Learn English with Podcasts: FlexiLingo's Built-in Podcast Player
Discover curated English podcasts filtered by CEFR level, learn with AI-powered interactive subtitles, click any word for instant translations, and save vocabulary for spaced repetition review. All inside your FlexiLingo dashboard - no browser extension needed.
1Discovering Curated Podcasts
FlexiLingo's podcast library lives inside your dashboard at /dashboard/podcasts. Every podcast in the library has been curated and scored for language learning quality, so you don't have to guess which shows are good for practice.
The browsing page shows a grid of podcast cards. Each card displays the podcast artwork, title, author, CEFR difficulty level (A2 through C2), a learning score out of 100, the number of transcribed episodes, and the average speech rate in words per minute.
Filter and Search
Use the filter bar at the top to narrow down the library:
The combination of CEFR filtering and topic categories means you can quickly find podcasts that are both at the right difficulty and on subjects you care about. No more scrolling through thousands of shows hoping to find something useful.
Every podcast in FlexiLingo's library has been scored for learning quality. A score of 75+ means the podcast has clear speech, natural vocabulary, and good pacing for learners.
2Podcast Detail & Episode Selection
Click any podcast card to open the detail page. Here you get a complete overview of the podcast before choosing an episode to study.
The detail page shows the full podcast artwork, CEFR difficulty badge, a visual learning score bar, and detailed statistics: the number of ready (transcribed) episodes, total episodes in the RSS feed, language, average words per minute, accent type (American, British, Australian, etc.), and topic category.
Below the stats, you'll find the podcast description (expandable if it's long) and quick-access links: visit the podcast's website, copy the RSS feed URL, or open the show on Apple Podcasts.
Choosing an Episode
The episodes section lists all transcribed episodes, each showing its title, publish date, duration, speech rate, learning score, and CEFR level. Click any episode to launch the AI-powered player and start learning.
Episodes marked as 'Ready' have full transcriptions and are ready for interactive learning. You can see exactly how many episodes are transcribed versus the total count.
3The AI-Powered Podcast Player
The podcast player is where the real learning happens. It's a full-screen experience designed specifically for language learning, not just passive listening.
At the center, you'll see the podcast artwork displayed in a circular frame with a progress ring that fills as the episode plays. Below the artwork, the current time and total duration are displayed. Skip forward or back 5 seconds with dedicated buttons flanking the play/pause control.
Below the audio area, the subtitle bar shows the current transcript line synchronized with playback. As the episode plays, the active line highlights and scrolls automatically so you never lose your place.
At the bottom, a full control bar gives you access to the progress seek bar, playback speed, volume, and all the learning tools. On the right side, a resizable sidebar opens with four tabs: Stats, Analysis, Notes, and Settings.
The player combines audio playback with interactive learning tools in one screen. You can listen, read, look up words, take notes, and review analysis without leaving the player.
4Interactive Click-to-Learn Subtitles
This is the core learning feature. Every word in the transcript is clickable. Tap or click any word and a translation dialog appears instantly.
The dialog shows the word's definition, its CEFR difficulty level (A1 through C2), part of speech, and example usage. You can save the word to your vocabulary deck with one click. The word then appears in your spaced repetition review sessions, reinforcing long-term retention.
Click any single word to see its definition, CEFR level, and pronunciation. Save it to your deck for later review.
FlexiLingo's NLP engine detects common phrases and collocations. Multi-word expressions are grouped and underlined so you learn them as a unit, not as isolated words.
Words are visually tagged by difficulty. Basic vocabulary (A1-A2) blends in, while advanced words (B2-C2) stand out with colored borders, helping you focus on level-appropriate vocabulary.
Toggle the translation overlay to see meanings displayed directly below each word in the subtitle line. Useful for beginners who want continuous support.
You don't need to pause the episode to look up a word. Click it, read the definition, save it, and keep listening. The audio continues playing while the dialog is open.
