All Podcast Episodes
AE 1417 - Fluency Islands: Why You Feel Fluent Sometimes… And Lost Others
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re chatting about work or your degree and you feel like a total legend, but the second an Aussie barista asks, "How’s your weekend goin', mate?" your brain completely leaves the chat? Don't sweat it—you're not "bad" at English! In today’s episode, we’re diving into a concept that’ll change the way you look at language forever: Fluency Islands. I’m breaking down why fluency isn't one big…
REPLAY - The Goss: The Queen, the King, and Should Australia Now Become a Republic
In today's episode... THIS IS A REPLAY Hey, you guys! How’s it going this week? We went on a recent holiday at Inverloch so I got my dad Ian back on the podcast for another Goss episode. Today’s episode is about this brewing question among Australians: Should Australia now become a Republic? You see, Australia has been having this difficulty on whether we switch to being a republic than being a Commonwealth. And now that Queen Elizabeth II has passed,…
AE 1415 - 6 Ways to Use AI to Improve Your English
In today's episode... Are you using AI as a dictionary or a coach? In today’s episode, Pete dives into why most English learners are getting AI all wrong. If you’re just typing questions and reading answers, you’re missing out on the most powerful fluency tool ever created. It’s time to stop treating ChatGPT like Google and start using it as your own personal, 24/7 Aussie speaking partner. Pete breaks down six practical, "fair dinkum" methods to…
AE 1414 - The Goss: Farm + Camping Culture in Australia
In today's episode... G'day, you mob! In today’s episode, I’m sitting down for a "Goss" session with a very special guest—my old man, Ian Smissen. We’re fresh back from a trip to the family farm near Bendigo for my birthday, and it got us thinking about the unique quirks of growing up and holidaying in the Aussie bush. We dive into the nostalgia of "gate boy" duties (you know the struggle!), the evolution of the iconic 1970s kit log cabin, and why being…
AE 1413 - Expression: Kill Two Birds With One Stone
In today's episode... Ever feel like your to-do list is longer than a summer’s day in the Outback? We’ve all been there—trying to juggle the groceries, the dog walk, and your English study all at once. Well, today’s episode is perfect for you because we’re diving into a ripper of an expression: "To kill two birds with one stone." In this one, I’ll break down exactly how to use this idiom to sound like a natural, whether you're talking about errands or…
AE 1412 - The Goss: What Are Our Plans for 2026
In today's episode... G’day, you mob! In today’s episode, we’re back with another "Goss" session. Pete sits down with his old man, Ian Smissen, to have a proper yarn about what’s on the horizon for 2026. We’re diving deep into some pretty "heavy" but fascinating topics today—like what it’s actually like to be 95 years old and how your perspective on life and death changes when you’ve outlived most of your peers. Ian also gives us an update on his "Grey…
![AE 1411 - The Goss: The Smissen Family Pet History, and Parenting Talks [Members Only]](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fuploads%2Fblog-images%2F1-1-d4ce9291-0da3-41f2-85e9-0920195ad62d.webp&w=3840&q=75)
PlusAE 1411 - The Goss: The Smissen Family Pet History, and Parenting Talks [Members Only]
In today's episode... Welcome back to another "Goss" episode of Aussie English! Today, I’m sitting down with my old man, Ian Smissen, to chat about something we all love (and sometimes get frustrated by): our pets. We kick things off with a classic "con artist" story—my cat Peaches, who’s mastered the art of tricking me into double-feeding her. But it’s not all laughs; we also get into a bit of a "deep dive" on the loss of our family guinea pig, Bazza.…
AE 1410 - The Goss: Scotland, Safaris, and the Future of English - Dad’s 2026 Plans Revealed
In today's episode... Welcome back to another Goss episode! Today, I’m sitting down with my old man, Ian Smissen, to have a proper yarn about what’s on the horizon for 2026 and beyond. We kick things off with Dad’s big travel plans—he’s heading over to Scotland for five weeks! We dig into why he’s bypassing the whisky distilleries (mostly) to nerd out on the ancient Viking history and wildlife of the Orkney and Shetland islands . But it’s not all travel…
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PlusAE 1409 - The Goss: Winter Olympic Scams, Speed Skating & PenisGate [Members Only]
In today's episode... We’re officially in 2026, and you know what that means—it’s time for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina! In today’s Goss episode, I’m sitting down with my old man, Ian, to wrap our heads around the action happening on the ice and snow. We dive into why Dad prefers "objective" racing over the "subjective" style points of figure skating, and we have a proper laugh over the bizarre "PenisGate" scandal rocking the ski jumping world.…
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