Hearing a language is one of the hardest parts of the language learning process. And listening to podcasts in English is one of the best ways to do so in any situation. You can even download them and listen to them on a plane…

Listen as many times as you need, or even download the transcripts to make sure you are picking up every single word.

However, we understand that it might be difficult to find the right one. Maybe you’re looking for a specific accent, topic, or level. And there are thousands of options. That’s why we have put together a useful list of our 10 favorite podcasts to learn English, specifying the country, level, topic, etc. Follow along! 

The English We Speak

Provider: BBC

Country: UK

When: Weekly

Duration: 3-4 minutes

Level: Intermediate

Topics: Varied

Notes: Learn must-have sentences with these short episodes. If you’re a busy person with no time looking to improve your conversational English quickly, this is your podcast. 

Fill your boots – The English We Speak

If you are presented with an opportunity, how can you tell some to take advantage?

1. Fill your boots 01:57
2. Join the club 02:01
3. Go with the flow 02:16
4. Cakeism 02:07
5. Drip feed 02:02

Elementary Podcasts

Provider: British council

Country: UK

When: Weekly

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: Beginner – Intermediate

Topic: from fictional drama and jokes to quizzes and language advice.

Notes: This podcast is perfect for those of you who are starting to listen to English. Get ready for some perfect English accent. 

ESL Pod

Provider: British council

Country: Not specified 

When: Daily

Duration: 15-30 minutes

Level: Intermediate-Advanced 

Topic: this service is not free. But if you are looking for a more intensive and curated content, you might be interested on the site. 

What If World

Provider: Mr. Eric

Country: UK

When: Weekly

Duration: 20 minutes

Level: Beginner – Intermediate

Topic: General knowledge, crazy facts

Notes: Made for children but suitable for everyone! Each week, Mr. Eric takes a “What if?” question from a kid and spins it into a story for all of you. 

This American Life

Provider: Public radio

Country: US

When: weekly

Duration: 1 hour

Level: Advanced

Topic: Each week they choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme.

Notes: This is one of the most famous and interesting podcasts out there, especially if you are interested in American life and culture. Definitely challenging to understand.

Overheard at National Geographic

Provider: National Geographic

Country: US

When: Weekly

Duration: 30 minutes

Level: Advanced

Topic: Nature, adventure and science

Notes:  follow explorers, photographers, and scientists to the edges of our big, weird, beautiful world.

The Writer’s Voice

Provider: The New Yorker

Country: US

When: Weekly

Duration: 40-50 minutes

Level: Advanced

Topic: Literature and culture

Notes: The New Yorker is definitely one of my favorite magazines, especially since I moved to New York. If you are interested in culture and personal stories around it, this is the best podcast for you. Also, this is the perfect opportunity to put your New York slang into play!

Here’s the Thing

Provider: WNYC Studios

Country: US

When: Weekly

Duration: 30-70 minutes

Level: Advanced

Topic: Creativity, gossip

Notes: Join Alec Baldwin into the lives of artists, policy makers and performers.

Photojournalist Brian Hamill Always Gets His Shot – Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

Photojournalist Brian Hamill is known for his still photographs from movie sets and portraits of rock and roll legends, athletes, celebrities, and politicians. Everyone from Muhammad Ali to Frank Sinatra to Barbara Streisand has been the subject of his lens over the course of his five decades of work. The life-long New Yorker has captured some of the most iconic photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, which were recently compiled into his 2022 book, “Dream Lovers: John and Yoko in NYC.” His work on set spans more than 75 motion pictures, including unforgettable films like “Annie Hall,” “Raging Bull,” “Big,” “Tootsie,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Hamill’s photojournalism experience extends to capturing moments of strife and conflict, including the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and “The Troubles” in 1970s Northern Ireland. Alec Baldwin speaks to Hamill about growing up in Brooklyn as the child of Irish immigrants, his behind-the-scenes experiences on the world’s most memorable movie sets, and the backstory that led to taking John Lennon’s portrait. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1. Photojournalist Brian Hamill Always Gets His Shot 36:45
2. Justine Bateman Talks About A.I. and the Threat to Writers and Actors 37:27
3. Andrew Berman – Summer Staff Picks 36:18
4. Mick Fleetwood – Summer Staff Picks 42:13
5. “Unraveled” Podcast: The History of the Long Island Serial Killer 54:50

TED Radio Hour

Provider: NPR

Country: US

When: Weekly

Duration: 40-60 minutes

Level: Advanced

Topic: Life and challenges

Notes: TED Radio Hour investigates the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world’s greatest thinkers.

