The 7 best podcasts to help beginners learn English

When you are learning a new language, regularly listening to speech in it helps to improve your listening comprehension, develop your own speaking skills and fluency, and boost your confidence. That is why it is often advised to those who learn English, for example, to watch their favorite movies and shows in that language.

But what if your language level does not yet allow you to understand movies and TV series in the original? Or you don't have enough free time to watch movies regularly? Podcasts can help.

Benefits of listening to podcasts for language learning

The main advantage of podcasts is that you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want: on the way to work or study, before going to bed, while doing household chores and more. Some podcasts last up to half an hour. Also, if your language level is not yet high enough, you can find many podcasts that are designed for beginners.

Listening to podcasts in English has many advantages:

• Improving listening comprehension — listening to speech in English helps to develop listening comprehension, adapt to real spoken language, and understand native speakers and different accents.
• Vocabulary building — listening to English speech, you encounter new words and expressions, which helps to expand your vocabulary.
• Improving pronunciation skills — listening to English speech helps you familiarize yourself with the correct pronunciation of words and phrases, you can follow native speakers and improve your pronunciation skills.
• Immersion in culture and customs — listening to speech in English allows you to immerse yourself in the culture and customs of English-speaking countries.
• An opportunity to learn new things about English — many of the podcasts we have below talk about grammar rules, which expressions to use in which cases, the most common mistakes in speaking and writing, and more.

What podcasts should you pay attention to? Especially for you, we have collected a list of the best podcasts that will help beginners "pump up" their English.

LearnEnglish podcast from the British Council

The British Council is an international organization that aims to strengthen cultural links and understanding between the UK and other countries. The British Council specializes in education, cultural programs and English language development. And the British Council has a series of podcasts for English language learners.

The LearnEnglish podcast is designed for listeners who speak English at A2 (pre-intermediate) and B1 (intermediate) level. Each episode consists of several parts: dialogues, fictional stories, jokes, language tips and assignments. Each episode also has a transcript, so that those who are not very good at listening can read it while listening, and interactive exercises that will help to consolidate the result after listening. So it's not just a podcast, but in a sense an interactive study guide.

The British Council podcast is available on the official website, as well as on Android and iOS apps.

BBC's 6 Minute English podcast

This list couldn't do without a podcast from one of the world's premier information services. 6 Minute English is a podcast, each episode of which, as the name implies, is six minutes long. In each episode, the hosts discuss a variety of topics including culture, science, technology, social media, and more.

6 Minute English is perfect for those who don't have the opportunity to spend a lot of time and complete assignments. This podcast is suitable for listening on the go, for example, on the way home from work or school. In just 6 minutes you will listen to English speech, learn new words and expressions and broaden your horizons.

6 Minute English is available on the official BBC website, as well as YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Subtitles are available for each podcast on the official website and YouTube for those who have difficulty listening.

Stories Podcast

"A bedtime show for kids of all ages" is how Stories Podcast is positioned by its creators. It's a popular podcast that brings listeners a variety of stories with something for everyone of all ages. Stories Podcast offers classic fairy tales, legends, modern stories and author's works in various genres: from fantasy and science fiction to adventure and cautionary tales.

Stories Podcast is great for children who have just started learning English, for example, instead of bedtime stories. Stories Podcast will help children to improve their listening comprehension, develop their imagination and encourage a love of reading. For adults, the Stories Podcast will help them relax before bedtime, reminisce about their childhood and improve their understanding of the English language.

The podcast is available on the website, Amazon Music, Spotify, Wondery and Apple Podcasts.

The Voice of America's Learning English podcast.

Voice of America: Learning English is a popular podcast produced by the American news agency Voice of America that offers audio lessons and materials for learning English.

The podcast offers a variety of lessons and content aimed at improving language skills. Podcast episodes cover news, history, interviews, English grammar lessons, tips on how to increase your vocabulary, and practical advice on learning English.

The podcast usually features clear and understandable speech, making it understandable for people who have difficulty listening to English.

The podcast website also provides additional resources and materials to help deepen your English language knowledge and practice.

Learning English is a great choice for those who are more interested in American English rather than British English. Once you've mastered the beginning levels and improved your language, you'll be treated to advanced podcasts that allow you to learn more about American culture and history and the American way of life in addition to American English.

You can listen to VOA Learning English on the official website, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast.

English Learning for Curious Minds Podcast

English Learning for Curious Minds is another exciting podcast designed to help English learners improve their language skills and broaden their horizons — whether you're a beginner or already have an advanced level of English.

Each episode, hosted by an experienced language teacher and podcast creator, takes listeners on a fascinating journey through history, science, culture, and more. The topics of the podcast are carefully selected for listeners of different levels, with explanations and definitions of complex terms and expressions.

The presenter's clear and concise speech, coupled with her passion, creates an immersive experience and makes you want to wait for the next episode. The episodes are released once a week and last about 20 minutes, so English Learning for Curious Minds won't take up too much of your time. However, if you start listening to the podcast today and one episode a week isn't enough for you, there are dozens of episodes already available.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify, as well as on the website.

The Espresso English Podcast

Espresso English is a podcast from the popular online English learning resource of the same name. The podcast host and one of the Espresso English teachers, Shayna Oliveira, promises that the podcast will help you improve your English in just a few minutes a day.

Espresso English has been steadily broadcasting several times a week since 2015. The episodes vary in length: from one minute to half an hour or more. In the podcast, Shayna talks about the rules of English, vocabulary, important phrases for everyday communication, rare words, idioms, and much more, as well as answers questions from students and listeners.

Do you want to know in which 6 cases you should use "excuse me"? Are you wondering what irregular plural forms in English confuse even native speakers? Perhaps you don't understand very well when to use "a few" and when to use "a few"? You can learn about this and much more if you spend just a few minutes a day listening to the Espresso English podcast.

The podcast can be listened to on the online resource site, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

The Business English Pod Podcast

Business English Pod is a podcast designed specifically for those who need to "pump up" their English for business. The podcast episodes cover various aspects of business communication, such as negotiations, presentations, letters, phone conversations and much more.

Each episode of Business English Pod is a practical lesson in which the presenters demonstrate and explain various language constructions and phrases used in a business environment. They also discuss strategies and best practices that will help listeners become more confident and effective in business English communication.

Business English Pod is a great choice for those who need English for work and who, having a certain base, want to develop their listening comprehension as well as learn something new about the language used in business.

Like most of the podcasts on the list, Business English Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and has its own website where you can find additional tutorials.

When you need something more than podcasts

Podcasts are great, but they are only good as a supplementary element of learning. If you need serious language lessons, we suggest you to pay attention to the Canadian English language school ILAC.

ILAC offers a wide variety of programs:

• General English;
• Business English;
• preparation for Cambridge English FCE and CAE exams;
• preparation for IELTS and TOEFL language tests (IELTS Preparation);
• Preparation for admission to Canadian universities (University Pathway).

The school also has evening classes for those who are already in Canada, have a good language base, and want to combine language learning with work. ILAC's evening school offers evening classes on campuses in picturesque Toronto and Vancouver:

• IELTS preparation;
• Professional/General English;
• CELPIP preparation.

If you're not in Canada, ILAC KISS online classes are available. It's as easy and convenient as listening to podcasts: you can study from the comfort of your own home, choose a time that suits you, and you'll see results in just a few weeks. We are ILAC partners and offer discounts to our clients. ILAC classes are already inexpensive, and with our 30% discount, you'll get the best value for your money.

Sign up for online classes and start learning English with a Canadian teacher today!