9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning English

What would you do if you could easily understand spoken English?

Would you finally watch your favourite films or TV series without worrying so much about subtitles? Maybe you’d be able to travel without feeling anxious or even study abroad in an English-speaking country. Imagine just being able to order a beer at the pub with some new friends, buy a big slice of New York pizza, or attend a BBQ on a beach in Australia.

There are lots of ways understanding English could help you achieve your dreams and finally allow you to feel comfortable during real conversations with native speakers. The only question is: how do you find the time to practice your English listening skills?

Podcasts are a great way to add a little English listening practice into your day-to-day life. They are free, and can accompany any part of your day: driving a car, washing your dishes, doing laundry, working out, reading, and more.

The Fluent Show

In addition to the English podcasts you’ll find in this article, make sure you sign up to our newsletter, where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life. Click here to listen and subscribe.

Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?

If you're curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here's what you need to know:

• You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer.
• If you use an Apple computer, iPhone or iPad, go to the Podcasts app. If you're on a Mac that does not have the Podcasts app, use the iTunes directory.
• On a PC or Android device, try the Stitcher app for a quick and easy start.
• Subscribing means you'll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it's published.

The 9 Best English Podcasts for English Learners

In this article, you’ll find:

1. British English Podcasts
2. American English Podcasts
3. Podcasts with both British and American English
4. English Video Resources
5. Story-Based Shows and Business English Podcasts
6. A Special Tip for Advanced Learners

British English Podcasts

Level Up English

This podcast by English teacher Michael is fun and friendly!

Start with this episode, an interview with Kerstin (that's me!), where we talked about how I learnt English to native level myself, how I worked on my English accent, and what you can do when you're struggling with English.

You Don't Say?!

What's better than practicing your English with real English converesation? In this podcast, hosts Abigail and Audrey get together for a chat in English. One is from England and one is from Australia!

American English Podcasts

Conversations with Kate

If you’re after real conversations about interesting topics rather than language lessons, Conversations with Kate is a great resource. Host Kate invites both native and non-native English speakers from around the world as guests to help learners become familiar with different accents as well as learn about people, language, and travel.

Start with this episode, in which I visited Kate to introduce the Women in Language conference.

All Ears English Podcast

Looking to improve both your business English and your everyday English? All Ears English Podcast covers business topics as well as English grammar, expressions, American culture, and even IELTS (International English Language Testing System) specific topics.

The website also has short summaries for each episode. Subscribers can also get access to full transcripts.

Recommended episode: 3 Study Tips for the IELTS exam

British and American English Podcasts

EnglishClass101

EnglishClass101 from InnovativeLanguage covers everything from basic through advanced English. The episodes are exciting and immersive. You’ll easily find a large variety of topics, including both American and British culture, idioms, and even business-related episodes.

The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum.

English Video Resources

Yabla

Yabla is a video-based learning platform with bilingual subtitles and integrated dictionaries. The subtitles are interactive, which is a really cool concept! Check out how Yabla works in detail by reading my full review.

Yabla is great for all levels from basic to advanced. There is a free English podcast available with plenty of videos to watch.

Story-Based and Business English Podcasts

BBC Learn English

This podcast series from the British Council follows conversations that take place between hosts Tess, Ravi, and their guests as well as the activities of a fictional student, Carolina. These episodes on on the longer side, ranging from 20 to 35 minutes, but they’re split up into sections so you can pause if you need to.

Complete transcripts are available for each episode. Plus, the website offers short quizzes to test your comprehension and practice exercises.

Business English Pod

For those who are motivated to improve their English for business reasons, Business English Pod covers everything from sales and communication to presentations and job interviews.

Episodes are easy to understand and contain an explanation of the topic along with some cultural tips. These explanations are followed by conversational dialogues as well as explanation and practice sections. Members can also access PDF transcripts, online quizzes, and additional lessons.

Advanced Learner Tip: Native English Podcasts

English learners who are looking for something a bit more interesting and immersive might prefer to check out podcasts intended for native speakers. If that’s the case, try searching through popular English podcasts for something that sparks your interest, like true crime podcasts, TED Talks, or podcasts that keep you up-to-date on pop culture.

There are also a few public radio stations that offer apps you can explore, including BBC Sounds, SBS On Demand, and NPR. These apps offer a wide variety of English podcasts to make your search a bit easier.

Brilliant German TV Shows and Movies to Turn Up Your Language Immersion

Heads up: My free mini-guide to speaking German is out now and will give you the best tips and 26 key phrases to make you ready for any conversation. Pop your details into the form below to join my email list and get the guide immediately!

