18 Podcasts to listen to to Immerse Yourself in English
It took me a long time to get into* podcasts.
My sister spent years recommending them to me before I finally decided to give them a chance.
If you haven’t tried listening to podcasts (or listening to them in English) yet, I can’t recommend it enough; here’s a list to help you get started.
High Beginner
The podcasts in this section are pretty short, so beginners will be able to listen to them multiple times in one sitting* as they work on developing their listening skills.
10 Things that Scare Me (Spotify)
In this podcast, which typically features episodes of 10 minutes or less, people list - you guessed it - 10 things that they are afraid of. The result is a simple, yet profound* piece of art.
The episodes in 60 Second Science aren’t all actually 60 seconds long, but they do manage to fit a lot of information into their three-to four-minute-long episodes without making them feel rushed.
As an added bonus, this podcast also has transcripts readily available, so you can read while or after you listen.
Intermediate
The length and style of the podcasts in this section make them more appropriate for learners that are at or above an intermediate level.
Most of these podcasts have episodes that are more than ten minutes long and several are interview-style programs in which people occasionally talk at the same time as one another. Generally speaking, though, participants on these shows speak one at a time, which will make comprehension easier for English language learners.
Even learners who are more advanced will encounter unfamiliar words in these podcasts. Nevertheless, the unfamiliar vocabulary shouldn’t stop them from being able to follow along with and understand the general idea(s) of each episode.
3. Hidden Brain (Spotify)
In Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam interviews experts from a variety of fields to help listeners learn more about why people do the things they do and believe the things they believe.
Have you ever thought about why it’s so hard to reach your goals, about why people don’t listen to warnings until it’s too late, or about how diversity relates to creativity?
Hidden Brain discusses all these subjects and more.
4. Criminal (Spotify)
At times, it seems like some true crime shows focus so much on being entertaining that they forget that the crimes that they’re talking about are, in fact, true and have real victims with real families.
Criminal is a true crime podcast that tells stories of crimes that have taken place all throughout history in a way that is thorough and effective, but also respectful of those who may still be suffering from their commission.
Some of the crimes covered in this podcast are well known, such as the hostage situation that led to the creation of the term “Stockholm Syndrome”. Other crimes are more obscure, like the story of Axton Betz-Hamilton, whose entire family had their identities stolen.
Still, stories of other crimes will leave you thinking “that is a crime???”
Other episodes don’t focus on specific crimes themselves, but rather on other related topics, like who cleans up a crime scene, or on the story of Rush Ewing, a journalist who the police came to rely on to negotiate the surrender of wanted* felons.
Criminal itself is great, but I also think the host, Phoebe Judge, has such a calming voice. Those of you who are already podcast fans know how important a host’s voice can be when it comes to making a show enjoyable.
If you’re into true crime, criminal justice, or history, check this one out!
5. Life Kit (Spotify)
Life Kit offers practical advice on subjects ranging from budgeting and parenting to managing relationships and staying safe during a pandemic.
If you are the type of person who enjoys reading how-to guides (even guides for things you’re probably never going to do), listen to this podcast! You’ll learn helpful and actionable* information about subjects you’ve probably never even thought about learning about.
6. Let’s Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast (Spotify)
In Let’s Not Meet, Andrew Tate reads true stories of unusual experiences that have been submitted by listeners.
The stories range from strange to horrifying, and some of them are rather graphic. Tate includes trigger warnings* at the beginning of episodes with content that viewers are more likely to find disturbing*, however.
7. Side Hustle School (Spotify)
If you have even the tiniest bit of interest in business, I would encourage you to check out Side Hustle School.
Actually, even if you aren’t interested in business, listen to Side Hustle School.
In this podcast, Chris Guillebeau tells stories about normal people who have used creativity and innovation to create their own side hustles*.
In some cases, those side hustles have turned into full-blown* businesses that have changed their owners’ lives.
Warning: this podcast will inspire you.
8. Strangers (Spotify)
It’s hard to come up with a description for this podcast, but the word that comes to mind when I think about Strangers is “connection”.
In this podcast, Lea Thau interviews guests about friendship, family, tragedy, love and the marks that all those things leave on our lives for better and for worse.
9. This is Love (Spotify)
If you became a fan of Phoebe Judge’s voice in Criminal, you’ll be happy to know that she is also the host and creator of this podcast, which deals with a very different subject: love.
I have never been a fan of love stories; my favorite book and movie genres are suspense, horror, and mystery. Still, I enjoy listening to This is Love because it goes beyond talking about the types of love we are used to hearing about.
This is Love doesn’t strictly deal with love in romantic sense between people. It talks about all different types of love, including love for one’s country, love of nature and even love of a color.
10. Ear Hustle (Spotify)
Ear Hustle explores life inside San Quentin State prison, which is located in California.
Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor host this show, which takes a deep dive* into everyday life at the prison, and gives those doing time* there a chance to share their stories with the world.
This podcast deals with heavy* topics, including homicide, suicide, and sexual assault, so I can’t recommend it to all audiences. From what I remember, Ear Hustle also doesn’t give topic-specific content warnings, so you never know exactly what you might get in each episode.
I would just encourage people who are very sensitive to discussion of graphic content to use their own judgment when deciding whether or not to listen to this podcast. I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone else, though.
Although the show centers on life in prison, it goes far beyond the subjects that one might expect. Some of my favorite episodes have discussed fatherhood, music, and aging.
“Episode 8: Left Behind” provides a firsthand look at some of the issues with California’s controversial “Three Strikes Law”. Could you imagine being sentenced to serve at least 50 years in prison for stealing $40?
