{"podcast":{"title":"Plain English","slug":"plain-english-227674","podcast_index_feed_id":227674,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/plain-english/","website_url":"http://www.plainenglish.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/1be30c3a-462f-40a7-883f-935113d5f17f/pe-podcast-main-show.png","author":"Jeff at Plain English","episode_count":904,"summary":"Improve your English and learn about the world at the same time. Plain English brings you short, modern stories about culture, science, travel, business, and everyday life, all told in clear, natural English designed for learners. You’ll grow your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and build your confidence one episode at a time. Like the show? Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com and get a personalized learning path.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T22:20:04.466794+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674"},"episode":{"title":"Five early stories from the World Cup","slug":"five-early-stories-from-the-world-cup","published_at":"2026-07-06T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/five-early-stories-from-the-world-cup","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674","url":"https://plainenglish.com/879","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5e5a2535-b3b5-45d9-b31c-71d6cc272468.mp3","summary":"Today's story: The 2026 World Cup is making headlines both on and off the field. FIFA's high ticket prices have not hurt demand, new hydration breaks are changing the pace of games, and fans are creating memorable moments—from South Korea and Mexico's soccer friendship to Scotland's takeover of Boston. Even ranch dressing has become an unlikely symbol of the tournament as European visitors discover a uniquely American favorite. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/879 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/879 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com Mentioned in this episode: Hard words? No problem Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com","meta_description":"Today's story: The 2026 World Cup is making headlines both on and off the field. FIFA's high ticket prices have not hurt demand, new hydration breaks are…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1186,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/plain-english-227674/episodes/five-early-stories-from-the-world-cup/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/five-early-stories-from-the-world-cup.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}