Ever since I started teaching myself languages, television has played a big role in my study routine. It’s not always the place where I actively learn a language through deliberate practice. Still, the ongoing exposure to my target language’s culture and sound keep me interested and allow me to test my learning progress by switching subtitles on and off.

And since I am a German teacher who also shares a home with a sporadic German learner, our cosy nights on the coach often feature TV shows in my native language, German.

In this article, I’ve listed 9 shows and films that we loved. These will offer you enough entertainment in German to keep you on the couch for weeks in German binge-mode. Los geht’s!

German TV Shows

More and more amazing shows are pulling in top writers and actors from Germany’s film industry, and there’s something for everyone.

If You Want Spy Drama and Retro Fashion by the Berlin Wall

The Same Sky is centred around the “Romeo” assignment of Lars, a young East German soldier in the 1970s. It’s called “Romeo” because his job is to befriend and seduce a female target who works in a military institution (played by The Bridge’s Sofia Helin!) and move her to reveal secret intel on who’s spying on the East German state.

As Lars embarks on his adventure in the “capitalist snake pit” of 1970s Berlin, a few secrets about his own past come to light.

With great acting, amazing shots of Berlin, and mind-boggling insights into the daily life of citizens in socialist East Germany, The Same Sky belongs on any German learner’s Netflix queue.

If You Wish There Was a German Telenovela

Guess what…there’s a German telenovela! It’s called Verliebt in Berlin (a pun meaning “in love in Berlin” and “in love with Berlin”). I don’t need to explain the plot in too much detail, but rest assured it involves young women and men, various love affairs, and at least one internship in fashion.

If You Wish There Was a German Telenovela for German Learners

German TV really has got it all! The series Jojo sucht das Glück is not a traditional TV show, but a programme developed by Deutsche Welle for German classrooms and learners all around the world.

As you watch the adventures of Jojo, a new student arriving to Cologne from Brazil, you can watch each episode with a full German transcript and follow it up with language exercises.

If You Want German Sci-Fi That is More Confusing Than the German Language

Dark is a gem and a rarity as a Netflix TV show produced by Germans and filmed entirely in German, to be released on the international market. And the gamble has paid off as the show became a fan favourite and won awards and top ratings across the board.

Dark is set in the small German town of Winden, where idyllic town life starts to go wrong as children start to disappear. The events are set in 2019, but very quickly the plot thickens when teenager Jonas discovers a portal that takes him back to Winden in 1986.

Can Jonas change the future? Did the disappeared children travel in time? And what’s the nuclear power station got to do with it all?

Dark is the perfect show for you if you enjoyed the otherworldly mysteries of shows likeStranger Things and don’t mind throwing time travel into the mix.

If You’re a Reality TV Junkie

Most of the big international TV hits have been produced in Germany as well as in other countries. For example, you can watch Das Große Backen if you love the happy world of home baking. Or if you’re an action junkie who wants to cheer on your favourite athlete, check out the German commentary on seasons 1 and 3 of Ultimate Beastmaster which is produced by Sylvester Stallone himself!

German Movies

The German film scene is world class, and here are a few suggestions to get you started.

If You Want an Oscar-Nominated Portrait of Terrorism in Germany

The Baader-Meinhof Komplex. They’re oddly well-dressed for terrorists, aren’t they? This film tells the story of Germany’s notorious Rote Armee Fraktion, a domestic terrorist group that emerged from the 1960s student revolts.

Fired up by rebellion against a generation of parents who let fascism happen on their watch, the young students around Ulrike Meinhof and Andreas Baader start to take action and things become increasingly violent.

This film is a must-see for anyone who wants to start getting an insight into the many ways Germany has had to face and deal with its Nazi past.

If You Think You’re Too Busy to Relax With a German Movie

Allow the bittersweet story of Toni Erdmann to change your mind. The film follows corporate consultant Ines, who is working double time to move her career forward. Her father Winfried misses their relationship and tries to win her attention through practical jokes.

Nothing works until Ines sets off on a company trip..just to find her father has decided to come along and style himself as her life coach. This film is funny and sweet with a genuinely sad undercurrent.

In Toni Erdmann you’ll discover the gentle, so absurd-it’s-serious style of humour that is so typical for Germany.

If You Are Ready to Feel the Heartbreak of Berlin’s Divided History

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) is an Oscar-winning film about what happens when you work in audio surveillance and listen in on people so much that you end up caring about them.

Lonely Stasi man Gerd is played by Ulrich Mühe in one of his best performances ever. Watching the film, you will feel yourself drawn into his world and the conflicts he has to face between duty and integrity.

Want to Learn German With TV and Cut Out the Subtitles?

If you are an advanced learner and want to try watching without subtitles, don’t miss out on this episode of the Fluent Show with listening expert Cara Leopold.

What is Your Favourite German TV Show?

