[citation needed] The album features many guest stars, including Johnny Thunders, who died after recording "Born to Lose" for Learning English.

[citation needed] The album has a central parody theme of an independent language-learning tape, where "Janet and John" are the teachers.

Trouser Press wrote that "the excellently performed and impressively reverent Learning English is less a tribute than a precise re-creation.

"[7] People called the album "more than just a quirky collector’s item ... [it] is the perfect way to look back—or discover—where [punk] all began.

"[8] Washington City Paper deemed it "a sappy, charming album of class-of-'77 covers.