To learn English from podcasts, you have several options available to you. Here are some recommendations:
- British Council Podcasts: The British Council offers a series of podcasts for learners at different English proficiency levels, including A2 (pre-intermediate) and B1 (intermediate). These podcasts cover various topics, such as fictional drama, jokes, quizzes, and language advice. Each recording comes with a transcript and interactive exercises to help you improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary. You can find these podcasts on the British Council website [1].
- BBC Learning English Podcasts: The BBC Learning English website provides a wide range of podcasts catering to different language levels and learning needs. They offer podcasts for easy, medium, and hard English levels, covering areas like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, everyday situations, news, business English, and more. You can access these podcasts on the BBC Learning English website [2].
- Voice of America: Learning English: If you prefer to learn American English, Voice of America offers podcasts designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced ESL learners. The beginner-level programs focus on basic language skills, while the intermediate-level podcasts cover various topics like health, lifestyle, science, technology, culture, and news. All podcasts come with transcripts to help you follow along. You can listen to these podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or the Voice of America website [3].
- 6-Minute English: Produced by the BBC, 6-Minute English is a news podcast aimed at intermediate speakers. Each episode lasts around six minutes and provides vocabulary lists, thought-provoking questions, and transcripts. The English spoken in these podcasts is slightly slower than usual, making it easier to understand. You can find 6-Minute English on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or the BBC website [3].
- The English We Speak: Another BBC podcast, The English We Speak focuses on English idioms and expressions used in the UK. Each episode is only three minutes long and targets intermediate to advanced students. The program explores various idioms and slang phrases, providing context to help you understand their meanings. You can access The English We Speak on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or the BBC website [3].
- English Learning for Curious Minds by Leonardo English: This podcast is suitable for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to expand their knowledge while improving their language skills. English Learning for Curious Minds covers a wide range of topics, including history, philosophy, politics, and technology. Each episode lasts approximately 20 minutes and comes with a transcript, vocabulary list, and subtitles. Additionally, Leonardo English offers a supportive community for learners. You can find this podcast on various platforms, including the Leonardo English website [3].
When learning English from podcasts, it’s beneficial to listen actively, take notes, and practice speaking by repeating or summarizing what you hear. Regularly engaging with podcasts can enhance your listening comprehension, vocabulary, and overall language skills. Enjoy your language learning journey!
Using podcasts is a great way to improve your English skills, particularly listening comprehension, vocabulary, and speaking. Here are some strategies you can use to make the most of podcasts for language learning:
- Choose podcasts with authentic content: Native-speaker podcasts provide exposure to real English speech, including authentic language, speech patterns, intonation, stress, and pronunciation [1]. Look for podcasts that cover a variety of topics, such as stories, history, science, comedy, cooking, and more, to keep your learning engaging and enjoyable.
- Start with podcasts at your level: There are podcasts specifically designed for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced students [2]. Choose podcasts that match your current language proficiency to ensure you can understand the content and follow along easily. Beginner podcasts often provide transcripts and support materials to aid comprehension.
- Practice active listening: While listening to podcasts, actively focus on the content and try to understand the meaning. Take notes of new vocabulary, expressions, and grammar structures you encounter [3]. Listen for specific details, main ideas, and supporting examples. Repeat challenging sections to improve your comprehension.
- Use transcripts and follow along: Many podcasts offer transcripts or show notes that accompany each episode. Use these resources to read along as you listen, which can help reinforce your understanding of the spoken words [2]. Pay attention to the pronunciation, word stress, and intonation patterns while reading the transcript.
- Expand your vocabulary: Podcasts expose you to a wide range of vocabulary, including idioms, slang, and collocations. Make a note of new words or phrases and add them to your vocabulary list. Look up their meanings, study their usage, and try to incorporate them into your own conversations [1].
- Mimic pronunciation and intonation: Native-speaker podcasts provide an opportunity to improve your pronunciation and intonation. Listen carefully to how the speakers pronounce words, stress syllables, and use intonation patterns. Practice mimicking their speech to improve your own pronunciation and natural-sounding speech [1].
- Engage in active speaking practice: Use podcasts as a source of content for speaking practice. Pause the podcast at certain points and try to summarize or retell what you have heard in your own words. This will help you improve your fluency, sentence structure, and ability to express ideas in English [3].
