{"id":175858,"date":"2023-08-03T18:43:43","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T22:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/conversational-american-english\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T11:18:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:18:37","slug":"conversational-american-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/conversational-american-english\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Great American English Books, Websites and Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

To have a conversation with your new American friend, you\u2019ll need to learn conversational American English.\u00a0Conversational English is casual and natural, and uses many common expressions and phrases<\/a>. By learning these phrases, you can sound more natural when you speak, too\u2014just like a native American English speaker.<\/p>\n

You know the grammar and the vocabulary<\/a>, now it\u2019s time to learn some conversational American English.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Books for Learning American English<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. “McGraw-Hill’s Conversational American English”<\/a>\"McGraw-Hill's<\/a><\/h3>\n

McGraw-Hill is a well-known textbook publisher, so you can expect good things from their book \u201cConversational American English.\u201d The book is organized into themes and contains more than 3,000 common phrases and expressions used in almost any situation.<\/p>\n

The themes in this book include conversational ways to say hello and goodbye, agree or disagree, and even deal with polite and impolite people. Each situation is followed by a list of phrases you might say in that situation. There is no explanation with the phrases though, so it’s probably not the best for a beginner.<\/p>\n

2. “Speak English Like an American”<\/a>\u00a0and “Speak English Around Town”<\/a> by Amy Gillett\"Speak<\/a><\/h3>\n

Like McGraw-Hill\u2019s book, Amy Gillett\u2019s conversational American English books are full of many expressions for everyday experiences in both casual and professional settings.<\/p>\n

Gillett\u2019s books don\u2019t just list the expressions, though. Each lesson has a conversation where you can see the phrases in action, followed by a list of the expressions, their definitions, and a few more examples. You can test your understanding of the expressions by doing the short worksheet at the end of each chapter.<\/p>\n

3. “Common American Idioms: A Dictionary of the Most Popular American Expressions, with Etymology and Examples”<\/a> by My English Routine<\/h3>\n

\"Common<\/a> If you’re interested in learning a variety of American English idioms<\/a> and expressions, this book is a useful resource with over 900 to learn.<\/p>\n

Under each idiom<\/a> in this book, you’ll not only find the meaning but also an explanation of the origin of the idiom as well as an example sentence so that you can see it in context. This is a great way to understand the background of common idioms as well as how they are used in conversations.<\/p>\n

4. “Looking for Alaska”<\/a>\u00a0by John Green\"Looking<\/a><\/h3>\n

Educational books are a great resource for learning new phrases and expressions, but to really read about Americans having conversations, try reading a Young Adult (YA) novel<\/a>. A novel is a fictional book, and a YA novel is specifically written for teenagers around the age of high school.<\/p>\n

Many YA novels have realistic conversations and dialogues. Since the books are meant for a younger audience, they try to sound like younger people. And teenagers use a lot of expressions and slang! A few other Young Adult books that have natural-sounding conversations like in this book are Rick Riordan\u2019s “The Lightning Thief”<\/a>\u00a0and Ann Brashare\u2019s “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”<\/a><\/p>\n

Websites for Learning American English<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

5. The Phrase Finder (American Phrases and Sayings)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Although this website is British, the sayings listed on this page are American. Clicking on any of the sayings takes you to a page that explains the meaning of the expression, as well as where it originally came from.<\/p>\n

The site isn\u2019t meant for English learners, so some of the language might be tough to understand (some of the definitions need definitions!). If you\u2019re a more advanced learner, or are interested in where words and phrases come from, give it a try.<\/p>\n

6. FluentU<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"FluentU<\/a><\/div>\n

\r\nFluentU lets you turn authentic media into personalized language lessons, so you can learn English exactly the way native speakers use it.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tWith FluentU\u2019s Chrome extension, you can use our interactive learning tools with any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>. You can even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account for customized learning!<\/p>

\r\n\t\"learn-english-with-fluentu-chrome-extension\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\r\nFluentU also gives you access to a huge library of real-world English videos<\/strong>\u2014movie trailers, news clips, music videos, and more\u2014all organized by topic and level.\r\n<\/p>

\r\n\"learn-english-with-videos\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\r\nNo more stopping to look up words or struggling to keep up with fast speech. While you watch, FluentU\u2019s interactive captions<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, audio, image, and example sentences.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"learn-english-with-fluentu\"<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWorried you\u2019ll forget all those new words from the videos? We\u2019ve got you! Our fun, adaptive quizzes<\/strong> reinforce what you\u2019ve learned and even give you extra practice with words you find difficult, making sure they stick for the long run.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\t\"learn-english-with-adaptive-quizzes\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\r\nReady to make every video a language lesson? Start using FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n

7. Real English Conversations<\/a><\/h3>\n

This website is like a podcast aimed at English learners. Here, you can find people having real conversations about different topics and themes. The speakers have a clear pronunciation and speak naturally, so you can pick up a lot of expressions about each topic. Each lesson also has some great tips and tricks for learning English.<\/p>\n

Not all the content on Real English Conversations is free, but you can listen to a number of sample topics to see if this is the right website for you.<\/p>\n