6Player Controls & Learning Tools
The control bar at the bottom of the player packs powerful tools for customizing your learning experience.
Adjust speed from 0.5x (half speed, great for difficult content) to 2x (double speed for review). Options include 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x, and 2x.
Toggle focus mode to hide distracting UI elements and concentrate purely on listening and reading. Only the subtitle bar and essential controls remain visible.
If the transcript doesn't perfectly align with the audio (common with podcasts that have intro music or ads), use the sync offset slider to adjust the timing in seconds. The offset is saved per episode.
Click the note button to quickly save a note with the current timestamp. Great for marking interesting points, questions, or vocabulary you want to revisit.
Fine-tune the audio volume with a slider, or mute/unmute with one click.
In the Settings sidebar tab, adjust subtitle font size from 14px to 40px and choose left, center, or right alignment for translations.
The 0.75x speed option is particularly useful for language learning. It slows speech just enough to catch every word without making it sound unnatural.
7Whisper AI Transcription
Not every podcast episode comes with a ready-made transcript. When you open an episode that hasn't been transcribed yet, FlexiLingo offers AI-powered transcription using OpenAI's Whisper model.
Click the 'Transcribe' button in the top bar. FlexiLingo sends the audio to our transcription pipeline, which uses the Whisper 'turbo' model - achieving 98% accuracy across all supported languages. The process typically takes 10-15 minutes for a one-hour episode.
While transcription is in progress, a status indicator shows real-time updates. Once complete, the transcript loads automatically as interactive subtitles and the full NLP analysis becomes available.
The Whisper turbo model delivers 98% accuracy, close to human-level transcription. It handles accents, background noise, and natural speech patterns well.
Whisper supports all FlexiLingo target languages: English, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Hindi, and Russian.
After transcription completes, the text is automatically processed through FlexiLingo's NLP pipeline to detect phrases, collocations, grammar patterns, and CEFR levels.
Transcription is a one-time process per episode. Once an episode is transcribed, the transcript is available for all users - you might find that someone has already transcribed the episode you want.
8Requesting New Podcasts
Don't see your favorite podcast in the library? You can request it. Click the 'Request Podcast' button on the main podcasts page to open the request panel.
In the request panel, search for any podcast by name using our PodcastIndex integration. Browse the search results showing podcast artwork, title, author, and episode count. Select the podcast you want and optionally add a message explaining why it would be good for language learners.
After submitting, your request enters a review queue. The FlexiLingo team evaluates each request based on audio quality, speech clarity, and learning value.
Tracking Your Requests
Visit 'My Requests' to see the status of all your podcast requests. Each request shows its current status:
Pending: Your request is in the review queue.
Approved: The podcast has been added to the curated library and episodes are being processed.
Rejected: The podcast didn't meet the curation criteria. Admin notes explain why.
When you request a podcast, you're helping build the library for all learners. Popular requests are prioritized, so if multiple users request the same show, it gets reviewed faster.
9Built-in Player vs Browser Extension
FlexiLingo offers two ways to learn from podcasts. Here's how the built-in dashboard player compares to the browser extension approach (like our Spotify support).
| Built-in Player (Dashboard) | Browser Extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Required | None - just sign in to FlexiLingo | Install Chrome/Firefox extension |
| Works On | Any browser, any device | Chrome and Firefox only |
| Podcast Library | Curated library with CEFR scoring | Whatever is on the platform |
| Transcription | AI transcription (Whisper turbo) | Uses platform's own transcript |
| NLP Analysis | Full analysis (grammar, phrases, CEFR) | Full analysis in Studio |
| Request New Content | Request any podcast from PodcastIndex | Limited to supported platforms |
The built-in player is ideal when you want a curated, ready-to-use learning experience without installing anything. The browser extension is better when you want to study specific content on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, or BBC.
Both approaches save vocabulary to the same deck and sync with the same account. You can use the dashboard player on your phone and the browser extension on your laptop - your progress follows you everywhere.
