Hosted by Ira Glass, this Chicago based radio show brings together some fantastic short tales that explore a particular topic. This is one of the finest radio shows on NPR, is thought provoking and never boring. It’s best suited for higher level students. It’s structure, several short segments on a single topic make it easily manageable and useful for repeat listenings.

For Students

For Teachers

For Reg’lar Folk

Hosted by Jad Abumrod and Robert Crulwich, this is a highly entertaining look at the world of science. It takes a subject which many people find complicated or boring and cleverly turns it into one of the most interesting shows out there. Again, this is really recommended for the higher level students but if you have people studying science, this is a wonderful show for them to check out and great for you too!

This is a wonderful show I’ve been listening to over the past year and am enthralled by. A show about words and why we say the things we do. Hosted by Dave and Howard Shepherd, Barbara Shepherd and Howard Chang, this is an intelligent exploration of the English language in all it’s forms. The hosts don’t shy away from the more colorful aspects of language, rather they explore even the occasional rude word in a mature and informative way. BRILLIANT.

PROS: Informative, intelligent, entertaining, and LOTS of episodes to listen to from the past few years.

CONS: Sadly recently stopped making new episodes.

A collection of the best reporting on the BBC radio network. If you are busy like I always am this is a wonderful show to help keep up on all the latest news without the FOX factor. 
Even for some higher level students it may be a bit challenging but for a timely and informative daily dose of British English and great news coverage, you can’t possibly go wrong with this. (If you have a British teacher this might actually be the only podcast or website they have ever heard of.  ; )

This is the official podcast of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met,) in New York. This is one I’m personally interested in as an artist. It’s valuable for international students as a listening tool for various reasons, the language used, the vocabulary and the motivational benefit of listening to something one is interested in. Because of the Met’s extensive collection the topics and information in this podcast often range over the history and countries of the world. There is sure to be something of interest related to the cultures of your student regardless of where they come from.

This is actually the very first podcast I started listening to regularly. It’s a current events, news quiz show modeled after the classic game show. This one is definitely for the teachers and super advanced students. I list it here mainly because it’s just one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to. Check it out, and if you are in America when it is broadcast live, listen in for a chance to get Carl Castle’s voice on your home answering device.

This podcast by Jennifer Tarle of TarleSpeech.com is featured in our Featured Teacher section. I highly recommend this podcast for any adult learners studying pronunciation. 

PROS: Short, clear, good production value, to the point!

CONS: It’s a pay site. Hey, welcome to the world right?

This podcast is associated with the website of the same name, a pay for use website which offers feedback and advice.

PROS: short, clear, easy to understand. There are audio and video podcasts, good for students and teachers. Great videos.

CONS: need to be a member to get full access to the benefits.

A fun, relaxed podcast about the art of teaching English. 

PROS: Sharing lesson ideas, a variety of topics discussed and some info from the show linked on the website. Lots of episodes

CONS: Audio is a little “breathy,” on some episodes. It seems very casual at times and the guys meander, and get lost in thought once in a while.

This is an excellent podcast and one of the best which I have found.

PROS: Lots of episodes, professionally produced by expert teachers at a VERY high level of quality and organization. Lots of variety. Extra materials for subscribers and paid members. Lots of free podcast episodes, Lots = Hundreds.

CONS: Uses American English, so if you are looking for BE this might not be for you.

This is an awesome podcast and one of the best which I have found. This podcast features people talking about various language expressions, (idioms in the episodes I listened to.)

PROS: Very well produced. Clear language, good recording quality. The people in the podcasts speak professionally but also seem young and hip and it’s fun to listen to them. Great language targets. Organized website. Sign up for FREE membership to get transcripts.

CONS: I haven’t found any!

This podcast focusses on listening to the host speak and students are to repeat the phrases. This is pretty old school basics but may be effective for some students.

PROS: Episodes are mostly short and concise, averaging about 15 minutes. The host is an older gentleman and may appeal to mature audiences. Generally clear and well explained terms. Website is free and has some downloads.

CONS: The host is an older gentleman and might not appeal to younger students. Host’s voice is a tad raspy. Not very entertaining. Website doesn’t really catch students attention as it is rather plain. (this could be plus for some people.)

This podcast is for intermediate and advanced learners of English and hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan from the Center for Educational Development in Los Angeles.

PROS: Clear with good introductions and discussion of the language included in the story. Transcripts on the website.

CONS: Not many episodes. Reading is a little less than melodramatic, and slower than natural speech.

This is a great podcast featuring guests and discussions about the art of visual story telling, AKA: COMICS! Lots of fun and very well informed, the host and creator Tim Young keeps the conversation interesting informative. This is a great one to have on while you are doing your own work and if you are a teacher it’s a great one to give to your students who are interested in comics.

