Comprehensible input · English

4 English channels made for learners, measured

Ranked by median difficulty, easiest first. The bar is a range, not a label — a channel typically spans a wide stretch of the scale, so one level would be false for its own hardest videos.

4
learner channels
591
videos scored
186 h
of material

The ranking

#ChannelLevel range (0–100)MedianTypical bandPaceVideosHours
1Easy English64831B1-B2medium13837 h
2BBC Learning English07554B2-C2medium19130 h
3Speak English With Vanessa288556B1-B2fast17485 h
4Learn English with Bob the Canadian438666B1-B2fast8834 h

3 of these 4 channels carry the same vocabulary band (B1-B2), and their scores still run from 0 to 86. That gap is pace: what separates the easiest of these channels from the hardest is how fast people talk, not which words they use. How that is measured →

Find something to watch

The machine that changed our understanding of human history - Max G. Levy
score 36TED-EdC1-C2~13,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
The murderous medieval king who inspired "Macbeth" - Benjamin Hudson
score 36TED-EdC1-C2~12,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
What caused the fall of one of the most influential empires in history? - Mostafa Minawi
score 36TED-EdC1-C2~13,000 words7 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
The real reason polio is so dangerous
score 37TED-EdC1-C2~20,000 words7 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
One of the most controversial medical procedures in history - Jenell Johnson
score 37TED-EdC1-C2~14,000 words7 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
The dark history of Graham crackers - Stephanie Honchell Smith
score 38TED-EdC1-C2~17,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
This is how nomadic farmers live
score 38TED-EdC1-C2~20,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
Is this the grossest parasite? - Niko Zlotnik
score 39TED-EdC1-C2~16,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
What actually causes high cholesterol? - Hei Man Chan
score 39TED-EdC1-C2~20,000 words7 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
Can you figure out the savanna mystery? - Cella Wright
score 39TED-EdC1-C2~20,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
The dark history of arsenic - Neil Bradbury
score 39TED-EdC1-C2~16,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
How much do you really know about Vikings? - Stephanie H. Smith
score 40TED-EdC1-C2~15,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
How did ancient civilizations brew beer? - Malcolm Purinton
score 40TED-EdC1-C2~14,000 words6 minslow
Watch on YouTube ↗
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