Learn English by audiobook or video with Cullen at eattmag.com

Welcome to Learn English with Cullen. Learn English with short, calm listening pieces designed to help you think in English — not translate. Early episodes focus on simple listening and understanding. Later episodes introduce short stories, including Pablo, told slowly and clearly. Listen quietly. Repeat if you need to. There’s no rush. Optional resources live at: https://eattmag.com Previously recognised by the Australian Podcast Awards (Most Popular Vote — Lifestyle, Health & Wellness).

The Rope 01/27/2026

Learning the Water 01/20/2026

Pablo — The Kitchen 01/13/2026

The boat made of wooden spoons 01/06/2026

The boat made of wooden spoons After his swim, Pablo decided that he was going to sit down and do some writing. And when he sat down, he suddenly remembered that he had a dream the other night about a boat, and the boat was made from wooden spoons. Why would a boat be made of wooden spoons? That was an interesting idea. They must have been all glued together because the boat was bobbing along quite well in the water, and there was a small crew of sailors sitting in the boat having a lively chat. What were they talking about? He wondered. He hadn't remembered that part of the dream. Was the discussion about coming to land or whether they had just left a big sailing boat and were heading out somewhere, or whether they were heading for land. Not heading for the Li Galli Islands, he hoped—where enchanting songs lure passing sailors. No, perhaps they were going to the land of the Wooden Spoons, where they grew trees for the Wooden Spoons. He wondered where the wooden spoon first came from. He only had a few wooden spoons, two or three, and each one of them he loved dearly. One of his wooden spoons had been given to him by a friend when she returned from somewhere far away, a small country he had never heard of. Another one was given to him by the woman who lived upstairs—the old woman who sometimes reads the cards. That spoon had a great big wide head and was made from a very beautiful dark timber. And the other one, he couldn't quite remember where that one came from. That one he thought he picked up at a store that was closing down that was selling pots and all kinds of things, and they had lots of beautiful Chinese woks and other things. He could afford just one wooden spoon on his way home, and that one was very long and thin and made of very light white timber. Learn English with Cullen is an Australian podcast that has been recognised at the Australian Podcast Awards and listened to around the world for many years. The episodes use short, calm listening exercises and original stories — including the ongoing Pablo series — to help learners develop natural English thinking. With over 175 episodes available on Apple Podcasts and other major platforms, this work continues quietly, one small piece at a time. /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/39624350

Swim First 01/01/2026

The Room 12/31/2025

Not a Busy Day 12/30/2025

Pablo jumped up to snatch the newspaper 12/29/2025

A different cup 12/28/2023

Pablo in the park 06/29/2023

Pablo in the park Pablo sat down on the stool in the kitchen and closed his eyes to think back for a moment. He remembered a few weeks ago being in the park near his apartment, sitting on a bench in the sun and noticing a small blackbird. “It can’t be the same one,” he thought. Then he remembered that was the day it rained. He had gone for a walk, turned his phone on silent, and sat on a park bench. One of his teachers had told him years ago that he should improve his skills in observation. So, when it rained, he stayed on the bench with his rain hat and raincoat for a few minutes, observing the people running through the park to get out of the rain. When he saw a little bird, a little bird that liked to jump around. He seemed to love the rain, unlike the people running in all directions. And sometimes he made an exciting chirp when he flew up high and down low quickly. Pablo wondered if he loved the rain because there were fewer people around and therefore he could jump around everywhere. Pablo opened his eyes and smiled at the memory. He decided to go back to the park and see if he could find the little bird again. He grabbed his raincoat, just in case, and headed out the door. As he walked through the park, he looked around for the little bird. He saw many other birds, but not the one he was looking for. He sat down on a bench and waited, hoping the little bird would appear. After a while, he heard a familiar chirp and looked up to see the little blackbird hopping around on a nearby tree branch. Pablo smiled and watched as the bird flew from branch to branch, chirping happily. Pablo felt grateful for this moment of peace and connection with nature. He sat there for a while longer, watching the bird and enjoying the beauty of the park. In today's English lesson—listen to the first sentence “Pablo sat down on the stool in the kitchen and closed his eyes to think back for a moment.” “In this sentence, we have two new vocabulary words: ‘stool’ and ‘moment’. A ‘stool’ is a type of chair without a back or arms, often used in kitchens or bars. A ‘moment’ is a very short period of time.” “Can you use the words ‘stool’ and ‘moment’ in your own sentences? For example, ‘I sat on the stool at the bar and ordered a drink’ or ‘I only need a moment to finish this task.’” “He remembered a few weeks ago being in the park near his apartment, sitting on a bench in the sun and noticing a small blackbird. ‘It can’t be the same one,’ he thought.” “In this sentence, we have two new vocabulary words: ‘ An ‘apartment’ is a type of housing where people live in individual units within a larger building. A ‘bench’ is a long seat for several people, often found in parks or public places Practice using the new vocabulary: “Can you use the words ‘apartment’, ‘bench’, and ‘blackbird’ in your own sentences? For example, ‘I live in an apartment building with many other people’ or ‘I sat on the bench and watched the people walking by.’” Play the lesson again and listen carefully Then test your English and try to remember the answers to these questions. Then test your English “Where did Pablo go for a walk?” “What did Pablo see in the park?” English language exercises Can you retell the story in your own words? Can you write a continuation of the story? Why is the importance of observation, appreciation of nature and mindfulness important /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/27321066

