A curated collection of high-quality resources for learning English, focused on practicing the core skills — listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Includes resources for grammar, vocabulary, and media to enhance your English studies. This list is for:
- ESL Learners at all levels
- Self-study enthusiasts seeking structured practice
- Educators looking for student resources
- Professionals improving English for work, study, or travel
- Top Picks
- Listening
- Speaking
- Watching
- Reading
- Writing
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Tools
- Exercises and Tests
- Online Classes
- FAQ or Common Questions
- Contribute
- Anki - It really helped me expand my vocabulary. I just review cards for about 10 minutes each day, and somehow the words stick in my memory. It's like having a superpower to memorize!
- Hard Fork by The New York Times - I listen to this on weekends. The hosts talk about tech stuff in a casual way that's easy to follow.
- NPR - Great for my daily commute.
- English Grammar in Use (Murphy) - I found Blue Murphy's Grammar in Use to be an excellent resource for learning grammar.
- Harry Potter Series - It's a great choice for English learners because the series features a gradual increase in complexity from one book to another.
Podcasts provide an engaging medium to enhance listening skills through diverse topics and formats. Many include transcripts, enabling simultaneous listening and reading, which aids comprehension.
- 6 Minute English - Teaches useful English language for everyday situations with the BBC.
- ESL Podcasts - Ideal for those looking to improve English speaking and listening skills.
- All Ears English - Learn advanced conversational American English.
- Culips Podcast - Focuses on conversational English for everyday use by native speakers.
- Luke's English Podcast - Hosted by a qualified language teacher and stand-up comedian, providing an engaging podcast series.
- CNN 10 - A 10-minute digital news show explaining global news to a worldwide audience.
- A Way with Words - Explores language through history, culture, and family on a public radio program.
- This American Life - A popular podcast featuring journalism, comedy routines, and essays.
- English Learning for Curious Minds - Features episodes on history, politics, and unusual stories, complete with transcripts and vocabulary aids.
Tech podcasts improve English skills while keeping you updated on technology. They introduce new vocabulary and industry terms, enhancing comprehension and listening.
- Hard Fork by The New York Times - Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
- Bloomberg Technology - In-depth coverage of technology industry news and innovations.
- Talk Python To Me - Podcast focused on Python and related technologies.
- The PHP Roundtable - Web developers discussing PHP, JavaScript, community, and open source.
- Google Cloud Platform Podcast - Weekly discussions covering various topics on Google Cloud Platform.
Interview podcasts help develop advanced listening skills through natural conversations and diverse speaking styles. They cover a wide range of topics and feature different accents and speaking patterns.
- Lex Fridman Podcast - Deep conversations about intelligence, consciousness, love, and power.
- The Knowledge Project - Interviews with world-class doers and thinkers, packed with lessons and insights.
- The Ezra Klein Show - In-depth conversations about ideas with leading thinkers across politics, society, and culture. Excellent for advanced learners interested in complex topics.
- The Tim Ferriss Show - Deconstructing world-class performers to extract actionable tactics and routines.
- Joe Rogan Experience - Wide-ranging conversations with diverse guests, perfect for extended listening practice.
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross - One of America's most respected interview programs featuring in-depth conversations with figures from arts, culture, and politics. Terry Gross is renowned for her clear speaking style and thoughtful questioning.
- Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard - Conversational, long-form interviews exploring human experiences with celebrities, experts, and thought leaders in an authentic, accessible format.
- WTF with Marc Maron - A pioneering interview podcast with over 1,000 episodes featuring deep, revealing conversations primarily with entertainers, comedians, and cultural figures.
- Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend - The popular comedian interviews celebrities and interesting personalities in a casual, humorous format that showcases natural conversational English.
- SmartLess - Hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, featuring surprise guests and conversational interviews with a comedic tone that demonstrates natural banter and humor.
- How I Built This with Guy Raz - Entrepreneurs and innovators tell the stories behind their companies, providing excellent exposure to business English and narrative storytelling.
Online radio stations provide real-time exposure to native English speakers, helping you adapt to different accents, speech patterns, and current events discussions.
- NPR - National Public Radio with transcripts available.
- BBC London - News and talk radio station from London.
- Bloomberg Radio - Financial markets and business news radio.
- WOR 710AM - New York, New York - News/talk radio station in New York.
- WBBM 780AM - Chicago, Illinois - News/talk radio station in Chicago.
- Fox News Talk - News radio station based in New York.
- WNYC - Public radio stations located in New York City.
- LBC - London Broadcasting Company - Independent news/talk radio station in London.
- KGO 810AM - San Francisco - News/talk radio station in San Francisco.
- KRLA 870AM - Los Angeles - News/talk radio station in Los Angeles.
- WBAP 820AM - Dallas - News/talk radio station in Dallas.
