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
- AI-Powered English Learning
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Tools
- Exercises and Tests
- Online Classes
- FAQ or Common Questions
- Contribute
- Anki - Effective flashcard app for vocabulary expansion through daily review.
- Hard Fork by The New York Times - Weekly exploration of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
- NPR - National Public Radio with transcripts available, ideal for daily listening.
- English Grammar in Use (Murphy) - Best-selling grammar book for learners of English.
- Harry Potter Series - Popular book series with gradually increasing language complexity, suitable for learners.
- ChatGPT - Versatile AI for conversational practice, writing help, and vocabulary exploration.
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 - Focuses on 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 - Ten-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 - Weekly exploration 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 covering 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; suited for advanced learners.
- The Tim Ferriss Show - Deconstructing world-class performers to extract actionable tactics and routines.
- Joe Rogan Experience - Wide-ranging conversations with diverse guests, suitable for extended listening practice.
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross - Respected interview program with in-depth conversations on arts, culture, and politics; features clear speaking and thoughtful questions.
- 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 - 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 share stories behind their companies, offering 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 - Daily 15-minute radio program for learning English.
- ESL Lab - Offers English listening comprehension exercises with conversations at various levels.
- EngVid - Provides free English video lessons on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and more.
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 for improving 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 - Provides humorous English video lessons with host Ronnie.
- BBC English Grammar - Collection of short BBC videos explaining English grammar concepts.
- BBC English HowTo - Presents useful English phrases for immediate application in daily conversations.
- Anglo-Link - Offers a variety of English grammar lessons and explanations.
- Daily Dictation - Daily dictation for students who want to improve their listening comprehension skills.
- Learn English with Let's Talk - Experts explain how to handle various daily situations and what phrases to use.
- Learn English With TV Series - Method to enhance listening comprehension using 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 - News division of the 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! - Popular American late-night talk show featuring celebrity interviews.
- 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 - Offers in-depth tech reviews and discussions in clear English, focusing on consumer electronics and emerging trends.
- Linus Tech Tips - Provides tech reviews, build guides, and technology discussions in straightforward language.
- Unbox Therapy - Showcases unboxing and reviews of the latest gadgets in conversational and clear English.
- TechLinked - Offers bite-sized tech news and updates with humor and clarity.
- BBC Click - The BBC's flagship technology program.
- 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 - Listen to, read, and write about breaking news.
- Short Stories - Short stories for everyday reading.
- Reading Room - Links to newspapers, magazines, books, and libraries for reading practice.
- Reading Comprehension Exercises - Provides texts with exercises at three different difficulty levels.
- 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 - Popular book series with gradually increasing language complexity, suitable for learners.
- Pride and Prejudice - Classic novel offering rich insights into English literature and culture; challenging vocabulary makes it suitable for advanced learners.
- Animal Farm - Short allegorical novella using 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.
- 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
Large Language Models (LLMs) can be powerful tools to supplement your English learning. Below are some recommended LLMs and practical ways to integrate them into your study routine.
- ChatGPT by OpenAI - Widely-used conversational AI for interactive practice, writing assistance, and content generation.
- Gemini by Google - Multimodal AI from Google, useful for conversation, text understanding, and generating diverse content.
- Claude by Anthropic - AI assistant designed for helpful conversations, text analysis, and supporting writing tasks.
- Grok AI - Conversational AI that can help with understanding current topics and generating text for language practice.
- Interactive Dialogue & Role-Play: Engage in text or voice conversations; simulate specific scenarios (job interviews, client meetings, daily tasks) or ask the AI to adopt different personas for varied practice.
- Targeted Writing Feedback & Enhancement: Paste your written English (emails, essays) to get specific feedback on grammar, clarity, and tone; request rephrasing options or help brainstorming structure.
- Applied Grammar Exploration: Illustrate grammar rules by requesting example sentences for specific structures; use for quick error checking in your own sentences (verify complex AI explanations with trusted sources).
- Reading Comprehension Assistance: Simplify complex texts by requesting summaries, level-appropriate explanations of difficult parts, or extraction of key information like main arguments or jargon definitions.
- Custom Pronunciation Practice Texts: Generate sentences, short dialogues, or tongue twisters focusing on challenging English sounds (e.g., 'th' sound, 'r' vs. 'l') for targeted oral repetition.
- Personalized Study Plan & Goal Setting: Outline a weekly study schedule or break down large learning objectives into manageable steps, tailored to your specific goals and current proficiency level.
Understanding grammar is essential for mastering English. These resources provide structured learning and practice opportunities.
- Book: English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy - 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 - List of 850 essential English words forming the foundation of the language; basis for Simple English Wikipedia.
- Book: Verbal Advantage by Charles Harrington Elster - Advanced vocabulary building with detailed explanations and examples.
- Anki - Flashcard app using spaced repetition 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 for checking grammar, spelling, and style in real-time.
- YouGlish - Learn word pronunciation from real-world videos.
- Visuwords - Visual dictionary showing 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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