The 15 Best English Learning Podcasts for Every Level

Whether you’re a beginner working on your pronunciation skills or an advanced learner who wants to sound more natural, podcasts are an easy and flexible way to improve your English anytime, anywhere.

In this guide, we’ll share 15 great English-learning podcasts organized by skill level. You’ll also find helpful tips on how to get the most from every episode. Let’s begin!

English Language Learning Podcast Examples for Different Levels

The key to getting the most out of podcasts is to choose ones that match your current level. This way, you won’t feel frustrated by words or grammar that are too hard, nor bored by topics that are too easy.

We prepared a list of great English podcasts for learners at different levels of fluency so you can get an idea of where you can begin:

Best English Podcasts for Beginners (A1-A2 Level)

If you’re just starting to learn English, don’t worry! There are lots of great podcasts made just for you! Whether you want to learn British or American English, build your vocabulary, or understand basic grammar, there’s something here for everyone.

Here are three great options:

1. Coffee Break English

• Target Level: Beginner (A1-A2)
• Episode Length: Average 15 minutes (some episodes are shorter, around 9-12 minutes.)
• Accent: Mainly British English.
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available for premium members, with worksheets).
• Best For: Learning grammar tenses, expanding vocabulary, and improving understanding in short, regular sessions.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, and their official website.

2. All Ears English

• Target Level: Beginner to Advanced (has content for A1–C1 levels)
• Episode Length: Average 15-20 minutes (some range from 5-16 minutes).
• Accent: American English.
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available with a paid subscription).
• Best For: Real-life American English, idioms, slang, cultural insights, and natural expressions. Great for learners who want to focus on "connection, not perfection".
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, their official website.

3. Podcasts in English

• Target Level: Absolute Beginner (A0) and up.
• Episode Length: Short, 2–5 minutes.
• Accent: Usually British or American English (varies by episode.)
• Transcript Availability: Yes (with worksheets and vocabulary tasks)
• Best For: Quick lessons to build basic vocabulary (like numbers and shapes) and everyday topics. Great for active learning.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Deezer, YouTube, Google Podcasts, their official website.

Best English Podcasts for Intermediate Learners (B1-B2 Level) 

If you’re at a B1–B2 level, you can try listening to more challenging podcasts. This is a great time to choose podcasts that use more complex vocabulary, grammar, idioms, and cover a wider range of topics.

Here are some good English podcasts you might want to try for your learning journey:

1. 6 Minute English

• Target Level: Intermediate (A2/B1 and up.)
• Episode Length: About 6 minutes.
• Accent: British English.
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available on the BBC Learning English website, often with a quiz and vocabulary list).
• Best For: Understanding the British accent, learning new words, and exploring topics like news, culture, and science in a short, clear format.
• Where to Listen: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Player.fm, the official BBC Learning English website.

2. The English We Speak

• Target Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
• Episode Length: Often around 2-3 minutes.
• Accent: British English.
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available on the BBC Learning English website).
• Best For: Learning useful idioms and natural British expressions to sound more fluent in conversation.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the official BBC Learning English website.

3. Voice of America: Learning English

• Target Level: Beginner to Advanced (content for all levels.)
• Episode Length: Varies; there are short segments, such as “English in a Minute,” or longer news programs.
• Accent: American English.
• Transcript Availability: Yes (full transcripts, with simpler language and slower reading).
• Best For: Learning American English, following news in easy English, and building topic-specific vocabulary in arts, culture, technology, and lifestyle. Great for both listening and reading practice.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Americanenglish.state.gov, Deezer, the official VOA Learning English website.

2

Best English Podcasts for Advanced Learners (C1-C2 Level)

When you’re at a C1–C2 level, you can really listen to any podcast in English!

There’s so much to explore, even materials made for native speakers. These English podcasts can help you learn advanced grammar, new vocabulary, slang, idioms, and even special ways of speaking.

Here’s our list of great podcasts for advanced-level learners to keep you challenged and growing:

1. Splendid Speaking

• Target Level: Advanced (great for exam prep like IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, CPE.)
• Episode Length: Varies, but often around 5-12 minutes.
• Accent: International (variety of non-native accents + British host)
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available by signing up for their newsletter.)
• Best For: Improving speaking skills, learning strategies for communication, spotting common mistakes, practicing listening and error correction.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player.fm, their official website.

2. This American Life

• Target Level: Advanced (made for native speakers.)
• Episode Length: 45–60 minutes (divided into shorter “acts.”)
• Accent: American English (many regional accents.)
• Transcript Availability: Yes (full transcripts on their website.)
• Best For: Hearing authentic American English, learning idioms and natural phrases, improving listening at native speed, and understanding American culture and storytelling.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Radio Public, their official website.

3. Stuff You Should Know

• Target Level: Advanced (best for those ready for natural, in-depth conversation.)
• Episode Length: Usually 45+ minutes (also has shorter “Short Stuff” episodes.)
• Accent: American English (hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant).
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available online, sometimes on their site.)
• Best For: Expanding your knowledge on many topics, learning technical and specialized vocabulary, and improving listening for complex ideas in a natural conversation.
• Where to Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Google Podcasts, their official website.

Specialized English Learning Podcasts

We know you don’t want to spend all your free time studying. The good news? If you’re at an Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, or Advanced level, you can listen to English podcasts in your downtime and still learn a lot!

You don’t have to give up your relaxation time. Instead, you can enjoy podcasts on topics you love and improve your English at the same time.

Here are some of our favorite podcast topics and recommendations:

Travel

Travel podcasts are the best podcasts to learn English travel-related words, hear authentic travel stories, and understand how to handle common situations during trips abroad.