- KTRH 740AM - Houston - News/talk radio station in Houston.
- KJCE 1370AM - Austin - News/talk radio station in Austin.
- KRLD 1080AM - Dallas - News/talk radio station in Dallas.
- KOA 850AM - Denver - News/talk radio station in Denver.
- KMOX 1120AM - St. Louis - News/talk radio station in St. Louis.
- Spotlight - Spotlight is a daily 15 minute radio program for learning English.
- ESL Lab - Different levels of conversations.
- EngVid - Free English Video Lessons.
The list includes language exchange platforms, apps for pronunciation, forums.
- Tandem - Language exchange app connecting users with native speakers for text, voice, and video chats.
- HelloTalk - App that links you with native speakers for language exchange through text and voice messages. Focuses on building conversational skills.
- Reddit's r/Language_Exchange - Reddit community where users can find language exchange partners to practice speaking with.
- Discord Language Learning Servers - Communities on Discord where you can join voice chats for real-time language speaking practice.
- Elsa Speak - AI-driven app that helps improve pronunciation by offering detailed feedback on speaking.
- TalkEnglish - Site with speaking exercises and conversation topics to improve fluency through practice.
- Rachel's English - YouTube channel focusing on pronunciation and clear speaking in American English.
Watching YouTube helps learn English by providing exposure to authentic language, visual context, diverse content, subtitles, and opportunities for interactive learning.
- Learn English with Ronnie - Funny english videos with Ronnie.
- BBC English Grammar - Short videos by BBC.
- BBC English HowTo - Useful english phrases that you can use immediately.
- Anglo-Link - Useful grammar lessons.
- Daily Dictation - Daily dictation for students who want to improve their listening comprehension skills.
- Learn English with Let's Talk - On this channel different experts will tell you how to expertise in the different consequences in daily life and in which situation what type of phrases you should use.
- Learn English With TV Series - A truly enjoyable and effortless method to enhance listening comprehension and grasp native speakers through TV shows, movies, and talk shows.
- RealLife English - Videos discussing various learning methods and the mindset required to embark on your English learning journey.
Watching live TV helps learn English by exposing viewers to real-time conversations, diverse accents, cultural context, and immediate vocabulary application, and you can watch TV in the background for deeper immersion into the language.
- ABC7 Eyewitness News - TV station licensed to Los Angeles, California.
- ABC News - ABC news TV channel.
- Bloomberg - Bloomberg business TV channel in New York.
- CBS News - CBS news is the news division of American TV and radio network CBS.
- KTLA 5 - TV station located in Los Angeles, California, United States.
TV talk shows help learn English by providing exposure to conversational language, diverse accents, and cultural references, while engaging viewers with entertaining discussions that enhance listening skills and vocabulary.
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! - Very popular american late-night talk show with famous people.
- The Wendy Williams Show - American syndicated infotainment talk show hosted by Wendy Williams.
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
- Late Night with Seth Meyers - American late-night talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC.
- The Late Late Show with James Corden - American late-night talk show hosted by James Corden on CBS.
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - American late-night talk show by Stephen Colbert on CBS.
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - American late-night talk show by Trevor Noah on Comedy Central.
Tech shows help learn English by offering insights into industry-specific vocabulary, concepts, and trends while featuring expert discussions that enhance comprehension and listening skills in a relevant context.
- Marques Brownlee MKBHD - A channel offering in-depth tech reviews and discussions, presented in clear, understandable English, focusing on consumer electronics and emerging technology trends.
- Linus Tech Tips - A channel that provides tech reviews, build guides, and technology discussions, using straightforward language accessible to a wide audience.
- Unbox Therapy - A channel showcasing unboxing and reviews of the latest gadgets, using conversational and clear English, making it approachable for a wide audience.
- TechLinked - A channel offering bite-sized tech news and updates, presented with humor and clarity, making it easy to follow for learners of English.
- BBC Click - BBC Click is the BBC's flagship technology programme.
- Sky News Swipe - Sky News`s tech show.
Reading is a core skill for learning English, as it builds vocabulary, enhances grammar, and improves comprehension, providing exposure to diverse writing styles and contexts that are essential for mastering the language.
- Breaking News English - Breaking news listen, read and write.
- Short Stories - Short stories for every day reading.
- Reading Room - Newspapers, magazines, books and libraries.
- Reading Comprehension Exercises - 3 Levels of texts with exercises.
- IMDB scripts - The internet movie script database.
- Today I Found Out - Daily interesting fact articles from various authors.
- Newsy - Short news with transcriptions.
- Engoo - Daily news for english learners.
These books vary in complexity and genre, allowing learners to choose according to their interests and reading levels while improving their English skills effectively.
