Bite-sized podcasts for English fluency

Podcasts are an excellent and enjoyable way to increase your listening fluency and pick up new words, in context.

I’ve been using a few in German, and have noticed it’s much easier for me to put together sentences – I’m soaking up grammar and new words!

If I listen to a podcast about a topic I’m interested in, I pay attention and try to understand. If it’s a topic I don’t like, I switch off. Unfortunately, after you’ve been studying for a while, pure language-learning podcasts for your target language can start to become a bit boring.

Best to pick an interesting topic then!

These short to medium length podcasts are slowly and clearly spoken, by wonderful people, about a variety of topics and with a variety of easy-to-understand accents.

I hope you find a topic and podcaster you enjoy.

• Brains Matter, a scientific podcast from Australia (and presented by one of my university friends!)
• Go Gently, by Michael Nobbs – an artist encouraging creativity in a slow and comfortable way, as he manages a chronic illness.
• Julian Summerhayes, writer, poet and speaker, helping others get unstuck and enjoy their lives.
• BBC Open Book – a series interviewing authors about their books.
• Accidental Creative, by Todd Henry – podcasting about productivity, and talking a little faster than some of the other podcasters in this list!
• Mole Out Loud, by Miranda Morris - a writer and ponderer, a scholar, mentor and, having inherited an insatiable curiosity, a perpetual student.
• Hurry Slowly, by Jocelyn K. Glei - she strives to help people find more creativity and meaning in their daily work.
• Side Hustle School, by Chris Guillebeau - his puns and jokes make this podcast one for advanced students.

And a few vodcasts (video podcasts)

• The Green Bean, by Katy Green - an artist living around Dartmoor in England.
• Sean Tucker Photography - clear, no-nonsense, excellent information about photography.

I’ll be adding more to the list as I discover them – if you know of a good, clearly spoken, short-medium length podcast I should add, please do let me know!