I love recommending podcasts to my students because they are an amazing tool for improving listening comprehension and vocabulary and they can multitask while driving to work, cooking dinner, or waiting to pick their kids up from sports practice!

These are all podcasts I recommend to my own adult learners, and I hope you will find a few that your learners will enjoy as well! (Note: Since I teach adults living in the U.S., I focus mainly on podcasts highlighting American English accents.)

Podcasts for Intermediate English Learners

The following podcasts and suggested episodes are designed for adult learners at intermediate levels of English proficiency:

American English Podcast

Created for intermediate to advanced ELLs. Episodes focus on common American expressions and US culture and history, and some episodes include a grammar focus. Podcast website includes an option to search episodes by the US state they relate to.

Try this Episode:

English Story: Irregular Verbs with the Statue of Liberty (Episode 168.2)

Students will learn 10 irregular simple past verbs while listening to the history of the Statue of Liberty. Episode includes several examples of each verb along with a quiz.

Culips Everyday English

A wealth of episodes in 6 different categories: 

• Chatterbox–English conversations with someone with an interesting story to tell
• Catchword–English idioms, phrases, common slang and interesting vocabulary
• Simplified Speech–natural conversations in slow, clear English
• Real Talk–English expressions for everyday situations that you encounter in an English speaking country
• Speak Easy–Suzanne teaches you how to perfect your accent and speak in clear and comprehensible English in our Speak Easy pronunciation series.

Try this Episode:

Teen Employment (Chatterbox Episode 326)

A conversation about the hosts’ first jobs as teenagers.

Hear You Go

Experienced English teacher Catherine Angus covers advanced topics and shares conversations with other teachers. Early episodes are geared towards intermediate learners while later episodes are best suited to advanced students.

Try this Episode:

Wanna Have Lunch? (September 27, 2022)

Catherine talks about how to make friends as an adult (the second of a two-part series about friendship).

Into the Story

Created for intermediate to advanced ELLs. Episodes begin with an explanation of key vocabulary that will be used in the story.  Each episode contains a firsthand true story. Storytellers represent a variety of English accents, including British, American, Canadian, and nonnative speakers.

Try this Episode:

Daring to Try (Episode 69)

Gabriel Kazz’s musical journey takes him to the TV show The Voice, where he realizes the power of showing up and trying.

Listening Time

Creator Connor Pe has a wonderfully slow and clear way of speaking that lower intermediate and even some high beginning students will find easy to understand. He covers a variety of topics and there are over 200 episodes to choose from.

Try this Episode:

English Listening – Drinks (March 16, 2026)

A discussion of different common types of cold and hot drinks in the U.S., including an explanation of tap water. Only non alcoholic drinks are mentioned.

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Podcasts for Advanced English Learners 

The following podcasts and suggested episodes are designed native English speakers and are appropriate for adult learners with advanced levels of English proficiency.

All Ears English

Although this podcast is created for English language learners, the speed of conversation and language complexity makes it better suited for advanced levels. Lindsay and Michelle have informal conversations on a variety of lighthearted topics. Learners will find this a fun and challenging listen.

Try this Episode:

How to Tease Someone When They’re Not Good at Something in English (February 25, 2026)

A conversation about the expressions, “Don’t quit your day job” and “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Criminal

Criminal is an award-winning true crime podcast. I enjoy listening to this podcast myself because most episodes do not contain gruesome detail and stories often focus on nonviolent crimes. Hosted by Phoebe Judge (accent: American English). 

Try this Episode:

Off Leash (Episode 258)

The story of Toby Dorr, who started a prison dog training program in 2004. The story takes an unexpected twist after she meets inmate John Manard.

Also try:

The Speeding Duck, etc. (Episodes 345, 297, 249, 203 & 179)

Every December, Criminal releases a special “Animal Criminals” episode with several short, humorous stories of animals who broke the rules.

Lives Less Ordinary

A BBC podcast featuring interviews with people who have had amazing life experiences. One of my personal favorites. Note that most shows feature hosts with British accents and storytellers speak with a wide range of accents and varieties of English.

Try this Episode:

Never Ever Give Up  (September 1, 2024)

American endurance swimmer Diana Nyad’s thirty-year dream to swim from Cuba to Florida. In this episode, students will hear American English accents from both the host and Nyad.

Real Survival Stories

Real Survival Stories tells true stories of ordinary people forced to fight for their lives. Written by Susan Allott and hosted by John Hopkins (accent: American English).

Try this Episode:

Canoeing Trip Wildfire (September 6, 2023)

A couple’s serene vacation is thrown into chaos by a terrifying wildfire.