- Harry Potter Series - Harry Potter is a great choice for English learners because the series features a gradual increase in complexity from one book to another, allowing readers to develop their language skills progressively.
- Pride and Prejudice - Although the vocabulary can be challenging, this classic novel offers rich insights into English literature and culture, making it a rewarding read for advanced learners.
- Animal Farm - A short allegorical novella that uses simple language to convey complex themes about power and society.
Writing is a fundamental skill in English learning that helps reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and expression. Regular practice is essential for improvement.
- 750 Words - Encourages daily private writing through gamification and statistics tracking.
- Write & Improve by Cambridge - Offers daily writing tasks with automated feedback at various proficiency levels.
- ThoughtCo's ESL Writing Exercises - Provides various writing prompts and structured exercises.
- ChatGPT by OpenAI - Interactive AI that provides writing feedback, grammar explanations, and conversation practice.
- Claude by Anthropic - AI assistant for writing feedback and English practice through natural conversation.
- Hemingway Editor - Helps simplify and clarify your writing by identifying complex sentences and common errors.
- Practice writing for at least 15 minutes every day
- Start with simple topics and gradually increase complexity
- Read your writing aloud to catch errors and improve flow
- Use AI tools for immediate feedback, but don't rely on them exclusively
- Keep a journal in English to track your progress
- Join writing communities or find a writing partner for feedback
Understanding grammar is essential for mastering English. These resources provide structured learning and practice opportunities.
- Book: English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy - The world's best-selling grammar book for learners of English.
- Ego4u - Comprehensive grammar lessons and interactive tests.
- My English Pages - Detailed grammar reference guide with examples and exercises.
- English Club - Clear explanations of English grammar rules with practice activities.
Building a strong vocabulary is crucial for effective communication. These resources help expand your word knowledge systematically.
- Ogden's Basic English - 850 essential English words that form the foundation of the language. These words are the basis for Simple English Wikipedia.
- Book: Verbal Advantage by Charles Harrington Elster - Advanced vocabulary building with detailed explanations and examples.
- Anki - Powerful spaced repetition software for efficient vocabulary memorization.
- Memrise - User-created vocabulary lists with mnemonics and spaced repetition.
- Quizlet - Create and study flashcard sets with various learning modes.
- Forvo - Native speaker pronunciations of words from different English-speaking regions.
- Dictionary.com - Comprehensive dictionary with definitions, pronunciations, and example sentences.
- Thesaurus.com - Find synonyms and antonyms to expand your vocabulary.
- Oxford Learner's Dictionaries - Learner-friendly definitions with clear examples and pronunciations.
- Linguee - Context-rich dictionary with real-world usage examples.
- ReversoContext - See words and phrases used in authentic contexts.
These tools enhance your English learning experience with interactive features and practical applications.
- Play Phrase - Search and play specific phrases from movies to learn natural usage.
- Lyrics Training - Learn English through music and song lyrics with interactive exercises.
- Grammarly - Writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, and style in real-time.
- YouGlish - Learn word pronunciation from real-world videos.
- Visuwords - Visual dictionary that shows word relationships and connections.
- Test Your Vocab - Estimate your English vocabulary size.
Regular practice and assessment help track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
- English Test Store - Comprehensive collection of English proficiency tests.
- Duolingo - Gamified language learning platform with daily exercises and progress tracking.
- LingoRank - Improve listening comprehension through TED talks with interactive exercises.
- Cambridge English - Official practice tests for various Cambridge English qualifications.
- IELTS Practice - Free IELTS practice materials.
- TOEFL Resources - Official TOEFL iBT preparation resources.
- Listening: Daily dictation exercises and audio comprehension tests
- Speaking: Pronunciation drills and conversation practice
- Reading: Timed reading comprehension exercises
- Writing: Essay writing practice with feedback
Find the right learning environment with these online platforms offering various teaching styles and formats.
- Preply - Connect with professional tutors for personalized English lessons tailored to your needs.
- iTalki - Find language exchange partners and professional teachers for one-on-one lessons.
- Verbling - Book lessons with experienced teachers, featuring integrated video chat and lesson materials.
- Lingoda - Live group classes with native speakers, flexible scheduling, and structured curriculum.
- English Central - Video-based English lessons with pronunciation feedback.
Answers to frequently asked questions about English learning, curated from popular discussion forums.
- How one user learned 10,000 words - A user's journey to mastering 10,000 Korean words over three years.
- How to learn a language - Effective methods for future language learners.
- How can I improve my English listening skills? - Tips for enhancing understanding of spoken English.
- How can I learn to speak English well in a non-English environment? - Strategies for practicing English outside of English-speaking contexts.
- How can I make significant improvements to my spoken English in one month? - Actionable steps for quick progress in spoken English.
- Are English-speaking courses helpful? - Discussion on the effectiveness of English-speaking courses.
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