THE BEST TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS
We've sought out all of the best resources and tools to learn English and put them all in one place just for you. Click the title or picture of the resource you're interested in to start using it to learn English. But first, 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
List of the Best Podcasts for English Learners
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 in in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Portuguese (click a language to head straight there).
Speaking
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).
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 one is best for you.
Find lots of English speakers who are interested in forming language tandems—partner up and chat with someone who wants to learn your native language in exchange for teaching you English.
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.
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 so that you can start communicating in English right away. It's definitely something you'll want to have handy on your next trip to an English-speaking country!
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, and as a result there are often several accents to choose from.
Tips, tricks, exercises, and the best resources for improving your American or British English pronunciation and accent.
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.
Online edition of this major American media outlet.
British newspaper whose digital edition includes videos and special reports.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.