When you're learning English, one of the trickiest parts can be understanding how it’s actually spoken in real life. Native speakers talk fast, use slang, and bring all kinds of accents to the mix, which can feel overwhelming. That’s where audiobooks and podcasts come in. They are a fun and low-pressure way to train your ear, boost your comprehension, and get used to the rhythm of spoken English. Whether you are a total beginner or nearly fluent, here are some great listens to help you along the way.
| Title | Genre |
|---|---|
| English Short Stories for Beginners and Intermediate Learners by Language Guru | Language |
| The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1 by Rick Riordan | Fiction |
| The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English by Christopher Hill | Language |
| Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Books 1-6 | Fiction |
| My Name Is Barbra by Barbara Streisand | Biography |
| Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland | Nonfiction |
| Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear | Nonfiction |
| RealLife English | Podcast |
| All Ears English Podcast | Podcast |
| Learn English with Bob the Canadian | Podcast |
| BBC Learning English Drama | Podcast |
| 5 Minute Convo | Podcast |
| Simple English News Daily (SEND7) | Podcast |
| The Thoughtful Travel Podcast | Podcast |
| Miss Honey: Slow English Podcast | Podcast |
Best Audiobooks for English Learners
There are millions of audiobooks in English to choose from, but not all of them are suitable for people who are still learning to understand spoken English. How can you choose between all the different genres and narrators?
To get you started, here are the best books to learn English for people still getting their bearings.
There are over 150,000 audiobooks on Spotify, that you can utilize to learn English!
English Audio Books for Beginners
If you're at the beginning of your language learning journey, start here. Beginner English audiobooks use language that is not very complex throughout. The narrator speaks clearly and at a good pace. This ensures that learners at the earliest stage can comprehend the material.
1. English Short Stories for Beginners and Intermediate Learners by Language Guru (Narrated by Reyna M. Starr)
Genre: Language
Length: 1hr 22 min
Listen to short stories designed to give you real-life context for learning new vocabulary. Practice listening to how native English speakers connect their words with a narrator who speaks slowly but with natural inflections and liaisons between words.
Find plenty of new vocabulary and English grammar to learn without having to worry about the level of the reading being too difficult.
Goodreads
2. The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1 by Rick Riordan (Narrated by Jesse Berstein)
Genre: Fiction
Length: 10 hrs 2 min
The world of Percy Jackson is similar in immersion to Harry Potter, but might be a fun, new story you haven’t heard yet. It takes place in the United States, so you’ll learn a lot about American English as well as some regional vocabulary. This book is for tweens and teens, so the language is simple without being too childish.
If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan
English Audiobooks for Intermediate Learners
Are you ready to move up to intermediate-level material? Audiobooks suitable for intermediate learners might use more intricate language and they tend to contain more dialogue. Finally, narrators at this level speak more naturally rather than formally.
3. The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English by Christopher Hill (Narrated by Dave Alexander)
Genre: Language
Length: 1 hr and 29 min
This book is meant to teach the listener about business English, which you are unlikely to learn through regular conversational learning. Learn how to communicate in terms specific to business as well as general language-learning techniques outlined by Christopher Hill, an international ESL professor with 20+ years of experience.
If you can understand 60-80% of an English speaking movie and understand what you are reading so far, you have found the right book.
Goodreads
4. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Books 1-6 (Narrated by Stephen Fry)
Genre: Fiction
Length: 62 hrs 52 min
Learn listening comprehension with British narrator Stephen Fry as he brings life to one of the most used books for learning English. Fry is a master narrator you will surely be able to keep up with, even if you are unfamiliar with some of the words in this 19th-century work. With six books in the series, you get the most bang for your buck when you purchase this tale as one of your books to learn English.
Of all ghosts, the ghosts of our old loves are the worst.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
English Audiobooks for Advanced Learners
Have you been learning English for a while? Chances are you're ready for more advanced material. For advanced English learners, audiobooks that contain more slang and dialect are useful for learning how real people will sound when you talk to them.
5. My Name Is Barbara by Barbara Streisand (Narrated by Barbara Streisand)
Genre: Biography
Length: 48 hrs and 14 min
Making the Audible top 100 audiobook bestseller list, this 2023 release was highly anticipated by many. Streisand is a staple in American culture, so not only will you have the chance to listen to one of Hollywood’s long-standing Greats, you’ll also be able to learn a lot about the history of the country.
You see, I like facts. I have great respect for facts, and the idea of just making something up really bothers me.
My Name is Barbara Streisand, Barbara Streisand
6. Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland (Narrated by Rory Sutherland)
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 9 hrs 38 min
While you might not actually have a particular interest in marketing, books like this one are great for making you think about the world at large while you learn something new. The narrator is British and speaks rather clearly, but may give you a challenge in understanding a voice unlike what you’ll find in your average learning material.
The human mind does not run on logic any more than a horse runs on petrol
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, Rory Sutherland
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7. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Narrated by James Clear)
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 5 hrs 35 min
Rounding out our list of best audiobooks for English learners is a classic in the self-improvement genre. Clear's writing is succinct and engaging. He shares personal stories and neuroscience to help you build routines that will help you achieve your goals, which is particularly relevant when you're trying to learn a new language.
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear
The Best Podcasts for Increasing Listening Comprehension in English
Looking for something a bit shorter in length than a full audiobook? For more bite-sized media, podcasts are a great way to listen to English audio. Here are some great podcasts to start with for boosting your ability to understand English speakers.
1. RealLife English
This podcast focuses on equipping listeners with everything they need to become more fluent listeners and speakers. Episodes are meant to teach listeners how to think like English speakers.
Each episode also comes with a transcript and vocabulary list.
2. All Ears English Podcast
With New Yorker and Bostonian hosts Lindsay and Michelle, you’ll learn a ton about expressions, pronunciation, idioms, how to make small talk, and more!