- Write reflections or summaries: After listening to a podcast episode, write a short reflection or summary of what you learned or found interesting. This will help reinforce your understanding, improve your writing skills, and allow you to process the information in a more meaningful way [3].
Remember, consistency and regular practice are key to improving your English skills. Incorporate podcasts into your daily routine, listen to them during various activities, and enjoy the process of learning while being entertained by the podcast content [1].
Podcasts for Continuing Education
Podcasts also show up as delivery vehicles for content providing continuing education and skill development to professionals of all sorts. Here are a few of the offerings I found.
The Business English Pod helps business professionals everywhere improve their command of business English. Let’s face it: Even some of us whose first language is English struggle with business English. We can only imagine how people who speak English as a second language must struggle with some of the jargon.
Teachers and educators find learning and skill-related podcasts at various sources, including Fordham University’s Center for Professional Development and The Educational Podcast Network, with its many offerings.
Podcast.net, another huge podcast directory, lists podcasts specific to many other professions–including law and politics, science podcasts representing various disciplines and topics, podcasts for the IT professional, podcasts for visual and performance professionals, and podcasts for professionals in business and finance. Medical professionals will find a directory of medical broadcasts at the Arizona Health Science Library.
Space limits the listings I can describe, but I’m optimistic that almost every professional will find a podcast with career-related information.
“Want to learn to speak English Try a podcast.”
The Internet has truly revolutionized the distribution of learning materials. In the last couple of years, podcasts as learning aids have become increasingly popular, either as a stand-alone mini-course or as an enhancement to courses and programs delivered through more traditional sources. Spend a few moments Googling “podcasts for learning,” and soon you will be downloading podcasts to help you learn to speak English, Japanese, Italian and other languages;
“Want to learn to speak English? Try a podcast.”
The Internet has truly revolutionized the distribution of learning materials. In the last couple of years, podcasts as learning aids have become increasingly popular, either as a stand-alone mini-course or as an enhancement to courses and programs delivered through more traditional sources. Spend a few moments Googling “podcasts for learning,” and soon you will be downloading podcasts to help you learn to speak English, Japanese, Italian and other languages; or podcasts offering instruction on Plato’s philosophy, current scientific issues, environmental concerns, and almost anything else you might want.
Listening to podcasts and watching videos and television in English are all useful ways to improve your English by yourself.
Listen to Podcasts to Add to your speaking skills , fluency and accuracy through vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation in real conversations and speaking situations.
If you’re looking for podcasts to help you learn English, here are some top recommendations:
If you’re looking for podcasts to help you learn English, here are some top recommendations:
- Learn English Podcast from the British Council: This podcast is excellent for beginners and covers common everyday situations. Each episode comes with a transcript and exercises to test your understanding. It is a great resource for learning British English. [1]
- Voice of America: Learning English: If you want to learn American English, Voice of America offers podcasts for beginner, intermediate, and advanced ESL learners. The beginner-level programs focus on basic language skills, while the intermediate level covers various topics like health, lifestyle, science, technology, culture, and news. Transcripts are provided for all podcasts. [1]
- 6-Minute English from the BBC: This podcast is perfect for those short on time. Each episode is about six minutes long and covers news topics. It includes vocabulary lists, thought-provoking questions, and transcripts. The English spoken in this podcast is slightly slower, making it easier to understand. [1]
- The English We Speak: Produced by the BBC, this podcast focuses on different English idioms and expressions used in the UK. Each episode is three minutes long and targets intermediate and advanced students. The vocabulary explored is more complex and helps learners understand British culture and slang. [1]
- English Learning for Curious Minds by Leonardo English: This podcast is suitable for intermediate/advanced English learners who want to learn interesting facts while improving their English. It covers a wide range of topics and provides transcripts, vocabulary lists, and subtitles. The podcast also has a supportive community of learners. [1]
- BBC Learning English: The BBC Learning English website offers a variety of podcasts for different levels and purposes. They cover topics such as everyday situations, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, business English, news, and more. They also provide accompanying transcripts, worksheets, and vocabulary tasks. [2]
- FluentU: FluentU recommends 22 English podcasts for every English learner. Some of the popular ones include The English We Speak, EnglishClass101, LearnEnglish, Splendid Speaking, and Voice of America Learning English. These podcasts cover various levels and topics, and they offer transcripts, cultural information, vocabulary, and grammar points. [3]
These podcasts can greatly assist you in improving your English language skills. Happy learning!