Pablo and the black bird 05/30/2023

Pablo and the black bird Just as Pablo turned towards the kitchen window, he saw a bird. A little Blackbird. The little Blackbird sitting on the windowsill had small bright yellow eyes. The bird seemed to be looking almost curiously at Pablo for some reason. As if he was wondering what Pablo was about to do. Pablo stood very still. He did not want to see the bird fly away. It was not every day that Pablo had a little black bird sitting on his kitchen windowsill, but then again. He wondered. Had he seen this bird before? Was this the little bird that had been sitting outside on the steps? The same day he had sat outside last Saturday, on the steps outside his apartment on the sidewalk in the sun. Probably not, he thought to himself. How would he know anyway? Little blackbirds like this one, well, most of them looked the same. Although this one was kind of a little bit different. he seemed confident somehow. As he was meant to be there and Pablo was the visitor It was certainly looking at him a little bit differently, as if it was most curious. Perfect, Pablo thought. Now the little bird was going to delay his pizza making and he was feeling very hungry. The little bird's eyes seemed to dart around the kitchen very quickly before landing on Pablo. Was he curious about me? Pablo wondered to himself, while he must be. Nice to have company, Pablo thought. As he remembered how difficult it was being away from people. Especially at the time, so many people were separated from each other. He appreciated the company of this little bird. The bird looked up and chirped at him happily. He then chirped again very loudly and flew away. English lesson objective Enhance your understanding of descriptive language by answering the following questions Answer the following questions: Have you ever observed a unique encounter with an animal or bird? How do you think Pablo felt when he first noticed the blackbird? Why do you think he wanted the bird to stay? How did Pablo's feelings change when he realized the bird might have been observing him before? What have learned about the descriptive language and emotions through the story of Pablo and the little black bird? Exercises: Write a continuation of the story, imagining what happens after the blackbird flies away. Create a piece of artwork sharing some part of the story /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/26985750

Sometimes new dreams wake up 03/28/2023

Chat 02/28/2023

Chat The smell of rain. Pablo wondered what it was called. The smell of rain. It reminded him of his home country. Pablo decided to Google it. The name of the word was Petrichor The word Petrichor means The earthy smell when rain falls on dry soil. He suddenly felt very sleepy. He decided to lay down and have a nap before making his pizza. Shortly after he lay down, there was another knock at the door. When Pablo got to the door, there was a young man with black curly hair. Standing on the unevenly, a hoverboard hovering above the ground. Coming for a ride? He asked. Pablo thought he looked familiar. He couldn't quite remember where he'd met him, but he'd seen him at some point somewhere. I'm not sure, Pablo said. Just as the young man reached out, grabbed him by the hand and placed him precariously on the back of his hoverboard. And down the stairs they went, quickly, whizzing past people who were quietly coming upstairs. Out into the street and along the footpath, as fast as the board could carry them, they made their way outside the doors of a large bank. Pablo jumped off the board and walked through the doors of the bank. Where there was a large queue of people standing. He stood in line. Above him was a very large television screen, like a movie theatre. Above him was playing an advertisement. He looked ahead of him in the line. In front of him there was his friend Peter. Pablo looked up to the big screen and the words suddenly appeared in Chat Get Peter Too Suddenly, Pablo woke up. English Lesson: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Objective: Identify new vocabulary words from the text above and understand the meaning of the words used in our story "The Smell of Rain" Have you ever noticed a unique smell when it rains? What experiences and feelings have you had about the smell of rain? 2. "Petrichor." Do you know what it means? The word Petrichor can be described as "the earthy smell when rain falls on dry soil." 3. Listening to how this word relates to the story, how it might be used in other ways? Comprehension Questions: What did Pablo wonder about when he smelled the rain? How did Pablo discover the name of the word related to the smell of rain? What does the word Petrichor mean? What did Pablo do after discovering the meaning of the word Petrichor? Who did Pablo meet outside his door? What did the young man offer Pablo? Where did Pablo and the young man go on the hoverboard? What did Pablo see when he walked into the bank? Who did the big screen in the bank mention? What happened at the end of the story? English language vocabulary from today's lesson Petrichor - the earthy smell when rain falls on dry soil Hoverboard - a type of skateboard that hovers above the ground Precariously - dangerously unstable or insecure Queue - a line of people waiting for something Advertisement - a public promotion of a product or service Whizzing - moving quickly through the air with a buzzing sound Comprehension - understanding or grasp of something Reminded - caused someone to remember something Familiar - known or recognized from past experience Suddenly - happening quickly and unexpectedly. /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/26072352

