Share

cover art for 881. Reading the news with a foreign accent (with Barbara Serra)

Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson

881. Reading the news with a foreign accent (with Barbara Serra)

Barbara Serra is an award-winning Italian journalist who has spent much of her career reading the news in the UK on various high-profile well-established English language news networks including the BBC, Channel 5, Al Jazeera English and Sky News.


Barbara has quite a specific relationship with English. It’s her dominant language but not her native language. She has a certain accent, which does place her outside the UK somehow.


So how has this affected her career as a news reader and reporter? What is the story of her English? What kind of challenges has she faced while reading the news in the UK? And what does this all tell us about learning English, what it means to improve your accent, the relationship between accent and identity, the definition of “native” and “non-native speaker”, the status of different English accents in the English speaking world?


🔗 Barbara's email newsletter "News with a foreign accent" 👉 https://barbaraserra.substack.com/

🔗 Barbara's website with course info 👉 https://www.barbaraserra.info/

📺 Luke talks to Alastair Budge about Paris 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jveYc5vFh7A&ab_channel=LeonardoEnglish on  @LeonardoEnglishCom 

🎧 Luke on Elena’s mtunonon's podcast "Online Bound" 👉 https://www.elenamutonono.com/2024/04/25/1-mln-subscribers/

📋 Take the Acast listener survey 👉 https://podcastsurvey.typeform.com/to/ugLVUK15

More episodes

View all episodes

  • RAMBLEMANIA 🗣️ 3+ Hours of English Listening & Learning with Luke [976]

    03:33:59|
    Here's an epic rambling episode in which I talk about learning English with BBC Radio and TV 📻 vocabulary expressions with the word 'thumb' 👍 the story of how I became a taxi driver on the streets of Paris 🚖 the grammar of Yoda 🐸 fantastic haikus written by my listeners ✍️ and getting pecked in the face by a swan 🦢. 3h30min+ of English listening and learning from me to you. #learnenglish #britishenglish #englishlistening👉 Get the episode PDF https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RAMBLEMANIA-3-Hours-of-English-Listening-Learning-with-Luke-976.pdf👉 Episode page https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/16/ramblemania-3-hours-of-english-listening-learning-with-luke-976/👉 Sign up to LEP Premium https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium👉 A Phrasal Verb a Day podcast https://apvad.libsyn.com/📺 The Office UK - Big Keith's Appraisal https://youtu.be/IkYUDQCYGHA?si=T1Hz0VQ9HIrhLOSw📺 Downton Abbey clup - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAnsGZCahlU📺 Monty Python - The voice of God - https://youtu.be/z-iWe4qXUD8?si=za7e_XF3CsGjuDjm#LearnEnglish #BritishEnglish #EnglishListening
  • How to write well in English ✍️ (with Fabio Cerpelloni) [975]

    01:19:47|
    What skills are involved in being a good writer? What makes a good piece of writing? How is writing different to speaking? What are the challenges faced by learners of English who want to write well, and what are some solutions to these challenges? How can AI help develop writing skills? And, what does it take to write your own book in English? These are all questions which I talk about in this episode, with the help of professional writer and returning guest Fabio Cerpelloni.Get the PDF transcript & summary of main points 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/How-to-Write-Well-in-English-with-Fabio-Cerpelloni-975-TRANSCRIPT.pdfEpisode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/09/how-to-write-well-in-english-with-fabio-cerpelloni975/Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium🧔🏻 Fabio's website & blog 👉 www.fabiocerpelloni.com📚 Fabio's books 👉 https://fabiocerpelloni.com/books/
  • Haiku in English 📖 🍃 [974]

    01:47:24|
    [974] In this episode I read out lots of haiku poems, explain their meaning, discuss what they make me think and feel, and use them to teach you some vocabulary. The haikus I read include some traditional Japanese ones translated into English, plus more modern ones written in English by writers from around the world. Some of these haikus are meditative, some are sad, some are funny and some find a way to capture feelings that are otherwise difficult to put into words.Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Haiku-in-English-974.pdfEpisode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/02/02/haiku-in-english-974/Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/premium
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb 👍🔪 (Learn English with a Short Story) [973]

    01:34:50|
    Back by popular demand, here is another Sherlock Holmes short story on LEP. This one tells the suspenseful tale of a young engineer 👷 who accepts a well-paid but mysterious job. In classic horror movie style, he ignores so many red flags 🚩 and warnings ⚠️ and ends up paying the price for it! But, can Holmes and Watson make sure that justice is served? I tell the story and explain some details and words along the way. Story text and summaries available on the episode PDF.Get the PDF with story text, vocabulary list and vocabulary quiz here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/26/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb-learn-english-with-a-short-story-973/Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/26/sherlock-holmes-the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb-learn-english-with-a-short-story-973/Sign up to LEP Premium 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium
  • Identity, Mindset, Accents & Learning English with Multilingual Actor Ivan Doan [972]

