Welcome to the Thinking in English Patreon!
Hi, I’m Tom Wilkinson, the founder, writer, researcher, host, and everything-else-er behind Thinking in English.
Since launching the podcast in 2020, I’ve been amazed by the support from learners around the world. Your messages, questions, and ideas push me to keep creating better, deeper, and more useful English-learning content every single week.
Thinking in English is designed for intermediate and advanced learners who want to improve through meaningful, real-world English, not boring textbooks. If you want to build vocabulary, understand the world, and think in English, this is the place for you.
Why Did I Start a Patreon?
Every day, learners ask me:
How can I study more effectively? How can I practise speaking more? How do I stay motivated? How can I improve without expensive classes?
As a language learner myself, I know how difficult it is to find a safe, affordable, friendly place to practise regularly.
That’s why I created the Thinking in English Patreon, a supportive community where you can:
- Join weekly Conversation Clubs
- Get bonus episodes every Friday
- Access interactive transcripts, vocabulary resources, and Quizlet sets
- Participate in study groups and events
- Join our Discord community
- And (for Master tier members) speak 1–1 with me each month
Whether you want more speaking practice, extra listening content, or simply want to support the podcast, there’s a tier designed for you.
Our community is full of motivated, interesting learners from more than 20 countries. We discuss podcast episodes, share culture, help each other study, and speak English in a relaxed and supportive environment.
Becoming a patron is the best way to help Thinking in English grow while giving yourself more opportunities to learn and practise English.
Keep scrolling to learn more about:
Or you can check out my very detail Patreon Frequently Asked Questions page here.
Thank you so much for being here and I hope to see you inside the community!
Introduction to Patreon YouTube Video
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What is Patreon?
Patreon is a platform that connects creators (like me) and their audience.
It’s a space where you can support content you love while gaining access to exclusive benefits and behind-the-scenes insights.
Patreon is a way for you to directly contribute to the sustainability and growth of the Thinking in English podcast while receiving some awesome benefits.
I use Patreon for a few different reasons:
- It is simple to use and accessible
- They accept payments in many global currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, etc) meaning you don’t have to pay expensive exchange rates
- You don’t have to trust me with your money (Patreon processes everything for use)
- Patreon integrates with SPOTIFY and DISCORD
- You can cancel ANYTIME, pay monthly or annually, easily upgrade or downgrade your memberships, and more!
What are Patreon Tiers?
The Thinking in English Patreon offers a variety of different levels (or tiers) that you can join!
Each tier costs a different amount ranging from just £5 a month to £40 a month. Each tier offers a different experience and set of benefits – the more you contribute the more benefits you receive.
One of the things I’m proud of is that I’ve managed to keep the Patreon super affordable for most people.
For instance, for just £11.50 a month you can join conversation clubs every week (more than once), listen to bonus episodes, use vocabulary resources I make, join the monthly film club, and be part of our Discord community!
Whether you’re looking for bonus content and extra episodes, or you want direct face to face conversations with me, my Patreon tiers offer a range of exclusive rewards.
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Explore My Patreon Tiers
English Listener
English Listener
(£5 a month)
Perfect if you love listening to the Thinking in English Podcast
In this Patreon tier, you’ll receive:
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English Learner
English Learner
(£11.50 a month)
Perfect if you want to practice English speaking as often as possible!
In this Patreon tier, you’ll receive:
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English Master
English Master
(£40 a month)
Perfect for the biggest Thinking in English fans and supporters!
In this Patreon tier, you’ll receive:
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Patreon Benefits
Bonus Episodes
What Are Bonus Episodes?
All Patreon subscribers can listen to BONUS EPISODES!
Every Friday at around 3am UK time I release a bonus episode. These are Thinking in English episodes exclusive to Patreon subscribers.
There are now over 170 available!
I cover a wide range of topics in Bonus Episodes. From grammar and vocabulary episodes, to history and personal stories, there is a lot of opportunity to listen and learn!
Example Bonus Episodes?
Here is an example bonus episode from earlier this year. In the episode I discuss taking a Japanese exam and my study goals/preparations.
You can see the full selection of bonus episodes here:
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Where Can You Listen to Bonus Episode?
- On Patreon
- On the Thinking in English Blog
- On Spotify
- On Descript
- On any podcasting platform that accepts custom RSS feed!
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Conversation Clubs
What are Conversation Clubs?
Our Thinking in English Conversation Clubs are friendly, small-group sessions where you can finally practise speaking English regularly, naturally, and without stress.
These clubs are designed to help you:
- practise real conversation
- build confidence
- discuss interesting topics
- meet learners from around the world
- use vocabulary and grammar from recent podcast episodes
Many learners feel nervous about speaking English, especially if they don’t have opportunities to practise in their daily life. Conversation Clubs give you a safe, relaxed space to speak as much as possible, experiment with new language, make mistakes, and learn from them.
Every week, I prepare a unique topic, discussion questions, a vocabulary list, and example answers for different English levels. I give you everything you need to feel confident and ready before the session begins.
Usually, the topics connect to the previous week’s episode, helping you turn passive listening into active speaking.
In each session, you will be placed into small groups of 3–4 people. Our trained English tutors (and me) move around the groups to support conversations, answer questions, and make sure everything runs smoothly.
The goal is simple: speak as much as possible.
Who Can Join the Conversation Club?
Conversation Clubs are open to all Patreon members on the English Learner and English Master tiers. These levels include full access to every speaking event each week. For just £11.50 a month, you can attend up to 24 sessions a month!
