One of my favourite techniques for teaching English at higher levels is using long-form podcasts such as The Diary of a CEO (DOAC), Jay Shetty, Huberman Lab, and Chris Williamson. This approach goes far beyond traditional language teaching. It feels much closer to coaching, which is exactly why it works so well with advanced learners.
The real beauty of this method is that you kill two birds with one stone: learners improve their English while simultaneously developing high-impact soft skills. To book a one-on-one coaching session with me, click on the link here.
At advanced levels, learners no longer need simplified dialogues or artificial exercises. What they need is real language used to discuss real ideas.
High-quality podcasts provide:
This exposure helps learners sound more natural, confident, and articulate in professional and social settings.
This method resembles coaching far more than traditional teaching. Instead of focusing on rules, lessons are built around reflection, awareness, and expression.
Many of my clients specifically require support with:
Podcasts are ideal because the content itself already focuses on mindset, psychology, and performance.
One of the biggest advantages is convenience. Most podcasts include timestamps, captions, or show notes organised by subtopics. After listening to a full episode in your own time, you can easily extract short, high-impact segments for lessons.
A simple structure that works well:
This keeps lessons purposeful, personalised, and aligned with the learner’s goals.
Below are carefully selected podcast episodes and interviews that work exceptionally well for advanced English learners and coaching-oriented clients.
These episodes are excellent for working on nonverbal communication, confidence, and professional presence.
They naturally introduce vocabulary related to behaviour, psychology, and self-awareness, while encouraging learners to observe how speakers use posture, facial expression, and tone.
These podcasts focus on clarity, influence, and high-level communication.
They are particularly effective for learners who need English for leadership roles, presentations, or difficult conversations.
This topic works extremely well for advanced discussion and critical thinking.
It allows learners to explore subtle differences in meaning while debating ethics, persuasion, and power dynamics in English.
This content is ideal for coaching-focused learners working on vision, motivation, and long-term planning.
Learners can practise future-oriented language while discussing goals in a meaningful, personalised way.
Using podcasts at an advanced level helps learners:
Most importantly, learners gain confidence in expressing complex ideas clearly and naturally.
This approach is equally beneficial for teachers and coaches:
Instead of repeating textbook material, you grow alongside your clients.
Teaching English through podcasts is one of my favourite techniques because it respects the intelligence and ambitions of advanced learners. It turns language lessons into coaching conversations and transforms English into a tool for personal and professional growth.
For learners who want more than grammar drills, this approach delivers real-world results.
To enhance your teaching skills further, you might be interested in my specialized TEFL course for EFL/ESL teachers.
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