Comment below and tell me which show you cannot get enough of! I’m looking forward to adding it to my playlist.

9 Great Websites For German Beginners

Pop quiz - Which one of these is your favourite reason to learn German?

1. You fell in love with a German speaker

2. You fell in love with the atmosphere of a beer fest or a Christmas market

3. You have not yet tasted the greatest bread on this Earth, but you’d really like to, and you’ve heard the bakery only offers it to German speakers

4. Your company works with German clients and their English is so good it’s embarrassing all you know is jawohl ein Bier bitte

5. You want to visit Germany and get a taste of the wonderful nature, forests, skiing, castles, Roman history, medieval town centres, comfortable trains, inviting restaurants, fairy tale rivers

There are no wrong answers here. ALL of the above are fantastic reasons to get started learning the German language. I have been teaching and sharing German language and culture for five years, and today I’m sharing some of my favourite resources for beginners.

Make Your German Sound Amazing

My free mini-guide to speaking German is out now. It's called Make Your German Sound Amazing and will give you the best tips and 26 key phrases to make you ready for any conversation. Pop your details into the form below to join my email list and get the guide immediately!*

Check out 2 or 3 of these resources and make sure you bookmark them to visit again and again!

Great German Learning Websites

Beautiful German castles and Germany.travel

Sometimes it's necessary to check out of verb tables and remember why you chose to learn this language in the first place. What better way than to dream of hiking up beautiful hills and discovering romantic castles? Castles beat cases, after all.

Mein Weg nach Deutschland

This is a great project from the Goethe institute. Where would we be without them! Follow the story of Nevin, a newbie in Germany (who excitedly photographs pretty much anything on her mobile phone). The videos are available with and without subtitles and each episode has practice exercises too!

Deutsch Plus and Jojo sucht das Glück

There are some truly great telenovelas out there, designed especially for German learners. Lovers of retro Germany will like Deutsch Plus, the story of shy TV intern Nico from Romania - it's vintage 1996 work. Even better - it's suitable for starters from day 1. For improvers, Brazilian student Jojo will be a fun resource.

Listening: Radio D

Another suitable resource for beginners right from day 1 - Radio D is an audio course. Nice plot and a very well supported website with grammar hints and word lists make this resource a go-to page for German learners of any age.

Dictionary: LEO

No German learner can do without LEO - it must be one of the best online dictionaries around! Language searches available in both directions, 7 supported language pairs with German, audio pronunciation and a well-attended forum finding even the most obscure expressions make this a bookmark no-brainer.

TIP: Read more on how to use a dictionary like the most successful language learners

German Uncovered

Learn German the natural way without complex grammar explanations and boring lessons. This course is based on a story, so you’ll be reading and having fun as you progress to level A2 at high speed.

Speak German Like a Native

If you find spoken German hard to understand, you need this course. This  is my 5* masterclass course for all levels. No other course digs into the sounds of the German language, giving you the confidence to even say Eichhörnchen and Wechselstrom like a native.

Got More To Add?

The German learning community out there is always growing, and I’d love to hear what you’ve uncovered online.

Leave a comment if you know where to go for grammar that makes sense, or the best Swiss expressions. 

9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning German

What would you do if you could easily understand spoken German? Perhaps you'd finally travel to the places you've dreamed of, watch the original version of your favourite film, or try ordering that fabled Club Mate to go full on German hipster.

If you want to prepare yourself for real conversations with German natives, there's great value in developing those listening skills.

Why Practice German Listening Skills?

German is a language with consistent pronunciation and spelling, so you will find that the more you listen, the more you can work out. And for any level of language, podcasts have come onto the scene.

And what easier way to do this than with a German podcast.

Podcasts are a great way to add a little German listening practice into your day-to-day life. They are free, and can accompany any part of your day: driving a car, washing your dishes, doing laundry, working out, reading, and more.

Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?

If you're curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here's what you need to know:

1. You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer.

2. If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to the Podcasts app. If you're on a Mac, use the iTunes directory.

3. On a PC or Android device, try the Pocketcasts app for a quick and easy start.

4. Subscribing means you'll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it's published.

German is a great language for learning by podcast. There is a big selection, so I've gone and selected 9 of the best shows for you to discover.

Listen To The Fluent Show

In addition to the German podcasts you'll find in this article, check out the my own podcast The Fluent Show where we share languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life.

As a German learner, you will love this recent bilingual episode in German and English with polyglot Judith Meyer.

