Resources to learn English

Best Resources to learn English [VIDEO]

Find out what our English teacher Abbe’s favorites are in the video below. Click the CC icon for subtitles (available in 6 languages) and the gear icon to adjust the video speed if you need to. Happy learning!

Memorizing Vocabulary in English

Techniques and apps for learning words and phrases

MosaLingua Premium (Web & Mobile)

Our all-in-one multiplatform solution for learning the most useful words and phrases, immersing yourself in a language, and practicing with numerous English resources (e.g. videos, audiobooks, books, articles). Provides access via web and iOS/Android app.

Online dictionaries

1. WordReference: One of the best multilingual dictionaries on the web. Translate to and from English and over 15 other languages. Helpful examples and contextual information ensure that you understand the meaning of each word, and how to use it. Especially recommended for beginners. The English collocation and conjugation features are great for advanced users.
2. Cambridge English Dictionary: Our favorite monolingual dictionary. Different versions cater to different needs: Standard, Learner’s Dictionary, Essential British English and Essential American English. The perfect reference tool for intermediate and advanced learners since it doesn’t provide translations.
3. Reverso Context: In addition to a basic translation, Reverso Context provides dozens of example sentences from translations published online, so that you can understand the nuances of each possible use, plus related words and expressions. The contextual dictionary is available for 14 languages.

Listening Comprehension in English

Techniques for improving listening skills

MosaSeries: An Original Audio Series, Learn English and Improve Your Listening Skills

MosaSeries: The Man With No Name is an original English audio series designed specifically to help you practice your listening comprehension, expand your vocabulary, and improve your understanding of grammar. It’s divided into episodes, and powerful cliffhangers make our series even more addictive than the best Netflix shows! You’ll improve your English significantly without even realizing it.

Our favorite English podcasts, movies, and TV shows

Podcasts

We’ve come up with a selection of the best English podcasts for learners. Listening to podcasts to learn English is not only beneficial for your listening skills, but also for your vocabulary and pronunciation. Take a look at our list of best English podcasts in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Portuguese (click a language to head straight there).

Movies and TV

1. Learn British English with These Great Films
2. The Best Movies for Learning American English
3. The Best American TV Series with Subtitles
4. How to Learn English with Netflix

YouTube channels

1. Learn English with the MosaLingua YouTube Channel: Take a look around our YouTube channel for tons of smart tips and hacks about learning English – and other languages, too! We publish new videos every Tuesday. Don’t forget to turn on your notifications (click the little bell when you subscribe). Don’t miss a single second!
2. National Geographic: One of the largest collections of videos about the planet we call home, and a great way to learn English! National Geographic is a gold mine of videos on a wide variety of topics, including anthropology, science, archaeology, physics, art, sociology, and more.
3. Speak English with Christina: A fun YouTube channel for people who want to learn English, especially for professional reasons. Christina is upbeat and funny, and she delves into topics ranging from vocabulary to grammar (and subtitles are available for all of her videos).
4. engVid: Learn English: This channel features 11 different teachers and hundreds of helpful lessons for people who want to learn English. Choose your favorite teacher and start learning English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and more. They also have a website with learning material you can download.

Speaking English

Techniques for improving pronunciation and fluency

MosaSpeak: Speak English with Confidence MasterClass

A 10-unit course designed to help you improve your English pronunciation step by step and speak more fluently and confidently (and actually enjoy doing it).

MosaChat-AI

💬 MosaChat-AI gives you access to a language tutor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Speak or chat with e-Tutor Aida anytime, anywhere! Practice having a conversation in English, ask your burning questions about the language, and even get your mistakes corrected.

Log in or create a Premium account today to try out 💬 MosaChat-AI for yourself.

How and Where to Find a Conversation Partner

Chatting with a language partner is one of the best and most entertaining ways to improve your language skills, from speaking and pronunciation, to vocab and listening, and even culture and confidence. We tested the most popular language exchange websites and created a guide to help you decide which is best.

1. Tandem: Find many English speakers interested in forming language tandems—partner up and chat with someone who wants to learn your native language in exchange for teaching you English.
2. iTalki: Book affordable paid lessons with a tutor. Over 15,000 teachers are registered on the app and website, and you can even book a trial session to make sure you click with the tutor before you commit to a full lesson.

Guides and tools for conversation and pronunciation

1. Free English Travel Guide and Conversation Phrasebook: Download our free English conversation phrasebook in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Portuguese (click a language to get started). Inside, you’ll find the most useful words and phrases to start communicating in English immediately. You’ll want to have this guide handy on your next trip to an English-speaking country!
2. Forvo: A pronunciation “dictionary” can be very useful, especially for languages like English, when spelling isn’t a big help for guessing how new words are pronounced. Forvo is populated through crowdsourcing. That means users like you can submit recordings, so there are often several accents to choose from.

Free English Pronunciation Guide by MosaLingua

Tips, tricks, exercises, and the best resources for improving your American or British English pronunciation and accent.

Reading and Writing in English

Newspapers and other media

1. Newspaper Map: Read the news from any country in the world. Choose the language you want to learn, then pick any city on the map for a link to their local news site. It’s an especially useful tool when you want to focus on a specific dialect (Australian English, for example) or read news from a certain country or region.
2. The New York Times: Online edition of this major American media outlet.
3. The Guardian: British newspaper whose digital edition includes videos and special reports.
4. The Financial Times: Very useful for keeping up with economic news and learning field-specific vocabulary. If you’re interested in a more US-focused business and financial newspaper instead, check out the Wall Street Journal.
5. BBC Learning English: A complete and well-rounded website for English learners by the BBC. Keep up with the latest news and work your way through short lessons and activities.

Reading guides

The Best Books for Learning English Vocabulary, Grammar and More

How should you go about reading a book to learn English? And what reading materials should you start with? We answer these questions and more in our article about books as tools to learn English.

Grammar tools

Complete English Grammar Guide

Our grammar guide focuses on the essentials of English grammar and doesn’t weigh you down with long-winded explanations or minor details. Our lessons are appropriate for beginners, but intermediate learners will also get a lot out of them. They’re easy to understand and act on, and most importantly, they won’t make you want to tear your hair out! The guide is available to read in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Portuguese (click a language to read it).

Other Useful Guides and Resources to Learn English

1. Test Your Level of English: A guide to walk you through how to determine your English level, since it’s not always easy to self-assess. It also explains why it’s good to know where you stand and describes different methods of evaluation.
2. EdX English Courses: EdX offers tons of free online classes (including lots of language courses!) from top universities around the world. Among the English classes they offer are “English for Journalists,” “Using Email to Network in English,” and “English Grammar and Style.” There are also some reasonably priced professional certification programs you can pursue through the site.
3. Learn English with the British Council: This website created by the British Council, a governmental organization that promotes culture and education in the UK, is an excellent resource. It groups together lessons, exercises for reading and listening comprehension, speaking, and writing, plus special tips for business English.
4. TED Talks: TED hosts conferences on “ideas worth spreading.” Their website features short, highly interesting videos in English. What’s more, most videos have subtitles available in a handful of other languages.
5. Get Your Groove on While You Learn a Language: Some of the best websites for learning a language with music, tested and approved by the MosaLingua team: Lyrics Training, Lyrics Gaps, Lyrics.com, and MyLingo. We also have an article on the best genres for English learners.

We hope these resources to learn English will be of a big help to you.

We’re constantly searching for the best resources to help you improve your English skills and updating this page, so be sure to come back from time to time.

And finally, if there are any great tools or resources we didn’t mention but that deserve to be on the list, click here to let us know about them.