Pablo opened the door 01/30/2023

Pablo opened the door Pablo opened the door, and standing in front of him was Sylvia. Sylvia held a small handful of things, including a small bunch of bright-green leaves. I thought you could do with some of these? She winked. I heard you were making a pizza. What is it? Pablo asked. Arugula, she said. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ugula, she said again in her heavy accent and laughed. But where I come from, boy, we call it Rocket, and it grows like a rocket it does too. Very good for you, lad, packed with vitamin C and K, improves ye bones and keeps you healthy, boy And what does it taste like? Pablo asked Like a spicy bite, peppery hot wakes you up; it does and is great on a pizza. In the oven? Pablo asked Ha, Sylvia laughed. Rip it after a quick wash under the tap. Throw it on your pizza after it's just out of the oven and you are about to put it on the plate, lad. Try it, she said, holding out a piece. Pablo grabbed it and bit into it. He said he thought it was peppery and almost nutty; it tastes excellent, he said Sylvia smiled and gave Pablo a small box with garlic and onions. Where did you get it? He asked Time will soon tell, Sylvia said and waved goodbye. Pablo placed the box, and the Arugula, or Rocket as Sylvia had said it was also called, onto the kitchen table and looked out the open window. There he could see the faint drops of rain, and then he could smell a strange and familiar smell; he knew that smell it was the smell of … English lesson Objectives: Learn to recognize new vocabulary related to food and cooking. Understand the use of different accents in the English language. Exercises: Define and describe any new words you may have learned in the story. Answer the questions below "What did Sylvia bring to Pablo?" "What did Sylvia tell Pablo about Arugula?" "What is another name for Arugula? Discussion "What accents do you find easy to understand"? "What kind of accent do you think Sylvia has"? Describe each of the words below and add them to your vocabulary list Arugula Handful Leaves Wink Pizza Accent Rocket Vitamin C and K Peppery Smell /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/25767597

Knock, knock, knock. Went the door 09/29/2022

Kitchen hacks 08/24/2022

Kitchen hacks Pablo had a busy day and realized he was getting hungry when he was thinking about his pizza. Um, he thought, what can he make quickly and easily? Something crisp and crunchy with some flavor. He had some eggs in the fridge with a blue colored shell they were a mix, the women had told him at the market but he was in a rush and did not have time to ask what they were a mix of. They always laughed and had a wry sense of humor. But Pablo knew the shady ladies, as some people had called them, were always looking out for him and spoiled him in one way or another. And he was sure it was just not because he sometimes took them some extra lemons to sell when he had been given too many. Thinking of them, he opened the freezer and found a bag of hash browns. He took two out to defrost and then found the last remaining tomato in the fridge. "That must have cost a pretty penny." he heard one of the ladies say, but it had also been given to him. So, he just winked at her, and she laughed as he moved on through the market. Pablo knew many of the stallholders now in the market at the old meat factory. It smelt like garlic, coriander, and flowers, he had thought to himself that day. He heated some oil in the pan and gently placed the hash browns in it when the oil was just below smoking hot to get them nice and crisp. After a few minutes on each side, he placed them on the little hot plate to go into the griller. Then sliced the tomato into four thick slices and tossed them in the pan for 2 minutes, a minute on each side. Then added a knob of butter, freshly ground black pepper across the top, and a generous sprinkle of sea salt. Grated some tasty cheese for melting and sliced some super thin slices of Parmesan the deli guy at the market had given him wrapped in wax paper, with a wink when his wife was not looking. He heated the grill and placed a large spoon of pesto on top of the hash brown, spreading it slowly along the crunchy top. Adding the slices of tomato on top, he could smell the greenery of the pesto, then added the thin Parmesan, followed by the grated cheese for melting on top of the stack. Placing it under the grill for three minutes, he carefully watched as the hash brown crisped around the edges, the cheese melted, running down the sides, and the pesto bubbled away slowly. He felt a gurgle just looking at it. Sliding them onto the plate, grabbing his tea, and waiting a few seconds for them to cool down, he cut the first one in half and lifted it to his lips, about to take his first bite. ..... then suddenly, there was a knock at the door /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/24152250

