My Podcast Journey

In this era of information explosion, efficiently acquiring knowledge and continuous learning has become an important topic. This article shares my experience of using podcasts for English learning and expanding my technical horizons, hoping to provide some reference for friends who want to try listening to podcasts.

Background: Loads of Free Time Brought by the Pandemic

The 2020 pandemic changed the way many people work, with remote and hybrid work models becoming mainstream. This change brought more free time at home and during commutes. Facing the uncertainty of China’s socio-economic prospects, I decided to use this time to improve my competitiveness, especially in English language skills.

Initially, I chose popular programs like TED and BBC Global News as learning resources. However, I soon discovered some limitations in this content:

  1. Topics are relatively single
  2. Language difficulty is lower
  3. Hard to satisfy the need for in-depth understanding of English language culture

To break through these limitations, I started to use search engines and the recommendation systems of podcast apps like Pocket Casts to explore the broader world of podcasts. This decision opened up my podcast learning journey full of surprises.

My Podcast List

After a period of exploration and screening, my podcast subscription list gradually formed the following four major categories:

  1. Music
  2. Finance
  3. Technology
  4. English Learning

Music

My taste in music is quite omnivorous, covering:

  • Western Pop and Rock
  • Mandarin Pop Songs
  • Cantonese Oldies
  • Japanese Anime Songs

Finance

In the finance field, I mainly focus on the following types of podcasts:

  1. Historical stories, analysis, and news of companies and financial markets

  2. Investment Strategies and Personal Finance

These podcasts help me understand the current macroeconomic situation, corporate history, current investment strategies, etc.

Technology: Keeping Up with the Frontier

As a programmer, I pay special attention to podcasts related to programming languages, software development, and cybersecurity:

  1. Programming Language Specials

  2. Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)

  3. Cybersecurity

  4. Tech Media

  5. Chinese Tech Podcasts

These podcasts not only help me review best practices in programming languages but also let me understand the latest technology trends and corporate technical practices.

English Learning

To systematically improve my English skills, I chose the following types of podcasts:

  1. IELTS Preparation

  2. Daily and Business English

Gains: English Proficiency Improvement and Tech Horizon Expansion

Through continuous podcast learning, I have made significant progress:

  1. English vocabulary reached about 15,000 words
  2. Significant improvement in English oral communication skills
  3. Successfully passed English technical interviews for some foreign companies

In terms of technology, my gains are equally rich:

  1. Reviewed and deepened understanding of programming languages, DB, SRE, cybersecurity, etc.
  2. Understood frontier technology trends: LLM, Cloud Native, etc.

Suggestions: Customize Your Own Podcast Journey

If you also want to improve yourself through podcasts, here are some of my suggestions:

  1. Start with Interest: Choose topics you are interested in, so it’s easier to persist.
  2. Step by Step: You can start with podcasts in your native language and gradually transition to English podcasts.
  3. Explore More: Try different types of podcasts to broaden your knowledge.