Join one session or join them all!
If you are currently an English Listener, you can upgrade at any time to start participating in the clubs.
All learners are welcome, but most participants are intermediate to upper-intermediate (B1-C1 level), which means you’ll be speaking with motivated people who genuinely want to improve. And because the groups are small, everyone has plenty of time to talk.
If you want to build confidence, prepare for study or work abroad, or make English-speaking friends, I think the Conversation Club community is one of the most supportive and friendly places to practise.
When and Where Do the Conversation Clubs Take Place?
We currently run six Conversation Clubs every week
(with more times potentially added in the future).
Tuesdays: 12:00, 18:00, 24:00/Midnight
Thursdays: 12:00, 18:00, 24:00/Midnight
(All times are UK time)
Conversation Club Times (Around The World)
12pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Tue/Thur at 12:00 BTC
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 05:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 06:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 08:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 08:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Tue/Thur at 13:00 CEST
- Warsaw, Poland Tue/Thur at 13:00 CEST
- Istanbul, Turkey Tue/Thur at 14:00 TRT
- Taipei, Taiwan Tue/Thur at 19:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Tue/Thur at 20:00 JST
18pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Tue/Thur at 18:00 BST
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 11:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 12:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 14:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 14:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Tue/Thur at 19:00 CEST
- Warsaw, Poland Tue/Thur at 19:00 CEST
- Istanbul, Turkey Tue/Thur at 20:00 TRT
- Taipei, Taiwan Wed/Fri at 01:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Wed/Fri at 02:00 JST
24:00pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Wed/Fri at 00:00 BST
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 17:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 18:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 20:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 20:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Wed/Fri at 01:00 CEST
- Warsaw, Poland Wed, Wed/Fri at 01:00 CEST
- Istanbul, Turkey Wed/Fri at 02:00 EEST
- Taipei, Taiwan Wed/Fri at 07:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Wed/Fri at 08:00 JST
You can join as many sessions as you want each week. Attend just one, or come to all six if you need extra speaking practice.
All clubs take place online through Discord, my community platform. It’s free and easy to use, and we have a dedicated Conversation Club area where we host sessions, answer questions, and help you get set up.
Once you become a patron, you’ll receive:
- Instructions on how to join the Discord
- Access to all Conversation Club rooms
- Guidance on how to join your first session
Whether you’re at home, at work, or travelling, you can log in from anywhere in the world and join a friendly group of English learners. On your computer, on your tablet, or on your phone.
Conversation Club Blog Articles
To help you feel confident and fully prepared before each session, I publish a Conversation Club Blog Article every week. These posts give you everything you need to participate successfully, even if you’re shy or unsure about your speaking ability.
Each weekly article includes:
- The upcoming discussion questions
- A useful vocabulary list connected to the topic
- Example answers at different English levels (so you can see how to respond naturally)
- Extra notes and cultural explanations when necessary
- A short summary connecting the topic to the latest podcast episode
These articles act as your study guide for the week’s Conversation Club. You can read them quickly before the session or use them to revise afterwards.
You can find all the weekly articles here: https://thinkinginenglish.blog/category/blog/conversation-club/
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Descript & Quizlet
Descript Interactive Podcasts
Since summer 2023, I have provided interactive transcripts and vocabulary resources for all Thinking in English episodes (exclusive to Patreon subscribers).
- I provide interactive transcripts from Descript. These allow you to listen and follow the transcript in real time.
- I provide an extended vocabulary list exclusively for Patreon subscribers.
- I create Quizlet sets for each episode and embed Quizlet vocabulary activities into my transcripts
Example Descript Transcript
Example Quizlet Activities
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
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Discord Community
Exclusive Community of English Learners
All Patreon subscribers can connect their Patreon account with Discord and join our community!
Discord is a popular communication platform that offers voice, video, and text chat. It allows us to connect and interact in real-time, and provides a space for organized discussions and sharing content,
Think of it as Zoom mixed with chat rooms and forums!
We have a variety of different rooms for discussing topics, hold regular events, discuss Thinking in English episodes, and have some very active and engaged members. Some of our members have formed amazing friendships and relationships with people from all over the world through Discord!
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1-1 Conversations with Tom
Chat With Tom!
English Master subscribers can access the exclusive opportunity of monthly 1-1 Conversations with Tom (me)!
This benefit is probably the most exclusive of all the Patreon benefits.
I no longer teach English classes. The ONLY English Learners and Thinking in English listeners who can have 1-1 private conversations with me are Master level Patreon subscribers.
What Can We Talk About in Our Conversations?
We can talk about whatever you want in our session:
- Many subscribers just want a chat, to talk about the podcasts, and practice speaking with me!
- I work with one subscriber on her writing – especially IELTS style writing
- We can read articles together and discuss them
- Or whatever you want really
Each month you can attend one private conversation with me, talk about whatever you want, and enjoy the other benefits available!
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Support the Podcast
Becoming a Patron is the best way to support the Thinking in English podcast – if you love listening please consider supporting!
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How to Become a Patron?
Becoming a patron is a simple process. To join our community and access exclusive content and benefits, follow these easy steps
- Click on the “Become a Patron” button on our Patreon page.
- Select the tier that aligns with your language learning goals.
- Complete the registration process, which includes setting up your payment method.
- Once you’re a patron, you’ll gain immediate access to the benefits of your chosen tier.