Any room for Mushrooms 07/30/2022

Serendipity 06/22/2022

Serendipity Serendipity. Read the words while listening to the story of Pablo to improve your reading and listening in English Pablo hoped Mary was ok? when he got off the call He knew her family was very strict and did not want her to get the sickness. Many people had been sick this winter with a new kind of flu A kind of winter cold that gave people the chills. Just then, something serendipitous happened Serendipity was a new word Pablo had learned meaning - a good surprise. Pablo had just got another text from his friend about the party. The text said they were having an outdoor event A bit cold for that, Pablo thought Pablo was excited now He wanted to go out and taste the world After all this time inside Unable to meet his friends “Outside ?“ Pablo texted back. An outdoor/indoor patio/ verandah/balcony party, his friend texted back with a little smile. A kind of Texan grill Umm thought Pablo sounds tasty. And then he suddenly remembered the Pizza he made recently. The smell was not quite what he wanted it to be. Was he missing something in the Pizza he made for Maria? His oven had just broken down, and so how was he going to make another one? In the microwave, he thought. But how could he make it crispy and yummy tasting with something a little healthy on it? He knew Maria would like another one they did not have much money also he thought. Perhaps he could make it a Texan flavour. Serendipitous, he wondered, was not quite sure how to use this new word yet. But another friend had told him serendipity meant Something wonderful. Meant to be. Feeling it. Knowing it. At precisely the correct exact time or moment. And the Collins dictionary said it was The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. Subscribe for more lessons. Start Pablo's story at the beginning Test your English /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/23472737

Mary wanted to throw snowballs 05/01/2021

English, Lesson 80. Part 3 Chapter 2. "Sounds good," Mary texted back. 04/12/2021

Pablo wanted to go to a party 02/27/2021

Pablo did not have much money. English, Lesson 78. Part 2 Chapter 2 02/07/2021

Pablo wondered how Maria was faring. English, Lesson 77 Part 1 Chapter 2 01/31/2021

Pablo had been listening to the weather report. 01/16/2021

Join Pablo on Patreon 12/28/2020

Pablo wanted to help people over the holidays. 12/24/2020

Pablo wanted to help people over the holidays. Pablo wanted to help people over the holidays. English, Lesson 76 Part 20 Chapter 1 Pablo had planned his Christmas alone and was getting ready. He already knew it was not a good time to waste time watching lots of bad news and had prepared to be busy. He had charged his phone and ordered a new charger for his old iPad to arrive in the new year. He liked to use that for his exercise videos, sometimes placing it high on a stool when he was doing stretches. He wanted to do some warm-up exercises and warm down stretches with videos from YouTube when he was home alone over the holidays. Sometimes he just used his laptop or phone. He made time to talk with Silvia and some other neighbors he liked at a distance. He also made time to wave to people he knew on the street. He did this in the mornings very early when he went for a good walk early in the morning. A massive winter storm was coming, and he knew other people would be lonely also, so he liked to wave or chat at a distance when he could. He knew it made him and other people feel good. He had also found some old cards and gave some to people who lived alone as happy new Year cards. But he would keep Mr. Pickering's cards to sell. He had already got some good food, vegetables, and fruits. For New Year's Eve, he was planning a kitchen challenge and cooking something he had never cooked before. Pablo had some extra cans of soup and vegetables he took to the local food back in his neighborhood. He also made a small donation on a list of local food banks across the US at feeding america .org If the Christmas storm became terrible in January, he would sort through some old photos and videos. He planned to move them into separate folders on his old laptop. Then later carefully onto a drive and get organized into the new year. He might even update his CV and maybe his LinkedIn profile but would do that last. Pablo wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and had a list of people in English to message the new year Wow, Pablo thought he was going to be so busy, he hoped he had time for a few naps in the afternoons. and so our story begins /episode/index/show/learnenglishwithcullen/id/17316875

Pablo began planning his Christmas alone 12/22/2020

Pablo wanted to test his English with a Google form 12/19/2020

English, Lesson 74. Learn English using podcasts 12/15/2020

Pablo had made a list 12/12/2020

Learn English by audiobook or video with Cullen at eattmag.com

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