Appendix: My Podcast Subscription List

Organized by gemini-1.5-pro-exp-0801 model

CategorySub-categoryPodcast NameDescription
Investment & FinanceInvestmentThe Money To The Masses PodcastHosted by Damien Fahy from <www.moneytothemasses.com>, covering a wide range of personal finance topics.
We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast NetworkWe interview and study famous financial billionaires, including Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Howard Marks, and teach you what we learned and how to apply their investment strategies in the stock market.
Motley Fool MoneyA daily podcast providing business news with a long-term perspective for stock investors.
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & FriedbergIndustry veterans Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social, and poker.
Money Stuff: The PodcastAudio companion to Bloomberg Opinion’s Money Stuff column.
Fidelity Viewpoints: Market SenseTo help you understand current market conditions, Fidelity’s leaders come together for a series called Fidelity Viewpoints: Market Sense.
Market InsightsHear Fidelity’s insights on current markets and the global economy.
Financial DecoderCognitive and emotional biases can have a big impact on your financial life.
In Good Company with Nicolai TangenCEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, the world’s largest single investor, interviews leaders of some of the world’s largest companies.
AcquiredEvery company has a story. Learn the strategies that built the world’s greatest companies - and how to apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Feng Tou Quan (Crazy Investment Circle)Exploring the fun business world with you.
Financial NewsPlanet MoneyWanna see a magic trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride.
MarketplaceEvery weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news - no economics degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers to bring you context.
First Line of LifeBiotech meets AI, exploring investment opportunities at the frontier of biotechnology.
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner reveals the hidden side of everything, including things related to economics.
Economist PodcastsEvery weekday, our global network of journalists decodes the stories behind the headlines, including business and finance news.
TechnologySoftware DevelopmentShip It! Cloud, SRE, Platform EngineeringA podcast about everything that happens after git push.
Marketplace TechDecoding the digital economy.
WSJ’s The Future of EverythingWhat will the future look like?
The InfoQ PodcastSoftware engineers, architects, and team leads find inspiration to drive change and innovation in their teams by listening to the weekly InfoQ podcast.
JS Party: JavaScript, CSS, Web DevelopmentYour weekly celebration of JavaScript and the Web.
Gadget Lab: Weekly Tech News from WIREDWIRED’s Gadget Lab podcast breaks down the gadgets, apps, and services you need to know about, and the ones you can move to the virtual trash bin.
Beyond CodeBeyond Code is a casual chat podcast for programmers hosted by GeekPlux and Randy.
Software TalkBedtime stories for programmers.
Go Time: Golang, Software EngineeringThe source for diverse discussions around the Go community.
CompilerYou might have questions about tech. We do too. Every other week, we demystify the tech industry, answering one question at a time.
The Backend Engineering Show with Hussein NasserWelcome to the Backend Engineering Show podcast hosted by Hussein Nasser.
Chips with EverythingWhy do people design video games in war zones?
CYBERHacking. Hackers. Disinformation campaigns. Encryption. The Web. These things get complicated fast, but Motherboard spends time embedded in the infosec world so you don’t have to.
Go Nightly Chat“Go Nightly Chat” is a podcast hosted by Yang Wen and Ou Changkun focusing on the history of the Go language.
Python Hunter“Python Hunter” is a programming-themed chat show. We talk about programming, programmers, and Python.
Talk Python To MeTalk Python to Me is a weekly podcast hosted by developer and entrepreneur Michael Kennedy. We dive deep into popular packages and software developers, data scientists, and incredible hobbyists doing amazing things with Python.
core.pyWe talk about Python internals because we are committed to Python internals. We joke because we are jokers.
Python PeopleThe Python community is great because of the people. Python People is a weekly podcast about getting to know the people who help make the Python community better.
Command Line HeroesHear epic true stories of how developers, programmers, hackers, geeks, and open source rebels revolutionized the tech landscape.
Talking MachinesTalking Machines is your window into the world of machine learning.
English LearningGeneral EnglishIELTS PodcastPass IELTS with expert help.
Culips Everyday English PodcastCulips English Podcast: Making practical English learning fun.
Learning English StoriesImprove your English with these short dramas and stories.
The Ezra Klein ShowEvery Tuesday and Friday, Ezra Klein invites you to a conversation about things that matter.
IELTS Energy English 7+Do you want to get a band 7 on the IELTS exam?
Brown Girls Do It TooFrom mild swearing to sex toys A to Z, Poppy and Rubina confess every aspect of their sex lives.
IELTS Speaking for SuccessEvery week, Maria and Rory get together to discuss the latest IELTS Speaking topics, providing model answers and vocabulary to help you improve your speaking and get a higher score on the IELTS exam.
Learning English ConversationsDaily expressions and real English conversations to help you have daily conversations more easily.
Learning English GrammarLearn English grammar with these short programs.
IELTS with Fiona: a comprehensive guide to IELTSJoin me every week to discuss IELTS topics and help you understand the topics, vocabulary, tips, and strategies you need to prepare.
Learning English VocabularyBuild your English vocabulary with these short programs.
Learning English for ChinaImprove English listening skills, master authentic British expressions, and understand all aspects of British society and culture.
Business English Pod :: Learn Business English OnlineLearn Business English online for free with Business English lessons, English videos, Business English PDFs, ESL podcasts, Business English courses, and Business English apps.
Culture & EntertainmentAnimeAnime Out of ContextListen to Shaun explore the sometimes weird, sometimes wonderful, always hilarious world of anime.
Trash Taste PodcastTrash Taste is the premier anime podcast, exploring anime, manga, and otaku culture with top anime YouTubers: Joey from The Anime Man, Garnt from Gigguk, and Connor from Cdawgva, along with occasional special guests.
Anime Summit PodcastThe Anime Summit podcast originated from the /r/Anime Reddit community to help spread our love for anime and create more connections with the content we love!
Pop Culture Happy HourGet obsessed with us. Pop Culture Happy Hour gives you recommendations and commentary on the hottest movies, TV, music, books, video games, and more, five days a week here is a translation of the remaining parts of the file:

