Say “No” to the TV Licence: 11 better ways to spend your money

Say “No” to the TV Licence: 11 better ways to spend your money – Language learning edition

If you’re in the UK, you know all about the “TV Tax” – better known as the TV Licence. It’s that lovely £169.50 yearly fee you’re forced to hand over if you want to watch live broadcast TV. And what’s it funding? The BBC. Yep, the propaganda arm of the UK government.

Now, I try to keep politics out of the content on this site, but this whole thing drives me nuts for a number of reasons which, sorry in advance, I’m going to list below:

  • Why should one broadcaster get guaranteed money while other channels have to fend for themselves with ads?
  • The British people can’t rely on the BBC for its news. We neither receive it in a timely fashion nor in an unbiased way (see their handling of the UK General Election recall petition of November 2024).
  • The BBC spends obscene amounts of money sending out nasty letters and harassing people who don’t have licences. In 2023/24, the total cost of licence fee collection was £145.4 million, which includes expenses for call centres, field operations, detection services, communications (such as reminder letters), postage, administration, and contract management.
  • People, mostly women, are literally prosecuted and fined for not paying it, which is insane.
  • And let’s be honest, most of the “good” content these days is on Netflix, YouTube, or any number of streaming services, none of which you need a TV licence to watch.

So this got me thinking, what if you could spend that £169.50 on something that actually matters – like learning a new language? You’d still have change left over and be doing something way more rewarding.

Here’s a list of 11 better ways to use your hard-earned cash that’ll help you pick up a new language… or ten.


1. Pimsleur annual subscription (£145)

This one’s a game-changer. With access to all 51 of their courses, you could learn up to 12 languages conversationally in a year (more if you learn more than one simultaneously). Each intro course is designed to get you talking in 30 days. That’s a lot more useful and productive than watching rerun of Homes Under the Hammer, don’t you think?

2. A lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone (£149)

Lifetime. Subscription. No monthly fees. And you get all 26 of their languages. This one’s great for beginners, aspiring polyglots, or anyone looking to build a strong foundation in the world’s most popular languages.

3. 1.5 years of uTalk subscription (£100/year)

The uTalk app is perfect for vocabulary building – it’ll introduce you to over 2500 of the most important words and phrases. With 150 languages on offer, chances are they’ve got the language you’re interested in.

Seriously, you’ll find courses in some super “niche” languages, like Alsatian (erm, I didn’t even know this was a language, I thought it was just a species of dog!), Cornish, and everything in between.

4. 12 – 14 Udemy language courses

Udemy courses are almost always on sale for around £12. It’s kind of a quirk of the site. With that budget, you could grab 12 or more courses in over 70 languages. They’re taught by native speakers and come with hours of video material.

5. Several flashcard packs

Physical flashcards usually cap out at £25, but digital downloads are even cheaper. You can grab some super handy ones for less than the price of a takeaway coffee (check out our shop for some. Sorry, shameless plug!).

At the higher price point, if going physical, that’s at least 6 packs; lower end, if going digital, we’re talking 40+ packs. Now tell me that doesn’t sound like a better way to spend £169.50!

5 Language Visual Dictionary (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
Amazon.com
5 Language Visual Dictionary (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
Babbel Language Learning Software - Learn 14 Languages, Audio Lessons - Compatible with iOS, Android, Mac & PC (3 Month Subscription)
Amazon.com
Babbel Language Learning Software - Learn 14 Languages, Audio Lessons - Compatible with iOS, Android, Mac & PC (3 Month Subscription)
Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It
Amazon.com
Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It

6. A stack of language dictionaries

Average cost? About £15. You could buy several solid foreign language dictionaries with that TV Licence fee. A good dictionary is an absolute must for language learners. As you progress with your studies, you’re going to want one handy.

7. A 2-night European city break for immersion

Budget airlines like EasyJet offer package deals – including flights, hotels, and luggage – for under £160 per person to places like Rome, Paris, Prague, or even Istanbul.

So, for the price of the TV Licence, you can literally spend a whole weekend in another country, soaking in the culture and practising your target language with the locals. This is known as immersion, and it’s probably the best way to boost your speaking skills.

8. 15 months of Netflix (£11/month)

Netflix is an absolute goldmine for language learning. Discover new shows or watch your favourites dubbed or subbed in dozens of languages.

In recent years, Netflix has ploughed money into both producing and acquiring foreign-language media. They’re also dedicated to making these shows and movies accessible to foreigners by providing subtitles.

I’ve found that watching foreign content with the foreign subtitles on really helps with listening comprehension.

9. 16 months of Amazon Prime (£9/month or £95/year)

Prime isn’t just for free delivery. It’s loaded with content, foreign-language and English, though you’ll find the largest offering of dubbing and subtitles in Amazon Originals.

I like watching children’s shows and cartoons (of which there are many) in my target languages, especially at the beginning of a new language journey.

10. A handful of video games

Gaming is probably the most fun way to learn a language. Plenty of European languages (German, Spanish, Dutch, etc.) and Japanese are well-represented in this medium.

One of my favourite franchises is Yakuza (don’t judge me!). Most of the titles aren’t dubbed, only subtitled in English, so you get to hear real, native Japanese throughout.

Not a console gamer? No problem. Steam offers PC/Mac gamers an even vaster selection to choose from, including many indie games in lesser-known languages like Galician and Basque.

Sorgina: A Tale of Witches, for example, can be played in Basque – a rare find for a language that doesn’t get much love.

11. Annual VPN subscription (from £50 – £140)

A VPN is a must-have for any serious language learner. I use NordVPN personally, though most other VPNs will do the same thing – that is, grant you access to content from dozens of different countries. This means you’re getting the real, native content. TV shows, movies, radio stations, you name it. These are usually unavailable to people outside of those countries.

At the start of my German language journey, this was how I was able to watch the soap opera Lena, Liebe meines Lebens (again, don’t judge me!).


I hope I’ve given you enough reasons to at least consider cancelling your TV Licence. There are so many ways to put that money to better use, even outside of language learning.

I’m a big proponent of investing in self-improvement, and as far as I’m concerned, learning a new language is about as good an investment as it gets (check out the many benefits to learning a new language here).

The BBC might miss your cash, but you definitely won’t miss it once you’re fluently chatting in Spanish or gaming in Japanese.

Spend smarter, learn better, folks!