Here’s our selection of fun, interesting, and helpful travel podcasts to enjoy while improving your English!

1. Flight of Fancy

• Target Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
• Episode Length: Around 30–60+ minutes.
• Accent: Australian English (hosted by Ben Groundwater, an Australian travel writer).
• Transcript Availability: Not usually available for every episode.
• Best For: Learning travel vocabulary, hearing personal travel stories, exploring destinations, and getting practical advice. Great for understanding Australian English and culture.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Player.fm, and the official Traveller website.

2. JUMP with Traveling Jackie

• Target Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
• Episode Length: Varies, but about 40–70 minutes.
• Accent: American English (hosted by Jackie Nourse.)
• Transcript Availability: Not always available, but some episodes have summaries or notes online.
• Best For: Getting inspired to travel, learning practical tips (including budget travel), hearing diverse stories, and expanding vocabulary about adventure and lifestyle. Also great for motivation!
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RedCircle, and their official website.

These two are our ultimate favorites, but we will be happy to hear about the ones you like the most. Please share them in the comments section below.

Business

Learning Business English is important if you want to start or grow your career in any English-speaking country.

English is also the global language of business, so it’s used in many places beyond the UK and USA.

If you want to improve your Business English, check out these interesting and helpful podcasts!

1. 10 Minute MBA

• Target Level: Advanced.
• Episode Length: 10 minutes or less.
• Accent: American English (host Scott D. Clary is from Canada.)
• Transcript Availability: Not always available for every episode.
• Best For: Learning short, actionable business strategies, expanding technical and business vocabulary, and staying up to date on entrepreneurship and investment trends. Perfect for busy learners!
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and their official website.

2. The BizChix Podcasts

• Target Level: Advanced.
• Episode Length: Around 40–50 minutes.
• Accent: American English (host Natalie Eckdahl.)
• Transcript Availability: Yes (available for many episodes on the official website or other services.)
• Best For: Women entrepreneurs learning about leadership, business strategy, work-life balance, and corporate language. Excellent for improving business English while gaining insights from real business stories.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and their official website.

These and other business podcasts in English can help you expand your vocabulary and give you many useful pieces of advice to reach your corporate goals and become successful no matter what. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to listen to them!

Pop Culture

Sure, success and goals are important, but let’s be honest, we all love a bit of gossip and fun! Pop culture news is usually the most exciting, so it’s great to have someone to talk about it with, or at least listen to others’ opinions.

Here are a few great English podcasts about pop culture you might enjoy for some fun and entertainment!

1. Sentimental Garbage

• Target Level: Advanced.
• Episode Length: About 60-90 minutes.
• Accent: British English (host Caroline O'Donoghue is Irish but uses a British style and focuses on UK culture.)
• Transcript Availability: Not always available for every episode.
• Best For: Exploring pop culture in depth, understanding the cultural impact of media, learning analysis vocabulary, and listening to thoughtful conversations.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Player.fm, and their official website.

2. Shameless

• Target Level: Advanced.
• Episode Length: About 45-55 minutes.
• Accent: Australian English (hosts Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews.)
• Transcript Availability: Yes (often available through Musixmatch or on their website.)
• Best For: Staying updated with celebrity news, learning modern slang and expressions, understanding relaxed, fast-paced conversation, and improving listening skills.
• Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and their official website.

Listening to pop culture podcasts is a great way to stay up to date with all the latest news and is also great for language learning. It can help you master new and trendy slang terms, understand popular expressions, and understand how local speakers talk in relaxed and casual settings.

5 Proven Methods: How to Learn English with Podcasts

Now that you've seen our language learning podcast recommendations, here are 5 proven methods to make the most of your podcast time!

1. Choose the right level: Pick English podcasts that match your skill level. If you are a beginner, use slow, clear podcasts with transcripts. If you are an advanced learner, you can enjoy more natural conversations or news shows.
2. Listen actively: Don’t just play the podcast in the background. Focus on the hosts' pronunciation, intonation, and new vocabulary. Pause and repeat phrases to strengthen your speaking skills.
3. Take notes: Write down new words and expressions. Note how they're used in context. Review your notes regularly to reinforce memory.
4. Use transcripts: Many podcasts offer transcripts. You can read along as you listen to improve comprehension and spelling. Highlight all the tricky parts to practice them later.
5. Practice speaking: Shadow the podcast by repeating sentences aloud. Mimic the speaker’s rhythm and pronunciation to sound more natural in conversation. Promova’s pronunciation tool can help you with this.

With these simple methods, podcasts can turn any commute or downtime into an easy and enjoyable English lesson!

Find the Best Podcast for Learning English with Promova

Listening to English podcasts is a great way to immerse yourself in the language. But sometimes you might want more personalized help.

That’s where Promova comes in! It’s your one-stop solution for learning English.

Why choose Promova?

• It's designed for all fluency levels.
• You can book group classes with up to 6 other learners.
• Get a free trial lesson to see how it works!

Prefer studying alone?

• Book one-on-one lessons with professional tutors.
• Use the Promova app (for iOS and Android)
• Learn English, Spanish, French, Korean, and more!

Want to practice speaking?

• Join our free English Conversation Club.
• Talk about fun topics with other learners, guided by one of our English tutors.
• Practice with AI anywhere, anytime in just a few minutes a day!

Promova makes English learning easy, fun, and effective!

Final Thoughts

Listening to English podcasts is one of the best ways to learn a language. Whether you pick podcasts or episodes about English itself or ones on other fun topics, they can help you:

• Improve your listening skills.
• Understand people better when they speak.
• Learn new words and expressions in English.

We hope this article helps you find your new favorite podcast and that you keep enjoying your English learning journey to the max!