Here at the Reading Center we are all about learning! Whether it is from books, podcasts, or videos, the more we learn, the better! Here are some method we use when we want to learn but don’t feel like reading. Listen during your commute or watch on your couch—it's never the wrong time to learn!
If you get tired of reading the news, you can go to one of these sites to listen or watch. We recommend NPR, CNN, BBC, and Democracy Now.
If you need something with more basic English, follow this link to see our list of news sites made just for ELLs.
A podcast is like a radio show that you listen to on your phone . Unlike a radio show, you can listen whenever you want. You can pause, rewind, or fast forward. According to Forbes, there are now over 800,000 active podcasts with over 54 million podcast episodes currently available worldwide. That means there is a podcast for everyone.
It doesn't matter if you have an iPhone or an Android. If you look in your app store, you will find plenty of podcast apps you could download. You probably only need one. We recommend the app Pocket Casts because you can slow the audio down, and rewind ten seconds with the click of a button. Other popular podcast apps include Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio. And if you don't have a smartphone, you can listen to podcasts on the internet.
In August 2020, National Public Radio had 42 active podcasts. Check out the list of podcasts here.
Is there a topic that really interests you? Try searching the internet for podcast recommendations about that topic. We used this technique to find 14 podcasts about art history.
Use the search or discover option in your podcast app to find something good. As you "Like" podcasts, your app may recommend others that you might like.
There are podcasts in many languages. For Spanish, check out Radio Ambulante (kind of like This American Life but for Latin America) and El Hilo, which covers "the most important news of the week, from a Latin American perspective."
There are also bilingual podcasts! Duolingo makes them for Spanish-speakers learning English, and English-speakers learning Spanish and French.
Videos help us learn and retain information by adding visual content to audio. Here are some ways to access videos and video series.
Some people like to learn things by watching YouTube videos. Just beware that not all sources are credible. For example, there are videos claiming to show how you can dye a shirt purple using just grapes, or make flan in your microwave. But if you look closely, the videos have been altered. That's why you should watch videos on channels run by credible sources. We recommend National Geographic, TED, and Vox.
You may just use your Netflix account to watch reality baking shows, but Netflix has a lot more to offer! We recommend Explained. "This enlightening series from Vox digs into a wide range of topics such as the rise of cryptocurrency, why diets fail, and the wild world of K-pop." Plans start at $9 per month.
Looking for a free and legal alternative to Netflix? With Tubi TV, you can watch free movies, documentaries, and TV shows online. You just have to make a free account.
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) provides educational TV programming to public television stations across the United States. You can watch on your TV, device, or online. We recommend NOVA, an acclaimed science documentary series, but there are hundreds of other shows to watch.