Valuable Resources That Will Help You Learn English Online Even Faster

The internet has a wealth of resources to help you learn or improve almost any language or skill. The time consuming part is to wade through it all and see which resources, apps, etc. work well for you.

On a mission to help you improve and get the most out of your time, I’ve put together some nice practical and free resources for learning English online. Keep coming back as I’ll be adding to this list regularly.

LISTENING

Podcasts, audio files, songs, …

Voice of America (VOA)offers news coverage spoken in simple American English with a core vocabulary of 1500 words.

best-podcasts-to-learn-something-new: check out these 7 podcasts to not just improve your language skills but also your general knowledge and fun facts! You can always learn something new!

Songs: Turn up the volume and get ready to sing! Try this free and fun approach with modern songs to improve your English (Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate)

Radiolab: One of my personal favorites! Radiolab is published by WNYC, a public radio station in New York and has been around as long as there have been podcasts. Each episode is between 30-60 minutes on the most interesting, random, obscure, yet always fascinating topics. Great team, amazing journalistic work!

learn-english-audio: Give your eyes a break from the screen and focus on your ears only! Audio ideas for all levels from fluentu

professionals-podcasts: This series of podcasts from the British Council helps you to improve your English for your career in the workplace and covers a large number of business and work themes. (Intermediate to Advanced level).

Podcast on current news headlines: 10 min podcast episodes from the BBC taking a close look at current news headlines with focus on vocabulary

BBC short podcasts 6 min podcast episodes at intermediate level from the BBC talking about all sorts of current topics. Listen and then try to summarize in your own words!

Listening Skills: Great way to improve your listening skills. Take a look at this site from British Council. Podcasts, interviews, lectures, phone calls…suitable for various levels and free!

Audio Fiction Series Big City Small World: Level B1. Listen to 3 series on a group of international young people living in London.

Podcastsinenglish: Lots of short podcasts (most under 5min) for 3 levels and business. For a monthly fee you have access to even more and teachers can get access to worksheets and transcripts.

GRAMMAR AND EXAMS

All you’ve ever needed to know about grammar: links to almost anything grammar related from supersummary

englishgrammar101: Great comprehensive grammar site

English Exams: Learn about the different exams and find out which one is the best for you take.

IELTS Academic Preparation Course: Join this free 8-week preparation course if you’re thinking of taking the IELTS exam.

TOEFL Preparation Course:Join this free 6-week preparation course if you’re thinking of taking the TOEFL exam.

TOOLS AND DICTIONARIES

ESL -Apps: 10 great apps for improving and having fun with English (free and $)
8 free ESL apps: perhaps one or more of these apps is for you

Online dictionaries: Linguee gives you not only a translation but plenty of examples and context

Forvo:  The pronunciation dictionary

Apps for all learners:  A great free resource from British Council. Various apps for download to improve pronunciation, wordpower, grammar. Also includes podcasts and videos.

Advice and resources for parents:  A great free resource from Cambridge English. Many articles and resources for parents whose children are learning English.

Your Dictionary: Everything you’ll ever need to know about English grammar and usage

READING

monthly-topical-news-lessons: A great free resource from onestopenglish and The Guardian. Topical news lessons at 3 levels: intermediate, upper- intermediate and advanced. Includes exercises and vocabulary.

All level Reading Practice: Great free materials once again from the British Council. The self-study lessons in this section are written and organised according to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). There are different types of texts and interactive exercises that practise the reading skills you need to do well in your studies, to get ahead at work and to communicate in English in your free time.

WRITING

writing: Write & Improve is a free service for learners of English to practise their written English. Submit your written work and receive feedback in seconds, covering spelling, vocabulary, grammar and general style.

WATCH

esl-youtube:  9 very different YouTube channels to learn English

Speaking at all levels: Improve your English by watching and noticing what language is used in these different situations. Levels A1-B2.

FUN STUFF

crossword: Why not improve your grammar with some these free grammar crosswords from englishmedialab

Resources on Social Media:  This great blog links to 150 free resources mainly to be found on social media (YouTube, Facebook, etc)

Find a Tandem Partner: Practice speaking English with a tandem partner. They speak to you in English and you to them in your native language. Free and fun!

1000 common English words: Find out the most common 1000 words in English with examples and learn them all!

Find out all about (international) tongue twisters and how they can help you with pronunciation, enunciation and building up confidence. Even actors and politicians use them to overcome fears of public speaking. And best of all – they’re fun! https://ivypanda.com/tongue-twisters