3 Awesome Podcasts To Master Conversation In English

Improving your conversation in English takes practice…

A lot of practice!

But speaking isn't the only thing you need to think about when it comes to conversations.

You also need to improve your listening skills.

Sometimes, people spend hours listening to the radio or watching movies in English, in order to improve their listening.

But I like to do something different.

Instead of listening to something different every day, I like to choose a few real people, and concentrate on listening to them…over and over again!

These should be…

• People I like
• People who are interesting
• People who speak fairly slowly, so I can understand!

When you listen to the same people repeatedly, you get used to way they speak.

This makes it easier to catch what they say…and then you'll learn more.

And your conversation in English will improve as a result!

So, where can you find such people to listen to?

The internet, of course!

3 Podcasts For Mastering Conversation In English

There are lots of awesome, highly creative people out there making free podcasts and videos for you every week, to help improve your conversation in English.

There's a mix of British English, American English, and more…so you can choose the English accent you want to learn.

I'm sure you've already found lots of radio stations, and other “official' English podcasts, but I wanted to show you the “Indie” podcasts…

The ones made by real people with a passion for English.

Below, you'll find my three favourites!

All of them have the three characteristics I listed above…

• People I like
• People who are interesting
• People who speak fairly slowly

…so you're sure to love them!

Here goes…

1. Luke's English Podcast

Website: Luke's English Podcast

Luke Thompson has been podcasting for almost 7 years, and has hundreds of podcast episodes for you to listen to!

Not only is Luke a highly-qualified teacher, but he's also a comedian!

This makes his podcasts full of humour and personality – very important to keep you entertained, and to understand the nuances of conversation in English.

The episodes are often based around interesting stories.

But he also occasionally does interviews and special series on topics such as this one, when you can learn a phrasal verb a day for a year!

In a triumph of podcasting genius, Luke recently invited me for an interview on his show, and you can listen to it here:

• Olly Richards: English Polyglot – Top Advice and Strategies for Language Learning

If you like in-depth, interesting, and entertaining material … you'll love Luke's English Podcast!

2. All Ears English

• Website: All Ears English

Lindsay and Michelle have one quality above all… ENERGY!

Not only are they great teachers, but they're also insanely motivating.

Why?

Because they understand the importance of connection.

They know that conversation in English shouldn't be boring, and that's why they have the motto: “Connection NOT Perfection!”

The All Ears English podcast has quite short episodes, making them perfect for short doses of daily listening practice.

I love their focus on communication. For example, look at the kind of topics they talk about:

• How to Respond to “What Are You Up To?” in English
• Three Ways to Respond to a Funny Joke in English

What could be more helpful to learning to speak natural English?

Like Luke, they also have great taste, and invited me as a guest on their podcast recently! You can listen to that episode here:

• Advice from a Polyglot! 3 Things You Must Do to Move to the Next Level in English

If you like fast-paced, energetic, and practical material, All Ears English is for you!

3. Ask Jack

And finally, for something a little different!

Ask Jack is a show run by teacher Jack Askew, and he answers your English questions…on video!

He talks about all kinds of different topics, for example…

• Have To vs Must
• Tips for English Speaking Exams

But he also gives specific lessons for listening practice.

The video format is great, because you can watch and listen to Jack at the same time! This is fantastic for learning to master conversation in English, because it's much more like a real conversation – seeing the face of the person as they're talking.

Jack's videos are also really interesting and friendly. You'll feel like you're in his house having a chat – a great, natural way to learn English as a second language.

How To Listen In English

Of course, I have a podcast too…but it's not primarily about learning English!

However, I have recorded quite a few episodes about how to improving your listening skills, which you might find useful!

If you want to know how to improve your listening, so you actually learn English whilst you listen, check out these episodes:

• IWTYAL 027: How can I improve my listening comprehension?
• IWTYAL 057: Extensive listening – good or bad?

Have fun listening!

What's your favourite English podcast? Let me know in a comment below!

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