English is the most learned language in the world, so there are a lot of resources to choose from out there.
In this review I take a look at the popular EnglishClass101, which is produced by Innovative Languages and features English audio lessons to help you learn English fast.
Learn English Online with EnglishClass101
EnglishClass101 is not just any online language learning podcast. It's an absolute beast of a resource to learn English online.
It's produced by Innovative Languages and features high quality audio and video lessons, plus a lot of bonus features that I will cover later in this review.
At the core of the Pod101 programme we find the lessons. Audio and video lessons tailored to help you learn English in a fun and effective way.
Welcome to my EnglishClass101 review – I hope you enjoy it.
EnglishClass101 Review Table of Contents
- The Audio Lessons
- The Lesson Player
- Video lessons
- Flashcards
- Mobile Apps
- Prices and Memberships
- EnglishClass101 Coupon Code
- Final Verdict
The Audio Lessons
The main lessons are available in audio format and feature a native speaker and a non-native speaker. The lessons are short and to the point (about 10-12 minutes) and usually follow this pattern:
- Dialogue at normal speed
- Dialogue slowed down
- Dialogue with English translations
- Vocabulary discussion
- Grammar discussion
- Cultural pointers
They have a good balance and by listening to them you get a greater understanding of not only the language, but also the culture behind English.
The Online Audio Lesson Player
Using the online lesson player, you can listen to the full track, just the English audio or even review it with the review track. This track helps you practice your own pronunciation or listening skills.
You can also download lesson extras in the form of PDFs.
The lesson extras:
- Lesson Notes – including bonus examples and explanations not in the lesson itself.
- Transcripts
- Checklists
There are currently 125 of these main audio lessons released at the time of writing this review. You get access to all of them instantly when you subscribe. They are organised into:
- Absolute Beginner: 25 Lessons
- Lower Beginner: 25 Lessons
- Upper Beginner: 25 Lessons
- Lower Intermediate: 25 Lessons
- Upper Intermediate: 25 Lessons
But that's not all. Apart from this main series you also get access to a ton of other audio lessons:
- Basic: 50 lessons
- Absolute Beginner: 75 lessons
- Beginner: 25 lessons
- Advanced: 50 lessons (audio blogs)
- Bonus: 30 lessons
These extra audios are on topics such as culture, pronunciation, survival phrases, essential vocabulary and much more.
Grand total: over 350+ audio lessons included in your EnglishClass101 membership.
Video lessons
On top of the 350+ audio lessons, you also get access to 180+ video lessons.
These are very short videos that enhance your skills by having you practice answering questions, listening to sentences and more.
This means that you get access to over 500 lessons to learn English online when you become a member.
I won't spend too much time in this EnglishClass101 review to discuss the videos, as I consider them mostly bonuses.
Flashcards
EnglishClass101 has a lot of tools and resources to help you learn.
One of my favourite resources are the flashcards they offer.
For English, of course they are a little different than other Pod101 languages, since there is no single source language.
Instead they use descriptions and images to convey the meaning. This is a very good way to learn as it uses the visual memory to enhance the effect.
Here's what the flashcard tool looks like, complete with example sentences:
(taken from the Hungarian version)
Mobile Apps
Innovative Languages focuses a lot on portability, so if you're the type to learn languages on your commute, while doing chores or basically anytime you're not in front of the computer you have a few options on how to best make that happen.
- You can download ALL episodes in DRM-free mp3 format and simply transfer them to your mobile device.
- You can download the Innovative Languages app from the app store and stream any lesson.
This is what a lesson looks like in the app (Android.)
(taken from the Hungarian version)
The app is quite convenient and allows a truly mobile experience of the lessons.
In my opinion one of the biggest argument for upgrading your Englishclass101 account to Premium or Premium plus.
This is perfect if you have good connectivity and would like to be hands-on with the learning.
I preferred simply downloading the lessons to my phone and then listening to them while walking around.
Innovative Languages also have a free flashcard app called “Word Power” for a few languages including English, but to me this felt a bit clunky and I couldn't really get into using it.
Memberships and Prices
EnglishClass101 offers 3 levels of membership:
- Free, as the name implies is free, but you get almost no additional features or tools to help you learn.
- Basic: Access to all lessons, as well as basic features.
- Premium: Full access to all site features and lessons.
- Premium+: Like Premium, but you also get access to a teacher from EnglishClass101.
Invest upfront and save
- They offer great deals for the dedicated language learner as you can see in the screenshot below:
EnglishClass101 Coupon Code
Extra discount: A 25% off all plans coupon code is automatically applied when you use any link on this page.
Click here to buy access to EnglishClass101 with the coupon code.
EnglishClass101 Review Verdict
EnglishClass101 is a great way to learn English online.
I've been using Pod101 for a while now and I love the fact that I can learn languages while I do the dishes, walk to the shops or even while working out in the gym.
The lessons are well-structured, not too long and contain the grammar you actually need without boring you to death.
They also teach you about cultural norms, including when to use the formal language and what the social norms are such as etiquette, tipping and just about anything else.
The hosts also do a bit of banter, albeit sometimes very scripted, to loosen up the mood.
- Advantages
- Value for money: Over 500 lessons to help you learn English online fast
- Great lesson structure with just enough grammar explanations
- Portable and DRM-free: Download all lessons to any mobile device
- Continually updated
- Great app to keep track of the lessons and learning on the move
- Negatives
- Free content is limited. You really need to be paying a few dollars per month to take full advantage of this resource.
- They switch the hosts several times during the 125 main lessons and some of them are better than others.
- Lesson difficulty is not always a gentle increase
- The main lessons spend a lot of time explaining and teaching instead of actually exposing you to the target language. This is good and bad, but make sure you don't get EnglishClass101 just for the immersion.
- Annoying marketing means you have to unsubscribe from emails, or face a lot of spam.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Learn English with EnglishClass101
Kris is the founder of Actual Fluency, and has spent the last 8 years becoming an expert in language learning software, methods, and techniques.
He lives in Denmark and speaks 5+ languages at varying levels. His other interests are Wine, Online Marketing, and Travelling.