Top 8 best free podcasts to learn English at every level…
…perfect to complement our lessons at mpec (Updated 2021)
Something that worries us a lot these days is the lack of time to reach those goals we always have in mind. One of them, and one that is surely at the top of our list of New Year’s resolutions, is learning English. Well, we have no excuse now that we have podcasts, as most of them last as long as our coffee breaks. Or we can even listen to them while we drive, run, walk or just do housework. You can improve your pronunciation, listening skills, acquire new vocabulary and understand grammar rules.
And what exactly are podcasts? A podcast is nothing more than a radio program broadcast over the Internet on-demand. Podcasts are nothing new, but they are here to stay! You can find them on various social channels such as Spotify, Podimo, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spreaker, etc.
Having made this introduction, we would like to share a list of the podcasts that we consider the best and most interesting to learn English easily and effortlessly according to your language level.
Luke is an English teacher and stand-up comedian who will make you not want to stop listening to his podcasts. With more than 700 entries, Luke covers topics such as the Beatles, Susan Boyle, or differences between American and British pronunciation, but always giving his informative and didactic point in each of his intermediate level lessons. The most interesting thing about this podcast is that listeners can help transcribe a part of each podcast and then publish it so that it is available to the public.
In this podcast, you’ll have lots of content to keep you entertained!
For those of you who are at an introductory level, you are in luck, because I can’t think of a better way to start listening to podcasts in English. This is a podcast in American English in which they speak at a slow speed so that everyone understands and we can understand absolutely every word we hear. They deal with curious news such as “Why does USA still write checks?” or “How ransomware hackers shut down a critical U.S. gasoline pipeline”. They publish content twice a week.
I hope you enjoy it!
3. Global News
We could not fail to recommend any of the channels that the BBC has available for learning English with British pronunciation. In this case, it is a podcast in which they report all the news of the day, even uploading two entries per day, the content of which is based on the latest international news. The level is intermediate-advanced, although it can be understood quite well.
This podcast will help you increase your vocabulary and improve your listening comprehension. And on top of that, you’ll be kept up to date with the day’s events! What more do you want?
4. Stuff You Missed in History Class
You might be thinking: “Oh no, they’re recommending a boring podcast about history!” Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, this podcast recounts historical events, but we find them most interesting by focusing on the strangest and most amazing things. You’ll be hooked in no time by the way they tell these events.
It requires an advanced level of English and the presenters (Holly Frey and Tracy Wilson) speak in American English. You’ll learn English and history — what a combination!
5. The British English Podcast
This intermediate-level podcast talks about routine things about life in the UK and covers such fun topics as “Dating a British person” and “A conversation about pronunciation and accents”. It is a podcast specially made for non-natives who are learning English and/or who want to move to the UK soon, although you don’t have to listen to it for this reason.
We have another podcast from the BBC, this time they explain one expression per entry in a very short audio. Ideal for improving your UK vocabulary and idioms, one of the most difficult things to learn in order to fully master this language. This podcast is aimed mainly at more advanced learners. If you’re a big fan of idioms, you’ll love this podcast as much as we do!
Each episode of this podcast will last you as long as an espresso. With very short chapters, perfect for those who have very little time and want clear, concise and quick information. You will have new lessons every week and you have hundreds of audios waiting for you!
8. The RealLife English Podcast
As the name suggests, this podcast will teach you the English that is spoken on the streets; the English you hear in routine conversations, such as the ones your speakers have during the lesson. They will help you live, learn and speak native English through natural and fun conversations.
Other very interesting podcasts are: 6 Minute English de la BBC, All Ears English, Culips ESL Podcast, Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day Podcast, BUSINESS ENGLISH POD, and for those who love cinema: Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review.
And this is the list we have made for you so that you can learn English with little effort and enjoyment. But before finishing this article, I would like to give you a well-known tip to improve your English skills: don’t stop watching English films and try to listen to the lyrics of your favourite songs in our beloved language. It will help you a lot and it will be a good training without you even realizing it. Who said that learning languages is boring or difficult? As we say at mpec, “you have to learn it to love it”. We like to create a connection with the learner to create cohesion and engagement. And remember, you should choose the podcast based on what you are passionate about. This way, you will find that the time spent on listening feels nothing like school or work — it is sheer pleasure whilst at the same time you DO spend 40 or 60 minutes listening to natural, real vibrant English.
What do you think of the idea of us doing our own podcast in the future? Let us know what you think in the comments and give the article some claps if you found this information helpful. Take care!