Please be aware that episode 8 discusses sexual assault and suicide, so if you are sensitive to those issues, it may be best to skip it.
Anyway, as you can probably tell from the length of this description, Ear Hustle is a podcast I truly admire, and I hope that those of you who listen to it also enjoy and learn from it.
11. Lore (Spotify)
They say that sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction. Well, Lore is another non-fiction horror story podcast that proves that quote to be true.
In this podcast, host Aaron Mahnke uncovers the true stories behind the superstitions, myths, and legends that many of us grew up hearing about.
Do you know where the idea of vampires came from?
How about zombies?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own a haunted doll?
Listen to Lore to get all the answers.
Advanced
The podcasts in this section will tend to be better suited for advanced learners.
Some of these shows may regularly feature more than two speakers who often speak at the same time (this is totally normal in everyday conversation, but it may make it hard for English language learners to understand).
Other podcasts may be very lengthy or require listeners to perform deductive reasoning or other tasks that make strong listening comprehension skills a necessity.
Believe it or not, as I was working on a description for The Truth, the first thing that came to my mind was “it’s like a movie for your ears”.
I went to the podcast’s website to see how the writers describe their work and what do I see? “THE TRUTH makes movies for your ears…”
So, I’m going to stick with that.
This podcast was the podcast that made me fall in love with podcasts.
I don’t love all the episodes equally, but each one features top-notch voice acting, and when it comes to the sound effects, the attention to detail is out of this world*.
Some of my favorite episodes are Robocalls, The Co-Op, The Sweet Music of Friction, and Cold Read.
Lovers of fiction, and especially weird fiction, should put this podcast at the top of their list.
13. Brain Training Podcast (Radio Public)
Brain Training Podcast will mostly appeal to those of you who are learning or interested in British English and those of you who just like to challenge yourself.
The exercises in this podcast are HARD.
If you want to practice your listening comprehension and also push your brain to the brink* of explosion (in a fun way), this podcast is for you. Get ready to use the “pause” button.
14. Psychology in Seattle (Spotify)
The internet needs more people like Dr. Kirk Honda. In addition to providing a show that consistently puts out entertaining, educational content, he just radiates the energy that comes along with being a decent human being.
Psychology in Seattle educates listeners on the subjects one would expect like PTSD, anxiety, and attachment theory, but it also looks into the psychology behind other topics like racism, procrastination and even imaginary friends!
15.Yo, Is This Racist? (Spotify)
Some people who live outside the US struggle to understand race relations in this country.
It makes total sense because many people who live in the US still struggle to understand the topic.
Protests against racism in the United States have reached international news, but still, race continues to be an uncomfortable topic for many people here. This dynamic has left some people facing situations that have made them wonder “Yo, is this racist?” with no one to ask. This is why the show Yo, Is This Racist? was created.
In this podcast, hosts Andrew Ti and Tawny Newsome discuss race-related current events and respond to voicemails and emails in which their listeners present them with different situations and ask them to share their thoughts on whether or not they were examples of racism.
Race and racism tend to be issues that some people in the US try to avoid talking about. If you’re someone who has been trying to learn more about race in the United States, but haven’t found anyone to talk about it with, try listening to this podcast.
16. Ologies with Alie Ward (Spotify)
In case you don’t know, the suffix “-ology” is used to refer to a field of study.
Zoology = the study of animals
Cytology = the study of cells
And so on.
In Ologies, Alie Ward invites different experts to talk about the types of “ologies” that they specialize in. Episodes cover all kinds of topics, from the study of jellyfish to the study of pumpkins and everything in between!
Even though the discussions had on this show tend to be quiet scientific, guests on Ologies typically do an excellent job of discussing their subjects in everyday English, so don’t be intimidated. Tune in* to this podcast and learn something new!
17. Strange Fantasy (Spotify)
Strange Fantasy is somewhat similar to The Truth in that it is an anthology podcast that presents its listeners with original fiction stories brought to life by voice acting and sound effect use.
Some of the stories in Strange Fantasy are loosely interconnected, however, and it’s always a nice surprise when old characters or details pop up* in new places.
Unlike The Truth, Strange Fantasy sticks firmly to the genres of horror and suspense. Strange Fantasy also manages to insert humor in some unexpected places.
Solve is just really fun!
This is a detective-style podcast and in each episode, listeners are presented with a fictional crime that is based on a real-life crime.
Listeners must then listen to testimonies from the suspects (who are actors) and try to solve the mystery before the show ends.
This podcast is exciting to listen to both alone and with friends.
Happy listening!
Vocabulary
Get Into (phrasal verb) - to start doing or enjoying something
Sitting (noun) - a period of sitting down continuously while some kind of activity
Profound (adjective) - intense
Wanted (adjective) - being searched for by the police for having allegedly committed a crime
Actionable (adjective) - practical or able to be used
Trigger warning (noun) - some kind of statement that tells an audience that a show/song/book/etc. could have content that could make some people feel afraid, disturbed or uncomfortable
Disturbing (adjective) - causing someone to worry or feel anxious or uncomfortable
Side hustle (noun) - something a person uses to make money in addition to working a regular job
Full-blown (adjective) - complete, absolute, or fully-developed
Deep dive (noun) - a deep analysis or observation
Do time (verb) - to spend time in prison
Heavy (adjective) - hard to deal with because it causes some kind of emotional pain or discomfort
Out of this world (phrase) - extremely good
Brink (noun) - the edge of something or the point where a different situation is about to begin
Pop up (phrasal verb) - appear suddenly
Tune in (phrasal verb) - to listen to or watch some kind of broadcast or transmission