10 Best Podcasts to Learn English and Improve Your Language Skills

You don’t have to live in a country where English is the primary language of communication to be fluent in English. When learning a language, many people face the problem of understanding English speech by ear. And this applies not only to entry levels but also to advanced ones. To understand English easily, you need to develop listening skills. An effective way to do this is to listen to short audio recordings of different topics—podcasts.

Podcasts take little time and allow you to practice English and broaden your horizons.

Below are ten pages of interesting podcasts for both beginners and advanced speakers.

Why Should You Listen to an English Podcast?

One of the best ways to improve your English listening comprehension is to download English-language podcasts.

Then commit to listening to a podcast or radio show for at least 30 minutes daily. Do it at the gym, during your commute, or while working on your computer.

Making an effort to comprehend is the most significant in the learning process. Even if it’s too fast for you, try to pick out keywords and phrases to get a general idea. Write any word or expression you don’t understand and then search for a translation. Listen to the podcast again to hear phrases or new words in context.

Top 10 English Podcasts for Beginners

BBC Learning English—6 Minute English

You can improve your English listening skills in a fun and easy way by watching the BBC’s six-minute episodes.

This page contains podcasts (short audio recordings on various topics) of the British company BBC. They are easy to hear.

As you can guess from the title, the episodes are about 6 minutes long. Each podcast features a dialogue between native speakers, from debates over the advantages and disadvantages of fast food and coffee to discussions about music and mental health. In addition to the audio recording, the podcast also contains a transcript, definitions of the words used, and a quiz about them.

Podcasts—British Council Learn English

The British Council offers several podcasts on different topics and for different levels, and that’s why they are the best podcasts for learning English. Listen to some of the podcasts available on the British Council website to improve your knowledge of everyday English.

They are appropriate for all levels, and the content ranges from fictional dramas to quizzes, comedic situations, and English learning tips. Each episode contains a podcast transcript and interactive exercises designed to improve your vocabulary and understanding of speech.

Voice of America—Learn American English

VOA is an American English podcast that covers a wide range of topics. Start listening to the Learning English section: in these audio recordings, the speaker speaks slowly, using simple terminology. We recommend an audio recording from other sections if you have a good vocabulary. The vocabulary in these podcasts is more complex, and the speaker speaks at a more natural pace.

Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast

Luke’s English Podcast is an audio show that has been awarded several times for its innovation and effectiveness when it comes to teaching English. As well as being a CELTA and DELTA certified English teacher, Luke Thompson is also a comedian, so in these podcasts, he combines his English teaching skills with his stand-up comedian skills, creating engaging, educational, and entertaining episodes.

News in Slow English

This podcast is one of the better English podcasts for beginners because they talk about popular topics at a slow pace. Not only do they talk about the weekly news, but also about English grammar and expressions and much more in simplified English. With some shows, there is also a transcript.

IELTS Energy English Podcast (7+)

If you are planning to take the IELTS exam, this podcast will fully prepare you for the difficulties you may encounter while learning English for this purpose. The podcast uses real content, offers the chance to enhance your English pronunciation and vocabulary, and offers tips and methods to help you breeze through the exam.

BBC Learning English—The English We Speak

If you want to learn phrases or slang used daily in the English language, this podcast allows you to do so through a short but interesting content of three minutes.

Here are the advantages of the best English learning podcast:

• speakers speak clearly
• speaking at an average pace
• correct British speech

Don’t know what “clickbait” means? And “happy-go-lucky”? This is the right podcast for you.

Naked Scientists Online—Science Podcast

The Naked Scientists is an online internet science radio show and podcast. They discuss science articles, follow the news, and interview famous scientists.

Do you wish to comprehend complex concepts? These podcasts provide accessible explanations of various scientific subjects. Each episode is an hour long and is broken up into three separate tracks for ease of listening: a selection of science news, responses to listener queries, and interviews with invited scientists.

StarTalk Podcast by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Scientific lectures on various topics. The two presenters discuss astronomy, physics, chemistry, and all kinds of interesting cases from people’s lives, and not only in a fascinating way. Because it uses phrasal verbs and idioms and speaks at a conversational pace, this podcast is inappropriate for anyone learning the language for the first time.

Business English Pod

This podcast covers a wide range of scenarios and subjects for a professional setting. Students can follow along and learn how to, among other things, negotiate, pitch, and present various items thanks to the unhurried and clear discussions. They’re perfect for those who can’t devote 2-3 hours. Ideally, you won’t ever need to use any of the English words you pick up from this episode!