Are you ready to take your English to the next level? Learning and improving your English can be hard, but having great resources and a consistent study plan will help you on your road to success. Podcasts are a great resource that you can use to practice your listening comprehension, learn new vocabulary, and improve your fluency.
Here are five great intermediate-level podcasts that you can use to reach your English goals:
Learn English Podcast
Of course, I have to start the list with our own podcast. This podcast was created specifically because I had so many students tell me that they were struggling to find resources at the upper-intermediate English level. Learning English should be an exciting and immersive experience, which is why why we’re committed to providing you with comprehensible input that you can enjoy and learn from.
On the podcast, we discuss vocabulary and American culture by using real-life conversational English so you can properly acquire the language. Each episode also includes a vocabulary list of the words and phrases that are used in that episode, along with their definitions. That way you can incorporate these new words into your vocabulary learning system, whether is be Anki, Lingq, the Gold List, or some other method to learn vocabulary. You can always listen to our episodes on any podcast platform, or watch our episodes on YouTube.
EnglishLingq Podcast
I love using the Lingq website to learn languages with, but they also have their own podcasts and lessons available on Lingq. The EnglishLingq Podcast has videos available on YouTube on a number of episodes about language learning, personal interviews, and topic discussions. The episodes tend to be 15-30 minutes in length, and are a great resource to intermediate learners.
Steve Kaufmann – lingosteve
Of course the founder of Lingq is polyglot Steve Kaufman, and he also has his own podcast which focuses on language learning tips. This is another great resource for intermediate and lower-advanced English speakers, and has excellent information about how to learn languages. Steve has learned so many languages in his life time and is a great resource if you’re interested in the topic of language learning. Besides YouTube, you can also find him on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms.
Olly Richards StoryLearning Podcast
Another famous polyglot in the language learning community is Olly Richards. He had his I Will Teach You a Language podcast for years, but recently re-branded to the StoryLearning podcast. Not only can you can find information about language learning, but you can do so while listening to his amazing British accent! In addition to his podcast, he also has an active YouTube channel where he discusses different languages and accents. He even did an episode on the strangest American accents which let’s you hear some of the dialect differences we have here in the U.S.
6 Minute English BBC
6 Minute English by the BBC is perfect for learning English on the go. The episodes are short enough to fit into almost any schedule so there is no excuse of being “too busy” to learn English. It is made for intermediate speakers and is spoken at a slightly slower speed so it is easier to understand. Each episode also comes with a list of vocabulary and a transcript that you can use to follow along with. Since the podcast has been around for almost a decade, there are hundreds of episodes on a wide variety of topics that you can use to practice your listening skills and improve your vocabulary.
Remember that the more time you spend listening to English, the better your skills will become. Be sure to use all the vocabulary lists and transcripts that are available to help bridge the gap between comprehension and fluency, and use resources that keep you engaged with the language. Keep learning and continue on your journey to being a fluent English speaker!