Hobbies and Entertainment - A Beautiful Mess http://www.abeautifulmess.com/
What it is: Sisters Elsie and Emma share their favorite crafts, home decor and cooking projects in one of the most widely-read blogs online.
What to expect: The language is extremely upbeat and playful, and each blog reads as though one of the sisters is talking to you over a cup of coffee. Study their instruction posts to learn how to explain yourself clearly.
Sample article: “5 Easy Watercolor Techniques”
- Nomadic Matt http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blog/
What it is: Matt has been traveling the world since 2006, and he shares his experiences and travel tips on this blog.
What to expect: Matt uses very simple language so anyone can use his knowledge to plan their own trips. You can learn a lot about other cultures here, how to plan a trip of your own (without spending too much money) and other topics that would interest fans of traveling.
Sample article: “How to Plan a Trip to a Place You Know Nothing About”
Fashion and Style - Refinery29 http://www.refinery29.com/
What it is: A huge online magazine for teenage girls and young women. There are articles about style, fashion, entertainment and some current events from a different perspective.
What to expect: Refinery uses an informal writing style, and sometimes also uses internet slang. This is a good place to get in touch with how younger internet users write and speak (and dress). You’ll come across a lot of fashion terms, so have that dictionary ready (better yet, just Google Image search fashion terms to immediately understand what they are).
Sample article: “How to Dress Amazing When You’re Super Busy & Not a Millionaire”
- The Everygirl http://theeverygirl.com/
What it is: A magazine for career women who are (or want to be) successful while still looking and feeling fantastic.
What to expect: Articles on this website are a bit more sophisticated in language, since they speak towards an audience of intelligent women. They’re still perfect for intermediate and even beginner English learners.
Sample article: “6 Ways to De-stress for Free”
- Mantelligence http://www.mantelligence.com/
What it is: Expert life and style tips for men, teaching how to live and dress like a gentleman.
What to expect: This is like the male version of Jezebel, but with a bigger emphasis on how to be classy (stylish or well-mannered). The language is somewhere between “intelligent man” and “bro.” That is, it’s a mix of more complex writing while still being friendly. Intermediate English learners should feel comfortable here.
Sample article: “57 Life Tips That Will Instantly Make You a Better Man”
News and Current Events - Vice https://www.vice.com/en_us
What it is: Feature-length articles about pop culture, opinion pieces about serious current events and issues. Interesting things about the world we live in, and the people who live in it.
What to expect: Vice is not a typical news outlet, since it includes a lot of opinion in its articles. Vice is a great place to learn more about American culture and the issues it’s facing. The writing is more complex, and may cause some trouble for early-intermediate English learners. Try an article: If you don’t get it, you probably need something a little simpler (work your way up to this!).
Sample article: “Was an Innocent Man Sent to Prison for Killing a Cop 46 Years Ago?”
- NPR http://www.npr.org/
What it is: News from National Public Radio, on everything from culture and current events, to art and music.
What to expect: Some of the articles on the NPR website are more difficult to read, as it’s a serious news and arts website. Many articles also include an audio clip as well as a written transcript of the audio file, which makes it perfect for English reading practice. Listen and read along, or read and then listen, to make sure you got things right.
Sample article: “‘Roaring Wind’ Examines Extreme Weather, and the Power of Air”
Science and Technology - Discover http://discovermagazine.com/
What it is: The latest news in science and nature, presented in easy-to-read articles.
What to expect: Discover takes scientific research papers and news, and turns them into enjoyable and approachable articles. You don’t need to know too many science-related vocabulary words to understand these articles, making them perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about the topic.
Sample article: “Honeybees Have Personalities (Sort Of)”
- TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/
What it is: A tech news website with reviews and articles about gadgets, new technology and video games.
What to expect: TechCrunch assumes its readers already know some things about technology, so expect some tech words that you might need to look up.
Sample article: “Apollo Shield Launches System That Sends Unwanted Drones Home”
History and Trivia - Atlas Obscura http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles
What it is: Interesting stories about strange places around the world. Tales from history about curious people, places and events.
What to expect: The writing on this website is a bit more complex, but if you love history, it’s worth working your way through it just for the incredibly unique stories.
Sample article: “The Forgotten Tale of How America Converted Its 1980 Olympic Village into a Prison”
- Mental Floss http://mentalfloss.com/
What it is: Trivia and interesting facts about everything from nature and animals, to people and history.
What to expect: Unlike Atlas Obscura, Mental Floss uses a friendly and simple writing style. Check out their language section to learn some things you might not have known about the English language.
Sample article: “11 Places to Visit on a Tour of the English Language”
- Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com/
What it is: Tips and tricks for making your life easier, one small thing at a time.
What to expect: Clear instructions and informative articles make Lifehacker useful to anyone. Some “hacks” (tricks or ways to make things easier) involve language and learning, and might be especially useful for English learners. Others are just useful!
Sample article: “Use These Scripts to Talk to Your Boss When You’re Overworked”
