English as a second language (ESL) refers to English language skills by a non-native speaker. It covers English’s reading, writing, speaking, and listening aspects via ESL programmes. ESL instructors use various methods and tactics, such as communicative language teaching, task-based language instruction, and multiple resources. The instruction aims to assist non-native speakers in mastering English so they may pursue their personal and professional objectives in English-speaking settings.
Here’s a list of podcasts, Youtube channels and other helpful websites that can help ESL learners and teachers.
Podcasts
Elementary Podcasts
UK’s British Council is a popular name in English learning. This podcast is by British Council and offers a helpful series of English language podcasts for beginner and intermediate learners. Each podcast is about 25 minutes long, and you can easily download and listen to any session as and when you like.
The hosts differ from session to session. The podcast engages the listener, and the host will take you through different scenarios with every session. These sessions are acted out in a dialogue manner and help the listener improve their communication skills through the play. The podcasts do include broader discussions once in a while. The presentation is lively, engaging and upbeat, keeping the listener interested and looking forward to the next session. The dialogues are spoken normally and paced appropriately for the learner to understand everything clearly. Listeners get complimentary material that can be read before listening to help them make the most of it.
Splendid Speaking
Ace your language skills through Splendid Speaking’s intriguing (interesting) podcasts. These podcasts are ideal for advanced language learners who can speak reasonably good English. They offer a fascinating approach to the language and keep the learner engaged. Each session features interviews and discussions with non-native English speakers. The sessions do include expert feedback on their performance. Through these interviews and discussions, learners learn what to do and what not to do, and specialists input everything they learn.
Voice of America Learning English
This is a wonderful podcast series that really mixes things up. Voice of America is an English-language news and information service that provides a series of multi-genre programs in English. This podcast is a great resource as it offers you a variety of topics that can benefit you not only with your English skills but also gain knowledge on things you really want to learn about. The podcast has various sections, like a weekly global news program, programs on the history of America and American life, a science documentary section, and a series on American English idioms.
The good part is that all programs are spoken at a reduced speed for a better understanding by the learners. It is a great addition to your learning toolkit, adding variety and breaking the monotony whenever required. The structured lessons and conversation style give you the necessary exposure to ace the language skills.
The Past & the Curious
Do you remember “The Fast & the Furious”? Well, this podcast is nothing about the movies but bonus points for the catchy title. This English podcast focuses on teaching history to kids in an entertaining way. The Past & the Curious is made especially for children and families, so it’s both entertaining (it includes songs) and educational.
Mick Sullivan is the host who keeps the sessions lively and engaging for listeners. The podcast is ideal for intermediate learners of English who want to improve their listening skills and break the intermediate plateau.
Follow this podcast to learn funny and interesting historical facts, and Sullivan does it in such a fascinating manner that you’ll feel you’re inside the story with its main characters.
Business English Pod
Business English Pod is a must-follow for those learning the language for professional purposes. If you’re someone who has to work in English-speaking countries or if your work requires you to be fluent in English, this is it for you. The podcast offers audio immersion into English in the business world. The series of sessions cover important conversational topics required on the work front. The episodes are structured simply, where the host speaks for a few minutes on a set topic. Transcripts, quizzes and vocabulary guidance are complementary learning materials to help learners understand everything thoroughly. The speaking pace is slower than the average, making it easy for learners to understand and follow everything quickly. This is a paid podcast and offers a free trial. We recommend you get the free trial and test it out. If you like it, it’s worth every penny spent.
YouTube Channels
BBC Learning English
This YouTube channel by BBC English can improve your language skills with their regular videos. You’ll find the amazing playlist on English words, pronunciation, grammar, business English, quick learning tips and more. The channel also features recorded workshops with English experts that can benefit the learners extensively. The channel posts a new video daily to help learners learn English.
ESLTeacherTom
Tom teaches American English. A wonderful resource for all your learning needs. The channel features useful videos on grammar, verbs and sentences, tenses, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. And to make it all easier for you, the channel has three different sections where the content is divided based on the language level. You’ll find useful resources for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels, segregated and comprehensive for all your learning needs.
Learn English with Jessica
Learn English with Jessica is a great free resource for English learners. The channel teaches you how to learn English speaking easily. You’ll also see lessons for English speaking practice and tenses in English grammar with examples. There are vocabulary videos, grammar exercises, English lessons, activity verbs and more. The content is engaging; you can learn from multiple videos on every topic. The channel posts new videos regularly, making it a must for you to hit the bell icon.
HELP – Helpful English Learning Place
The channel started when schools were shut down due to COVID-19 and is one of the most popular English learning channels on YouTube. Created by English teachers, it aims to make online English learning easy and accessible for students worldwide. The videos are helpful for both students and teachers. Students can simply follow the videos and learn by themselves through listening, repeating and reading English provided. Teachers can use these videos in their classrooms as a means to introduce or review vocabulary and sentence structures or as a means to engage their students.
Languish: Language School for Kids
Languish is all about English for kids between ages 2 and 12. The channel features everything you need to learn the language. You’ll find videos on storytelling, ESL games, ESL crafts, engaging kids in language learning and anything that can help anyone learn English. The USP of the channel is its gamified approach to learning. You’ll find amazing content on gamifying your English learning. A must-check-out for primary and elementary teachers.
Also Read: Videos Every ESL Teacher And Student Must Watch
Blogs/Websites
Perfect English Grammar
English grammar is a wide field of study. Students must practice being thorough with the concepts of grammar. This blog offers the needed information to learn and understand grammar concepts and a variety of practice exercises for students. The blog features a huge collection of short, interactive English grammar exercises that will test students on various topics, from irregular verbs to their use of the perfect tense. The blog’s interactive and engaging format makes tricky grammar rules fun to learn.
Real English Conversations
The blog focuses on teaching specific techniques to improve speaking fluency, listening skills and confidence. A must-read blog for students who are struggling with spoken English. You’ll find many informative resources covering various topics that can help you improve your diction and communicate better in English.
ESL Hip Hop
ESL Hip-Hop s an innovative approach to teaching English. Young adult students will love this blog for the relatability it offers. It allows students to learn English with hip-hop music, making it fun and engaging. The blog is powerfully entertaining and educational. The blog features instructive posts where a concept of English is explained through a popular hip-hop song. For instance, there is a post on understanding New York Slang through one of Jay-Z’s songs. Many posts onboard feature vocabulary lists, videos and picture dictionaries.
Phrase Mix
Phrase Mix is the kind of resource you refer to or go to learn new things every time you feel like it. It consists of small posts of around 200-300 words packed with information that won’t take much of your time. The site offers all the information on English phrases. You’ll learn what they mean, the context in which they can be used and how you can use them. The blog section on the website addresses other English topics like language mistakes, famous English movie quotes, grammar, vocabulary and more. All resources on the page are packed with great information that is neatly presented.
English with Jo
The blog features interesting readable on business English, phrasal verbs, vocabulary and more. It is a rich resource of information and learning. The posts are well-constructed, engaging the learners and ensuring topic clarity. It also uses multimedia and engaging content that breaks the reading monotony for students. The posts are divided into multiple sections. The first one is a paragraph about the theme of the topic, followed by a video, a vocabulary section and a paragraph on idioms and expressions.
Also Read: Top 10 Language Learning Videos You Must Watch
We hope the above-mentioned resources will help teachers improve their teaching practices and students improve their English.
Stay tuned for more such posts.
