On this episode of Pod, Actually, Doug, a social studies teacher in San Francisco, talks about learning Spanish, not through textbooks, but through podcasts.

His current favorite? News in Slow Spanish: a gentle, bite-sized way to stay connected to the world while building language skills.

What emerges is something deeper: a conversation about learning, identity, and the quiet ways podcasts shape how we move through the world.

Doug listens on his short commute, not to chase headlines, but to absorb language, rhythm, and culture—finding in the process a softer, more manageable way to engage with the news.

🎙 Doug’s Top 5 Podcasts:

1. Throughline

2. The Daily

3. Radiolab

4. Radio Ambulante

5. Freakonomics Radio

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

On this episode of Pod, Actually, Trisha, a London-based current affairs writer talks about the podcast she listens to most: the BBC’s Witness History.

Each episode is just nine minutes long, yet it captures a moment from history through the memories of someone who lived it. For Trisha, the brevity is part of the appeal — but the deeper attraction is something else entirely.

In a media world built around hyper-curated playlists and endless choice, Witness History offers something rare: random discovery.

In just nine minutes a day, it offers a glimpse into the past — and a reminder that even turbulent moments eventually become history.

Trisha's top five podcasts:

1. Witness History

2. The Globalist

3. Taiwan This Week

4. The Rest Is Classified

5. Empire: World History

🔗 Links

• Learn more about Trisha here: www.trishadeborchgrave.com
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Andrew talks about his favorite podcast: Mindscape with Sean Carroll.

Andrew discovered Mindscape while trying to improve his own teaching. A deep dive into Richard Feynman’s lectures led him into quantum mechanics, Bayesian logic, and eventually to Carroll’s long-form, curiosity-driven interviews.

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com