Podcasts are a fabulous way to learn English. I personally tune into Italian podcasts like Morgana, Bottega di Babbel, and Italian Stories in Italian to help me improve my Italian skills and it’s been a game changer! Today we’ll talk about some of the best podcasts out there to help you improve your English.
Lista di vocaboli
- A game changer: un punto di svolta.
- To pore over something: fare una ricerca approfondita.
- To pop up: comparire.
- A running list: Una lista a cui puoi aggiungere o cambiare in qualsiasi momento.
- Set in stone: fisso.
- Without further ado: senza alcun ritardo.
- An English equivalent: un corrispettivo inglese.
- To riff off each other: quando 2 persone si intendono bene e di conseguenza hanno una conversazione ancora più interessante o divertente.
- To go off on a tangent: parlare di cose fuori tema.
- Touching: toccante.
- It is aired: è trasmesso.
- The true-crime genre: il genere che tratta di reati gravi (è un genere tendenzialmente più morboso rispetto a quello poliziesco/giallo).
- Don’t knock it ’til you try it!: non rifiutare l’idea finché non la provi!
- Mayhem: il caos con distruzione e violenza.
- Unsettling: inquietante.
- Cringy: imbarazzante.
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The Best Podcasts to Help you learn English
I pored over the some of the existing English podcasts looking for ones that would be most helpful to English language learners and there were a few that stood out. Because new podcasts pop up all the time, we can consider this a running list and not totally set in stone. In the end, I thought it would be best to break my podcast recommendations down into 2 categories: those that have the specific purpose of teaching English and those that I simply enjoy as a native English speaker and thing you should check out. Now, without further ado….
Podcasts that specifically teach english
When I first started learning Italian, I listened to a podcast called News in Slow Italian and it was really helpful for me. I’m glad that there’s an English equivalent for you! The host speaks slowly, but not so slow that it’s hard to follow along.
This is a fun one that features vocabulary from everyday life. Some of their episodes include “Eco-Tourism: Good or Bad?,” “The Art of Subtitling,” and my favorite, “The Benefits of Doing Nothing.” This podcast is produced by the BBC.
Plain English: Learn English on Spotify
This podcast focuses on current events and trending topics. Episodes range from about 18 to 25 minutes in length. Please keep in mind that the host, Jeff B. speaks VERY slowly. This might be helpful for some of you, but you may not want to listen to it after you’ve had your morning espresso! 🙂
Thinking in English explains complex and sometimes controversial topics, such as “What is a Failed State?” and “What is Environmental Terrorism?” The host Tom Wilkinson speaks with a natural pace and he provides an English transcript with a vocabulary list.
This is a nice one because it has very short episodes (about 30 seconds long) that focus on specific vocabulary words. It also has episodes that are a little longer (12-15 minutes) that focus on grammar and English idioms.
Podcasts that I simply like and think you should try
I love this podcast. For starters, the hosts, Emma Southon and Janina Matthewson are hilarious. Dr. Southon earned her PhD in ancient history and she has a passion for ancient Rome. She and Janina Matthewson, a novelist and actress from New Zealand, riff off each other in hilarious ways as they discuss history. Do they occasionally go off on a tangent? Yes! But the show will make you laugh and you’ll learn a lot about history from episodes such as “How Smelly Was the Past?,” “History’s Greatest Poisons,” and “History’s Horrible Women.”
This American Life designed by Erik Jarlsson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This podcast is well-written, smart, touching, and funny all at the same time. It’s no wonder that more than 4 million people listen to it each week, and it is aired on more than 500 public radio stations. This American Life was also the first radio show/podcast to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. I highly recommend it.
Vox Media, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I could be wrong, but I suspect that the true-crime genre is not as popular in Italy as it is in the United States. Nevertheless I urge you- don’t knock it ’til you try it! Criminal‘s host Phoebe Judge tells stories of murder and mayhem in a voice that is soothing, yet unsettling. Her narration style is so unique, it has actually become a bit of a meme among her listeners. If you don’t believe me, check out this facebook post in which her followers hold a contest to determine who can do the best Phoebe Judge impersonation.
If you want a good laugh, listen to The Mortified Podcast. It features recordings of people who read embarrassing entries from their childhood diaries. If you can tolerate listening to other people’s most awkward, cringy moments, you’ll love this one!
Ora ti faccio delle domande...
1. What podcasts do you currently listen to?
Quali sono i podcast che stai ascoltando attualmente?
2. Do Italians generally like the true-crime genre?
Agli italiani piace generalmente il genere “true-crime?”
3. Did you try any of my podcast recommendations? If so, what do you think of them?
Hai provato alcune delle mie raccomandazioni di podcast? Se sì, cosa ne pensi?
FAMMI SAPERE NEI COMMENTI!
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