way of grabbing (getting) your attention. -Jeff

Posted in News and Current Events | 36 Comments

Headline English: Hacking the IRS

Posted on Tuesday - August 18, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Here’s another edition of Headline English, where I talk about some of vocabulary found in American newspapers. Today I talk about the hacking scandal at the Internal Revenue Service. Note: Slight correction – the actual number of accounts hacked was … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Current Events | 17 Comments

10th Anniversary Video Episode – Happy Birthday, ESL Podcast!

Posted on Wednesday - July 22, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It’s here – our 10th Anniversary Video! Help us celebrate 10 years of English as a Second Language Podcast, one of the most popular podcasts on the Internet. With more than 1,600 episodes, 500 hours of lessons, and millions of … Continue reading →

Posted in About ESL Podcast, Announcements | 24 Comments

ESLPod Now Has an App! Download Learn English Magazine

Posted on Wednesday - June 24, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I have some very exciting news to announce today: ESLPod.com now has an app on the Apple and Android app stores. It’s called Learn English Magazine, and it’s free! Learn English Magazine includes some of the best material from our … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements | 32 Comments

The Boys of Summer*

Posted on Tuesday - May 26, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Yesterday was a holiday in the United States called Memorial Day, a day when we honor (remember with respect) those men and women who fought and died for our country in the military. Memorial Day is also the unofficial (not … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 15 Comments

How to Look Smart Even If You’re Stupid

Posted on Tuesday - April 28, 2015 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Let’s say you are about to go on a job interview, or perhaps on a first date (a meeting with someone you are romantically interested in). Your hair looks great. Your clothes are nice. But you are worried about what … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 23 Comments