English Lessons in Ballymena

Every Breath You Take- The Police

This song is perfect for those who are just starting with their English lessons, as it’s quite repetitive and uses simple grammar. Also, as almost all the verses rhyme, you will get to practise similar phonemes and learn the subtle differences between them. Although the song may strike you as romantic, it is actually about a stalker obsessed with the woman he lost. By listening to Every Breath You Take, you will learn more about idioms that express love and pain, such as “my heart aches” or “to be lost without a trace”. Listen to this piece here!

Where Is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas was a very successful band in the 2000s and composed songs like Where Is the Love?, a track about social issues, such as racism, terrorism, hate, and intolerance. The singer asks, “where is the love?” to encourage us to embrace each other. So, in addition to learning English vocabulary and expressions, you will learn a lot about the American culture and problems they are still facing today. The style is quite fast and includes a lot of slang and informal phrases, so it’s more suitable for advanced students of English. Listen to this piece here!

Wonderwall - Oasis

If you are a fan of pop music and would like to combine your love of music with learning English outside the classroom, then you should definitely listen to Oasis songs, like Wonderwall. This hit describes an imaginary loved one who supports the poetic persona in any and every situation. Because of its complicated structures and combination of past tenses, it’s most suitable for higher-level learners of English. By listening to this song, you will also become familiar with informal expressions and contractions like “gotta” or “should’ve”. Listen to this piece here!

Game of Thrones- TV Series

Game of Thrones is one of the most popular series of the last decade and not without reason! It has an epic story with a plot that thickens with every season. Game of Thrones is set in a fantasy world where contending families fight to become king. From dragons to sorcerers, you will discover a whole world while getting to know the colourful characters that make up the families of House Stark, House Targaryen and House Lannister. Although everyone can enjoy this amazing series, beginner students may have trouble understanding the archaic English that some of the characters use when talking to each other. Fortunately, subtitles will be of help here! Find here more information about this amazing series!

Harry Potter- Movie

Ever since the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone screened in 2001, the series of movies, based on the books by J K Rowling, has captivated children, teens and adults. The first film is about a young boy who discovers he is a wizard and follows his adventures in Hogwarts, an ancient school of magic. There, he makes friends with Hermione and Ron and realizes that in the magical world he is very special: Harry is the only person to ever survive the dark sorcerer, Lord Voldemort. The saga is incredibly entertaining and very useful for becoming acquainted with the British accent and culture (it turns out that tea time is sacred, even in the magical world). Learn more about these great movies here!

Notting Hill Carnival

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that has been organised since 1966 on the streets of the Notting Hill, London, every August. The carnival is hosted by the British West Indian community and is one of the biggest street festivals in the world (attended by more than two million people every year). You can also take part in the street processions if you like (as long as you wear a costume) and enjoy music by bands and artists from all over the world. Plus, you will find more than 240 food stalls, where you can practise your English by ordering something delicious! Learn more about this carnival here!

BBC Learning English

This YouTube channel is an asset for anyone studying English as a second language. It’s full of free resources to put your listening skills into practice, learn more vocabulary, fine-tune your pronunciation and increase your understanding of specific topics, as well. For example, they feature a section on the daily news, so you are always informed about what is going on in Britain and around the world. They also have a playlist dedicated to pronunciation, where they explain how words and names that are not intuitive to pronounce, like Siobhan, are said in English while giving tips on how to improve your diction. Click here and check out the channel.

LinguaMarina

LinguaMarina is a YouTube channel run by an American ESL teacher who is also multilingual (she speaks Spanish, Italian and a few other languages, too), so she knows exactly what are going through as a foreign language student. Marina mostly focuses on pronunciation and intonation, so you can sound as native-like as possible, and she does this not only through theory and examples, but also by giving you advice from her own experience. Plus, she recommends lots of TV shows, music and films you can use to improve your English skills even more while having some fun. Click here and check out the channel.

Ted

If you would like to acquire English while learning something interesting, you should subscribe to TED’s YouTube channel. TED is one of the most well-known organisations in the world, hosting conferences around the world that brings together experts from almost every field to deliver short and engaging talks. The channel is divided into subjects, so you can easily find what interests you, and you don’t have to worry about your English proficiency. While advanced learners listen to the talks without any help, beginner-level students of English can watch the videos with subtitles. Click here and check out the channel.

BBC Learning English

This YouTube channel is an asset for anyone studying English as a second language. It’s full of free resources to put your listening skills into practice, learn more vocabulary, fine-tune your pronunciation and increase your understanding of specific topics, as well. For example, they feature a section on the daily news, so you are always informed about what is going on in Britain and around the world. They also have a playlist dedicated to pronunciation, where they explain how words and names that are not intuitive to pronounce, like Siobhan, are said in English while giving tips on how to improve your diction.

LinguaMarina

LinguaMarina is a YouTube channel run by an American ESL teacher who is also multilingual (she speaks Spanish, Italian and a few other languages, too), so she knows exactly what are going through as a foreign language student. Marina mostly focuses on pronunciation and intonation, so you can sound as native-like as possible, and she does this not only through theory and examples, but also by giving you advice from her own experience. Plus, she recommends lots of TV shows, music and films you can use to improve your English skills even more while having some fun.

TED

If you would like to acquire English while learning something interesting, you should subscribe to TED’s YouTube channel. TED is one of the most well-known organisations in the world, hosting conferences around the world that brings together experts from almost every field to deliver short and engaging talks. The channel is divided into subjects, so you can easily find what interests you, and you don’t have to worry about your English proficiency. While advanced learners listen to the talks without any help, beginner-level students of English can watch the videos with subtitles.