LearnEnglish Podcasts

Listen to the British Council’s most popular English language podcasts in LearnEnglish Podcasts.

Improve your listening, reading and understanding of general and business English – any time, anywhere. LearnEnglish Podcasts has lots of special features that make learning English fun.

Podcasts are downloadable any time, so you can access the content offline. Then, when you have finished with an episode, you can delete it to make space on your phone.

LearnEnglish Podcasts – key features

New podcasts are added every week, so you never run out of things to listen to. We have podcasts on a range of topics, from language learning tips to information about the world, so there is something for everyone.
Downloadable episodes mean you can listen offline. But don’t worry, when you have done with an episode you can delete it, so it doesn’t use up space on your phone.
Interactive audio scripts allow you to repeat hard-to-hear phrases or new vocabulary easily. Plus, pitch control means you can slow down the audio speed if the speaker is a bit difficult to understand.
Background playing means that you can listen to the audio while the screen is off, which means you can slip your phone in your pocket and listen to podcasts on the go.
Enjoy simple exercises for every episode of content, with a progress screen so that you can track your progress.
Share what you’re watching and listening to through Facebook, Twitter and email with integrated social media sharing. Celebrate your progress with your friends.

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Thank you for your help guys!

Hi Rafaela, thank you very much for your comment. We hope you enjoy listening to our podcasts. :) Elise

Hi im Mansoor from pakistan, i wanna know which series is best for ielts listening?

Hi Mansoor,

Have you tried visiting the IELTS section of our site? You can find it here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/IELTS

You'll find some courses for IELTS preparation there - both paid and free.

You should also visit our dedicated IELTS site, which has a huge amount of information and many preparation materials, including practice exams and sample answers. You can find that here:

https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/

Be sure to visit the section on preparation.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi l’m Aisha I really enjoy listening to podcast and l would like to comment to the podcast and participate but i don’t know how? Please if you can help me how where i can listen to know or daily podcast and how to write a comment to them.

Hello Aisha_3

In LearnEnglish from home, I believe they do ask for input from users if that interests you. Do they not mention an email address in the podcast?

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Perfect.

The podcasts are excellent. I ve listened to them in my car when I conmute to work. It would fantastic that the other tools like Audio zone could be included in them.

Hello Silvia Mabel,

Thank you for the comment. It's nice to know our podcasts are helping people.

Thanks also for your suggestion. I don't know when the app might be updated but suggestions are always welcome.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Which series is suitable for upper intermediate level ?

Hello Saraaaa11

Of our podcasts, I'd recommend Series 1 and 2, though you might find them a little bit easy. If video is a possibility, our video series Word on the Street and Britain is GREAT are good choices for the upper intermediate level. Finally, I'd also recommend the Audio zone, which has audio mostly at this level as well, and our Listening skills at the B2 level.

Best wishes

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

It is an excellent tool , I use it with my students.

Hello, I am Riham from Syria. I have been listening to your series of learnEnglish podcasts since 2016. They were my escape from the heavy stressors of our war. My speaking skill has improved significantly by listening to your podcasts. I would like to suggest that if you could produce series of IELTS speaking simulation covering the common topics. This would help millions of English learners. Best, Riham

Hello Riham

Thanks for your suggestion. I wanted to mention a few IELTS preparation resources that might help you. The first is TakeIELTS, where you can find loads of information as well as free practice materials and links to apps as well as online courses all designed to help you get the highest score you can on the IELTS. There is also the Understanding IELTS course, which is free and runs periodically year-round. There are also several videos with tips on how to prepare for different parts of the IELTS on the British Council Teacher Trainer channel.

I hope that some of these resources can help you.

Thanks also for telling us about your experience -- we're so glad that the podcasts have helped you so much!

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi Riham,

Thank you for your comment and continuous support to LearnEnglish Podcasts. We are glad to know you enjoy listening to the podcasts.

Thank you for your suggestion as well. I will pass your comment to our App Manager.

We hope you continue enjoy listening to our podcasts. If you have any further questions or suggestions, feel free to let us know at learnenglish.mobile@britishcouncil.org.

Best wishes,
Elise
The LearnEnglish Mobile Team

Hi Elise, Thank you for your response! I am really enjoying the writing home episodes as I am grasping new vocabulary. Best, Riham

I ’ve just downloaded this App, once I open it, it gets crashed.

Hi Shimooo,

Thank you for your comment and we are sorry that LearnEnglish Podcasts is not working properly for you.
Could you forward the issue to learnenglish.mobile@britishcouncil.org? In the email, please include your device model, OS version and app version. We will do our best to assist further.

Best wishes,
Elise
The LearnEnglish Mobile Team

I've been using this app and it's been really great to use. However, all of a sudden, I can't open the app on my iPad. Every time I open it, it crashes when the advert pops up. Any advice?

I have the app since last year, maybe in December 2017. It's great. I helped me a lot and these days I'm using it again.

Hi zohrealv,

Thank you very much for your comment. We are glad to know you like this app and have been using it since last year! We hope you continue enjoy learning with LearnEnglihs Podcasts. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to let us know at learnenglish.mobile@britishcouncil.org. We love hearing from our users! :)

Best wishes,
Elise
The LearnEnglish Mobile Team

I found this app so useful. However I feel that the topics here are too long and complicated for the learner at intermediate level to listen and understand. Can you recommend me some topic or apps here which are easier to understand?

Hello thutrangtong,

We're glad to hear you found the LearnEnglish podcasts app useful. Have you listened to series 3 and 4? They are considerably shorter than series 1 and 2, and also a bit easier.

You might also want to try our Word on the Street and Big City Small World content on our website. I'm afraid that neither of them is available in an app, but you can access them on our website for free. There are over 100 videos in Word on the Street and over 30 podcasts in Big City Small World and each episode has at least a couple of exercises to support it, so there is a lot of content that could be useful for you.

I hope this helps you.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, In which section could you find Word on the Street and Big City Small World content on the page?

Hello Angie,

Word on the Street is in General English > Video series > Word on the Street and Big City Small World is in General English > Audio series > Big City Small World.

Just so you know, Writing home is somewhat related to the LearnEnglish Podcasts. It doesn't have any of the same characters as the Podcasts, but one of them is a friend of Carolina's.

I hope you enjoy whatever you end up using!

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

LearnEnglish Podcasts

LearnEnglish Podcasts – key features

Online courses