resources for second language english speakers

improve your english LINGUISTIC skills

English Language Resources

I regularly meet people who speak English as a second language and are keen to improve. To support them, I’ve gathered a collection of resources that I hope you’ll find helpful.

The page is organised around the four core skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. You’ll also find dedicated sections on pronunciation, grammar, and useful online tools to support your learning.

If you know of any other high-quality resources that would benefit learners, feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to review and add relevant suggestions.

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Latest Articles

Vegetarian Recipe Blog

Delicious vegetarian recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions to make cooking easy and enjoyable.

A Guide to Maintaining a Good Sitting Posture at Your Desk

Walking Routes

Find your next adventure with our walking routes, each with an interactive map for easy…

BBC Radio 4

Broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. Available worldwide online.

Podcasts

Listen to podcasts at anytime on any subject on any platform for free. Click the button below to find out how.

British Council

Find activities to practise listening skills to improve your understanding of the language and pronunciation.

BBC iPlayer

Video on demand service from the BBC. Programmes include dramas and soaps, sport, food, comedy, news, entertainment, history, documentaries etc. Requires a TV license, might not be accessible outside the UK.

Ted Conferences

For advanced more learners, the Ted shares knowledge on a wide variety of topics through short talks and presentations. Note the transcripts and captions

READING

ChatGPT

An amazing AI chat bot. Ask it for advice or to write a letter, does have limitations.

Libby

Thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, magazines available for free.

The British Council

Quotes can say a lot in just a few words. The button links to motivational quotes, see other types of quote on this site.

Quotes

Self-study lessons organised according by level. Take a test to find your level.

SPEAKING

Interpals

Make new friends, arrange to chat in each others language.

Meetup.com

Try to Find a English language meet up group in your area. If you can’t find one, think about starting one.

Italki

You could always pay someone to help you with your speaking. Never tried this site but it looks reasonable.

WRITING

InterPals

Make new friends, practice languages with native speakers.

Twitter

Tweets can be a maximum of just 140 characters. If you feel comfortable writing in small amounts, try writing a tweet a day.

Start a Blog

Write and publish details about your hobbies, interests, daily life, what you’ve just learned in English.

PRONUNCIATION

The Sounds of English

This site works through the sounds of English (consonants and vowels) with a series of videos with explanations, examples and an opportunity to practice.

Tim's Pronunciation Workshop

A video guide that show’s how English is really spoken, bumping words together and covers things that affect the sound.

Pronunciation with Lucy

British English RP (Received Pronunciation) video series.

Learn the 44 Phonetic symbols with a British Accent

This entry was inspired by my friend Maggie. She made me realise that a lesson which shows the 44 sounds of English with examples would be very useful for learning the different sounds of English.

100 Daily Words

Learn how to say these 100 everyday words in my British accent (Modern Received Pronunciation) in this British English pronunciation training lesson.

ONLINE TOOLS

Thesaurus.com

Can’t quite think of the word you’re looking for? Try using a thesaurus.

Google Translate

Translate any phrase in any language into any other language. Try entering a website url to get a translation for a complete website.

Grammarly

Grammarly is a typing assistant that reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. There are free and premium versions. It’s cross platform including an extension for the Chrome browser.

Dictionary.com

Dictionary.com is a long-running online dictionary that offers definitions, audio pronunciations, example sentences, word origins, and a “Word of the Day” feature. Its content is based largely on established print dictionaries such as the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. It’s free to use and popular with learners and writers looking for quick, accessible definitions online.

GRAMMAR

The British Council

Clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how the language is used plus exercises.

English Grammar

Learn all aspects of written English to improve your writing skills. Covers the basics to complex topics.

C – 6 Minute Basic Grammar

6 Minute basic grammar series for beginner level learners

COURSES

Cambly

A good friend recommended Cambly to me, though I’ve never tried to uses their courses.

Udemy

Always evaluate the courses on Udemy by checking their ratings, number of students, view the sample videos etc. Wait for the discount s which occur regularly so you should be able to get most courses for about 12.99 GBP.

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resources for second language english speakers

English Language Resources

I regularly meet people who speak English as a second language and are keen to improve. To support them, I’ve gathered a collection of resources that I hope you’ll find helpful.

Please Share This Page

Latest Articles

LISTENING

BBC Radio 4

Podcasts

British Council

BBC iPlayer

Ted Conferences

READING

ChatGPT

Libby

The British Council

Quotes

SPEAKING

Interpals

Meetup.com

Italki

WRITING

InterPals

Twitter

Start a Blog

PRONUNCIATION

The Sounds of English

Tim's Pronunciation Workshop

Pronunciation with Lucy

Learn the 44 Phonetic symbols with a British Accent

100 Daily Words

ONLINE TOOLS

Thesaurus.com

Google Translate

Grammarly

Dictionary.com

GRAMMAR

The British Council

English Grammar

C – 6 Minute Basic Grammar

COURSES

Cambly

Udemy

Cookie Compliance