Short interviews with people from around the world
Elllo.org has a searchable database of hundreds of interviews with native and non-native English speakers from around the world with a short comprehension quiz at the end. Use the search box to find something that’s interesting to you! Some of the interviews have transcripts and some don’t.
Listen to every kind of British accent
The British Council has a good collection of podcasts, as well as a huge archive of material organized by theme.
This American Life
This American Life is a 60 minute weekly radio program produced by National Public Radio in the US. There is an incredible variety of stories on this show, just click the “Radio Archives” link on the top of the page, choose a year and start browsing. The length of the program allows the presenters to speak at a relaxed pace and really explore their subject material sensitively and in depth. One particularly good episode is The Giant Pool of Money, which explains and interviews people involved with the start of the economic crisis in America.
A podcast for every interest
Podcast Alley has hundreds of podcasts about anything you can imagine. Choose a genre from the pull-down menu on the top left and listen to something that interests you.