A South African in Russia tries to understand why Victory Day feels so huge here. From tanks and parades to family stories and grief, this episode looks at 9 May through foreign eyes.

I talk about growing up with almost no emotional connection to World War II, what changed when I met Victory Day in Moscow, and how symbols like the Immortal Regiment, St. George ribbons, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier shifted my sense of history and memory. Along the way I share what I’ve learned (and still don’t know) about the Soviet and South African roles in the war, and why I think many of us were never really taught this story at school.

You can listen on the website, YouTube, RuTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Yandex Music, and wherever you get your podcasts:

Website: https://teewchantelle.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-english-experiment/id1869215100

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/282HmOFNdHADDforUoarKU?si=d0941609ea744dbc

Yandex Music: https://music.yandex.ru/album/40403862

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TEEwChantelle RuTube: https://rutube.ru/channel/68411939/

You can also connect with me here:

Telegram: https://t.me/teewchantelle

VK: https://vk.com/teewchantelle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teewchantelle

Supporting materials for this episode are available on the website.

Sometimes, you just need one small adventure to shake up your usual routine. In this episode, I’m heading to a snow tubing park just outside Moscow with my friend Natalie – my first time ever on a tubing hill.

On the way, Natalie talks about the winters of her childhood, sliding down makeshift hills on plastic bags and pieces of old furniture instead of tubes. We compare those memories with the organised tubing park outside the city and the kind of winter day you can have there now.

You’ll come along as we drive out of Moscow, figure out the first scary–fun run down the hill, and then take a break over tea to talk about expectations, growing up with real winters, and why walking back up the hill can be just as important as sliding down.

If there’s something small and a bit silly you’ve been curious to try, maybe this is your sign to say yes to it.

The intro and outro music for this episode were created with AI music tools.

Supporting materials for this episode are available on the website: https://teewchantelle.com

I’ll also upload a short Russian summary of this episode especially for English learners on VK (it will only be available there): https://vk.com/teewchantelle

You can listen on the website, YouTube, RuTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, I sit down with Anya – my music teacher, and also my English student – to talk about singing in English, learning through real-life content, and what it feels like to speak a “beautiful, singing language” when you don’t use it every day. You’ll hear her thinking slowly, searching for words, and sometimes getting a bit confused… and that’s exactly the point.

We chat about:

- Why good pronunciation matters so much when you sing in English

- Using podcasts, interviews and lectures as “real” language-learning material

- How my website and task-based materials feel from the learner’s side

- Whether this podcast format can work even for beginners

- Ideas for future episodes: food, daily life, the weather, and how not to freeze in winter

Along the way, I accidentally ask Anya the same question twice about why she’s studying English. Apparently my brain decided it needed a second draft of her answer and forgot to tell me. She expands on her thoughts the second time, so you get a bonus take instead of a polished edit.

At the end, I also leave in a little self-correction moment in the outro. It’s one of those tiny “oh wait, let’s try that again” slips that every speaker has, and I decided to keep it as a mini reminder that you can correct yourself in real time and just keep going.

Special thanks to Anton, who recorded the video for this conversation and bravely stepped from photography into video so we could experiment with a new format. You can find him on Instagram at @tony_s778.

Supporting materials for this episode are available on the website: teewchantelle.com. You can listen on the website, YouTube, RuTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is a little different. I’d planned to release an interview with my music tutor, but something in the process made me stop and rethink how I’m creating this podcast.

Instead of the “perfect” video I imagined, I’m talking about tech experiments, time limits, and what happens when a side project starts to feel heavier than it should. I come back to the KISS idea—keeping things simple enough that I can still learn, play, and actually enjoy making this show.

If you’re also juggling multiple things at once, you might hear a bit of your own story here...

Supporting materials for this episode are available on the website. You can listen there (www.teewchantelle.com), YouTube, RuTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

When I share my podcast idea with a real friend, what actually happens? In this follow‑up conversation, Olga tells me what she thought about The English Experiment, what worked for her, and what she’d change.

We talk about time, attention, and why so many podcasts feel way too long, and she shares a big list of future topics – from mentality and life in another country to AI, influence, and whether we really have free will.

This episode is great if you want to listen to a real conversation between two learners, hear gentle correction in context, and notice how feedback can make a project stronger instead of more stressful. Approximate level: B1–B2 listening.

You can find the transcript and supporting study materials for this episode on my website: https://teewchantelle.com

If you enjoy this episode, you can:

• Subscribe or follow The English Experiment in your favourite podcast app.
• Share this episode with a friend who’s also learning English.
• Send me your ideas or questions for future episodes.

Stay in touch here:

Website: https://teewchantelle.com

VK: https://vk.com/teewchantelle

Telegram: https://t.me/+qlyOUn7za1k2OGNi

Instagram: https://instagram.com/teewchantelle

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TEEwChantelle

RuTube: https://rutube.ru/channel/68411939

What happens when you test a brand‑new podcast idea on someone who actually has to use it? In this episode, I invite you into a real conversation with my language‑exchange partner, Olga, where I explain the concept for The English Experiment and ask for her honest feedback.

We talk about what makes speaking courses helpful or frustrating, why listening can feel harder than reading, and how correction and kindness can work together. You’ll hear me “pitch” the project, adjust my explanation on the fly, and gently rephrase some of Olga’s sentences so her ideas are clearer in English—without turning the moment into a lesson.

If you’re learning English, this is not a textbook dialogue. It’s real speech, with hesitations, repeats, and all the messy bits that come with trying to express yourself about something that matters. You can follow along with the full transcript and an optional study pack that focuses on pitching ideas and giving feedback in natural English.

You can find the full transcript and the optional study pack for this episode on my website. Go to teewchantelle.com, look for The English Experiment section, and open the page for E03 Part 1 – Pitching the English Experiment to a Friend. All study materials and links are collected there.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of how The English Experiment podcast actually came to life.​

I talk about where the idea came from, the first test recordings I shared with a student, and the moment this stopped being “just a thought” and turned into a real project. There were plenty of rookie mistakes along the way: a microphone set too low, a teaser recorded while I was ill, and several website experiments that didn’t feel like home.​

I also share how I moved from fighting with WordPress templates to rebuilding the site using Replit and AI helpers, and what it’s like to learn audio, editing, and intro music while working and studying at the same time. This podcast is very much a work in progress — I’m starting from where I am, with what I have, making mistakes and learning as I go.​

If you’re curious about starting your own project or you just want some thoughtful English to listen to, you’re very welcome to join me for this episode. The audio is in English and friendly for learners who prefer real, unscripted content over textbook dialogues. Supporting materials for this episode are available on my website.​

Website: https://teewchantelle.com

Are you learning English and feeling tired of old‑school textbook stuff? This short intro episode is for you.​

I’m a South African living in Moscow, and I’m also learning Russian. My biggest challenge is finding speaking practice that actually feels interesting, not just grammar drills and exercises. That experience is what sparked The English Experiment – a podcast where you learn through English by exploring real topics and questions, not by doing tests.​

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why traditional speaking practice often feels flat for adults
• The idea of learning through English, not just “learning English”
• How your curiosity and questions can shape future episodes
• Optional extras like transcripts and study packs, if you want a bit more structure​

If any of this sounds like your journey, stick around. This is The English Experiment with Chantelle. Let’s see where this goes.​

Tools I use:​

• Perplexity – research, ideas, planning: https://plex.it/referrals/R5ALDFB7
• Replit – website experiments and development: https://replit.com/refer/chanterblanch

Some of these are referral links, which means I may receive a small benefit if you sign up using them, at no extra cost to you.