Imagine having daily conversations with someone who speaks the language you’re learning, knows the cultural nuances, and guides you with important vocabulary and grammar tips. Now imagine you can have these conversations anytime you want, whether you’re sitting in traffic or learning at your desk!
There’s no need to imagine when you’ve got so many language learning podcasts to choose from. With entertaining hosts and easy-to-follow dialogue, these teaching tools can be the perfect complement to your language learning journey.
Table of Contents
1. Spanish Obsessed (Spanish)
Hosts Rob and Liz produce the Spanish language podcast Spanish Obsessed, which is geared towards every level of Spanish language learning. As a real-life couple, Rob and Liz have the kind of chemistry that makes the episodes charming and easy to listen to, putting it at the top of the list of enjoyable podcasts in Spanish. The stress here is on conversational Spanish that you’d hear on the streets of Latin America.
2. Slow Chinese (Chinese)
This Chinese language podcast can be particularly helpful to beginning learners of Chinese, who might initially struggle with the tonal aspects of the language. With episodes around 10 minutes long and transcripts in both English and Chinese on the website, Slow Chinese is a useful companion to a language learning program.
3. One Thing In A French Day (French)
The best French podcasts combine language vocabulary and conversational phrases. In One Thing In A French Day, French native speaker Laetitia describes “small slices of a Frenchwoman’s day” as she covers daily encounters from grabbing a croissant to getting a haircut. With three fresh episodes produced every week, this French language podcast is an excellent way to pick up some new vocabulary and get a better handle on the ins and outs of French life.
4. Slow German (German)
In Slow German, Annik Rubens, a Munich journalist, shares her casual conversations in German, slowed down a bit for the beginning to intermediate language learners. Some episodes in this German language podcast are conducted in English, but they’re designed to help beginners learn to navigate specific situations like getting a taxi cab or ordering coffee.
5. Podcast Italiano (Italy)
In a mixture of colloquialisms and personal stories, host Davide Gemello leads Podcast Italiano listeners through episodes entirely in Italian. This Italian language podcast is a great choice for learners who have a fundamental understanding of Italian, and are ready to try some immersive learning. While you can select podcast episodes to suit your capabilities, those who aren’t quite ready for an immersive experience can follow along with transcripts on the website.
6. Japanese With Shun (Japanese)
This Japanese language podcast blends the fundamentals of Japanese instruction with the conversation skills you’d usually only pick up from spending time in Japan! Podcaster Shunsuke Otani speaks slowly and clearly in Japanese With Shun, taking listeners through over 260 episodes based on Genki 1 and 2 textbooks, as well as important tips and observations about Japanese culture and customs.
7. Russian Podcast (Russian)
For a Russian language podcast that takes things slow and covers a number of topics, Russian Podcast is a good choice. (It’s right there in the name!) With helpful transcripts, bite-size lessons, and a number of engaging hosts, Russian Podcast is a great springboard for someone learning the basics of Russian or planning a trip to Russia soon. Accompanying blogs add extra opportunities to practice your Russian.
8. BBC Learning English
It’s hard to find a more thorough English language podcast than BBC Learning English podcasts. Several series of podcasts offer listeners the chance to hear workplace-specific vocabulary, engaging English stories, and important English grammar tips. The hosts enunciate clearly for listeners of all learning levels, but if you’re looking for a podcast with hosts who speak American English, consider American English Podcast as well.
General language learning podcasts
If you’re interested in languages but not pursuing a specific target language at the moment, check out these general language learning podcasts. They may intrigue you into learning more about a language or culture in the near future!
9. Language Pod101
These podcasts by Innovative Language cover a wide range of languages, with lesson discussions, deep dives on specific elements of the language, and notes available for further study. New lessons arrive weekly to Pod101, so you’ll have plenty of fresh content to keep you busy. Although you can listen to some trial episodes free, these podcasts do require a subscription to access the entire series.
10. Coffee Break Languages
Offered by Radio Lingua, Coffee Break Languages podcasts come in five flavors, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Chinese. These 30-minute podcasts can be an accompaniment to your morning coffee, lunch break, or walk around the block with different seasons of the podcast geared towards different levels of learning. While some episodes are free, you’ll have to pay a fee to get access to the full pour of Coffee Break’s podcasts.
11. Talk the Talk
Language enthusiasts and linguists unite for this podcast from Western Australia. Talk the Talk is all about language, from debates on semantics to the benefits of being multilingual. This podcast is for folks who really like to dig into and dissect what makes languages work, and for listeners who’ve always wondered about the nuances of languages.
12. The Fluent Show
Hosted by Kerstin Cable, The Fluent Show (formerly The Creative Language Learning Podcast) has been a crowd favorite for years. As a German language tutor, Kerstin’s passion for language learning shines through as she interviews guests, reviews language learning tools and products, and offers up commentary on language-related news. Stick around until the end so you don’t miss the most helpful segment of each episode, a collection of three tips for language learners.
13. News in Slow
Whether you’re studying French, Italian, German, or European or Latin American Spanish, this weekly news-focused podcast can be useful to expand your vocabulary and stay up-to-date on current events. As the name suggests, News in Slow offers clips of real news broadcasts and slows them down so learners can digest what is being discussed. Printable transcripts are also available for beginners who want to read along.
Tips for using language learning podcasts
Still trying to decide if you can learn a language just by listening to language learning podcasts? Use these listening tips to ensure your podcast experience is helpful instead of frustrating.
- Choose the right podcast. Your language learning podcast should match your proficiency and interest level. If it’s too easy, too hard, or not interesting, you may not listen to it often enough to be helpful!
- Slow playback down. If the hosts are speaking a little too quickly, slow down the speed. This is an especially helpful feature if you’re trying to master pronunciation, or if the host has a different accent than you’re used to.
- Repeat tricky parts. Podcasts have something live lessons don’t: a rewind button! Feel free to go back over sentences or phrases that you didn’t grasp, or start the whole episode to let it sink in.
- Try to listen actively. While podcasts and household chores are a great multitasking pair, it’s best to actively listen to language learning podcasts rather than put them on in the background. (Save the multitasking for your next true crime podcast!)
- Use the podcast transcript. Most podcasts provide transcripts for increased accessibility. Refer to these transcripts as needed, and feel free to print them out and circle new words and phrases as you listen.
Immerse yourself in language learning podcasts
Becoming immersed in a culture is one of the most effective ways to learn a language, and podcasts let you experience language immersion without ever leaving your home. (Unless you’re listening to them in the car, of course!) These podcasts are great supplements to your current language lessons, or they can refresh your knowledge of another language in just a few episodes. Plus, language learning podcasts can help you with other milestones, such as taking less time to learn a new language, and even learning two languages at once!
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