Choose an English course for the part of communication you want to improve. BBC Learning English's selection includes beginner conversations, grammar, pronunciation and shadowing. Start with material you can follow, then practise using it in your own sentences. A small, consistent route is more useful than jumping between unrelated lessons.
Table of Contents
Courses to consider first
| Learning goal | Recommended course |
|---|---|
| For a beginner English route | Everyday English for Beginners: Free ESOL Course |
| For English sounds | The Sounds of English |
| For conditionals | English Conditionals |
| For pronunciation practice through shadowing | English Shadowing |
For a beginner English route: Choose Everyday English for Beginners when you want an accessible starting point for daily communication.
For English sounds: The pronunciation course is a focused choice when hearing and producing the sounds is the main difficulty.
For conditionals: Choose this grammar course when conditional sentences are the topic you need to understand and practise.
For pronunciation practice through shadowing: Use shadowing when you want to listen closely and practise spoken patterns, rather than study a new grammar topic.
6 courses in this BBC Learning English selection
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1. English Conditionals
Understand the main English conditional patterns through this free BBC Learning English grammar course. All seven Conditionals with Georgie videos are preserved: an introduction, zero, first, second and third conditionals, and two mixed-conditional lessons.
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2. English Prepositions
Learn a useful foundation for English prepositions in this free BBC Learning English course. The complete five-video series covers the meaning of a preposition and its use for place, time, transport and movement.
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3. The Sounds of English
Explore the BBC Learning English guide to all forty-four sounds in its English pronunciation model. This free course preserves the introductory recording and every sound lesson in the forty-five-video source playlist.
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4. English Shadowing
Practise listening and speaking together in this free English Shadowing course from BBC Learning English. The complete five-video playlist includes the explanation of shadowing and four guided dialogue examples: a lift, a missing snack, a coffee shop and an office.
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5. Beginner English Conversations
Build a practical foundation in everyday spoken English with this free BBC Learning English course. All twenty numbered Easy English Conversations episodes are retained, covering introductions, routines, directions, interests, time, feelings, family, comparisons, shopping and home.
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6. Everyday English for Beginners: Free ESOL Course
Learn English for seven familiar community situations in this free introductory ESOL course from BBC Learning English. Every Learning Circles video is preserved, covering a bus, a market, a dentist appointment, school, an ambulance call, an address and a post office.
Choose your learning route
- Begin with conversations or everyday English that you can understand with manageable effort.
- Choose one pronunciation or grammar topic that affects your own speaking or writing.
- Use the new material in short sentences and repeat the speaking practice regularly before adding another topic.
Frequently asked questions
Which course should an English beginner choose?
Everyday English for Beginners and Beginner English Conversations are the direct starting options in this collection.
Should I choose pronunciation or grammar first?
Choose pronunciation if understanding or producing spoken sounds is the main difficulty. Choose a grammar topic when forming the sentence is the problem you need to solve.
Questions & discussion
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