The 9 Best German Podcasts for Learners

In this article, you'll find

1. German Podcast Courses from Deutsche Welle

2. Podcasts in Slow German

3. German Video Shows

4. Story-Based and German Culture Podcasts

5. A tip on how to find podcasts produced by native German speakers

German Podcast Courses from Deutsche Welle

• Deutsch - Warum Nicht? (Deutsche Welle - A1-B1)

Deutsch - Warum Nicht? is a 4-part podcast series for complete beginners and early German learners. Parts 1 and 2 focus on the A1 and A2 (beginner) stages while Parts 3 and 4 focus on the B1 (intermediate) stages. It tells the story of Andreas Schäfer, a journalism student and hotel doorman. Each of the four series contains 26 lessons all with PDF dialogues, exercises, and downloadable audio clips. These series are for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced learners.

• Deutsch - Wieso Nicht? (Deutsche Welle - B1)

Deutsch - Wieso Nicht? is the sequel to Deutsch - Warum Nicht. It focuses on intermediate level German (roughly B1). Everything is in German and like its predecessor, downloadable PDFs and audio files are available. The podcast focuses on topics related to daily life in Germany and Austria on fun and interesting topics and situations. It is very clear and easy to understand and follow. I wholeheartedly recommend it to intermediate German learners.

Podcasts in Slower German

These podcasts present slow or slightly simplified German language content, while keeping you attuned to real German voices. Make sure you keep yourself attuned to faster spoken German too, otherwise you might flounder in conversation.

• News in Slow German

News in Slow German is an intermediate level podcast. This podcast covers world news, grammar, and expressions and slows down all the dialogue to make it easier to process what you hear. Every episode breaks down a point on grammar and vocabulary.

The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes.

• Slow German Mit Annik Rubens

Annik Rubens from Munich produces German learning podcasts for two levels:

• For absolute beginners, there is a podcast in English which introduces basic German words.
• For intermediate learners, she covers interesting aspects and stories about Germans, German culture, and German places.

The podcast offers a paid premium version with great extras such as slowed down lessons, PDF guides, grammar and vocabulary tutorials, fairy tales, and quizzes.

German Video Shows

• Learn German With Videos (Yabla)

Yabla is a video-based learning platform with bilingual subtitles and integrated dictionaries. The subtitles are interactive, which is a really cool concept! Check out how Yabla works in detail by reading my full review.

Yabla is great for all levels from basic to advanced. There is a free German podcast available with plenty of videos to watch.

Story-Based and German Culture Podcasts

• Authentic German Learning

This podcast comes on the back of the successful Authentic German Learning website and YouTube channel! It promises to be an exciting one, as the host, Marco Rösler, is an enthusiastic and energetic host with a zest for life. This podcast is focused on learning German through personal development and the TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) method. The concept invites you to read and listen to the dialogue at the same time.

• LingQ German Podcast

The LingQ German podcast was recommended to me by German learner Alex Gentry as one of his favorites. Steve Kaufmann, the founder of LingQ, emphasises learning German through extensive listening to audio and reading of texts. This is called the comprehensible input method.

The LingQ podcast is excellent for beginner and intermediate learners. There is no English, the tone is relaxed and conversational, and steve gets right in there talking to German native speakers. All exercises are available to download via iTunes, and you can sign into LingQ to get the podcast notes, transcripts, and exercises.

• Coffee Break German

Coffee Break German, a podcast from Radio Lingua Network, combines German language lessons with a lot of useful information about German food, culture, German-speaking countries, and so on.

My favorite part of the podcast is the chemistry between relaxed and charismatic host Mark from Scotland and native speaker Thomas from Bavaria. Cultural Correspondant Julia from Potsdam has great cultural advice, and Grammar Guru Kirsten from Scotland discusses grammar in a clear, easy to understand way.

• GermanPod101.com (InnovativeLanguage)

GermanPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers any level you can think of from basic to advanced German. With enticing titles and interesting themes for each episode, you'll never get bored.

The dialogues are presented by engaging presenters and the hosts Judith (a native speaker) and Chuck (a fluent speaker) cover both cultural and grammatical aspects clearly and concisely. On the website you can sign up for the premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum for a subscription fee.

Advanced Learner Tip: Native German Podcasts

The German podcast world has come a long way in recent times, and these days you'll be able to find a big array of native level content to listen to when you want to get German language immersion. You can choose from a full catalogue of shows on topics from politics to film reviews. The easiest way to access native German language podcasts is to go to iTunes and switch your country setting to "Germany" or "Austria".

There's no restriction on your switch, and you'll be able to access all podcasts in the same way that listeners from Germany can. One of my favorites is Serienjunkies, covering TV reviews from Game of Thrones to new netflix arrival Dark.

Free German Guide for YOU

My mini-guide to speaking German is out now! It’s called Make Your German Sound Amazing and will give you the best tips and 26 key phrases to make you ready for any conversation. Get it today by subscribing to the Fluent Language Newsletter.