8. American English (United States Department of State)<\/a><\/h3>\n

The United States Department of State has an excellent website with resources for students and teachers of English as a second language. There are a few American English lessons and resources, like the one linked to above.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good idea to look around the website\u2014you can find some great lessons here!<\/p>\n

9. Learn American English Online<\/a><\/h3>\n

This website is a useful resource for American English learners of all levels.<\/p>\n

If you click on the “American Speech”<\/a> page, you’ll find a range of common American English expressions, idioms and even a vowel and consonant pronunciation page with audio.<\/p>\n

This website will not only help you learn expressions used in American English, but also see how they are used in context with example sentences.<\/p>\n

Check out this post<\/a> to discover more English learning websites.<\/p>\n

Apps to Learn American English<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

10. ELSA<\/a>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Available for:<\/strong> iOS<\/a> and Android<\/a><\/p>\n

ELSA is a great app for learners who would like to practice and improve their American English pronunciation and accent.<\/p>\n

This app has thousands of lessons for English learners to choose from. You can record your pronunciation and receive specific feedback about each individual sound to help you start perfecting your pronunciation and work toward sounding more like a native American English speaker.<\/p>\n

11. VOA Learning English<\/a><\/h3>\n

Available for:<\/strong> iOS<\/a> and Android<\/a><\/p>\n

VOA Learning English (Voice of America Learning English) is a news podcast with a huge number of topics for you to choose from\u2014so you\u2019re sure to find something you\u2019re actually interested in. Although this is not specifically a learning app, it\u2019s a good way to hear American conversations about whatever topic you choose.<\/p>\n

As you listen to the news segment being read on the app, the text will be highlighted, allowing you to follow each section and pause the audio whenever you want. In addition, you can also increase or decrease the speed of the audio to adapt it to your level.<\/p>\n

You can also access the VOA Learning English platform on your browser<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you’re interested in learning English with apps,\u00a0this post<\/a> has the 23 best apps for learning English.<\/p>\n

How to Have an English Conversation<\/h2>\n

What if we told you to stop worrying about grammar? Of course you still need to learn grammar<\/a> so that you know the rules, but when you\u2019re speaking conversational English, sometimes it\u2019s better to be understood than to be correct.<\/p>\n

Think about it: When you speak your native language, how often do you stop to think about the grammar? You probably don\u2019t. In fact, there are probably times when you knowingly use incorrect grammar, because that\u2019s how it\u2019s actually used in conversations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Imagine if an American came up to you and said, \u201cHey there, how\u2019s it going?\u201d How do you respond to that<\/a>?<\/p>\n

You can think back to what you learned about English vocabulary and grammar, and respond \u201cI am doing fine, thank you.\u201d Of course, this is not\u00a0incorrect<\/em>, but it doesn\u2019t sound quite right.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the American is speaking conversational English<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For this reason, fluency is even more important than grammar in conversational English. Fluency is the ability to speak without having to pause too often. You can improve your fluency by listening to and reading a lot of English conversations, by learning phrases instead of single words, and by practicing as often as you can.<\/p>\n

How Different is American English?<\/h2>\n

American English is not that different from other types of English, like British or Australian English. One of the biggest differences you notice right away is the accent and pronunciation.<\/p>\n

Aside from the pronunciation, American English does use many phrases, words and even sentence types that you might not hear in other English-speaking countries. Something called a \u201cloo\u201d in the UK is called a \u201cbathroom\u201d or \u201crestroom\u201d in American English<\/a>. In Australian English you might say something is \u201cbonza,\u201d<\/a> but in American English it would be \u201cawesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though these differences are small, they\u2019re important for sounding really natural in a conversation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With these resources, you\u2019re not just learning English\u2014you\u2019re learning to speak “American”<\/a>! Now you’ll know exactly how to answer the next time someone asks you, \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n

\r\n\tIf you're like me and enjoy learning English through movies and other media, you should check out FluentU<\/strong><\/a>. With FluentU, you can turn any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix into an engaging language lesson. \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"learn-english-with-fluentu-on-youtube\"<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tI also love that FluentU has a huge library of videos picked specifically for English learners<\/strong>. No more searching for good content\u2014it's all in one place!\r\n<\/p>\r\n\"learn-english-with-videos\"<\/a>\r\n

\r\n\tOne of my favorite features is the interactive captions<\/strong>. You can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and examples, which makes it so much easier to understand and remember.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"learn-english-vocab-with-fluentu\"<\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nAnd if you're worried about forgetting new words, FluentU has you covered. You'll complete fun exercises to reinforce vocabulary<\/strong> and be reminded when it\u2019s time to review, so you actually retain what you\u2019ve learned.\r\n<\/p>

\r\n\"practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes\"<\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nYou can use FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To have a conversation with your new American friend, you\u2019ll need to learn conversational American English.\u00a0Conversational English is casual and natural, and uses many common expressions and phrases. By learning…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":251200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"11 Great American English Books, Websites and Apps | FluentU English Blog","description":"American English books, websites and apps are great resources to use to study and learn conversational American English! In this post, you'll find 11 American English resources to start talking like a native speaker, from books and language learning websites to pronunciation apps. Click here to get started!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,688],"tags":[],"coauthors":[169],"class_list":["post-175858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-resources-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175858"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254470,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175858\/revisions\/254470"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175858"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=175858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}