PROS: Great idea. Generally clear and easy to follow the stories. Mature topics and interesting subject matter. Quizzes and  scripts etc on the website.

CONS: Some numbers or terms spoken twice for emphasis which is unnatural. Non-native speakers reporting news along with native speakers. (could be pro or con, hard to understand but could be a help for those studying alternative English accents.) Not many episodes available and there hasn’t been a new episode in months.

PROS: Good for basic students. Simple sentences for sts to repeat or complete. The host’s language and speaking are clear and well organized. Simple, no frills.

CONS: Simple, no frills. Could seem dull to some younger students. Sts studying at this level could have a hard time with some of the directions. Pauses between phrases and terms is often too brief and theyruntogtherlikethis. I couldn’t find any website associated with this.

PROS: Great website and clear podcasts. Videos and downloads are well organized and easy to follow. There seems to be a wealth of information and downloads available for premium members.

CONS: As I’ve never taught business English this is a little out of my experience so it’s hard for me to comment on the content.

PROS: Friendly warm atmosphere and fairly natural conversations. PDF transcripts available for download at the website. This is what my friends and I would describe as a hippy podcast.

CONS: There hasn’t been a new episode for a while and I’m not sure if they are planning on continuing the series. This is what my friends and I would describe as a hippy podcast.

A Way with Words is a lively hour-long public radio show about language, on the air since 1998. Author Martha Barnette and dictionary editor Grant Barrett take calls about slang, grammar, old sayings, word origins, regional dialects, family expressions, and speaking and writing well.

PROS: Professionally produced, this is the podcast of a radio show. Lots of episodes as the show started in 1998!!

PROS: Short easy to listen to with slow speeds and easy to review. Lots of episodes.

CONS: There are new podcasts up from this month but the website seems like a placeholder with searches. Totally useless website at the time of writing this. Podcasts have no instruction or focus for students and seem like listening in on two people’s conversation.

PROS: Short, easy to listen to podcasts. Well produced, easy to follow and repeat. Sample conversations at various speeds for basic learners. Produced by two University teachers in Japan.

CONS: Seems to have finished. The most recent episode I found was from 2008.

PROS: short, clear, easy to understand. Uses American English. Dialogue supported by materials on the website. Great for students in China with Chinese translations. Lots of supporting material and loads of episodes. Over a hundred at this writing.

CONS: If you need British English or don’t read Chinese, you might not get the most out of this website.

PROS: Short, easy to listen to podcasts. Generally good audio quality. Transcripts available at the website. Clear spoken English telling stories. Woman has a kind warm voice and this would be an appropriate podcast for older or younger learners.

CONS: No indication of level or grammar or language focus during the podcast itself. Could use an intro or closing. Text reading flows right into the close so you’re not sure you have come to the end.

PROS: VERY nicely organized. Is in English and Spanish so it’s best for Spanish speaking students. Very well labeled for students by level etc.

CONS: Has a lot of technical grammatical forms which I personally think is helpful but which sometimes confuses students. It could be helpful for them to look up and find more information about later.

PROS: Slow speech easy to listen to. Mostly focussed on slang and idiomatic expressions. Casual English students will probably enjoy this. Website is nicely organized and has some funny images on it gathered from the internet.

CONS: Some of the explanations of terms are pretty clear and others seem a bit unclear to me.

This is one of the best produced series of podcasts I have found. They are short and informative videos focussing on various terms or expressions set in the context of an interesting modern topic such as deforestation, wildlife etc.

PROS: High quality video production, some episodes are short and easy to digest and incorporate into a class. Other episodes are up to an hour or more long meaning they could be used in parts over the course of a week. Interesting topics and timely topics. Several different podcasts are extant with a focus on listening, vocabulary and phrases. Check them all out and you WON’T be disappointed.

CONS: It’s not really a con but if your students are in Canada, America or Britain they might not need to focus on Australian accents as much. Personally I think it’s good practice to be exposed to a variety of accents so this is a VERY minor con.

This is a fun podcast out of South Africa that I got a real kick out of recently. Take a look around the website and check out some of the products they offer, iPod flashcards and other study materials. Great!

PROS: Interesting vocabulary and great for high level students. Clear examples are given and explanations are very clear.

CONS: This is really better suited to HIGH level students. The vocabulary terms are just too tough and not as useful for Intermediate or beginner students.

For Kids

Most of the Podcasts I recommend are for ESL / EFL teachers and students to help with their language development. This podcast could be used for high level students with an interest in health and fitness. There are transcripts available on the website and there are loads of great episodes available.