    01:38:17|
    [972] I talk with multilingual actor Ivan Doan about his multicultural background, his learning of languages and his work as an actor. Ivan shares his insights and experiences of learning English, dealing with different accents in film & TV roles, and the importance of mindset and discipline in his life. There are plenty of language learning insights in this episode, which I summarise at the end. Full transcript available.Get the episode PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Identity-Mindset-Accents-Learning-English-with-Multilingual-Actor-Ivan-Doan-972-Transcript.pdfEpisode page with language learning insights 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/19/learning-english-accents-identity-mindset-with-multilingual-actor-ivan-doan/Sign up to LEP Premium (20% off until 31.1.26) 👉 www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium
  • [Part 2] 9 Science-based Life Hacks to Improve your English Learning Potential in 2026 🧠 [971]

    02:00:09|
    [971] Part 2 of 2. Here is the continuation of last week's episode about changes you can make to your lifestyle, mindset and habits in order to become a better learner of English in 2026. Each of these tips is backed up by scientific research from the fields of psychology and psycholinguistics, with insights into human behaviour and thinking processes that result in better learning. Full PDF available.Get the episode PDF here 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-Science-based-Life-Hacks-to-Improve-your-English-Learning-Potential-PART-2-971.pdfEpisode page on my website 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/12/9-science-based-life-hacks-to-improve-your-english-learning-potential-part-2-971/20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 (hurry hurry hurry) 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium
  • [Part 1] 9 Science-based Life Hacks to Improve your English Learning Potential in 2026 🧠 [970]

    01:32:57|
    [970] Part 1 of 2. An English podcast about simple habits you can introduce in your life, to be in top condition for learning English all year long. This is all backed up by scientific research into how our brains work, how we learn language, and how little changes in our behaviour can help us perform better and achieve more in the time we are given. Includes top advice for preparing yourself to be a great learner of English in 2026. Part 2 will be available next week.Get the episode PDF 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-Science-based-Life-Hacks-to-Improve-your-English-Learning-Potential-PART-1-970-1.pdfEpisode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2026/01/05/9-science-based-life-hacks-to-improve-your-english-learning-potential-part-1-970/20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premiumlearn English, English learning tips, English listening practice, English podcast,British English, Luke’s English Podcast, language learning science,learning habits, habit formation, neuroscience of learning,improve your English, English fluency, ESL podcast,1 percent rule, atomic habits, marginal gains,new year habits, motivation for learning,cognitive performance, how to learn English
  • WORLD NEWS QUIZ 2025 🌍 with Stephen from SEND7 Podcast [969]

    02:01:31|
    [969] It's time for the annual World News Quiz with 20 questions about some of the curious news stories of 2025. Stephen Devincenzi from the SEND7 podcast is the quizmaster. Can you I improve on my poor performance from last year? Can you beat me? Take a trip through some news highlights from this year. Full transcript available as usual.⛑️ Donate to MSF today to help people in need https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WORLD-NEWS-QUIZ-2025-with-Stephen-from-SEND7-Podcast-969-TRANSCRIPT.pdf🔗 Episode page with questions and answers 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/29/world-news-quiz-2025-with-stephen-from-send7-podcast-969/🏆 20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 https://lep.supercast.com🎧📰 Listen to SEND7 podcast here 👉 https://pod.link/1505603790
  • The Words of the Year 2025 📖 with Amber & Paul [968]

    01:46:47|
    [968] The Collins Dictionary Words of the Year is a list of 10 words which capture the cultural zeitgeist - the spirit of the times that we are living in now. These are new words, picked by Collins, which reflect big issues that people have been talking about over the last 12 months. In this conversation, Amber, Paul & I discuss the impact of AI, the ways social media is affecting people's behaviour, how people are using technology to control their health, the strange habits of tech leaders, and more. Pick up new words and listen to conversation about big issues in society. Full transcript available.🔗 Episode page 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/2025/12/25/the-words-of-the-year-2025-with-amber-paul-968/📄 Get the PDF transcript 👉 https://teacherluke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Transcript-968-The-Words-of-the-Year-with-Amber-Paul-1.pdf🏆 20% off LEP Premium until 31 January 2026 👉 https://www.teacherluke.co.uk/premium

Comments