10Learning Tips & Strategies
Here are practical strategies to get the most out of FlexiLingo's podcast learning feature:
Match Your CEFR Level
Use the CEFR filter to find podcasts at your level. If you're B1, start with B1 podcasts. Listening to content that's too hard leads to frustration; too easy means you don't learn new words.
Use the 0.75x Speed
Slow down to 0.75x for your first listen. This gives you time to process each sentence. Speed up to 1x or 1.25x for your second pass.
Listen Twice
First listen without subtitles to practice pure listening comprehension. Then turn on subtitles and listen again, clicking unfamiliar words. Two passes reinforce both skills.
Save 5-10 Words Per Session
Don't save every unknown word. Pick 5-10 that are most useful or interesting. Quality beats quantity for spaced repetition review.
Check the Analysis Tab
After finishing an episode, open the Analysis tab. Review the grammar patterns and collocations - these are harder to learn from word lists but easy to absorb in context.
Use Timestamped Notes
When you hear an interesting phrase or struggle with a section, add a note. Come back later and relisten to those specific moments.
Track Your WPM Comfort Zone
Each podcast shows its average words per minute. Start with slower podcasts (120-140 WPM) and gradually work up to natural speed (160-180 WPM).
Mix Topics
Don't stick to one topic. Alternate between News, Education, and Culture to build vocabulary across different domains.
Review Saved Words Daily
The words you save during podcast sessions feed into your spaced repetition deck. Review them daily on the FlexiLingo dashboard to lock them into long-term memory.
Request Podcasts You Love
Learning from content you genuinely enjoy is more effective than studying 'educational' material you find boring. Request your favorite podcasts and learn from what you already love listening to.
11Getting Started in 5 Steps
Ready to start learning English from podcasts? Follow these steps:
Create a Free Account
Sign up at FlexiLingo or log in if you already have an account. No payment required to browse and listen.
Browse the Podcast Library
Go to your dashboard and click 'Podcasts' in the navigation. Browse the curated library or use filters to find podcasts at your CEFR level.
Pick an Episode
Click a podcast to see its episodes. Choose one with a 'Ready' status - these have full transcriptions and are ready for interactive learning.
Start Learning
Click the episode to open the player. Listen, read the subtitles, and click any word you don't know. Save words to your deck for later review.
Review and Repeat
After your session, review saved words on the dashboard. Come back tomorrow and pick another episode. Consistency is the key to progress.
You can start learning in under 2 minutes. No downloads, no extensions, no configuration. Just sign in, pick a podcast, and click play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, browsing the podcast library and listening to episodes is free. Some advanced features like AI transcription for new episodes may require a Pro subscription.
No. The built-in podcast player works entirely inside the FlexiLingo dashboard. You access it through your web browser without any extension. The extension is only needed for learning on external platforms like Spotify or YouTube.
The curated library currently focuses on English podcasts for language learners. The Whisper AI transcription supports all FlexiLingo target languages: English, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Hindi, and Russian.
Each podcast receives a CEFR level based on its vocabulary difficulty, speech rate, and sentence complexity. Our NLP engine analyzes the transcript and assigns a level from A2 (elementary) to C2 (proficiency). This helps you find content that matches your current ability.
You can search for and request any podcast available on PodcastIndex (which covers virtually all public podcasts). The FlexiLingo team reviews each request and adds podcasts that meet our quality criteria for language learning.
AI transcription with Whisper typically takes 10-15 minutes for a one-hour episode. Once transcribed, the episode is available instantly for all users.
Yes. All vocabulary saved during podcast sessions syncs with your FlexiLingo account. You can review your words on any device - desktop, tablet, or phone - wherever you're signed in.
Yes. The podcast player is fully responsive and works on mobile browsers. The layout adapts to smaller screens with touch-optimized controls and a mobile-friendly subtitle display.