| | | Shonen Flop | Not every manga can be a success like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, or Naruto in Shonen Jump. |
| | | Anime Addicts Anonymous | We have a mission: To make your anime addiction worse! |
| | | Silver Screen Guide to the Galaxy | Silver Screen Guide to the Galaxy is an audio program produced by Gcores, where we use “three movies” as a reason to share and discuss movies. |
| | | Full Season Anime Music Preview | Latest anime songs. |
| | | Games and Feelings | A advice podcast about being human and loving all kinds of games: video games, board games, party games, laser tag, escape rooms, game streaming, and any other game we play for fun. |
| | | Common FM | Common FM is a music podcast program, updated when possible. |
| | Games | Gcores Game Channel | GADIO, China’s first dedicated game podcast produced by Gcores, shares everything related to games with you who love games! |
| | | Black Water Park | Black Water Park is a fun talk show that uses movies, series, sci-fi, and anime as carriers to talk about life. |
| | Music | KZradio הקצה | An independent radio station from Tel Aviv. |
| | | Lin Fei’s Private Record Collection | Selecting the best from Lin Fei’s 20,000 record collection, recalling classics, treasuring pop, “saving” good records! |
| | | Sugar Garlic Radio | Everyone is a host. |
| | | Lost Music | Everyone is a host. |
| | | Li Zhi’s Ageless Songs | Updated every Monday and Thursday at 20:00. If you don’t see it, it’s been taken down again. Reliable listening method: add host zhubolizhi. |
| | | Loud and Clear (Sheng Dong Ji Xi) | The world is wide, but people are limited by daily life and social media. Let us, as journalists, help you open some unexpected windows, touch different information, and spark different thoughts. |
| | | Avocado Toast | Chatting about tech trends, the ins and outs of various industries. We are based in Silicon Valley and invite frontline experts to share with everyone! |
| | | Dear Music | Listen to the best music moments, feel the most beautiful life properly. |
| | | Wang Dong Radio | Formerly #Wang Dong Radio# program. Bringing you the highest quality music! |
| | | Road Book (Lu Shu) | Travel ten thousand miles, read ten thousand books. “Road Book” is a podcast discussing art and history. |
| | | Hill FM | Music, does not pass away. Love, does not travel far. |
| | | Ghost Station | Ghost Station: A loose, absurd, burnt-out mysterious organization, eccentric music contributors. |
| | | Song Exploder | Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs and tell the story of how they were made, piece by piece. |
| | | Four Seasons Office | Hand-picked by villain listeners. |
| | | NCPA | Listen to Classics | Listening, let art change life! |
| | | A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs | Andrew Hickey presents a history of rock music from 1938 to 1999, looking at five hundred songs that shaped the genre. |
| | | 100 Classics of Western Music in 100 Years | Classic songs touch people’s hearts often because their lyrics contain profound emotions and thoughts. |
| | | Jazz Uncle | Content introduction: Everyone can understand jazz, just listen. |
| News & Stories | News | Radiolab | Radiolab is on a journey of curiosity. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get answers. |
| | | Revisionist History | Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. |
| | | This American Life | Every week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for the radio. |
| | | Person of The Week | TIME senior correspondent Charlotte Alter has candid conversations with the people shaping the world about the forces shaping them. |
| | | Inside China | Want to learn more about China firsthand directly from reporters on the ground? |
| | Stories | Story FM | Welcome to Story FM. Here, we use your voice to tell your story. |
| | | Jinjin Ledao | In the hustle and bustle, we are born to please your ears. |
| | | Hot Money: The New Narcos | Hot Money is back. In this series, FT reporter Miles Johnson investigates a mysterious murder in a small town that leads to a web of drugs, money laundering, and state-sponsored assassination stretching from Dublin to Dubai. |