Why London is the best city to learn English as an adult
Over 60 countries around the world use English as an official language –
the number of cities in those countries would be impossible to count. So, out of all of these cities, why should you choose London as the place to study?
Diversity
Wherever you might be from, or whatever community you want to be a part of, you’re sure to find it somewhere in London.
London is recognised as one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities, with over 300 languages spoken. In fact, 41% of people in London report being born outside of the UK. There are all kinds of different people here, with different religions, ethnicities, backgrounds, values and ideas. With so much diversity, it’s hard to ever feel truly alone in London.
Although it can be hard at times to find it, there’s a community or friendship group out there for everyone. It’s a city home to over 8 million people, meaning that you can walk down any street with the guarantee
that you won’t accidentally see someone you don’t want to. You’ll be able to choose your friends, while maintaining a sense of ‘anonymity’ – the feeling that you don’t need to answer to anybody, be recognised, or feel judged.
Accents
As we just discussed, London is home to many people. Among the many communities that can be found in London, you’ll be able to find people from all over the English-speaking world. The 2021 census* found that 87,000 Australians were living in the UK, the majority of whom lived in London. And around 71,000 Americans live in London, according to the Office for National Statistics. The Anglosphere** is well represented in London, meaning that you’ll be exposed to loads of different English-speaking accents.
Let’s take an example. While British people might say ‘water’ or even ‘war-er’, Australians flap their T’s and D’s, so words like ‘water’ might be pronounced ‘war-der’. Exposing yourself to these different accents will help you to improve many skills. It’ll help your listening, for example, as you’ll start to hear the differences in how the same words can sound when spoken by different people. Slowly, too, you’ll be able to make friends with these different communities, giving you invaluable connections from all over the world.
Food
Author: Kit, a teacher at Speak Up London
*census – a count of every person and household in the country, conducted every ten years. It looks at people’s religion, nationality, and other markers of identity.
**Anglosphere – a term used to describe the English-speaking world. That is, places, cities and countries where English is used as an official or main language. These include over 60 countries from Ireland to New Zealand!
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As an American who’s lived in London for a few years now, I really appreciated this breakdown. The subtle differences in vocabulary, like “boot” for “trunk,” still trip me up sometimes. Your point about the pacing and rhythm of the speech is spot-on—it’s something you don’t fully grasp until you’re immersed in it.
As someone who learned American English but now works with a UK-based team, this was a helpful read. I’m still getting used to saying ‘lift’ instead of ‘elevator’ in meetings! The point about different vocabulary leading to genuine confusion is so true.
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As an American who lived in London for a year, I really appreciated this breakdown. The subtle differences in vocabulary, like “boot” for “trunk,” were the most surprising and often led to funny misunderstandings. It’s fascinating how two versions of the same language can evolve such distinct flavours.
As an American who’s lived in London for a few years, I really appreciated this breakdown. The point about collective nouns often taking a plural verb in British English (e.g., “the team are playing”) was something that confused me at first, but now it feels perfectly natural. It’s these subtle grammatical differences, beyond just vocabulary, that are so interesting.