Guest host Jessica also makes appearances at times to offer tips about IELTS, TOEFL, and TOEIC.
Additionally, you’ll learn about American culture, how to do things in America like applying to university, and other daily life information that will be especially helpful if you aren’t sure of the processes in place.
3. Learn English with Bob the Canadian
Bob the Canadian has a friendly voice and teaches about different topics in each episode. He also hosts a listener Question & Answer segment at the end of each episode.
Learn the Canadian accent and dialect from this approachable and informational podcast!
4. BBC Learning English Stories
From the BBC World Service, this entertaining podcast tells stories in an audio drama format.
There are different characters, sound effects, and the story is acted out superbly. The actors speak clearly, so even if you do struggle with listening to English, you will be able to understand much of what they say!
5. 5 Minute Convo
Practice listening to African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) (aka Ebonics), a common dialect in certain parts of the United States that sounds very different from other accents!
The host, Shannon, speaks with this accent and uses some vernacular or dialect that aligns with AAVE.
6. Simple English News Daily (SEND7)
Learn about global news while you practice listening to a British English accent!
News podcasts in English are extremely helpful because you will learn about different topics each week that are relevant in real-time. You’ll be exposed to dialogues and monologues about technology, politics, diplomacy, food, entertainment, law, and more.
Each episode is about seven minutes long, so you can listen easily and even repeat the episode without committing a lot of time to practicing.
7. The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Host Amanda Kendle is Australian, so you can practice listening to a lovely Australian accent while you hear about great travel stories!
She shares stories from other travelers as well as her own adventures. In addition, you will also hear about travel tips, learning about local cultures, experiences with local languages, and lessons learned from traveling.
8. Miss Honey: Slow English Podcast
Tayanna Ortiz's podcast focuses on sounding out each syllable so beginner and intermediate English learners can really hone their listening comprehension skills. She shares classic English stories as well as content from her day-to-day life. Additionally, you can listen in to hear affirmations for your language learning journey and even ASMR and sleep episodes so you can learn while you relax.
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Why Using Audiobooks and Podcasts to Learn English Works
What are the benefits of listening to audiobooks or podcasts when learning English?
Audiobooks and podcasts are generally recorded in a high quality and the speakers focus on sounding clear. Even though they might not be as interactive or conversational as practicing with a person, audio media is perfect for learning to tune your ear to English. To get your bearings in English, this is a perfect combination.
Audio Control at Your Fingertips
Rewind, repeat, and skip ahead as much as you want with these audio mediums. You can go back and hear a word or phrase infinitely to make sure you understood it and can repeat it aloud yourself.
You also can change the volume as needed to make sure you hear every syllable.
Change the Speed
Audio players allow you to decrease or increase the speed of the audio as you please. This is perfect for if the speaker is talking just a bit faster than you can keep up with.
The other benefit? You can pause and resume whenever you’d like! When you reach your mental limit of listening for the day, you can simply pause and start again when it’s convenient. Get more help improving your listening skills.
Get Exposed to Different Speakers
In real life, you are limited to learning English with whoever is around you. In some instances, you might find it difficult to find English speakers who sound different than what you’re already used to.
For example, say you’re Spanish and fluent in English, but you have only ever interacted with other people who have Spanish as their first language. Everyone you speak to will likely have a similar Spanish accent. This is fine, but if you go to a place where nobody speaks with a Spanish accent, you might not be able to understand the speakers there!
The same can be said for people who have American English as a first language but can’t understand Irish or Australian people, for example. You have to tune your ear to different accents in order to understand.
Audiobooks and podcasts are recorded by people all over the globe, so you can find media in any accent or dialect you require.
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Where to Listen to Audiobooks and Podcasts
Audible
Libro.fm
Barnes and Noble
Audiobooks
Rakuten Kobo
Spotify
Apple Books and Android Play Store
Project Gutenberg
Librivox
Libby
Hoopla
Player.fm
YouTube
Another great option is to visit your local library and see what services they have (like Libby) for their patrons to use included in their free library membership.
How to Practice Listening Comprehension with Audio Media
The best way to listen to audiobooks and actually learn something is through active listening.
Listening passively, that is, having the audio on while you do something else, like driving, doing chores, exercising, or looking out the window, is a great way to desensitize your ears to hearing English, making it sound less foreign.
But the only way to truly digest and integrate the knowledge is with active listening.
Here are some effective methods for how to listen to audiobooks while increasing your listening comprehension.
Summarize What You Hear
For podcasts, which tend to be shorter, verbally summarize what you heard at the end of each episode. Tell a friend about it or talk to yourself (nobody’s judging!). This forces your brain to comprehend the information fully so you can recall it again later, meaning you will be better able to understand those same words with ease when you hear them again later on in another context.
For English audiobooks, try summarizing each chapter or section.
Read Along
Many podcasts have transcriptions available for people who are hard of hearing, but this serves the double purpose of being study material for you! Find podcasts with transcriptions linked in their episode notes so you can easily follow along with the speaker(s) as you read.
Some audiobooks come with the written version when you buy or rent the audio, and vice versa. If not, obtain the version you are missing for free from your local library.
Can you read along with Audible? Yes! With a feature called “immersion reading,” you can download a written version of the book you’re listening to on the Kindle app.
Reading while listening helps you make the connection between the written letters and how they actually sound when verbalized by a native English speaker. Especially since English has a lot of inconsistencies with spelling vs pronunciation, this is a really helpful method to use.
Audio media is the best way to learn English listening comprehension, especially if you don’t have a practice partner or are too shy to recruit one. You can also use music to practice.
Practice using audiobooks and podcasts as the incredible learning tools they are, and step up your English listening ability!
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