Monday — Friday – TED Radio Hour

Week in, week out, we work. But what can we do to not lose ourselves in the 9-to-5 grind? This hour, we question how long we work, why we valorize work, and what good leadership looks like. Guests include executive coach Anne Morriss, economist Juliet Schor, social psychologist Azim Shariff and political scientist Margaret Levi. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

1. Monday — Friday 50:10
2. Sound And Silence 50:27
3. Abandoned Places 50:23
4. Late Bloomers 50:28
5. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish 50:25

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Provider: Stitcher

Country: US

When: Biweekly

Duration: 30-40 minutes

Level: Advanced

Topic: History

Notes: Great vocabulary… and amazing content. Suitable for all ages! You could learn incredible facts such as these ones about Brooklyn…

Isabel González and Gonzales v. Williams – Stuff You Missed in History Class

Gonzales v. Williams is one of the Insular Cases, and because it was about the citizenship status of Isabel González of Puerto Rico, it stands out from the many other Insular Cases that focus on goods and tariffs. Research:  Burnett, Christina Duffy. "’They say I am not an American…’: The Noncitizen National and the Law of American Empire.” Virginia Journal of International Law. Vol. 48, No. 4. 2008. Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States at October Term, 1903. “Gonzalez v. Williams.” No. 225.. Argued December 4, 7, 1903.-Decided January 4, 1904. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep192/usrep192001/usrep192001.pdf Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research. “OLR Research Report.” 3/3/1997. https://www.cga.ct.gov/PS97/rpt/olr/htm/97-R-0359.htm Erman, Sam. “Almost Citizens: Puerto Rico, the U.S. Constitution, and Empire (Studies in Legal History).” Cambridge University Press. 2018. Erman, Sam. “Meanings of Citizenship in the U.S. Empire: Puerto Rico, Isabel Gonzalez, and the Supreme Court, 1898 to 1905.” Journal of American Ethnic History. Summer 2008. Volume 27. Number 4. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27501851 Fifty-first Congress. “An act in amendment to the various acts relative to immigration and the importation of aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor.” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/26/STATUTE-26-Pg1084a.pdf Halperin, Anna Danziger. “Isabel González and Puerto Rican Citizenship: A Q&A with Historian Sam Erman.” New York Historical Society Museum and Library. https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/isabel-gonzalez-and-puerto-rican-citizenship-a-qa-with-historian-sam-erman On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court Of Appeals For The Tenth Circuit. “Brief of the Descendants of Dred Scott and Isabel Gonzalez as Amici Curae in support of the Petitioners.” No. 21-1394 in the Supreme Court of the United States. Silsby, Gilen. “The Legal Story Behind Puerto Rico’s Colonial Conundrum.” USC TrojanFamily. Spring 2019. https://news.usc.edu/trojan-family/sam-erman-usc-puerto-rican-citizenship/ Silsby, Gilen. “Who in the world was Isabel Gonzalez?” With Sam Erman. USC Gould School of Law. 10/17/2018. https://gould.usc.edu/about/news/?id=4489 Women and the American Story. “Puerto Rican Citizenship.” https://wams.nyhistory.org/industry-and-empire/expansion-and-empire/puerto-rican-citizenship/ New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]), 25 Nov. 1906. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1906-11-25/ed-1/seq-13/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1. Isabel González and Gonzales v. Williams 41:52
2. Alexander Turney Stewart 33:38
3. SYMHC Classics: Henry Every 33:51
4. Behind the Scenes Minis: Fascinating Dean 11:11
5. Dean Mahomed, Restaurateur and Shampooing Surgeon 39:54

You can find more podcast ideas on fluentu’s website. And if you are looking for some other ideas to try at home, check these tips to avoid getting crazy at home, or practice your reading with these amazing books set in NYC.

And check our Adult English courses for an in-depth learning experience with the best language school in New York…

And if you are tired of listening and cannot wait to start speaking… join our Live in NY Conversation class, fully online!