Every day, people all around the world use YouTube to teach themselves new skills from the comfort of their own homes. It’s a fantastic platform for creating, sharing, and learning pretty much any skill you can think of, for free! It’s highly accessible too, all you need is a good internet connection.

This is what makes it an invaluable platform for language learning; you can watch or virtually ‘sit in’ on lessons at any time, and you can pause, stop, and rewatch videos as often as you need to.

There are tons of English language channels available on YouTube, I’ve picked out some of my favorite channels for beginners. 

1. Easy English

Not lessons as such, but Easy English remains one of the most useful English learning channels for beginners. Each video features real-life conversations and interactions with English speakers in real-life situations. People are interviewed on the street and asked simple questions about their day or their life. You’ll pick up correct pronunciation and get used to hearing the language spoken by different people.

2. Speak English With Mr. Duncan

Self-proclaimed English addict, Mr. Duncan is passionate about the English language. Through his YouTube channel – Speak English With Mr. Duncan – he teaches English to the world for free, three days a week, live from his home in England. You’ll get a lot out of his lessons; the videos are fun, easy to watch, and focus more on practical language and how the language is spoken, rather than getting into the nitty-gritty of grammar. His entertaining lessons cover a variety of topics throughout the week, from nature, slang, news, fashion, and even survival instinct.

3. Jennifer ESL

Jennifer is the kind of English teacher you wish you had; she’s patient, clear and very knowledgeable. She teaches American English and regularly publishes lessons and resources grouped into easy-to-use, comprehensive playlists on her channel – Jennifer ESL. Lessons cover all essential elements of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and American culture. You’ll also learn alongside her students, which gives lessons an intimate, classroom feel.

4. BBC Learning English

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British institution – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better place to learn British English. Every day, a new lesson is published on the BBC Learning English channel, each one designed to help you learn English effectively using a variety of different formats. There’s also a super informative feature called BBC News Review, where reporters discuss topical subjects and stories and show you how to use the language from the latest news items in your everyday English. The BBC Learning English website offers some fantastic resources for learners of all ages too, including children.