Hey there! This is TOP episode 334. Learn English With “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson
You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
Welcome to today’s episode, Learn English with Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal, where we’ll use one of his most iconic songs from 1987 to break down real English, focusing on grammar, pronunciation, and natural everyday usage.
And before we start, I’ve got a huge announcement. We’re going to meet live during my three-day workshops for you guys. It’s happening on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of April at 8 p.m., and it’s going to be a massive revision of all English tenses. I’m inviting you to Wielka Powtórka Angielskich Czasów, already very, very soon. For three days, we’ll go step by step through everything you really need. On day one, we focus on present tenses, on day two, past tenses, and on day three, future tenses, so you finally feel confident and stop guessing which tense to use. If you’ve ever felt confused, stuck, or unsure when speaking, this is exactly what you need. Sign up now at gototeacherola.com.pl/3dni and join us live.
Alright, and now let’s get into today’s lesson and see how you can learn real, natural English from Smooth Criminal step by step.
One. As he came into the window. In this line from Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson, we are not dealing with a phrasal verb. The verb is “come,” and “into” is a preposition that shows movement from outside to inside. So “came into the window” suggests that someone entered through the window. The word “as” here means “when” or “while,” so it connects two actions happening at the same time. It’s very common in storytelling. In natural pronunciation, “as he” often sounds like /æʒ iː/ or /əz iː/, so the “s” becomes a softer “z” sound and links smoothly with “he.” Also, “came into” is not pronounced word by word, but more like one unit, “came-into,” with a smooth connection. A natural example would be: “As she came into the room, everyone stopped talking.”
Two. He left the bloodstains on the carpet. Here we are focusing on the verb “leave,” which is irregular. Its forms are “leave, left, left,” so there is no “-ed” in the past. Many learners want to say “leaved,” but the correct form is “left.” In pronunciation, make sure you clearly hear the final “t” sound in “left.” Some short, natural examples you can use are: “I leave my keys on the table every day,” “She leaves work at five,” “He left his phone at home,” and “We left early because we were tired.” These are all very typical, everyday situations.
Three. She ran underneath the table. The word “underneath” means “under,” but it sounds a bit more descriptive and is often used when something is completely below or slightly hidden. The verb “run” is irregular, with the forms “run, ran, run.” The past form “ran” is pronounced /ræn/, so be careful not to confuse it with “run.” We can use this verb in different ways. For example, “I run every morning to stay fit” . “She ran to catch the bus”. “I have run this project for two years” uses the present perfect and shows a completely different meaning, which is managing or being in charge of something.
Four. He could see she was unable. This is a great example of how we use verbs of the senses in English. With verbs like “see,” “hear,” and “feel,” we often use “could” in the past instead of continuous forms. In natural speech, “could see” is often reduced to something like /kəd siː/, where “could” becomes very weak. This pattern is extremely common in storytelling because it sounds natural and fluent.
Five. She was struck down, it was her doom. The expression “struck down” comes from the verb “strike,” which has the forms “strike, struck, struck.” “Struck down” is quite a strong and dramatic phrase. It can mean that someone was attacked, suddenly became seriously ill, or was completely defeated. The structure “she was struck down” is in the passive voice, which means we focus on what happened to the person, not who did it. The structure is very simple: subject, then “was” or “were,” and then the past participle. The word “doom” means a terrible fate or an unavoidable tragic end, and it sounds quite serious and emotional. You could say, “He was struck down by a sudden illness,” or “Ignoring the warning signs led to their doom.”
Six. Annie, are you okay? This is a very simple question, but it shows an important rule in English. When we use the verb “to be” in questions, we change the word order. Instead of saying “you are okay,” we say “are you okay.” This inversion is essential and sometimes tricky for learners. In natural pronunciation, “are you” is often linked and sounds like “are-ya.” Some other useful examples are: “Are you ready?” in the present, “Were they at home yesterday?” in the past, and “Why are you so tired today?” which is an open question.
Seven. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This phrase refers to a life-saving technique used when someone is not breathing. It means blowing air into another person’s mouth to help them get oxygen, and it is part of first aid. It’s very useful vocabulary to know in real-life situations. The word “resuscitation” is pronounced /rɪˌsʌsɪˈteɪʃən/, with the main stress on the “ta” syllable. A clear and practical example sentence would be: “The lifeguard gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until help arrived.”
Now it’s time for the practical part, so I’m going to read out some sentences and I want you to repeat each one out loud after me.
As she came into the room, everyone stopped talking.
I leave my keys on the table every day.
He left his phone at home.
She ran to catch the bus.
I have run this project for two years.
He was struck down by a sudden illness.
Are you ready?
Were they at home yesterday?
Why are you so tired today?
The lifeguard gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until help arrived.
That’s all from me for now. And remember, phrases like these only become yours when you actually start using them. When you say them out loud, when you try them in real conversations, when you let the language move from understanding to speaking. And today, working with Smooth Criminal, you’ve seen how much real, natural English you can take from just a few lines.
And that’s exactly the kind of practice we do inside my Voice Loop groups. You record short voice messages, you experiment with phrases like the ones from today’s episode, and I give you personal feedback so you know what works and how to make it sound even more natural. If you’d like to practice speaking this way with me for five weeks, go to teacherolanda.com/grupy and choose your level and your group.
And before you go, don’t forget that we’re meeting live very soon for a special three-day event, Wielka Powtórka Angielskich Czasów. It’s a practical, structured revision of all the key tenses, so if you’ve ever felt confused about when to use which tense, this is for you. We’ll go step by step through present, past, and future, and make everything finally click. You can join us at teacherola.com/3dni.
And now, don’t forget to head to teacherola.com/334 and grab your free worksheet for this episode.
Thank you so much for listening. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud. I love you, I believe in you, I know you are ready to speak English. I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now.