English Lessons in Hobart

California Dreaming- The Mamas and the Papas

California Dreaming is a popular American song from the 1960s you can use to take your listening skills and English vocabulary to the next level, especially if you are a beginner. For example, you will learn vocabulary about the weather and the seasons (“cold winter’s day”, “scorching hot”, “windy”) and colours (brown, grey, red), as the poetic persona expresses his longing for the warmth of California’s weather. Also, the singer pronounces very clearly and the song is relatively slow-paced, making it a great resource to practise your listening comprehension skills and even sing along to via karaoke! Listen and susbcribe here!

The Lazy Song- Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars’ worldwide hit is great for you to practise your English skills, improve your listening comprehension and increase your vocabulary. The song is about a man who does not want to go to work but wants to stay at home. With The Lazy Song, you will get familiar with the future tense (“I’m gonna kick my feet up...”, “I will not wake up”) and vocabulary to speak about home activities, like chilling, snuggling, lying in bed and more. Also, it has colloquial expressions that make the song suitable for intermediate and advanced learners! Listen and susbcribe here!

New Rules -Dua Lipa

Do you like electropop and want to take your English skills to the next level while you enjoy great music? Then, Dua Lipa’s songs are great choices! This song, in particular, is about all the rules the singer sets to get over her ex-boyfriends and her determination to never look back. This track is good to learn more about the negative imperative and its informal variations, as the singer uses slang, like “ain’t” or “’em”. The fast-paced rhythm of the song and its somewhat complicated lyrics make it best for advanced learners of English. Listen and susbcribe here!

I Am Mother- Movie

I Am Mother is a great science fiction movie you can watch if you would like to improve your English listening comprehension and vocabulary. The movie is about a girl who wakes up inside a spaceship and discovers that the world has ended after a terrible war. She’s looked after by a robot called “Mother”, who tells her there are no humans left on the planet which is now controlled by artificial intelligence. But the unnamed girl discovers this is not true and meets a survivor who will make her doubt of everything she knows. Learn more about this great movie here!

The Secret Life of Us- TV series

The Secret Life of Us was a massively popular Australian TV series set in Melbourne and screened between 2001 and 2005. This dramatic and comedic series revolves around a group of four friends in their mid-20s, following their interesting love lives, personal developments and professional careers. The inclusion of a native Australian as a main character attracted a lot of media attention at the time and was considered a landmark with regards to Australian-aboriginal representation in major media productions. Watch this show to learn about Australian culture, slang and ways of living! Learn more about this amazing series here!

Australia Day Festivals

If you find yourself in Australia on 26th January, you cannot miss the celebrations of Australia Day! This national holiday commemorates the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival at the island—the 11 ships that arrived from Britain to found New South Wales in 1787. Today, these celebrations champion the diverse and inclusive Australian society by promoting ceremonies all over the country that feature spectacular firework displays and parades. If you are in Sydney, you can enjoy a classic beach barbecue and eat lamington cake (a traditional sponge coated in chocolate and coconut sauce) while wearing the national sporting colours (green and gold) with pride. Learn more about this special date!

OverSimplified

OverSimplified is a great channel for people looking who want to be entertained while improving their English skills. The videos attempt to simplify (with a lot of humour) complex historical events, like the Hundred Years’ War or the Black Death, by using cartoons. Additionally, they also touch upon more contemporary topics, like how to make a vaccine or how democracy emerged as a political system. The videos comprise English subtitles and visual aids, so every level of proficiency can enjoy these videos. Unfortunately, the creators release videos only once every couple of months, so you will want to find other resources, as well! Enjoy the videos here!

Learn English with Misterduncan

Misterduncan is an ESL teacher who loves languages and teaching. On his channel, you will find more than 200 lessons on different aspects of the English language. For instance, one of his playlists focuses on vocabulary and features videos on slang, idioms, collocations, phrases used in different contexts, such as at the airport or the office, and more! He also has material on grammar and pronunciation, but the most popular videos are his recommendations for real-life resources you can use to improve on your own: from TV shows to novels, you will surely find something to your taste! Enjoy the videos here!

Business English Pod

Podcasts on YouTube are great for learning not only a language but also other interesting information. If you want to learn English to expand your professional horizons, Business English Pod is the perfect resource for you. With this weekly podcast, you will improve not only your command of the language (they have bite-sized lessons on formal aspects of English, such as grammar or pronunciation), but also you will learn about business etiquette in the USA. So, you will acquire tips on how to greet your boss or co-workers, how to ask for a raise, and more! Enjoy the videos here!

OverSimplified

OverSimplified is a great channel for people looking who want to be entertained while improving their English skills. The videos attempt to simplify (with a lot of humour) complex historical events, like the Hundred Years’ War or the Black Death, by using cartoons. Additionally, they also touch upon more contemporary topics, like how to make a vaccine or how democracy emerged as a political system. The videos comprise English subtitles and visual aids, so every level of proficiency can enjoy these videos. Unfortunately, the creators release videos only once every couple of months, so you will want to find other resources, as well!

Learn English with Misterduncan

Misterduncan is an ESL teacher who loves languages and teaching. On his channel, you will find more than 200 lessons on different aspects of the English language. For instance, one of his playlists focuses on vocabulary and features videos on slang, idioms, collocations, phrases used in different contexts, such as at the airport or the office, and more! He also has material on grammar and pronunciation, but the most popular videos are his recommendations for real-life resources you can use to improve on your own: from TV shows to novels, you will surely find something to your taste!

Business English Pod

Podcasts on YouTube are great for learning not only a language but also other interesting information. If you want to learn English to expand your professional horizons, Business English Pod is the perfect resource for you. With this weekly podcast, you will improve not only your command of the language (they have bite-sized lessons on formal aspects of English, such as grammar or pronunciation), but also you will learn about business etiquette in the USA. So, you will acquire tips on how to greet your boss or co-workers, how to ask for a raise, and more!